MY OLD FASHIONED TEXAS LIVING WAYS

Wonderful Writings of the Weird: Forest of the Lost

2011-11-09T20:21:00.000-10:00

Wonderful Writings of the Weird: Forest of the Lost: I'm standing in a huge forest. It's alive with the sounds of critters and ancient voices. Voices of those lost before me in it's vast expans...

Wonderful Writings of the Weird: Blue Sky.

2011-11-09T20:20:00.000-10:00

Wonderful Writings of the Weird: Blue Sky.: I look up to the sky and see nothing but blue. No clouds or birds are there it's true. I feel the breeze of a cool spring day. It tells me e...

I Just Won 39 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-08-31T04:38:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 39 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 1 Swag Buck on www.swagbucks.com

2011-08-01T03:27:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 1 Swag Buck on www.swagbucks.com

Crayola Crayon Maker Review - Swagbucks TV

2011-07-21T05:05:00.000-10:00

Crayola Crayon Maker Review - Swagbucks TV

I Just Won 3 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-07-21T05:04:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 3 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Tapas y Polenta - Swagbucks TV

2011-07-21T05:00:00.000-10:00

Tapas y Polenta - Swagbucks TV

Potato Quesadillas.mov - Swagbucks TV

2011-07-21T04:57:00.000-10:00

Potato Quesadillas.mov - Swagbucks TV

Quick in the Kitchen: Cranberry Almond Energy Bars - Swagbucks TV

2011-07-21T04:51:00.000-10:00

Quick in the Kitchen: Cranberry Almond Energy Bars - Swagbucks TV

Juicing with Jenny: Apple Lemon Ginger Juice - Swagbucks TV

2011-07-21T04:49:00.000-10:00

Juicing with Jenny: Apple Lemon Ginger Juice - Swagbucks TV

Brick wall waterfall DICKEY thinks he got it all

2011-07-18T14:37:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 11 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-05-04T02:29:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 11 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 7 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-04-25T10:11:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 7 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Vintage photos I am selling.

2011-04-14T07:09:00.004-10:00

Just click on the title above and it should take you there.

I am not looking to get rich, it is the only thing on ebay that I have for sale at the moment, just wondered if some genealogy buff or photo buff could use these. Hopefully someone's ancestors. :P

I Just Won 7 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-04-09T09:05:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 7 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 12 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-04-08T11:16:00.000-10:00

I Just Won 12 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

More Than I Can Say - Leo Sayer

2011-03-28T14:42:00.000-10:00

Johnny's Pot Pie

2011-03-02T11:01:00.003-10:00

About 16 years ago, my son had made me a blank cook book to put my recipes in. I recently found it and have been making plans with my 7 year old granddaughter, Laila, about making one for her. She has started clipping recipes from magazines and boxes and packages. It is so fun to watch, we spent about 3 hours going over recipes. Who else could hold the attention of a 7 year old for that long on one subject?? :) I found this one recipe called Johnny's Pot Pie in my homemade cookbook and thought I might share it with you all. I do not remember where I got it though...I am sorry about that.

A hearty wintertime favorite.

2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ch. celery
1 cup baby Lima beans
1/2 teaspoon dried-leaf thyme
2 small potatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons nonfat powdered milk
about 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 to 3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 1/4 cups baking mix
2 tablespoons low fat margarine, room temperature
5 tablespoons very hot water

In a large saucepan, cook carrots, onion, celery, Lima's, and thyme in boiling water for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until tender; add peas and cook until tender; drain well. In a jar with a lid, combine four, 1 cup milk, and powdered milk; shake until completely dissolved. Pour into a saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat. Add salt and pepper; stir constantly until thickened. Stir in 1/2 cup milk and chicken. Stir vegetables into chicken mixture; mix well. Pour into a 9 inch square baking dish. Preheat oven to 45o degrees F. In a bowl, combine Baking mix and margarine;a dd hot water and stir until dough forms a soft ball. With floured hands, flattened dough into a 9 inch square. Gently fold up dough and place n top of chicken mixture. Unfold to fit dish. Bake about 8 minutes or until browned. Let pie stand a few minutes before serving. Serves 6

Weird Dream I had

2011-02-18T21:02:00.001-10:00

by Leslie Ann Vivian Longoria on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 12:58am

I had a dream night before last. I dreamed I had died but was brought back to life. In the dream I actually got to go to heaven. In heaven, I saw the creator of all we survey. He called himself the creator. He said he never went by the name God at all, it was a name we gave him on earth and he let it alone, figuring we needed all the help we could get in order to believe in him and have faith.

Heaven wasn't UP like I thought it would be. It was just there, in some sort of dimension or plane. Three feet away was what we on earth called hell. Only you could not walk to hell and those in hell could not walk to us. We could see them and they could see us. Sadly, I saw some members of my family that had passed on the hell plane. Happily I was in the 'heaven' side and with some more of my family members. We could see the people in hell, just as they appeared at the time of their deaths. If they died of gun shot, the blood was still pouring from the wound, if they died of natural causes, they looked dead and old, if they died of cancer, they looked just as they did at the time of death, if they died of aids, same thing.

On the "heaven" side, everyone looked the age they were when they died, but we were all healthy, we had no blood or sickness look.

I asked the creator about Jesus and he told me there was no Jesus. There was no Mother Mary either. He said , again, it was something that we had made up to help us believe and have faith in him and he let us have that faith. He let us believe in Jesus and Mary. He said us earthlings had to have some sort of physical proof of the creation and creator, we made them up long ago.

He said there was no Allah. It was also apart of imagination. He explained that he promised us life after death if we lived our lives as good people, helping one another and not harming each other. He put us here as a part of the life pyramid...we are the ones on the top. Dog gets cat, cat gets mouse, mouse gets cheese was what he told me. I asked him what we get...he said we get him.

There were people who killed in the name of their "God" in different religions. He said he gave us all free will and that we had to figure things out on our own, that he couldn't come down here and explain to us that other religions killed and it was not what he wanted. They must pay for what they did with their own deaths and their own after life. I looked across and saw them on the 'hell' side.

He told me there was no religion. He never intended for there to be any religion at all. It was what we wanted to do here on earth to form groups and talk about our faiths. He was just watching us and hoping we would get him right or not.

He sent me back. I don't know why, maybe I will figure it out.

I am going into the hospital for surgury

2011-02-17T14:10:00.002-10:00

On friday the 25th of February, I will be going into the hospital to have two large tumors removed from my uterous. I will be at the Gonzales Memorial Hospital in Gonzales, Texas. Surgury to be at noon. The tumors have been causing me alot of back pain and I have been having problems walking. There is also alot of discomfort in my stomach. I am afraid of hospitals so please wish me well.

RUTH FROG LEGS

2010-12-29T09:23:00.002-10:00

The following recipe is in my personal collection of recipes. It is from the San Antonio Express News Cookbook '1978 insert. It was in the October 15, 1978 issue and very few of these remain. The following recipe was submitted by Ruth Gorman at the time. Enjoy

RUTH FROG LEGS
BY RUTH GORMAN - SAN ANTONIO

8 prs. frog legs
1/2 cup oil
4 oz. peeled almonds
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 1/2 ozs. finely chopped shallots or onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped very fine
4 fresh tomatoes, skinned and quartered
1 lemon, peeled and quartered
1 cup white or pale rum
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1 dash cayenne pepper

Saute the frog legs in oil and a nut of butter on low fire but do not brown to much. When the frog legs are cooked (about 10 minutes), remove to serving dish and keep warm. In the butter where the frog legs were cooked, put the rum, the chopped shallots and garlic and reduce this on a low fire to a syrup, stirring gently. Add the red and green pepper let this simmer for a few minutes. Add the 4 tomatoes and a little salt and pepper, put the cover on and cook for 10 minutes. Put this ragout on the frog legs in the serving dish and heat for a few minutes. Add cayenne. Just before serving put the almonds which have been previously sauteed in butter to a nice golden color (but not too cooked as they get bitter).Decorate with lemon quarters. Serves 4. To make this dish more attractive, serve with rice Pilaf or sweet potato croquettes and a a salad.

John Denver - Rocky Mountain High (From "Around The World Live" DVD)

2010-12-15T11:48:00.000-10:00

Fama Solo Lo Nuetro! Lafrimas De Alegria (Pop Pop dancing with Madi)

2010-12-12T08:42:00.000-10:00

HIPPIE BREAD

2010-11-13T21:03:00.003-10:00

Ha ha I found this old recipe from an old magazine collection from 1978. It was contributed by Mrs. Bette Di Giacomo in San Antonio and it was posted in the Express and News on Oct. 29, 1978 on page 21.

2 cups milk, scalded then cooled
3/4 cups pot liquor
5 tablespoons Sunflower oil
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons black strap Molasses
1 TB Sea Salt
2 cakes yeast OR
2 tablespoons dried yeast, softened IN
1/4 cup lukewarm pot liquor
1/2 cup plain wheat germ
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
4 to 6 cups whole wheat flour
4 to 6 cups unbleached white flour

Combine all ingredients except flour and mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time alternating whole wheat with the white and mix well at teach addition. Add enough flour to reach kneading consistency. Oil hands and knead for 10 minutes. Put in oiled bowl cover and let rise to double in bulk. Punch down and shape into two loaves and let rise to double its bulk in oiled bread pans. Bake in 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes then lower heat to 375 and bake for 30 minutes more or til done.

NOTE: Pot liquor is extracts from weeks cooking of meat and vegetables combined. Instead of Sunflower oil you may use any other pure vegetable oil except Cotton Seed or Peanut. For salt free bread use salt substitute and salt free liquor.

Recipe for Proctor Silex Durable 18 qt Roaster Oven. Oven Roasted Chicken

2010-11-04T10:20:00.002-10:00

My husband got me a brand new Proctor Silex Durable Roaster Oven 18 Qt at H.E.B today and I am roasting an 5 lb chicken it.

I cleaned the whole chicken and set my gizzards and necks aside then patted the chicken all the way down. I used SEA SALT inside the chicken and outside. I sprinkled black pepper inside and outside. I cut half a white onion up in slices and put them in a small bowl. In the small bowl I added about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of dried and crushed rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and stirred this mixture up really well in the small bowl and coated those onions good and then I took this mixture and poured it inside my chickens body hole. I put a plastic sandwich bag over my hand then stuck my hand in the chicken body hole and rubbed the mixture all around. MM MM

I cleaned and scrubbed two large baking potatoes and poked some holes in them. I kept them whole. I put the roasters rack in and poured enough water to cover the bottom of the roaster. I placed the chicken in my new Roaster Oven and beside it, I lay my potatoes. I put it on 325 degrees and it is going to cook like this for about an hour and a half.

Right around 20 till it is done, I took a small metal pot and put some fresh corn in the little pot and added a splash of sea salt and pepper and a small amount of water and put it in the roaster and let them steam it up a bit.

Dinner is still cooking by the way and you can add what ever spices you like to the chicken. Do up your potatoes how you like as well. Add some butter, salt , pepper and cheddar cheese to it, that is what I do.

Happy eating

Fajitas on the Griddle-Q.mp4

2010-10-31T16:14:00.000-10:00

Meat and Potato Pie Recipe by the BBQ Pit Boys

2010-10-28T03:42:00.000-10:00

Texas Gulf Coast Oyster Stew

2010-10-26T06:46:00.003-10:00

3 slices PEPPERCORN SEASONED BACON, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 tbls chopped pickled jalapeños (optional)

1 can (14.5 oz) WHITE AND GOLD CORN, drained

4 cups HALF and HALF or 2% milk

1 container (16oz.) FRESH OYSTERS and their liquid

1 bag (12 oz) Hill Country Fare Oyster Crackers

Heat a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Cook bacon util crisp and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in skillet.

Using the same skillet with the reserved bacon fat, add onion and stir fry over high heat until onion is crisp and golden. Add the jalapeño, corn and half and half or milk to onions bringing mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add oysters with their liquid and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Top soup with cooked bacon and serve with Hill Country Fair Oyster crackers.

CRUSTY GARLIC BREAD

2010-10-22T11:35:00.004-10:00

This bread calls for very little oil.

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tbl chopped fresh parsley

2 tbl chopped fresh thyme, and marjoram each

1/2 tea paprika

2 tbl grated Parmesan cheese

2 small loaves Italian or French bread Cut into fourths

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

IN small bow, combine garlic and oil, mix well

In another small bowl, combine parsley, thyme, marjoram, & paprika. Add Parmesan; mix well. Cut each loaf crosswise into diagonal slices, without cutting all the way through. Brush cut sides with garlic oil. Sprinkle with herb mixture, wrap each loaf in foil; place on baking sheet.

Bake until heated through about 10 to 15 min. Unwrap and serve on a breadboard or in a basket.

Popular Music of 1900-1909

2010-10-17T08:58:00.000-10:00

MENUDO

2010-10-09T04:04:00.003-10:00

4-5 lb. tripe, cut in small pieces
1 onion, cut in half
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
ajos - small heads
1 tablespoon cumin
2 small or 1 large can hominy, drained
pinch of salt

Wash and cut tripe in small piece; place in 6 qt. boiling water with salt, onion; low heat and simmer for one hour; add hominy and other ingredients; simmer at least 3 more hours; add up to 2 more cups water to replace that lost in cooking. Serve with hot corn tortillas, a small slice of lemon and small cut onions. serves 10 - 12 people.

I will be posting pics of this as soon as I make it. Tonight I am making something else.

ajos is garlic.

Leslie's Improved BBQ Sauce

2010-10-06T07:37:00.003-10:00

Handful of chile verde
1 tomatoe
1 small onion
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard
some Texas style bottled Mesquite BBQ sauce, or any brand

Cut up chile verde, tomato, and onion into very small pieces. Put all ingredients in sauce pan. Add salt, oil and mustard. Add enough bbq sauce to taste and stir. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then slop it on your favorite meat on the pit.

SPICEY CASSEROLE OLE

2010-10-05T10:17:00.002-10:00

This recipe is from a box of H.E.B. precooked enriched rice. (remember, anything that says ENRICHED, only means that the good stuff was taken out to put in preservatives which are not good for you, wont necessarily kill you, but they aren't good for you. the word ENRICHED is a trick word).

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can (15 0z) kidney beans, drained
1 cup HEB INSTANT RICE, PREPARED
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
2/3 cup shredded American processed cheese

preheat oven to 375 degrees f. In a skillet, brow beef, onion, and green pepper. Pour off excess fat. Stir in salt and chili powder. IN a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, alternate layers of beef mixture, beans, rice, and tomatoe sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Makes 6 sevings (about 1 cup each)

Chicken Barley Chili

2010-10-04T04:31:00.003-10:00

The great flavor of chili with a healthy twist!

