I took a little break from blogging....my youngest took a aptitude test yesterday, its one the military gives (not that they will be notified), its a 3 hour test so he came back a little mentally tired....its hard to think that hard! LOL....
I was also able to order his cap and gown....all of $50...I was kinda proud of myself as I paid for it with my store earnings....

My dream came true and we've been busy, busy, busy.....plus we got alot of past due checks...enough to stock up on groceries which is always nice...I figure if we get our bills paid, and food in the pantry, I am a happy woman. He had two jobs yesterday and one so far today. This journey we've been on has been rocky at times..The Lord has used it to develop faith and strength ...you know, you think you are faithful but it takes adversity to test that faith. Kinda like the difference between a hot house flower and a garden one....the hot house flower will die if put out into the garden as soon as the wind, heat, and rains come but a garden flower will survive quite nicely...and something I've noticed, the hot house flowers are not fragrant....all looks but no substance.
I don't know if the hardest part of the journey is over or not but I do know that the Gardener is in charge so no worries......

I'll close this post with one of my favorite John Wesley quotes..

"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the places you can,
In all ways you can,
All the times you can,
to all the people you can
As long as you can".

A New Sofa!

We are really grateful and surprised as one of our neighbors gave us this brand new sofa! They had it in their garage and never used it...perfect in every way and very clean...we couldn't believe that it was the exact color of green we both love. God is so good....our old sofa was very comfortable but very worn and dirty....
The new sofa has some extra features, both ends are like a recliner and the middle flips down with places to put drinks, it also has a bottom drawer. I put some throws in there which we soon not be needing as its getting warmer.
The plates you see above the sofa, we bought back in Iowa in the 80s...they are commemorative plates depicting buildings from Alan's home town....there were a total of 14 plates, but we missed out one year so only have 12. We've tried at different times to find the missing two.



Its been so nice, yesterday I opened up the French doors to let the sunshine and fresh air in. I just love these doors...the cats love them too and will sit for hours watching the birds.

Our next door neighbors daughter is turning 15 today. They are planning a blowout party for her as its her Quinceanera or coming out party....they've been busy all week, cleaning the backyard, and today tables are being set up....they have a huge family so it will be a neighborhood event. We loaned them our outdoor fireplace and have been invited.

Friday thoughts

Another beautiful spring day...a little windy....I woke up early with a mega sinus headache so knew it was hayfever time....
Last Sunday night, I had a dream in which we found a box in our bedroom, when I opened it, it was full of money....and the Lord said in a clear voice, I will provide for all your needs...you know how we've struggled so with this new business...
well, the next day, we got 3 checks in the mail, and 3 jobs. Every day this week, Alan has been busy...plus he had a long talk with the realtors who owe us so much...they agreed to pay Alan as they didn't realize they were up to 3 months over due. We've been getting calls from new homeowners which is encouraging.
I've also noticed the houses that are for sale on the block are getting alot of people looking so perhaps the housing market will pick up soon. Houses are so cheap here now...we have re keyed some that were in the $50,000 range...a great time to buy.

I've been finding my way around the 9-12 Project and found this video that really explains the different forms of government, what our founding fathers intended...and want to share it with my readers...its easy to understand and lasts about 10 minutes...good for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults....please bookmark the site and share with your family and kids as I don't
think this is taught in school much...at least not as well as this video does.
The American Form of Government

Also there is a rally being planned here in Southern California to meet in Simi Valley at President Reagan's Library for the Southern Californian 912 groups....It will be in May and the dates have not yet been decided. There may be TV crews there and Glen as well as many assemblymen, etc. have been invited. We might be on TV!

