FAITHFULLY

The Perfect Valentine

2012-02-14T03:27:00.000-06:00

My husband is the most wonderful, caring, loving, devoted, sincere, handsome man I have ever known. He is not only a wonderful husband, but a loving, devoted father as well. I could never imagine a day without him - without his smile; his beautiful soft brown eyes; his strong, yet gentle hand holding mine; his warm and loving embrace. He is my best friend, my soulmate (I never really appreciated the term until I met my husband), my confidante, my lover, my other half that makes me complete.

We continue to love our way through life and hold hands as the sands of time so slowly drift downward through the hourglass. He is the Lord's perfect and infinitely wise match for me; he is the perfect valentine.

2012-02-13T14:34:00.001-06:00

I wanted to use this picture because it reminds me of my daughter, who is now 7. I have always told her that "I love you more than anything in the whole world", ever since she was born. When she was 2, she told me, "Mommy, I love you the whole world"; I thought that was the sweetest thing that I had ever heard. She is truly one of a kind, to say the least. She gives presents to Santa Claus; she donates her toys and clothes, and the latest idea she had was to give a dollar back to the tooth fairy because she deserves it. She has a lot of love in her heart for such a little girl. The Lord truly blessed us with a precious and beautiful child who has a very giving heart.

My Valentine's Day Anniversary

2012-02-13T14:21:00.002-06:00

I once thought that getting married on Valentine's Day was completely and totally cliche; until I met my husband. When you find that perfect person that is the love of your life, then Valentine's Day is the most wonderful day to get married. My husband and I were friends before we even thought about a relationship. We knew everything about each other, had mostly everything in common, prayed about finding the person the Lord wanted us to be with and were always there for each other to talk about anything and everything. We wanted to spend each and every moment we could together and still do. We are celebrating our 9 year anniversary tomorrow and we have never had a spat. We have never raised our voices to one another, ever. We still hold hands while sitting on the sofa watching the television, or walking in the park, or shopping in the grocery store. I suppose you could say we are kind of sappy in that regard. We actually like being sappy and hope to be for years to come. Picture the elderly couple walking hand-in-hand slowly along the sidewalk and that will definitely be us in a few decades. I can honestly say that I prayed for many, many years to find the right man and in the Lord's perfect timing, we met. We were married on Valentine's Day in 2003 and were baptized together two days later. What a fitting beginning to a marriage; a Christ-centered marriage.

Out of the Past

2012-01-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

Recently, I decided to research our family history. I had quite a bit of information on my mom's side, so I decided to go for it and see what I could find. I was really surprised! Not only did I find history on almost all sides of my family back to the 1700's; I also found records on some of my family that go back to the 700's. We are (oddly enough) related to French, British and Scottish royalty. Who forgot to mention that?!

There are many good online resources that can help you piece together the past so that you can leave a legacy for the future. I'm going to go ahead and list the sites for you so you can start your own research. Be aware of the sites out there that offer you free birth records, free census records, etc. - when (and if) they tell you they have found a possible match, when you click on it they will ask you to sign up for their service. Some of the sites will give you a 3 day or 7 day trial (you have to give a credit card number for the free trials) and I have found that a lot of these don't have records that are that good anyway. I went to ancestry.com and even though they want you to either sign up for a 14 day free trial or subscribe, they have the best, most comprehensive information. I used them almost exclusively and found out more than I ever thought I could. Even if you don't know a birth year, you can put abt. 1900 (for example) and it will show all the closest matches for the information given. You can also look in old newspaper announcements (birth and death), county records, military records, passenger lists on ships with the name, date and location, etc.

Here's your first step to successful fact finding:

Ancestry.com - What I really like about this site is that you can print out your family tree by sections. A 14 day free trial is all you need to get a wealth of information all in one place.

Family Search.org - They have billions of names across hundreds of collections.

Family Search Research Helps - Just like the name implies.

International Genealogical Index - You can research family from Europe, the UK, etc.

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors - They have a lot of great information here.

Immigrant Ship Transcribers Guild - If you know the name of the ship your family sailed on, this can give you even more information.

Roots Web.com - They give you search engines, databases, websites, research tools and more.

Norway Digital Archives - If you have family from Norway (and go figure, part of my family is from Norway), this is a good place to start.

Native American-Indian Genealogy - This gives listings of all the tribes and also the regions.

Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites - She lists dozens of sites for you to investigate; not all of them are free to research, however, so read carefully.

Christmas Quotes

2011-12-23T18:29:00.000-06:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

Burton Hillis

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!

Author Unknown

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.

W.T. Ellis

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself...
Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas," 1976

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. Harlan Miller

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.

Janice Maeditere

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.

Author Unknown

Tradition: sit with husband in a room lit only by tree lights and remember that our blessings outnumber the lights. Happy Christmas to all.

Betsy Cañas Garmon

Great little One! whose all-embracing birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to Earth.
Richard Crashaw

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.

Eric Sevareid

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.

Bob Hope

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
Ada V. Hendricks

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

Agnes M. Pahro

Christmas Recipe

2011-12-23T17:59:00.000-06:00

We always think of Christmas recipes as entrees, sides, desserts and breads; make way for a recipe that is perfect for Christmas morning. If you want it to be extra special, use a cinnamon vanilla maple syrup (it is truly delicious).

French Toast Casserole with Nutty Praline Topping

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Nutty Praline Topping (recipe follows)
Maple Syrup (or your syrup of choice)

Directions

Slice french bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch pan in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, whole milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat until blended, but do not over beat until mixture is too frothy . Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon a little of the mixture between the slices. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Nutty Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until slightly puffed up and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Nutty Praline Topping

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.

More Christmas Song Lyrics

2011-12-23T16:45:00.000-06:00

These are some Christmas songs that are popular and some that you may not have heard of before. Hopefully these will come in handy for you (and maybe even impress your friends). Enjoy!

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

Every body stops
and stares at me
These two teeth are
gone as you can see
I don't know just who
to blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve
is as plain as it can be!

All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth!

Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could be with you
"Merry Christmas."
It seems so long since I could say,
"Sister Susie sitting on a thistle!"

Gosh oh gee, how happy I'd be,
if I could only whistle (thhhh)

All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth.
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas!"

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains. Gloria...

Chorus:
Gloria, In Excelsius Deo

Shepherd why this jubilee,
Why your joyous strains prolong
What the gladsome tidings be,
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see,
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord the newborn king.

See him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

With the popularity of the movie Polar Express, I'm sure there are many of you who love this song as I do and need a little help with these lyrics.

Believe (Polar Express)

Children, sleeping.
Snow is softly falling.
Dreams are calling,
Like bells in the distance.
We were dreamers,
Not so long ago.
But one by one, we
All had to grow up.

When it seems the magic slipped away...
We find it all again on Christmas Day.

Believe in what your heart is saying,
Hear the melody that's playing.
There's no time to waste,
There so much to celebrate.
Believe in what you feel inside,
Give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need, if you just believe.

Trains move quickly
To their journey's end.
Destinations...
Are where we begin again.
Ships go sailing,
Far across the sea.
Trusting starlight,
To get where they need to be.

When it seems that we have lost our way...
We find ourselves again on Christmas Day.

Believe in what your heart is saying,
Hear the melody that's playing
There's no time to waste,
There so much to celebrate.
Believe in what you feel inside,
And give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need, if you just Believe.

If you just believe.
If you just believe.
If you just believe...just believe...just believe.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

When I was a seeker
I sought both night and day,
I asked the Lord to help me,
And he showed me the say.

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Our Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon a city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the leat of all.

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Our Jesus Christ is born.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Let your heart be light,
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore,
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow,
Hang a shining star
On the highest bough,
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now.

Holly Jolly Christmas

Have a holly, jolly Christmas;
It's the best time of the year
I don't know if there'll be snow
but have a cup of cheer
Have a holly, jolly Christmas;
And when you walk down the street
Say Hello to friends you know
and everyone you meet.

Oh Ho the mistletoe
hung where you can see;
Somebody waits for you;
Kiss her once for me
Have a holly jolly Christmas
and in case you didn't hear
Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet the words repeat,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had roll'd along th' unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bow'd my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

'Til ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

I Saw Three Ships

I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
The virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice amain,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
Then let us all rejoice amain,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
Toys in ev'ry store,
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door.

A pair of hopalong boots and a pistol that shoots
Is the wish of Barney and Ben;
Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk
Is the hope of Janice and Jen;
And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well,
The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;
Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell
jingle bell
jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air

What a bright time
it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse
pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That's the jingle bell

That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell rock

Mary Did You Know

By: Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

Mr. Grinch

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel,
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch,
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,
Your heart's an empty hole,
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch,
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,
You have termites in your smile,
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch,
Given a choice between the two of you I'd take the seasick crocodile!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,
You're a nasty wasty skunk,
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch,
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch,
You're the king of sinful sots,
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch,
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful
assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch,
With a nauseous super "naus"!,
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch,
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!

Oh Christmas Tree

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How are thy leaves so verdant!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How are thy leaves so verdant!

Not only in the summertime,
But even in winter is thy prime.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How are thy leaves so verdant!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!

For every year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!

Each bough doth hold its tiny light,
That makes each toy to sparkle bright.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!

Sleigh Ride

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling "You Hoo"
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap let's go
Let's look at the snow
We're riding in a wonderland of snow
Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap it's grand
Just holding your hand
We're gliding along with the song
Of a wintry fairy land

Our cheeks are nice and rosy
And comfy cozy are we
We're snuggled up together like two
Birds of a feather would be
Let's take the road before us
And sing a Chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

There's a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray
It'll be the perfect ending of a perfect day
We'll be singing the songs we love to sing without a single stop
At the fireplace while we watch the chestnuts pop
Pop! Pop! Pop!

There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy
When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie
It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives

These wonderful things are the things
We remember all through our lives

The Chipmunk Song

(all right you Chipmunks!
Ready to sing your song?
-I'll say we are!
-Yeah!
-Let's sing it now!
Okay, Simon?
-Okay!
Okay, Theodore?
-Okay!
Okay, Alvin? Alvin? ALVIN!
-OKAY!!!)

Christmas, Christmas time is near
Time for toys and time for cheer
We've been good, but we can't last
Hurry Christmas, hurry fast
Want a plane that loops the loop
Me, I want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late.

(Okay fellas get ready.
That was very good, Simon.
-Naturally.
Very good Theodore.
-Ahhh.
Ah, Alvin, you were a little flat, watch it.
Ah, Alvin. Alvin. ALVIN!
-OKAY.)

Want a plane that loops the loop
I still want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late.
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late.

(Very good, boys
-Lets sing it again! Yeah, lets sing it again!
No, That's enough, lets not overdo it
-What do you mean overdo it?
-We want to sing it again!
Now wait a minute, boys
-Why can't we sing it again?
-[chipmunk chatter]
Alvin, cut that out..Theodore, just a minute.
Simon will you cut that out? Boys...)

Heat Miser Song

I'm Mister Green Christmas
I'm Mister Sun
I'm Mister Heat Blister
I'm Mister Hundred and One
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
I'm too much!

[Chorus]
He's Mister Green Christmas
He's Mister Sun
He's Mister Heat Blister
He's Mister Hundred and One

[Heat Miser]
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch

[Chorus]
He's too much!

[Heat Miser]
Thank you!
I never want to see a day
That's under sixty degrees
I'd rather have it eighty,
Ninety, one hundred degrees!

(spoken)
Oh, some like it hot, but I like it
REALLY hot! Hee hee!

[Chorus]
He's Mister Green Christmas
He's Mister Sun

[Heat Miser]
Sing it!

