Friday, May 16, 2008 - Friday!

Good Morning!

Weather here is still a bit dreary, but is still quite nice.  We have been productive in the house and have tried to stay home to keep from using gas! With prices jumping 12 cents in one evening it is hard to justify going out for much of anything... but today I must.  We like our milk and I need milk so I can make bread, so we must venture out today.  That and it is our annual Antique Alley down our towns main strip and far beyond... it is always great fun and I am getting ready to head that way now.  I don't plan on buying anything unless there is something TOO delicious that I can't pass it up. I wish you all the greatest of days and that this weekend will be terrific for you as well. 

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

Friday, May 16, 2008 - Heavenly Desserts!

Blessings!

   I like desserts as well as the next person but boy do our daughters know how it's done:P

   Tonight our Miss Sarah made her delicious fresh strawberry shortcake! Yum! She makes her own homemade sweetbread shortcakes and makes a nice syrup on the strawberries with just a bit of sugar stirred in on them and serves it with a nice portion of whipped topping!

   Having that on a fresh, warm shortcake is so yummy! I always eat too much of it and always want more:P I'm also allergic to strawberries so I make sure I take my benedryl a half hour before she serves it:P Our Miss Mary-Ann is also allergic and she follows suit. No sense in letting that go to waste:P Some things are simply worth a few hives:)

   Here's her picture of her lovely creation.

   I love fruit season:) Can't wait for all those lovely pies and cobblers:)

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Dogs On Thursday ~ May 15

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Container Gardening & Recent Happenings

We purchased some plants from WalMart and are going to try container gardening.  We bought a tomato plant and a bell pepper plant, both which already have yummy things growing.  Also we purchased some seeds which we're starting in small containers which we will later on transfer to larger ones.  Also, we bought two hanging plants (strawberry and tomato) that are more like kits.  Charlie surprised me with an herb collection kit and some basil and lavender.  This will be our first garden of any type in a few years, so I'm pretty excited to see how it all works out.  I'm going to move everything outside tomorrow as the storms should all be history by then.  My aloe plant got a little too wet so I had to bring it in, hopefully it will be okay.

We bought some turkeys from Target tonight, one goes into the freezer and the other into the fridge to thaw.  I want to try Trisha Yearwood's turkey recipe and see how it works for us.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Last night we left the kids here while we made a quick trip to the grocery store.  They were under orders to peel potatoes for mashing.  While we were gone they not only peeled and cut the potatoes (plus put them on to boil) but rearranged the living room!  We were only gone maybe 20 minutes, but they got lots done.  We were so surprised!  I think maybe we'll keep them!  :)

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - The Holy Alphabet

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Preschool Activity

Thu-15-May-2008 - On Harry Potter & the Twilight Series

On the right side of my blog I had two links about Harry Potter, Harry Potter? and More on Harry Potter. The second one is broken, so I need to figure out if Voddie Baucham moved his blog about it or what.

I have these links because as a follower of Christ, I often wonder where to draw the line. I have on my wall a cross-stitch that says "Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely . . . " You know the verse? I have never read Harry Potter. Is there really some benifit to reading about witches and wizards and things?

I find little squares blinking on blogs : GOD IS MY KING

and a little ways below it:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Does anyone else not see any sort of incompatibility here????

What about if we had:

GOD IS MY KING

and,

BAAL TEMPLES ROCK

The latest craze that I have become aware of is the  Twilight series. It's about a vampire who falls in love with a human girl. It sounds quite riviting - so much so I have to guard myself. It really pulls at my emotional, romantic, female side. Is there not anything troublesome that a Christian could devote so much time into reading about something that is not, cannot be a godly topic - a blood drinker's romantic life - to the point that there are a bunch of CHRIST-FOLLOWERS that wish people that drank blood (vampires) were real???

That have "I love Edward Cullen" next to "I love Jesus Christ".

How can this be? The more I think about it the worse a taste I have in my mouth. No one seems to notice, no one seems to care. No one seems to recognize the incompatibility.

The vampire - Edward Cullen - is so smooth. He always says the perfect thing, of course, because he's scripted to do so and edited and when they put out the movie they will go over and over each sceen until it's positive to make every female in the audience swoon. In his "devotion" to this human girl he has to constantly "retrain" himself - it all sounds so courageous and impressive. I watched a clip yesterday -he says he is the "Ultimate preditor - everything about me, my voice, my looks, my smell, attracts you to me" or something along those lines.

I'm sorry, that's satan's line about sin. Everything about sin looks attractive to us and wants to draw us in.

So what will it be next? A demon that is so smooth and powerful and good looking that every reader wishes he were real and in love with them? (Hmm, wasn't there one on that Buffy show a few years back?)

What about a "well-written" book about two men or two women falling in love? If it's a "well-written" book we can read it and enjoy it anyway, right? Even if we don't agree with the premesis of the book?

Where do we draw the line? As a follower of Christ?

Is there really nothing out there to read besides this type of thing? I can hear people say "it's so well written" . . . is that to be our guide? Would it not be better to stay away from these types of things and read poorly written things? How often do we read the Bible - a HP book is huge! Surely as Christians we should read the Bible several times through while in the process of reading this series, right?

No, I fear that while everyone waits on pins and needles for the next book about spells and wizards and magic, the Bible is not read with the same eagerness.

