No road trips today..got up with a head cold.....day to relax, snuggle with some tea and read. The headlines in our paper weren't encouraging... " Economic 'disaster' digs in"....President warns that working families are being battered as goods pile up and consumption crashes......
I think, for too long, families have been rather spoiled....buying ever latest new item or gadget, a TV in every room, huge 5-6 bedroom homes, huge SUV's, bigger is better. For some reason, we thought that having more things would make us happy...if we only got that new car, that spa, that new sofa, that game system, that ride on mower, everything would be so much better....

My grandma was a wise woman....she lived through the Big Depression....and knew how to squeeze every drop of value out of every dime...she always said"Love people, like things"....for too long, Americans have had it backwards.."Love things and like people"....we have been a little arrogant about it too....

We are being forced, kicking and screaming, back to a time when people actually talked to each other, families gathered around a table to play board games, gardens were made, food was cooked, family dinners were a daily occurrence, gifts were many times handmade or chosen with needs in mind, not wants...credit cards were looked on as evil...adults and children saved up if you wanted something....a lot of times, I remember, I found out that thing I wanted wasn't too important by the time I got the money saved...
In doing these things, in actually talking with each other, enjoying one another, we are finding joy.
this is a good thing....we will find out that having more and more is an empty promise.....Less is more.....

Bartering and trading are good things...I am trading with a fellow blogger friend...she liked my prim mice and I liked her raggedy items so we are trading....and if you see anything in either of my stores you like..do you have something to trade?

Please listen to today's scripture reading, Psalm 86...on the left, just click on the tiny speaker...that reading is so appropriate for us right now

If you would like to email your senators about the stimulus bill that will be dealt with this next week......here is the link...I have emailed quite a few conservative senators asking them to stand up for common sense and get rid of all the earmarks in this bill.....I do not think money spent on bees, and sod will create many jobs, or help the housing crisis, do you? anyway, here is the link if you want to do something, http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
I tried to email our Californian senators but mysteriously their email service isn't working.....maybe from too much traffic????

Road Trip...San Marcos, Ca

Last week we re keyed a foreclosed home in San Marcos, Ca...San Marcos is about 40 miles north of San Diego and inland...its one of the more pretty drives that we have....lovely green valleys, avocado and orange groves...this bridge is one of our favorites....
The darker trees at the tops of the hills are avocado and the lower are orange trees...wonder where your avocados come from? chances are from this area.

After we got off the freeway...we drove down little two lane roads through a rather exclusive area......the Golden Door spa is here...we took a photo of the entrance...
Many famous and "want to be" famous people come here for rest, relaxation and beauty treatments...its very hush hush....
The house was like many....
It looked as if the owners had been landscapers...the back was terraced with many fruit trees...all in need of the gardener...a sad commentary of our country right now...one of the neighbors stopped by and told us they were surprised as the owners had lived there for over 15 years.
On the way home, we drove by the Lawerence Welk resort....I worked there back in the 1980s as the assistant manager of the gift shops...now the name has been shortened to Welk and its a time share..very pretty area

It doesn't look like the economy is going to get any better...every day, there are pages of foreclosure announcements in the local paper....I do not believe the "stimulus" package will have any effect on real estate.
Have you heard that California is giving out IOUs for all state income tax refunds? plus they may be doing the same for paychecks of all state workers soon...can you imagine trying to pay your mortgage and buy groceries with a state IOU?This includes teachers.
I don't know what the future holds..but I know Who holds the future......
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" Philemon 1:3

Wednesday Dog of the Week

This is little Jeremy....he is a golden retriever mix and was turned in by a good Samaritan who found him wandering the streets along with his brother Stevie, evidently they were dumped.
Darling sweet puppies who really need to be in their forever homes. Thank the Lord, they found their way to the Sun City rescue where they are safe and secure until their new family comes for them. What with cars, and coyotes, they would not have survived long.
You can read more about these cute guys or any of their friends on the SunCity K-9 rescue site...the link is on the left.