[Chorus]
He's Mister Heat Blister
He's Mister Hundred and One

[Heat Miser]
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
I'm too much!

[Everybody]
Too Much!

Snow Miser Song

[Snow Miser]
I'm Mister White Christmas
I'm Mister Snow
I'm Mister Icicle
I'm Mister Ten Below
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch
I'm too much!

[Chorus]
He's Mister White Christmas
He's Mister Snow

[Snow Miser]
That's right!

[Chorus]
He's Mister Icicle
He's Mister Ten Below

[Snow Miser]
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch

[Chorus]
He's too much!

[Snow Miser]
I never want to see a day
That's over forty degrees
I'd rather have it thirty,
Twenty, ten, five and let it freeeeEEEEEEeeze!

[Chorus]
He's Mister White Christmas
He's Mister Snow

[Snow Miser]
That's right!

[Chorus]
He's Mister Icicle
He's Mister Ten Below

[Snow Miser]
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch
... too much.

[Everybody]
Too Much!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.
2nd Two turtle doves
3rd Three French hens
4th Four calling birds
5th Five golden rings
6th Six geese a-laying
7th Seven swans a-swimming
8th Eight maids a-milking
9th Nine ladies dancing
10th Ten lords a-leaping
11th Eleven pipers piping
12th Twelve drummers drumming.

We Three Kings

We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, morr and mountain,
Following yonder Star.

Chorus

O, star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.

Born a babe on Bethlehem's plain;
Gold we bring to crown Him again;
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Chorus

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God on High.

Chorus

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Seal'd in the stone-cold tomb.

Chorus

Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Heaven sings, "Hallelujah!"
Hallejujah!" Earth replies.

Chorus

Christmas Song Lyrics

2011-12-15T08:22:00.003-06:00

I love listening to (and singing) Christmas carols. Some of the songs I know by heart and some of them I need a little refresher course on. Today is your lucky day! I have compiled the lyrics of many of the Christmas carols that we love; no more singing "apples, oranges and bananas in the refrigerator" (an old choir trick when you can't remember the lyrics to a song). I hope that these will be useful for you and yours.

Sherri

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN

Frosty the Snowman
Was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal

Frosty the Snowman
Is a fairytale they say
He was made of snow
But the children know
How he came to life one day

There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around

Frosty the Snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say
He could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me

Frosty the Snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said let's run
And we'll have some fun
Now before I melt away

Down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all around the square
Saying catch me if you can

He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler stop

Frosty the Snowman
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye
Saying don't you cry
I'll be back again some day

Thumpety thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpety thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow

JOY TO THE WORLD

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessing flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.

HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING

Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lay His glory by
Born that man no more may die

Come Desire of Nations come,
Fix in us thy humble home.
Rise, the woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Adam's likeness now efface
Stamp thine image in its place.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders, wonders of His love.

THE CHRISTMAS SONG

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
For kids from one to ninety two
Although its been said many times many ways
Merry Christmas to you.

AWAY IN A MANGER

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER

Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolf
play in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolf with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee:
"Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history!"

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite."

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the the sea,
With a voice as big as the the sea."

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
"Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold--
Let us bring him silver and gold,
Let us bring him silver and gold."

Said the king to the people everywhere,
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light."

GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN

God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came;
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tiding of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.

"Fear not, then," said the angel,
"Let nothing you affright;
This day is born a Savior
Of a pure virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in him
From Satan's power and might."

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas
Doth bring redeeming grace.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Oh, there’s no place like
home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine
Of a friendly face
For the holidays, you can’t beat
Home, sweet home.

I met a man who lives in Tennessee
And he was headin’ for Pennsylvania
And some home made pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania folks a travelin’ down
To Dixie’s sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific, gee
The traffic is terrific.

Oh there's no place like home
For the holidays, ‘cause no matter
How far away you roam
If you want
To be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can’t beat
Home, sweet home.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

Oh! You better watch out,
you better not cry,
you better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!

He's making a list,
He's checking it twice,
gonna find out who's naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He sees you when you're sleeping,
he knows when you're awake.
He knows when you've been bad or good,
so be good for goodness sake!

So...You better watch out, You better not cry
You better not pout, I'm Telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little tin horns, little toy drums.
Rudy-toot-toot and rummy tum tums.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

Little toy dolls that cuddle and coo,
Elephants, boats and Kiddie cars too.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

The kids in Girl and boy land
will have a jubilee.
They're gonna build a toy land town
all around the Christmas tree.

Ohh....You better watch out, you better not cry.
You better not pout, I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

P.S. I will add more song lyrics over the next few days

Murphy's Law - AGAIN!

2011-11-26T03:58:00.001-06:00

I'm glad I have a really good sense of humor and can often find comic relief in some situations. On Monday the 21st, I went to my doctor for my post-op check; it went really well. I am healing just as I should be and my doctor's assistant said that she hasn't seen me smile so much in months. I felt so much better and was happy to hear that everything is healing even better than the doctor expected.

My husband wanted to take us out to eat after the doctor's appointment and we went to a chinese restaurant for the lunch buffet. Our daughter wanted to go to the one that we used to go to when I was pregnant with her; so we went to that restaurant (not our usual). Later that night, my husband started vomiting and had really bad diahrrea; I had a little vomiting, but nothing substantial. Our daughter seemed unaffected, which I was really thankful for. On Tuesday afternoon, I could not stop vomiting and had really bad stomach pain; by this time, our daughter was also starting to show signs of being sick. Needless to say, we all were very sick and could not get out of bed for a few days. My husband missed 3 days of work and just started feeling better last night; our daughter is feeling much better (2 years of nursing does a lot for the child's immune system) and I am still feeling a little bit nauseous. With the surgery and being anemic, it may take a couple of days before I feel back to normal.

A WORD OF ADVICE - before going to a restaurant (doesn't matter if you have been there several times or if it is a popular restaurant), CHECK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SCORE. The restaurant we went to has 4 locations in the city and every single location has had numerous demerits with problems ranging from meat being kept at an unsafe temperature to toxic substances being improperly labeled. This was really an eye opener for us; learn from our mistake and do your homework - it may save you from getting sick.

Oh, by the way - being that we were sick this week, we didn't get to have our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. We were all really looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving. I love to cook and entertain (the more people, the better). We will just have to wait a few days and have our Thanksgiving feast then. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving; it is such a great time for family and sharing our blessings. Take care everyone and may you be richly blessed this holiday season.

Faithfully,

Sherri

Recipe Fun

2011-11-22T00:07:00.000-06:00

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,

crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

On the Mend

2011-11-21T23:19:00.001-06:00

The surgery went really well and they not only repaired the cystocele (bladder prolapse), and the enterocele (small bowel prolapse), but also found a lot of adhesions (scar tissue) that they freed up. This was by far the hardest surgery I have gone through to date. They had to open me up, which was necessary because of the amount of surgery that was required, but the healing time is 6 to 8 weeks.

The hardest part is being apart from my husband and daughter; although they did come out every day. I felt bad for my husband on my second day there, because my oxygen saturation was low and they had oxygen hooked up to me; he looked like his heart sank because he came in while I was talking to one of my doctors and didn't know what was going on.

Usually after surgery, they give you medication that is really strong and makes you want to sleep most of the time; not this time. They couldn't find anything that really helped the pain. My doctor had the anesthesiologist come in and they did an epidural (which I had when I was in labor with my daughter, and they are wonderful), unfortunately, the doctor had spinal fluid coming out a little bit and that causes what they call a "spinal headache". Believe me, you do not every want this type of headache, it is really horrible. They lay you flat, which helps a little, but you have to have a "blood patch" done. They take blood from your arm and inject the blood into the back injection site. After a few hours, you can tell a little difference.

It was rocky at first, but I feel so much better now and everyone is telling me how good I look. My husband said that it was the first time he had seen me smile without pain for a very long time. It will take a few weeks, but I should be almost as good as new. I am very thankful to the Lord for bringing me through this and helping me to get back to my old self' it has been a long time. Never take your health for granted, it can slip away very quickly sometimes.

I still have fibromyalgia and arthritis, but at least most of the abdominal and pelvic issues are addressed and healing. I am anxious to be able to be more active and not have so much pain dragging me down and making me feel horrible all the time. I might not be able to run, but I am going to give it my best effort to walk with a little more pep in my step, so-to-speak.

Thank you so much for your prayers; they help more than you could ever know. The power of prayer is a wonderful thing; I have been through a lot in my life and the Lord has always been there for me. I tell my daughter that God always hears our prayers; but sometimes the answer may be "no" or "wait". She also knows that He gives me the strength to deal with pain and whatever else comes my way. She is a very faithful little girl and prays for others and their needs. I am thankful for such a faithful family who loves each other and helps each other.

May God richly bless each of you and yours,

Sherri

Educational Sites

2011-10-28T23:27:00.000-05:00

Finally, the educational sites I promised you. I hope these will be as beneficial for you as they were for me. I have some sites listed that have resources for special needs children (I will add more as I find them) and even threw in School House Rock (remember that one). Happy Learning!

TLS Books.com
Worksheet Universe
Homeschool.com
Library of Congress
The Internet Public Library
ABC for Kids
Biology for Kids
Fun Science Resources for Kids
The Magic School Bus
Natural History Museum
Kids Click
The Online Books Page
Starfall.com Learn to Read
Positive Support for Special Challenges
Community Learning Network
The Idea Box.com
School House Rock Video & Lyrics

Here We Go Again

2011-10-15T05:49:00.001-05:00

I had an appointment with my Gynecologist because of a suspected Enterocele (prolapse of the small bowel). After having the examination, she ordered a defectography (don't ask) and found that there is an enterocele and also a cystocele (prolapse of the bladder). I am going to have surgery again on October 31st to correct these problems. Unfortunately, they are going to have to do a laparotomy (making an incision and opening my up) because of the organs involved; it would be dangerous to do it through a scope as it would risk perforating the bladder, a ureter or other things. This should hopefully help some of the abdominal and pelvic pain that is so excruciating. It will take about 6-8 weeks to heal, so my mother will be helping out with some things for a while. I will not be posting for a few weeks following surgery, so I will try and do as much as I can beforehand. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. God Bless you and yours.

Sherri

Heartfelt Thanks

2011-10-02T21:54:00.001-05:00

For all of you who have sent me e-mails or left comments as to how much you like the site, I want to thank you and let you know that you have really touched my heart. I appreciate each and every one of you more than you will ever know and you give me affirmation that all I have done and will continue to do on this site has been for a reason. I won't be posting every day, but I will do what I can to find interesting things for you. I am homeschooling my daughter and that takes a lot of time and planning; it's all worth it, though, because she is in first grade and doing second grade work.I have come across many different educational sites lately that are good to help with math, spelling, reading and so much more. I will get all these organized and have them ready for you in the next few days. Take care and bless you all.

Sherri

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2011-10-02T21:03:00.001-05:00

Plastic Container Odors - We all know what happens when we store something that has a strong smell in a
plastic container. The smell is really hard to get out and if it is somewhat greasy, it's even worse. I have found a solution that helps. Put plastic wrap or foil in the plastic container and put your food inside that. There is no stain (like from spaghetti sauce) or greasy feel, or strong odor; problem solved.

Hiccups - This is one that people always ask me about and I try to post it more often than the others; a cure for hiccups. Hiccups are caused by gas being trapped in the diaphragm. The best cure for them, is to drink something carbonated. Once you burp, your hiccups are gone. It's so easy, you wonder why more people don't know how to really get rid of them.

Trash Odors - There are some things that you just can't do too much about; but, you can help minimize them. Before you throw away food cans, run water inside them and swish around a little to get the last remaining bit out. This is something that I have done for a long time now and it really helps keep the smell to a minimum.

