This is the one time of year when my yard might get noticed for a positive reason.

Most of the time the landscape on our property is fairly forgettable. I dont have one of those lush well-manicured lawns with sculptured flowering shrubbery the kind that gets its picture in the newspaper as yard of the month.

My lawn consists of more weeds and bare spots than grass. Although we do have some azaleas and gardenias scattered around, theyre not as abundant and beautiful as those in neighboring yards.

But about this time each year our front yard bursts with beauty due to the blossoms on our two cherry trees. Our neighbors Bradford pear deciding to put forth its blooms at the same time this year just across our driveway adds to the scene.

It looks beautiful, but only for a very short time. Often it only lasts about a week, depending on how the wind blows and the rain falls. Very quickly those blossoms will fade and fall off, revealing the green leaves which will endure until the fall season. By the time you read this, I wouldnt be surprised if my yard will be back to its normal drab condition, along with a plethora of dying cherry blossoms strewn on the ground.

The Bible reminds us that our time here on earth is similar. As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone (Psalm 103:15). While some might consider this a rather somber thought, it can serve as a needed reality check for many of us.

Its helpful for us to remember that life is short. Our time to blossom and flourish comes and goes all too quickly. Without that perspective, we can deceive ourselves into wasting or misusing what we do possess of this precious commodity we call time.

Therefore, there are those who will trumpet the call of carpe diem, or seize the day. Both within and without the context of Christianity, people tell us to make the most of todays opportunities and grab all the gusto you can get.

Theres certainly some truth in those statements. Life is short, so dont procrastinate and dont miss out on all the good you can do and enjoy today. Make that phone call, send that note, carry out that act of kindness, tell that person how much you care about him, share that truth do whatever it is you really need to do while you still have opportunity to do so.

However, lets not mistake this truth as simply inspiration to hurry up and do whatever will bring us pleasure. The shortness of life should remind us that we need to be giving priority to those things which will matter most in the long run, especially those which will make a difference for eternity.

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TONY ELDER: Life is short draw closer to Jesus while you can

Work will continue this week to clear trees on a southern section of Brunswick Town Center by the contractor hired by McKinley Development Co. The land has been set aside for an assisted-living complex.

The city has an agreement to sell 18.2 acres of property at Brunswick Town Center to Canton-based McKinley Development for $1.8 million with the promise to construct a hotel, apartments and senior living facilities.

In November, the city Planning Commission approved an initial site plan for Danbury Place, a two-story, 101-unit senior living facility, and Brunswick Lake Apartments, a three-building complex. Final designs have not yet been approved.

City Manager Tony Bales said the land is still owned by the city, but trees are being cleared under an agreement between McKinley and the city.

They have a $25,000 performance bond to protect the city and they paid $5,000 to provide inspection services to make sure theyre not deviating from the plan, Bales said.

Work was halted temporarily Tuesday afternoon when the city discovered the contractor had not registered with the city, but Bales said the paperwork was corrected and work should resume this week.

We were aware they were taking the trees down, but we did stop them because the contractor wasnt registered with the city, Bales said. It was just a matter of knowing who is completing the work and having their information on file.

Bill Lemmon of McKinley Development said he was unaware his contractor had not registered with the city, and said it was up to the contractor to make sure rules and ordinances are followed.

We didnt know until we heard he was shut down, Lemmon said. He should have registered.

Lemmon reassured residents the contractor will try to save as many trees as possible.

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Contractors clearing land to build assisted-living facility in Brunswick

Chestnut Hill Home
Janna Lutz, owner of Chestnut Hill Home, 27 N. Franklin, Downtown Chagrin Falls, is currently featuring our Live-Edge table on her showroom floor. As an interior designer, she will tell you...

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By Jack Pickell @pacmanjack

Boston.com Staff | 03.26.15 | 12:53 PM

It started out as a pretty normal Tuesday for Francois Charlotin Jr.

The Fall River-based electrician was called to inspect a home in the Boston suburb of Milton for a wiring issue. He arrived to see a simple-looking white house with some snow on the roof and plenty more melting on the lawn.

And then the day got interesting.

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Cutting into a ceiling while tracing a wire away from a light switch, he discovered that it led into a plastic jug filled with liquid.

I said, This doesnt look right, said Charlotin, 47. It went from being an electrical issue to something else.

He told the homeowner, who told police. The Boston Police bomb unit determined that the liquid was an accelerant rigged to ignite once a light switch was flipped.

The same switch Charlotin was checking on.

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Meet the Electrician Who Kept a Milton Home From Exploding

Phoenix Real Estate Agent: Home warranty advantages
http://thebretttannerteam.blogspot.com/2015/03/phoenix-home-warranties.html - Today we are excited to talk to you about home warranties. They are one of the best ways to ensure you don #39;t accrue...

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Colton Lindsay The WGR com Landmark Home Warranty
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Recent FBI statistics reveal that nearly 9 million property crimes take place in the United States each year.

In fact, a burglary occurs every 15 seconds. That has many of us installing home alarm systems at an alarming rate, but how do you know which one is right for you?

Protecting your home from unwanted intruders is serious business. A modern alarm system with high-quality wireless equipment can be installed for about $700, but the real key is who is on the other end of the alarm.

