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Native Flute: Voices of the Wind

05/09/2013 in Fun Stuff, Living in Beauty, Music, News, Old Ways, Reviews, Thoughts by Evelyn | No comments

“The flute and its music are indigenous to this land, it comes from being here.”

~ Ken Light

This gorgeous Rosewood Flute is handmade by Brent Haines of Woodsounds

September 2006, Seattle, WA. – the first Flute Festival I attended. The weather was picture perfect for the first 2-day long Flute Festival. I arrived early so as to not miss a second. The grounds slowly filled as the day progressed. I spent the afternoon in a workshop, a beginner’s flute class, with the very lively and animated Clint Goss. As the afternoon drew to an end and above our beginner’s tones, I could hear through the open windows the mystically serene songs drifting in from the stage outside – the more experienced players had arrived and began to play. My entire soul, every cell in my body, transformed into the lightness of an Owl’s feather drifting silently through the air with the vibration of the sound. This was surely heaven.

For me, there is something about the sounds of the ancient instruments, the hand drum and flute, that resonates with the core of our humanity. The spirit comes awakened. It’s more than beautiful music, it’s the voice of the wind. The long-lost messages and wisdom of our ancestors bringing me home. When I find myself in that place I long to remove myself from the insanity of this modern world. To be back among the wildness of nature, in the presence of that which is no longer tangible in today’s conditioned and regimented world. I wonder how and why we allowed ourselves to become so removed from something so civilized and enlightened of merely being present in this life.

I have since moved to the mountains of North Carolina and have awaited the opportunity to attend a Flute Festival again. In today’s email my wait is over. As I opened Brent Haines newsletter I became swept away with a little story he included, I would like to share that here…

“I have been inspired and touched by the people with whom I have spent the last week or so with here in Chinle and Nazlini. There are many differences between our cultures. The beauty of the culture I am currently in has captured my heart and filled me.

Brother in-law, Darrel, told me about the joining of the hands when two people meet. Each person says Ya-te-hey. He said the swirls in our fingers tips and the swirls in our palms. The swirls in our bellies and all the swirls of energy in our body. There are lots of swirls that make us up. These swirls are all just like the swirl of the Milky Way Galaxy in which we live. When we great someone we join our hand to their hand and say Ya-te-hey. The Ya means universe. So it is very literally the greeting our our universe and your universe meeting when we shake hands. This is done gently You do not need to show grandma how strong you are by crushing her hand in a firm grip. So the hand shake is ever so gentle. Yet it is the joining of two Universes. And how powerful is this?”

I sat there thinking about what I had read and thought how meaningful Brent’s story is, how it showed such honor and respect – far beyond the sensation or gesture of an ordinary handshake. This is how life should be.

I scrolled slowly down through the newsletter and came across yet again some of the most amazing looking and sounding flutes that he has available right now (see the image above). I know that the Rosewood this flute is made of is quite rare because some years back Rosewood essential oil was no longer available, my half full 15ml bottle of Rosewood essential oil stays neatly in my case and every so often I open the cap to inhale the divine aroma. The preciousness of life.

Brent has this to say about this flute…

“Honduran Rosewood Burl is my favorite wood. With the rich red, purple and black swirls, the beauty to the eye is unparalleled. The aroma is magnificent and will fill the air in the room you play your flute in with a sweet wonderful scent.

The sound is clean and pure yet round and full. Incredible projection. If you are looking for the best possible wood for look and sound, this is the wood.

Unfortunately, it is quite rare. I am always keeping an eye out for the wood, but only am able to find it every four years or so. If this wood is calling to you, give me a call right away as if I do have it now, I will likely not have it for much longer.”

I met Brent at the Flute Festival in Seattle and saw his amazing works of art. I also heard them being played by artist flutists, like Robert Mirabal – who will be the topic of my next post in a few days. Needless to say, Brent’s flutes are the cream of the crop in terms of beauty of appearance and sound. They are quite possibly unmatched.

Scrolling down further in the newsletter revealed a piece of news that took my breath away. On June 6-8, 2013 there will be a flute gathering, Renaissance of the North American Flute Foundation (RNAFF) at the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in eastern Tennessee – which is practically right in my backyard!