Extra Freezer Space - Sometimes we get refrigerator/freezers that have great shelving and you have more space than you know what to do with. For those units that are lacking, here is a little hint that I use myself. Buy one or two of the wire shelves that are coated and have the little rubber feet. You can use a smaller shelf or a larger one depending on your needs. They have worked out really well and make the most of my freezer space.

Flower Arrangements - Instead of using the styrofoam cones for flower vases, you can use small gravel that is designed for fish tanks. The gravel holds the arrangement in place perfectly and there are many different colors to choose from. I have a rose colored vase that has white gravel in it and it looks really beautiful.

Peppermint Tea - If you like peppermint tea like I do, here is a simple way to make it without paying a fortune. Make whatever type of tea you like (have it really hot) and put in 1-2 small round peppermint candies in a large mug of hot tea. You will need to add a little sugar if you like it sweet and give it a good stir to melt the peppermint. I made this so often one year that I had bronchitis, and it was very soothing. The peppermint oil in the candy just seems to open up the sinuses and soothe the throat as well.

Super Surveys

2011-09-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

I have come across several survey companies that are just fantastic. You can get checks, debit cards (Visa, etc.), and a lot more. If you want to make a little extra money or get free products to try, then check these out.

American Consumer Opinion Panel: They don't send surveys every day like some, but their surveys pay between $4.00 and $8.00 each. On occasion, you might get a focus group survey or product trial that pays much more. You can get a check or get paid through Pay Pal.

Clear Voice Surveys: They send surveys several times a week and when your earnings reach $10.00, you can cash out. You can request a check, amazon.com gift codes, magazine subscriptions from e-magazine and dining dough restaurant gift certificates. Their surveys generally pay about $2.00 to $20.00 (rare). If you don't qualify for the survey, they will give you a small reward of $.10.

Global Test Market: I have done so many surveys from them, and they send surveys daily, so you have many opportunities there. They have a point system and surveys range from 15 points to 100 points. When you reach 1000 points($50.00), you can cash out. They will send you a check, but it takes a very long time (usually about 2 months or so).

Harris Poll Online: They don't send a lot of surveys, but they have good surveys. Once again, they use a point system. Most of the surveys range from 40 to 100 points. When you reach 1000 points, you can redeem for gift cards, merchandise, etc.

Ipsos I-Say: They average sending you surveys every 2-3 days. They are on a points system and their surveys average 40 to 90 points per survey. You can redeem your points when you reach 1000 points. Their rewards are American Express gift cards, amazon.com gift codes, and also a check. They have a poll predictor also where you answer their polling question by guessing the percentage and the closer you are to the right percentage, the higher the points that you can use toward a drawing for numerous rewards.

Mindfield Online: You get surveys several times a week and they range from $1.00 to $20.00 (rare but there). You can cash out at $5.00 and you have several ways to get your money. you can request a check, get an amazon.com gift code, have the money put into your Pay Pal, etc.

My Survey.com: They merged with Lightspeed panel and are a great survey company. You can redeem your points for cash, e-certificates, debit cards and so much more.You can even donate to charity. When you reach 1100 points, you can get $10.00 added to your Pay Pal account.

Opinion Outpost: This is my very favorite survey company and more than likely, you will love them too. They go by points and each point is $0.10; their surveys usually range between 20 points and 100 points. You can cash out with as little as $5.00. There are many ways that you can get compensated; you can request a check, get an amazon gift code, they have gift cards from Restaurants.com, you can get a game ID code from Alawar Games or get a Citi Visa. Your Visa can remain a virtual card (You have no fees with this one),or you can request plastic (with these, you might have a fee upon paying and you have a fee if you use an ATM).

I really hope this helps some of you. They have really helped me.

Happy hunting,

Sherri

It's Been a While

2011-09-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

After many tests, surgeries, etc. they have found that I have fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis (IC) and chronic fatigue syndrome. It has been really hard the last few years with all that has been going on. I have pain everywhere (not an exaggeration). I am on two different pain medications and also Lyrica, which is made specifically for fibromyalgia. On occasion, getting more and more frequent, I have had to walk with a cane because of the pain and I do get a little unsteady at times.

I am so thankful that the Lord has brought me through this and helped me have the strength I need to get through this. So many people ask "why me?", but I say "why not me". I would not wish this off on my worst enemy (if I had one), it is a terrible thing. Sometimes things happen that we don't understand; I have sometimes seen several years later why a certain series of events happened. The Lord always has a purpose, even though we don't often know why.

I will continue to post and keep up on Faithfully. It has been a long time and I know some of you have wondered what happened; so, I decided to get up to date. I will continue to post recipes, helpful hints, etc. Be patient with me, as I won't be able to post everyday. I will keep up as much as I can and even add a few new things. Thank you so much for being faithful.

In His Love,

Sherri

2007-08-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

I am still having problems with the bladder and will be having numerous tests done to determine what is wrong. I have, however, in my recovery time, been able to sew, write, and numerous other enjoyable hobbies that I never had time for.

I will not be posting anything new from here on. I have enjoyed it, but it has become too time consuming with all the content. The site will stay posted as is so that you may go through the archives and browse around.

Thanks to all of you who sent in comments, recipes, prayer requests, etc. I appreciated the feedback and concern for those who needed prayer.

May The Lord richly bless you and yours in all that you do.

In His Love,

Sherri

2007-07-23T10:31:00.000-05:00

I had a very lengthy surgery (3 hours) and they had a lot of work to do. The bowel had become looped around the thin fat layer in the abdomen and was basically herniated. There were a lot of adhesions that they were able to remove and they were able to do the surgery through a scope, rather than open me up.

They did find some white spots in the abdominal region that they took a biopsy of (they called in a gynecologist and they appear to be endometriosis), we will have the results of the biopsy early in the week on the 24th at least.

I had to stay in the hospital longer than I expected due to my bladder not wanting to function correctly (there is urine retention and a lot of pain). I had to come home with a catheter and will have a fill and void test on the 26th to hopefully find out what is going on. This is the initial diagnostic test, if it isn't conclusive, I will have to undergo more tests to determine what is wrong.

I still have quite a bit of pain from the surgery, but my worst problem right now, is the bladder. I hope everything will be back to normal very soon. The Lord is faithful and true and has brought me through a lot. There is nothing that He cannot do and I have faith that everything will be fine. We go through periods of difficulty in our lives and although they are sometimes challenging, they make us stronger. I could spend hours telling you how the Lord has blessed us, watched over us, healed us and strengthened us.

I will give you updates as I am able (it is very difficult to sit down to post even this much) and hopefully within three weeks or so, I will be able to resume posting the site in its entirety.

God bless you and yours,

Sherri

2007-07-17T06:05:00.000-05:00

Well, today is the day. I have my surgery at 2:30 this afternoon, so hopefully, the doctor can take care of all these nasty adhesions (scar tissue) that are tying things together.

I don't really know how long the recovery will be. The doctor wants to try a less invasive procedure first and if things are too bad, then he will have to "open me up". I'm hoping for the less invasive procedure, there is less pain and less recovery time. If I end up having to have the other surgery, I will not only be in the hospital for a few days, but will have a few weeks recovery time at home.

I have tried to put a little extra content in today, as I don't know when I will be able to resume my daily postings. Please check back often and peruse the archives; there is a lot of content that you might enjoy reading.

Thank you all for your prayers and continued support through this, I really appreciate it. Take care and God bless you.

Sherri

Computer Virus Humor

2007-07-17T05:48:00.000-05:00

AIRLINE LUGGAGE VIRUS - You're in Dallas, but your data is in Singapore.

AL GORE VIRUS - Claims that it is the Internet. Causes your computer to just keep counting and re-counting.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER VIRUS v 1.0 - It terminates and stays resident. It'll be back!

COUCH POTATO VIRUS - Just sits there, eating chips all day.

DISNEY VIRUS - Everything in the computer goes Goofy.

ELLEN DEGENERES VIRUS v 1.0 - Your IBM suddenly claims it's a MAC.

HEALTH CARE VIRUS - Tests your system for a day, finds nothing wrong, and sends you a bill for $4,500.

MARTHA STEWART VIRUS - Takes all your files, sorts them by category and folds them into cute little doilies to be displayed on your desktop.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN (NOW) VIRUS - Forces your PC to recognize its female connections as male connections.

NIKE VIRUS - Just does it.

POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS v 1.0 - Never calls itself a "virus," but instead refers to itself as an "electronic microorganism."

QUANTUM LIAP VIRUS - One day your PC is a laptop, the next day it is a Macintosh, then a Nintendo.

SHARON STONE VIRUS - Makes a huge initial impact, then you forget it's there.

STAR TREK VIRUS - Invades your system in places where no virus has gone before.

TIM ALLEN VIRUS - Appears helpful, only to destroy your hard drive upon contact.

TOBACCO INDUSTRY VIRUS - It contends that there is no reliable scientific evidence that viruses can harm you computer or that it targets adolescent computer users.

X-FILES VIRUS - All your icons start shape-shifting.

Listed below are some older, lessor known viruses that still pose a threat:

DAN QUAYLE VIRUS v 1.0 - Thers sumthin rong wit yur kompueter, butt ewe jsut cant figyour out watt.

LEONA HELMSLEY VIRUS - Deletes files smaller than it is.

ROSS PEROT VIRUS v 1.0 - Runs for awhile, leaves the system, then re-appears, but with less effect.

ROSS PEROT VIRUS v 2.0 - Activates every component in your system, just before the whole thing quits.

ROSS PEROT VIRUS v 3.0 - After several years, the damage caused by this little virus is still unclear. It often displays impressive graphics which have little relevance to the users interests or needs.

WATERGATE VIRUS - Erases 18 minutes off your tape backup.

WILLIAM KENNEDY SMITH VIRUS - It strips your files, manipulates your data
and denies anything ever happened; and gets away with it

Courtesy of Bored.com Humor Site

Sherri's Poetry

2007-07-17T04:59:00.000-05:00

The Lord is there for us at every moment. He is there to rejoice with us in our good times and He is there to comfort us during our stressful times. He is always faithful and true; just trust Him.

Trust Him

There are many people who have no future;
They put their faith in what money can buy.
Success is measured by their many possessions;
The life they live is a tragic lie.

Christian parents were not there to influence them.
No one taught them of Your love.
When everything goes wrong, they have nowhere to turn;
Their problems they cannot rise above.

If only someone could teach them to pray;
To ask for Your forgiveness and love,
They would call upon Your name in their time of crisis,
Praying to their Father above.

Your love is the most precious gift that we have;
We could never ask for anything more.
It is unconditional and will be forever true.
There will be many rich blessings in store.

Interesting Signs Found

2007-07-17T04:55:00.000-05:00

On a Scientist's door: Gone Fission

On a Tennessee highway: Take notice: when this sign is under water, this road is impassable.

On an established New Mexico dry cleaning store: Thirty-eight years on the same spot.

On an United Airlines emergency exit row instruction card: If you cannot read this card...

On another Butcher's window: Pleased to meat you.

On the door of a Computer Store: Out for a quick byte.

On the door of a Music Library: Bach in a min-u-et.

On the grounds of a private school in Connecticut: No trespassing without permission.

On the menu of a New Orleans restaurant: Blackened bluefish

On the wall of a Baltimore estate: Trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. - Sisters of Mercy

Outside a country shop in West Virginia: We buy junk and sell antiques.

Outside a disco: Smarts is the most exclusive disco in town. Everyone welcome.

Outside a farm: Horse manure, pre-packed bags, $10. Or, do-it-yourself, $1.

Outside a Hotel: Help! We need inn-experienced people.

