Bible Verse of the Day

Friday, February 29, 2008

YITL Challenge #8 and #9

I have a little time off and needed to catch up on Suzanne's YITL challenge. I know there are a couple that I still need to do, but I haven't forgotten them. Today I created cards for "Friends" and "Escape."



Whenever I think of friends, I think of the song written by Debra Smith and performed by her husband, Michael W. Smith. I discovered this song about the time that my best friend was about to move from San Antonio to Huntsville, AL. My friend brought me into a personal relationship with Christ and I'll be forever grateful for that. That's what friend means to me.



Suzanne mentioned on a forum that today's work was a tough one for her and I can understand why. Escape can mean so many things, but I think that no matter what the situation or circumstances, you can escape to your dreams and be happy at least for a little while. Escape to me means moving from a bad situation to a better one. What better way to escape than by dreaming?

Thursday, February 28, 2008

What is My Favorite Appliance?

The blog challenge from Suzanne this week is "What is your favorite household appliance? Why? We want details! Include a photo if you can."

My favorite household appliance is my washing machine. This little gem is a Miele washer from Germany (although we bought it here) that can do amazing things with laundry. It's a front loader and is water efficient. I don't have to use a lot of soap, although it does require special soap, and I can stuff it full! When we bought it, I asked how we know it full. The installer/technician said that if we can't get a hand in between the clothes and the tub wall, then it's too full. They said it would wash 11 pairs of jeans at a time. And I've done it! I can put the whole king-sized set of bedding, including mattress pad, and still have room for some towels. The photo isn't my actual washer because getting a picture of it would require rearranging furniture (yes, my house is that small).


But here's the best part of the whole thing - I can set the timer on it to delay up to 9 and a half hours. Someone will put a load in at night, set it for about a 3 to 4 hour delay and when I wake up in the morning, I just toss it into the companion dryer. Clothes are warm and dry by the time everyone finishes showering! The only bad part about that is that clothes don't get put away properly because as soon as we're dressed, we're out the door. Perhaps I should build a clothes room in my house where everyone keeps their clothes instead of depending on them to take them from the laundry area to their rooms...

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

What Does "Karen" Mean?

I got this from Mary Elizabeth's blog:





What Karen Means



You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.

You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.

People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.



You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.



You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.



You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.



You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?


I would probably agree with most of this, but I don't think I have a ton of energy and am too hard to handle. Ha!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Finally, A Blog Thingy I Really Like




You Are a Conservative Chick



Like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Ann Coulter, you're conservative and proud of it.

You speak your mind, even if everyone else around you disagrees.

As you see it, you have to stand up for traditional values and what's right.

Are You a Liberal Lady or a Conservative Chick?

That's right, I'm conservative and proud of it!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Blog Challenge #8

Notice: I've put a new widget on my sidebar to the right. Down near the bottom you'll find Dilbert! There's a new strip daily.

In response to Suzanne's Blog Challenge #8: Complete this paragraph. "Ten years from now, I..."

Ten years from now, I will be playing with grandkids on weekends, taking them to Sunday School and church on Sundays, and hoping their parents are mature enough to be parents. I will be close to early retirement, and unless my husband strikes it rich, will be working for another few years because the cost of living will have skyrocketed, no matter how much I save right now. And if I'm retired, I'll be traveling, hopefully by sailboat, and coming home to my scraproom to make albums of our travels and my grandkids. I will insist that since my husband took a retirement job while waiting for me to retire, that I should get a retirement job for a few years, too. I'll work at an LSS (local scrapbook store) or Hobby Lobby to be able to feed my addiction. And in 10 years, we'll be celebrating our 37th anniversary in high style!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Suzanne's Blog Challenge

I'm playing catch-up here. The first challenge I'm writing about was Blog Challenge #5: Post an entry about a positive customer service experience you've had. Who was it with? Did you praise them on the spot? Did you go home and write a letter to the company management?

My best ever customer service experience was with AT&T, believe it or not. DS#1 has had more trouble with his cell phone and I even went last year and bought another one at our band's silent auction (a $250 phone for $50, what a deal!). So when this phone cratered on him and our contract was finally up for renewal, he, DS#2 and I went to the store to get new phones. The person who helped us was extremely friendly and helpful and he kept giving us all kinds of discounts. We ended up getting four phones that retail for $250 each for a total of $80. I was so impressed with his service while he systematically activated four phones, printed out rebate forms and receipts that I thanked him and then asked for his manager. I spoke directly to the manager about the wonderful service her employee had provided and that I wanted her to know personally right then. I've never gone out of my way to praise someone, but this guy restored my faith in service-oriented people, that they really do still exist.

