The European Union Today

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The European Union has been a grand experiment</div><div style="text-align: center;">originating in 1958 but solidifying in 1993</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fhtXfEHyU38/Tvrp6cWCdfI/AAAAAAABVRg/vbRhAgc4o-0/s1600/1_May_2004_enlargement_celebration_in_Parc_du_Cinquantenaire-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fhtXfEHyU38/Tvrp6cWCdfI/AAAAAAABVRg/vbRhAgc4o-0/s400/1_May_2004_enlargement_celebration_in_Parc_du_Cinquantenaire-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Take 27 European countries with diverse histories, cultures, locations, and economies </div><div style="text-align: center;">and bind them with laws and a single currency, </div><div style="text-align: center;">the euro</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The European Union aims to <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">provide free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within Europe</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">A dreamy idea, but can it work? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">National borders relax </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">as many from poorer EU countries flood wealthier EU countries for work,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">for no work visa is required </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">{</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19px;"> with a few exceptions } </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Unfortunately, it has created another layer of big government</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">My babysitter says her fees are dictated by the EU in <span style="background-color: white;">Brussels</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Sounds a little crazy, right?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6bIoH53VQo/TvrqWLg2jBI/AAAAAAABVRs/jFupJcTMC5c/s1600/EU.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="104" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6bIoH53VQo/TvrqWLg2jBI/AAAAAAABVRs/jFupJcTMC5c/s640/EU.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Countries in the European Union<br />Switzerland and Norway are among the few who did <u>not</u> join</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Due to the current economic crisis in Greece and Italy,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">a recent UK newspaper headline read</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">'EU Demands £25bn Lifeline From UK'</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">That doesn't feel fair to the British who have their own economic woes</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">and decided to keep its currency { Pound Sterling } from the beginning</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">as a way to hold on to their </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">sovereignty</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ulqMetJY5L0/Tvrqz8dcgQI/AAAAAAABVR4/ucZNW-cZvLI/s1600/EU+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ulqMetJY5L0/Tvrqz8dcgQI/AAAAAAABVR4/ucZNW-cZvLI/s320/EU+map.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the European Union</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">The demands and threats toward the British to financially help with the euro crisis</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">has led </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">59% of those surveyed wanting to leave the EU,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">25% wanting to stay, and 16% not sure,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">according to a UK newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">In a country where NO ONE has bumper stickers on his/her car</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">{ it is tacky to display your opinions so publicly },</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I actually have seen a few promoting the UK to leave the EU</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">{ or maybe it is just the same car I see over and over again }</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J9y4Fy7AFyY/TvrrSqUxWiI/AAAAAAABVSE/vmP8_b0yQ5k/s1600/Euro_banknotes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J9y4Fy7AFyY/TvrrSqUxWiI/AAAAAAABVSE/vmP8_b0yQ5k/s320/Euro_banknotes.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />Euro notes replaced many national currencies in 2002<br />Not used by all EU countries, including UK and Denmark</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">What has the EU meant to me?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Aside from taxes, new laws I'm not aware of, and a great variety of imports in the stores,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I can't help but be a little envious of EU citizens buzzing</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">through passport control as I stand in the long non-EU citizen line</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I see cars and big lorries on the highways with licenses plates from all over Europe</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">When we travel through Europe, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">it is convenient to use </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">the same currency when we cross borders</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">{ But I must say the bland artwork on the euro makes me sad </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">for the countries </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">who lost their beautiful, meaningful depictions of their culture on their own currency }</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">2012 could be an interesting year for the EU </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Will the European Union break up?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Will a few countries be forced to abandon the euro?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Will the UK decide to leave?</span></div><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Stay tuned...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">P.S. <a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.com/p/post-of-month-club.html">Post Of The Month Club</a> will resume January 31 :)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_union">Wikipedia</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j8GyOBtj-MgXE0_LYpHNJu-nloIw?docId=CNG.f20b4240ddfb7fb679fc13254a5dadcb.2d1">AFP</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8964734/EU-demands-25bn-lifeline-from-the-UK.html">The Daily Telegraph</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images: Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:European_Union">1</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union">2</a></span></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

The European Union Today

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK The European Union has been a grand experiment originating in 1958 but solidifying in 1993 Take 27 European cou...