1 (14 1/2 oz) can Tomatoes, diced , un-drained.
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (14 1/2) oz can Fat free chicken broth
1 cup Quaker Medium Barley
4 cups Water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 (15 1/4 oz) can Corn, whole kernel or cor with peppers, un-drained
3 cups chicken breasts, cooked cut into bite size pieces
Reduced or no fat cheddar cheese (optional)
Reduced fat or fat free sour cream (optional)

In 6 quart saucepan, combine first 7 ingredients. Over high heat bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, corn and chicken, increase heat to high until chili comes to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until barley is tender. If upon standing the chili becomes to thick, add more chicken broth or water until chili is desired consistency. If desired, top with shredded cheese and sour cream. Makes 11 (1 cup) servings.

Savory Chicken

2010-09-27T04:57:00.003-10:00

If you can donate on the right to help out with getting our electricity fixed We would love the help and God bless.

Makes 4 servings.. Found this recipe on the back of a can of Red Gold Stewed Tomatoes 100 % natural.

2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
salt & pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14.5 oz) can RED GOLD stewed tomatoes
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup cooked orzo pasta

Into a pie plate, pour 1/2 cup broth. Place the flour, salt and black pepper in a gallon plastic bag. Dip chicken breasts into broth and then place in plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat all pieces with flour. Add Oil to a large skillet and heat. Add chicken and cook on medium high heat until both sides of chicken are golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add remaining flour to skillet; cook and stir until brown. Slowly add 1/4 cup chicken broth; cook until thickened. Gradually stir in remaining broth; continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened.
Add Red Gold tomatoes and green onions to skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Add pasta to sauce and stir. Return chicken to the skillet and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

I have used these Red Gold tomatoes and they have a lovely flavor. I also like that they are all natural. I am using them now in a pot roast I got on sale at H.E.B on Thursday. I saved 28.00 at H.E. B using my coupons.

A short note to everyone, I am cigarette smoke free now for 4 months. I am proud of myself. Please, think about stopping smoking if you do as later in your years it can cause allot of health problems.

Some may know of our desperate situation here at our house. Last year we lived through a very cold winter without the proper electricity. Imagine yourself camping out in the middle of the freezing winter with no camp fire and trying to cook . This is what it was like last year. I see no way of getting the cash my self. My grand babies come in the holidays to stay while my daughter is in college and works. My husband has health insurance, but we have to pay for his heart meds and his blood pressure meds now as they changed the policy . He works at the Gonzales County Sheriffs Dept now for 9 years. He does not make much money. We are NOT on any welfare either. Please if you can see it in your heart to make a donation to help us get our electricity repaired we would appreciate it. I had 2 people so far offer to do the work but they were not certified electricians. I sure do appreciate the offers though with all my heart, but if something happened to you or later down the line, to the house, I would feel awful.
I have never begged or asked for money in my life, so this is not easy for me. Thank you and God bless.

1986TOYOTA COROLLA or best offer

2010-08-22T06:41:00.000-10:00

1986TOYOTA COROLLA or best offer click link for photos. email me to see if it is sold or not.

Clear titile . This car has some problems. Sometimes it starts. Have a kid thats looking for a fixer upper car, this one is for your kid. Must pick up. Sold as is. What my husband does know about it is it has an oil leak, and may need a fuel pump. Motor needs work. Must pick up at its current location yourself and show proof of payment as well as i.d. and email me an appointment time to pick up.

Vintage 1883 Postcard Sports Girl

2010-08-21T11:45:00.000-10:00

Vintage 1883 Postcard Sports Girl

Look at this! Post card from 1883 with a one cent stamp. On back it says Hello Frank, glad you are having a fine time. Be sure to take it all in . I feel sorry for you if it is no cooler there than it is here. Hope you had a good time in Houston. Thomas.
Art te'vienne 1883 printed in Germany. Stamped Gonzales, july 24 2.pm.m Stamp looks to have some sort of stuff on it. May be someone at one time along time ago was trying tog get the stamp off. There is age browning and spotting to card with front of card having a line across from previous card on top of it.
Card is from Frank Wood Galveston, Texas c/o oxford Hotel.

I saved money at H.E.B. Today

2010-08-10T06:38:00.002-10:00

My husband and I went shopping at H.E.B. here in Gonzales today and I saved a total of 24.80. This shopping run was a short one. It was not regular shopping day. In coupons I saved 15.16. I took advantage of instore sales.
Our H.E.B. here in Gonzales, Texas is a small one and it does not offer us as much as the bigger super stores do. I shopped in Georgetown, Texas at their H.E.B and was WOWED by all the different things I could do and buy there. I spent 30% more money there also. When I need something different, I find I have to travel elsewhere to get as in Gonzales, Tx we do not have a super Wal-Mart or Super H.E.B. :(

How-To - How to Milk a Cow By Hand

2010-08-06T15:59:00.000-10:00

How-To - How to Milk a Cow By Hand

How to Milk a Cow By Hand

The udder should be washed. I take a warm pail of water, an old wash rag and an old towel with me to the barn to rinse and dry the udder. This keeps any mud or manure from falling into your bucket.

Take your milk bucket and set it under the teat to be milked. Best to start off with one teat, once you are good at it you can handle two at a time.

Pinch the top of the teat (closest to the bag) with your thumb and fore-finger (pointing finger). Close the next finger, then the next, then the next (one at a time) over the teat as if you were trying to work water out of a hose.

Release your pinch at the top of the teat (and your other fingers too) and allow milk to enter the teat. Pinch the top of the teat (closest to the bag) with your thumb and fore-finger and repeat the previous movements.

It make take a few times but pretty soon you will be developing a rhythm. Every cow fills her teat back up at a different rate (depending upon how full the udder is) so you'll need to figure this how fast to go as you go along.

Dutch Baby - RECIPES FROM THE WORLD OVER

2010-08-06T13:31:00.000-10:00

Dutch Baby - RECIPES FROM THE WORLD OVER

ingredients:3 eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup flour
¾ cup milk (go decadent, use whole or 2%)
2 T butter
1 T sugar
pinch salt

oven: 400
pan: 8-10 cast iron skillet or Dutch (ha! of course) oven

As the oven is heating, toss the butter in your skillet and place it into the oven to heat. In the meantime, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Once the oven has pre-heated, check the skillet. When your butter is nutty-brown and slightly foamy, pour in the pancake batter. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and golden.

Cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve. I like mine with a healthy dusting of powdered sugar and squeezes from fresh lemons; Jill prefers hers with syrup and berries.

VARIATIONWhen browning the butter in the oven, include some thinly sliced apple and a dash of cinnamon. Pour the batter over the whole mess and bake the same as above. Makes a lovely treat, especially in fall or winter.

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes - RECIPES FROM THE WORLD OVER

2010-08-06T08:56:00.000-10:00

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes - RECIPES FROM THE WORLD OVER

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe came from a label off Cambell's Cream of Mushroom Soup.

3 Tbls Olive oil
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz. ) campbell's condensed 25% less sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 Cup water
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
4 cups extra wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup shredded pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Heat 2 tbsp oil in 10 inch skillet over med high heat. add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet. Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook & stir 2 minutes. Stir soup, water, tomatoes, vinegar and ch. basil in skillet. Return chicken to skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with cheese and sliced basil.

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2010-06-15T11:12:00.000-10:00

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The world’s oldest new mother is dying at age 72 — after giving birth just 18 months ago.
When she was 70, Rajo Devi Lohan and her husband Balla took out almost $3,000 in loans for IVF treatments in Baddhu Patti, India, to conceive their only child, Naveen.
Now 72, Rajo is bedridden and doesn’t have the strength to lift 18-month-old Naveen. She admits she is dying, and too weak to recover from the pregnancy.
Dr. Keith Ablow, psychiatrist and Fox News Medical A Team member, fears that technology could be partly to blame for this controversial question of ethics.
“This is crossing the boundary into the inevitable results of when people use technology without guidance or conscience. And the trouble is that even reprehensible people can do so,” Ablow told FoxNews.com.
After her cesarean birth, Rajo’s womb ruptured and she suffered severe internal bleeding.
Rajo and Balla, 73, farmers who have not received any education, say they did not know it was high risk to have a baby at their age, and were never warned of any complications by their doctor.

The doctor who performed the IVF treatments, Anurag Bishnoi, says Rajo’s medical state has nothing to do with his care or her pregnancy so late in life.
"Even though Rajo's health is deteriorating, at least she will die in peace. She does not have to face the stigma of being barren," Bishnoi told The Sun.
Ablow said he believes that after this incident, Bishnoi should be prevented from being able to make these kinds of medical decisions.
“This is not a doctor; this person should not be regarded as a doctor and stripped of any credentials regarding him as medical professional. He is a co-conspirator in a medical experiment,” Ablow said.
The National Fertility Centre in Haryana, where Rajo received her treatments, was criticized for helping another Indian woman, Bhateri Devi, give birth to triplets through IVF when the woman was 66. The center claims no wrongdoing in the pregnancies of both women.
Besides physical complications, another concern is the soundness of mind at the advanced ages of these women, as well as their ability to rationally think through her feelings of wanting to be a mother.
“If this doctor doesn’t have convincing data on hand that these women are competent to make medical decisions, then him impregnating them artificially should be viewed as an assault and treated criminally,” Ablow said.
“These are women who put their own feelings about wanting to have children, maybe even regret for not having them earlier, ahead of any concerns about the development of their children,” he said.
Aside from the physical health risks to a child being born to an elderly mother, the potential for psychological damage could be significant.
“These children have to live with people who make irrational decisions based on their well being with no concern for others, which is something no one wants in a parent, Ablow said. “Later on, it is likely that these children will be anxious when they understand how old their parents are and that they may not survive very long — and that will have its own psychological impact.”

National Hurricane Center

2010-06-15T08:54:00.000-10:00

National Hurricane Center

Texas Rangers Photo's (Lawmen, not baseball players)

2009-07-12T05:35:00.004-10:00

Ranger Camp. The Ranger's numbers generally declined thoughout the last quarter of the 19thcentury. However, as shown in this photo taken in 1887, they were often called to the field to preserve law and order within Texas. (photo from collection of Mike Cox, Austin, Texas)

Frontier Fighters. Rangers from a unit of the Frontier Battalion helped retame Texas after theCivil War. In the 1870s, the Rangers apprehended or killed over 3,000 desperados, includingSam Bass and John Wesley Hardin. (photo from collection of Mike Cox, Austin, Texas)

Alice, Texas Ghost

2009-07-11T12:52:00.002-10:00

U.S. Highway 281. The ghost of a lady in black haunts a section of this modern highway. She is Loenora Rodriquez, wife of Don Raul Ramos, who lived in a hacienda at Falfurrias in the 1700's. At the time the area was a flat Chaparral cut by a single dirt road. Leonora was hanged from a large oak along that road, by her husband's vaqueros. Don Paul had accused the woman of becoming pregnant by another man. Now her spirit haunts the place where she died. The ghost is seen along the road wearing the same black dress she wore the night she was murdered. Numerous motorists have pulled off the road to help the forlorn phantom, only to see her vanish.

(Alice is in Jim Wells County in southern corner of Texas, thirty-one miles west of Corpus Christi on Highway 44. The Lady in Black is most often reported on U.S. Highway 281 at the Farm Road 141 unerpass, south of Alice.)

Country Fried Steak and Milk Gravy

2009-05-22T09:11:00.000-10:00

INGREDIENTS

4 (4 ounce) cube steaks
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup lard
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
Season meat with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; set aside. In a shallow dish, mix flour with 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Dredge each steak in flour. Dip in beaten egg, then dredge in flour again.

Heat lard in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry steaks 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the dredging flour into oil. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of skillet. Gradually whisk in milk.

Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons pepper; gravy should be quite peppery.

RUNESCAPE - ROMEO AND JULIET QUEST WALKTHROUGH

2009-05-11T19:59:00.001-10:00

Pavarotti - Ave Maria - Schubert

2009-04-28T19:20:00.001-10:00

Curried Chicken For Spring Time http://recipesfrometheworldover.activeboard.com/

2009-04-22T12:16:00.002-10:00

This recipe is from The Gonzales Inquirer June 4, 1953 Issue

Curried Chicken For Springtime Menu

3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 tea. Curry powder
1 cup chicken bouillon
3/4 cup rich milk
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken
cooked rice
canned fried noodles

Melt butter, blend in flour and curry. Gradually add chicken bouillon and milk stir consistently. Cook over hot water, stirring frequently until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If more curry flavor is desired, mix additional curry powder to smooth paste with a little of the sauce before adding to sauce in pot. Add chicken, cook till heated. Serve on rice and garnish with fried noodles.

Gonzales "Come And Take It" Tea Party PT 2 of 2

2009-04-21T13:45:00.001-10:00

Me and my Daddy went to this and we enjoyed it. GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!!

Gonzales "Come And Take It" Tea Party PT 1 of 2

2009-04-21T13:33:00.001-10:00

I went, I enjoyed it.

German Flottkrengel

2009-04-21T12:22:00.000-10:00

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from
Peterson's Magazine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October, 1867

Take one pound of dry flour, three-quarters of a pound of well-washed butter, ten tablespoonfuls of cream. For the top of these cakes melted butter or egg, powdered sugar and cinnamon. Break the butter into small pieces, and mix with the flour, then adding the cream; mix quickly into a light paste. From this break pieces, and roll them out with the hand about a quarter of a yard long, and join the two ends in the middle, to give them the form of a B. When all are done, grease them on top with egg or melted butter, strewing sugar and cinnamon over it. Those who like almonds will find them with the above very delicious. These cakes require to be baked quickly.

BRIE SOUP AN OKLAHOMA FAVORITE

2009-04-20T07:42:00.001-10:00

BRIE SOUP
1 POUND BRIE CHEESE
4 SHALLOTS, MINCED
2-4 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
WHITE PART OF 1 LEEK SLICED
3/4 CUP BUTTER
3/4 CUP WHITE FLOUR
4 CUPS MUSHROOMS, SLICED
4 CUPS CALIFORNIA CREAM SHERRY
4 CUPS BEEF BROTH
HEAVY CREAM
KOSHER SALT
WHITE PEPPER
1 LEAF THYME

SET CHEESE OUT TO RIPEN AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. CHOP SHALLOTS, GARLICE, AND LEEK IN FOOD PROCESSOR. SAUTE BUTTER UNTIL SOFT OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD FLOUR AND COOK UNTIL BLOND ROUX. ADD MUSTROOMS AND SET ASIDE. IN ANOTHER SAUCEPAN, BROWN THE ALCOLHOL OUT OF THTE SHERRY UNTIL THERE IS NOT LONGER A FLAME AND ADD BEEF BROTH. BRING SHERRY AND STOCK TO BOIL, THEN SLOWLY WHISK IN MUSHROOM MIXTURE. ADD HEAVY CREAM TO DESIRED THICKNESS AND SEASON TO TAST WITH SALT, PEPPER, AND THYME. SERVE OVER A WEDGE OF THE SOFT BRIE.