Outside a muffler shop: No appointment necessary. We heard you coming.

Outside a photographer’s studio: Out to lunch; if not back by five, out for dinner.

Outside a second-hand store: We exchange anything - bicycles, washing machines etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain.

Quicksand warning: Quicksand. Any person passing this point will be drowned. By order of the District Council.

Seen during a conference: For anyone who has children and doesn't know it, there is a day care on the first floor.

Sign at the psychic's Hotline: Don't call us, we'll call you.

This was seen on a car being towed by a large motor home: I go where I'm towed to.

On a roller coaster: Watch your head.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-17T04:53:00.002-05:00

Gardening Tips

Making Compost

A compost pile can be started in sun or shade at any time of the year. Good ingredients include leaves, hay, grass clippings, tree trimmings, food scraps, bark, sawdust, rice hulls, weeds, nut hulls and animal manure. Mix the ingredients together in a container of wood, hay bales, hog wire, concrete blocks or simply pile the material on the ground. The best mixture is 75-80% vegetative matter and 20-25% animal waste, although any mix will compost. The ingredients should be a mix of coarse and fine-textured material. Avoid having all the pieces of material the same size since the variety of sizes will help air to move through the pile. Oxygen is a critical ingredient. Turn the pile at least once a month; more often speeds up the process. Keep the pile moist, roughly the moisture of a squeezed-out sponge, to help the living microorganisms thrive and work their magic. Compost is ready to use when the ingredients are no longer identifiable. The color will be dark brown, the texture soft and crumbly and the aroma that of a forest floor. Use compost in all bed preparation and as a high quality mulch around annuals and perennials.

Mulch

The best mulch for any site anywhere is recycles plant material (leaves, twigs, spent plants, buds, bark, flowers and other plant debris) that grew on your property. That's the natural way it is done in the forest and on the prairie. The second best choice is purchased shredded native cedar. Third in line is shredded hardwood bark. Then there is a group in the middle that includes cypress which is not high on my list because it does break down well. We want the mulch to break down. That's what creates the true natural food for feeding microbes and plant roots. Pine needles make a good mulch but look a little out of place when use on property where no pines are growing. Lava gravel makes a good mulch and has the extra benefit of keeping squirrels and cats out. Looking more harsh than organic mulches and not breaking down into humus are the negative points. I'm not at all a fan of shredded rubber products, dyed wood or pine bark. It's interesting that the most popular mulch material, pine bark, is not very
good. First, it won't stay in place - washes and blows away. What does stay breaks down into a mucky material that does help plant growth.

Nature doesn't allow bare soil and neither should we. For shrubs, trees and ground covers use at least 1" of compost and 3" of shredded native tree trimmings or shredded hardwood bark. Mulch vegetable gardens with 8" of partially completed compost or alfalfa hay. Mulch preserves moisture, eliminates weeds and keeps the soil surface cooler which benefits earthworms, microorganisms and plant roots.

Mosquito Control Recommendations

Mosquitoes can be controlled and it doesn't have to be dangerous. The effective and non-toxic site management program for mosquito control that I recommend is as follows:

1. Empty standing water where possible. Even small containers such as pot saucers, old tires, soda bottles and cans hold enough water for mosquito breeding.

2. Treat water that cannot be emptied with gambusia fish or (Bti - Bacillus thuringiensis ‘Israelensis’) products such as Bactimos Briquettes or Mosquito Dunks.

3. Homeowners can spray to kill adult mosquitoes with plant oil pesticides such as Bioganics and Eco-EXEMPT. Garlic sprays work well to repel the insects for up to 30 days. Even better, broadcast dry minced garlic to the site at 2 - 5 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. Dr. T’s Mosquito Repellent is another good dry product.

4. Use organic landscape management to encourage birds, bats, fish, dragonflies and other beneficial insects.

5. Use skin repellents that contain natural repellent herbs such as aloe vera, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, lavender, vanilla, citronella and other helpful herbs. The Center for Disease Control now recommends lemon eucalyptus. DEET products should not be used, especially on children – as is stated on the label.

Nature's Weed Controls

A tip for gardeners especially in the orchard is to grow fescue and rye. Grow one crop only and kill it back with the vinegar herbicide mix. These cool season grasses give off their own allelopathic “herbicides” without hurting the crops. Michigan State has worked with rotations of ryegrass and sorghum for weed control in the vegetable g garden. Vinegar herbicide again is used to kill it down before the vegetable planting. Rye helps greatly with early season ragweed and common lambsquarters.

Courtesy of The Dirt Doctor

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-17T04:53:00.001-05:00

What is said in the passage [James 2:14 ff.] is like a two coupon train or bus ticket. One coupon says, "Not good if detached" and the other says, "Not good for passage". Works are not good for passage; but faith detached from works is not saving faith.

...Charles C. Ryrie

RECIPE of the Day - 7/17/2007

2007-07-17T04:47:00.000-05:00

This is definitely the time of year to grill and this is a great recipe to use. It has the most wonderful pineapple flavor that is complemented by the brown sugar, soy sauce and Worcestershire. This is sure to be a hit at your next barbeque.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken

6 chicken breasts, boneless
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 ounces soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine all ingredients except chicken and stir. Poke about 5-8 sets of holes in each chicken breast. Put chicken in marinade, making sure it is covered in the mixture. Add more pineapple juice if necessary. Cover tightly, and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Grill when desired

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/17/07

2007-07-17T04:44:00.000-05:00

Adora Chocolate Calcium Supplement sample. Adora provides an opportunity to receive the much needed calcium that most women lack in their typical diet, as well as vitamins D and K. Vitamins D and K play an important role in the body's ability to absorb and utilize calcium. Adora has a unique formulation of these vitamins, along with 400 mg of elemental calcium and gourmet chocolate (that makes you forget you're taking a supplement). To get your free sample of this important and delicious supplement, click here!

Opti-Free Replenish sample. If you wear contacts, you use a lot of the disinfecting solutions (and they aren't exactly inexpensive). This is a multi-purpose disinfecting solution that is specially designed to recondition your silicone hydrogel and other soft contact lenses so that your eyes feel fresh and moist throughout the day. To get your free contact lens solution, click here!

Colbie Caillat 3-song CD. I'll admit that I wasn't familiar with her music, but when you click on the link, you can see one of her music videos. She has a country/folksy sound and isn't half bad actually. To get a free 3-song CD, click here!

Clarins One-To-One Facial. This is a printable gift certificate that entitles you to a complimentary One-To-One Facial Treatment at Clarins Skin Care Center. A free facial is definitely worth the trip. To get your gift certificate for a free facial, click here!

Folger's Gourmet Selections Coffee sample. They have 3 to choose from: Morning Cafe, Lively Colombian and Vanilla Biscotti. To get a free sample of gourmet coffee from Folger's, click here!

Backpack, Ruler/Calculator or Insulated Lunch Bag from Singulair. When you sign up for more information, they will send your choice of free gifts. Singulair is a great product for those with asthma; I know a couple of people who use it and it works quite well for them. If you or someone you know has asthma, click here!

Gold's Gym 2 week free VIP Membership. This is a printable coupon/pass. You will have access to their Pilates and Spin classes, group exercise, and the latest cardio and strength training machines. This is a great deal, they have so much to offer and 2 weeks gives you time to start getting back in shape or just maintaining. To get your free pass, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Carolee's Creations Scrapbooking Ideas book. This is a very popular pasttime now and there are so many innovative and creative things you can do with your pictures and memorabilia. To get your free idea book, click here!

Kids Against Global Warming bumper sticker and pencils. Help to raise awareness of the global warming issue with these freebies when you become a member. To get your freebies and raise awareness for an important cause, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

Sam's Club 1-Day Pass. This is an opportunity to go shopping at Sam's and get some great deals. The pass is good for 1 day only and there is a 10% fee on your purchases for non-members (you still save quite a bit, even with the charge). They have just about everything you could want in 1 store. To get your free pass to Sam's, click here!

3-D Papercraft projects to download for free. They have some very detailed beautiful papercrafts to make with your children - these are so cool. To get your free downloads and make some magnificent masterpieces, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Interesting Signs Found

2007-07-16T06:27:00.000-05:00

These signs were really posted at different businesses or other locations.

At a car dealership: The best way to get back on your feet? Miss a car payment.

At A Laundry Shop: How about we refund your money, send you a new one at no charge, close the store and have the manager shot. Would that be satisfactory?

At a pizza shop: 7 days without pizza makes one weak.

At an optometrist's office: If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place.

At the electric company: We would be delighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don't, you will be.

Billboard on the side of the road: Keep your eyes on the road and stop reading these signs.

In a farmer’s field: The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but be aware that the bull charges.

In a health food shop window: Closed due to illness.

In a Maine restaurant: Open seven days a week and weekends.

In a New York restaurant: Customers who find our waitresses rude ought to see the manager.

In a non-smoking area: If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.

In a Pennsylvania cemetery: Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves.

In the front yard of a funeral home: Drive carefully. We’ll wait.

Maternity Clothes Shop: We are open on Labor Day.

On a desk in a reception room: We shoot every 3rd salesman, and the 2nd one just left.

On a fence: Salesmen welcome. Dog food is expensive.

On a maternity room door: Push. Push. Push.

On a plumber's truck: We repair what your husband fixed.

On a repair shop door: We can repair anything. (Please knock hard — bell out of order.)

On a restaurant: Try our fish just for the halibut.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-16T06:12:00.000-05:00

Outdoor Safety for your Children

Sun

Keep a baby under a year old out of the hot summer sun altogether, if you can. Dress him or her in lightweight, light-colored clothing and, always, a hat. If you're pushing your baby in a stroller, check often to be sure sun isn't shining directly on his or her face.

Don't use a sunscreen with an SPF of 4 or more on a baby under 6 months old. Tender skin may absorb the chemical involved and be unable to eliminate it.

Do use a sunscreen with a higher SPF on a child, but be aware that anything over 15 may simply be overkill. You may find the ones that come in stick form convenient to use. If in a spray container, spray it on your hands and then apply it to children's exposed skin. Avoid putting it on children's hands as they often end up in the mouth.

Use zinc oxide if you wish. It offers complete protection for delicate areas such as nose, cheeks and shoulders. And kids love it! It even comes in bright colors today.

Use protection on overcast days too. As much as 80 percent of the sun's radiation reaches the ground, even through clouds.

Be aware that while a T-shirt will afford some protection (usually SPF 5) for back and shoulders when dry, once wet, it will only intensify the sun's rays.

Watch your child for signs of heatstroke, if you're out for a long time in hot weather. Most common symptoms are irritability, drowsiness and headache. Get the child into the shade immediately and give cool liquids - water or fruit juice, but nothing with caffeine, because it can lead to dehydration.

Plants in the Wild

Stress the importance of never tasting anything growing in the woods, not leaves, not twigs, not berries, not mushrooms.

Learn what poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac look like and show your child samples or pictures of all three. Teach the old adage, "Leaflets three, let it be", regarding poison ivy and oak and show our child the familiar sumac shrub or tree, especially recognizable in late summer and fall because of its red leaves. Explain that just touching these plants can make the skin itch and the mouth burn.

Should your child develop a rash after contact with a poisonous plant, wash the area with soap and water, apply ice or a cool, wet towel and use calamine or a similar lotion to stop the itch.

Bites and Stings

Watch your child for signs of allergic reactions, especially to bee stings. These may include severe itching, nausea, and, more rarely, breathing difficulties and swelling of the throat and tongue. Cover the sting area with a cold, wet cloth to relieve pain, and get your child to an emergency room as quickly as possible. If you know your child is allergic to the stings of bees or other insects, get a medical ID tag for him or her and carry a sting kit.

