Fried Chicken--Made at Home

Okay, now I know this is gonna sound stupid, but I can't explain myself.  Over the years I have tried making fried chicken in a frying pan.  It would never come out right.  I mean, there have been two things in this world that I could not make, pancakes and fried chicken.  I know, stupid, huh?  Oh, I forgot another...homemade gravy.  Okay, that's three.  Now I watch this cooking show on youtube called Cooking With Jack and he was making fried chicken in a fryer.  I don't know what brand of fryer it was but then I got to thinking about my fry baby.  I've had it for a long, long time, but I have never made fried chicken in it.  I have cut up chicken to make fried chicken nuggets, but it never occurred to me to fry up chicken breasts.  So that's why I ask, how stupid am I?  Fry baby instructions says only to use vegetable in the fryer, but I didn't have any.  All's I had was olive oil.  So, in it went.  And the chicken cooked up wonderfully.   I also made rice/broccoli steamers with some leftover cornbread I had. 

The chicken breasts I bought with  my $.75 off coupon.  It's one of the coupons I had trouble at the store redeeming....just because it wouldn't scan on their register they didn't want to accept it.  It's a Perdue coupon.  I cut it out of the coupons I got in the paper.  Go figure...but they finally did accept it. 

So, cooking at home saved us at least $30.  I like that.  



Tornado in the Area....oh my!

Ah, I didn't know.  Weather was so nice today, but as the day went on the sky got darker.  I know the news people were saying possible tornados, but they usually don't pan out.  I had run some errands today; I went to Target to get some pictures made, waiting an hour for them to be printed and when I went back to pick them up I was told the machine wasn't working.  Sometimes I just want to slam somebody, but I was nice about it and told the cashier to cancel my order!  LOL  Then later in the evening I got a phone call from the photo lab saying my photos were ready.  Good grief.  Anyway, I bought these baby safety locks for my kitchen cabinets because the ones I have on there now my cats can still open and squeeze in the cabinets.  I saw these ones on tv that are magnets and you need a magnet to open them up.  Dh spent all evening installing them, but I don't know if I'm gonna like 'em.  Now, while he was installing them I fell asleep on the couch and later as I got on the computer read there was a tornado only a few miles from the house.

Oh well.  I'm glad it didn't come closer to the house.  I wonder if dh would have woke me up to have me move to safety...hahah.  I might have woke up in the trees, who knows. 

I've got to make another trip to Target tomorrow.  The pharmacy had to order my meds and they will be in tomorrow.  I have been driving my car on 'e' all day and wonder if I'll have enough gas to make it to the gas station.  It was scary today because I left my c-phone home and isn't it always the way when you leave your phone home the car breaks down and you can't get help, but I pushed fate today. 

I used to drive a van when the kids were younger and that truck was always on 'e'.  I tell people I filled the tank up with prayer gas because I prayed a lot to God to get me from place to another.  I just didn't have the money, but I had to drive my kids back and forth to school.  When my youngest was in half day kindergarten  I was making six trips a day back and forth to school.  I loved those days!

I was watching extreme couponing on tv...I just don't understand one thing about that show.  As much food as those people stockpile, doesn't that stuff go bad after a year or so.  There is no way they can eat all that food.  If you can't use that much food, what's the point in buying it? 

I would like to coupon good (can I say that?), but there are no stores in this area that will double the coupons anymore.  It used to be a big thing years ago to double coupons, but they just don't. 

I bought a new hp printer today.  It's a wireless and I'm hoping that when I'm on my laptop in another room I'll be able to print stuff off.  Right now I can't do that. 

I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings. 