Giblet Gravy for Thanksgiving Day

2009-04-19T09:44:00.002-10:00

Giblet Gravy Reicpe
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp
salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 gizzard, chopped finely
1 liver - same wayMelt butter, add flour and salt.
Blend well. Add broth and finely choppedgizzard and liver.
Cook until thick, stirring constantly.
----------------------------------------------------
Holiday Gravy Blend
1/4 cup of softened butter and 1 t of Kitchen Bouquet into 1/4 cup all purpose flour.
Stir with 2 cups broth from giblets over low heat for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add chopped, cooked giblets if desired.
Season to taste. (Cook giblets approximately 2 hours and strain off broth.)

Murder trial begins:Couple maintains innocence in death of adopted daughter

2009-02-06T09:20:00.004-10:00

Bettie Ruth Ramirez and her husband Ruben Steve Ramirez leave the Gonzales County Courthouse Monday evening, following a day-long jury selection to hear the state's case against them. The couple are charged with child neglect, abuse and murder of their adopted daughter Crystal Ramirez, 8, in August 2007. The trial began Tuesday. Gonzales County Deputy Bob Erwin escorts them. Photo by Nikki Maxwell

By NIKKI MAXWELL/news@gonzalesinquirer.com

Day One - The Final 14 It was standing room only inside the Gonzales County Courthouse Monday as approximately 300 citizens summoned to report for jury duty filled the stairways, and eventually the district courtroom. There were several criminal cases on the docket that morning, but one case stood out from the rest — The reason for the jury.

Ruben Steven Ramirez, 65, and Bettie Ruth Ramirez, 59, are charged with child neglect, and abuse of their adopted daughters Crystal, 8, and Cassandra, 12, and the murder of Crystal. Authorities claim she was starved and beaten to death by the couple in August 2007.

Once all of the potential jurors were seated in the courtroom, District Judge W.C. Kirkendall proceeded with the jury selection process, administering an oath to the whole group and asking them questions to help narrow down the number of jurors.

“If you are not qualified and don‘t tell us now but are selected for the jury, then there may be a trial all over again,” he said.

He instructed anyone with questions about their eligibility to approach the bench and explain the reason why they may not be qualified to serve on the jury. Approximately 27 people lined up to approach the judge with their questions.

The first phase of the jury selection process took less than two hours. Once the judge, the district attorney and both defense attorneys heard from the jurors, the process moved on to the next phase of selection questions.

“In addition to qualifications, we have exemptions,” explained Kirkendall. “An exemption is something you can choose if you want to. If you claim it, I have to excuse you.”

The judge read the list of exemptions twice.

All persons over 70

All persons with legal custody of children under 10 years, if jury service would require leaving child without proper supervision, All high school students Persons enrolled in higher education, Officers and employees of the legislative branch of government Persons who are the primary caretaker of an invalid (not as an occupation)

No hands were raised in the courtroom.

“I have some discretion on who serves on the jury today and can ask the clerk to reschedule you for about six months down the road if the week presents a hardship for you,” said Kirkendall. “Not just if you have to work, that is not a reason. But if something special is happening this week, then in that circumstance I can reschedule you. This case on the docket is expected to potentially last as long as two weeks.”

At that point, approximately a dozen people approached the judge to explain their reasons for asking for exceptions.

After a lunch break, the selection questions continued as television news cameras videotaped the process through windows outside the courtroom.

“The two cases are going to be tried simultaneously,” said Kirkendall. “They are both charged with murder and injury to a child and the range of punishment ranges from minimum of five years to a maximum of 99 years to life.”

The jury’s job is to find the defendants guilty or not guilty. In the second phase, the defendants can choose to be sentenced by the judge or the jury.

“Both defendants have chosen the jury to choose their sentence,” said Kirkendall. “I instruct you to follow all instructions I give you, otherwise it may become necessary for another jury to try this case.”

The judge then instructed the group to not associate with the lawyers, or anyone involved in the case, if they are selected for the jury. He explained that the burden of proof is on the State of Texas, and that the defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

“A fair jury is one that is impartial to both sides and can make an honest judgment,” Kirkendall said. “You must set aside anything that you have heard about this case and leave it outside the courtroom. You must be able to follow the law as I explain it to you.”

He told the group to have an open mind and consider the whole range of punishment.

“The lawyers are not allowed to ask you what judgment you may give the defendants and nobody can commit you to any sentence in this case,” he said.

District Attorney Heather Hollub spoke to jury candidates as a group.

“The question today is not have you never heard about the case, but whether what you have heard about this case is true,” Hollub said. “This isn’t going to be an easy case, there are a lot of difficult things to hear and see.”

A man and a woman stood up and told Hollub that they have already made up their minds based on what they had heard.

“We’ve got murder and injury to a child. With murder, the state has to prove that the defendants caused the death,” said Hollub. “You can also cause death by failing to fulfill your duty, and by not providing proper food and nourishment. And when you act knowing what the result will be, then that is with intent.”

Hollub asked parents and grandparents to stand, and said, “As a parent what do you have a duty to do for that child?”

She asked if anyone could not believe that a parent could kill their child. No hands were raised.

“If anyone in here has been abused by a spouse or parent, or has been charged with abuse or has experienced that situation, and doesn‘t want to go through this, please tell us now,” she said.

Four people stood and asked to discuss it privately.

Hollub went on to ask the potential jurors about disciplining children.

“Do you think it is appropriate to discipline and spank children? At what point is physical punishment reasonable? Do you think it is appropriate to withhold food and use that as punishment?” she said.

“If a child is acting up and you withhold food but you notice they are losing weight, do you give them food?”

She asked a mother of three young children if she ever gets frustrated with them and whether it is ever OK to tie up a child or tape up a child and put them in their room.

Her answer was no, never.

“There are going to be hard photos to look at in this case, autopsy photos. Is there anyone here who feels that it would be difficult for them to look at photos?”

Four people raised their hands.

“It will be your job to hear testimony. Does anyone here expect a child witness to testify the same as an adult?”

Only a few hands went up.Hollub read the witness list and asked if anyone knew them or had a relationship with them that would affect their ability to hear their testimony. Several hands were raised and the individuals each explained their reasons.

“It’s your job to determine their credibility on the witness stand,” she said. “It’s very important to have a fair trial. Is there anyone here who is uncomfortable about making decisions in this case due to religious convictions, or anything else?”

One man stood and said that he didn‘t feel that he could make a decision on something that important.

“Does anyone here know the Ramirez’s?”

Seven people raised their hands: A school bus driver, a neighbor from Belmont, a member of the Belmont Volunteer Fire Dept., a school teacher who had their oldest daughter in his class, someone who knew them from a local livestock show, a teacher in Nixon/Smiley, and a woman who says she has heard a lot about the case and knows the family. All of them said there is nothing that would prevent them from making a fair and impartial decision based on evidence.

Then the defense attorneys took their turn. Bettie Ruth Ramirez’s attorney Nate Stark went first, attempting to learn more about the potential jurors and chip away at the number. He spoke about the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the importance of a fair trial.

“Five of the Bill of Rights relate to criminal charges and a speedy trial,” Stark said. He stressed the necessity for impartiality and fairness.

“I think this system is important enough to you too, and someday it may be you sitting here (as a defendant).”

Stark explained the role of a jury.

“The judge in a jury trial is a referee,” he said. “The 12 jurors on the panel will each be judges.”

He asked the group whether they would “take the state’s word for it” if they said a person is guilty.

“Not if they haven’t proven it to me,” replied one man.

Two people said they did not want to serve on the jury due to alcoholic and abusive childhoods and five people said they didn’t think they would be fair jurors for various reasons.

“You’re going to know people in this case, there’s no way around it.”

When Stark was finished, attorney Robert Caine, representing defendant Ruben Steven Ramirez, addressed the courtroom.

“Would you want to be on your own jury?” He asked. “I want you to be neutral.”

He asked them what they expected to see and hear if they were selected. Then he went one by one asking each of the nearly 300 people if they wanted to be on the jury and why or why not.

“There are three possible verdicts in this case: Guilty, not guilty, and no decision,” said Caine. “Will that (no decision) disappoint anyone?”

Some said they were OK with it, but others said ’no, we must make a decision.’“It’s a very serious case,” said Caine.

“These people’s lives are in your hands.”

When the group questioning phase was complete, the attorneys went through the list of potential jurors, asking them specific questions about some of their answers.

The court was excused for a 20 minute recess while the jury was chosen. The potential jurors returned to the courtroom slowly, resumed their seats and talked amongst themselves as they waited to learn if they would be one of the final 14.

“If your name is called, take your seat in the jury box,” said Kirkendall.

As the names were read aloud, there was a low sigh of relief from the crowd.

“Those of you who were not selected, I know you are disappointed but you can go home now,” said Kirkendall.

By the end of the day, nine women and three men were selected to decide the fate of Ruben and Bettie Ramirez. Another man and woman were selected as alternate jurors in case one of the 12 has to be replaced.

The Trial

On Tuesday morning, the jurors were brought in and the judge instructed them on their duties. “You are now officials of this court.” He then read the list of instructions to them as required by law, to ensure their understanding. “You will not take it upon yourself to research this case on your own. You alone must decide the facts in this case and keep an open mind.”

With that, the trial of Ruben and Bettie Ramirez began.

Each count and paragraph of the Grand Jury Indictment against Bettie Ramirez was read by Assistant District Attorney Carrie Moy.

Bettie Ramirez faced the jury and pleaded not guilty to all abuse and murder charges of Crystal, and abuse charges of her older sister Cassandra, but pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to seek and provide medical care for the deceased girl.

Then Moy read each count and paragraph of the Grand Jury indictment against Ruben Steven Ramirez.

He also pleaded not guilty to all abuse and murder charges, but guilty to not providing medical care for a child, a first degree penalty. As he stood and faced the jury, listening to the charges against him, he began to cry.

The judge excused the jury and took a few minutes to speak with the defendants and confirm that they understood the plea. They replied that they did.

During the district attorney’s opening statement, she spoke about what little girls do and how they plan their birthday parties.“Nine days before her ninth birthday party, Crystal Ramirez was lying in a lawn chair wearing a diaper,” said Hollub. “She weighed 45 lbs and was wearing a small child’s T-shirt. Nine days before her birthday she was dead. She was so starved she wasn’t able to walk. She had ligature marks on her wrists and ankles, and pressure ulcers on her back. She was filthy. Her father loaded her lifeless body into the car and drove her to the fire department. Bettie called 911 and said ‘my daughter isn’t breathing, she fell off the trampoline and has diarrhea.’ He (Ruben Ramirez) worked at the volunteer fire department and hadn’t started CPR. Her (Crystal‘s) eyes were dried out and she had been dead for a while. Eight year old girls don’t just die on trampolines. Eight year old girls, who are too weak to walk, don’t jump on trampolines.”

“You’ll hear that Mr. Ramirez admits that he hit her in the head with a cane, and that he taped her up. Initially Bettie didn’t admit to taping her up, but eventually she did. When the Rangers search the house, they smell a stench and find rotten food and trash. As they wind their way through the trash, they stop, and see a door. It has been cut, and there’s a cow bell above the door with a pet gate. The windows are boarded up. They see a lawn chair with tape and bedding on it. This isn’t a bedroom, it’s a cell.”

“It is in that room that Crystal died, starved and beaten. Crystal’s death became Cassie’s salvation. Her eight year old, 45 pound body was taken to the medical examiner’s office and an autopsy was done,” Hollub continued.

“He found 10 blunt force trauma injuries, bruising underneath her scull cap, blood bruising on her legs and ligature marks on her arms. Her organs had been shutting down and her own body had metabolized her fat and muscle -- it was eating itself. She had complete kidney failure and her death was ruled a homicide.

“Child Protective Services transported Charlie (Crystal’s younger brother) and Cassie to San Antonio to The Center for Miracles, and they were interviewed. Cassie told Dr. Kellogg about the abuse she suffered, and the murder of her sister. She had just turned 10 years old and had to wear a diaper. It was determined that she was suffering from malnutrition. She (Cassie) was fed before her visit, but the food made her sick and she was placed on a special diet. She had edema on her ankles, and was missing patches of hair. You’ll hear that she had tape across her mouth and the back of her hair.”

Hollub spoke of the treatment of the children, citing the charges of neglect, abuse, and Crystal’s murder.

Then she walked toward the defendants’ table and pointed at them.

“You are going to hear evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Bettie and Ruben Ramirez abused and murdered Crystal Ramirez and abused Cassie Ramirez.”

The first witness for the prosecution was Diane Taylor, a Gonzales County 911 operator and dispatcher. Taylor answered Bettie Ramirez’s 911 call Aug. 23, 2007. The DA played a recording of that phone call for the jury. On the tape Bettie is heard saying her daughter isn’t breathing and that her husband is taking Crystal to the Belmont Fire Station.

Taylor said she dispatched the Gonzales County EMS and first responders.

On the tape a voice says, “She is already cold.”“They don’t usually leave with them (from the house),” Taylor said, referring to people with need of emergency care. “It kind of seemed out of the ordinary (to bring the child to the fire department - instead of a hospital).”

The defense asked the operator about the nearest hospital in Gonzales, in relation to Belmont where the Ramirez family lives.

The Inquirer is covering every day of the Ramirez trial, however, due to our publishing schedule the testimony information will be printed a couple of days after the event. Please see Tuesday’s issue for more photographs and coverage of this case.

Horse Scratching Butt on Tree

2008-11-25T13:14:00.001-10:00

itchy horse

Coyote Problem

2008-11-12T07:32:00.002-10:00

Just a short update about that coyote. I now know there are two different ones. One is larger and has a bit more hair, but grey in color just the same as the smaller one. My husband was called off to work on his day off to transport a convict and couldn't be here to kill it.
I saw the coyote in the morning at 8:29 a.m so it is coming earlier and earlier. We have not given up the fight. Traps cost a lot and we plan on killing it. My daddy was harping on me to learn how to shoot the shotgun, (it gives me quite a fright). He said I can't miss with it, and I agree to that, but fear keeps me from handling it. See, I was held up by one of those shotguns 16 yrs ago when my car broke down. I walked to a gas station but it was closed and I thought the man inside was a clerk, found out he was robbing the place. I had pounded on the door to see if I could use the phone as the doors were locked and he went to a room and disappeared. I noticed the pay phone outside and had .35 cents and called the authorities in Gonzales, Texas to contact a family member when he came around the corner with a sawed off shotgun. :( My legs went to pudding and my heart came out my mouth. I was frozen with fear. He held that gun there for about 2 minutes although it felt like a lifetime. I nearly passed out. I had the dispatcher from the sheriffs dept online and I kept telling that man, "I'm only broke down, I'm just trying to get home, please don't shoot me." The dispatcher understood and a car was dispatched to where I was. The guy took off into the woods beside the store and then the deputy showed up a bit later to get me. I was extremely distraught. So you see...I am HIGHLY afraid of the shotguns. :( But we will get that coot.

