Antoine de St. Exupery was a famous French author. He was also a fighter pilot who fought in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists, before he was killed in the Second World War whilst fighting against Nazi Germany.

He had a harrowing, but no less fascinating encounter as a Prisoner of War. He was captured by his fascist enemies and thrown into a cell. He was grimly told he would be executed the next day, a fate that was confirmed by the sight of other POWs being led out to a firing squad.

At the sound of gunshots coming from the back of the prison, he became extremely distraught with the fear of impending and inevitable death. A chain smoker, he fumbled in his pockets for a cigarette, which his trembling hand could barely transport to his quivering lips. But he had no matches!

“Have you got matches?” He tremulously called out to the jailer, who had hitherto resolutely refused to make eye contact with him.

Shrugging, the jailer came over to light Antoine’s cigarette, and as he lit a match for his prisoner, their eyes inadvertently locked!

AT THAT MOMENT, ANTOINE, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, SMILED!

And in that moment, some indefinable spark of amity seemed to jump from one soul to the other, and most certainly against his every conscious intention, A COMPLIMENTARY SMILE WAS GENERATED ON THE JAILER’S LIPS!

Having lit Antoine’s cigarette, for some inexplicable reason, he appeared rooted to the spot! He continued to smile, maintaining direct eye contact.

Jailer: “Do you have children?”

Antoine: “Yes… yes… I have three.” He replied, fumbling for his family pictures.

Jailer: “I, too, have three.” He produced his own pictures, and went on to talk about his plans for his children’s future.

Antoine: “You are a lucky man. I will never see my own kids again. They will grow up without a father.” His eyes filled with tears.

Jailer: (His eyes filling with tears too) “Come with me!” He said abruptly.

And he unlocked the cell door, leading Antoine out of the prison through a back entrance, and through back streets, until they reached the city gates, where he released the hapless prisoner. Without another word, he turned back toward the town.

ANTOINE DE ST. EXUPERY’S LIFE WAS SAVED BY A SMILE!

Behind the curtains which we put up to shield ourselves, our dignity, our social titles and our status from prying eyes, lie our authentic and real selves. The elaborate façade behind which we hide only serves to isolate and insulate us from each other, and prevent our souls from connecting with each other in a meaningful way. There would be much less hate, fear or envy if only we would allow the UNPLANNED, UNAFFECTED AND NATURAL CONNECTION OF A SIMPLE SMILE TO BRIDGE THE GAP IN OUR LIVES.

Consider this: why do we instinctively smile whenever we see a baby? I suggest that we do so because we are meeting someone who has no defensive barricades, and whose smile for us is fully genuine in its sweet innocence.

Here is my own experience with the smile: I have a rather curious hobby. I COLLECT PEOPLE! Much in the same manner that that some people collect stamps as a hobby. I collect people everywhere-the airport, the banking hall, and even on the street!

This is how it works. Next time, say, you are at the gas station. As the fuel attendant makes to fill your tank, break out in a wide grin, and let the smile light up your eyes! You will, at first, get a startled reaction, but this will invariably be followed by a return, tentative smile, and it is at this magic moment that your two souls have recognized each other from some celestial past; a past shared by all of God’s creations. You can then go a step further and say, “Thank you for being here for us all. You are doing a great job here. Have a great day!”

YOU HAVE MADE HIS DAY. YOU HAVE MADE HIS WORK WORTHWHILE. YOU HAVE GIVEN HIS SELF-ESTEEM GREATLY- NEEDED BOOST! YOU HAVE COLLECTED A FRIEND!

A smile costs nothing, yet gives a lot. A smile enriches those who receive it, while not making poorer those who give it. A smile takes but a moment, but its memory can last forever. A smile brightens up the home, generates goodwill in business and it is nature’s antidote for trouble. Yet, it cannot be bought or stolen, since it is of no value unless it is given away for free!

Some people may be too tired to give you a smile. Perhaps they also have no more to give, because of the cares and burdens of their lives. GIVE THEM ONE OF YOURS! Refuse to wear the seemingly universal cloak of negativism and cynicism. Insist on being cheerful today, and then pass that cheer on to others with a simple smile.

SMILE! YOU ARE ON CANDID CAMERA!

