Rainbows In The Mud

Cyclocross is no longer cycling's hidden gem. Its rapid growth in the USA and UK means this intense and dramatic sport is exploding into the mainstream. With a season running from September to February, cyclocross is cycling's only purely winter discipline, demanding a combination of athleticism, supreme technical skill and ruthless tactics for the muddy conditions. In the sport's heartland of Belgium, major races attract crowds of thousands and have a carnival atmosphere fuelled by heavy drinking, ringing cowbells and pumping airhorns. Many top riders have enthusiastic fanclubs and are national celebrities – one even had his own reality TV show. On race day, Belgian and Dutch television coverage is akin to a major football match in the UK, stretching for hours with prerace interviews, pundits and behind-the-scenes films. In Rainbows in the Mud, Paul Maunder spends a season soaking up the sport's rich culture and history, and mixing with the obsessive fans, celebrity riders, and old-fashioned patriarchs of the sport. Following the riders – novices, veterans, American, British – as they slog their way through the season, he captures the spirit of this flamboyant cult sport, and paints a picture so vibrant you can almost feel the mud under your feet and taste the beer, mulled wine and frites.

A story about love and loss and how to help a young child understand and cope with the loss of a loved one. The main characters are a little girl and her stuffed animal monkey, which goes through trials and tribulations and eventually leaves her.

Four years have passed since Eleanor Brice Desmarais’s darkest secret came to heartbreaking, perilous light. The princess with the cracked glass slipper still mourns unimaginable losses, including the deaths of her son and her best friend. Her lover, Dorian Finley, is in exile in a far northern kingdom. Eleanor and her husband, Crown Prince Gregory of Cartheigh, barely tolerate one another. Her two daughters are the bright stars in what feels like an existence of endless night. Husband and wife travel north on an unexpected diplomatic mission, and Eleanor, Dorian, and Gregory resume their dangerous love triangle, with continued interference from Eleanor’s wily stepsister. Eleanor’s old nemesis, Ezra Oliver, forms a mysterious alliance with an army of vicious, bloodthirsty ogres, pushing Cartheigh to the brink of war. His magical finagling exposes strange connections between Eleanor’s world and our own, and places her precocious, enigmatic daughter, Natalie, in terrible danger. When Gregory suddenly finds himself king, he leans on Dorian and Eleanor’s counsel. With a fledgling monarch on the throne and the enemy amassing in the north, the unlikely triad must unite for the good of the kingdom. Their shared purpose forces Eleanor to rethink years of grudges, resentment, and animosity. As she truly embraces her own power, she finds herself learning to forgive, and asking for forgiveness. The long-awaited conclusion to Stephanie Alexander’s Cracked Slipper Series brings a satisfying resolution to a beloved fairytale. Eleanor’s surprisingly relatable enchanted life is a testament to the power of personal evolution, and a reminder that there are no simple happy endings.

When Ali is sad because her parents are fighting, Howard B. Wigglebotton, a bunny who likes to fix things, discovers that sometimes all a friend can do to help is to be a friend.

A fictional re-creation of a day in the life of a Rainbow character named Sunflower begins the book, illustrating events that might typically occur at an annual North American Rainbow Gathering. Using interviews with Rainbows, content analysis of media reports, participant observation, and scrutiny of government documents relating to the group, Niman presents a complex picture of the Family and its relationship to mainstream culture - called "Babylon" by the Rainbows. Niman also looks at internal contradictions within the Family and examines members' problematic relationship with Native Americans, whose culture and spiritual beliefs they have appropriated.

Down through history, dogs have been great friends to humans. Dog owners know how remarkably dogs can adapt. They are intelligent, compassionate, loyal, and protective. Shadows Point to Rainbows: An Unwanted Dog Becomes an Injured Boy’s Best Friend is a tribute to one German shepherd, who was providentially assigned to a young man living in north-central Oregon. With a tap at the door, “Champion” came into young Jed Franklin's life. His mother faithfully recounts how this loving and faithful friend stood by his master, helping him recover from a life-threatening, life-changing accident when he was eight years old so he could grow into manhood. This touching and faith-building story about a gift of God wrapped in fur was written to share lessons and encouragements from the providential events of the life of a boy growing up with his dog. Rather than withdrawing into himself, the young man was able to see the rainbows of life that follow the clouds.

Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio are renowned for their courses and workshops on color as well as for their outstanding polymer clay work. In this book, they offer instruction and inspiration that focuses on polymer clay as a learning tool that readers can use to explore their own color instincts and preferences and develop their own palettes. Each chapter investigates a specific color principle, with the discussion supported by a related exercise, a “studio tool” assignment or demonstration, a polymer clay jewelry project, and a profile of a prominent polymer clay artist. Sample topics include: •The Complexity of Color •Three Properties of Color •Choosing Your Palette •Mixing Colors That Flow •Matching Colors with Precision •Games Colors Play •Orchestrating Color Combinations •Color Composition: Placement and Proportion •Playful Patterns •Tantalizing Textures

Howard B. Wigglebottom is a bunny who likes to fix things, but when his friend Ali is sad because her parents are fighting, he learns that sometimes all a friend can do to help is to be a friend.