Kick Out Carhart-abortionist in Maryland

Late-term Abortionist Carhart Under Full Investigation By Maryland Board of Physicians

Baltimore, MD – Operation Rescue announces that late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart is under a full investigation by the Maryland Board of Physicians based on a complaint filed by one of its staff members.
In a letter dated April 1, 2011, the Maryland Board of Physicians confirmed the investigation to Cheryl Sullenger, who filed the complaint.
On April 19, 2011, Sullenger was placed under oath and interviewed by an investigator and Board attorney concerning information she provided.
“This is a very serious complaint that is being taken very seriously by the Maryland authorities,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “If charged and convicted, Carhart could face the revocation of his medical license in Maryland.”
Allegations in the complaint include:

• Carhart misrepresented his practice on his Maryland medical license application when he indicated he was an emergency room physician and university professor. In reality, Carhart has not had an affiliation with a hospital since 1987, and was stripped of any formal duties with the University of Nebraska in the late 1990s.
• Carhart’s Maryland application omits his decades of job history as owner and abortionist at the Abortion and Contraceptive Clinic in Bellevue, Nebraska, and 12 years of employment at Women’s Health Care Services in Wichita, Kansas, where he specialized in late-term abortions.
• Carhart conducts risky late-term abortions in Maryland without hospital privileges.
• Carhart has a history of involvement in multiple botched late-term abortions during his employment in Kansas, including the third trimester death of 19-year old Christin Gilbert.

“Based on our experience with Mr. Carhart, we are convinced that he is a shady, dishonest character whose concealment of his abortion activities, lack of hospital privileges, and history of botched abortions present a danger to the public. We plan to cooperate fully with the authorities to prevent other women from suffering the same tragic fate as Ms. Gilbert,” said Newman.
Carhart also remains under criminal investigation by the Nebraska Attorney General’s office based on a complaint filed by Operation Rescue and local pro-life groups that contained several affidavits from former Carhart employees making allegations of illegal activity at his Bellevue, Nebraska, clinic.
A press conference will be held tomorrow to discuss this new investigation.
Press conference details:

When: Tuesday, April 26 at 11:00 A.M.
Where: Public sidewalk on Wisteria Dr., near 13233 Executive Park Terrace, Germantown, Maryland

View letter acknowledging Carhart investigation
Read the full complaint

This is what I gotta say to Maryland:  SHAME ON YOU!!  I've lived here all my life and I'm just now realizing (although I knew somewhat) that this state is one of the most liberal states in the 50.  We have California on the West Coast and Maryland on the East Coast. 

First, let me say that I am not a register voter.  The one and only time I ever voted was for Ronald Reagan.  That's it.  I find all politicians to be liars.  They don't have 'the people' in mind when they take office...seems like they have their own agenda instead.  I'd rather not be involved with politics.  And so with that said, I have recently started paying attention to the abortion issue.  Let's just say that Maryland politician's could give a rat's behind about women's safety issues in this state.  There are no regulations for abortion clinics here and the laws that were introduced into the house all got voted down.  Unreal. 

And this abortionist Leroy Carhart is practicing in this state and two other states.  He does late term abortions....can you believe that?  How does he get away with it.  Isn't that the same about partial birth abortions that are suppose to be banned? 

The Maryland Coalition for Life http://www.mdcoalitionforlife.com/index.html has been fighting Carhart's practice for quite sometime.  In fact, they just opened up a pregnancy center right across the street from Carhart's practice!  Haha...

The Maryland politicians don't care that the people don't want this guy in our state.  They aren't listening to the people.  I have a bumper sticker on my car that says, 'there's no place like Maryland' and boy, you can say that again.  I really need to take it off.  If I could move, I would go south where there are still rules and laws that people care about. 

Now's it's only because someone has checked into Carhart's application to practice in this state that they found discrepancies and have taken it to the Maryland Doctor board.  I need to find out how to send a few letters to the doctor's board and tell them to get rid of Carhart.  

Easter

When kids become adults holidays just aren't as fun anymore.  For instance, there is no excitment about the Easter Bunny visiting, dyeing eggs or hiding them for that matter.  No more family get togethers, extended family, that is.  I do, however, continue to make small baskets for the kids, but they don't really enjoy candy anymore either, so finding things to put in their baskets can be mind draining. 

I went to the Christian bookstore and found some cute little things for their baskets.  Or pails...haha..I got this cute little pails at Target for a couple of dollars and they made up cute. 

So ds had to work on Easter and couldn't make it to dinner which we had at dd's house.  I brought all the food to cook which was okay by me.  I made chicken, noodles, stuffing, corn and corn bread.  But it was just the three of us.  I remember a time when I had a house full of people but not anymore.  It's sad, really. 