Coyote Problem

2008-11-10T13:33:00.002-10:00

We've been having quite a bit of a coyote problem here at our house lately. A brave coyote has been sneaking up on our chickens and making off with a dinner leaving us with no egg makers. This is a very brazen coyote. On the first day, my dad saw him in his back yard, right in front of the tree line, just as pretty as you please.
I went to my Dads kitchen window and looked out, and sure enough, there it was. In broad daylight. The time, about 3:30 p.m. This is been going on now for a week. I live next door to my parents with my husband, and we were not immune to the coyote brazenly coming into our yard and fetching up a chicken. A HEN to boot. I am not sure why that coyote won't take an extra unwanted rooster, but it won't, it steals our laying hens.
Needless to say, there has been a coyote vigil here in the country. My Dad is a great grandfather and can't see well. So when my husband is off at work at the Sheriffs Dept. its the coyote against me and my Daddy. Now, my Daddy has cataracts and has many surgeries on his eyes and has lost his eyesight in one eye already. He has tried taking some shots at that old coyote about 4 times and keeps missing.
As a good daughter, I told him to let me try and he handed me the gun. I took a shot the next time that coyote came to the house...but i missed to. Not to mention, I had the shakes for almost an hour after wards. I did manage to save the chicken though. So I was glad of that.
This morning I heard the chickens put up a ruckus in my yard, the time was around 10.25 a.m (I am now recording his/her comings and goings) and looked out my living room window, (the one on the west side of the house) and 15 feet from the window was that dang coyote. WITH ANOTHER HEN IN IT'S MOUTH. I grabbed the phone, yelled 'coyote' gave the coordinates to my Dad, screamed at my husband and started shaken. My husband ran out the front door of our house, and my Daddy out the back door of his, and the coyote sauntered a bit, then hauled butt with our chicken to the east side of our property, through the dry pond bed, then up the north side and disappeared with it's fresh kill.
Both my Daddy and my husband did coyote recons all day long. Myself including with only a large buck knife that my husband gave me, as I am to scared to use the big guns he has. The only gun I can shoot with confidence is the .22. But, he had that one at the time. I can just picture myself coming into a coyote confrontation and it's me or him, and pull out my buck knife and give him the 'down under' treatment. Right!! I would freeze up I am sure.
This coyote is sneaky, but I think he rather stupid at the same time. Clever , yes, but he fails to realize that we can follow his trail by his foot tracks and the CHICKEN FEATHERS he leaves all over when he runs.
I will try and get a picture of him if I can and post it. Not sure if that will happen as I tend to get scared when I see him.
I want him gone that's for sure as I have two small granddaughters that frequently come to visit and I won't let them in the yard to play at all till I see that coyotes head on pike. And I mean that.

Omlets Shaken in a Zip lock bag

2008-10-16T04:30:00.007-10:00

My Dad sent this recipe to me in my email. (unsure of its original origins) it was a good idea and i tried it, I hope you enjoy it.

1. Crack 2 eggs into the quart size Ziploc bag (not more than 2) shake/knead the bag to combine them.

2. Put out a variety of ingredients such as: Cheeses, Ham, Onions, Green Peppers, Tomatoes, Hash Browns, Salsa, Etc.

3. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake the bag to mix them well.

4. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

5. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. If you have more omelets, make another pot of boiling water.

6. Cut the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be pre pared for everyone to be amazed.

7. Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and it becomes a great conversation piece.

Imagine having these ready the night before, and putting the bag in boiling water while you get ready. And in just 13 minutes you have a nice omelet for a quick breakfast

Pizza Sauce

2008-09-18T03:45:00.002-10:00

1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons celery, chopped
3 Tablespoons Green Pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, stewed
6 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Teaspoon oregano
1/8 Teaspoon basil
1/8 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon rosemary

1. Saute` onion, celery, green pepper, and mushrooms until tender.
2. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in seasonings.
3. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occassionally. Use immediately or refrigerate.

My new grandson and the grand baby pics

2008-09-16T05:07:00.008-10:00

Here is my daughter pregnant with my grandson, just days before he was born. This is Rebecca Kay. Here I am with D.J. about a week after he was born, Laila is peeking in on the side there. :)

My husband and grand son. Pop Pop likes babies, just not changing the diapers.

Here is Pop Pop (my husband) with all the grandbabies. The girls are jealous of the baby and wont let Pop Pop hold him alone. LOL. They think their Pop Pop is exclusive only to themselves. Move over Laila and Madi, here comes D.J.

Here is another pic of me, D.J. and Laila. My face is swollen from allergies, and I was not in my top form, please excuse my pic.

SAFE

2008-08-15T18:14:00.003-10:00

song

Dateline: To Catch a Predator - Pervert Doc Maurice Wolin

2008-08-15T18:14:00.001-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Predator - Pervert Doc Maurice Wolin. A well known, DOCTOR AND MARRIED. From San Fransico. Looking for a little 13 yrs old girl. nasty

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator... too many lies

2008-08-15T18:13:00.013-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator... 2hr Roadtrip for Sex

2008-08-15T18:13:00.011-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator...2 hour roadtrip for sex with a 13 year old. Says he was "just going to hang out with her". Right buddy, I bet you were, sicko.

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator... 2hr Roadtrip for Sex

2008-08-15T18:13:00.009-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator...2 hour roadtrip for sex with a 13 year old. Says he was "just going to hang out with her". Right buddy, I bet you were, sicko.

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator... My back hurts!!

2008-08-15T18:13:00.007-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Predator...oh my back!! Needless to say, the cops put their knee right in the middle of the old guys back. What a wuss!! A 58 yr old married perv.

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator... Math Teacher Busted!

2008-08-15T18:13:00.005-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Predator.. math is not only his BEST SUBJECT, RIGHT?. Parents, make sure you know your kids teachers...omg. This guy is a sicko.

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator... Busted AGAIN!!

2008-08-15T18:13:00.003-10:00

Dateline: To Catch a Sex Predator does it again and busts this yahoo who was JUST BUSTED and on To Catch a Predator before..can we say idiot?

Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator

2008-08-15T18:13:00.001-10:00

Dateline NBC Catches Mannbay2004 illiciting sex with a young child. What a sicko. And he says he wasnt going to 'do anything.'

Human ' Treeman ' sprouts roots from hands and feet.

2008-08-15T18:12:00.001-10:00

amazing tree man has rare disorder that causes him to look like a tree and grow roots and vines.

Making Homemade Soap: Lavender and Lotus Blossom

2008-08-15T18:01:00.001-10:00

Grilled Chicken and Pasta

2008-08-15T18:00:00.001-10:00

very good recipe for cream gravy. I am making this tonight. I saw the vid the other day, so I had tim to prepare. You should try this, it is easy to make and yummy. I am baking my chicken though, to hot here in texas to stand outside in the heat for long.

MISSING YOU. I miss my Son. He lives in Islip New York

2008-08-15T17:59:00.001-10:00

I haven't seen my son in 4 years. He works two jobs and lives in Islip, New York. He has a hard time finding the money and time to come see me. I am afraid to fly in airplanes and also have no money to go there. I just miss him.

Where to buy Soap Making Kits

2008-08-13T03:31:00.002-10:00

If you looking to start making homemade or melt and pour soap, here are some good pages to go to purchase supplies. Always wear safety gear when using lye.

http://www.glorybeefoods.com
http://www.soapmakingstore.com/
http://www.soapcrafters.com/
http://www.brambleberry.com
http://www.cranberrylane.com
http://www.essentialwholesale.com/
http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/

My newly adopted dog, Gracey

2008-08-12T11:21:00.000-10:00

My newly adopted dog, Gracey

Gonzales, Texas debate it, talk about it

2008-08-12T07:12:00.002-10:00

Monday: Commissioner tweaked proposed budget: Employees still targeted for 8 percent salary hike, elected officials take less By GREG LITTLE/publisher@gonzalesinquirer.com
The Gonzales County Commissioners Court made several moves on Monday which differed from budget decisions made last week. One of the major moves was changing the salary of the sheriff.
"We've got to get him in line with us and everyone else," said commissioner Kevin La Fleur. Currently, the sheriff earns just over $37,000 per year. La Fleur said he felt the sheriff should be given a salary of $44,000, which is about the same as what each commissioner earns. The discussion about the sheriff's salary came during a workshop held at the end of the regular meeting of the commission. All commissioners agreed on the proposal to raise the salary of the sheriff.
They also said that would be his salary and he would not receive a percentage raise this year. Judge David Bird said because all commissioners were in agreement with the sheriff's salary issue, no vote was necessary.
All changes made during the meeting Monday will be placed into the budget and be presented at a public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 19. That will be the first of two budget hearings. The second is set for Monday, Aug. 25.
During last week's two-day budget workshop, commissioners were basing the budget on an 8 percent pay raise for all county employees. But on Monday, commissioner Dell Whiddon proposed that all elected and appointed officials be given a 5 percent raise and the rest of the employees be given an 8 percent raise. Everyone also agreed this would be a good idea. It was pointed out that people with higher salaries would get a larger raise if everyone was given the same percentage. "I think the employees will like this better," said Lee Riedel, county clerk.
In another salary-related issue, the role of Raleigh Measom was discussed by commissioners. Measom told the commissioners that "in my absence," they had a discussion concerning the salary he is paid for being in charge of subdivision regulations in the county. Last week, the commissioners voted to change his compensation from $6,000 to $7,008, which would have been the 8 percent raise. But Measom said there is a lot of work involved in subdivision regulations and he felt his compensation should be $10,000 annually. "I feel it's a just fee," said Measom. "I am asking you to set it at $10,000 and move forward."
Bird asked Measom if he was working at least 20 hours per week on subdivision regulations and compliance. "If I weren't doing it, I would be more than content where I am," said Measom, who then asked for another vote on the matter.
La Fleur said he agreed with Measom's reasoning, pointing out if the county had to hire someone for the position, they would have to provide a vehicle and many other things, which would be more costly in the long run. Commissioner Bud Wuest made a motion to raise the salary to $10,000 and it passed unanimously. In another matter involving Measom, he lectured county auditor Becky Weston about comments she made during the budget workshop last week concerning one of his patrol vehicles. "If you have concerns, you should look at the regulations," said Measom. Weston had stated that Measom is driving a county-purchased vehicle but that it doesn't have "Gonzales County" on the side of the vehicle.
"There sheriff and I have the right to have unmarked vehicles," said Measom. "You should be clear about what you say before you say it."
Another salary matter was also discussed by commissioners and it concerned the three justices of the peace in the county.
Each JP makes a different salary, though the difference is narrow. In the current budget, Judge Darrell Becker of Precinct earns $32,602 per year. Judge1 Evelyn Melcer in Precinct 3 earns $31,545 and Judge Don Setliff in Precinct 4 earns $31,450 per year. Melcer asked the commissioners if they were going to consider equal pay for the justices.
Bird explained the reasoning, in his opinion, was that Precinct 1, which includes Gonzales, has a lot more civil cases and it also represents a lot more voters than the other two precincts."I bring in three times what he does for the county," said Melcer. Setliff said many of the civil cases never go to court and are settled beforehand." All three judges have the same responsibility, regardless of how many cases we hear," said Setliff. "I don't think you are justified to base it on the amount of money we bring in." "I really don't blame them," said commissioner Donnie Brzozowski. "I think they should all get the same."Setliff said it would "be like" the four county commissioners getting different salaries.
Bird then said the county commission districts are based on equal amounts of roads and other duties, meaning they are equal jobs. He also then said the issue could be revisited during redistricting. Bird said the county could simply make two constable positions and two justice of the peace positions and split the county in half.
"It's just a thought," said Bird. "I would make things even". in the end, the commissioners voted 3-1 to make the salaries of all justices of the peace the same. All will be paid the same as Becker in Precinct 1.
Another major issue which still has to be resolved by commissioners is where to set the tax rate. Last week, they had discussed setting it at .6450 per $100 of assessed valuation. But on Monday, they decided to propose setting the rate at .6562, which is the same as the current fiscal year. "That may be what we need to go with," said Bird.
Whiddon said the county can always lower the rate but it cannot be increased once it is advertised. "We can always go down," said Whiddon.
Commissioners voted to go with the current rate and it passed 4-0.
The next step in the process is to plug in the new numbers which were discussed at Monday's meeting and then have the public hearing next Tuesday about the tax rates and all of the proposals within the budget. That meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the commissioner's courtroom on the first floor of the courthouse in Gonzales.

women with armpit hair

2008-08-10T12:50:00.000-10:00

women with armpit hair

DOLMATHES YALANTZI ( STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES ) Plus Greek Cooking Terminology

2008-08-10T12:44:00.000-10:00

DOLMATHES YALANTZI ( STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES ) Plus Greek Cooking Terminology

SWEDISH BROWN BREAD

2008-08-10T06:17:00.002-10:00

I pretty much wanted to add this recipe here so i can have easy reference to it at a later date.

1 cup quick oats
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons shortening (rounded)
2 cakes yeast dissolved in lukewarm water
7-8 cups flour (enough to make very stiff dough)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sorghum molasses
1/2 cup sugar
Pour boiling water over oats, shortening, salt, sorghum, and sugar. When lukewarm, add part of flour mix. Then add the dissolved yeast, then more flour. Knead in thoroughly the remaining flour until the dough is stiff, but not sticky enough to stick to board. let rise until doubled in bulk, put in two large loaf pans, and grease tops. Cover and let stand until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

BRIE SOUP

2008-08-09T11:39:00.001-10:00

BRIE SOUP

1 POUND BRIE CHEESE
4 SHALLOTS, MINCED
2-4 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
WHITE PART OF 1 LEEK SLICED
3/4 CUP BUTTER
3/4 CUP WHITE FLOUR
4 CUPS MUSHROOMS, SLICED
4 CUPS CALIFORNIA CREAM SHERRY
4 CUPS BEEF BROTH
HEAVY CREAM
KOSHER SALT
WHITE PEPPER
1 LEAF THYMES

SET CHEESE OUT TO RIPEN AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. CHOP SHALLOTS, GARLICE, AND LEEK IN FOOD PROCESSOR. SAUTE BUTTER UNTIL SOFT OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD FLOUR AND COOK UNTIL BLOND ROUX. ADD MUSTROOMS AND SET ASIDE. IN ANOTHER SAUCEPAN, BROWN THE ALCOLHOL OUT OF THTE SHERRY UNTIL THERE IS NOT LONGER A FLAME AND ADD BEEF BROTH. BRING SHERRY AND STOCK TO BOIL, THEN SLOWLY WHISK IN MUSHROOM MIXTURE. ADD HEAVY CREAM TO DESIRED THICKNESS AND SEASON TO TAST WITH SALT, PEPPER, AND THYME. SERVE OVER A WEDGE OF THE SOFT BRIE.

News From my hometown. Red Alert!