My regular readers may notice I am not posting much...taking a break until after the 12th but I am posting on my other blog..http://dani-chinalakenews.blogspot.com/ so head on over there.!....

I have gotten several comments about the banner photo...this was taken at a foreclosed house (which has since been bought by a famous writer)...what a view, huh? This is looking towards the San Jacinto mountains, overlooking the city of Murrieta, Ca..on the other side of the San Jacintos, is Palm Springs and the low desert.
Just In********
I just posted one of my famous road trips on my crafting blog...found a good cutter quilt!

Wednesday Dog of the Week

I'd like you to meet Angel Baby....her owner could no longer take care of her...she's been groomed and pampered her whole life, is a lap indoor dog. Very sweet, is good with other dogs and tolerates cats. She likes older children and adults.
Those of you coming from the One World blog..every Wednesday I post a rescued dog from the Sun City K-9 Dog rescue where my son works full time. The rescue is the only no kill center in the Menifee valley. To find out more and see Angel Baby's friends, just click on the previous link.
They also take donations through Paypal. All donation are tax deductible and go towards food, vet bills, and dog care. If you could, please vote for the rescue on the link at the left hand side at the top of the blog.....no obligation on your part but every vote counts towards cash rewards for the rescue.
The rescue was started by a remarkable woman, Elizabeth Mardin who is now almost 90 years old..you can read about her story on the dog rescue site.

One World, One Heart Giveaway is Here!

Barbara from Around Barb's Bend is the winner of my giveaway!!!!
Congratulations
and thanks everyone for joining in this years One World One Heart!


One World One Heart Blog Giveaway...Jan. 19th - Feb.12...

Mother Earth and Tender Embrace

Bordeaux Bellpull, Cabernet and Red Grapes, Blue and White Ensemble patterns.....

A Bridge for all Seasons, Woodland Hideaway, and All for One ....

Sleepy Bears, Patchwork Bears, Fun with Food

A Garden Variety bellpull, Dalmania, Planting Time....

A total of 14 counted cross stitch patterns..

Hi, Welcome to the yearly One World One Heart blog giveaway....I am giving away 14 counted cross stitch patterns...I tried to separate them so you could get a good look at each one. The photos are clickable for a better look. This is a $45.00 value.The giveaway runs from Jan. 19 until Feb. 12 and I am opening mine up to bloggers only. Just leave a comment to be included in the drawing which will take place on the 12th...I will use the random generator for the drawing.

Please click on the One World logo to go to the site where many many more giveaways will be listed..just look under the Gypsy Caravan list.....so if cross stitch isn't your thing, I am sure you will find other giveaways that will interest you.
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I've just been visiting other blogs and getting "blown away" at all the lovely offerings.....signed up for quite a few...don't think I will win but am sure enjoying this years participants...so many creative people!
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We are almost at the finish line! I will be drawing a name on the evening of the 11th and informing the lucky person on the 12th....for those of you who didn't win, I am sorry..and if there is any specific pattern you like, they are available in my Etsy shop for only $3.00....I will extend free shipping to all OWOH participants, just order and I will send you an adjusted Paypal invoice..thanks for stopping by my blog and hope you will come again to visit Eagles Wings...

Sunday

We are having a lazy Sunday...not a whole lot going on ....that is kinda nice. I did want to let you know that Alan's youngest brother Jeff has just started a blog and I hope you all will welcome him into Blogland...here is his blog link Are We Having Fun Yet? He will be so surprised if he sees alot of hits so please head on over and encourage him. You know what it's like when you first get started.
I also wanted to show you what our youngest son has come up with...he likes to tinker with mechanical things and he especially loves bikes....ta da! he made his own (what he calls) double bike...
yes, it works and the one in the BACK does all the peddling....he still has to work on brakes though..fairly good for someone who doesn't weld, huh? He's been having fun with going through the neighborhood but doesn't dare take it on hills until he gets the brake problem resolved.