If you have suffered from a slip and fall accident, chances are you have many questions which need to be answered. Each year thousands of people are injured from slip and fall accidents. Some people fall on dangerous floors, poorly lit walkways, stairs, ice or an uneven patch of ground. Sometimes the property owner will be responsible for the slip and fall accident and sometimes they will not. If you have slipped and fallen- you are not alone.

Slip and fall accidents account for over 1 million visits to hospitals and approximately 12% of total falls.

Common injuries from a slip and fall accident are head injuries, back and neck injuries, fractured arms or broken hips. If you have slipped and fallen on some else’s property, then you need to contact a lawyer to evaluate your legal situation and inform you of your legal rights. The person in control of the property may be liable for your injuries as the result of your slip and fall accident. Once you have been injured, it is important to consult with an attorney in a timely manner, because there is likely to be a statute of limitations in the state in which you live.

It is important to understand that falling can be a normal part of life. It is unreasonable to expect a property owner to be able to know what is on a floor and have it cleaned, properly fixed or have certain items removed immediately. Sometimes liquids drip onto floors, items fall or it may be necessary for pipes and drains to protrude from floors. Additionally, a property owner or occupier is not always responsible for notifying a person of what an ordinary person should or would have seen on the property.

However, the owner or occupier is responsible for maintaining the property and correcting any hazards that are on the premises in a reasonably timely manner. Property owners and managers are obligated to maintain their properties in a manner which is safe for the public.

There are many factors that must be considered in determining who may be the responsible party for the resulting injuries or how much responsibility lies with one party. Fault may not rest completely on one party. Could it be that you were distracted, unaware of warning signs or were not being reasonably cautious? Was the property owner or manager being reasonable in maintaining their property? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this does not mean that you do not have a legal claim. The court will look at factors such as regular maintenance on the property, the length of time a rip, tear, protruding object or dangerous spot or any other hazardous situation which was left in an inappropriate area.

After experiencing a slip and fall accident you will likely be feeling anxious, hurt and unsure about your legal rights. You deserve strong legal representation capable of handling the complex facts of cases resulting from many slip and fall accidents.

Lightly Row is a popular song which uses a range of only 5 notes. This makes it very easy to play on the piano because you can play it easily in one hand.

Here are the lyrics for the song:

Light-ly row, light-ly row,

O’er the glas-sy waves we go!

Smooth-ly glide, smooth-ly glide,

On the sil-ent tide.

Let the winds and wa-ters be

Ming-led with our me-lo-dy.

Sing and float, sing and float

In our lit-tle boat!

Hyphens are used to separate words with 2 or more syllables. This makes it easier to match the lyrics with the tune.

This song can be played in either the right or the left hand only. The range of notes is between Middle C and the G above. Try this piece first in the right hand. Then play it 8 notes (one octave) lower in the left hand. If you feel brave, play both hands together one octave apart. This is called playing in unison.

Here are the notes of Lightly Row:

G E E, F D D,

C D E F G G G,

G E E, F D D,

C E G G E.

D D D D D E F

E E E E E F G.

G E E, F D D

C E G G E.

There are 8 lines in the song. Which lines are identical? Notice in the first line that the the first 3 notes are G E E. This pattern then repeats one note lower. You then play F D D. This is called a falling pattern. It is a very helpful way of learning and remembering piano music.

On my Squidoo Lens How To Manifest Anything there is an article entitled On Spirituality, Religion, and Creating Our World. In that article I was discussing the teachings of Jesus and how they relate to Manifesting. Now I will continue the discussion, and talk about the concepts of Heaven and Hell, and how they relate to The Law of Attraction Energy.

Let us consider that Jesus’ point was not that we become Christians, then get the prize- which is the Kingdom of Heaven. After all there was no such thing as Christianity at the time, so how could he be discussing that. So instead let us suppose that the point Jesus was making was that we become CHRIST-LIKE. The point was that we follow the light of God within us, as taught by Jesus. (And coincidentally as also taught by Gandhi, Buddha, Martin Luther King Jr., and many other great spiritual leaders.) Let us suppose that when we become CHRIST-LIKE, regardless of our religion, we have found eternal life. Because being CHRIST-LIKE, in its highest sense, encompasses our light, and our love, and all that is good and beautiful. And GOD is the life/light/love force in the universe. So he, and we, are eternal.