Our weather has been wonderful, in the 70s most days and the nectarine tree is in full bloom...I had fun the other day taking some macro photos and captured a bee at work...
Our barrel of leaf lettuce is doing well, and we've been harvesting what we need every day for salads...we've done this for about 3 years and it works well, just break off what you need and it just keeps growing....this will last to well into summer...as we have the shade cloth, it may last through summer this year. The plant on the upper right is our rhubarb which is just starting to leaf out...
The tomatoes, and cabbage are doing well too...getting larger and the cabbage is starting to curl.
One of us checks them every day for any signs of bugs, always a problem here...so far so good. The summer squash is growing also as well as the beets.
We did all container type growing, we couldn't find the right boxes (that we could afford anyway) and decided to just use what we had or could find for free. I'd like to plant some yellow and red peppers so am looking for a nice sized pot or something at garage or estate sales this week.....there really is no reason to buy expensive containers....even deep drawers will work.
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Just to let you consider, the economy will probably go into inflation in a year to two , from the influx of stimulus money....we've lived through inflation before and its not fun.......so if you need any major appliance....I'd buy it as soon as I could before inflation hits us. Our washer and dryer are getting old, and the dryer is starting to make noises that are suspect but we may just put a clothes line.
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The Hillbilly Housewife has a great download, its a PDF file on how to cut your grocery bill in half....we've cut back but it hasn't been as healthy eating as I would like so I downloaded the file and when I get more time will be studying it. You can find it here and it is free. With so many struggling, losing jobs and getting hours cut back, we all need to help each other as much as possible. Many in the 9-12 movement are starting to grow gardens and plan on sharing as much as possible with their neighbors...you know there are over a quarter of a million in the movement now? and in less than two weeks! Please join if you haven't already....

Wednesday Dog of the Week...Shana

Shana is a shepherd mix..not too much is known about her...she was just dumped outside of the shelter from a pickup truck...poor girl...she is in good health, the vet says she is about a year old and very friendly. Don says she is very intelligent and would make a perfect pet for a family. She gets along well with the other dogs and loves children.

Don also had this promo made up which I wanted to share.....

Tuesday Chat

This was posted in the 9-12 Project and thought it was so funny and frankly, I hope it is just joking...our congress people can't be that dumb, can they?
This supposedly was written by a DC airport ticket agent.....
THEY WALK AMONG US

1. I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (On an airplane!)

2. I got a call from a candidate's staffer, who wanted to go to Capetown. While I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information, she interrupted me with, ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts "Without trying to make her look stupid, I calmly explained, ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Capetown is in Africa." Her response - click.

3. A senior Vermont Congressman called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, 'Don't lie to me, I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state!''

4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife who asked, ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?'' I said, ''No.'' She said, ''But they look so close on the map.''

5. An aide for a cabinet member once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas . When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time..'' (Aghhhh)

6. An Illinois Congresswoman called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m., and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m. I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that.

7. A New York lawmaker called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?'' I said, 'No, why do you ask?'
She replied, ''Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!'' After putting her on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , CA is (FAT - Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

8. A Senator's aide called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California , and then take the train to Hawaii ?''

9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman who asked, "How do I know which plane to get on?'' I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.''

10. A lady Senator called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?'' I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola , FL on a commuter plane. She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!''

11. A senior Senator called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China .. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him that he needed a visa. 'Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.'' I double checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!''

12. A New Mexico Congress woman called to make reservations, ''I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York .'' I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, ''Are you sure that's the name of the town?'' ''Yes, what flights do you have?'' replied the lady. After some searching, I came back with, ''I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Rhino anywhere.' ''The lady retorted, ''Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!''
So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ''You don't mean Buffalo , do you?'' The reply?
''Whatever! I knew it was a big animal.''

Now you know why the Government is in the shape that it's in!
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Yesterday, Alan and I started spring cleaning...we pulled all the furniture out of the living room, vaccumed and shampooed the carpet.....it was quite dirty after the long winter and looks so much better now, looks like new carpeting actually...we have a Bissel carpet steam carpet shampoo machine...we also did the hallway. He has work today so I am continuing by taking everything out of our large bookcase, dusting/polishing the oak and replacing everything...I plan on getting the entire house done by next week..including all the ceiling fans..we have one in every room and two in the kitchen/dining room area.
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I emailed one of our two senators, Barbara Boxer and told her about the problems with the banks not securing foreclosed homes properly.....I doubt if it will do any good but felt I should at least try. I tried to send the same email to Nancy Pelosi but her email is down completely. I felt better anyway.....we didn't vote for either of our senators but this problem isn't a partisan one.

Happy Monday

I found this video on Tangle...its the new name of Godtube..(don't ask me why, not a clue)...it was taken by a fellow Christian and neighbor in Menifee....she is a great photographer and has really captured our lovely wild flowered covered hills....enjoy!

