We need a businessman in office . . .

My husband read that there are no real businessmen among the president's personal advisors. Given the following excerpt, that is probably true!

Obama continues to say the rich need to pay their fair share in taxes. Really? Last time we checked, half of Americans pay NO income taxes at all and the top 10% pay 70% of all taxes - Now Obama and the Democrats are proposing raising taxes on upper earners for ten years to pay for their election-year payroll tax cut.

You tax and over regulate the people providing the jobs, you start losing businesses and job. The only way for a tax cut to work is to cut the programs that are receiving the taxes. Until things turn around everyone has to tighten their belts including the unions, special interest programs, etc. The government has to start managing our tax money like it is a finite checking account that they cannot run into the red just because they know they have the power to tax us more. Taxation without representation . . . Haven't I heard that before? We are being taxed without representing our wants, wishes, and hopes.

Great outlook . . .

Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one.

- Johann von Goethe

Great quote to inspire us on . . .

Human nature loses its most precious quality when it is robbed of its sense of things beyond, unexplored and yet insistent.

- Alfred North Whitehead

Making your own marshmallows?

Okay, now I'm challenged and plan to try this recipe as soon as possible - making my own marshmallows!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Homemade-Marshmallows-2

My mother wasn't a cook or baker when she first got married and was self-taught by trial and error. She turned out to be pretty good in the kitchen eventually. She was making some recipe early on in her learning stages and it called for marshmallows. She didn't have any on hand and she couldn't get to the store. Being resourceful, she checked in her big, fat cookbook and found a recipe! She successfully made the marshmallows, cut them, powdered them . . . and then finished reading her initial recipe, "Melt your marshmallows and add . . ."! She could have stopped at just making the 'batter' for the marshmallows!

Easy Mint Chocolate Truffles

Another interesting recipe link from Taste of Home magazine. I like the chocolate/mint combination and am already thinking about the decoration sugars, etc., that I can roll these in for presentation. Fortunately, I have a small-sized cookie scoop otherwise, from past experience, I will start off with a nicely-sized truffle and by the time I get to the end, they are verging on golfball size!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Easy-Mint-Chocolate-Truffles?pmcode=ILKDV05T&_mid=2316528&_rid=2316528.558202.435259

Enlightenment . . .?

Even an agnostic liberal might be a little taken aback to learn that Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky, a book that inspired the likes of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, is dedicated to "the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom— Lucifer." Point out that Alinsky was at least one radical who knew where liberalism led.

From the best selling book by James Delingpole, 365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy.

Free Skirt Pattern . . .

Believe it or not, my sewing is not always limited to sewing random scraps of fabric together. When my girls were little, almost all their clothing was sewn by me. I still sew little dresses and offer them for sale. I'm also looking for easy patterns to share with other people, especially beginners. I ran across this site this morning and with not too much experience and a little patience, you can sew a cute skirt for a little girl. As soon as I get through the projects at hand, both in the kitchen and on my sewing table, I hope to try out this pattern for myself. Thought I'd share it as there might be some of you looking for a gift to make a special little girl this Christmas.

http://www.oliverands.com/blog/2008/08/lazy-days-skirt-free-pattern.html

Back to the Subject of Quilting . . .

Even as I prepare for the culinary aspect of the upcoming Christmas holiday, my mind tends to drift towards quilting. I don't know what it is about taking odd pieces of fabric and turning them into a complete item. It never ceases to amaze me. This is a link that has given me a lot of ideas over the years and the patterns are free down to instructions, measurements, etc. You can find simple patterns as well as the more advanced. Most questions can be answered somewhere on this site.

No, I'm not getting to the sewing machine today but thinking about it always makes me smile!

http://quilting.about.com/od/beginningquilters/a/easy_quilts.htm