So to follow this thought further, consider that you can’t get away from the God, because God is within. You can’t snuff your light out. It is impossible, because God cannot die. But you can hide your light under a bush. And you might do this for quite some time. But no matter what you do, the wick is still there, ready to be lit. Now all of us are made in the image and likeness of God, so all of us, like Jesus, have the ability to come back from the dead and take on other forms. (See my other article mentioned above.) And though it may take many lifetimes to light a particular candle- eventually everyone’s will get lit.

Or said another way: Yes it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven. But in GOD’s world- it is easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. For God, this is just as easy as walking on water and feeding thousands of people with 7 loaves of bread. So it is easy for a rich man, and for anyone else, to get to heaven because they are in God’s world, and in fact have God within them. So it follows that everyone will get to heaven. It is easy, but Jesus made the good point that hankering for money, and various other vices, all hinder the process.

So then let us discuss ‘judge not that ye be not judged.’ Is there a GOD on high who sends half his children to a burning inferno because of some infraction, or because they did not pay sufficient homage to him? If so, he is unlike any loving father that I know. And in fact this like a pretty archaic idea of GOD- a fear based version that harkens back to the days of sacrificing humans on an alter. No, this is not a divine interpretation of God, but a fear-based, human one. GOD is divine and all-compassionate, so HE does not do that. HE is above such petty meanness. So then who judges all of the various nasty actions and words that humans are prone to?

I put forward that we ourselves, or the God within use, judges us. The God within us- who at some point of resurrection feels and knows our errors and atrocities, is our highest judge. This self-inflicted judgment then becomes a living hell that our loving, peace seeking spirit must somehow wrestle itself out of. Otherwise our spirit will not find peace, or said another way it will not find heaven, it will be in hell.

Can you imagine, for instance, someone like mass-murderer Ted Bundy when he died. Picture him suddenly coming face to face with the spirit of God within him, which he had operated so fully against. Consider that his spirit of God, hidden and dormant in life, came to the forefront when he died. And consider that this God within had full ability to judge his actions- or rather to finally have him see what he did as opposed to the God that is within him. Can you imagine the torture, the torment, and the tearing of his soul? Can you picture the agony, that no outside force needs to administer? There would be no hell, no inferno to match this. For where can a mass murderer find peace?

But I believe that peace does finally come to everyone, some day when we have atoned for our past, and done what is right. Someday peace comes, and heaven comes. And it is not a heaven of ignorance- like the Garden of Eden. But a heaven of knowing and power. It is a heaven where we can say that we have traveled many sordid paths to finally find our God light. And it is good, and we are good. We, like Jesus and GOD, Buddha, and Martin Luther King, are good.

Now many philosophers today say that all the rest- the evil, the meanness, the pain, and the suffering- is all an illusion. It is a bad dream that we will all wake up from some day. Or as Shakespeare, an enlightened soul well beyond his age and time, once said. ‘It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’ And I tend to believe that this is true. Everything but love will pass away and we will some day be left with only light and our existence.

So to relate all of this back to the law of attraction energy, in past writings I have said a lot about what causes us to attract the good. I have given you many tools for how to get to that space. So here is one more tool. The concept that we are all peace-bound and working toward heaven, and that we will make it some day, is a positive concept. It includes all people, gives all people grace for imperfection, sets no one above another, and honors a sometimes unseen good in all people. It also scares the heck out of us. We all want to believe that we are above another human being, and we use the fact that we don’t do this or that evil to argue the point. But that very concept of being greater than another person is a force to be opposed. It’s just not true according to any great philosopher or religious teacher that we say we follow. Furthermore it will attract the negative, because it is negative. But living from the point of view that we are all the same, just at various stages of enlightenment, will bring a sort of compassion and love and hope for all of mankind. If we can live there, we will have to attract the good. If we can live there we will, by definition, be living in the “law of attraction energy.”

Enjoying the fresh spring air and the lovely aromas of new green grass and budding blossoms, your fireplace is probably the last thing on your mind. You’ve finished spring cleaning your fireplace and are ready to put aside all your unused firewood for the year. But remember that your fireplace doesn’t have to be forgotten during this warm time of the year. It can still be the focal point of your home and home decor.