I joined Stumble a couple of weeks ago and have been enjoying finding alot of new blogs that inspire. I thought today, I would share a couple of them with you......
the first one is "Promises of God: Scriptures of Reassurance "these scriptures give strength, assurance and comfort..something that we all need in these troubled times...God will make a way.
The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7
Second, are some great ideas for recycling vintage and old items, its called RoBoJunk.com


These are just two of the interesting and creative ideas to "make something from nothing"...my grandmother would be thrilled. The first photo is obvious, a canning jar and fork but do you know what the second one is made from? Yes, of course, a old wheel, doily and cameo. If you didn't have a cameo, I think a vintage photo would be even cooler.

The third is one I saw years ago on the old Carol Duvall show.....Surprise Balls.....this is such a unusual idea come new again..

This idea is from the website, "Go Make Something" I can imagine making these for Easter and enclosing all sorts of little sweet goodies depending on who you were making them for...apart rather inexpensive but together making something nice.
Stumble is rather cool, I've enjoyed stumbling around the internet and finding new things...you can record what type of blog or site you are interested in, I look at Christian, craft, history and genealogy sites mainly..
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We found out over the weekend why our business has dried up....the banks have a moratorium on doing foreclosures....so the real estate agents, locksmiths, handymen and clean up crews are struggling. Alan got a call that one of the houses he recently rekeyed, the agent lost the house so could he come up and get his lockbox off the house? so we drove up to Riverside, and found the house...it was a charming older home with a huge tangerine tree in the front yard..but our lockbox was gone...in its place was another. Evidently the new agent who got the property had someone come in and rekey it....he took our box. Alan tried to call the agent but just got his voice mail...he also paged him but we got no answer as yet. The bad thing was, the house was badly re keyed, they typically ripped the high quality locks off the house and replaced them with cheap ones, and installed them upside down!
I don't know what could be done about this, they should be required to use licensed locksmiths for this type of work. It was just so obvious this person didn't know what he or she was doing.
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Yesterday I made a cute wall hanging thingy.....remember the quilt we found in the foreclosed house in Pomona?

I posted how I made this on my other crafting blog.. Daniv's NewsLetter

Funny Friday

Church Bulletin Bloopers



"Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

This evening at 7 pm there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Our next song is "Angels We Have Heard Get High."

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

I couldn't leave today without sharing some very cute cat photos...these all have the ahhhh factor.......enjoy








Update....the 9/12 Project just reached 100,000 members and in less than a week!

Our little nectarine tree is starting to bloom...it is over 2 years old and last year we got about two dozen small nectarines from it....this year, I think we will thin them out a little and try to have larger ones.....the bees are really enjoying them too.
Alan and I walked around the yard this morning and noticed that the fig tree is starting to leaf out too....its about 9 ft. high and this is its third year also....we got tons of figs off of it last year for several months...they are so sweet and good..and it also grew about 2 ft. last year. The fig tree we started in the pot is growing well too
The lawn is growing and needs to be cut soon...the guys put some "weed and feed" on it like we did last year....our weather has been just wonderful, in the 70s...today it got up to 80 and very nice.
Alan hasn't had much work and its been really tough. We're owed over $3,000 from various realtors and have sent out late invoices to all of them....but have only had about 2 calls all week.
we are in all the local phone books, in all the local websites, Google, advertise on Craigslist and even have gotten linked up to Brinks Home Security and are giving out free installation certificates to new home owners.

I heard on the radio this morning that there have been alot of break ins on foreclosed homes with kids getting into them for drug parties, raves, etc.

I personally blame this on the banks...not all but some of the banks (Countrywide is one of them) use their own "teams" to "secure" these homes....they use the cheapest way possible...they don't use a professional locksmith but a handyman who simply either breaks the existing locks out (usually with a hammer), or is able to remove them (good quality, expensive locks) and replaces them with the cheapest foreign made lock possible. Easily broken or picked...
Many times the expensive handle set front door locks are destroyed and thrown away. The new homeowner then has to buy a completely new set which runs from $45 to over $200. Crazy huh?
Other banks have taken to only re keying the front door....this happened at one property Alan was called out to...the previous owner was paid "cash for keys", she took the $4,000 the bank offered her, gave them two sets of keys but kept another set for herself. Moved out, then came back, got in through the garage and took all the granite countertops, oak cabinets, carpeting, and tile in the house... The bank lost thousands and thousands of dollars just because they didn't want to pay to have one other door re keyed which was a whopping $10.00.

No wonder they need bailouts...I don't think they really deserve them, do you? They do not have common sense....