R. Carlos Nakai, who I also saw in Seattle, will be there. As well as, John Sarantos, JJ Kent, Ken Light, Johnny Lipford, Randy Granger, Jan Michael Looking Wolf, and Rona Yellow Robe.

~~ Register Here for the RNAFF Flute Festival ~~

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Toilet Paper: Should it go Under or Over

03/07/2013 in Around the Home, Fun Stuff, How To, Intelligent Designing, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

Your toilet paper, do you prefer it to go ‘under’ or ‘over’? Which is best? That depends on your thinking, preference and how many little tinkering paws you have in your house. Here are some ways of looking at the eternal question and their advantages and disadvantages…

Over or Under: The Great Toilet Paper Debate

Over or Under: The Great Toilet Paper Debate infographic by bobbybernethy.

 

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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30 Ways to Use Lavender Essential Oil

02/22/2012 in Aromatherapy, Around the Home, Cooking, First Aid (natural), Fun Stuff, Health, How To, Plants, Thoughts by Evelyn | 5 comments

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) essential oil is one of the most versatile essential oil to have on hand. Therapeutic Lavender oil is known to promote tissue regeneration and speed wound healing and is one of the few essential oils to still be listed in the British Pharmacopoeia (that is, provided the Lavender oil is of therapeutic quality).

Lavender has medical properties as well: highly antiseptic, antifungal, relaxant, anti-inflammatory, combats excess sebum on skin, and is used for respiratory infections,  menstrual problems/PMS, skin conditions (perinial repair, acne, eczema, psoriasis, scarring), burns, hair loss, insomnia, nervous tension.

The fragrant influence of Lavender oil is calming, relaxing, and balancing, both physically and emotionally.

  • University researchers in Japan found that diffusing certain aromas in an office environment dramatically improved mental accuracy and concentration. Diffused lemon oil resulted in 54 percent fewer errors, jasmine 33 percent fewer errors, and lavender 20 percent fewer errors. When aromas were diffused during test taking, scores increased by as much as 50 percent.
  • Lavender has been documented to improve concentration and mental acuity. University of Miami researchers found that inhalation of lavender oil increased beta waves in the brain, suggesting heightened relaxation.
  • Lavender oil also reduced depression and improved cognitive performance (Diego et al., 1998).
  • A 2001 Osaka Kyoiku University study found that lavender reduced mental stress and increased alertness (Motomura et al., 2001).

~~ Buy Pure Essential Oils at My Product Website ~~

30 Ways to Use Lavender Oil

  1. Rub Lavender oil on the soles of the feet for a calming effect on the body.
  2. Rub a drop of Lavender oil on your palms and smooth on your pillow to help you sleep.
  3. Put a drop of Lavender oil on a bee sting or insect bite to stop itching and reduce swelling.
  4. Put 2-3 drops of Lavender oil on a minor burn to decrease pain and stimulate healing.
  5. Stop Bleeding; put 1-4 drops of Lavender oil on a cut to stop the bleeding.
  6. Mix several drops of Lavender oil with a carrier oil and apply topically for eczema and dermatitis.
  7. Alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness, place a drop of Lavender oil on the end of the tongue or around the naval or behind the ears.
  8. Stop a nosebleed; put a drop of Lavender oil on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice. Push the tissue covered ice chip up under the middle of the top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until the bleeding stops (do not freeze the lip or gum).
  9. Rub a drop of Lavender oil over the bridge of the nose to unblock tear ducts (avoid eye area).
  10. Capped Skin; rub a couple drops of Lavender oil with a little carrier oil on dry or chapped skin.
  11. Rub a drop of Lavender oil on chapped or sunburned lips.
  12. To reduce or minimize the formation of scar tissue, massage Lavender oil on and around the affected area.
  13. Rub 2 drops of Lavender oil over the armpit area as a deodorant.
  14. Rub a drop of Lavender oil between your palms and inhale deeply to help alleviate the symptoms of hay fever.
  15. Dandruff; rub several drops of Lavender oil into the scalp to help eliminate dandruff.
  16. Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and place in your linen closet to scent the linens and repel moths and insects.
  17. Place a drop of Lavender oil in your tabletop water fountain to scent the air, kill bacteria and prolong the time between cleanings (NOT in fish tanks though).
  18. Put 2-4 drops of Lavender oil on you vacuum cleaner bag to scent the room while vacuuming.
  19. Bed Linen Spray; in a 4oz. spray bottle filled with water add 5-10 drops of Lavender oil, shake and lightly mist bed linens every morning upon making your bed, this provides a calming scent that helps induce restful sleep.
  20. Dryer Sheet; place a few drops of Lavender oil on a damp washcloth and toss into the dryer, which will deodorize and freshen your laundry.
  21. Put a drop of Lavender oil on a cold sore to facilitate healing.
  22. Diffuse equal portions of both Lavender and Orange essential oils to reduce stress and anxiety.
  23. Sunburn; spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on a sunburn to decrease pain.
  24. Cuts and Wounds; put 1-2 drops Lavender oil on a cut to clean the wound and kill bacteria.
  25. Itching; apply 1-2 drops of Lavender oil to a rash to stop the itching and heal skin.
  26. Foot Bath; mix 4 drops Lavender oil with 1/4 cup of epsom salts and add to warm water, soak feet for 20 minutes.
  27. In a 32 oz. spray bottle mix 14-20 drops of Lavender oil with water for a chemical-free spray air freshener.
  28. Add a drop of Lavender to one quart of softened vanilla ice cream, stir well, freeze until hardened, serve.*
  29. Lavender Tea; add one drop of Lavender oil to a cup of hot water for a relaxing cup of tea at the end of a busy day.*
  30. Use Lavender oil in one of these recipes: Lavender Sorbet, Lavender Lemonade, or Lavender Chocolate Truffles!*