Choose any commercial insect repellent you use carefully and follow instructions. Avoid the ingredient DEET (diethyltoluamide) or at least avoid repellents with more than 15% DEET because it sometimes causes toxic reactions in children when it is absorbed through the skin. Consider applying such a repellent to your child's clothing. Should your child have a reaction to a repellent, wash the skin with soap and water and call your poison control center or your doctor. Save the container so you'll know the ingredients.

Protect your child with light-colored clothing,long sleeves, long pants and a hat, when he or she will be exposed to mosquitoes or other stinging insects. Discourage the use of perfumes or sweet-smelling lotions by all who will be in your party, and be aware that human beings who are consuming apple juice and other such sweet foods are attractive to insects.

Ease the itch and pain of bites by applying plain white vinegar, alcohol, calamine or another appropriate lotion or cream. Or rub bites with a bar of wet soap or a bit of the liquid from an aloe plant leaf. Amazingly, a paste of meat tenderizer seems to work on some children as does a paste of baking soda.

From "A Parent's Guide to Child Safety"

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-16T06:11:00.000-05:00

It is only by forgetting yourself that you can draw near to God.

...Henry Davi

RECIPE of the Day - 7/16/2007

2007-07-16T06:05:00.000-05:00

This is one serious chocolate cookie. My husband and daughter love chocolate, so they really love these. Be sure to make a couple of batches because they disappear very quickly.

Death by Chocolate Cookies
Recipe by Daisy King

2 (12 ounce) packages semisweet baking chocolate, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coarsely chop 8 squares of the chocolate; set aside.

Microwave remaining 8 squares of chocolate in large glass bowl on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix in reserved chopped chocolate and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonsful onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen cookies

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/16/07

2007-07-16T06:02:00.000-05:00

Pawdaddy's Gourmet Seasonings sample. Just click on the drop down menu and then click on free sample. This will be e-mailed to them and in the comments section, just put your mailing info. You will receive a confirmation e-mail stating that the sample will be sent to the address included in your e-mail. To get a great spice sample from Pawdaddy's Gourmet, click here!

Scotch Brite Disposable Toilet Scrubber. Print out a coupon to get this phenomenal tool for free. It is the only one with built-in bleach and the added power of Scotch-Brite scrubbing fibers for a sparkling bowl. It's unique shaped head is designed to clean under the rim while a special pumice formula works to wipe out rust and hard water stains. When you're through cleaning, just toss the scrubber head - this is a no-mess, easy and very effective way to clean your toilet. To get your free scrubber, click here!

Colgate Total Advanced Clean toothpaste sample. This is a great toothpaste that leaves your teeth feeling clean and smooth, plus it tastes really good as well. To get your free sample of toothpaste from Colgate, click here!

Redwood Creek Vintage Prints. These are 18x24 limited-edition vintage prints, and there are 4 available. You can order just 1 or get all 4 for free. To get your Redwood Creek Vintage Prints, click here!

Mary Kay Miracle Set samples. This is a premium collection of age-fighting products to give you the younger-looking skin you want. You'll see fewer lines and wrinkles, improved firmness and more even skin tone. You will get a single application each of: TimeWise 3-In-1 Cleanser, TimeWise Age-Fighting Moisturizer, TimeWise Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 25 and TimeWise Night Solution. To get your samples of age-fighting products from Mary Kay, click here!

Gold's Gym 2 week free VIP Membership. This is a printable coupon/pass. You will have access to their Pilates and Spin classes, group exercise, and the latest cardio and strength training machines. This is a great deal, they have so much to offer and 2 weeks gives you time to start getting back in shape or just maintaining. To get your free pass, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Greeting Cards from The Gallery Collection. These are really beautiful and you can request up to 6 samples. They have all-occasion or holiday cards and they have so many to choose from. To get your free greeting cards in the styles you want, click here!

Physics posters free from APS. They have a few styles available and you don't have to be a teacher to get them. If you happen to be a middle school teacher, you can get a free physics kit as well as the posters. To get your free physics posters, click here!

Bible CD from Project End Time. This CD has 24 interactive studies, concordance, quick verse bible search software, Greek and Hebrew dictionary and amazing bible facts. You have to scroll down the page and there is a bar that you click on to order it. This is a great tool to have; to get your free Bible CD, click here!

Sam's Club 1-Day Pass. This is an opportunity to go shopping at Sam's and get some great deals. The pass is good for 1 day only and there is a 10% fee on your purchases for non-members (you still save quite a bit, even with the charge). They have just about everything you could want in 1 store. To get your free pass to Sam's, click here!

3-D Papercraft projects to download for free. They have some very detailed beautiful papercrafts to make with your children - these are so cool. To get your free downloads and make some magnificent masterpieces, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Gerber Baby Food Recalls

2007-07-15T06:40:00.000-05:00

Organic Rice and Organic Oatmeal Cereals

Gerber Products Co. recalled all packages of its organic rice and organic oatmeal cereals Friday because of potential clumping of the baby food, which can pose a choking hazard. Gerber said it has received complaints of choking but no reports of injury.

The company said a "limited quantity" of the cereals could contain lumps that do not dissolve in water or milk. The cereals were distributed nationwide and to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Gerber spokesman David Mortazavi said the company was recalling 306,760 packages of organic rice cereal and 167,724 packages of organic oatmeal cereal.

All codes of the two products, sold in 8-ounce boxes, are being recalled. The organic rice cereal UPC code is 15000 12504 and the organic oatmeal cereal UPC code is 15000 12502.

The baby food should be not be eaten, and customers can call the Gerber parents resource center at 800-443-7237 or 231-928-3000 to return the product and receive a full refund.

For more information on this story, click here!

**************************

Banana Yogurt Dessert Recall in Southern California

Tiny amounts of the poison ricin have been detected in two jars of baby food that had been tampered with before being sold by a Southern California supermarket. Authorities said the contaminant was ground-up castor beans, from which ricin is derived, not the purified form of the toxin, which is far deadlier. Two babies who ate some of the food were not harmed.

The ground-up beans were found in jars of Gerber Banana Yogurt Dessert bought from a Ralphs supermarket in Irvine, which is south of Los Angeles in Orange County, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Irvine Police Department.

Gerber said it would immediately remove all of the banana yogurt product from Southern California stores. It had already been removed from the one supermarket in Irvine.

For more info on this story, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-15T05:55:00.000-05:00

Baby Proofing the Bathroom

Bath Safety

The bathroom is full of dangers for your baby. Here are some tips to help make it a safer place:

Keep the toilet lid down, or better yet, get a guard that actually locks it. It's important to prevent it from becoming a place for water play (and a dangerous opportunity for drowning). Children are often fascinated by the action of the swirling water.

Get a soft spout cover for the bathtub. It will not only save your baby from bumps and bruises, but will also help to avoid the possibility of hot water burns from a very hot spout. As an extra safety measure, face your child away from the faucet as you bathe him or her.

Place soft, inflated tub knob covers over cold and hot handles to prevent chldren from turning on tub water, especially the hot water which might scald them.

Test the bath water on the inside of your wrist before putting your baby into the tub. Better yet, invest in a bath thermometer. When you've filled the tub, turn off the hot water before the cold, so the latter will flow through the faucet if your child does manage to to touch it.

Keep the water temperature for your house set at about 120 degrees F - hot enough to clean clothes and dishes, yet not scalding. If you have no control over the water heater, check your hardware store for anti-scald aerators. Or, retrofit a valve with a special temperature-sensitive spring called an actuator to stop the flow of scalding water.

Put non-skid appliques on the bottom of the tub to prevent slips, or use a rubber mat.

Never leave water in the tub when it's not in use. A toddler can fall in and drown in as little as 2 to 3 inches of water.

Consider using a three-legged bathtub ring seat to help keep your child secure during a bath. You might also think about using a shampoo visor if a fearful child fights hair washing vigorously.

Do not, under any circumstances, leave a child under 5 years old unattended in the tub. If you can't stand to let a phone ring, unplug it or use the answering machine. If you must leave the room for any reason, wrap your child in a towel and take him or her with you.

Medicines and Prescriptions

Medicines are usually best kept under lock and key and/or in a room other than the bathroom. Keep out of sight as well as out of reach.

Get a special locking medicine chest or use a childproof lock on your existing cabinet. Open it only to get something out and lock it again before you leave the room.

Be sure all medicines are in child-resistant containers (and that they're kept tightly closed).

Don't save old prescription medicines, and above all, don't use them for your children. Flush them down the toilet. Illnesses that may seem identical don't always require the same treatment and outdated prescriptions can do more harm than good.

Don't save prescription containers - when the medicine is gone or outdated, dispose of the bottle or box.

Overdosing on children's vitamins rates among the top phone calls received by Poison Control centers. These colorful tablets can be dangerous in large doses, especially those which are iron fortified.

Don't give over-the-counter antihistamines to children under the age of two without your doctor's approval. Babies susceptible to sleep apnea are particularly vulnerable to the sedatives in many antihistamines.

Don't take any chances giving medicine in the dark.

Don't tell your child a certain medicine is "good" or "tastes like candy". It's better to have your child squirm a little than for your child to want to have more of the "good tasting" medicine.

If your child does manage to swallow or eat any medicine, get whatever you can OUT of the mouth and call your Poison Control center or 911 immediately. Have the bottle in your hand so you can tell them what was ingested. They will also want to know your child's weight and age. Keep syrup of ipecac on hand, but NEVER use it to induce vomiting unless you are advised to do so. This is especially important if a substance swallowed is in the caustic category.

This information comes from the book "A Parent's Guide to Child Safety"

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-15T05:48:00.000-05:00

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

...C. S. Lewis

RECIPE of the Day - 7/15/2007

2007-07-15T05:39:00.000-05:00

We used to make Kolaches at our bakery daily and they sold out every time. These are especially popular in the area we live in. You can also make sausage and cheese kolaches, but wrap the dough around them completely; these are really delicious.

Creamy Czech Kolaches

2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
Melted butter, for topping
1 recipe Peach, Prune or Poppy Seed Filling

In a small bowl, combine the yeast with lukewarm water. Set the bowl aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and 1/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, milk and salt, combining well. Stir in the dissolved yeast and flour, and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended into a soft dough. Cover the dough with a towel, and set the dough aside to rise to about double in size, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. While the dough rises, choose and prepare one of the three fillings.

Grease a baking sheet. Pinch off pieces of dough about 1 1/2 times the size of a golf ball, flatten the balls slightly, and transfer them to the baking sheet. Place the balls at least 1 inch apart, and brush them liberally with the melted butter. Set them aside to double in size again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

With your thumb, gently indent the top of the dough. Make the holes especially deep if you plan to use the poppy seed or peach filling. Spoon in a couple teaspoons of filling and, with the poppy seed or peach versions, coax the dough over the filling. Let the Kolaches rest again for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake the Kolaches for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, immediately brush the Kolaches with more butter (don't skimp on the butter), and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar. Transfer them to a rack, and let them cool. The Kolaches should be tender, somewhat like a light buttery Danish. They are best eaten the day they are made.

Peach Filling:
2 cups small-curd cottage cheese, drained in a sieve or cheesecloth for 30 to 45 minutes
1/2 cup peach butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Squeeze any accumulated liquid from the cheese. Mix with the remaining ingredients in a bowl.

Prune Filling:
1 pound dried prunes
1 teaspoon vanilla juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Put prunes into a saucepan and cover them with water. Add vanilla extract, and simmer until the prunes have softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and pit the prunes, and chop them in a food processor with the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Or chop the prunes by hand and then add the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Poppy Seed Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups poppy seeds
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.