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Boxing Day

<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;">Posted by Happy Homemaker UK</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today is Boxing Day in the UK, </div><div style="text-align: center;">a secular holiday celebrated in many countries worldwide </div><div style="text-align: center;">{not in the US}</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">Historically employers gave bonuses and 'boxed up' leftover food to employees on this day</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was a time to give an 'Alms Box' to the poor</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It also has been the day for the Boxing Day Hunt</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fox hunting dates back to the 16th century in England</div><div style="text-align: center;">Controversially, fox hunting has been banned since 2004</div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5F3gNGkAPHmAfq0oOYKz6Tb4mQIywFS8ziTeuSIsn1gPF_RV7fgV0HdNyr2XD7ogy7kR5i0ryLzxfVGBVrv6xmfYUBwza12HFniPjWW_UKJVdKQLIccH5yAU9XJTjzXCRXA87prQm8Q/s1600/dailymail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5F3gNGkAPHmAfq0oOYKz6Tb4mQIywFS8ziTeuSIsn1gPF_RV7fgV0HdNyr2XD7ogy7kR5i0ryLzxfVGBVrv6xmfYUBwza12HFniPjWW_UKJVdKQLIccH5yAU9XJTjzXCRXA87prQm8Q/s400/dailymail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">[image: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1101944/Record-300-000-traditional-Boxing-Day-hunts-making-mockery-ban.html">Daily Mail</a>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Today for many, it is the busiest retail day filled with shopping and sales</div><div style="text-align: center;">Think 'Black Friday' in the US after Thanksgiving</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is also another day of a Tube strike</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">As much as I love Christmas,<br />it is a bit too messy for me around the house<br />So I am trying to convince the kids 'Boxing Day'<br />means putting Christmas decorations away into <i>boxes </i>:)<br /><br />Clever, no?<br />{ they aren't buying it }<br /><br />It is also a family day of relaxing by the fire</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTqauEkM7leWetttlImOKQVfxMkqvSTr6UXD5hpojlbU_qPs1e1t6rFVnnoZzOZTPtQOETxzrAfex18f1M24TeYrcV0fherpCWXRCPpdSWShDsXl2Hul-CMf2cAKMFOfS1vtY3j7v-4I/s1600/DSC_0045-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTqauEkM7leWetttlImOKQVfxMkqvSTr6UXD5hpojlbU_qPs1e1t6rFVnnoZzOZTPtQOETxzrAfex18f1M24TeYrcV0fherpCWXRCPpdSWShDsXl2Hul-CMf2cAKMFOfS1vtY3j7v-4I/s320/DSC_0045-43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Boxing Day!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. Next <a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.com/p/post-of-month-club.html">Post Of The Month Club</a> will be January 31st :)</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Content: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_day">Wikipedia</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by me</span></div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Boxing Day

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK Today is Boxing Day in the UK,  a secular holiday celebrated in many countries worldwide  {not in the US} Histo...

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Style Interior

<div class="post-header"> </div> <div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1258947483619936253" itemprop="articleBody"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://latest-interiordesign.blogspot.com/"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Style Interior" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3yTMDoepW0g/T5zxQT9-5jI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ewOktt4StoQ/s320/chinese_oriental_interior_56896.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 257px;" title="Style Interior" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong>Typical Oriental style interior</strong><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> The theme of the interior space is increasingly diverse. One theme that is still up to date and happy to be used by many people because these styles are timeless is the Oriental style. Not only the interior of houses, office, and even commercials space such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, and so forth. Oriental style is inherited from the Eastern culture that developed covering an area of China, Japan, Korea, to Vietnam, Thailand, to Persia. Culture at heyday in the Palace of the Chinese Empire and Japan eventually have strong cultural roots and a life of its people. This culture continued to grow and develop in society in various forms including architectural aspects of buildings.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> The concept of oriental buildings usually come in the form of a physical building / exterior and interior. Includes roof form, space layout, building form / elements of the building wall, the gate / entrance, to the types of furniture and accents / ornaments space. In the style of today's modern home, this oriental concepts experienced remarkable evolution. Wealth of forms that continue to be explored by the designers made the impression of an oriental easily applied to other types of modern buildings. Form of gate / gate and walls of processing elements in the room / building is one example of a direct physical looks from the outside. While the selection of accents / ornaments and furniture locks on the interior will facilitate the creation of an oriental style in your room.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://latest-interiordesign.blogspot.com/"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Style Interior" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rAws135LfGk/T5zxSHCeZPI/AAAAAAAAAA8/LiLN_iAIZ1Q/s320/Green-Color-Interior-Modern-Home-Decor547854734.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" title="Style Interior" /></span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://latest-interiordesign.blogspot.com/"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Style Interior" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sIFj-mrqO7M/T5zxUaRYlkI/AAAAAAAAABA/IN76n8UVTP0/s320/japaneseInteriorDesign45674784.jpeg" style="width: 351px; height: 281px;" title="Style Interior" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> For example, in Japanese style interior, the use of interior decoration materials and furniture from wood. Oriental style tends to jell with natural color. Natural elements such as wood, natural stone, bamboo, and frescoes of the paper more often used. Another popular element in the Oriental style interior is known as the Chinese alphabet or Conji (Kanji), which is usually written into China calligraphy on sheets of paper displayed on the wall and into the accents / ornaments on the space key. A touch of oriental style is also reflected in the choice of red, gold, black, and white for the theme of space. Some Oriental items that can be used to decorate the house such as bamboo, a symbol of religious, ethnic ornaments and wall hangings picture / painting of a dragon or lotus flower.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> For the small house that still want to use the concept of oriental but also did not abandon the concept of a green home, try to organize a small dry patch of garden in the house. Because the concept of inner garden layout is already on the Japanese home of the past. Element for the inner garden, with or without the element of water is a natural stone both large and small size, sand / gravel, bamboo / other plant space efficient, and where the light from the stone. Additional lighting will enhance your inner garden in your home.</div></div></div>

Style Interior

Typical Oriental style interior The theme of the interior space is increasingly diverse. One theme that is still up to date and hap...

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