2008-08-08T06:34:00.002-10:00

The commissioners in Gonzales County had to get out their red pens earlier this week, trying to find a way to slice budget requests. Commissioners spent most of two days going over all aspects of the proposed 2008-09 budget, in the end making major cuts to proposals, including a request by the sheriff to hire two more deputies.
In the end, though, commissioners did agree to give all county employees an 8 percent raise in order to keep up with the rapidly rising cost of living.Commissioners have also proposed a tax rate of .6450 per $100 of assessed valuation. That's slightly lower than last year's rate of .6562. However, because of increased valuations as well as new construction, the lower rate will actually give the county about $358,000 in additional revenue.
Though the final numbers are still being figured by officials, the total county budget will be just under $10 million. Slicing the pie On Monday of this week, commissioners went through each budget proposal for every county department — including their own.
Commissioners are responsible for their road and bridge budgets in their own precinct. Those budgets have ranged from $688,000 to more than $800,000 in the past couple of years. They include all of the county's road employees as well as the commissioners. The biggest obvious problem which arose early was the condition of the budget in Precinct 2, which is in the Waelder area. Commissioner Donnie Brzozowski, who inherited the budget less than two years ago, says the district was left in tough condition. "When you don't have any money and don't have any equipment to start out with, it's pretty tough," said Brzozowski. "People in Precinct 2 deserve to have the same services as everyone else. They pay taxes like everyone else. "Brzozowski said the money for the Waelder precinct was "going over there but they weren't doing anything. Somebody should have cracked the whip on them years ago and said something was wrong." He said equipment was broken or not being used and everything was pretty much in a state of disrepair. Brzozowski said he has been working hard to get the budget back to where it needs to be but understands it will take some time. It was noted that because the commissioners are elected, the only office which has any authority to correct problems is the state attorney general.Because of the situation in Waelder, the non-salary portion of that budget had to be set at $450,000 in order to ensure raises for the employees. The other three precincts trimmed their budgets to $400,000 in the non-salary category. In doing so, every commissioner made budget cuts form their original proposals. But it was Brzozowski who had to make the biggest sacrifices of what he wanted in the budget. He had to find more than $145,000 in cuts to the non-salary line items and then still needed to add in $50,000 to cover the salary increases. One of the biggest items Brzozowski removed was $62,000 for a new semi truck. He also made cuts in diesel fuel, vehicle repairs, equipment and a plethora of other items. All of the other commissioners also sharpened their pencils, cutting a wide variety of proposed spending in order to get their non-salary line items down to $400,000 in each precinct. But even with all of those cuts, there still had to be more slicing in the county's other departments, including the general fund and the jail and sheriff's office funds, which amount to a large portion of the overall budget. Sheriff Glen Sachtleben on Monday proposed hiring two more deputies for better coverage of the county. The sheriff told commissioners no new officers have been added in 15 years. He said better coverage is essential for the residents of the county. He also said he wanted to put deputy Floyd Toliver "back on the highway." Toliver now covers the Nixon-Smiley area and has the county's canine unit. "We lost $125,000 in revenue when we took him off," said the sheriff. The sheriff also was seeking new cameras for his patrol cars. He said the current cameras are antiquated and replacement parts cannot be found. That will cost around $50,000.The sheriff was seeking three new patrol units, as well as a new transport car for the jail. That car was eventually cut out of the budget by the commissioners. "We need to see where our money situation is," said commissioner Kevin La Fleur." Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated," said Sachtleben. That was Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, commissioners had decided they could not afford to add the two new deputies to the department. They also decided to cut out $23,000 in the jail budget to purchase the new transport car. La Fleur said he thinks the sheriff's office needs to sell its seized vehicles in order to get the funds to purchase the cars. He said there are many vehicles behind the sheriff's office and that could be a source of revenue in order to get the new car. All commissioners were in agreement with that logic and axed the money out of the proposed jail budget. Increasing salaries After the lunch break on Tuesday, when most of the proposed cuts had been agreed upon, commissioners then had to decide on the salary issue. They had already been told health insurance costs are going to raise 9 percent over the next year. Judge David Bird said after the lunch break they had tweaked the numbers and the county was "even" without the pay raises. In order to give the 8 percent raise, he said the county would have to deficit-budget some $322,000, which he said would probably work just fine since the fund balances are in good shape. Fund balances are basically reserve funds in each budget. " This will be the first year it has really taken a hit," said auditor Becky Weston. Commissioner Dell Whiddon said he felt the county's employees deserved the raise. "I don't know of anything that didn't go up," he said. "We need to go on and get it done," said La Fleur. Commissioners then had to decide if they wanted to keep the tax rate the same as it was last year or go ahead and make it slightly lower and use fund balances to make up the difference for the raises. "We can propose higher but we can always go down," said La Fleur.But after some discussion, commissioners said they would go with the lower rate and use the reserve funding to make up the difference. "Everybody's going to say we got an 8 percent raise," said La Fleur. "At least we are showing we are trying to cut the tax rate. "The next step in the process for commissioners is to formally adopt the tax rate and advertise it in the newspaper leading into public hearings which are required by state law. Once the tax rate is published, another series of events begins, including publishing the salaries of elected officials and a pair of public hearings. The final budget will be adopted in September and then go into effect on Oct. 1.

NEWS FROM MY HOMETOWN. Human bones found on roadside in Cost: Remains of unidentified young woman were scattered

2008-08-06T08:01:00.002-10:00

The skeletal remains of what appears to be a woman were found Friday afternoon, on the side of FM 466, at Williams Creek, west of Cost, Texas.The bones were discovered by a mower operator, contracted to the Texas Department of Transportation, who called the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher at approximately 2 p.m.Deputy Floyd Toliver responded to the original call, followed by Investigators Chris Almaguer and Julia Guardiola. Gonzales County Sheriff Glen A. Sachtleben and Chief Deputy Richter arrived shortly after the investigators.“At this time, there is only speculation about the situation. The remains appear to be those of a young adult, perhaps there as long as 10-12 months," said Sachtleben. "While given an investigative case number for reference, at this point it is being handled as a “suspicious death”, with the remains being removed to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy as ordered by Justice of the Peace Don Setliff."
The investigation of the site, which was widely scattered approximately 20- by 30- feet, commenced with careful marking, and photographing of all aspects of the scene.Additional assistance was provided by Texas Ranger Dwayne Goll and the District Attorney’s Office.Following the autopsy, an anthropologist with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office will further evaluate the remains to assist in possible identification."The original autopsy will tell us wether there were knife wounds on the bones, or if they are the marks from animal teeth," said Sachtleben.Additional evidence was delivered to the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab on yesterday.Sachtleben said the crime scene was closed at approximately 8 p.m. on Friday, when investigators collectively felt that every possible piece of evidence was found, photographed, and collected."I'm confident that we have recovered most of the pieces," said Sachtleben.Sachtleben said that the process is lengthy but thorough, and officials should receive results within the next eight weeks."In the meantime, we will continue working on the case, and attempt to identify this person," Sachtleben said. "Every suspisious death is worked on like a homicide."Sachtleben said he hopes to identify this person and give the victim's family some closure."We have enough teeth and long bones to track DNA," Sachtleben said. "We are going through all missing person bureaus, state data bases and in-house law enforcement data bases, to try to find some answers."Law enforcement officials are asking that anyone with information about this case please contact the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Department, (830) 672-2517.

My newly Adopted Dog

2008-08-05T13:55:00.003-10:00

Sad to say, my dog SISSY passed away in April. She was 16 yrs old and had cancer. It has been very hard for me as I loved her like one of the family. I am still grieving for her. I finally put down my feet and went to the local adoption agency and found another lovely dog to adopt. She looks like a miniature bird dog. Her in-house name was 'Molly", ironically, that was also Sissy's name when she was at the shelter. When I saw her, I decided to name her Gracey and bring her home. She had special needs as she has heart worms, which will be treated for next week, so that at the same time, the doctor can remove her stitches from her surgury . She was fixed so she could not have babies. I am just having a small time of it getting her to use the bathroom outside. :( I never had problems with Sissy, she always new where to go. lol. But I am trying.

Here is a photo taken today of my new Gracey!

AND HERE ARE PHOTOS OF MY SWEET SISSY. THEY ARE ALL I HAVE FOR NOW OF HER.

8 KIDS!! 2 GRANDBABIES AND 6 NIECES AND NEPHEWS. CALGON TAKE ME AWAY.

2008-07-15T07:52:00.008-10:00

On top is my son James Ernest at his high school graduation. He is very smart man. He lives in New York and a good man. Momma luvs you. Hes my oldest of the three. My daughter is next to him. Rebecca Kay. She was still in high school at the time and has recently graduated college and is getting ready to go back again cause (she likes it) she said. Below is James, Lil Bob & James in football uniform.

My husband Nikki.

my Son Lil Bob. Bobby Lee. Isnt he handsome? Luvies Bob. He is the baby of my three children and is in college. very smart.

My Dad. Ernest Clarence Vivian. Whom I am very proud of.

Baby Brooklyn is asleep. Hannah in blue dress and Ashton.

Kaylee, Anthony, Laila and Austin. That is my husband Keith (Nicknamed Nikki) in backgroud throwing the peace sign. In the pic on left is Henry (brother in law) sister Wendy holding my grandbaby Madison. In cowboy hat is my father, in NYC shirt is my daughter Rebecca and she is holding my grandbaby Laila Ann, the short woman in front with the glasses on is my Mother, she has her arms around my nephew Anthony, and in the orange shirt is my niece Kaylee. My sister has 6 adopted children. Anthony 10, Kaylee 9, Hannah 8, Ashton 6, Austin 5, Brooklynn 2. Grandbabies Laila 4 and Madison 2.

Whew! I am not used to so many kids at the house at once. Handing out sandwiches is like dealing cards. lol. Its just one of those days. Suggestions would be helpful as I may be having them more often as my sister has been very ill.

ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I POSTED

2008-07-09T17:23:00.004-10:00

Sorry to be away so long. It is all very complicated, really. New pics for the time being. Yes folks thats me. Granny. My daughter is due to have her third in August 2008.

Johnny Cakes Old fashioned goodness.

2007-02-28T15:46:00.000-10:00

I used to eat pork along time ago. I found out that pork is unclean so I quit eating it. Basically a pig eats anything it can including fecal matter. That is not really something I wish to put in my body.

When I stopped eating pork, I started losing weight and feeling better. I did a test and put 4 raw pork chops in my oven & turned the oven on to warm for 20 minutes. Worms started coming from the pork. I had to sanitize my intire oven.

My friend told me, when the pork is cooked, the worms die. Yah?? I am not thrilled to eat the worms nor the meat they borrow in. Thanks anyway. By the way, my friend?? She is 65 pounds overweight and has alot of health problems.

So, way back when I stopped eating pork...I went back to the basics of life. Eating what man is intended to eat. I ran across this Johnny Cake recipe and will share it. It is a common recipe, but an old fashioned one, with out pork or worms in it. Enjoy.

Legend has it that the name derives from "journey cake", meaning a bread that could be cooked ahead when going out to work or on a journey.

In any case, there are as many recipes for Johnny Cake as there are cooks in Anguilla, ranging in style from something like hard-tack to something more like a donut. If you eat at local places in Anguilla, you will have Johnny Cakes eventually.

Johnny Cakes
3 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Cornmeal
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Margarine
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1-1/2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Frying Oil for Cooking

Sift together flour, cornmeal and baking powder. Mix together with salt, sugar and margarine. Make a well in the flour mixture and add vegetable oil. Add water slowly. Mix carefully until mixture is not sticky. Knead into a ball until smooth. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Roll dough into a long strip and cut into small pieces. Knead each piece into a small ball. On a floured surface, flatten each ball with a rolling pin or your finger tips and palms. Add about 1/3 frying oil into a frying pan or enough oil to cover bottom of pan. When oil is hot, add flattened cakes. Fry on one side for 2-3 minutes, turn and continue with other side until both sides are golden brown.

Servings: 1-1/2 dozen

how to make an invisibility cloak

2007-02-27T13:02:00.001-10:00

Researchers say they are rapidly closing in on new types of materials that can throw a cloak of invisibility around objects, fulfilling a fantasy that is as old as ancient myths and as young as "Star Trek" and the Harry Potter novels.

Unlike those tales of fictional invisibility, the real-life technologies usually have a catch. Nevertheless, limited forms of invisibility might be available to the military sooner than you think.

"We're very confident that at radar frequencies, these materials can be implemented on a time scale of 18 months or so," John Pendry of Imperial College London told MSNBC.com.

Pendry's research team is one of two groups whose results were posted Thursday on the journal Science's Web site in advance of print publication. The two papers lay out different theoretical methods for creating invisibility, not only for radar but potentially for optical wavelengths as well.

Still more teams are out there with ideas to make things invisible — using methods ranging from superlenses that cancel out the light from nearby objects to actual cloaks onto which video can be projected as a moving camouflage. The most exotic technologies involve "metamaterials," blends of polymers and tiny coils or wires that twist the paths of electromagnetic radiation.

"There are recipes for controlling metamaterials," explained University of Pennsylvania electrical engineer Nader Engheta, who published his own invisibility recipe last year. "Metamaterials are very interesting products."

The latest research papers describe how metamaterial could be fabricated to bend light in carefully curved paths around the object to be hidden, so that an observer would see right through it — or more accurately, right around it — to the other side.

Science
This diagram shows how light rays could theoretically be bent around a concealed object, making it seem as if an observer were looking straight through the object.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The cloak would act like you've opened up a hole in space," Duke University's David Smith, one of Pendry's co-authors, explained in a news release. "All light or other electromagnetic waves are swept around the area, guided by the metamaterial to emerge on the other side as if they had passed through an empty volume of space."

Pendry told MSNBC.com that the cloak wouldn't reflect any light, and wouldn't cast a shadow either. "It would be like Peter Pan had lost his shadow," he said, referring to the fictional character who had to have his shadow stitched back on.

Dreams come true, with a few catches
Theoretically at least, the metamaterial could work like the helmet of invisibility celebrated in Greek myth, or the cloaking device that hid Romulan and Klingon vessels in the "Star Trek" series, or the invisibility cloak that came in so handy for Harry Potter in J.K. Rowlings' novels.

"Fiction has predicted the course of science for some time. ... Maybe these Harry Potter novels were ahead of their time," Pendry said, half-jokingly.

Of course, there are some scientific catches that the tale-tellers never had to worry about:

For a total invisibility effect, the waves passing closest to the cloaked object would have to be bent in such a way that they would appear to exceed relativity's light speed limit. Fortunately, there's a loophole in Albert Einstein's rules of the road that allows smooth pulses of light to undergo just such a phase shift.
The invisibility effect would work only for a specific range of wavelengths. "There is a price to be paid if you want a thin cloak, in that it operates only over a narrow range of frequencies," Pendry said.
The cloak could be made to cover a volume of any shape, but "you can't flap your cloak," Pendry said. Moving the material around would spoil the effect.
The tiny structures embedded in the metamaterial would have to be smaller than the wavelength of the electromagnetic rays you wanted to bend. That's a tall order for optical invisibility, because the structures would have to be on the scale of nanometers, or billionths of a meter. It's far easier to create radar invisibility, Pendry said: "You're talking millimeters" — that is, thousandths of a meter.
The radar application is of great interest to military outfits such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which funded Pendry's team. "Radar is a defense technology, and if you wish to hide from it, this sort of cloak would be a good way of doing it," he said. Such a technology would be "far superior to stealth," he said.

