Coolest Video Ever

My niece Randee sent me a link to this video on You Tube. It is done by people wearing white gloves under a black light. Very cool and creative!

The Beatles Doing Stairway to Heaven.... Sort Of

Here is a fun video of a Beatles tribute band - The Beatnix doing a Beatle type version of Stairway to Heaven.

Gifts Of Service

The Pastor at our church gave us 7 coupons this last Sunday. Each coupon was labeled "Gift of Service". He asked us to perform 7 Gifts of Service before Christmas to honor our Savior. These gifts can be any type of service and you can use the coupons to write down what you did to remind yourself. Here are some "Gifts of Service" I came up with.

Perhaps you can do some of these and use your own coupons.

• Volunteer some time at a retirement home or shelter
• Shovel your neighbors walk
• Bring a shopping cart back to the store from the parking lot
• Donate some food to a local pet shelter
• Donate some food to a local food pantry
• Open a door for someone
• Run an errand for an eldery neighbor or friend
• Donate a toy to a needy child this Christmas
• Donate something needed to a homeless shelter. Call one near you to find out what is needed.
• Donate something needed to a retirement home. Call one near you to find out what is needed.

Let me hear from some other people out there what you have done for service.

Here are a couple of cool websites to go to! These are gifts of service as well!

http://freerice.com/index.php - Improve your vocabulary and donate free rice at the same time!

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ Click on the button and donate food to animal rescue! Buy something and donate even more!

I Am Thankful...

I AM THANKFUL:

FOR THE WIFE WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT, BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME, AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO, BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED .

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. .

FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION .

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE. AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

I received this story from my Uncle Denny. Visit his website - www.cedarstump.us - Great wood carvings!

I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab.

This is what happened:I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by mere inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was actually friendly! So, I asked him, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me about what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." Many people are like Garbage Trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it, and if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Instead, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happier because you did. So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck."

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me?AND, how often do I then take their garbage and spread it onto other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I resolved, "I'm not going to do it anymore,"then I, too, began to see Garbage Trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People". Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off.And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit and was ready to make the next play his best.

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more Garbage Trucks simply pass you by? Here's my bet ... You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so ...Love the people who treat you right;Forget about the ones who don't.Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance ... take it and if it changes your life ... let it!Nobody said it would be easy - They just promised it would be worth it!

********************************************************

• Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
• Choose your words, for they become actions.
• Understand your actions, for they become habits.
• Study your habits, for they will become your character.
• Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Quiz: How well do you know the United States? - U.S. News - MSNBC.com

Take this quiz and see how you do. I only scored 72%. Yikes!

Quiz: How well do you know the United States? - U.S. News - MSNBC.com

Red Marbles

I love these stories. I don't know or even care if they really happened, they touch our hearts and help to facilitate acts of kindness and compassion. Perhaps you can do at least one act of compassion or kindness this week.

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me. "Hello Barry, how are you today?" "H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good." "They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?" "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time." "Good. Anything I can help you with?" "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas." "Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller. "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with." "Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?" "All I got's my prize marble here." "Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller. "Here 'tis. She's a dandy." "I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked. "Not zackley but almost." "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble" . Mr. Miller told the boy. "Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller." Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store." I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt." "We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ." With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!

Here are some acts of kindness to help motivate you!

1. Take your old magazines and books to a Retirement Home, Homeless Facility or any type of shelter.
2. Buy 2 extra cans of vegetables that are on sale and bring them to you local food pantry.
3. Pay the toll for the car behind you.
4. Hold the door open for someone.
5. Say "Good Morning" or "Good Evening" to a stranger
6. Say "Bless You" to someone you don't know when they sneeze.
7. Park your car a little further away at the supermarket. This will allow someone with lesser health park closer and allow you to get fit walking those extra steps.
8. When doing your Christmas cards this year, add an extra one and mail it to:

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue,NW

Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

Great Tips

1. Reheat Pizza


Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove , set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.


2. Easy Deviled Eggs


Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal , mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients , reseal , keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly , cut the tip of the baggy , squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.


3. Expanding Frosting


When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store , whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.


4. Reheating refrigerated bread


To warm biscuits , pancakes , or muffins that were refrigerated , place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.


5. Newspaper weeds away


Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.


6. Broken Glass


Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.


7. No More Mosquitoes


Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.


8. Squirrel Away!


To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.


9. Flexible vacuum


To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.



10. Reducing Static Cling



Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static is gone.



11. Measuring Cups



Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.



12. Foggy Windshield?



Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!



13. Reopening envelope



If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside , just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.


14. Conditioner


Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...


15. Goodbye Fruit Flies


To get rid of pesky fruit flies , take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid , mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!


16. Get Rid of Ants


Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it , take it "home", can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains , but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!


17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS


The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. WELL...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film , but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free - that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!


How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that So , I thought I'd share!


Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it the water ran right Thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

Resin identification code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Resin identification code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Satellite Dish Sticker - Pimp your satellite dish

Satellite Dish Sticker - Pimp your satellite dish

Senses Challenge

Now you can order through my Amazon Store!

You can now order most anything you want from my Amazon Store. Take a look under the links section for My Amazon Store and order away. When you check out, you will be doing so under Amazon.com's secure server.

Thanks!!!

Pedometers

In my opinion, this is one of the best pedometers available. Buy it here!



You can purchase many more wonderful items, by using my Amazon store. Just click on the link in the links section below.