Grind poppy seeds in a blender with about half the milk. Place the poppy seed mixture and the remaining milk in a large, heavy saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir in the reserved sugar and cornstarch mixture and the almond extract. Simmer, stirring often, until very thick, a matter of a few minutes.

Make the center depressions carefully so the bread doesn't go flat. Enclose cheese-based fillings totally with dough. Stiffer fillings, like the prune filling, can peek out the top.

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/15/07

2007-07-15T05:36:00.000-05:00

Silver Ankle Bracelet from PetStyle. This is a silver anklet with a dangly paw print shape; even if you have registered with them before, you can still get this gift for updating your pet's profile. To get this silver anklet and let everyone know you love your pet(s), click here!

Finger Flashlight from Viking Bob's. They send you the finger flashlight as a gift for requesting samples of their Finishing Touch Overlay. Just send an e-mail with your shipping info (put SP005 in the subject line) and get the samples and flashlight. To get get your samples and gift, click here!

Kirkland Diaper sample from Costco. You do not need a member number for this freebie. I have heard some great things about Kirkland Diapers, but have never tried them. To get your free diaper sample for your little one (they have all sizes), click here!

Address Labels from CFF. They have 2 styles to choose from: Roses (three colors of roses with different color backgrounds) and America (bald eagle with flag, statue of liberty and the American flag). These are free, but they do give you the opportunity to make a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation when you receive the labels; it is a very worthwhile cause. To get your free address labels in your choice of theme, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Free crosses from Free Crosses.com. They have wooden and plastic crosses for adults and children. They give these away to share the message of Jesus Christ. This is also a site to post prayer requests and a lot more. To get your free cross(es), click here!

Gold's Gym 2 week free VIP Membership. This is a printable coupon/pass. You will have access to their Pilates and Spin classes, group exercise, and the latest cardio and strength training machines. This is a great deal, they have so much to offer and 2 weeks gives you time to start getting back in shape or just maintaining. To get your free pass, click here!

Sam's Club 1-Day Pass. This is an opportunity to go shopping at Sam's and get some great deals. The pass is good for 1 day only and there is a 10% fee on your purchases for non-members (you still save quite a bit, even with the charge). They have just about everything you could want in 1 store. To get your free pass to Sam's, click here!

3-D Papercraft projects to download for free. They have some very detailed beautiful papercrafts to make with your children - these are so cool. To get your free downloads and make some magnificent masterpieces, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Reebok Outlet coupon. Save 40% off your entire purchase for their Friends & Family Event from 7-11 to 7-15. You can redeem your coupon at Reebok, Rockport or Greg Norman Outlet Stores. To get your 40% savings off Reebok, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

2007-07-14T04:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a lost day for me, basically. I went to the doctor for a consultation about surgery (which will be on Tuesday) and ended up having to undergo 5 hours of pre-op tests: blood work, chest x-ray, etc. Needless to say, I didn't post anything yesterday at all and after Tuesday, it may be 2-3 weeks. They want to do the surgery laparoscopically (which would be less recovery time, less pain and done on an outpatient basis) rather than "open me up" which will be weeks of recovery time, a lot of pain and a hospital stay of a week or so.

I will be posting until Tuesday (pain permitting) and from there, I really don't know how long it will be. I appreciate your faithfulness in sending me your comments, recipes and tips, and checking in with Faithfully every day to see what's posted. I will try and get things up and running as soon as possible.

God Bless You and Yours,

Sherri

A Cat's Guide to Human Beings

2007-07-14T04:28:00.000-05:00

Why Do We Need Humans?

So you've decided to get yourself a human being. In doing so, you've joined the millions of other cats who have acquired these strange and often frustrating creatures. There will be any number of times, during the course of your association with humans, when you will wonder why you have bothered to grace them with your presence.

What's so great about humans, anyway? Why not just hang around with other cats? Our greatest philosophers have struggled with this question for centuries, but the answer is actually rather simple:

THEY HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS.

Which makes them the perfect tools for such tasks as opening doors, getting the lids off of cat food cans, changing television stations and other activities that we, despite our other obvious advantages, find difficult to do ourselves. True, chimps, orangutans and lemurs also have opposable thumbs, but they are nowhere as easy to train.

How And When to Get Your Human's Attention

Humans often erroneously assume that there are other, more important activities than taking care of your immediate needs, such as conducting business, spending time with their families or even sleeping.

Though this is dreadfully inconvenient, you can make this work to your advantage by pestering your human at the moment it is the busiest. It is usually so flustered that it will do whatever you want it to do, just to get you out of its hair. Not coincidentally, human teenagers follow this same practice.

Here are some tried and true methods of getting your human to do what you want:

Sitting on paper: An oldie but a goodie. If a human has paper in front of it, chances are good it's something they assume is more important than you. They will often offer you a snack to lure you away. Establish your supremacy over this wood pulp product at every opportunity. This practice also works well with computer keyboards, remote controls, car keys and small children.

Waking your human at odd hours: A cat's golden time is between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning. If you paw at your human's sleeping face during this time, you have a better than even chance that it will get up and, in an incoherent haze, do exactly what you want. You may actually have to scratch deep sleepers to get their attention remember to vary the scratch site to keep the human from getting suspicious.

Punishing Your Human Being

Sometimes, despite your best training efforts, your human will stubbornly resist bending to your whim. In these extreme circumstances, you may have to punish your human. Obvious punishments, such as scratching furniture or eating household plants, are likely to backfire--the unsophisticated humans are likely to misinterpret the activities and then try to discipline YOU. Instead, we offer these subtle but nonetheless effective alternatives:

Use the cat box during an important formal dinner.

Stare impassively at your human while it is attempting a romantic interlude.

Stand over an important piece of electronic equipment and feign a hairball attack.

After your human has watched a particularly disturbing horror film, stand by the hall closet and then slowly back away, hissing and yowling.

While your human is sleeping, lie on its face.

How Long Should You Keep Your Human?

You are only obligated to your human for one of your lives. The other eight are up to you. We recommend mixing and matching, though in the end, most humans (at least the ones that are worth living with) are pretty much the same. But what do you expect? They're humans, after all. Opposable thumbs will only take you so far.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-14T04:25:00.000-05:00

Children's Gardening

How to Grow Herbs

From seeds: Clean your containers and fill them two-thirds full with commercial potting soil. Soak the soil. Let it drain overnight, then level it. Sprinkle the seeds on top with water and cover them with fine sand or a sprinkle of soil. Cover the container with plastic, and put it in a warm, dark spot. Remove the plastic as soon as you see the first sprouts. When the leaves develop, place the seedlings near a window, but not in direct sunlight. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy.

From cuttings: If you are unable to plant the cuttings immediately, put them in water. When time permits, fill a pot with a drainage layer and then fill it about halfway with soil. Carefully spread out the roots and cover them gently with more soil, packing firmly. Soak the soil

How to Grow Citrus Fruit Plants (Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Kumquat)

These same directions will work for kiwi, squash or melon seeds, olive pits, litchi nuts, whole Jerusalem artichokes and unsulphured date pits.

Plant seeds as soon as you remove them from the fruit. DO NOT LET THEM DRY OUT. Plant about 1/2 inch down in soil. Water well, then cover with plastic and place in bright light in a warm (75-80 degree F spot).

In three to four weeks, the weed will germinate and glossy, fragrant plants will begin to develop. Leave plastic on until plants are a few inches high. Allow soil to dry somewhat between watering. Mist leaves occasionally, especially in hot, dry air. They thrive in cool, sunny spots. The plants should be repotted every year until they are in 8- to 10-inch diameter containers.

NOTE: If you are growing kumquats, keep the soil evenly moist.

How to Grow an Avocado Plant

Remove the pit covering from the avocado. This is a little difficult to do, but if you slip the tip of a paring knife under the thin side just right, it makes it a little easier. Use toothpicks to suspend the avocado pit, flat side down, over a glass. Add water until the base of the pit is immersed. Keep it in a warm, dimly lit spot. The pit will crack eventually, and a root will emerge, followed by a stem shooting upward.

To encourage branching, cut the stem halfway down when it's from 7 to 8 inches high, cutting directly above the spot where a tiny leaf is forming. The stem will branch at this spot. Put the plant in bright sunlight. As branches grow, periodically pinch off the growing tips to promote fullness.

Avocado plants can be started and grown in soil or water. Keep the soil evenly moist. Leaves will brown if the soil dries out.

How to Grow a Sweet Potato Plant

Use toothpicks to suspend the sweet potato over a clear glass of water with the tip down, having enough water in the glass to cover the bottom of the sweet potato. Keep it in a warm, sunny spot. Soon vines with morning-glory-shaped leaves will appear and climb anywhere you train them. Keep the water level constant (covering just the bottom of the tuber). Change the water occasionally and DO NOT plant in soil. When the individual slips put out four to five leaves, you can snap the new plants off the mother potato.

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-14T04:24:00.000-05:00

Nothing shall be lost that is done for God or in obedience to Him.

...John Owen

RECIPE of the Day - 7/14/2007

2007-07-14T04:19:00.000-05:00

These are really great apple muffins with a subtle apple flavor. If you like a more intense apple flavor, use 1 C. of buttermilk and 1 1/4 C. unsweetened apple juice, this gives you a really delicious muffin that children prefer.

Apple Muffins

1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled McIntosh apples, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces (2 to 3 medium)
Additional brown sugar to top muffins

With rubber spatula, cream butter and sugars by hand until fluffy. Add eggs and cream; beat until fluffy. Blend in buttermilk.

Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix until all lumps have dissolved; do not overmix. Add apples. (Batter will be thicker than typical muffin batter.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat muffin cups measuring 3 inches across top and 2 inches across bottom (jumbo size) with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to top. Top each muffin with brown sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done.

Makes 12 muffins.

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/14/07

2007-07-14T04:14:00.000-05:00

John Frieda's Frizz-Ease sample from Wal-Mart. There are 2 to choose from: Thermal Protection Serum that wraps each hair strand with a protective sealant, creating a barrier against damage and color-fading, plus, it helps stop frizz before it starts; Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme that works instantly to restore silky-softness and natural shine to your hair. It contains sunscreen and targeted moisturizers and helps minimize any damage or dryness that may be caused by those scorching summer rays. To get your free sample of Frizz-Ease, click here!

MD Formulations skincare sample. The form is at the right side of the page and they have wonderful products such as facial cleansers, body lotions and a lot of other great products as well. To get your free sample, click here!

UniFiber sample. This is a unique natural fiber supplement made from highly refined plant cellulose (like the fiber of grains, fruits and vegetables). UniFiber also has less side effects, is good for restricted diets, requires no extra fluids to prevent choking and is versatile and easy to take. To get your free fiber sample, click here!

MyoMed pain reliever sample. This is an all-natural pain relief formula used by medical professionals, athletes and sports trainers. It is an all-natural formula that is safe to use, has proven essential oils, works fast, is non habit-forming and you need no prescription. To get your free sample of pain relief that works for arthritis, fibromyalgia, age-related problems, etc., click here!

Bija Tea sample from Flora Health. These are "healing teas" that are blended from tea leaves, herbs and spices carefully harvested from around the world. To get your free healing tea sample, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

3-D Papercraft projects to download for free. They have some very detailed beautiful papercrafts to make with your children - these are so cool. To get your free downloads and make some magnificent masterpieces, click here!

Sheba Premium Cuts cat food sample. This is one that our cat loves so much - it even smells good (for cat food), most of it smells like week-old fish. To get this premium sample for your special cat, click here!