*NOTE: Only food grade essential oils, such as Young Living Essential Oils, can be ingested or taken internally as a supplement. Please do not ingest otherwise.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Easy to Make Chocolate Truffles

01/12/2012 in Cooking, Dessert, Food, Recipe by Evelyn | No comments

This chocolate truffle recipe is so easy and delicious. I’ve always found that using the best quality ingredients, particularly chocolate, makes a world of difference in the flavor, at the bottom of this post you’ll find links to get the best.Chocolate Truffles

These chocolate truffles are a terrific treat to make for yourself, a host gift, a pot luck, holiday gifts, Valentine’s Day gifts, or any for special occasion.

You will need:

  • 1 pack (12 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (see below links to buy excellent quality chocolate)
  • 1/2 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (see below links to buy excellent quality chocolate)
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 5 TBSP Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (softened)
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Raw Cocoa Powder or Cinnamon Powder (used for rolling/dusting your Truffles)
Optional Flavoring for your Chocolate Truffles (Lavender, Orange, Tangerine, or Peppermint)
Put 20-30 drops of your choice of Young Living Essential Oil – choose Lavender, Orange, Tangerine or Peppermint (the amount of essential oil can be adjusted to your taste preferences. I use and only recommend this bran of essential oil as it is food-grade, do not substitute for other brands because most are not edible!)

Method:

Combine semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate together in a deep sided medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat whipping cream until almost boiling – Do not boil or scorch your cream! After cream is heated to very hot, slowly pour over semi-sweet and bittersweet chips. Let stand for a few minutes so chips will soften.

Once chocolate has melted, stir well until uniform and well blended.

In a small bowl, whip butter, and sugar.

Optional: Add your desired choice of Young Living Essential Oil. Tip: start by only using 20 drops of essential oil, you can add more later if you would like a stronger flavor.

Add butter / essential oil mixture to the chocolate chip / cream mixture and beat on medium speed using an electric hand mixer until sooth and creamy.

Taste to see if you want to add a few more drops of essential oil.

Set bowl into fridge for about 45 minutes to allow chocolate to firm up.

After chocolate has firmed, remove from fridge and form into small balls by using a melon baller or teaspoon. Place chocolate balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. To make chocolate balls more uniform, roll between palms and place back onto wax paper.

Dusting: Take each chocolate ball and roll into your small dish of cocoa powder or cinnamon powder.

Allow chocolate truffles to finish cooling.

Makes about 35 – 1 inch round yummy Chocolate truffles.