If optical cloaks could be designed, that would be of interest to the military as well. "One obvious thing would be that you could construct a hutch in which you could hide a tank, and the hutch would make it appear as though the tank wasn't there. ... You could also think of weightier things, like submarines or battleships, where you might want to put some of this stuff," Pendry said.

Civilian applications, too
There'd be plenty of applications in the civilian world as well, even for rudimentary cloaking devices. For example, you could create receptacles to shield sensitive medical devices from disruption by MRI scanners, or build cloaks to route cellphone signals around obstacles. "You may wish to put a cloak over the refinery that is blocking your view of the bay," Duke University's David Schurig, another of Pendry's co-authors, was quoted as saying.

While Pendry's team proposed constructing all-over cloaking devices, the other research paper published Thursday describes a simpler method that would involve shaping the metamaterials into cylindrical cloaking devices. The method could also work to block sound waves — like the cone of silence on the "Get Smart" TV show, but not as silly.

The catch here is that the invisibility effect would work only if you were on the same plane as the hidden object. "You could look on top of it, and look inside the cloak," said the paper's author, Ulf Leonhardt of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Leonhardt told MSNBC.com that "potentially a mixture of the two schemes will lead to a practical design." He said the paper from Pendry's team gave him some additional ideas to work with.

"I read it for the first time just last Friday, and I've come up already with something new," he said.

The Tangled Arts: The Universe Tends to Unfold As It Should

2007-02-26T11:25:00.000-10:00

The Tangled Arts: The Universe Tends to Unfold As It Should

Canning 101

2007-02-26T09:37:00.000-10:00

Canning 101
pickles, fruits, jams, jellies, etc
By Jackie Clay

For some reason, (definitely unknown to me) canning, as a method of very long term food storage, fell into disuse. Maybe it’s the hurry/rush syndrome many folks have become addicted to, necessitating “instant” foods, microwave ovens, and mixes for everything from pancakes to casseroles. But for people of a self-reliant inclination—raising a good portion of their own wholesome, chemical-free food and establishing a storage method that is easy and results in tasty food, even years down the road—home canning is the way to go.

And remember, no power outage or mechanical failure will cause your pantry full of home canned food to go bad, as can happen with frozen food. This is the reason I do not freeze food now. I lost half a freezer full of food due to a two-week-long ice storm power outage. Besides, where food only stays good for a year, max, in the freezer, it stays great tasting for years on the pantry shelf neatly packaged in shining glass jars. I regard home canning as essential to self-reliance as any other facet of my lifestyle. Canning allows my family to eat chemical-free, delectable fruits, vegetables, nutmeats, pickles, preserves, jams, and jellies, as well as meats and fish, already cooked and tender, just waiting for a meal.

I can year-round, making up such things as chili, stews, dry beans, (like pintos for refried beans), spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, smoked trout, elk stew, etc. Whatever the season, there’s always something special to can up for later meals. Nearly anything you can find on a store shelf can be canned easily at home. When I tell this to people, I’m usually met with the same blank stare and the questions: Isn’t home canning hard to do? Won’t eating home canned food give you food poisoning? Won’t the canner blow up? No. Canning is very easy. If you can boil water and tell time you can home can. Properly canned food will not give your family food poisoning. I’ve canned for 35 years and no one has ever suffered from the least bit of ill effect from my delicious home canned food. And no, the canner will not blow up despite the old cartoons to the contrary. My old canner is 20 years old, has received very heavy use, and is still going strong, with no repairs necessary.

It is simple to start out. Canning doesn’t even require a pressure canner, which can be a bit expensive—about $130-$150. (Remember, though, that this is often a once-in-a-lifetime expense, bringing the cost down to less than $10 a year.) A person may begin canning with a water bath canner, available at most discount stores for under $20. These are the big blue pots with a lid and wire rack you may already be familiar with. You can also find them at yard sales for as little as a dollar. Just hold them up to the light and stick your head inside to be sure there are no small holes allowing leakage.

Jars do not have to be purchased new. Just get word around to your neighbors and friends that you are going to be canning and need jars. A note tacked up on a grocery store or feed store bulletin board or placed in your local advertiser paper will also work wonders. Any jar that a canning jar lid and ring will fit on—and is chip and crack free—will work. Despite rumors, such jars—previously containing such things as honey, mayonnaise, Sanka, etc.—will work for home canning. I have used them for many years even for such things as corn, meat, and fish, all of which require long, pressure canning. They do not break any more often than do brand name canning jars. And canning jars last for generations. I am canning with a few of my grandmother’s old blue Mason Jars.

Pick up a good, fairly recent canning book. This is a “must,” as it contains time tables, specific directions for many, many different foods, as well as a lot of recipes for home canned goodies. You can also ask your county extension office for literature on home canning. It’s usually free for the asking. Or go to your library. But, if you plan to keep up with your new endeavor, you will want a detailed book or booklet of your own. Do not try to can using those “country style” cute jars with zinc lids, glass lids, and rubbers. Not only are they expensive, but you cannot tell if they are properly sealed. A jar improperly sealed will allow the food to spoil—not a good thing.

Often, when your friends or neighbors give you jars or you buy them at a flea market, auction, or yard sale, you will also get some rings. These are reusable for years and years, serving only to hold the flexible metal lid down on the jar rim during the canning process. The rings need only to be solid and strong. Rust is of no consequence, unless it is so bad that the rings are flimsy.

Lids need to be bought new for each use, for if the lid has been bent on opening it will not reseal, and the rubber is usually only good for a one-time use. Further use may result in seals which come loose or a lid that will not seal. Both conditions are a waste of money, time, and the result can be dangerous, i.e., food spoilage.

Canning with the hot water bath is a simple process: cleaned, sterilized (boiled) jars are filled with (often) hot high-acid food. The jar rim is wiped clean. A hot, boiled new lid is placed on the jar. And a clean ring is screwed firmly onto the jar. The filled jars are then placed carefully in the boiling water bath of the canning kettle and settled into an individual place on the wire rack. When filled, the water level needs to be one to two inches above the top of the tallest jars. The cover is put on the kettle and it is allowed to return to a full rolling boil, at which time the processing time is begun.

At the end of the processing time each jar is carefully lifted out and placed on dry folded towels where sealing will occur as the jar cools. Usually you can hear the loud, musical ping as each jar seals. (I’ve noticed that my wide-mouth jars usually seal first). Leave the jars alone until they are cool. Don’t wipe, poke or move them, or you may end up with an incomplete seal. And do not screw the rings tighter thinking it will “help” the jar to seal. Tightness doesn’t equal good sealing. It happens due to the vacuum caused by the processing.

After the jars have cooled (usually overnight), you may remove the rings, wash the jar, and place it in a cool, dark, dry area to store. It is a good idea to mark the lid with the contents and date, in order to allow for the best rotation. Often, foods such as spaghetti and taco sauce look alike, and you really don’t want spaghetti sauce in tacos.

What foods can you can with the hot water bath? A lot! This processing method will be good for all high acid foods—jams, jellies, preserves, nut meats, pickles, tomatoes, tomato sauce, (without mushrooms or meat), all fruits and fruit products such as butters, conserves, fruit cocktail, juices etc., barbecue sauce, chili sauce, catsup, relish, and more. This list would be huge if we took into consideration all the possibilities with fruits and pickles. I can prickly pear jelly and jam, chokecherry jelly, corn relish mix, barbecue sauces, tomato relish, eight types of pickles, watermelon pickles, six fruit juices, and combinations such as raspberry-apple and many more, often forgotten by countless home canners.

Hot water bath tips
· A combination of hot and cold will crack and break jars. Put hot food into hot jars, cold into warm jars. Do not put hot jars onto cold surfaces or in cold drafts.

· Using a jar with a tiny chip in the top or a small crack in the side will result in either a broken jar or an incomplete seal. Before filling them, check each jar carefully. I routinely run my clean finger around each top as I am about to fill it, just to double check.

· Be sure to adjust your processing time according to altitude. Most charts are calculated to altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. You must increase the processing time by five minutes for altitudes of 1,000 to 3,000-feet, ten minutes for 3,001 to 6,000-feet, fifteen minutes for altitudes of 6,001 to 8,000-feet etc.

· Do not remove the jar rings for those pickles that are not processed before placing in jars, such as some types of dill pickles. Again, read your canning book.

· If the boiling water does not come over the tops of the jars by at least one inch, add more boiling water to accomplish this.

Always use the wire rack of your canning kettle, as the boiling water must circulate well under, over, and between jars. The wire rack will also prevent overheating (and possible cracking) of the jar bottoms and will keep the jars from bumping together while processing, which might result in breakage.

· Always check the seal as you store the jars. Each jar lid should be indented in the center, having no give as you gently press down with a finger. If it makes a noise on pressure, or if it can be moved downward, it is not sealed and must either be reprocessed with a new lid or eaten soon.

· When canning tomatoes or tomato products, use “regular” high-acid tomatoes, not low-acid tomato varieties. If unsure—for instance if you bought them at a farm market—add two tablespoons of lemon juice or ½ tsp. citric acid (vitamin C) to each quart to ensure the product is acid enough not to spoil. Neither product affects the taste a bit and only increases the nutritional value.

· Don’t try to double recipes or otherwise alter them. You may run into trouble, especially if inexperienced.

· Always be careful of steam and hot jars as they can burn you. Lift canner lid away from you to allow steam to escape safely, away from your face.

Two easy projects

Bread and butter pickles:

(Called thus because they are good enough to eat at every meal)
7 slim medium cukes
5 crisp medium onions
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small sweet red pepper (chopped)
¼ c salt
cracked ice

Pickling solution:

2½ c white vinegar
2 ½ c granulated sugar
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
½ tsp whole cloves
¾ tsp turmeric

Mix veggies, mix in salt and cracked ice. Put in fridge or a cool place and let stand for at least three hours, then drain.

Mix pickling solution. Add to drained veggies in kettle. Bring mix to boiling, remove veggies to clean, sterilized jars immediately. Pour hot liquid over to cover leaving ½-inch of headspace (no more). Wipe jar rims, checking for nicks, with a clean damp cloth, then place hot, sterilized lids on and screw the rings on firmly-tight. Place filled jars on a dry folded towel. Quickly repeat this process with the rest so that the veggies do not cool down. If pickles in the kettle are allowed to boil, they will soften. These pickles are very crisp and fresh tasting. Our favorites. (I also slice a batch of smaller cukes lengthwise for spears, and use the same recipe with great results).

Canned tomatoes:
Fill a large pot with water up to ¾ full and put on to boil. Fill a clean water bath canner ½ full and bring it to a boil, with the wire rack in place. Wash the jars in warm soapy water and rinse. Check each one for minute cracks and nicks in the rim. Leave the jars in the hot water until needed. Separate the lids and place them in a sauce pan of water. Bring to a boil, then leave in the water until you need them.

Wash sound, ripe, high-acid tomatoes and dip them in the boiling water of your large pot (I use a wire basket) for about a minute or until the skins crack. Then place the tomatoes in cold water. This allows the skins to slip off easily. Core out the stem and discard. Leave the tomatoes whole or cut, depending on size and preference. Pack into jars and either mash down, so that the juice covers them, or cover with hot water leaving a ½-inch of space between the product and jar rim.

Canning tools of the trade: lids, jars, wooden long handled spoon, canning funnel, jar lifter, measuring spoons, jar rings.

Add ½-tsp of salt to each pint or 1 tsp. to each quart, if desired for taste. Remove any large air bubbles with a wooden spoon. Wipe off jar rim with damp cloth, place the lid on, and screw ring down firmly. Place the jars into boiling water bath carefully and process pints for 40 minutes and quarts for 45 minutes counting from when the water returns to a full rolling boil. (Remember to adjust time according to altitude). Remove carefully and place jars on dry folded towel until cool and sealing is complete.

See how easy canning is? Neither of these projects takes a rocket scientist or over an hour of your time. The total cost to me is about 10-cents a quart canned on the wood range, or 12-cents a quart on the propane stove. Not bad for really great eating—picked fresh from our garden 15 minutes before, and absolutely no chemicals added. Even my seven-year-old son, David, can put up a surprising number of crops with very little assistance. So you see, canning truly is for everybody, men included. After all, some men are our best cooks. Just look at Richard Blunt, Backwoods Home’s illustrious food editor. Like I said, if you can boil water and tell time, you can definitely learn to can on your first try. My oldest son, Bill, who is unmarried, makes fantastic meals including wonderful apple pies from scratch. And he, like David, learned to can at an early age. Home canning is a definite life skill worth developing.

Herbal Remedies and Recipes

2007-02-25T18:30:00.000-10:00

Here are recipes with which to use your herbs:

MONTHLY RELIEF TEA
Drinking this infusion will help relieve menstrual cramps, but take no more than 2-3 cups a day
2 teaspoons dried lemon-balm leaves
1 cup boiling water
Steep the leaves in the boiling water, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain, then slowly sip the infusion.

DUAL-PURPOSE TEA
Sipping this infusion will relieve nausea and stomach upset, and lessen menstrual cramps.
Do not drink more than 2 cups a day.
2 teaspoons dried German chamomile flowers
1 cup boiling water
Steep the flowers in the boiling water, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain, then slowly sip the infusion.

WOMAN'S RED CLOVER TONIC
This infusion, when sipped, will act as a tonic specially suited for women.
1 teaspoon dried red clover blossoms
1 cup boiling water
Add the blossoms to the boiling water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain, then sip the infusion.

NURSING MOTHER'S TEA
Drinking a tea made with fennel helps to promote the secretion of breast milk in nursing mothers.
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 cup boiling water
Mix the seeds with the boiling water. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and sip the infusion.

Texas wakes up to frost, ice, and sleet. TEXAS WEATHER.

2007-01-17T11:43:00.001-10:00

We went to bed with ice forming on the ground and woke up this morning to a beautiful, icy winter wonderland. Texas is icy weather wise. Our bird bath was frozen solid and ice cycles were hanging like beautiful crystals from the roof of our old family homestead here in Texas. i COULDNT GET THE PHOTOS TO LOAD DUE TO THE BLOCKER OR FIREWALL. If someone knows how to fix it please let me know & I can add some photos.

How to get a business up and running online

2007-01-12T18:35:00.000-10:00

When 54-year-old public relations expert Joan Stewart launched publicityhound.com in 1997, she paid a developer nearly $4,000 to build the Web site for her new online business, which enables her to sell publicity tips, advice and e-books that buyers download online. But a decade ago is ancient history in the hyper-paced online world.

Now, with new advances in technology, small business owners with little or no Web experience can develop and operate their own e-commerce Web sites for around $50 a month. These do-it-yourself (DIY) sites let new merchants:

Launch e-commerce sites that accept credit, debit, and PayPal purchases.

