Apps with Abraham

We were joined by CyFair's very own Reference Librarian, Abraham Korah, to show us some of the best apps for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. With so many out there to choose from, Abraham narrowed them down to the most functional apps to make life easier and more exciting. The apps introduced today are listed below. All are free, though some also have paid upgraded versions.

• Paper
• Google Translate
• Tripomatic
• AirBnB
• Hotel Tonight
• Field Trip
• Dinner Spinner
• Your Kitchen Inspiration
• HealthTap
• Touch Surgery
• Duolingo
• NASA App
• MyFitnessPal
• Flesky
• Google Now
• Chrome

See the list with a description and which devices they are available for here: http://lonestar.edu/departments/libraries/cyfair_library/AppsMay2013.pdf

Feng Shui for Wealth

Our programs are following a "healthy, wealthy and wise" trend lately. Katherine Ashby of Feng Shui Houston joined us for the wealthy segment to demonstrate how we can encourage abundance in all areas of our life with principles of Feng Shui. Today's discussion was based in the ideas of Western Feng Shui, which doesn't rely on a compass, but rather on the layout and location of the front door of a building. Katherine showed us how to apply the Three Door Ba-Gua to our home by lining up the front of the grid with the same wall that contains the front door. Once you've located it, you can activate it and improve your luck in the wealth area by adding purple paint or other elements, as well as symbols of abundance, such as plants, water,or coins. It's also important to eliminate clutter in order to allow chi, or life force energy to flow freely throughout your home.

To learn more about Feng Shui, visit Katherine's website: http://www.fengshuihouston.com/ and check out some of the books that the library has on the subject.

The Path of Tea

Today we had the opportunity to explore the many variations and health benefits of tea with Chris McKann of Houston's organic tea shop, The Path of Tea. Did you know that each "true tea" comes from the same type of tea leaf? The difference comes from the way the leaves are processed.

Things to keep in mind to enjoy the perfect cup of tea:
*To get the full health benefits, it is recommended to drink 3-5 cups per day.
*Adding dairy products to tea negates any health benefits. Consider using almond, soy, or coconut milk instead.
*Use the best quality water possible--Chris recommends filtered, alkaline water.

Green Tea	White Tea
When processing, low heat is added to create green tea leaves Has been found to have cancer-fighting benefits Helpful in preventing or slowing Alzheimer's disease Removes cortisol (caused by stress) from the blood stream Helps to balance blood sugar and kick-start metabolism	This tea is the least processed and has a low amount of caffeine Has the most antioxidants of any tea, so it's great for building up the immune system White tea is also especially good for skin health
	Black Tea
	More heat is added when processing tea leaves Especially good for heart health--people who drink 1-3 cups of black tea per day are less likely to have heart attacks
Oolong Tea
Tea leaves come from high altitudes--conditions in Taiwan are perfect for Oolong The tea leaves are bruised during processing, which adds a smooth quality to the tea Particularly good for liver health Has been found to help weight loss, as well as recovering from hangovers Oolong is a known mood-elevator!
	Rooibos Tea
	Does not come from a true tea leaf, but from an herb in South Africa Particularly good for respiratory health South African parents commonly use Rooibos tea to treat colic in babies Caffeine-free

Thanks to our presenter for an enlightening and aromatic presentation! To learn more about The Path of Tea, check out their website: www.thepathoftea.com

LIFErs enjoy tea samples and delicious organic cookies.

Funky Furniture and Walls

Do you have an old piece of furniture that's become an eyesore? Don't throw it away--revitalize it! Architect Mark Green showed us how to make furniture beautiful again with decorative painting techniques. All you need is some paint, painter's tape, and a piece of furniture.

Check out more of Mark's funky and cool designs below!

Mark Green's Funky Furniture and Walls 
from LSC-CyFair Library, LIFE Workshops

You'll Meet a Horse, Of Course

Darolyn Butler, award-winning endurance rider, joined us for a very special LIFE program today and brought along four-legged friends Apache and Cielo. Having ridden 35,000 miles in competition and traveled all over the world to compete, Darolyn, along with her assistants Kordula and Aaron, had so many experiences to share with us about how exciting and demanding endurance riding can be. Endurance riding is a cross-country competition that usually takes place over a 50 to 100 mile course. Not only do you have to complete the course quickly, you have to make sure that your horse stays in top condition and meets high standards during vet checks throughout the competition. Darolyn described the details of a typical endurance competition and demonstrated a break in riding where they would take their horse through a vet check, as well as feed and water it before continuing on. Many thanks to our presenters and their beautiful horses, as well as to LIFE attendee Hector, who started off the program by sharing some of his experiences as a polo player!

To learn more about Darolyn and Cypress Trails Ranch, check out the website: http://horseridingfun.com/index.html

Darolyn rides Apache (left) and Kordula rides Cielo (right).

Texas Scottish Heritage

The Official Texas Blue Bonnet Tartan
Photo courtesy of http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk

National Tartan Day was April 6th--how did you celebrate? We were joined by Sia Beaton, who filled us in on tartans, Scottish history, and the many Scots who were influential in Texas' early history. Did you know that Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Jim Bowie, and David Crockett were all Scotch Irish? How about that over 100 of the men who defended the Alamo were also Scotch Irish? Scottish heritage has strong roots in Texas, and we celebrate proudly.

Check out the web site for the Houston Celtic Festival and Highland Games: http://houstonhighlandgames.com/


Thanks to Sia for singing for us in several different Scottish languages--what a lovely treat this morning!

Quilling

This week, Melissa Savage and Merchant Batool Saifuddin demonstrated the art of quilling--creating designs with curled strips of paper. All you need to create beautiful designs are strips of paper, a quilling needle or thin dowel, and some glue. Melissa and Merchant showed us all kinds of techniques to create our own masterpieces.

Want to learn more? Check out the library's books on quilling and other paper crafts.

Masterpieces created by our audience