Where to get high quality chocolate ingredients for this recipe:

Semi-sweet

Bitter-sweet

Raw Cocoa Powder

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Where to Buy a Quality Made Elk-skin Hand Drum

01/03/2012 in Fun Stuff, How To, Living in Beauty, Music, Reflections & Discoveries by Evelyn | No comments

It was about eleven years ago that I bought my elk skin hand drum, custom made by Denise Linn. I had been to a class she was teaching on Space Clearing and she had the most incredible sounding drum and when I inquired where she got it she said, “well I make them!” I was completely sold and placed an order for one. The drum was named and came with a care booklet/history/connection, and a beater; and arrived shortly thereafter in beautiful condition.

I’ve since decorated my drum with dangling feathers (see photo) and have used it in Space Clearings, performances, healing’s, drum circles, Journeying, to song’s, drumming while walking a labyrinth, and just because. It has amazing sound qualities and draws attention wherever it goes.

These are one-of-a-kind, handmade limited edition elk skin sacred drums. Each has it’s own personality and use, and has been blessed in a ceremony in Denise Linn’s Labyrinth at Summerhill Ranch in California.

With this first collection Denise has included:

  • Custom Drum and Mallet [beater]
  • Booklet on care, use, history, and connection to your drum
  • And, a copy of her best-selling book, Sacred Space: Clearing and Enhancing the Energy of Your Home
(type the word- drum -into the search box)

Note: since there is only one of each named drum, there is the possibility that two people will try to order the same drum. In that case, the first order placed will be the new owner. The second person will need to choose another drum. If you would like, you can call our office to verify that your order was successful or put a second choice in the note box when checking out.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Gross National Happiness

11/05/2011 in Fun Stuff, How To, News, Reflections & Discoveries, Thoughts, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

Rare photo of BhutanUntil a few years ago I didn’t even know a country named Bhutan existed, only 110 miles from the north to south and 200 from east to west, Bhutan – called by its people Druk Yul, “the Land of the Thunder Dragon” – is home to a remarkable variety of climates and ecosystems. When I heard a long-time friend talk about a guy he had met from Bhutan and how cool and sane it was I Googled the name and began reading… WOW! It sounds like an absolutely amazing place!!! A place where we, in the US, can learn lessons and continue on the path of ‘positive’ change.

Many Americans are probably unaware of another historic election of 2008. Bhutan, once an absolute monarchy, became one of the world’s newest democracies in March. While this may not seem significant at first glance I think it deserves a closer look…

One thing I find outstanding about the Kingdom of Bhutan is that it’s a place where the Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than the Gross National Product.

Instead of focusing on gross domestic product (GDP), Bhutan measures gross national happiness (GNH).

When I read this, I stopped in my tracks… to be in the moment of what exactly gross national happiness was and what it might feel like. The more I thought about it, the more it touched my heart and soul, and what it might feel like to be a citizen of a country who felt their leaders actually cared about the average people. To know that my voice would be heard and the decisions made higher up in government would be a reflection of not only the average persons preference, but of something more tangible that reaches far beyond the superficial and beyond what benefits corporations. Continue reading “Gross National Happiness” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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How Many Electoral Votes Does It Take To Become President?

10/31/2011 in Fun Stuff, News, Thoughts by Curt Siters | No comments

If I were to run for president, I could do it very smart and target and win the minimum number of states required to win. This morning I sat down and actually figured it out. A Presidential Candidate needs to only win 11 states. 11! Can you imagine that?

Now, some states allow the electoral votes they can cast to be split between the candidates and every ten years or so when the census is taken this list may change slightly. This is from the 2008 Presidential election.

The list and the breakdown in descending order of electoral votes:

  1. 55 California
  2. 34 Texas
  3. 31 New York
  4. 27 Florida
  5. 21 Pennsylvania
  6. 21 Illinois
  7. 20 Ohio
  8. 17 Michigan
  9. 15 New Jersey
  10. 15 North Carolina
  11. 15 Georgia

These 11 states represent 271 electoral votes. In other words 20% of the states wield half the electoral votes.

Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, which have gotten a lot of attention in the last few Presidential Elections, represent about 1/4 of the Electoral Votes required for a person to become president.

I am not going to run for office. I am just saying. (In Washington Speak that means I might.)

More

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Curt SitersCurt Siters

Webmaster

Shoals Creek Village - a new build intentional community.