After we left dd's place we stopped by ds house and left his basket hanging on his front door.  Everyone in the house was asleep (they are all cops and had early shifts).  And so that was the extend of our Easter.

I did watch  a show called The Lost 40 Days.  It was about the Shroud of Turin...I learned some things about it I didn't know.  Amazing what is now being told about it.  If you get a chance look it up. 

Saturday evening (I'm going backwards here) our church had it's Passion Play, so ds and dd, me and dh all went.  It was so nice having the family together.  It felt complete.  It's not often we can get together because of everybody's schedule. 

I hope everyone had a good Easter!

Daughter Got Her Dream Car!

Well, my daughter got her dream car today!  (This IS her actual car.)  I'm so excited for her.  She's waited a really long time for this and even though it's not a brand new car, it's almost.  Now she's in debt for the next 6 years!!  LOL..but she knows she has the option to make higher payments to  get the car paid off faster. 

But who knew we would be at Carmax for over 8 hours.  OMGsh...the big thing was that she did not finance through Carmax.  She got a better deal at her bank, so she had to finance with Carmax, then go to the bank, get their paperwork, bring it back to Carmax, then Carmax had to do a return the car paperwork and then resell the car back to my daughter.  Now, while the salesman was looking over the paperwork from the bank he noticed that the bank would only finance an extended warranty up to $2,000, but my daughter bought an extended warranty for $2,669.  Oh my...that's what took so long...paperwork!  However, when we got done, oh happy days!   I'm so excited for her.  Although, it was really sad to leave her blue little car behind.  It was such a great little car; she spent 10 years of her life driving that car.  I will always love that little blue car.

It was a rainy day today, too.  And the whole weekend might be rain.  I just hope it's not going to be one of those summers where every weekend it rains.  Boo!

I'm exhausted, so that's it for now.

New Car...No, Not Mine

Here it is...the car my daughter wants to buy.  (This isn't the acutal car, but one exactly like she wants.)  She was looking on a car website two nights ago and sent the link to me.  She said 'this is the one I want.'  Wouldn't you know it...it's a diamond in the rough because there's not many of these with tan interiors like she wants.  She was really hoping to continue to save some money until September (her birthday), but when this car popped up, well...sometimes you just have to act, right?  So she invited me to go with her today to find out about pricing and all that stuff that goes with buying  a car.  Since the car has to be brought up from Virginia it won't be at the dealer's until Wed and so we'll get to see it Friday as that's when my daughter has off.  I hope this car is all it's cracked up to be because I really think daughter has her heart set on it. 

After we were finished at the dealership we went out to eat at Olive Garden.  Mom always pays the bill, but that's okay because I'm just happy to have some time with my daughter.  DD was saying how sad it will be to trade in her car...she's had her little blue escort since she was 16 years old.  She has a lot of memories in that little car.  She's at a point in her life where she needs to get rid of past things and replace with new and that's what I told her to focus on.  We can't hold onto the old...it's sorta like hoarding..if you don't get rid of it and move on you'll be stuck and who wants that? 

DD sets goals for herself.  It's interesting how she'll make a list of things she wants to accomplish and she does.  I just wish I had a list of stuff to accomplish; I just can't think of anything left for me to do as sad as that sounds. 

That's the news for today.

The Weekend

I think it's been a somewhat productive weekend for dh.  He's been doing motorcycle activities (I stayed home) and he's been working on and finally got his lawn mower to work.  See, he has a lawn mower that is like the ones lawn services use where you can stand up behind the mower (only he doesn't have the plate to stand up on) but he likes his big hunka lawn mower.  It must be like 25 years old and when it finally gave out last year he refused to purchase a new one.  So he started working on this hunka lawn mower last year.  His brother even found a used mower that didn't run for dh to take parts off of.  When the weather started getting nice here, dh started working on that lawn mower.  Then guess what?  He finally got it running yesterday!  Now he needs to work on the gears such as the brakes and such.  He's been working on it all day today.  It's almost a race against him and the grass to see who's gonna win out first.  The grass is about ankle high right now and you know if it gets too high, it's hard to cut.  So that's the biggest worry on dh's mind right now. 