Purchase domain names and operate multiple e-mail addresses.

Create, manage, and update databases of products and photos.

Promote their Web sites on major search engines.

Yahoo Small Business, for example, provides all the tools you need to develop and run an online store, including a credit-card payment system and 24-hour technical support. Its merchant starter plan is $40 monthly.

EBay, which has 200 million shoppers worldwide, allows merchants to open virtual stores on its Web site, starting at $15.95 a month. It offers free advice, with e-brochures on bookkeeping, taxes, and other topics.

And these are just the big names. With more small businesses going online every day, local Internet hosting companies also are joining the DIY e-commerce game. If you have service with a local Web host, check to see if it offers an e-commerce plan for business startups.

"If you want a simple Web site that looks pretty good, there are so many services that can do a great job for you: Office Live, Homestead, and others,'' says Ramon Ray, editor of smallbiztechnology.com, which provides resources for online businesses.

DIY or customized site?
A starting point is the National Federation of Independent Business, which offers a directory of popular Web hosting companies that help e-merchants launch DIY sites. Web hosting companies are the landlords of the Internet; most not only rent out Web space but also offer easy-to-build business Web sites. Although some do not charge fees for these sites, be prepared to run banner ads in exchange for the service.

The free DIY sites are not for novices either, warns Ray. "I would shy away from free sites. You won't get the level of technical service you need; it comes down to you get what you pay for."

Instead, new e-commerce businesses should expect to pay at least $50 per month to cover fees for starting and running their own Web sites, Ray says. This covers renting Web space and fees for handling credit card transactions. Your costs may go up if you want to invest more in marketing the site and adding specialized features, such as audio/visual downloads.

Plus, if you want custom designs or add-ons, you will need to hire a professional Web developer. "If you want a unique Web site, with a very professional look -- that does not have a cookie-cutter design -- then have someone design it for you," Ray says.

Basic custom design costs have dropped to as low as $500 to $1,000, because site developers now use pre-built templates. However, sites with a lot of special features may run up to several thousand dollars. A clothing retailer, for example, may want to show images of a product in varying colors or sizes, at the click of a mouse. Or a real estate broker may want to take buyers on virtual tours of houses for sale.

Finding an Internet niche
When Stewart's site was built 10 years ago, there were no easy-to-use DIY programs online. Nothing was automated, so she had to call the developer every time she added pages or made changes. He charged by the hour.

In 2001, she invested in software that lets her manage the site herself. With Microsoft Front Page she can make changes in seconds, she says. "If I create a new product, I have the sales page up and running in a half-hour. I used to have to make an appointment and wait around for the Web developer to get the work done."

A former journalist, Stewart sells downloads for $10 apiece of e-reports she pens on such topics as "Damage Control: How to Keep the Media from Making a Mess of Your Story," and "Questions You Can Expect Reporters to Ask During an Interview." She still uses a site developer for special features, such as a "drop-down" box visitors see when they click on her home page, promoting a free subscription to her weekly newsletter.

But it takes more than a well-designed Web site to draw online customers, she adds. Merchants need to find their niche. "The key is to have an Internet presence," she says. "I post my newsletter online. I blog. I write free articles. I am all over the Internet, so customers can find me." These efforts have brought her a lot of repeat or "lifetime customers," says Stewart. "I logged onto my computer this morning, and I had a $350 order."

She also points to eBay as an example of a successful Web site that began by focusing on a highly specialized market. A Web developer who wanted to help his girlfriend market her collection of Pez dispensers created the initial site.

Getting started
To choose a Web hosting service, start with the comparisons at: http://www.find.freehosting.net

Also check out these popular Web hosting companies for small businesses:

Bizland.com
freemerchant.com
homestead.com
websiteforfree.com
bigstep.com
eCongo.com
bizblast.com
Nebsnow.com
Source: National Federation of Independent Business

Then, once you have chosen a hosting service, here are tips for making your e-commerce site a success:

Develop and stick to a business plan. Don't try to do too much too soon with a new Web site; you may not be able to follow through.

Set up credit-card payments. Internet marketers say many customers do not want to take the time to mail checks by US post.

Check out the competition. Before setting up shop online, search the Internet to discover what your competitors are offering and at what price.

Build a customer base. Consider writing a free weekly newsletter that will link users to your Web site and products. Allow visitors to subscribe to your newsletter from your Web site.

Use word of mouth. E-mail friends and associates to let them know about your Web site, and tell them to pass on the word. Contact your local media; perhaps a newspaper or TV station will run a story about your business.

Follow up now!
National Federation of Independent Business: Links, articles and tips for starting and running a Web-based business.
Small Business Administration: Information and tips on starting a Web-based business. Click on the technology link in the category titled Small Business Planner.
Smallbiztechnology.com: Links, tools, articles, advice, resources for starting and running a business online.
Wilson Internet Services: Ralph Wilson is a veteran Internet marketing expert who offers seminars, newsletters and free advice on his Web site.
eWorkingWomen.com: Articles, resources, links to help Web-based business women.

S.F. group enjoys shopping sabbatical

2007-01-05T07:34:00.001-10:00

By LISA LEFF, Associated Press
Wed Jan 3, 4:12 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO - It began, as grand ideas often do, over a dinner — risotto, artisan cheese and wine. What would it be like, 10 environmentally conscious friends wondered as they discussed the state of the planet, to go a year without buying anything new?

ADVERTISEMENT

Twelve months later, the results from their experiment in anti-consumption for 2006 are in: Staying 100 percent true to the goal proved both harder and easier than those who signed on expected.

And while broken vacuum cleaners and malfunctioning cell phones posed challenges, some of the group's original members say the self-imposed shopping sabbatical was so liberating that they've resolved to do it for another year.

"It started in a lighthearted way, but it is very serious," said John Perry, 42, a father of two who works for a Silicon Valley technology company. "It is about being aware of the excesses of consumer culture and the fact we are drawing down our resources and making people miserable around the world."

The pledge they half-jokingly named The Compact, after the Mayflower pilgrims, spread to other cities through the Internet and an appearance on the "Today" show.

As it turned out, The Compact was modest as far as economic boycotts go. Several cities in the United States and Europe have communities of "freegans," people whose contempt for consumerism is so complete they eat food foraged from Dumpsters whenever possible, train hop and sleep in abandoned buildings on principle.

The San Francisco group, by contrast, exempted food, essential toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo, underwear and other purchases that fell under the categories of health and safety from their pledge.

But perhaps because its members included middle-class professionals who could afford to shop recreationally, their cause caught on. Nearly 3,000 people have joined a user group Perry set up on Yahoo so participants could swap goods and tips.

Besides thrift stores and garage sales, participants found a wealth of free or previously owned merchandise in online classifieds and sites where people post stuff they want to get rid of, such as http://www.freecycle.org and http://www.garbagescout.com.

After going through an initial period of retail withdrawal, discovering just how easy it was to score pretty much anything with a little time and effort was an eye-opener, according to participants.

Rachel Kesel, 26, who works as a dog walker, said she was astonished by how often the items she needed simply materialized — the friend who offered a bicycle seat when hers was stolen, the Apple store employees who fixed her laptop at no cost.

Similarly fortuitous timing happened often enough that group members came up with a name for it — "Compact Karma."

After postponing purchases such as a new wind breaker and a different stud for her pierced tongue — she couldn't bring herself to buy a used one — Kesel broke down only twice.

Once was when she was planning a trip to Israel and couldn't find a used guidebook that reflected current political realities. The other was after her commuter coffee cup suffered a fatal crack.

"I really found a lot of times there were things I thought I needed that I don't need that much," she said.

The pledge provided unexpected dividends as well, such as the joy of getting reacquainted with the local library and paying down credit cards. Gone, too, was the hangover of buyer's remorse.

Perry got satisfaction out of finding he had a knack for fixing things and how often manufacturers were willing to send replacement parts and manuals for products that had long since outlived their warranties.

"One of the byproducts of The Compact has been I have a completely different relationship with the things in my life. I appreciate the stuff I have more," he said. "I don't think I need to buy another pair of shoes until I'm entering Leisure World."

Over the holidays, Compact members gave homemade gifts or charitable donations in a recipients name instead of engaging in the usual Grinch-making shopping crush. Kate Boyd, 45, a set designer and high school drama teacher, visited a new downtown shopping mall and felt like she had just stepped off a flying saucer.

"It was all stuff that had nothing to do with me, yet for so many people that's how they spend their weekends," she said. "It's entertainment and it is the opposite of where I've been for a year."

Now that they know they can do it, Boyd, Kesel and Perry are ready to extend the pledge into 2007. But first, they plan to give themselves a one-day reprieve to stock up on essentials — windshield wipers, bicycle brakes and tongue studs.

__

On the Net:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact

Herbal folklore: What our ancestors believed about herbs

2007-01-03T12:26:00.000-10:00

Since ages past, medicinal plants have been crucial in sustaining the health and wellbeing of mankind. Linseed, for example, provides its harvesters with a nutritious cooking oil, fuel, a cosmetic balm for the skin and fiber to make fabric. At the same time, it was used to treat conditions such as bronchitis, respiratory catarrh, boils and a number of digestive problems.
Given the life-enhancing benefits that this and so many other plants conferred, until the 20th century, every village and rural community had a wealth of herbal folklore. Tried and tested local plants were picked for a range of common health problems and taken as tea, applied as lotions or even mixed with lard and rubbed in as an ointment.

As they did not know the effects of the herbs, they used to watch the behavior of the animals. If it did not affect the animals in any way, then they too used to eat that particular root, leaf or berry. In this way, they were able to find out more about herbs. Gradually, a folk understanding of the magical uses of herbs became a body of "resident knowledge." In the West, the following herbs, spices and minerals are said to have the following extra-medical properties:

Alderbark: Mix with chopped onion and carry when gambling.
Angelica Root: Carry to ward off Satan's forces and to prolong life.
Anise Seed: Burn or add to incense as an aid to meditation.
Bayberry: Where there's bayberry, there's good luck and money.
Benzoin: Mix with protection incense and burn to destroy evil forces.
Blessed Thistle: Boil and add to bath for many blessings.
Buckeye Leaf: Carry for good luck and to ward off rheumatism.
Calamus: Sniff to lessen sexual desire; hang around neck to prevent colds and flu; can be used in divinatory incenses.
Catnip: Anoint feet with tea to make one courageous.
Chamomile: Tea to relax and to wash hands with before playing games of chance.
Chewing John: Carry in pocket when looking for a job.
Comfrey Leaf: Stuff a green doll with this to draw money and luck.
Corn Flower: Sprinkle on right shoe when looking for a new lover.
Devil's Shoestring: Rub on hands to control any woman totally.
Dragon's Blood: Attracts good luck; used in uncrossing.
Eucalyptus: Wards off colds and protects one while sleeping.
Fennel Seed: Aphrodisiac.
Five Finger Grass: Allegedly wards off any evil that Five Fingers can do.
Frankincense & Myrrh: Summons spirits; used in sacred ointments, oils, and incense for protection, healing, spirituality, life, and peace of mind.
Goldenseal: Tea to purify blood; sprinkle in place of business to draw more money.
Guinea Pepper: Create strife in enemy's life. [Not recommended! The pagan rule is, what you put out comes back to you a hundredfold.]
High John Root: A powerful gambling charm for big winnings.
Hops: Place under pillow for restful sleep.
Jezebel Root: Others will be generous to one who carries this.
Kelp: Insures safety for sailors, seaman and all who travel.
Lady's Thumb: Love enters the doorway where this is strewn.
Laurel Leaves: Give to a Bride to promote a long and happy union.
Lavender: Wear near the heart to draw a lover near.
Lemon Grass: Tea for lustrous hair.
Linden Flower: Entices many lovers.
Lotus Root: Wear to bring pleasant thoughts and memories.
Low John, The Conqueror: Wrap in a bill to grow more money.
Mandrake: "Wonder of the World" root protects all from harm. [Mandrake has a human shape, as in the old rhyme from John Donne: "Go and catch a falling star / Get with child a mandrake root."]
May Apple: Carry in your wallet and you will never be broke.
Mojo Wish Bean: Carry for seven days to make a wish come true.
Mugwort: Aids in astral projection when placed near the bed. ["Moggy" was the main ingredient in witches' "flying ointment," which was rubbed on, and is a hallucinogen.]
Myrrh: Healing; protects and brings peace of mind.
Nutmeg: Always carry when gambling, for luck.
Orris Root: A love symbol carried to attract the opposite sex. [Like mandrake, it resembles a human form.]
Passion Flower: Strew around doorway to keep jealousy away.
Patchouli: Burn with commanding incense to break up affairs.
Raspberry: Carry to ease pains of pregnancy and childbirth.
Rosebuds and Petals: Wear near the heart to attract men.
Rosemary: Sprinkle for luck; wear to strengthen heart and mind.
Rowan Wood: Evil has no power over the home where this is kept.
Rue: For protection; brings love into the home.
Saltpeter: Takes away an individual's power.
Sandalwood: Mix with any incense and burn for quick success.
Sassafras: Add to mojo bag for good luck.
Sea Salt: Purifies or clears energy; place on the face of a mirror on which you've put an image of a lover to force their return.
Skullcap: Women wear to keep mate safe from other's charms.
Slippery Elm: Sprinkle on a voodoo doll and bury to stop gossip.
Solomon's Seal: A pinch in all corners will exorcise evil spirits.
Spearmint: Stuff in a pillow or a mattress for protection while asleep.
Spikenard: Add a spoonful to any herb bath to enhance its effect.
Star Anise: Highly prized lucky talisman for mojo bag.
Sulfur: Burn outside door to drive away all evil influences.
Verbena: Passions rise quickly when this is nearby.
Vervain: Ancients believed this would make one's every wish come true.
Witch Hazel: Alleviates heartache; dulls passion and allays sorrow.
Wormwood: Burn with angel incense to remove hexes and curses.
Yarrow: Place under pillow and dream of one's true love.

Kitchen Herb Garden

2007-01-01T09:09:00.000-10:00

Kitchen Herb Garden
by Dori Fritzinger

If you love using herbs as much as I do, you will probably agree that fresh-picked herbs always taste better than store-bought ones.

If you have available yard or garden space, you can plant a kitchen herb garden. Herbs are easy to grow, don't need a lot of space, thrive in just about any type of soil, and many are cold hardy. An ideal location would be a few steps from your kitchen, but any spot that gets about six hours of sun a day is good. By planting herbs that are most often used in cooking, you can pick what you need all summer.

Herbs commonly grow two different ways, annual and perennial. Annual plants last one growing season and die when the temperature hits freezing. Examples include basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, chamomile, chervil, sweet marjoram and summer savory.

On the other hand - Perennial plants produce new stems year after year. (It doesn't hurt to mulch in the fall for reassurance.) Examples include thyme, mint, chives, sage, tarragon, lemon balm, lavender, hyssop and lovage.