My Eco Oasis - the hub for what will be a network of many ecovillages.

Big fan of living simply

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.  ~Standing Bear

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How Does The Electoral System Work?

10/29/2011 in Fun Stuff, News, Thoughts by Curt Siters | No comments

While playing around on twitter.com I came across a video that explains in plain english how the U.S. process for electing the President works.

How the Electoral System Works (on YouTube)

There is only one thing they left out – that some states split the electoral vote (if it isn’t a landslide.)

Thank you CommonCraft.com

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Curt SitersCurt Siters

Webmaster

Shoals Creek Village - a new build intentional community.

My Eco Oasis - the hub for what will be a network of many ecovillages.

Big fan of living simply

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.  ~Standing Bear

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Voter Fraud or Election Fraud?

10/27/2011 in Fun Stuff, News, What Matters Most by Curt Siters | No comments

On C-Span one morning before the 2008 election I heard that according to a Zogby poll Barak Obama had a six point lead over John McCain and is approaching 50% of likely voters.

Six percent is almost meaningless, statistically speaking that is. All it would take is a couple of million registered voters to suddenly be ineligible or unable to vote to shift the election into John McCains’ favor.

How could someone become ineligible to vote?What would it take for a person to suddenly become ineligible or unable to vote?

To be unable to vote would mean that for some reason they were not able to cast their vote by the time the polls closed and may include any of the following:

  • This could be due to them not being able to get to the polling station or
  • the lines at the polling station were so long that they couldn’t get in to vote or
  • they were challenged or
  • they were stricken from the eligible voters list for some reason or
  • that they didn’t use their name as it appeared on the eligible voter list or
  • their address didn’t match or
  • their name was close to the name of a known felon or
  • their name isn’t on the list or
  • they were told that the date of the election had changed (which it doesn’t)

What is going on today in the “worlds greatest democracy” is a shame, and a horror. The Republican Party many years ago was involved in a court case about what is known as “caging.” This is a process whereby they supposedly sent out voter inquiry cards – which by law cannot be forwarded – and any that were returned had the persons name removed from the rolls. They lost the case and were enjoined not to do it again.

Well, they did it again in 2004. Nothing was done except outrage by the citizens and a brief inquiry.

It is quite possible that they have upped the ante to election fraud (also known as “rigging the election“.) You see, voter fraud, although serious, would be minor as it involves only individual people. Election fraud would take an organization to accomplish. There are far more people registered as Democrats than as Republicans and if all the Democrats turned out to vote very few republicans would be elected. It’s a numbers thing.

Now that there have been hundreds of thousands of people are losing their homes the last thing on their mind is to update their voter registration records. These people are in jeopardy of losing their right, and duty, to vote in any presidential election (if they haven’t already) due to shady tactics like caging.

There are many organizations out there trying to get people registered to vote such as Rock The Vote, Why Tuesday?, Student PIRGs, Declare Yourself, Head Count and many others.

ACORN, another organization that registers people to vote, is being vilified in recent years by the Republican Party. Besides registering people to vote they also look for voter fraud and election fraud. Go figure.

Another way for a person to have problems voting is if their name wasn’t on the polling list.

According to Greg Palast in some investigative work for Rolling Stone has found that Colorado had quietly purged 20% of the people from the voter records. John McCain stopped campaigning in Colorado.

I am not liking this at all. I would call this October surprise #2 (#1 is the tanking economy.)

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Curt SitersCurt Siters

Webmaster

Shoals Creek Village - a new build intentional community.

My Eco Oasis - the hub for what will be a network of many ecovillages.

Big fan of living simply

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.  ~Standing Bear

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A (Really) Short History of Medicine

06/03/2011 in Fun Stuff, Health, Plants by Curt Siters | No comments

A short history of medicine…

Patient: “I have an ear ache.”

Physician:
2000 B.C. – Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. – That root is heathen, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. – That prayer is superstition, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. – That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. – That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. – That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.

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Curt SitersCurt Siters

Webmaster

Shoals Creek Village - a new build intentional community.

My Eco Oasis - the hub for what will be a network of many ecovillages.

Big fan of living simply

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.  ~Standing Bear

Tags: , ,

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