I know many of you are snowed in with very cold temperatures outside today....so thought I'd post some nice photos of flowers I took this last week....these are just plain flowers but are cheerful. Its very warm here, in the 80s for the last few days....we noticed our nectarine tree is starting to bud thinking its spring...hope we don't get a cold snap which very well may happen.

We've been looking for a boysenberry plant to add to the one we planted last year..the other one is spreading but as its a big area thought a second one might be a good idea. But haven't been able to find one yet. I found a red raspberry but didn't want to mix them...they would probably cross pollinate.

We haven't gotten any locksmith calls yet so far and will probably just do some work around the house today. Lots of leaves and debris outside to clean up after the winds we had last week.

The One World Blogger giveaway will start on the 19th so please check back as I will be giving away 14 counted cross stitch patterns.....14! and if that doesn't float your boat, there are hundreds of other giveaways at the same time. During this week of giveaways, I won't be posting as much to keep the space open but will have the Wednesday Dog of the Week as usual.

Friday Funny

One book that stands out more than others is Pilgrims Progress......if I was stranded on a desert island and could only take 2 books with me...I would take a copy of the New King James bible and Pilgrims Progress. I think I have read it (PP)about 5 times and each time got something new.

It was written in John Bunyan in a dirty prison cell 35o years ago from a dream he had. It was published in 1678 and is one of the most famous Christian writings. Its an allegory.
The copy you see above is one we picked up in London at a book fair. Its very old, worn and well used, published in 1860 and has engravings.


Above is Christian with his burden and the Evangelist.


Temptation in Vanity Fair.

I would suggest if you decide to read it to get a modern translation as its a little difficult reading the old English. Amazon has a nice copy for a good price that is easy to read and you don't get bogged down. You can find it online too in the old English for free here
It starts out-
"As I was walking through the wilderness of this world, I came to a place where there was a cave. I laid down in the place to sleep and as I slept, I had a dream in which I saw a man dressed in rags standing at a certain place and facing away from his house. He had a great Book in his hand and a burden on his back. As I looked, I saw him open the Book and as he read he wept and trembled. Unable to contain himself any longer, he broke out in a sorrowful cry, "What shall I do?"
I discovered Pilgrims in high school and did my high school senior English essay comparing the Progress with Dante's Inferno (Divine Comedy) which is another interesting allegory about the different levels of hell. Dante was an Italian writer who wrote this in 1300.

Another Road Trip

This is the house we re keyed yesterday in Norco, north of Corona, Ca...very nice house, well maintained but we did find a surprise in the backyard
This poor little female Chihuahua...look at how concerned she looks from her eyes...we let her in the empty house and she ran from room to room looking for her family...crying at the closed doors...of course, we both felt really sad for her....as time went by, she stayed right by my side and wanted to come home with us but we had other jobs to go to and couldn't take her. I went to a neighbor and they agreed to feed and water her. The teenage boy came over and gave her a big pan of dog food and water. We left the side gate unlocked so he could get in but she had no shelter in the backyard...I cannot believe people can be so cold towards their animals. Another neighbor had the previous owners cell phone and called them so I hope they came for her. We also called the realtor who had the property so did the best we could. Alan and I still were thinking about her this morning and wondering how she was. We had heard about people leaving behind pets but this is the first time we had encountered it ourselves. No food, no water, no shelter, can you believe it? It got down to freezing last night too. This still bothers me, its heartbreaking.

Duncan....Dog of theWeek

Duncan is an Italian Greyhound-Chihuahua mix, he is about a year old and weighs 12 lbs. He is a real cuddle lap dog and would like nothing more than to curl on your lap or by your feet. He is a smart boy, uses the doggy door, walks well on a leash, and he gets along well with other small dogs. He loves his ball and toys but loves people more.....he is being fostered but needs his own forever home......Sun City K-9 Dog rescue is the only non-kill rescue in the Menifee Temecula Murrieta area and if you can help, it would be greatly appreciated. If you haven't voted for the Care2 contest, please do today...just click on the link on the left with the dog in the Santa hat...its free, no obligation and may help the rescue win some needed cash.
Good News...Cuddles found his forever home this week and is now with his new family!