Next, he'll be working to get my motorcycle running.  It hasn't run in about two years and he can't figure out what's wrong with it.  He has taken it apart and put it back together a few times, but when he gives it gas it wants to cut off.  Definitely something with the fuel line or carberator. 

I cooked dinner tonight...meat loaf and mashed potatoes.  Yesterday dh went to KFC and I made some coleslaw, so at least tonight we stayed home again. 

I need to get some cleaning done and balance the checkbook so I can pay some bills.  Until later...

*GRAPHIC*- miscarriage

I found this on Jill's site (see my blog lists) and was touched by this mother who shared her baby with the rest of us.  Planned Parenthood....the baby this woman is holding in her hands does not look like a blob of tissue to me.  Thank you Bethany, for sharing your baby and story with the world.

March 20, 2007

Bethany's baby

I received the following note and photos this morning. They are self-explanatory.
Dear Jill,
The reason I'm emailing is because a little over two weeks ago I experienced a miscarriage. It was very difficult to deal with, as I was so excited about having a fourth child and had no idea anything was wrong until the day I had the routine ultrasound, and the doctors told me that the baby had died in my womb. :-( I had to wait a week to miscarry the baby, and it was so difficult.
Once the baby came, I took several pictures of the baby, who was around six weeks old when he or she died. These pictures were first taken for myself, so that I would never forget what my baby looked like....
But I want to share the pictures with you, because you may be able to do something with them to help the pro-life cause. I feel if the loss of my baby can do anything to help save the life of even one baby, my baby will not have died in vain. Do you think there is any way you can use them for the pro-life cause? I trust your judgement and know that whatever you choose to do with them will be respectful to my baby's life.
I realize there are many textbook images, but somehow I think a picture taken by a "regular" woman - up close and personal pictures - might be more helpful than other pictures and help people realize the reality of those images... that they're not fake... because even though I was extremely pro-life before I saw my baby and had already seen hundreds of pictures of fetuses in the womb, seeing this real baby in front of my eyes really was incredibly amazing. How complex they are!

Bethany
View my blog (usually updated daily): http://bethany.preciousinfants.com/
View my pencil drawings and wall murals: http://www.sketchesbybethany.net/
P.S. My baby died due to a brain abnormality. So you will notice that the head does look a little strange at the top, and that is the reason why. Aren't the little fingers and toes beautiful?

Posted 03/20/07 at 4:25 PM

Grocery Shopping

I finally got my coupons and grocery list together and off I went to the store.  I dread grocery shopping...it's an all day chore.

I go through the store and I pretty much stick to my list..well, other than some meat I bought.  Almost everything I bought I had a coupon for and it was on sale at the store.  Then it came to checkout time. 

As soon I pulled up to the checkout and saw the cashier I knew I was gonna have trouble.  One can just feel it.  The stupid store had two express lanes open and one regular, can you believe that?  Geez.  Anyway, the cashier immediately asked me for my store card which I shouldn't have given to her because I heard you should give it at the end of the order.  Well, that was mistake #1, but anyway I continued to load my stuff on the belt.  Then the cashier was just throwing my stuff after she rang it up all together squishing the bread which really gets me going.  I started loading bags myself and when it came to taking off the coupons I was watching the cashier and she was making two piles...one pile was coupons that 'went in' and another pile wouldn't get rung or be taken off.  The cashier hands me back the coupons and said they won't go in.  I looked at her and said I bought the stuff, so the coupons have to come off.  I don't care how you ring them in, but they are good.  After 10 minutes of her fooling around, she finally calls the manager over and the manager said sometimes you have to fold the bar code in half.  Then she started having trouble and asked me if I bought the stuff on the coupon for which I had to dig through the bags to show her.   Buy the time I got out of that store I think I spent more time at the checkout then I did shopping and I know the guy behind me was not happy.  But it wasn't my fault. 

When I left the store I was feeling like a criminal...I mean, it's getting to the point where the cashiers automatically think you are trying to rip them off.  I have better things to do than sit around and 'make' coupons. 

I did cook dinner tonight.  I made spaghetti, Texas toast and salad.  Dh said it was better than eating out.  Wow!  Tomorrow night it is meatloaf with mashed potatoes!