We had a realtor call us for a REO home in Oceanside today, so I tagged along. When we got there, it turned out the house was completely furnished so the realtors had to put a tag on it for 28 days requesting the owner get his stuff....otherwise it would be declared abandoned property. so we got a trip for nothing.....the realtor wouldn't pay for the trip charge.
a 50 mile trip for us.
Anyway, that is my venting for today....sometimes you just have to get it out.


If you get the chance and want to read something interesting...please check out Alan's brother Jeff's blog Are We Having Fun Yet? When he was young, back in the 1980s, he went with a church group down into Mexico to help build a local village church....he kept a journal.....he is transcribing the whole adventure on his blog with photos and I am finding it very addictive. I
just have to go back for the next sequel every day...

Last but not least..I joined the 9-12 Project yesterday and it's growing so fast! In less than a week, there are already over 50,000 members! Please join if you believe as so many do that Washington needs to be cleaned up.....you can find out more about it by clicking on the"Unite or Die" logo on the left hand side of the blog.....there are local chapters and I joined the California one....

Wednesday Dog of the Week

I had briefly mentioned this this wonderful pure bred Pomeranian last week, but as he is such a nice dog, thought I would feature him today...his name is Ford and this photo was taken before he was groomed...he has a nice haircut now....he weighs about 15 lbs. and believe it or not was found as a stray....no one has claimed this friendly family friend so he is waiting for his new home....
I also thought you might like to be introduced to the staff.....of course, you have seen our son before, Don who is holding one of pups, next to him is Elizabeth, the owner (90 years old this year!), then Kim and Glen, a retired couple. There are many volunteers also that come each day to walk and play with the dogs....there is no want of love here!
Right now they are trying to raise funds to buy a new micro-chip scanner...when each dog comes in, they are immediately scanned and if they are chipped, the owner is contacted...the old scanner is showing its age and needs to be replaced....a new scanner costs about $250...they accept Paypal, and also can take any gift cards you may not be using. You can find out more on the Sun City K-9 Dog Rescue site.
A few of the dogs are fostered out and they are always in need of more foster parents...the rescue would supply all needed food and vet care.

I found the Agricultural committee site where the bill #875 will be discussed...the link is here
Gov.Track is a great site and is written so that the average reader can understand it most of the time.....it keeps track of all the bills, has links to all the members of Congress, etc. if you are interested in our government, please bookmark it at Gov.Track US you can also see the statistics on every congressman or woman, and I am definitely checking them the next election we have..we all should to see if they live up to the 9 Principles and 12 Values of the 912 Project I think if each member of congress knew that they were being closely watched, they may be more responsible...
Us baby boomers and seniors may not be able to do as much physically as younger people, but we can write, call and email. We can influence and we can pray.
Again, this is totally bipartisan....both parties got us in this mess...and regardless if you are liberal, conservative or moderate, we all want the "business as usual" to stop.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you have a wonderful green day today........




and please be sure to write, email or call your senators about the bill I spoke of yesterday..after doing more research, it does effect organic farmers and small farmers....I don't think they will be coming after your home garden...but it will hurt cooperatives...I understand about monitoring overseas and imported produce but typically these bills go alot further....it could destroy farmers markets......
The second bill is #1388 called the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act which would Government the right to require individuals to give 3 years service under the guise of “volunteer” service This bill is quite lengthy and confusing, but in a nutshell it is setting up legislation for a government controlled, and mandated, civilian service corp. as proposed by President Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel.
it speaks of camps, uniforms (brown?) and is very scary......they would also require seniors to volunteer also so don't think we baby boomers would be exempt.

I don't mean for this to be a doom and gloom post...not at all...let's celebrate the day and remember with God all things are possible!


please remember to turn off the music at the bottom of the block or you will never get to hear these lovely old Irish/Celtic melodies.....

Not only is there the 9-12 Project but there is also another grass roots movement called The New American Tea Party....there are "tea parties being held all over the country......I think the main problem is that the people in Washington have become elitists....they think the people are stupid and need help....they think a big government is necessary in order to take care of us....I mean, there is even a bill proposing that the government come in and supervise your backyard gardens!
without your permission or agreement, this is bill 875...it is so badly written...they could come and pull up your tomato plants in your back yard and if you have a few hens..forget it.....
One of my ancestors was John Minnis who participated in the original Boston Tea Party...fought in the Revolutionary War and was wounded...he bore the mark of the wound on his face the rest of his life with honor...