For the beginner gardener I would recommend starting with plants. This is because many commonly loved herbs are hard to start from seed. Finding and chosing your plants is easy and fun. Herb plants can be found at farmer's markets, nurseries and many roadside stands. Controlling the quantity of the plants is harder and between you and your wallet. A basic kitchen garden contains enough different herbs to mix and blend into different and delicious combinations.

Let's start with some of the most commonly used :

Parsley is biennial, which means that it grows for two seasons and then dies and needs to be replaced. The feathery-textured herb (curly and Italian are favorites) adds a tangy flavor to soups, sauces, salads and dressings. Japanese parsley, which is catching on, is a blend of Italian parsley and celery leaves. It is often used as a garnish and makes a nice addition to soups.

Sage - perennial - is an attractive garden plant, and some varieties have variegated leaves. This evergreen herb with a strong flavor comes in many varieties. 'Berggarten' from Germany is a hit with cooks (especially for turkey stuffing), pineapple sage sweetens desserts. Sage is traditionally used in breads and dressings that accompany turkey and pork. Hardy in Zones 4-8.

Rosemary - perennial - a member of the mint family, is one of the oldest herbs known to humankind. Through the ages it has been credited with healing wounds, alleviating headaches and improving memory. It is a strong, pungent herb, and a few leaves add a distinctive flavor to breads, poultry and vegetables. It becomes bushy and shrub-like in a few years. Hardy in Zones 4-8.

Thyme - perennial - common thyme grows up to a foot tall and spreads wider. A fragrant, dense, low-growing groundcover with tiny flowers that can carpet a garden or accent pathways and rock gardens. French thyme has the best flavor for meats and vegetables. It has a distinctive, spicy scent and can be used as a salad garnish or to flavor cooked vegetables. Lemon thyme is a branchy trailing plant that forms mats of aromatic, lemon-scented foliage. Hardy in Zones 5-9.

Basil - annual - varieties of the spicy-sweet popular herb range from cinnamon to Thai sweet. Sweet basil is enjoyed for its mild peppery flavor, with a hint of mint and clove. A staple in Italian, Mediterranean and Thai cooking, basil can also be used in flower gardens, as border plants and in hanging baskets. 'Purple Ruffles' is a good selection if you want purple foliage with lots of texture; 'Dani', if you want lemon-scented basil.

Chives - perennial - chives have a mild onion flavor that enhances salads, egg dishes, soups and vegetables. Although garlic is the Herb of the Year, many growers favor milder garlic chives because it's a "no fuss, no muss" perennial. Snip chive leaves into salads, soups, pasta, chicken and fish. The clover-like purple flowers that bloom in spring are also edible and make a colorful addition to salads. Hardy in Zones 3-9.

Dill - annual - often associated with pickling cucumbers, is delicious with salmon or potatoes.

Oregano - perennial - is one of the several species of wild marjoram that can grow up to two feet tall. Peppery-flavored Greek oregano is used in tomato sauces and to season meats and vegetables. Creeping oregano works well in a pathway or rock garden. Cuban oregano has varigated leaves that have a fuzzy texture, similar to the leaves of an African Violet. Hardy in Zones 5-9.

Mint - perennial - the fresh smell and taste of old-fashioned mint can't be beat in an herb garden. Mints are a family of plants known for their aromatic oils. A few leaves adds refreshing zest to a glass of lemonade or iced tea. The many varieties include candy mint, chocolate mint, orange mint and peppermint. Spearmint is ideal for tea, mint jelly and mint juleps. But be sure to contain mint or it will spread. Hardy in Zones 4-10.

Now we need to plant them.

Follow these planting guidelines for a successful herb garden:

Plant early in the morning or late in the afternoon to prevent the transplants from wilting in the midday sun.

Dig each planting hole to about twice the width of the root ball of the new plant .

Space herbs about 18 inches apart to give them room to spread out and grow.

Place taller herbs, like sage, rosemary and marjoram, towards the back of the garden. Parsley and cilantro are good for the front.

For accents of color in your herb garden, add flowering plants like zinnias and salvia.

Plant perennials on one side and annuals on the other for easier replanting next year.

Give the new transplants plenty of water. Once established, make sure your herbs get an inch of water each week throughout the growing season.

Begin harvesting from the herbs as soon as they are mature, but take only a little bit each time you harvest. If you remove more than a third of the plant at one time , it takes longer to recover and produce new foliage.

To promote branching, keep the tops of the plants pinched back in early summer . With frequent picking, most herbs can be harvested for several months.

After all the work of planting is done, the best part is enjoying them. Here are some simple recipes to get you started. Some of the herbs used are different than the ones you may already know.

Herb Sugar
This is a wonderful use for sweet herbs such as lemon verbena, rose geranium, lavender or mints. Makes about 2 cups.

1/4 cup leaves and flowers of sweet herbs
2 cups sugar
zest of 1 citrus fruit - cut in strips (optional)

Gently bruise the herbs with a mortar to bring out their aromatic oils, then mix them with the sugar and citrus zest. Put the herbs and sugar in a jar and cover tightly. For the next two weeks, give the sugar a shake or stir every few days to spread the aromatic oils around and to break up any clumps. After 2 weeks, the sugar will be infused with the herb's flavor. Strain the sugar, discard the herbs and zest, and store, tightly covered.

New Potatoes with Butter and Herbs
Wonderful way to use fresh potatoes and your favorite herbs. Makes 6 servings.

2 pounds small potatoes
2 cups sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup finely chopped mixed herbs: marjoram, chives, lemon basil, etc.
freshly ground pepper

Scrub the potatoes, but don't peel them. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with the salt. Stir to dissolve the salt, then add the potatoes. Boil over medium heat until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, then toss them in a bowl with the butter and herbs. Season with pepper and serve.

Red and Golden Beets with Dill
Baby golden beets mixed with the snap of fresh dill makes this dish a wonderful side. Can be served room temperature or well chilled.

2 Large red beets
20 golden or Chioggia beets
2 small red onions
3 tablespoons of champagne or white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 leafy flat-leafed parsley or cilantro sprigs
1 tablespoon of chopped dill leaves

Stem the large beets until tender-firm when pierced with a knife, about 35 minute. Steam the little beets until tender-firm, about 20 minutes. Peel and trim the red beets. Cut them into halves and quarters. Skin the small beets and trim, if necessary. Leave them whole. Peel, then thinly slice the onions into rounds, toss with the vinegar, sprinkle with salt. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

The beets can be thinly sliced and placed with marinated onions on top of fresh salad greens, dressed in vinegar and oil, garnish with parsley. They are also very tasty served as a vegetable side.

Plant a kitchen herb garden. It will bring you many hours of enjoyment both by the beauty of the plants themselves and the wonderful tastes it can bring to your cooking.

About the Author:
Dori Fritzinger is a freelance writer who writes from her family owned farm, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. When not busy tending to her family, farm, gardens - she enjoys writing about garden produce, herbs, berries, and the interaction of the family in the garden. She has studied both culinary and medicinal herbs and gardening for most her adult life. Now that her children are grown and she is a grandmother, she has more time to devote to her writing. Vist her website.

Freecycle

2006-12-18T11:34:00.000-10:00

The Freecycle™ group is open to all who want to "recycle" that special something rather than throw it away. Whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano or an old door, feel free to post it. Or maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself! Nonprofit groups are also welcome to participate too!

One main rule: everything posted must be free. This group is part of The Freecycle Network, a nonprofit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills. Check out freecycle.org for other cities and info on the movement! E-mail groups.yahoo.com/group/GonzalesCountyFreecycle -owner@yahoogroups.com for questions or improvement ideas!

And have fun and jump right in!

DISCLAIMER: FREECYCLE NETWORK MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you agree to hold neither the list owners and moderators nor anyone affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any circumstance resulting from a Freecycle-related exchange or communication.

Group Email Addresses
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Severe Geomagnetic Storm Expected From Tuesday's Solar Flare

2006-12-14T06:47:00.000-10:00

Severe Geomagnetic Storm Expected From Tuesday's Solar Flare

Space weather forecasters revised their predictions for storminess Wednesday after a major flare erupted on the Sun overnight, threatening damage to communication systems and power grids while offering up the wonder of the Northern Lights.
"We're looking for very strong, severe geomagnetic storming" to begin probably around mid-day Thursday, Joe Kunches, lead forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center, told SPACE.com.
The storm is expected to generate aurora or Northern Lights as far south as the northern United States Thursday night.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are not expected to be put at additional risk, Kunches said.
Radio communications, satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions or damage, however.
Solar flares send radiation to Earth within minutes. Some are also accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CME), clouds of charged particles that arrive in a day or two.
(Story continues below)

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This flare — categorized as a major X-3 solar flare — unleashed a strong CME that's aimed squarely at Earth.
"It's got all the right stuff," Kunches said.
However, one crucial component to the storm is unknown: its magnetic orientation.
If it lines up a certain way with Earth's magnetic field, then the storm essentially pours into our upper atmosphere.
If the alignment is otherwise, the storm can pass by the planet with fewer consequences.
Kunches and his team are advising satellite operators and power grid managers to keep an eye on their systems.
In the past, CMEs have knocked out satellites and tripped terrestrial power grids.
Engineers have learned to limit switching at electricity transfer stations, and satellite operators sometimes reduce operations or make back-up plans in case a craft is damaged.
Another aspect of a CME involves protons that get pushed along by the shock wave.
Sometimes these protons break through Earth's protective magnetic field and flood the outer reaches of the atmosphere — where the space station orbits — with radiation.
The science of it all is a gray area, Kunches said. But the best guess now is that there will only be a slight increase in proton activity. That's good news for the astronauts.
"When the shock goes by, we don't expect significant radiation issues," he said.
The astronauts were ordered to a protective area of the space station as a precaution last night.
Now that sunspot number 930 has flared so significantly — after several days of being quiet — the forecast calls for a "reasonble chance" of more major flares in coming days, Kunches said.
The sunspot, numbered 930, has been rotating across the face of the Sun for several days.
Such storms are fairly common when the Sun is at its most active, but they are rare during the current low point in the 11-year cycle of solar activity.
Sunspots are dark regions of the Sun where intense magnetic activity caps the upwelling of material from below.
Sometimes a cap blows, and a visible flare results. The flares are loaded with X-rays and other radiation, all of which reaches Earth moments after the eruption and can be accompanied by a shower of protons.
These storms can arrive in moments with little warning and can be deadly.
Last week, the same sunspot generated what astronomers described as a rarely imaged solar tsunami. The activity began with an X-9 flare Dec. 5.

Jesus Birth

2006-12-09T02:55:00.000-10:00

Birth of Jesus About 2000 years ago God sent an angel to Israel, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter. The angel told Mary that by God's power, she would conceive and bear a son. When Joseph learned that she was pregnant, an angel instructed him to marry her. Joseph took her to Bethlehem to register for a census. While there, Mary gave birth to Jesus. She laid him in a manger because there was no room at the inn. Shepherds visited Jesus in Bethlehem. Later, wise men brought gifts to Jesus. They told Herod the Great, a wicked king, that Jesus would rule Israel. So Herod sent soldiers to kill the children in Bethlehem. Warned by an angel, Joseph took his family to Egypt. After Herod died, they returned to Israel and raised Jesus in a town called Nazareth.

Friends of Jesus Jesus had many friends, including John the Baptist and the 12 disciples.

John the Baptist John lived in the wilderness near the Jordan River. Many people came to hear John preach about repentance and the coming of Christ. John baptized people in the river for the forgiveness of sins. Although Jesus never sinned, he was baptized by John. When Jesus came up from the water, the Holy Spirit descended, and God spoke from heaven, saying "This is my beloved son." John the Baptist rebuked Herod Antipas for his evil deeds, and for marrying his brother's wife. Herod imprisoned John for this, and later had him executed.

12 Disciples The disciples were men Jesus selected as companions. They had different backgrounds. Jesus chose fishermen, a tax collector, a twin, and others. They travelled with Jesus as he preached. After Jesus died, they taught others about him. The apostles names were: Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot.

Teachings of Jesus Jesus taught people how to live godly lives. As he traveled around Israel, Jesus taught with sermons and parables.

Sermon on the Mount Jesus delivered his most famous sermon on a mountain. In it, Jesus taught his listeners to: • Love your enemies. • Do not judge others. • Trust God. • Don't be anxious about tomorrow. • Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (The "golden rule").

Parables Jesus often taught with parables. A parable is a short story with a spiritual meaning. Jesus told a parable about two builders. One was wise, and built his house upon a rock. The other was foolish, and built his house on sand. When a storm came, the wise man's house stood, but the foolish man's house fell. Whoever obeys Jesus is like the wise man. Whoever disobeys his words is like the foolish man. Jesus taught with many parables. Some were easy to understand, and some were difficult. Matthew chapter 13 has several parables of Jesus.

Miracles of Jesus Jesus did many miracles to show others that he was God's son. God gave Jesus power over nature, power over disease, and even power over death!

Power Over Nature Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a small boat one evening. While Jesus was sleeping, a fierce storm came, and began to sink the boat. The disciples woke him. Jesus arose and rebuked the storm saying, "Peace be still." It became calm, and Jesus said to them "Where is your faith?" The disciples were afraid, saying "Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?" (Mark 4:35-41)

Power over Disease One day a crowd was following Jesus on a road near Jericho. Hearing the crowd, a blind beggar asked what was happening. They told him Jesus was passing by. The blind man cried out "Jesus, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped, and asked what he wanted. "Lord, I want to regain my sight," he replied. Jesus said, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." Immediately the man could see, and the crowd began glorifying God. (Mark 10:46-52)

Power over Death Jesus had a friend named Lazarus, who lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus learned that Lazarus died, he came to Bethany. Now Lazarus had been dead for 4 days, and a boulder covered the cave where his body was. Jesus asked them to remove the stone. He then shouted "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came out, restored to life! After seeing this, many witnesses believed that Jesus was the son of God. (John 11:1-45)

Trials of Jesus Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They accused him of blasphemy, and had Jesus arrested. A Roman governor named Pilate tried Jesus. He wanted to release Jesus. But when the Jews threatened to riot, Pilate condemned Jesus to death on a cross.

Death Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion. He was beaten by Roman soldiers, scourged, stripped, and nailed to a cross. He was crucified between two robbers, and died.

Burial His body was placed in the new tomb of a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus had promised the disciples he would come back after he died. His enemies knew this. So, to prevent anyone from stealing the body, they had soldiers guard the tomb of Jesus.

Resurrection On the third day after Jesus died, an angel descended, and the soldiers fled. The disciples came and found an empty tomb. Jesus had risen from the dead! He later appeared to many believers, commanding them to teach and baptize others.

TEXAS PLANTS NEED COVERED UP

2006-12-08T12:15:00.000-10:00

I have a miniture bananna tree. The weather is getting cold and your outdoor plants need covered up at this time.

My bannana tree seems like it is dying anyway. I have been covering it up. What am I doing wrong?
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