Yucky Day, Motorcycles, Coupon Binder

Today was sorta yucky..kinda drab and a bit chilly.  I'm still waiting for spring weather.  Where is it?  Yes, we've had a few very nice, spring like days, but oh, it can't come soon enough for me.  That's the best weather, ever!

I haven't been feeling up to par this weekend.  Just so tired.  If the sun would ever show it's beautiful face again I think that might help.

Tomorrow I'm going to meet a friend who is part of our motorcycle group.  He's also the president of his county's Right to Life group.  Our county's group is inactive and while talking to the outreach lady from Maryland Right to Life, she asked me to take over our county's chapter.  That's a big responsibility.  Right now dh and I are Area Reps in the State of Maryland for the Christian Motorcyclists Association.  We over see five chapters on the east coast.  I just don't know if I could also take on more.  We'll see, though. 

Today dh and his four brothers went out motorcycle riding.  I asked dh if he took a group picture of him and his brothers and their bikes and he said no.  Now, it wasn't so long ago that he came to me and said he would like a camera to take along with him on is motorcycle rides and three times now he hasn't taken his camera.  GRR!  He is missing memories!

I'm in the process of making a mini coupon binder.  I had a huge one but it was so bulky carrying it around; it just didn't work for me.  I have some coupon thingys I can put in my purse which I should carry around with me, but I also got this idea in my head about a smaller binder.  I went to Staples and picked a Day Runner type three ring notebook, but it's much smaller than a day planner.  I am cutting up baseball card holders to hold my coupons.  I really don't know how this is gonna work.  I have tons of coupons from the 80's with no expiration dates and I've been trying to use them.  I've had one cashier at Target tell me because the coupon didn't have a bar code on it I couldn't use it.  I said the coupon has no expiration date and you'll have to code it in, so he asked his manger to come over and the manger looked at the coupon for an address and said the coupon was okay.  Honestly, I don't mind them questioning the coupon because there are so many people using fraudulent coupons.  There is a big controversary going on about Jamie from TLC's Extreme Couponing show.  The controversary is this:  Jamie has used 'family upc' codes for products she didn't buy.  You can read the whole story here:    http://www.jillcataldo.com/node/16170  If this is true, then it can make  couponing very difficult for the rest of us and it could make the manufacturers change the way we collect coupons.  I know a lot of stores are putting coupons  on your store card now.  I do not like that idea because I won't remember what coupons I have on there.

 

Okay, that's all I have for now. 

How Disappointing our Government is..Keep Funding Planned Parenthood

I cannot believe the defenders of the unborn caved in.  Or are they really defenders?  I'm talking about our Republican representatives who was standing tall against the democrats who was forcing our tax payer money to continue to fund Planned Parenthood.   If women would just take a look at Planned Parenthood and see they are not what they say they are I think it would change a lot of people's minds.  PP's telling women they offer mammograms, which by the way they don't, and our stupid lawmakers are believing it.  Can't believe people are so dumb who are running this country.  Could I do a better job of running the country..don't know, but what I do know is there are laws and morals that people have to live by and killing innocent, unborn children in the womb is against not only morals but against our own species. 

I watch a lot of crime shows.  When they show a murder victim I have to ask myself what is the difference between that person who was born and lived and the difference between a baby that was in the womb and torn to pieces by an abortion.  None.  Yet, the killer of the murder victim will face discipline, where as the murderer of the child that was torn apart will not.  In fact, abortionists have the government's blessings and funding for doing so.  How does that make sense?  And by letting the funding for Planned Parethood continue is proof of that.  Shame on our government!!!

I found these two videos on youtube....I thought they were very good and very understandable:

And what is the difference whether a child in dependent on it's mother's nourishment while growing in the womb and the child's dependent on it's mother outside the womb?  Babies will die after being born if not every single need is met.  So, really, what's the diffence and for anybody who uses that excuse (I've heard it enough times, believe me), they just don't get it.  You can't change reality no matter how hard you try.

It's another rainy day here and I only got a couple hours of sleep.  I need to go take a nap.