Its time to draw the line and let your congressmen, your senator know how you feel
here is the site where you can find your congressmen/women http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

here is the site for the senators......http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

well, now you have a photo of me.....kinda.....I think I posted this before but wanted to again....this was taken sometime around 1954 or so...in San Diego, Ca...back when the world was sane, men were brave and women were all beautiful. I believe President Eisenhower was in office. Reading back through history, I see there was a lot of civil unrest in the south and east but it was far from us in San Diego.....there was no separate drinking fountains or rest rooms out here, that I remember anyway. Most mothers stayed home with their children and Dad went out to work...my mother was always home for me and my brother (who came along a few years later than this photo)
My days were spent making mud pies, jumping rope, walking to kindergarden and watching Captain Kangaroo....and Howdy Doody....we went to church every Sunday and at school, there was a short little prayer before snack time....life had meaning and purpose......
Mom and Dad had gone through the Depression as children, and WWII, and the Korean War before I was born....they were hard working people with strong principles and core values.....
they believed and I do too that.......
honesty, reverence,hope, thrift, humility, charity,sincerity,moderation, hard work, courage,personal responsibility, and gratitude are good things....core values....

Of course, you probably remember where you were on September 11th...what about September 12th? Here in California, everyone, and I mean everyone had flags out...on cars, trucks, SUVs, over bridges and off ramps, on every house, store, and people were flying them from their planes...we were giving blood, and money to the Red Cross and did whatever we could do to help...no one told us to do this...it came naturally...
On August 23, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the southern coast...hours later, trucks and vans, and buses started arriving with food, medical help, diapers, and clothing.
No one told these people to do this...it came naturally...this came from individuals, churches, private organizations, small and large businesses. Walmart opened their doors and let people take what they needed...a drugstore opened and filled prescriptions with no electricity..

I know where ever you are as you are reading this, your family, friends and neighbors did something similar...we didn't wait for the government to do it..we were all Americans on those days..just Americans..there was no black or white, no Republican or Democrat...we were Americans......
friends, our country is in trouble again....it seems as if the people in Washington don't share the same core values we do....this isn't just with this administration, its been going on for some time from both sides.

It shouldn't be business as usual.

If you believe as I do that core values matter, then you may want to visit the 912 project
you may not agree with everyone there but everyone there does agree on values and together maybe we can be strong enough to make a difference, so it won't be "business as usual" in Washington.
Remember, the government works for us...not we for the government...I do not answer to them, they answer to me...

“I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

More new Biblical Discoveries!

Royal Seal on neck of pottery bottle

As you know, I am very interested in ancient history and especially biblical archeology....I just heard about more biblical era Royal Seals being found in the Jerusalem hills. These date back to the time of King Hezekiah..the seals were from two of his high-ranking administrators. You can read more about it here These were found in a excavation of a small village..along with the seals, they found a large building, a courtyard with pits, underground silos, a kiln and much pottery...the villages original name was Netofa which is mentioned in the second book of Samuel 23:28-29 as the birthplace of two of King David's warriors.

Lately more and more discoveries are being made that are contrary to many teaching in the colleges that deny the Bible as being historically correct which is far from the case.




The other day, I noticed all our birds by our feeder scattered and then this little guy came down to check things out....sorry, the photos a little blurry.....from our bird book, I think this is a American Kestral...he's not very large but deadly to small birds and reptiles which we have alot of in our yard. A few weeks ago, Alan noticed alot of feathers on the lawn and we figured this critter had gotten lucky.....


They have to survive too so we don't feel too bad if he gets dinner at our house once in a while...the doves are very wary.....I don't think he would bother the duck when we bring her home...she's way larger then him and I don't think we'd let her out until someone was in the yard with her. As its getting warmer, I will be spending more time outside.

Daisy the Duck

Donny was given this cute duck through the K-9 vet.....she was wounded by a big dog and is unable to fly...she is so friendly, we visited her yesterday and just about have decided to fix a place here at home for her....we need to get some kind of a caged in area for a home and some kind of water container for her to swim in....probably will work on it this weekend. Don says she follows him all around the dog rescue but it does make some of the dogs go positively crazy....and the gravel road isn't too good on her feet. She lays about one egg a day when she is happy.....I don't know a whole lot about duck care...do you?

