It has been several weeks since we tookour daughter to college and she seems to be adjusting  well after a short period of homesickness.For us, though, it's another story. Like most parents, I love checking in on mychildren at night. But now she's gone, and I find nighttimes the hardest. Imiss her most at night.

    In my neighborhood, most of the parentswhose kids are off to college are dealing with similar melancholy. Myhusband is filled with anxiety. One friend talked about getting this sickfeeling in her stomach as she prepared for the college drop-off. We complainedthat many of us were too busy to truly enjoy being with our children while wehad them.

    For us moms, seeing Toy Story 3 onlymade the sadness worse as we watched the character Andy, who is the same age asour kids, say goodbye to his childhood as he prepares to leave for college. Andit's not just “first-time” parents like me. Two moms who have kids already wellinto college said the separation didn't get any easier. “You feel likesomething has been taken away from inside you,” said one of them.

    I imagine things will get easier withtime, especially as I see my daughter adjust to college life. Meanwhile, as Ikeep my cell phone close to me in bed and text my daughter goodnight and sweetdreams every night, I like to think at messages serve as a night light thatkeeps her safe.

    One of the best-loved American writers was William Sydney Porter, or O. Henry. From 1893 he lived with his family in a house in Austin, Texas, which is now a museum. Visitors to Austin can see the house. It was saved from destruction (破坏) and turned into a museum in1934. The museum is a good way to learn about the interesting life of the American writer.

    William Porter rented this house in Austin and lived there with his wife Athol and daughter Margaret for about two years. Many objects in the museum came from the Porters. Others did not. An important piece in the room is the original photo over here. It was taken there in the house about 1895. The piano there goes back to the 1860s. His wife took lessons on it when she first moved to Austin.

Porter wasn't a successful writer in the beginning. He worked at a farm, land office and bank. He also loved words and writing. The museum has a special proof (证明) of Porter's love of language — his dictionary. It is said that he had read every word in that dictionary.

    Later William Porter was forced to leave Austin because he was charged (指控) with wrongdoing at the bank and lost his job. Because he was afraid of a trial (审判), he left the country secretly. But he returned because his wife was dying. After her death, he faced the trial and served three and a half years in a prison in Ohio.

    William Porter would keep his time in prison a secret. But there was one good thing about it. It provided him with time to write. By the time he was freed, he had published 14 stories and became well known as O. Henry. Porter later moved to New York City and found great success there. He published over 180 stories in the last eight years of his life.

    Friendship Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in the month of August. People give their loved ones or friends friendship bracelets (手镯) and other gifts to celebrate their friendship. The culture of friendship bracelets is as old as even thousands of years.

    After the World War II, the paracord (伞绳) bracelets became very popular. These were also known as survival bracelets. One of the main reasons is that it was often used for a rescue purpose. Paracord, used in the parachute, does not wear away easily and is strong and durable. Because of its light weight, people could carry it along easily. If required, it could be made a very long rope and be used as a rescue rope. Hunters used it to find their way that they could return without getting lost.

    Today there are all kinds of paracord bracelets, made of coloured strings. Girls like thinner and colourful bracelets. Many choose to make the bracelets by themselves for their dear friends. This not only appeals more to the feelings of people but also makes them know how much their friends mean to them. People keep the bracelets given by their friends long. Many people choose coloured strings keeping the depth of their friendship in mind. White, yellow, orange and red show the different levels of friendship. Pure friendship is shown in white; the red colour means love. An orange friendship bracelet is given to show strong friendship and yellow as simple friendship. Today, not only do the young people show these friendship bracelets, but even the old do.

    Does friendship have an age? Yes. Friendship is like the wine, and the older you get, the older and stronger your friendship is.

    Camp All-Star

    One of a Kind Summer Camps for Kids

    Welcome to Camp All-Star, your No. 1 summer sports camp for kids! Located on the famous Kents Hill School campus by the beautiful lake, Camp All-Star hosts kids from around the world. When thinking about your next overnight summer camp, consider the best—Camp All-Star!