How can you use your fireplace without the heat of a fire? A fireplace candelabrum is a quick and easy way to bring some warmth and style to your fireplace without that heat. You could simply purchase one and place it in your fireplace as is. But did you know that there are ways to make fireplace candelabra even more unique and styled specifically for your home? Here are ten great tricks for decorating your fireplace candelabra.

1. Use Fabric to Decorate Your Fireplace Candelabra – Having fireplace candelabra lit in your fireplace can create a warm glow and an inviting flicker, but you will not always have your candles lit. So during the times when you do not, you can add a little color using fabric. Find a color and design that matches the rest of your home decor, and purchase a small amount; about a yard should be plenty. Simply wrap the fabric around and in and out of the spindles of the candelabrum. Let some of the fabric bunch and billow out at random intervals. Tuck in the ends and edges and you quickly have a beautiful centerpiece. Replace the candles, but remember to remove the fabric before lighting them.

2. Use Different Candle Colors for Different Occasions – Decorating for a specific occasion or holiday? Don’t forget to change the color of your candles in your fireplace candelabra! This is such an easy trick, but it is very effective. Think about the colors normally associated for the season, such as light greens and pinks for the spring, or red, white and blue for the Fourth of July.

3. Use Different Sizes of Candles for a Designer Look – You can give your fireplace candelabra a professional designer look by simply changing the size and shape of your candles. Think about using several sizes of column candles at the same time. Or you can use a few globe candles in the front and some column candles in the back. Tea light candles work well with fireplace candelabra that do not have center pins. Experiment with them and see what looks good to you.

4. Take Your Fireplace Candelabra Outside – Candelabra made for your fireplace are usually pretty sturdy. They are generally made out of wrought-iron or some other very durable material. This makes them ideal for use outside. Try using your fireplace candelabra as a centerpiece on your patio table. If you have a long picnic table, you can use a candelabrum that is designed for a smaller fireplace. How about using a couple candelabra to decorate either side of your front door, or back door? If you are worried about your candles blowing out from gusts of wind, you can use votive candles surrounded by glass, but your candelabra cannot have center pins for this to work.

5. Put Your Fireplace Candelabra on Your Mantel – For those of us who have gas or electric fireplaces, and do not wish to remove the fake logs during the warm season, consider placing a candelabrum or two on your mantel. This is actually a very classic way of decorating your fireplace. Use fireplace candelabra that are made for smaller fireplaces or zero clearance fireplaces.

6. Put Your Fireplace Candelabra on Your Hearth – If you do not have a mantel, you can place your fireplace candelabra on your hearth just as easily. Be sure to add a little greenery in the spring, maybe a sting of fall leaves in the autumn and some pine needles and cones in the winter for an added special touch.

7. Use Your Fireplace Candelabra as a Dining Room Table Centerpiece – What if you do not own a fireplace? You can still find great uses for these versatile home décor items. They work great as a centerpiece on your dining room table. Just place some elegant tapered candles on them and add a few sprigs of greenery and you have a beautiful centerpiece in minutes that looks like it took hours to create. This is also a great way to use your fireplace candelabra during the winter months when you are actually using your fireplace for a warm fire.

8. Create Ambiance With Scented Candles – To create a calm and relaxing atmosphere in your home, you can add lavender or vanilla scented candles to your fireplace candelabra. If you want a romantic mood, try a little sandalwood or jasmine scent. For a warm, homey feel, you could use apple and cinnamon. Virtually any mood can be enhanced by a little aromatherapy. Be creative and have fun.

9. Place a Mirror in Your Firebox to Reflect Light – This trick is one of my favorites and it is super easy. Find a mirror about the same size as the back of your firebox. This can be framed or unframed, your choice. Simply lean the mirror up against the back of your firebox and light your fireplace candelabra candles. The mirror will reflect the light from the candles and give the illusion of twice as many candles. It is a really beautiful effect.

10. Place Glass Beads Under Your Fireplace Candelabra – This trick is also simple, but has a dramatic effect. Find some glass beads at your local craft store that are the same color as your home decor. You can also use clear glass beads for a versatile option. Fill a tray with the beads and place under your fireplace candelabra. Scatter a few beads around the tray to hide the edges of the tray. The beads will reflect the light from your candles into millions of flickering points of interest. Be creative with this. Use colored beads for a special holiday, or use red beads for a romantic evening. The possibilities are limitless.