Coupons

I have been clipping coupons for a long time.  Well, actually, I clipped all the time when the kids where little; I was even one of those couponers who, while reading a magazine in the doctor's office I would clip coupons out of those magazines.  I didn't always do that, but when I started seeing all these coupons in those magazines expire, I couldn't help myself!  Then, when the kids got older and weren't in the house much anymore, I stopped cooking and clipping and cleaning.  I went into depression.  After all, I'd been a mom for 30 years....it's like having a job and than all of a sudden you show up for your job and you realize you've been laid off.  I still struggle with 'what is my job' these days.  I feel as if I've been displaced. 

Back to couponing...when I first started couponing, I had a little box I'd file my coupons in.  Then the box got too small.  Then I moved up to another bigger box which I used up until a few years ago.  I was seeing on the internet that everybody started using coupon binders and so I was all excited about carrying all my coupons to the store and having everything I need right there in one place.  So I spent hours and hours filing all my coupons in those baseball holders and I used my binder a few times, but seriously, I don't like it!   It's too big and bulky carrying it around.  I don't like it.  Then I went into my drawer and pulled out my coupon wallet and put all my coupons in that.  I have a picture of it in one of the posts below.  I even got stopped by a woman in the store who asked me where I got all my coupons.  Well, I was so worried about my coupons falling out of that thing (who hasn't dropped all their coupons at least once?) and so I feel like this is not the way I want to go either. 

Then I saw this small coupon binder that someone made themselves and I thought maybe that wouldn't be so bad, however, I know all my coupons won't fit into.  I went to staples to see if I could find a binder of that size and they didn't have any that zipped up...so I had to get a smaller one.  Now I'm trying to thing how to manage my coupons in it.  Dh was with me when I was buying it and he asked me how I was gonna use it.  Hahaha..I had to tell him I didn't know.  He said when you plan to make something you should have some idea in your head about what you need to make it.  Ok, dh...but never every creative mind thinks like that! :)

Now this is my latest project...organizing my coupons again.  When I get it done I'll post a picture.

Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey)

Dh and I have been attending the Dave Ramsey course at our church.  Tonight was the 12th week and there's one week left.  It's been an interesting journey and we've learned from it.  I've been able to get back on track with our finances and that feels good because in the past I have put our bills and stuff on the back burner because credit cards payments got to be so much and it was just a mess.  This course really made me take a hard look at where our money was messed up and how lazy I had been, but now I'm happy to say with some hard work we are back on track and then some.

I believe the reason that this course has helped hundreds and hundreds of people is two-fold.  First, Dave Ramsey is a very funny, down to earth kind of guy.  And second, he breaks down getting out of debt into baby steps.  And I really think that's the key.  Where most all the other financial gurus have people start paying down debt with their biggest credit card, Dave does the opposite.  He says to pay down the smallest credit card and then apply that payment to the next and so forth.  It's a snowballing effect.  And these are the babysteps he teaches:

Babystep 1:  Build a one thousand dollar emergency fund.

Babystep 2:  Debt snowball

Babystep 3:  Build up a 3 to 8 month living expense

Babystep 4:  Invest 15% of income into IRA Roth or Retirement IRA

Babystep 5:  College funding for children

Babystep 6:  Pay off house early

Babystep 7:  Build weath and give more!

So I am very happy to report that we have babysteps #1, #3, #6 completed.  And I'm working on #2-debt snowball.  I have paid off two credit cards already and will have the third paid off in another month.  I can't tell you how good it feels not worrying about credit card debt.  I want to save the money we are paying to the credit card companies for travel.  Or old age. 

I hope that if you are having financial difficulties you will look into the Dave Ramsey course.  People are getting out of debt left and right with it.



My Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday.  I'm getting old, that's all I can say.  I never pictured me this age.  Crazy!  The kids came to visit and my son brought me an Oreos cake and lemon meringue pie!  Earlier in the day dh bought me a vanilla cake.  I asked them why they didn't plan this better.  I love cake and pie, but three of them?  Temptation is sitting in my frig.  Good grief!  