Wednesday Dog of the Week.....Meet Winter

Winter was found as a stray in Romoland, a small area outside of Menifee.......he is very friendly and calm.....likes to play and the vet thinks he is about 3 years old..he's not a big dog, just the right size for most families....have you noticed most of the dogs have a certain look in their eyes? or is it my imagination? You can find out about Winter and many other of the deserving dogs at the Sun K-9 Dog Rescue here...

no decision yet on the Paypal thing...still pending....I set up a new account so as soon as this is settled will cancel, can't do it while it is pending.......I think this economy has a lot of people doing things they might not ordinarily do.......guess it goes to core values.......and the lack of them in our society.
I went to the post office to mail our state tax (thank the Lord, we didn't owe them anything) and added certified mail...I told the clerk we wanted to be protected...and he replied...."Very wise, sad, isn't it, we have to protect ourselves from our own government?" Truer words were never spoken.

On a lighter note, this morning, I made some wonderful orange raisin scones...I got the recipe online from My Country Kitchen She has a good sounding recipe for cabbage rolls too......The scone recipe calls for cranberries but I didn't have any so used raisins and chopped walnuts...I also used fresh orange juice instead of frozen and Splenda instead of sugar.....I made the same scones over the weekend...they were such a hit, had to make them again of course.....
I just took them out of the oven....when they cool, I think I'll add a little glaze...they smell really good......We use Splenda for all baked goods for Alan's diabetes...but I know these would be even better with sugar......

I also joined Stumble and "stumbled" across a good Bible site...this is the Online Parallel Bible
if you don't know what a parallel Bible is, ...the scripture is displayed in usually 4 or more translations at the same time and you can get more out of the passage that way...I have a parallel New Testament that I've used for years. Its fairly marked up and worn but I love it.

Tuesday Chat about a Variety of Things

Today is another lovely sunny but cool day....I took our soon- to- be- graduate to school for his geometry class and then home again...Alan got two calls, both of which are to be invoiced...

I discovered last night that someone took all my money out of my paypal account!!....I was very steamed of course, and reported it to PP. I didn't have much in there right now, fortunately but still......checked this morning and its listed as pending whatever that means......I am thinking of closing that account down and creating a new one with different email address and password, think that would be a good idea? I do. I've been trying to save money in that account so I can purchase our sons cap and gown for graduation. Its always something, isn't it?

Glenn Beck is part of a movement called "We Surround Them" if you haven't heard of this, here is the link to his site.....Glenn Beck
This Friday there will be the unveiling of the movement on Fox ..March 13th....at 5:00 Eastern Time....if you believe as I do in the 12 Values and 9 Principles..please join us...there will be viewing parties all over the United States to watch and many radio stations are joining in too.
Unfortunately there is no viewing parties close to us but we will be watching.

Well...its a weeding day today I guess...should go out and finish the job.....the tomatoes that have set are the cherry tomatoes.....they are always so good in salads...we have a yellow tomato growing too and they usually do well for us, better than the red ones for some reason. We've been enjoying the lettuce and have salad about every night. The great thing about leaf lettuce is that it can grow until the weather gets too hot, just pull off leaves as you need them and the plants keep growing......the beets have all come up and are growing....I like them for the greens as much or more than the beets themselves. I'd like to get one or two pepper plants soon.

Here are another photo of our roses from last year..hope you all have a great Tuesday!

The Simple Womans Daybook, March 9th Entry

FOR TODAY - March 9th, 2009...
Outside my window...the birds have devoured all the seed out of our feeder...Alan keeps filling it and they keep emptying it....yesterday, when I went outside, there was about a dozen mourning doves, I think we are feeding the entire dove population of Menifee...they are such sweet birds.

I am thankful for.....spring is coming! all our tomatoes are flowering and there are even a few baby tomatoes on the plants! The beet seeds I planted about a week ago are emerging and the squash is flourishing....we are excited as the fruit trees are really budding and it won't be long for the spring showing of white and pink.

From the kitchen....not much going on this morning but over the weekend I tried a new recipe for scones...were they ever good! The boys want me to make more which tells you something.
the recipe called for cranberries but I didn't have any so used raisins and chopped walnuts. They were buttery, flakey and very yummy.

I am wearing....my favorite jeans, sneakers, and a black T shirt..just washed my hair.

