To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
I think - time and circumstances permitting for the last quote!
"For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is
not news."
-- Gloria Borger
-- Gloria Borger
"The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems
afterwards."
-- Arthur Koestler
-- Arthur Koestler
"Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for
appointment by the corrupt few."
-- George Bernard Shaw
-- George Bernard Shaw
"A gentleman is a man who can play the accordion but doesn't."
-- Unknown
-- Unknown
Pop Tarts - made at home!
Alton Brown is one of my favorite chefs on the Food Network channel. He always comes up with unique or improved ideas on old favorites. He works on everyone's level without looking down on anyone for lack of expertise. He makes the idea of cooking fun and productive. I don't always try all his recipes but he is a go-to person when I'm looking for something special. My daughter just sent me this link for a recipe by Alton Brown. It is his homemade take on toaster pastries or, as we all know them, pop tarts. Reading this recipe, I realized that this not-so-great packaged 'treat' can be much improved upon. Thought I'd share this find with you. Imagine all the creative ways one can go with the filling!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Fourth of July . . . well, not quite yet . . .
Although it is not the Fourth of July any time too soon (but soon!), it is time to start thinking about our celebrations for the day. Sigh . . . The Fourth of July is not my favorite time of the year. I do love what it represents. I heartily dislike, however, how the meaning of the day is lost in a blast of fire crackers, loud music, and too much food.
When I lived in the mountains, we would walk down to the lake in town and the city would set off beautiful fireworks in red, white, and blue over the water. It was always so much fun to be out walking in the dark and seeing the crowds of people strolling down to share a special moment on the Fourth.
These days, the fireworks start going off two weeks before the actual day. By the looks of the sky, many of the fireworks are definitely not legal. Two children managed to burn down their home setting them off in a closed garage . . . so their parents wouldn't find out. Uh, their parents found out!
Anyway, it would be nice to see the day go back to a simpler celebration but we each do the best we can in the circumstances we know.
I do have a fun idea for the little children attending Fourth of July parties - a firecracker each . . . Oh, not an exploding one! Now is the time to start thinking about this project because you have to remember to save the cardboard tube from the paper towel rolls. You will need on for each person and the preparation is very simple. Check out Walmart or the Dollar Store for tiny trinkets, toys, etc. to put inside the tubes along with some festive candy and gum. You can pack it in with some of the colorful shredded basket filler. Once you have each cardboard tube stuffed, wrap them in red, white, and/or blue paper and tied off the edges with some curly ribbon. Now, they won't explode but it is a fun way to hand out party favors and keep in the scheme of the day.
When I lived in the mountains, we would walk down to the lake in town and the city would set off beautiful fireworks in red, white, and blue over the water. It was always so much fun to be out walking in the dark and seeing the crowds of people strolling down to share a special moment on the Fourth.
These days, the fireworks start going off two weeks before the actual day. By the looks of the sky, many of the fireworks are definitely not legal. Two children managed to burn down their home setting them off in a closed garage . . . so their parents wouldn't find out. Uh, their parents found out!
Anyway, it would be nice to see the day go back to a simpler celebration but we each do the best we can in the circumstances we know.
I do have a fun idea for the little children attending Fourth of July parties - a firecracker each . . . Oh, not an exploding one! Now is the time to start thinking about this project because you have to remember to save the cardboard tube from the paper towel rolls. You will need on for each person and the preparation is very simple. Check out Walmart or the Dollar Store for tiny trinkets, toys, etc. to put inside the tubes along with some festive candy and gum. You can pack it in with some of the colorful shredded basket filler. Once you have each cardboard tube stuffed, wrap them in red, white, and/or blue paper and tied off the edges with some curly ribbon. Now, they won't explode but it is a fun way to hand out party favors and keep in the scheme of the day.
Thoughtful smiles to begin the day . . .quotes!
"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes
from bad judgment."
-- Rita Mae Brown
-- Rita Mae Brown
"If I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better
care of myself."