The second challenge is from Blog Challenge #6: Share a recipe that you're "famous" for and a photo if you can. Write about how it became yours and any other story about the recipe that you'd like to share.

I'm not famous for any kind of recipe, but one of my favorites that I've had to double up in the last few years because it's such a hit is "Hamburger Corn Casserole." I got the recipe online somewhere many years ago and haven't been able to find it again, so I've been making it from memory for the last couple of years.

Hamburger Corn Casserole

3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper (suit to taste)
1 cup instant rice
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 small onioned, chopped, sauteed with beef (optional)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. pkg frozen corn
3 TBSP butter or margarine

Mix flour, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and layer the instant rice in the bottom. Sprinkle one-third of the flour and spice mixture over rice, dot with 1 TBSP butter. Layer ground beef over rice and sprinkle with one-third of the flour and spice mixture. Layer canned tomatoes over beef and sprinkle with remaining flour and spice mixture and dot with 1 TBSP butter. Layer frozen corn over top and dot with remaining butter. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Serves 4-6 regular people or two of my guys.

I don't have a picture of it because I haven't made it recently, but it is on the rotation for next week!

The next is Blog Challenge #7: What store best represents what type of person you are right now? Are you a Macy's or Wal-Mart type of person? Do you wish you were a different store? Take any direction you'd like; either where you shop in real life or comparing your personality to a particular store. Have fun with it!

The store that best represents me right now would have to be Wal-Mart. I don't like Wal-Mart because of their business practices, but they have everything I need. There's a little bit of everything there, much like my life right now. I wish I were more like Target in that it's always neat and clean and uncluttered, unlike Wal-Mart, which can be pretty disgusting at times. IRL, I only go to Wal-Mart for emergencies and shop at a local grocery chain and Target for everything else. Primarily though, either store represents how cheap I am. I don't like to pay much for anything!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

If you are thinking of voting Democrat...

A friend of mine sent me this e-mail and I felt I needed to share it with anyone who will read it. I consider myself conservative and will support whichever Republican candidate gets nominated (unlike some who will sit out the election rather than vote for McCain, allowing the Democrat to be elected). Whether you're rich or not, the following data should prove that Democrats want the government to take care of everyone with your money instead of everyone living the ideals of America of being self-sufficient and helping others on our own.

This is interesting. Just compare the taxes.

www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html

     Taxes under Clinton 1999         Taxes under Bush 2008
Single making 30K - tax $8,400    - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $14,000     - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $23,250     - tax $18,750
Married making 60K - tax $16,800    - tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $21,000    - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $38,750    - tax $31,250


If you want to know just how effective the mainstream media is, it is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever. If any Democrat is elected, ALL of them say they will repeal the Bush tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the categories above can't wait for it to happen. The Democrats with the help of the media have convinced a large percent of the American people, that the Bush tax cuts benefited only the wealthy. How many times have you heard it?

If you go to the link above, you'll find the tax brackets for all of the years since 1913. Do you remember the 70% tax bracket? That was before I started paying taxes, but I know it wasn't good. Elect a Democrat president and it could happen again.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

YITL Challenge

This week's challenge from Suzanne is the word "LOVE." I hardly had to think about this one. I am always inspired by 1 Corinthians 13 in the New Testament of the Bible.


1 Corinthians 13

Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


And here is my card to go with it:

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Word Challenge for Feb 02

It's 11:42 PM, I'm still in my scraproom printing out the RSVP cards for the wedding invitations and I have to leave for church by 7:00 tomorrow morning. What's wrong with this picture?

It's been a busy day. We met DS#1 for lunch before baseball practice then went home to change the leaking cartridges in the bathroom sink and shower faucets. I don't know why they only last less than two years. The originals lasted more than 10. Anyway, we also cut some large (4x8ft) MDF boards down to fit between the mattress and box springs because our Tempur-pedic mattress has started sagging something fierce and we've had it less than two years. I'm starting to detect a theme...
I also have done a couple of loads of laundry and cleaned up a mess the cat made. Stupid animal decided to start using the ivy planter dirt for a litter box. I don't know what got into her, but I'm making her stay outside when we're not home. At least as much as I can. I think it makes Jericho a little crazy, but that's just too bad. He can terrorize the dog. That's what it sounded like they did yesterday while we were at work and school anyway. DH said when they got home stuff was toppled all over the place.

I'm rambling, sorry. I did make a lovely little card for Suzanne's challenge this week. The word this week is RED. Here's my take on it...