I am creating.....more tea towels..I have a photo on my other crafting blog...Cora sent me the nicest white tea towels, I can't really describe them as flour sack, they are heavy and very high quality. I am using an Aunt Martha pattern of different types of coffees.

I am going...grocery shopping later....thinking about getting some corned beef, cabbage for St. Paddys day....I was emailed a recipe for it from Pillsbury using the crock pot...and there is a recipe for a horseradish sauce too.

I am reading......God's word...every day.......haven't read much else lately..I've been reading Isaiah. One of my good friends sent me a book for my birthday which I will start soon.

I am hoping....we will get more payments this week....we did get some so we can pay our mortgage but need more for other bills.....

I am hearing.....Alan's computer chair squeaking...our computers are side by side...he's working on a slideshow of a moon eclipse. The house is very quiet...kinda nice.

Around the house........just finished a load of laundry which will go in the dryer....I don't have a clothes line but would like one to save energy...need to vacuum too. We all helped clean out the garage yesterday...what a difference! now I can use the tread mill.

A few plans for the rest of the week...more weeding outside, I got another 2/3 done yesterday and have another 1/3 to go...lots of weeds after the rain we had...I also need to clean out the bird bath and refill it....it had alot of sludge in the bottom so I laid it on its side. I'll get a stiff brush to scrub it out. I'd really like to get some pretty flowers to plant but probably won't right now...I'd like some more petunias like we had last year....

Here is a picture to share..
This was taken last year.....I've trimmed all our rose bushes so we should have some nice blooms later this spring and summer...the roses don't mind the heat of our summers as long as they have plenty of water.....and I dig in a handful of epsom salts about once a month or so....

well, there ya go....I joined the Simple Woman day book....

Please stop by and visit Peggy at The Simple Woman to peek into the lives of other "Simple Women" and read the guideline for creating your very own daybook.

Awesome

As this is Sunday, I thought I'd post about an email I got from my sister in law, Diana...she always seems to find the coolest things.....
this email was from a Christian doctor and I won't just post the email but give you a summary.....in the email, he explains how our bodies are wonderfully made. When I was in college biology class (flunked it the first time, had to take the class twice), I remember they talked about a substance that was like super glue that held the cells of the body together..at that time, some 40 years ago, they didn't know what it was exactly....I was a young Christian then and remembered the scripture in Colossians 1: 15-17=
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Well, time has gone on and now scientists know what the substance is, the " super glue"of the body, its a substance called Laminin, This is what holds us together literally...which in itself is interesting but what is more interesting is the shape of the substance......
This is not a Christian fantasy but the literal truth and can be found in any science/medical journal ...we are held together for the cross...God is awesome! Two thousand year before science knew this, Paul penned those words..."in him, all things are held together"......

Saturday

Greetings and salutations! I opened up our mailbox and lo! Two nice envelopes with checks, one of them is rather fat and this nice little crocheted mouse for the cats....Smoky just loves it and took off with it as soon as I put it on the floor....Bandit hasn't seen it yet, she'd rather sleep.

We also planted the fig tree in a pot and it is doing nicely. Its even started some new branches...I will take more photos as it progresses....I am amazed that you can grow a tree from a twig...

You can't see them in this photo but there are tiny little shoots coming from where the leaves are, forming branches, at least that is what it looks like. This is all experimental and its fun to follow the progress......we wanted to keep it in the house, but at this stage, the cats wouldn't leave it alone...I can't have many plants inside, unless they are up high.

Its been cool, in the 50s, but very sunny and nice....great weather for gardening, I've been doing some weeding, still have a ways to go......we have alot of plans for the yard if we can get refinanced this year but no use doing anything until we know for sure....Alan wants to build a chicken coop and get a few hens.......and more vegetable gardening of course.....our fruit trees are starting to bud heavily, especially the nectarine

it won't be too long before it will be covered with pink flowers, the apple will have white ones..I am not sure about the peach..probably pink.

You've probably all heard about the Presidents snubbing of the British prime minister? Guess he needs a copy of Emily Post.......the Brits are very upset about it..... the book has a whole chapter devoted to etiquette for heads of state.....he also needs to rein in his partying....from what I have read, he is having private parties every week, especially on Wednesdays with high end entertainers (on our dollar)..there is one group looking into it. He hasn't had much experience in many areas and it's starting to show...hopefully he can realize it and slow down a little, get some good advice and mend some international bridges.