    Great Sports Summer Camps for Kids

    Camp All-Star stands out among the successful camps in the U.S. We have the best sports fields and courts to make your child's sports camp experience a successful one. Your child can enjoy playing for hours in any of our more than 30 sports and activities each day. Our camper to staff rate is three to one, which makes it possible for children to receive more careful instruction.

    We have a wide variety of activities and sports to choose from: fishing, dance, basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis. Boys and girls, aged 8-16, can customize their own schedules in our 2, 3, 4 or 6 week summer camp session for kids.

    The aim of Camp All-Star is to develop athletic skills, encourage abilities in leadership, fair play and team work, and provide a fun, rewarding and memorable summer sports camp experience. Our staff have the experience and qualified training necessary to ensure that your child has a successful, memorable and enjoyable time at our summer camp.

    Call Today About Our Overnight Summer Camps for Kids

    Don't let your kids waste another summer playing video games and sitting around. Let them enjoy their time and get some exercise at our exciting and friendly summer sports camp. Information for our upcoming camps can be found on our website. For additional information or questions, contact us today. We hope your kids can join us at Camp All-Star!

    If you're a yoga lover, you've probably noticed the ways yoga works — you're sleeping better, getting fewer colds or just feeling more relaxed and at ease. But if you've ever tried telling a beginner how it works, you might find explanations like "It increases the flow of prana" or "It brings energy up your spine" fall on skeptical ears.

    As it happens, Western science is starting to provide some concrete clues about how yoga works to improve health, heal aches and pains, and prevent sicknesses. Once you understand them, you'll have even more motivation to step onto your mat.

    I myself have experienced yoga's healing power in a very real way. Weeks before a trip to India in 2002 to investigate yoga therapy, I developed numbness and tingling (刺痛) in my right hand. After first considering scary things like a brain tumor and multiple sclerosis, I figured out that the cause of the symptoms was thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve blockage in my neck and chest.

    Despite the uncomfortable symptoms, I realized how useful my condition could be during my trip. While visiting various yoga therapy centers, I would submit myself for evaluation and treatment by the various experts, try their suggestions and see what worked for me.

    Thanks to the techniques I learned in India, advice from teachers in the United States, and my own exploration, my chest is more flexible than it was, my posture has improved, and for more than a year, I've been free of symptoms.

    My experience inspired me to dig into the scientific studies that I'd collected in India as well as the West to identify and explain how yoga can both prevent disease and help you recover from it.

    Homebuyers nationwide are watching housing prices go up, up, and up. "How high can they go?" is the question on everyone's lips.

    It's crazy, "said Tim, who is looking for a house near the beach. "In 1993, I bought a two-bedroom house in Venice for $70，000. My friends thought then that I was overpaying. Five years later, I had to move. I sold it for $230，000, which was a nice profit. Last year, the exact same house was for sale for S510, 000!

    It is a seller's market. Homebuyers feel like they have to offer at least 10% more than the asking price. Donna, a new owner of a one-bedroom house in Venice Beach, said, "That's what I did. I told the owner that whatever anyone offers you, I'll give you $20,000 more, under the table, so you don't have to pay your realtor(房地产经纪人) any of it. I was tired of looking.”

    Tim said, "Whether you decide to buy or decide not to buy, you still feel like you made the wrong decision. If you buy, you feel like you overpaid. If you don't buy, you want to kick yourself for passing up a great opportunity.”

    Everyone says the bubble has to burst sometime, but everyone hopes it will burst the day after they sell their house. Even government officials have no idea what the future will bring. "All we can say is that, inevitably, these things go in cycles," said the state director of housing. "What goes up must come down But, as we all know, housing prices always stay up a little higher than they go down. So you can't lose over the long run. Twenty years down the road, your house is always worth more than you paid for it.”