When considering a home alarm system, the monitoring is the most important. You can install an alarm that is just going to make sound in your house if somebody trips it, but the real value of an alarm system is it being tied to the police and the fire in case of an emergency, Angie Hicks with Angies List said.

When you meet with a home security company, find out what company they use for their alarm monitoring. Make sure it is U.L. certified or has a 5-star Diamond rating from the Central Station Alarm Association.

You will pay a separate monthly fee for this, which could range from $15 to $60 depending on how sophisticated your system is. Once youre satisfied with that, its time to decide on the equipment you need to adequately protect your home.

We always recommend multiple layers of protection, perhaps a perimeter security with cameras or motion lights. Then the next level would be window sensors that detect glass breakage, the window opening; of course, door sensors. And then another layer may be interior motion sensors on interior doors so we have multiple layers of coverage, home security professional Kirk Booher said.

Get several referrals before choosing a home security company and check that it is properly licensed.

Once the equipment is installed, make sure you understand exactly how to use it to keep from setting it off accidentally.

You dont want to have false alarms on your alarm system because if its connected to the police and the fire department, you might actually get charged for them to visit in case of a false alarm, Hicks said.

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Angies List: Sounding The Alarm On Home Security Systems

NEW DELHI: More than two years after the Nirbhaya Fund was launched, its utilization is set to get a boost with the home ministry proposing three big women's security initiatives under the scheme.

While approval of the finance ministry has been sought for a Rs 200 crore Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) for women targeted in acid attacks and another Rs 350 crore plan to set up district-level investigative units for crimes against women, the home ministry will shortly move a third proposal for monitoring and preventing obscene content against women.

Home ministry sources told TOI that the CVCF initiative envisages up to Rs 5 lakh reimbursement to hospitals, both state-run and private, towards treatment of each acid attack victim. "The hospital must fully treat the victim before the compensation is released. The central aid will be over and above the compensation extended to such victims by the respective state governments," said an official.

Home minister Rajnath Singh has taken a keen interest in ensuring central compensation for acid attack victims after they approached him, complaining how hospitals would turn them away for failing to pay for their full treatment. "There are around 200-300 acid attacks each year and the victims often have to run from pillar to post to claim compensation from the state governments. The Centre, by funding their treatment, will help them piece together their life once again," a home ministry official said.

The second proposal for which funding has been sought from the Nirbhaya corpus relates to the national rollout of Investigative Units on Crime Against Women (IUCAW). Though the project, involving 50:50 cost-sharing between the Centre and the states, is being undertaken on a pilot basis in 20% of the country's districts, the new proposal seeks Rs 350 crore for setting up IUCAWs across all districts. Each IUCAW will comprise a staff of 15 persons each, of which one-third will be women.

The third proposal, envisaging a funding of nearly Rs 300 crore for prevention, tracking and action against obscene content posted online, is yet to be circulated to the finance ministry. "We are still working out the various components and hope to firm up the proposal soon," said a home ministry officer.

The initiatives come at a time when a large chunk of Nirbhaya corpus remains unutilized. Of the Rs 1,000 crore allocated to the fund in 2013, schemes worth just Rs 200 crore have been cleared. These include the home ministry's initiative to enable women to send distress signals to police control rooms (PCR) and another scheme for safety of women in road transport.

Finance ministry recently announced a fresh Rs 1,000 crore allocation to Nirbhaya Fund in the 2015-16 budget.

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Union home ministry proposes 3 big security initiatives under Nirbhaya plan

Its spring and while it may not quite feel that way yet, set your calendars because the seasonal parties are ready to go no matter what the temperature is outside.

On Saturday, both the Bushnell and Easter Seals will hold their annual bashes.

At the Bushnell, it is a themed Ovations-Masquerade gala benefiting its arts in education initiatives. The annual party always has a theme and this year it is all about wearing a mask. So while black tie is optional get adventurous when it comes to how you creatively cover your face and get ready party for the evening which includes the cocktail hour, dinner, auction and dancing. For more information go here.

Over at the Marriott Hartford Downtown, the Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut will host its 27th Annual Crystal Ball. The black-tie evening, which includes dinner, dancing and auctions, benefits the non-profits Autism Initiative. For more information go here.

Meanwhile at Hartford Stage, celebrate Friday by attending the premiere of the Pianist of Willesden Lane. Or head over to Theaterworks for opening night of Playing the Assassin. For more information gohere or here

Antsy to get outside or do some sprucing up inside. You may not be able to get to it yet but you can start collecting ideas by heading over to the XL Center Friday for the 21st Annual Spring Home Show. Peruse offerings and ideas from over 300 exhibitors who can help you with home remodeling projects including decks and gazebos to kitchen cabinets and home theaters. Special celebrity guests over the weekend will be Frank Fritz and Danielle Colby from History Channels American Pickers. For more information go here.

If you have the American Idol bug, or have a talent you want to showcase, this could be your weekend. Over at the CT Convention Center, the Starpower Talent Competition will be held Friday through Sunday. The dance and vocal competitions will continue for three days, in three categories for ages eight to 20 and beyond. For more information go here.

And finally, Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will host its annual Italian Film Weekend.

Beginning Thursday and continuing Saturday and Sunday, there will be five featured films at the museum and Italian food from Peppercorn's and Vito's By The Park. For more information go here.

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It's Spring in CT, Time To Celebrate The Weekend

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