Surfing around is not always going to unknown sites.

There are places I love to land and stay a bit.

Rkdsign8 has created a site where she displays her art.

She has her own, clear style, which is neither minimalistic, nor abundant.

Whenever I have children here that are loud, I show them her work, and regardless of age, they get calm and want to see more.

Even though I've been often at her site, which is updated regularly, I haven't been at her etsy site before now.

Me oh my! All her drawings are there to be bought for just a very low prize.
Even in this time of resession everyone can afford something from her shop. Her drawings and stickers make a lovely present.
When you put a drawing in a list, it looks even more expensive.

To my surprise she also offers some of her drawings as PDF files.
I'll put the cupcakes set on the wishlist for my birthday (12 days from now).

I'm sure you'll find this site a place to come back often, so bookmark it.

During my university years I had some friends wh studied biology.
Some of them were "heavily into birding", as we called it.

They didn't mind waking up with the sun and bicycling over an hour to find a spot to see rare birds.

Some days they took a whole load of books with them, to find the name of one special bird, or they took sketchmaterial into the woods to draw a bird as well as possibel to show their professor.

I love birds, especially those in my own garden.

Maybe it's because I can't go at far-away places to see the birds there.

That's why I like Birding in the Falkland Islands a photoblog showing birds in their natural habitat.

Alan Henry stays in the Falklands since 1987, and he knows the right spots and the right poeple to warn him when a special bird is seen.
His camera is my set of eyes into a world where I can't be.

Go and have a look and be amazed.
Feel caught in respect for nature.
It's beautiful!

Now more and more people start preparing for the december festivities, I want to mention a blog I always like to be, because it's inspiring me to make things too.

I won't mention all the individual items that are described, you have to see the endresults and let your imagination flow.

The best of DIY, have a look.

"When you can't travel, study the photos.", I tell my children.

Photos can take you where you can't go.
The limit is the quality of the photo and they eye of the photographer.
Is he or she able to catch in a picture the essence of the place?

Otilius is.

At New York Nitty-Gritty I stop daily to drink in the moment caught...for me... and you.

No need to say much.... just go and have a look yourself.

This night I woke up and one thought took over everything: my autistic son can't use the rights he has for getting the education he needs, because there's not enough place for kids like him in the educational system.
So he doesn't get professional support to prepare him for society and he doesn't get the education he needs.

In fact, children like him are treated very different in many places across the country here.

My child has to be subscribed to a school that has traumatised him as bad that he got depressed and burned out.
He's indicated for an auti-class, but there's no place.
People are not interested in his development.
We, as parents, are put under pressure and are told over and over again that if we don't comply to the wishes of the council and school we will be brought to court.

In other cities children like him are allowed to stay at home and parents are encouraged to take the steps they think are important for the development of their children. They live without unnecessary stress.

Today I came across the site of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The site is well worth your attention, because many children in this world, including in socall developed/western countries, are not respected in their rights.
We all have to become aware of that and we have to stand up to make governments aware of this.

The rights of the children are written ::here::.


Article 3
1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.

In my opinion some statements are open for multiple interpretations.

"best interests" sounds great, but when I have to formulate the best interests of my autistic son, they're completely different from the list of the council. Just because they don't know him at all.

Ofcourse I find my answer a but further in article 3 sub 3:
3. States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision.

But can I choose which authorities are competent?
NO!
They declare themselves competent.
That's why in Belgium and many countries homeschooling is a legal option and in The Netherlands it isn't.

Article 6 sub 2 is very interesting in our situation:
2. States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.

The current situation is that the maximum extent possible is limited by finances and by political decisions. More money towards auti-classes means my son can go to an auti-class and can get a better development.

Etc etc.

Maybe you recognise situations around you that are not beneficial to children.
A good chance that you'll find enough basic information in the Rights of the Child to protest at your local council.

I love beading.

As a child I had a board with sticks at school, and when we worked hard we had time to put beads on it.
My teacher gave me encouragement not to follow the samples, but to invent my own designs.
I loved it!

Later I used paper and pen, and again a few years later beads and thread.

From the corner f my eye I saw a site with a beaded pink ribbon.
It was lovely, and I wanted to find it again.

It´s just me that I haven´t found it back.
It´s probably sold to someone and i can only hope she´s enjoying it to bits.

But I´ve found a site which really impressed me.

Not as much the site itself, but the beaded items the people make to which the site refers.

Etsy Beadweavers is a place where beadsters are challenged each month with a special theme. For november: ancestral expressions, choosen by last months winner Deb.
I'm already looking forward to the little pieces of art which will enter the contest.

At the left is a tremendous list of links to the etsy sites of beading members, where you can find lots of earrings, bracelets, pendants, cufs and a lot more against a wide range of prices.

Whether you like a simple brooch as a little accent, or a piece of art to complement your outfit, you can find it.

So this is the first link I wanted to bring to your attention at Laane's Links.

Don't hesitate to contact me and bring some more interesting sites to my attention.

There are so many wonderful and interesting blogs online, that it's a pity to put the links in the sidebar.

So I started a new blog, where you can find the sites I love best and the site I want to blog about.