I have a little widget on the side of my blog that posts inspiration and thought provoking quotes...I clicked on it the other day, Worthy News and read a posting intitled "Americans Abandon Christianity, Study Shows"....... evidently a private study group called Barna Research did a telephone study of over 1,000 Christians and found out the following...
1/4 of those called, didn't believe that the Bible was accurate.
1/2 agree that Satan doesn't exist..and
1/3 say that Jesus sinned when He was on the earth..
2/5ths don't think they have any responsibility to share their faith..
and 82% of the younger people (24 or younger) believe you should customize your faith, picking and choosing what teachings you want...rejecting others.
and yet..
3 out of 4 think that their faith is vital and more meaningful than in the past...

It seems to me that Christian Americans are too focused on their emotions and neglecting reading the Bible. I read alot of christian blogs and most of them rarely talk about scripture but rather the latest teaching from a great writer/speaker...this can be very dangerous spiritually speaking....we know first hand how even very respected teachers can be misled and lead their folks in the wrong path...it happened to us and the damage that was done is terrible.
Remember Mathew 24:4-14

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come"

from the looks of the results of this survey, its well started that "the love of most will grow cold"

We check every teaching by the scripture...and if it doesn't match up..reject the teaching not the scripture.....if you want to start this year and read the Bible daily..a great way is to use the One Year Bible Online, every day you will get emailed a section to study.
Here is another link I use quite frequently when I want to look something up..Bible Gateway
Bible Gateway also has a great audio bible reading also and I have that posted on the left side..if you click on the little speaker under the scripture, you will hear a scripture read.


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Before I leave today, I wanted to share this wonderful rare and special photo...this is a sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its nearest point..the sun is below the moon.
After I posted this, it was brought to my attention that this isn't an actual photo..but a digital masterpiece made by Inga Nielsen...You can find it in her gallery
still just as lovely....
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I have quite a few links on the left hand side of the blog, under " Biblical Links and Godly Living" and use many of them often....these are "goodies".
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Tomorrow is Dog the Week!

Monday Kitchen Talk

Nancy, from Inside Nanas Head has just posted some of the most useful household tips I have seen in some time....here is a example:
Measuring Cups- Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient (such as peanut butter) and watch how easily it comes right out.

I don't know about you but I like practical ideas to save time in the kitchen and make cooking a little easier....and in this case, less messy.....Alan has been experimenting with perfecting the perfect sugar-free peanut butter cooky and we've gone through quite a bit of peanut butter. He almost has it perfected and I will share his recipe when he's satisfied....he has the texture right and just has to get the right sweetness...the first batch tasted like tasteless biscuits but they've improved since then and almost right.

Cora has shared this eggnog bread recipe in our Glad Tidings group and since I had a little eggnog left over, thought I'd better use it..this is such a tasty quick bread, and easy to make...since I didn't have any sour cream, I used a little mayonnaise and it came out perfectly.
Its sweet but not too sweet and the texture is like a fine pound cake, moist and rich...enough of me describing it...try it for yourself and see if I am right before all the eggnog is gone...
Cora's Eggnog Bread
1-3 loaves 50 minutes 15 mins prep

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup eggnog
1/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons rum extract ( I don't put this in )
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup softened butter
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease bottom only of a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan or three 3 by 5 inch loaf pans.

Blend together the eggs, eggnog, sour cream, rum extract, sugar, vanilla and butter.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Add to eggnog mixture and stir just enough to moisten, pour into prepared pan.

Bake bread in large pan for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Breads baked in the smaller pans require 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan or pans.
Cool completely, wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

Largest Cross in the Northern Hemisphere

The largest cross in the northern hemisphere is found in Groom, Texas...along with life size statues of the stations of the cross..it is 190 ft. tall and can be seen for miles. How this came to be is a miracle and the story can be found here and also this site here explains this Texas area...I hope we can see this one day if we get to travel again...thank you, Kay for sending this to me.