Miles Kimball catalog. This is a free catalog that has so many neat things like: kitchen gadgets, household helpers, lawn and garden, decorations and gifts for all occasions (plus a lot more). To get a great catalog for free, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Reebok Outlet coupon. Save 40% off your entire purchase for their Friends & Family Event from 7-11 to 7-15. You can redeem your coupon at Reebok, Rockport or Greg Norman Outlet Stores. To get your 40% savings off Reebok, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-12T05:32:00.000-05:00

Tips for Losing Weight "On the Go"

For many people, finding an effective way to lose weight can be difficult - almost as difficult as finding a few extra minutes in their jam-packed days.

In a world of exhausting commutes, long workdays and multitudes of daily chores and errands, the task of shedding those extra pounds can often fall to the wayside.

But with the right action plan, losing weight can be simple and easy, even for folks with a limited amount of free time. Larry Turner, diet guru and creator of the Hollywood Cookie Diet, suggests the following tips for making weight loss part of your day, without sacrificing an excessive amount of time:

* Go the extra mile. A few extra blocks here and there can make a big difference in your efforts to lose weight. If you commute to work by subway, consider getting off the train one or two stops early and then walking the extra distance. If commuting by car, park farther away than usual.

* Cut the fat off extra trips. If you're considering joining a gym, find one that's located close to your workplace. It's more enticing and time-efficient to attend a gym that's along the path of your commute, not someplace far outside of it.

* Drink less soda and more water. Soft drinks are loaded with sugar and add empty calories to your diet. Add flavor and variety to your water with slices of lemon, lime, orange or even cucumber.

* Add activity wherever you can. Look for daily opportunities to burn extra calories. For instance, wash your car by hand, work manually in your garden or take your bike while doing errands instead of taking your car. It may be easier than you think to blend chores and exercise.

* Always have a low-calorie meal at your fingertips. To help you avoid the temptation of eating unhealthy fast food when your time is running low, make sure that you have a readily accessible alternative.

Sunset Health Products' Hollywood Cookie Diet, for instance, consists of individually wrapped cookies that are tasty yet low in fat and high in fiber and protein, meaning that they can serve as a healthy and safe meal alternative. The cookies, which are currently popular with such celebrities as Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson, provide a high level of appetite satisfaction per calorie.

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-12T05:31:00.000-05:00

I saw that a humble man, with the blessing of the Lord, might live on a little; and that where the heart is set on greatness, success in business did not satisfy the craving, but that commonly with an increase of wealth, the desire of wealth increased.

...John Woolman

RECIPE of the Day - 7/12/2007

2007-07-12T05:28:00.000-05:00

These carrots are really delicious. The flavor is just the right blend of tartness and sweetness that complements the carrots perfectly. These are a great side dish for chicken or pork.

Orange-Glazed Carrots

8 large carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
2 C. wter
3 T. butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
2 T. light brown sugar
1 T. orange marmalade
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Boil carrots in large, covered saucepan over medium heat 30 to 35 min. until tender; drain well. Return to heat and shake pan gently to drive excess moisture from carrots.

Add butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, marmalade, salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, over lowest heat for 30 min., shaking pan often until carrots are richly glazed.

Serves 4.

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/11/07

2007-07-12T05:26:00.000-05:00

Shania Starlight fragrance sample for women. This is Shania Twain's newest fragrance and it sounds really nice. To get your sample of Starlight, click here!

Dove Sleeveless Ready Kit. Sign up with them to get your kit that includes: Dove Ultimate Clear, a sleeveless shirt and more! When you receive the kit, take the Dove Ultimate Clear 5-Day Challenge. To get your free kit, click here!

Hanes Comfort Soft panties from Wal-Mart. These are the panties advertised on TV that move with you. They have a ComfortSoft Waistband wrapped in soft cotton fabric. They have styles in low-rise brief, hi-cut and bikini in their 100% cotton collection and their Cotton Stretch collection includes bikini, hipster and boy short. They have sizes 4 (bikini) and 5 (hi-cut) available now, so get them while they're still in stock. To get your free, comfortable pair of panties, click here!

Fibersure sample and coupon. Fibersure is a clear-mixing, non-thickening powder and is also flavor-free. It will dissolve in a glass of water or you can mix it into foods; you can even bake with it (it doesn't add taste or texture, just the benefits of fiber). To get your free sample of Fibersure and a $2.00 coupon, click here!

Effisoy 30 Day Supply free. This is a great natural product for menopausal symptoms or other hormonal balance problems. To get your free 30 day supply of Effisoy, click here!

Wendy's coupons for free coffee, cinnamon roll/blueberry muffin. When you dine in, you get a "Wake up" sheet of 3 coupons on your tray. They are good for 1 free coffee and 1 free cinnamon roll/blueberry muffin. They expire on 8-31, but may not be good in all areas. To check out their menu for other goodies, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

24 Season 6 finale download. You can watch the action-packed Season 6 finale of 24 at your convenience by downloading it, courtesy of Wal-Mart. To get this free download, click here!

Sam's Club printable one-day guest pass. This is a great opportunity to shop at Sam's and check out the great merchandise and savings they offer. The coupon is good until 8-31, so to print out your one-day guest pass to Sam's, click here!

Al Gore 2008 bumper sticker. If you support Al Gore, then you will want this bumper sticker to show your support. To get your free bumper sticker, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Reebok Outlet coupon. Save 40% off your entire purchase for their Friends & Family Event from 7-11 to 7-15. You can redeem your coupon at Reebok, Rockport or Greg Norman Outlet Stores. To get your 40% savings off Reebok, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-11T05:36:00.000-05:00

Natural Flea Control

"Avoid contact with skin."
"Harmful or fatal if swallowed."
"This product is toxic to fish, birds and other wildlife."
"Harmful if absorbed through skin."
"Harmful if inhaled."
"Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothing."
"Keep out of reach from children."
"Dust released by collar is a cholinesterase inhibitor." [Cholinesterase inhibitors lead to an accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.This produces paralysis and then death in insects.]

Those are common precautionary statements on many readily available flea treatments. If it is so bad for a person, then what is it doing to your pet? There are countless stories of pets, and even people, who have suffered the ill effects of flea treatments, but finding alternatives can be a problem for most people.

A few facts about fleas:

• Fleas are similar to cockroaches in that they adapt to their environment. They become stronger and more immune to these popular chemicals with each generation.

• Most of the fleas are living in your pet's environment, rather than in its fur. (Every flea found on your pet may mean that there approximately 30 more living in your home.)

• A single flea can lay as many as 60 eggs per day. The lifespan of a flea is about 90 days. Controlling fleas does require some effort, but there are there safer and effective ways to control fleas than several well-known commercial flea control products.

"Buyer beware" -- Toxic products masquerading as "natural"

Even if all the ingredients in a flea repellent product are natural, this doesn't ensure that they won't be toxic to your pet. For instance, d'Limonene, which is derived from citrus peels and found in many natural anti-flea products, can be highly toxic to cats. Herbal flea collars, though they don't contain the poisons that conventional flea collars do, come with the same warning: do not let children play with the collar. If it's not good for your child, why would it be good for your pet?

It is advisable to read product labels carefully. For example, one line of supposedly natural flea sprays and dips contains "all natural synthetic Pyrethrin." Pyrethrins are insecticides derived from the African chrysanthemum (Pyrethrum). Pyrethroids are synthetic derivatives of pyrethrins. Both are commonly used in conventional preparations which make the product sound innocent because it's derived from a flower. But pyrethrins alone can be toxic to the animal and pyrethroids expose your animal to more chemicals.

Other natural ingredients known to cause allergic reactions or have toxic effects in some animals include Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil and Pennyroyal oil.

Cat owners take special note: Cats should not be given any essential oils, period.

The use of essential oils with cats is a potentially volatile combination. Cats do not efficiently metabolize essential oils and their use can lead to symptoms of toxicity. In addition to essential oils, cats have known metabolic sensitivities to certain herbal preparations and allopathic medications. Because the cat's body does not efficiently excrete essential oils, they can build up to toxic levels. Symptoms of toxicity include vomiting, dizziness, clumsiness, lack of appetite, lack of energy and shock. In addition, cats have very thin, delicate skin. Essential oils are absorbed rapidly into their skin and enter the bloodstream, overwhelming their systems. Cats dislike strong odors and generally keep away from strong scents -- even highly diluted essential oils.

Many people find that they can use essential oils on their cats with no obvious adverse effects. Although one or more applications of an essential oil product or blend may not cause immediate harm, the effects of essential oils can be cumulative and manifest themselves at a later date in the form of toxicity for which owners and vets often can find no attributable cause. (source: www.aromaleigh.com)

So what are the alternatives?

Animal health -- Nutrition first

Food- and plant-derived substances are a healthy substitute for chemical-based products. But are they strong enough to control fleas and ticks? Well, why are some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others? There's a nutritional reason, and it has to do with the strength of each person's immune system and the levels of B complex, zinc, selenium and antioxidants in the body and bloodstream. A strong immune system and high nutrient levels help repel insects. (source: www.alternativemedicine.com)

If your cat or dog has a severe flea problem, it is often a signal that their health is not as it should be. Many commercial pet foods are nutritionally inadequate and contain harmful additives and by-products. By feeding your animals a high-quality, natural diet, free of additives and preservatives, you improve their health and dramatically increase their protection from fleas. A healthy animal does not taste or smell as good to fleas.

Some excellent nutritional supplements we offer include Nupro Dog Supplement, Nupro Cat Supplement as well as the Animal Essentials line, Herbal Multi-Vitamin Powder (overall health support), Plant Enzymes and Probiotics (digestive aid), Omega 3 Plus (an essential fatty acid supplement aimed at skin, coat and heart health). Both Nupro and Animal Essentials supplements will greatly enhance your pet's health and thus, strengthen their immunity.

You can also add these inexpensive, easy nutritional supplements (you may even have these in your cupboards right now).

Garlic and yeast

Fleas particularly dislike the flavor of garlic and yeast (nutritional or brewer's yeast). Mixing garlic and yeast with your pet's food can render their blood unpalatable to fleas.

Cat owners: Please be aware that raw garlic is known to be toxic to cats. According to Dr. Randy Kidd, the use of garlic, as well as onions, shallots and chives, has been shown to cause damage to feline red blood cells which can result in hemolytic anemia and eventual death. Raw garlic and onions can also cause ulcers and irritation of the mouth, esophagus and stomach.

Use about a teaspoon of brewer's (or nutritional) yeast daily for cats and small dogs, and a tablespoon for a 50-pound dog. Some animals are yeast intolerant and will react with a skin allergy. Discontinue use if this occurs. Combine the yeast with the garlic in your animal's food, and consider doubling the dosage during peak flea season.

Other natural repellents include vitamin B1 (thiamine) and apple cider vinegar. (See your veterinarian for the correct amount of a vitamin B1 supplement for your pet.) The dosage of apple cider vinegar is about one teaspoon daily in the pet's drinking water. Apple cider vinegar helps strengthen the immune system.

Controlling fleas in the environment -- indoor control

Grooming

Combing your cat or dog daily with a flea comb is an important part of flea control. Bathing animals regularly is also advised. There is no need to use chemical flea shampoos. A water bath with a gentle soap that won't irritate their skin is sufficient to eliminate existing fleas.

Set a trap

You can trap fleas by placing a dish of soapy water under a night light near where your pet sleeps. Fleas are attracted to warm light and will easily drown in the soapy water. This works for adult fleas only, but with diligence, can be very effective reducing the flea population. Fleas already residing on your pet aren't likely to leave, so you will still need to flea comb and/or bathe them in a mild shampoo (even a baby shampoo will work as fleas don't survive well in soapy water). If the idea of keeping a soapy water dish near your pet is not attractive, plug-in flea traps are available. These electric traps are equally, if not more, effective. (They seem to work well for ants, as we have noticed in our personal experience.)