Where do we draw the line????

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Daily Devotion 136

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - I love Thursday's

Thursday's are one of my FAVORITE days... I am not sure why.  I believe I was born on a Thursday, I know I was re-born on a Thursday (Thank you Jesus), so there are two pretty terrific Thursday happenings for me...  But other than that, I usually don't go anywhere on Thursdays, I usually make a pretty nice supper, something a little more labor intensive since I am at home all day. I just like Thursday's. 
Today's Thursday, looks to be a nice one as well.  I had my quiet time already... YEAH! The little ones are stirring, and it looks like it will either be terribly dreary or rainy.  Rainy days are GOOD for quilting and embroidery, something I need to be working on... OH and I have a top to make for Cameo, she is so excited about the top, I have to finish it by Sunday.
Here is a little sneak peek at something we have in the works.  We have a rather smallish house and our storage space is EXTREMELY limited.  So my husband and I have been talking about adding something to help with our storage problems, especially since we are planting a garden about 3 times larger than we have EVER planted!  We are working on putting in a Root Cellar We have the hole dug, Thank you Daddy (remember all that equipment in my back yard?), it will be a 12x12.  I am VERY excited about this project, I have been reading up on it and it is supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of extra storage and perfect to keeping excess fruits and veggies and  to keep our canned goods from our harvest.  Plus, should we have any bad storms, it will be an ideal place to seek shelter, a lot safer than our closet.
Because the hole has been there for a couple of weeks now, the children have a NEW favorite place to play.  War commences with a couple of children in the trenches and a couple behind the piles of clay.  They have had lots of fun there.
Well, my friends... I must tarry, I have a quilt to finish, children to love and educate, food to prepare, and a garden to tend...if the rain holds off... and then I need to get started on a wedding gift.  I hope you enjoy your day and appreciate the simple things today...
Love to each and every one!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

May. 15, 2008 - Be Prepared for Storms...from Mother Earth News

So many bad storms already this year. It pays to be ready.

Grandma Rosie 

Be Prepared for Storms

By Heidi Hunt

Lightning and wind and rain – oh my! Severe storms, plus the blackouts and flooding that accompany them, can be life-threatening. But, with a bit of advanced planning, you can weather them with relative comfort and minimal anxiety.

Food and Water

For most short-term emergencies, when the power goes out, experts recommend that you have on hand 1 gallon of water for drinking and sanitation per person per day for at least three days.

Here’s how to do this: When storms threaten, fill jugs with drinking water and fill your bath tub to have water to flush the toilet. (If water pressure fails, you can still flush by pouring water into the tank and flipping the lever.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has information on disinfecting water for drinking and cooking.

Keep on hand some foods that can be eaten without being cooked and can be easily carried if you need to evacuate your home. Energy bars, jerky, dried fruit and nuts keep a long time, are easy to store and carry, and contain concentrated energy and protein.

If you have pets, you also will want to develop a plan for their care and safety, especially if you have to evacuate. Add water for pets to your stored supply and sealable bags of dry food, plus leashes, crates and bowls to eat and drink from, if you have to evacuate. It’s good to have your animals’ shots up to date and their records handy to take with you.

Some folks keep an evacuation backpack ready to go in case of an emergency. If you and your family have to leave the house in a hurry, having just the basic supplies listed below will make the situation more comfortable. Store the backpack in a location that is easily accessible and known by all members of the household. Ready America, a government Web site, has more information about emergency supplies.

Emergency Kit

Weather radio
Flashlight
Old cell phone
Cell phone car charger
First aid kit
Water bottles
Hand sanitizer
Sealable plastic bags for food
A rain parka for each member of the family
Spare batteries
Cash, including some change
Addresses and phone numbers of family members and emergency services
Local map
Deck of cards

Stay Informed

If the power goes out, you won’t have TV, radio or the Internet to provide you with up-to-date information. Battery-powered or crank weather radios, available from $9 to $90, will keep you informed of conditions during a weather emergency.

Even if the power goes out, a landline, non-electric phone may still work, so keep one around. And you can use your car to charge your cell phone using a cell phone car charger, which plugs into the 12 volt DC car power socket (cigarette lighter). And any charged cell phone that can receive a signal, even one without an active service account, can dial 911.

Have a Plan

Know where to go in case a tornado or high water threatens your home. If you don’t have a basement, go to the most interior room or go to the nearest storm shelter. In cases of high water threatening your property, you should know the safest escape route to high ground that will not take you through the flood waters. Practice these strategies with your family so everyone knows where to go in case of a weather emergency.

Unless your house has been damaged by high winds or is being threatened by flood waters, the safest place to be during a weather emergency is your own home. We all cope best during times of stress when we are in familiar surroundings. This is especially true for children, the elderly and pets.

First Aid

Having first aid knowledge is another valuable resource for your family and your community. The Red Cross and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) offer first aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes. The time to take these classes is now, before you need to use the skills.

Ready America also has a list of first aid kit supplies that includes the following, plus special supplies for at risk situations:

Two pairs of Latex, or other sterile gloves (if you are allergic to Latex)
Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes to disinfect
Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea medication
Antacid
Laxative

With preparation and planning, you can make a short-term power outage relatively easy to deal with. You and your family might even be able to make it a fun experience, similar to camping out

Grandma Rosie