These ideas are meant to give you a taste of the creativeness you can use to decorate your fireplace. Have some fun brain-storming and thinking up new ways to use your fireplace candelabra. Remember to be safe and remove your flammable decorations before lighting your candles.

Go for it today! Let your creative juices flow. Find your favorite fireplace candelabra and a few decorative additions and you are ready to make your fireplace uniquely yours!

Vacation is supposed to be a fun time for friends and family. The thought of having an accident or getting injured is something we all worry about before taking a trip, so we take all the necessary precautions to ensure we remain safe while traveling. What we don’t normally think about is our personal safety at hotels and resorts. Surprisingly enough, many vacationers are injured before they even have a chance to leave their hotel. Hotel accidents are common causes for personal injuries while traveling, but they can be avoided with the right knowledge. Continue reading to learn the most common hotel accidents and what to do if you are seriously injured at a hotel or vacation resort.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip, trip, and fall accidents are among the most common personal injury claims in the hospitality industry. In fact, they are also one of the most common accidents at airports. There are various causes for slip and fall accidents at hotels, including wet floors, uneven pavement, defective stair rails, ripped carpeting, warped floorboards, obstructions like cords and wire, poor lighting, and much more. Injuries that result from such accidents usually include orthopedic injuries, muscle injuries, and head injuries. Hotels have a duty of care to ensure their premises is safe for guests and employees, which includes staying on top of floor cleaning, maintenance, and safety.

Swimming Pool Accidents

Swimming pools are a major liability for a hotel or resort since so many things can go wrong involving guests. Swimming pools are prime targets for accidents, including head injuries, slipping and falling, drowning, and more. It is important to supervise children at all times, and to take heightened precaution when navigating around pool decks. Hotels have a duty of care to ensure their pools are safe and up to code. Pool decks should be textured to prevent slips, pool stairs should be properly lit and marked, liability and lifeguard signs should be in clear view, the water should be properly treated on a routine basis, filters should be changed, the area should be well lit, and so forth.

Defective Furniture

Although it is not something that would be obvious to the average person, defective furniture is a common problem at hotels. Often times, hotels will attempt to cut costs by repairing broken furniture themselves, rather than replacing it with new furniture. Sloppy and inexperienced handy work renders furniture unstable, therefore, unsafe. If a guest is using a piece of furniture, such as a chair, and it has been poorly repaired or assembled by the hotel staff, it can break and cause injuries to the guest. This is especially dangerous for toddlers, young children, and the elderly.

Premise Liability

As mentioned, hotels have a duty of care to ensure their premises are safe for everyone. Failing to do so reasonably can result in a premise liability lawsuit. They are obligated to maintain a safe environment, and prevent accidents wherever hazards may appear. Any accident that was reasonably foreseeable and easily preventable could be grounds for a personal injury lawsuit if a person was seriously injured as a result. Hotel property includes the interior and exterior of the hotel grounds, including the parking lot, parking garage, shuttle bus, and more.

What To Do After Being Injured at a Hotel or Resort

If you are injured at a hotel as a result of the hotel’s negligence to maintain a safe premises, you need to talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer right away. They can determine if you have a valid case, and discuss your rights to compensation. You may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, hospital bills, lost wages, and more. Just be sure to contact a lawyer soon, before the statutes of limitations runs out on you!

Planning to visit Ireland over the festive season? Dublin offers a unique experience for travellers and holiday makers alike. Dublin has many sights and a heightened atmosphere at this special time of year. Let us guide you through the Christmas period in the capital city of Ireland, Dublin. We can share ideas for what to do with your family, what to see for your trip to Ireland.

Christmas Market, Georges Dock between 12 – 23rd December

The Famous ’12 days of Christmas market’ is home to some 100 stool holders, with combined thousands of possible Christmas gifts, you could be taking home to a loved one. Year on year the market increases in size and increase in popularity amongst both tourists and locals alike. Entertainment is put on inclusive of local customs and carol singing, amongst others. This Christmas festival is sure to remove any winter blues, at the market you will be sure for find some souvenirs for yourself, friends and family as well as all the Christmas gifts your suitcase permits.

