Happy New Year To All Our Members!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU TOOOOOOO XXX LETS HOPE 2012 IS A GOOD ONE

Happy new year from me xxx

Happy New Year everyone!

I have to share this beautiful email I received today:

The Most Beautiful Heart

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley.A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.There was not a mark or a flaw in it.
Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen.
The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,
"Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine."

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart.
It was beating strongly ... but it was full of scars ...
it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in ...
but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges.
In fact ... in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.
The people stared ... how can he say his heart is more beautiful ... they thought?

The young man looked at the old man's heart ... and saw its state and laughed.
"You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine ...
mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."

"Yes" ... said the old man ... "yours is perfect looking but ...
I would never trade with you.
You see ... every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love ...
I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them ...
and often they give me a piece of their heart
which fits into the empty place in my heart ...
but because the pieces aren't exact ...
I have some rough edges ... which I cherish ...
because they remind me of the love we shared.
Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away ...
and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me.
These are the empty gouges ... giving love is taking a chance.
Although these gouges are painful ...
they stay open ... reminding me of the love I have for these people too ...
and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting.
So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks.
He walked up to the old man ... reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart ...
and ripped a piece out.
He offered it to the old man with trembling hands.
The old man took his offering ... placed it in his heart ...
and then took a piece from his old scarred heart ...
and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart.
It fit ... but not perfectly ... as there were some jagged edges.
The young man looked at his heart ...
not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever ...
since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.
They embraced and walked away side by side.

Hi Curly,

Oh that's lovely!

Very meaningful and very true. What a shame more people didn't have warm, kind hearts!

But GOOD always overcomes evil..........mark my words.


Strawbs

Happy new year guys bit noisy on here no only joking I spose everybody is feeling stuffed after xmas like your peom Curly

Maria

Happy new year to all yous as well....when you off to ski Strawbs?....lucky girl you are....

Happy new year ladies and gents I will try and start posting more on here, thats my new year ressie

A very happy belated new year, let's hope it's a good one for everyone and is an improvement on last year. I don't think many people were glad to see 2011 out actually! Good wishes for 2012.

Same from me too, happy new year folks.

Belated new year wishes to you all, hoping you have the greatest year ever! Have fun!

Richard

Bit late but....Happy New Year to all.

Where's the best to learn to ski Strawbs? Really fancy it. If I managed to get my husband on a cruise, I'm sure I could get him to ski!!!
cxx

Hippy happy hoppy new year!!!

Sal x

cazzy8 wrote:Bit late but....Happy New Year to all.

Where's the best to learn to ski Strawbs? Really fancy it. If I managed to get my husband on a cruise, I'm sure I could get him to ski!!!
cxx

cazzy8 wrote:Bit late but....Happy New Year to all.

Where's the best to learn to ski Strawbs? Really fancy it. If I managed to get my husband on a cruise, I'm sure I could get him to ski!!!
cxx

Hi Cazzy,

Happy New Year to you, too!

Most countries have resorts suitable for beginners, there's only a few resorts that don't have nursery slopes and that are only good for experienced or intermediate skiers. You're best to choose your country first - I adore Austria for its chocalate box villages and Tyrolean charm (the Austrians ar soooo friendly) though Switzerland is gorgeous too (almost the same really) - but Switzerland is better suited to experienced skiers, though you will find nursery slopes there, too. Italy is very good for beginners, as well, probably better than Austria.

Besides checking the resort information to make sure it's suitable for beginners, you also want to check the apres ski and village itself - a beautiful village at night really adds to the holiday!

Really, you can learn to ski in any country with nursery slopes (and nearly all the countries have them) but I would say for charm and prettiness Austria is hard to beat.

As for actually learning to ski you could book a course of lessons at a dry slope in the UK, and they will teach you the basics (how to turn, snowplough etc) but it's much slower skiing on a dry slope than it is on real snow (you turn more slowly) but then you fall much harder! And everyone falls sometimes, even experienced skiers. A course on a dry slope will definitely help you with your technique, but it will feel altogether different once you're up a mountain on the snow. Some people play skiing on the Wii, but that's nothing like skiing at all, so don't waste your time on that, although having said that, the Wii is good for balance - but it's still nothing like skiing at all, especially beginner skiing.

I learnt to ski when I was young (two hundred years ago now! lol) so I can't really remember how long it takes to learn, but it's a bit like riding a bicycle - once you can ride it, that's it for life. But even experienced skiers still join classes sometimes (albeit for experienced skiers) just to improve on their technique, and brush up. Oh, one tip to make skiing easier is to hire short skis (which are all the rage now) but I'm used to long ones so I stick to those. Comfortable boots are a MUST - so keep trying them on until you find the most comfortable pair (if you can call ski boots comfortable!!) They need to be tight around the ankle, so they always feel a bit tight if that makes sense, but they shouldn't hurt. When you have to walk in them just unclip them, otherwise you will walk with bent knees!haha

Lastly, make sure your skis have really sharp edges to grip the snow (for turns and stopping), and whatever you do don't sit back on a button-lift! And don't look down from a chair-lift if it stops for any reason! I'm sure you will have a wonderful time, and I'm sure your husband will love it, to

Are you thinking of going this season?

Strawbs

Have a happy new year and good wishes from me too. I am thankful for your helps in the past

Strawbs

You travel advice is brilliant, no need for anyone to bother buying a Lonely Planet Guidebook

I am sure cazzy8 will be more appreciative than other folk you have tried to help in the past

Ruby

Hi Cazzy

Just adding to what Strawbs has said..... but take this advice from a not very happy skiier !!! I seem to get hauled around the most horrible slopes by the dare-devils in my family..I once ended up arse-about-face with my bum in the air facing a bunch of very good looking Italian men and it's hard to impress anyone when your head is almost up your butt. I have been dragged to skiing in Italy, Austria and the US and found that what Strawbs said about skiing in Italy to be very true....it definately has more varied slopes for beginners. Actually the social life AND the shopping in the tax-free zone of Livignio (I would just go for the shopping) is absolutely amazing and it is a bit cheaper than other European countries especially as it is a big village where you book your own accommodation. In Livigno there is so much accommodation right on the slopes which is great. Madonna da Campiglia to the east is also great but the slopes are a lot more difficult although it is great for cross-country skiing. Skiing in the States is horrid, during the day you have scores of children tryin to kill you on the slopes and the night life is DEAD apart from a few crooners...if you like country-western, which I loathe.

Actually whenever I get a slightest twinge of nostalgia about skiing i haul out my beautiful red ski boots put them on and within seconds I remember that feeling of '`omg, these boots are strangling me, they must be a size 2' and the nostalgia goes away but perhaps I was born on the wrong side of the equater for such sport. I prefer being in the sea and in the bush so take Strawbs advice.

Nicks.

Belated Happy New Year to you all

Denny