Emily Post

I wandered over to the local thrift shop this morning and was looking through the book room...never know what you may find when I ran across this blast from the past......"Etiquette by Emily Post", circa 1937....its a big thick thing and as I leafed through the pages, saw that there was every kind of etiquette for every circumstance in a person's 1937 life, including how to be introduced to the queen or president, how to write a nice thank you note, how to set a table and also how to use the formal tableware......its fun reading...low and behold! there was a tiny yellowed newspaper clipping inside and I thought it would be fun to see if we could answer these etiquette questions...

1. When do you pick up your napkin after sitting down to dinner at your hostess' table?

2. How far should a dinner napkin be folded?

3. Is it good manners to tuck a napkin under your chin or tuck a corner of it under your belt?

4. At the end of a meal, do you wait for the hostess to put her napkin beside her plate before doing so yourself?

5. May paper napkins ever be used except at the most informal of meals?

6. What do you do if---
in a restaurant which you know nothing about--
a. Wipe your silver on your napkin or the corner of the tablecloth?
b. Don't do any " silver wiping" at the table?
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Answers

1. When your hostess has picked up hers
2. Half-way
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. B
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How did you do?
On the other side of the clipping is a sports story about how Joe Louis may be on the skids...

I will probably list this book in my Inspiration shop but think I will take the time to read through it...it also has black and white photos of table settings, etc. including this pretty garden party scene

I know I didn't get the best photo but it says "The Modern Ideal of Hospitality" friendliness rather than formality is expressed in every detail of this enchanting picture....how times have changed!

Wednesday Dog of the Week

This is little Daffy, who was found wandering the streets....notices were put out but no one has claimed her...she is a sweet Rat Terrier about 1- 2 years old...a little shy but friendly..love the ears! Don says the rescue is "full up" right now with so many out out of their homes and unable to care for their animals....its really sad and these poor innocents suffer the most, being abandoned from their families. If Daffy is the one for you and you live in the area..please visit!

If you can help a little in caring for these little ones, please visit the Sun City K-9 Dog rescue, they take Paypal and its tax deductable...every bit goes into their care, food, shelter and vet bills....the vet they have often gives them reduced charges but it still costs as each dog that comes in, gets a complete vet visit - physical, shots and either spayed or neutered. Some times dogs come in who have been hurt, and need more intensive care. (remember Snuggles?) and of course, heavy coated dogs, need grooming on a monthly basis like this pretty Pom whose name is Ford.....

Any amount is very gratefully accepted and if they could talk, they would thank you too.

Mama's Cookbook and Prayer

I've been thinking if I had anything personal about frugal cooking and such when I remembered my mom's handwritten cookbook she started back in the 1940s as a bride...

Its just a plain little blue book, worn with age but inside are quite a few recipes from the 40s, the war years when there was rationing......here is her recipe in her handwriting for a raised gingerbread..


Another interesting recipe is this one for War Cake...no milk
Many just give the ingredients so you just have to figure out how to put them together..no, I've never tried the War Cake recipe but you boil the first 7 ingredients together, then take them off the stove, let it cool a little then mix it into the dry ingredients..and bake at 350.

I can see we may have a problem later this year...our neighbor called his bank to see about refinancing and they wouldn't do it unless he was 3 months delinquent on his mortgage..said they were not refinancing anyone right now.... This just encourages people to default and makes the situation worse. I've just had to put this all in God's hands as we are sure powerless to do anything about it.....

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Oh, you do know I have another crafting blog, don't you? Not getting much traffic over there but there sure is lots of good stuff....my store news, free graphics links, free crafting link patterns, etc....so you are sure welcome to check it out at the DaniV1951 news letter

I went ahead and posted two more of this ladies videos as they look so good...I do the same thing but instead of peppers, I use summer squash or zucchini...plus shake a little Parmesan cheese on it too..you can also add some sliced fresh tomatoes....delicious and filling...I might try the bread recipe soon too...

We will get getting alot of summer squash this year as I have about 10 plants growing...I would like to have a couple of pepper plants though...Alan can't handle green peppers but tolerates the red and yellow ones...I like ortega chilies too.....
we transplanted the seedlings into the boxes, and even our old wheelbarrow...they are all doing well and growing like weeds....the weather has been very nice here, in the 80s and around 40 at night.....
I feel so sorry for the east coast and south with all the snow.