Dublin Lights Ceremony

Dublin is one, if not the most well lit city in all of Ireland over the festive season with well over 1 million Euros of decorations spanning some 17 streets throughout the city centre of Dublin. This event in itself draws a massive crowed from every corner of Ireland, they come to watch the capital city be lit up in style.

For the children there are also many family friendly events, which your children will no doubt love.

The Ark

Christmas at the Ark is a special time, the ark is a cultural centre built for children’s. The Ark offers workshops to help develop children’s artistic side while having a good time at the same time. Over the Christmas period they usually offer a specialist display and themed workshops for the youngsters. Even if you don’t have youngsters yourself you can still enjoy the environment and appreciate the young peoples talent.

Ice Skating

In Dublin there is the opportunity to go ice skating with all of the family, wrap up warm and hit the ice. There are several purpose placed ice rinks within Dublin, where you can have a little skate. Some ice rinks have special children’s rinks, so that they can learn and gain confidence without having to worry about lots of grown up skaters knocking them.

All of these events would be sure hits for you and your family, or just you.

Specifications: I have always admired HP for producing a wide selection of powerful yet affordable laptops. In their effort to produce the best laptops in the market, they are constantly producing new laptop models that come with a variety of new and improved features. The new HP Pavilion DV6-1354US is currently one of HP’s latest 15.6-inch laptop models in the market. It has a 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM and a larger 500GB hard drive. For display, this laptop has a 15.6-inch LED back-lit HD screen (with a 1366 x 768 resolution). Then there is the set of Altec Lansing speakers that runs on SRS Premium sound technology. Other specs include 4 USB ports, a memory card reader, HDMI output, Intel Wifi Link 100GBN, and much more

Design: The HP Pavilion DV6-1354US sports a glossy jet-black casing that is nicely contrasted with hints of silver. For an edge, the laptop is decorated with some circular motifs. This model measure at about 14.9 x 10.15 x 1.5 inches and weighs 6.34 pounds, which is about the size of an average 15-inch laptop. Overall, this laptop sports HP’s signature professional and contemporary look.

Features & Performance: Judging from its specs, the HP Pavilion DV6-1354US will be well suited for either work or play. It even comes with a tiny (yet comprehensive) remote control to let you access a variety of multimedia controls from a distance. For graphics rendering, this model uses the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD graphics card. The 6-cell batteries on this model can last up to 4 hours on one charge, which is quite good for a laptop of this size (and specs). All in all, the HP Pavilion DV6-1354US 15.6-inch laptop is designed for anyone who is looking for functional and affordable full-featured laptop. Currently, this laptop is selling for around $699 per unit, which is a great price for this very competent laptop.

How about combining your skiing or snowboarding holiday with the visit of the most popular castle in Europe: Neuschwanstein Castle? Stay at one of the boutique and luxury self-catering apartments or a rustic hotel and enjoy the view of the King’s Castles, which look stunning especially when lit at night.

And as a special bonus you can use the Royal Thermal Spa with its hot indoor and outdoor pools, its sauna and massage offers after a fun day in the mountains.

Here is a list of the best places to go skiing in and around Schwangau.

1. Tegelberg Mountain (1720m) & Wintersport Arena / Schwangau Germany

Right in Schwangau, the village of the King’s Castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau is the wintersport arena Tegelberg with its cable car, 4 regular lifts and flood light at night. You will enjoy 7.3 kilometres of downhill piste here as well as a separate one for tobogganing. This place is great to for beginners and intermediate skiers, has a ski school and a ski/snowboard rental facilities. Snow machines provide snow garantuee.

A special highlight is the 2km long Neuschwanstein Cross Counry Skiing Track which is lit at night…and of course skiing with “cinderella castle” in your view.

2. Buchenberg (1140m) Ski Area / Buching Germany

Only a 5 minute drive from Schangau you will find a double seater lift taking you to the top of the Buchenberg. 2 more regular lifts provide variety.

A special highlight is the 2.5km long tobogganing track right from the top of the mountain. The hut on top of the mountain provides stunning views of the lakes and the valley. This area is great for beginners and families as well as for tobogganing fans.