-- Mickey Mantle
-- Mickey Mantle
"Works of art, in my opinion, are the only objects in the material
universe to possess internal order, and that is why, though I don't believe that
only art matters, I do believe in Art for Art's sake."
-- E. M. Forster
-- E. M. Forster
"I'm worried that the universe will soon need replacing. It's not
holding a charge."
-- Edward Chilton
-- Edward Chilton
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Cute Kitten Overload . . .
More pictures from our unasked for kitten family! We seem to have come to an agreement with the mother cat. We keep the kittens inside and she comes over to feed them three or four times a day. She would like to take them outside, but we noticed that like any mother, they don't listen to her, either!
In case you thought your vote didn't count . . .
Just ran across this bit of information in a Catholic Advocate article:
Recently released polling from Gallup confirms that Catholic voters will ultimately decide whether Barack Obama is re-elected in 2012 or whether Nancy Pelosi reclaims her gavel this fall. In each of the major swing states, Catholics now represent a higher percentage of the electorate than their overall percentage of the population. This means one thing: if Catholics make their voices heard, Catholics will determine the fate of life, marriage, and religious freedom in America.
In case you think this announcement and wonder that the Catholic vote could have so much bearing on the 2012 election, you only have to think back to the 2008 presidential election where over 50% of the Catholic vote saw that obama got into the White House.
I'm praying especially hard for this coming election. It was even said that Bill Clinton let slip to someone that "you have six months to save the country" meaning the removal of the current president from office come November 2012. Naturally, he denies his statement now but there it stands . . . True or not, it is what we are facing. Anyone with compassion for the unborn, the elderly, the small business, the struggling middle class, etc. should see that the last three years plus have not helped the country at all.
It is difficult to keep a positive spin on all that is going on. The same people in our Catholic parish are still voting for obama in November. All my husband's relatives refuse to view politics through the soul of their Faith. I get taunts from 'catholics' who try and bait me into discussion with, "My vote is going to offset your vote!"
Some teacher told us, years ago, that we needed a person of good character to run for office. We needed someone with moral fortitude to represent our country. The quote 'politics as usual' has changed for the worse over the years and another four years to match this last term of office could very well make our country and rights look entirely different and it won't be a good thing.
"In friendship false, implacable in hate,
Resolved to ruin or to rule the state."
Dryden: Absalom and Achitophel, 17th century.
Recently released polling from Gallup confirms that Catholic voters will ultimately decide whether Barack Obama is re-elected in 2012 or whether Nancy Pelosi reclaims her gavel this fall. In each of the major swing states, Catholics now represent a higher percentage of the electorate than their overall percentage of the population. This means one thing: if Catholics make their voices heard, Catholics will determine the fate of life, marriage, and religious freedom in America.
In case you think this announcement and wonder that the Catholic vote could have so much bearing on the 2012 election, you only have to think back to the 2008 presidential election where over 50% of the Catholic vote saw that obama got into the White House.
I'm praying especially hard for this coming election. It was even said that Bill Clinton let slip to someone that "you have six months to save the country" meaning the removal of the current president from office come November 2012. Naturally, he denies his statement now but there it stands . . . True or not, it is what we are facing. Anyone with compassion for the unborn, the elderly, the small business, the struggling middle class, etc. should see that the last three years plus have not helped the country at all.
It is difficult to keep a positive spin on all that is going on. The same people in our Catholic parish are still voting for obama in November. All my husband's relatives refuse to view politics through the soul of their Faith. I get taunts from 'catholics' who try and bait me into discussion with, "My vote is going to offset your vote!"
Some teacher told us, years ago, that we needed a person of good character to run for office. We needed someone with moral fortitude to represent our country. The quote 'politics as usual' has changed for the worse over the years and another four years to match this last term of office could very well make our country and rights look entirely different and it won't be a good thing.
"In friendship false, implacable in hate,
Resolved to ruin or to rule the state."
Dryden: Absalom and Achitophel, 17th century.
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