Sanitize your pet's environment

Fleas lay their eggs everywhere -- in carpets, curtains, upholstery, animal bedding, cracks and crevices. Destroying the fleas' eggs by thorough weekly vacuuming and frequent washing of animal bedding goes to the source of the problem and will help eliminate the flea population in your house. After vacuuming, be sure to replace the bag right away and take the old bag out of the house. Keeping clutter on the floor to a minimum also will deprive the fleas of hiding places.

Outdoor control

Nematodes

While you can't kill off the fleas that your pet is going to encounter when it goes outside, you can keep the population down in the area around your house by using nematodes. These microscopic worms eat flea larvae and are therefore a natural way to control the flea population.

You can purchase nematodes online, or at pet and garden stores. Place them in moist, shady spots near your house; neither fleas nor nematodes survive in the hot sun. As nematodes multiply rapidly, you have only to introduce a small number to have the desired effect.

Article contributed by: RobbinsPet Care

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-11T05:34:00.000-05:00

May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the 'called.' Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire.

...Anonymous

RECIPE of the Day - 7/11/2007

2007-07-11T05:07:00.000-05:00

This is one of our favorite casseroles. It has the most amazing flavor and is not only easy to make (though time consuming), but a meal that everyone will love.

King Ranch Chicken

Sauce:
2 T. butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1/8 t. ground cumin
2 T. flour
3/4 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. cream
2 T. sour cream
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Filling:
1 T. butter
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 C. chopped roasted green chilies
6 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
1/2 C. canned crushed tomatoes
2 T. minced pimiento

Tortillas:
Vegetable oil for frying
8 corn tortillas

Chicken and other layers:
3 C. diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 C. shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/4 C. ripe olives
1/4 C. thinly sliced scallions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 11x7x2 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Sauce: Melt butter in medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper, and cumin and stir-fry 1 min. Blend in flour, add broth and cream, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth - about 3 min. Stir in sour cream, salt and black pepper to taste; set aside.

Filling: Melt butter in large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add onion, green pepper, green chilies, mushrooms, tomatoes, pimiento and cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften and flavors meld - 10 to 15 min.

Tortillas: Pour oil to depth of 1/2" in small heavy skillet, set over moderate heat, and heat until ripples appear on skillet bottom. Holding tortillas by tongs, dip one by one into oil just long enough to soften - 5 to 10 seconds. Drain well on paper towels.

To Layer: Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared baking dish, then build up layer this way, distributing each evenly: 1/2 chicken and 1/3 sauce; 1/2 each filling, cheese, onions, scallions and 1/2 remaining sauce; remaining tortillas, chicken, filling, cheese, olives, scallions and finally, remaining sauce.

Bake uncovered until bubbly - about 30 to 35 min. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/11/07

2007-07-11T05:04:00.000-05:00

7-11 slurpee for free on 7-11. Go into your local 7-11 on July 11th and they will give you a 7.11 oz. slurpee for stopping by. To visit their site and locate a store near you, click here!

EZ-Sip sample from Straw Claw, Ltd. You slip EZ-Sip's flexible retainers over the side of a glass, bottle or cup, slip the straw into the holding arms and that's it. It's EZ. Just click on the country and it takes you to an e-mail request form. This is a great product; to get your EZ-Sip sample, click here!

Pristine Skincare product samples. They have everything from anti-aging products to acne fighting products, skin therapy bars and more. To get your free samples of skincare products, click here!

Ramy Liqui-Air Blush sample. This is a liquid blush with sponge-tipped applicator that is light and creamy. They have some beautiful shades and liquid blush is the choice of a lot of professional make-up artists. To get your free sample, click here!

MJ's Fragrant Oils sample. Just complete a very brief survey and they will send you a sample of their oils. They have body oil fragrances, car air fresheners, scented lotions, soaps, massage oils and a lot more. To get your free sample, click here!

Metamucil Fiber Sample Kit. This allows you to try a few of the many Metamucil varieties including: wafers, powder and capsules plus calcium. I really like the wafers, they taste like cinnamon and are really very good. To get your free fiber kit, click here!

K'nex Building Bricks sample for kids. These are meant for children ages 5-12, but they can also bring out our inner child. They have some really cool blocks and accessories to build whatever your imagination can dream up. To get your free sample of building bricks, click here!

Ashampoo Internet Accelerator free download. You will start seeing a difference immediately; your internet connections will be much faster. This is safe, trusted and spyware-free, so no worries with this one (you do need to have a valid e-mail). To increase your internet connection speed for free, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Smart Marriages bumper sticker. Take the challenge! No bickering allowed in a "Smart Marriages" vehicle. The bumper stickers make people curious enough to check out the web site and learn how they can have a Smart Marriage; it's really cool. You do need to send an e-mail (link is on their main page) with bumper sticker in the subject line. To get your free Smart Marriage bumper sticker and info on the idea behind it, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Reebok Outlet coupon. Save 40% off your entire purchase for their Friends & Family Event from 7-11 to 7-15. You can redeem your coupon at Reebok, Rockport or Greg Norman Outlet Stores. To get your 40% savings off Reebok, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Cat Bathing as a Martial Art

2007-07-10T05:44:00.000-05:00

Know that although the cat has the advantages of quickness and utter disregard for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)

Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face mask and a long-sleeve flak jacket.

Prepare everything in advance. There is no time to go out for a towel when you have a cat digging a hole in your flak jacket. Draw the water. Make sure the bottle of kitty shampoo is inside the glass enclosure. Make sure the towel can be reached, even if you are lying on your back in the water.

Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule. If he does notice your garb, calmly explain that you are taking part in a product-testing experiment for J.C. Penney.)

Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to your survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.

Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more that two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record is--for cats--three latherings, so don't expect too much.)

Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared to what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psycho-ceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But, at least now he smells a lot better.

"To bathe a cat requires brute force, perseverance, courage of conviction - and a cat. The last ingredient is the hardest to come by".

Stephen Baker

Sherri's Helpful Hints

2007-07-10T05:34:00.000-05:00

Measurement Equivalents

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon = 15 ml

4 tablespoons = ¼ cup = 60 ml

5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup = 79 ml

8 tablespoons = ½ cup = 118 ml

16 tablespoons = 1 cup = 237 ml

1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons = 30 ml

8 fluid ounces = 1 cup = 237 ml

16 fluid ounces = 2 cups or 1 pint = 473 ml

32 fluid ounces = 4 cups or 1 quart = 946 ml

Can Size Measurements

5 oz can yields 5/8 cup

8 oz can yields 1 cup

10 ½ - 12 oz picnic can yields 1¼ cups

1 lb. 13 oz. or No. 2½ can yields 3½ cups

14 oz. Condensed Milk can yields 1 1/3 cups

5 1/3 oz. Evaporated Milk can yields 2/3 cups

American Liquid Measures

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 3.79 litres

1 quart = 2 pints = .95 litres

1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fl. oz = 450 ml

1 cup = 8 fl. oz = 225 ml

1 T = 1/2 fl. oz = 15 ml

1 t = 1/3 T = 5 ml

Oven Temperatures

225 F = 105 C = Very Cool

250 F = 120 C 275 F = 130 C = Cool

300 F = 150 C 325 F = 165 C = Very Moderate

350 F = 180 C = Moderate 375 F = 190 C

400 F = 200 C = Moderately Hot 425 F = 220 C = Hot

450 F = 230 C 475 F = 245 C = Very Hot

Christian Quote of the Day

2007-07-10T05:30:00.000-05:00

Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.

...Edwin Hubbel Chapin

RECIPE of the Day - 7/10/2007

2007-07-10T05:15:00.000-05:00

We really love Jambalaya at our house and we usually eat this about twice a month (or more). If you don't like shrimp, use chicken instead, it makes a delicious jambalaya. This is really great when accompanied by a good, southern corn bread.

Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound shelled medium shrimp
1 pound ham (preferably smoked), cubed
1 pound kielbasa, andouille, or chorizo sausage, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large, heavy stockpot over high heat and add the shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp curl and just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the ham and sausage to the stockpot and cook, stirring frequently, until both are well browned, about 15minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, celery, bell pepper, and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice, tomatoes, broth, salt, cayenne pepper, and half the parsley. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or until the liquid is almost absorbed. Stir in the shrimp and the remaining parsley. Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes more. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, in a 325º F oven for 20 minutes or until heated through, stirring once or twice.)

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

FREEBIES of the Day - 7/10/07

2007-07-10T05:13:00.000-05:00

Ensure Shake and coupon. Register with them and get a coupon for a free 8 oz. shake and a coupon for $3.00 toward your purchase of a 6-pack of shakes. These are great to give you the nutrition you need in a delicious drink that comes in many wonderful flavors. To get your free shake and savings off a 6-pack, click here!

Smart Fiber Stixx sample. This is a great way to get your daily fiber; it's a powder that dissolves completely in liquid and has no taste whatsoever. This also helps you to maintain a healthy digestive system. Our digestive system contains both good and bad bacteria, prebiotic fibers known as smartfiberstixx (scientifically known as inulin) selectively stimulates the growth of good bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacillus). Increasing the good bacteria helps to: protect us from invading bad bacteria, absorb more calcium and vitamins, and decrease our risk to chronic disease. To get your free sample of this healthy, productive fiber, click here!

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Hampton Suncare Privet Bloom fragrance sample. This is a delicate scent that captures the purity and elegance of summer in the Hamptons, with a fresh and unique blend of sea spray, dune grass, blue plum and the captivating privet blossom. This sounds really interesting, I have always loved the beach (which is as close as I'm going to get to the Hamptons). To get your free Privet Bloom fragrance sample, click here!

Biz Stain Activated Booster sample. This is the one product that provides superior cleaning on every type of laundry stain. The free sample icon is at the lower right-hand corner and you have to move completely to the right to get to it. To get your free sample of superior stain fighting, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

7-11 slurpee for free on 7-11. Go into your local 7-11 on July 11th and they will give you a 7.11 oz. slurpee for stopping by. To visit their site and locate a store near you, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Hugo Pure Purple fragrance sample for women. This has the luscious scent of marzipan from le calisson, amber and white suede and is very feminine. To try this fragrance from Hugo, click here!

Free 411 calls. This is a link to a few different companies, including Google; some are ad-based and some are ad-free. The price of 411 calls is outrageous, this helps so much when you need to get a phone # quickly and easily (plus, they connect you for free). To get your free 411 service, click here!

Bose In-Ear Headphone Accessories. They will send you new ear tips that stay in place more firmly than the silicone ear tips and a stability enhancement accessory including a clothing clip and lanyard (these reduce the cord's "pull" during increased activity). To get your headphone accessories, click here!

RP rectal pad sample. This isn't a topic that is addressed very often, but there are bladder control pads out there and now there is something for the other problem. To get your free sample of rectal pads, click here!

AOL free personalized e-mail address. They are the first free e-mail provider to let you create your entire personalized e-mail address from scratch - not just the part before the @. You can set it up for you, your friends, family or business. To get your free personalized e-mail and get the address you really want, click here!

TGI Friday's free appetizer coupon. They have some really great appetizers, so while you're there, you might as well take advantage of the coupon and get something extra. To get your printable coupon for a free appetizer, click here!

24 Hour Fitness free 7 day pass. They have over 370 locations, lots of amenities and free exercise classes. You can test drive the equipment, classes, etc. to see if it's for you. This isn't a bad deal at any rate to get 7 free days of fitness. To register for your free 7-day guest pass, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Reebok Outlet coupon. Save 40% off your entire purchase for their Friends & Family Event from 7-11 to 7-15. You can redeem your coupon at Reebok, Rockport or Greg Norman Outlet Stores. To get your 40% savings off Reebok, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!