3. Alpspitz (1575m) Ski Arena / Nesselwang Germany

Only a 20 minutes drive away from Schwangau is the Alpspitz Ski Arena. It benefits from the longest 2km long daily floodlit piste in the region, has one cable car, a 4-seater, one 2-seater, 3 regular lifts and 2 children’s ones. This varied place provides skiing fun for advanced skiers as well as beginners and families. Ski school, ski/snowboard/tobogganing rental facilities and tobogganing areas are available and so are several excellent mountain huts for your après-ski.

Snow machines provide snow garantuee.

A special highlight here is the O’Neill Alpspitzpark, a top modern Freerider Snowboard Park with Floodlight every night from 6-9pm.

4. Breitenberg Mountain (1877m) Ski Centre / Pfronten Germany

Only a 15 minute drive away from Schwangau you will reach the Breitenberg Ski Centre with its cable car, an open 4-seater and 5 regular lifts as well as 4 children’s lifts. Nearby in Steinbach is the Snowboard fun park, the ski school as well as two more floodlit pistes.

A special highlight for the first time in winter 2009/10 is the 6.5km long tobogganing track right from the top of the mountain.

5. Hahnenkamm Ski Resort (1900m) / Reutte Austria

Only a 25 mintue drive away from Schwangau into Austria is the Hahnenkamm Ski Resort with its cable car, double seater and 5 further regular lifts. It has one of the best ski schools for adults and children. Skis and snowboards can be rented there.

6.-9. Füssener Jöchle (1821m) & Ski Arena Tannheimer Tal / Austria

There are 4 ski resorts in the Tannheimer Tal in Austria, no more than 30 minutes away from Schwangau, one of which is Füssener Jöchle in Grän. It has a cable car, a 6-seater and 3 regular lifts. The piste from the top is 3.5 kilometres long.

The other ski resorts here are Neunerköpfle / Tannheim, Schattwald and Nesselwängle.

10. Jungholz Ski Centre / Jungholz Germany

About 40 minutes away from Neuschwanstein castle is a super family friendly ski centre with two special 4-seaters for children and one training lift. For adults there are 4 regular lifts. Snow machines provide snow garantuee.

There are even more cross-country skiing/ nordic skiing opportunites which I will cover in a separate article. And if you get bored of downhill skiing, how about tryin snow-kiting, letting the wind in your kite pull you across the piste?

A security system for your home is very important because it can determine how safe you feel when you are home or away. There are so many components that can make a home security system with surveillance equipment like security cameras and recorders being some you can have so you are able to keep a close eye on the property. Advanced door locks, infrared safety systems, motion detectors and alarms are the other features you can have on your home security system.

Remote monitoring systems seem to be most popular among homeowners. Using the video surveillance they are able to know everything that happens on their property without the need to physically be there. There are so many types of surveillance cameras available today, some of which can be disguised on the property so they are not that obvious. Having a security system will not only make you feel safe, but is also a very good way of deterring intruders. But to enjoy the full benefits of having a system in place, you must choose the best for your home. A few simple steps can help you end up with the best system.

Step 1 – Evaluate the home area and think about the crime kinds that are common in the neighborhood. For instance, areas that face frequent vandalism may need slightly different security features compared to those that have regular break-ins. The type of crime common in your area can lead you to the best security solutions.

Step 2 – Mark all possible entry points. What you should remember about intruders is that they will not always use the gates or doors to gain access to your property. Utility ports, windows and even your perimeter wall can make very good entry points and may require installation of surveillance cameras. Address all areas and decide what security action best suits them.

Step 3 – Think about lighting on the property. Well-lit areas are not always targeted by criminals and instead they choose the poorly lit areas to get access to the property. Before looking for the best security system for your home, try improving the outdoor lighting to make it harder for intruders to get into your property. You can even invest in motion sensor lights in some areas and flood lights in some other appropriate areas. In areas where light is scarce, then you can think about infrared security cameras.

Step 4 – Select the best security solutions. The system that you choose should be able to address the problems that you face in your area and property. Video surveillance can be expensive, but it is one of the most beneficial, especially in areas where crime rates are high. Think about upgrading your home locking systems and get surveillance cameras and alarms installed in all the right places.

Step 5 – Make the security system known to all. When it is public knowledge that there are cameras watching you property intruders will be deterred. You can of course hide the cameras strategically to avoid vandalism, but you can place some openly and visible on property areas that are hard to interfere with.