All the leaves are falling..

Hi,

Second Life has been so busy, but you will only hear me say "lucky me"!

Every single tree in my yard has manage to drop 90 percent of the leaves and still the next day 90 percent more show up on the ground...doggone you Mother nature! But I do love this time of year. Fires,(in the fire places) sweaters, winds, 1/99th percent chance of snow...Turky and Christmass trees, pumpkin pie, bread and muffins..yum

I now have 3 dogs; Penny, the precious Golden Retriever, Katie (the grandmother) is a Llywellyn Setter and the new addition is the baby 9 week old Maggie. She is a German Shepard.

They each have their own ways about them. Katie hates aggravation in any form. Penny hates anyone else getting attention (including the computer) and Maggie is in the shark phase. She eats anything left on the counter , stove, floor, sink and dishwasher. Whole sticks of butter with paper..i tried to grab it from her throat...she is a quick swallow! Little lids that fall on the floor.

Every single day is an adventure with them. Any ride in the car gets us lots of looks..they love to bark at other people in cars. I am probably the only person in the world that has a never ending audience with I take a shower, Penny pulls the curtain back, Maggie keeps trying to jump in and Katie lies on the carpet wondering when the two crazy dogs will mellow out, (if ever)

On another note. I have met some of the most amazing people in second life. Doctors, Nurses, Teachers,Professors of nurseing, and Math and Jazz Professors and a super techie girl. A German entrepreneur living in Honk Kong, and his proteges ,Agriculture Professors and one working on the study of trees and vegetation . It all seems almost impossible to believe. Some days i need a pinch to make sure its real! Each of these people are making history finding new ways to tap into students brains and think of new way of learning to make it exciting and rewarding and they have allow me and Random Cole to be a big part of this.

I have to say I still love Second Life and I'm around my 8Th year in there. Second Life is a wonderland and always will be to me. Tonight I spent time exploring a bit. I am always in awe at the wonderful possibilities. I have always thought you get what you put into Second life....the old saying Garbage in-garbage out... don't look for or bring garbage to Second Life you will be astounded how wonderful it is


If its been awhile since you explored Second life...I think its time you check it out again! Fall in love all over again!

Not quite quoting Louie Armstrong "Second Life is a wonderful World" it truly is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"(Judy Garland lol) want me to go on??? didnt think so

See you there, need a tour? im me

xoxoooxoxooxoxox
Xandi Mars

Learning Mandarin in Second Life!

Hi,

My sister just left after a 10day visit and I had friends from Europe drop in, so i have felt like a social butterfly, sorta kinda maybe not..lol

But, What really has me going is in Second Life there is a new school that Random and I have been working on that teaches Mandarin Chinese.. I have always thought that Chinese was way way way over my head but the teachers are patient...and explain the sounds. They are able to work with complete beginners, and people wanting to brush up on their Mandarin too.

I have met a wonderful team of people associated with the school. Check out the link.

http://www.3davatarschool.com/chinese/

Its interactive, its fun...its not sitting in front of a screen its...actually playing while you learn! The best part is you have actual Chinese mandarin teachers. You can pick your avatar, and dress up!!!

If you watch this video http://t.co/LGbT0Rj it makes you think about how the whole concept of teaching is the same everywhere for as long as we can all remember...until TODAY. 3d Avatar School changes the whole idea of learning and teaching and their support system is amazing.

While checking out the web site listed above ...notice the first class is free!

There are mountains, floating clouds, fruit you can climb, challenge games for groups, "lofty" games and sooo much more. I could go into more detail but, you need to check it out yourself. Planning a trip to China, or wanting to brush up on Chinese Mandarin before you head to high school or college in the fall...

I cannot think of an easier way to learn a foreign language. Hope you do take time to check it out. You honestly have never been in a classroom like this!


xoxox Xandi

ps Check out the picture below :)

Spring has sprung...

