WHEN MY DREAM BECAME REALITY!Written by Rachel Burd of the High Yield Team
Rachel BurdLike most women, I was living a life where work was all-consuming and leisure was a fleeting daydream. Between business phone calls, I would silently wonder if my future is destined to be this way. Why do I work so hard and see little financial benefit from my efforts? If only I could be . . . If only I could be RICH was word that ended that last thought. What am I doing wrong? After all, I'm an educated, honest, and intelligent woman, but lifestyle I dream of living had not materialized. Now into my forties, I felt that twinge of jealousy when I read about people who were living life most of us desire. It was hard to quiet repeating question in my mind. What about me? Then one day, I decided to take a chance. I'm not one to take chances, but something about this story seemed different. I cautiously called listed phone number. I knew there would be an investment, but it was about time that I invested in me. As women, we have no problems investing substantial amounts to better our children, and our husbands. Then why did I hesitate to invest in my wants? Maybe it is my upbringing, or years of programming. You know that persistent thought; what you dream is beyond your reach, go back to work. This day, I made decision to invest in my dreams. Then it happened!
| | Engagement Rings – From Grass to GlitzWritten by M J Plaster
Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but it hasn't always been so. The practice of giving a ring for promise before "I do" dates back to prehistoric times, since cavemen and cavewomen walked earth. The engagement ring predates discovery of diamonds by eons, winding through ancient civilizations, traversing along spice route, and eventually gaining popularity during industrial revolution, fueled by guess what—the most successful advertising campaign of twentieth century. The first engagement rings were thought to belong to cavewomen—simple, practical, maintenance free, easy to replace—hand-crafted from heavy grasses and reeds and later replaced by cord. Some accounts claim that cavewoman was "tied" to caveman by cord. Oh, those lucky brides-to-be! The history of engagement ring is shrouded in same mystery that surrounds intrigue of love; much of it seemingly calculated after-the-fact to explain designs and customs that evolved over time. Accounts differ, and there are contradicting reports on which civilization deserves credit for any given ritual, but all accounts offer a fascinating glimpse into society's attempt to quantify, define and codify love. Among differing accounts, two consistent facts emerge—the promise of eternity and symbolism of eternal loop, continuous, unbroken circle symbolizing eternal love, devotion and commitment. The ancient Roman and Greek civilizations replaced cord rings with crude metal rings crafted of iron. Several centuries later, iron was scrapped in favor of gold. It was shape from which ring received its significance, not material from which it was crafted. The ancient Greeks called it a betrothal ring, borrowed from Anglo-Saxon "troweth," which meant truth—in this case, true love. The ring first evolved from a mere circular loop to hold simple embellishments. Some ancient Roman rings sported a key on ring, which allegedly symbolized key to heart or key to 50% of riches, a less romantic notion. The Fede ring, predecessor to Irish Claddagh ring, appeared around same time, but its origin remains in question, originating in either ancient Greek or Roman civilization—maybe both. The Fede ring, short for "Mani in Fede" in Italian, means hands of love. It held two clasped hands intertwined, almost identical to Claddagh ring.
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