Then I wanted to go to Jerry's Sub to get a pizza, but others wanted to go to Olive Garden.  $$$...I knew with the four of us it was gonna cost, but I did bring my $4 off coupon..at least that helps with the tip.  It was the dinner from hell.  First off, around here never go out to dinner on a Friday or Sunday night.  Ever.  Too many people and not enough restaurants.  We waited over an hour just to get seated.  When we finally got a seat, dh didn't like it, but I told him we were sitting there anyway.  I honestly think the waitress didn't want to be working...slow and not caring.  When she finally came over to the table to take our drink orders I also ordered bruchetta.  Now the bread is suppose to be totally toasted, but ours wasn't and I had them take it back and it still came out not cooked.  Then, after getting our salad and bread sticks we waited another hour for our food.  Let's just say a two hour dinner turned into a four plus hours and it was late when we got home.  And then we still had cake and ice cream to eat.  But my family was very thoughtful to come spend the day with me.  

The weather today is so very nice.  It's in the 70's the sun is out and it's just beautful.  I'm getting the spring cleaning feeling!



People Who Have Joy Down in Their Hearts

So much for not eating out today!  I was wanting a tuna sandwich, the kind they serve seniors at Friendly's.  After dh finished planting his crop on Farmville (LOL) we hopped in the car and I drove to Edgewater, Maryland to Friendly's. 

Now, there is this one lady who works there that  is one of those people that is never down.  I'm sure you have run into those types before.  She calls all her customers baby, love, sweetie...and she's hands on which means she touches you and asks if she can get you anything.  This lady has been working there for years and never once have I ever seen her down or upset.  I asked her today how she keeps  so positive and she said it's because of "Him".  She said she follows His directions.  Okay, now I gotta profess here that I'm a Christian and I follow His directions, but I am not up.  I mean, I'm lucky if I'm up one day of the week.  Most of the time I am fighting depression and I'm a negative person.  I don't know why I'm that way but I see the glass half empty.  I don't like the way I am, but I don't know how to change.  I've tried, but I always go back to my old negative self.  So this lady at Friendly's is a real joy to be around and there aren't many people I see that I would like to be around for a joyous pick me up!

Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to save the life of a person?  That's what saving babies from abortion is about.  Here is a woman who was a sidewalk counselor outside abortion clinics when she was asking God what more could she do to reach those mothers going into the clinics.  Here is her testimony.  Just awesome. 

I so want to be able to make a difference like this. 

This Past Week

Dh and I have been out to eat a lot this week.  We need to stop.  But it's nice not having to spend time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.  Wednesday our daughter called me and asked if we wanted to eat at Outback.  She was craving a blooming onion.  Well, yeah, I'll go.  Don't want to pass up a blooming onion.  She said she would pay half the bill, but I just couldn't let her do that.  I mean, we are still the parents and I just don't feel right about letting her pay.  I think I get that from my dad.  He would take us all out to eat, sometimes both my brothers and their families and he would insist on paying for the whole bill.  He would say he's the parent...so I know how he felt.  I sure miss my parents. 

I have a birthday coming up.  Yes, I do.  Another year older...they just come so fast anymore.  On my birthday I used to send my parents flowers in a baby vase and on the card I'd right 'congratulations on your baby girl' because if it wasn't for them I would never have been born.  My mom would get a kick out of that.  Really, I had nothing to do with being born..it was all my parents and I'm not even sure why parents aren't celebrated on their child's birthday instead of the child.  So the family is asking me what I want for my birthday and for the first time ever I'd just assume skip it.  I just don't want to be fussed over.  My son called and asked me what I wanted for my birthday..he was out shopping and couldn't come up with anything.  When I said nothing he wouldn't take that for an answer and so I told him to get a gift card to Chick-fil-a.  I eat there a lot, so at least I can get some 'free' meals.  I thought that was a practical gift. 

I finished the taxes and they were mailed out this morning...yeah.  One thing I got off my list done.  Tons more on my list, though.  I started balancing the checkbook and of course it never comes out right, so I'll be busting my brains tomorrow trying to get it to balance out.  I don't want to write checks for the bills until I know how much money I have.

Weather has been cold again, but it's nice to see some flowers popping up out of the ground.  It's time to dewinterize our motor home...we are taking it out next month to go to our Christian Motorcycle Rally in Delaware. 

That's it for now....