Hi, I love this time of year, flowers blooming, sunny days, cold nights, hay fever lol. Things are looking up ...Penny is great and Katie is fine... I keep planning such wonderful things to post..but work and life get in the way.. I am working on a really really interesting project in Second Life, for now that is all I will say lol. Del Sol, my wonderful store is going good.. Really really short post...mostly just an update of my girls and life in general..Hope all is great with everyone.. x0x0x0x0x Xandi (Japan is still in my thoughts..)

Hi

Well nothing seems as happy as my last post. My feelings for what has happen and happening in Japan are overwhelming. I constantly during the day stop for a min and think and say a little prayer. It is difficult to know I'm going to sleep in a bed, when some people in world don't have the simplest of needs.

On to my own issues .. I woke up a few days back with a black eye..literally. I went to the drs and was told i had a staph infection in my eye..ugh. It spread to my face and I ended up with two black eyes and lots of ugly messy face stuff. I can say it is now clearing up, after lots of antibiotics and creams!

Katie, (13 years old) my Llewellyn setter went to the vet a several months ago. I was told by one of the vets, she had cancer... so I went home and had to think it through. I set her up for surg a week later...When I got there I saw a different vet and he said..no, I don't think its cancer. He did about 5 xrays and came back and said it was bone fusion in her spine. She couldn't walk well and started being treated with steroids shots. I honestly felt she was just not going to make it, and obviously the Dr did not either, he suggested she might also have cancer but with her condition and age, keeping her comfortable was the best decision and an invasive surg on her would not be recommend. I did not have her on heart worm prevention. I didn't even know about heart worms. They had about 10 different posters all telling of horrible things dogs get. I looked away. BIG MISTAKE!

At the last appt she was really doing great, the pills worked. She was almost her old self. So she needed to have her toe nails clipped and get her prescription renewed. I took Penny for the ride and off we went. Everything went great, I had Katie's meds, and was purchasing heart worm protection blah blah... well I was headed out the door and the Dr said Oh Katie was not tested for heart worms last time you were here..and after about 20mins the dr came and said Katie has heart worms..UGH my heart sank. I felt like a complete and total failure. They did xrays and came back and said it had not enlarged her heart. So she started the treatment. She came home upset and tired. She slept for a few days and I was at her side bringing her water, and breaking up bits of food.. She is to go back in a few weeks to have the final treatment of two shots and an overnight stay. My point of this is for a few dollars and a taking time to think if I have done everything i could to keep my pets healthy, I COULD have prevented this. If I had taken time to think of what I needed to do to be a good pet owner.

1) no pain of treatment and infection for Katie
2) treatment ends up being around 1500.oo

Penny my golden is great and yes she is on medicine to prevent heart worms now. I am reading a book on caring for pets http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Ultimate-Guide-Matthew-Hoffman/dp/0875965326

So, in closing its important to educate yourself if you decide to have pets. You are their only chance at having a healthy life.

BFN Xandi

Hi!

Hi Everyone

It's almost spring! The weather is giving me tiny bits of spring fever..yay

Everyone is great, Penny is swimming already, and Katie is doing great, she has some issues with fusion of bones in her back, but the meds really help her and keep her mobile.

Penny is the only dog i have ever known that loves tv. She interacts, barks, sniffs, stares..her favorite channel is ..um Animal Plant lol

Second Life has been incredible busy. Its such an exciting place to work. I feel I'm going to a creative party every day. In the next week, or so I will take time and post some pictures that you can check out .

I have some new things at Del Sol too! hope you check it out.

The craziest change for me..I'm tweeting now! Not a lot yet, but I'm thinking. I want my tweets to be something that is important to me. I find I'm not as spontaneous as i would like lol

The wildest thing that has ever happen to me so far on tweeter is Yoko Ono is following me. I was like omg omg omg. I of course follow her. She is just amazing, and calming. Her tweets are uplifting.

I am amazed at all the people on tweeter.. I like to hop around checking out what people are saying. Some i try to follow, but they tweet constantly and I'm afraid they fill up my tweets too quickly so i dump them. I think its a lot like real life ,some like the sound (look) of their own tweets a bit too much. lol

Anyway enough about that...I hope everyone is well, happy and doing what you all love doing..in life.

xoxoxo Xandi