Mental Floss - What Ever Happened to Those Advertising Icons?

mental_floss magazine - Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix

Home Inspection Nightmares II | Manage Your Home | Planning and Ideas | This Old House - 1

Home Inspection Nightmares II Manage Your Home Planning and Ideas This Old House - 1

Check out all the galleries!

Vacation, Sweet Vacation

I'm on vacation all this week! Although you might not think so. I still check my email @ least twice a day! ;-)

Last Saturday, September 8th we went to my nephew Curt's 40th birthday party. We had a great time, most of my family was there...

Curt, his wife Michele and their 2 daughters - Haley and Kelly.
My nephew Scott, his wife Gail and their 2 daughters - Abigal and Sara.
My Niece Randee, her husband Mike and their 2 daughters - Kelsey and Bridgette and their son Ben.
My sister Dawn and her husband Tom.
My Brother Kevin, his wife Colleen and their two sons - Kyle and Colin.
My nephew Tim and his wife Melissa.
My nephew Patrick.
My mother June.
MIA were my brother Tim, his son Sean and his wife Georgia, my nephew Ryan and my niece Caitlyn.

It was great to see everyone, the food was good and plentiful and the conversation great!

Hoping to have the floor finished this week, along with re grouting the shower!

What I'm Reading:


What I'm Watching on DVD:
FlightPlan - Jodie Foster, While transporting her recently deceased husbands casket to America, widower Kyle Pratt's daughter disappears on a huge jumbo jet. Very suspenseful



Most Love Dogs - Diane Lane and John Cusack. Typical romantic comedy. I only loved it because of John Cusack. I love everything he does.



What I'm Watching on TV:

Living With Ed

Damages

Dog The Bounty Hunter

Notice: Resident Evil:Extinction Coming out this Fall!

Senses Challenge

Senses Challenge - A fun and interesting test for your senses!

The Rain In Spain

The rain has just been unbelieveable! Will it ever stop! I have two more weeks before vacation. Yippee! I need to finish laying my bamboo flooring in our family room. I was 3/4 of the way down before I ran into a problem joining a hallway to the mainroom due to a wall not being square. This is one of my many projects to finish.

What I'm Reading:
Step on a Crack - James Patterson
Excellent! New Character - Michael Bennett, a detective with 10 adopted children and a wife with terminal cancer.



What I'm Listening To:
Lincoln Brewster - All To You
Great Christian Rock with amazing guitar.


What I'm Watching:


What I'm Using:
Microsoft OneNote
What a great way to organize all your notes and bits of information.
You can clip screens from web pages to pages in a notebook, add text, add hyperlinks and search for easily all in one easy to use product.
I LOVE IT!

Single and Christian In Chicago?

Check out this website!

WWW.JoyfulSingles.com

Want To Rule The Web?

Buy this book!

Lots of helpful hints, web sites, etc!

Very Reasonable Price!

Why I Will Never Buy Another Saturn!

I own a Saturn 2000 L6. I recently went to the dealer in Dundee, IL to check out an air conditioning problem. After charging me $130 to charge the freon, they told me the compressor was bad and it was $1000 to replace it. That's right one thousand dollars! Not trusting the dealer, I went to my local mechanic. She took a look at it and agreed it was the compressor. She called around to all of her auto parts suppliers and lo and behold... none of them carry the part. You can only buy the part from Saturn if you are a dealer.

Two years ago, my battery went dead. Guess what, I could not replace the battery myself. Saturn had to replace it.

I have had the ignition changed 3 times under warranty and it went bad again. The taillight assembly had to be repaired at least 2 times.

The last time I took it to the dealer it cost me $800 and that was only getting half of what they told me was wrong getting fixed.

No more Saturn for me! I was proud to buy American, but perhps Toyota will appreciate my business.

I think I will totally avoid GMC products totally!

World Clock

Dog Tricks

Dog Tricks..

I have no idea how they do this:
TYPE IN a command and see what happens... sit, roll over, down, stand, sing, dance, shake, fetch, play dead etc. and...it's also very cute if you type in a command that's not recognized...!!
Make sure you type in "Kiss" too, but do it last.

I Do Dog Tricks

Brain Tuner

Update On The World As I Know It

I have not had a post in awhile, so here we go!

First, who else is annoyed by the TV stations, showing animated advertisements for other shows at the bottom of their screens. Even the station logo at the bottom right is a bother. Not much going on, I joined a Men's Golf League on Wednesday evenings. That is a lot of fun. We play at Redtail Golf Club in Lakewood. I just bought a new putter, a Odyssey White Hot XG #7. I love it! I tried 6-7 different putters at Dick's Sporting Goods and at first I liked the White Steel 2-ball, but after many practice putts, I wound up with the #7.

What I Am Reading:


Green Tip:

Unplug unsed appliances such as toasters, coffee makers, etc. They still draw power even though they are not being used. Do this with cell phone chargers as well.

Fish Heads Video

One of my favorites and I'm sure it's going to be one of yours!

Fish Heads Video

Went to the Lake In The Hills Rockin' Rotary Ribfest last Sunday and saw Maggie Speaks! Food was good, band was better! Check them out when you can!

What I'm Reading:




What I'm Listening To:

My Father

I never really knew my father, not in the way a son should know his father. I knew who he was and what he stood for, I knew what he looked like, how his voice sounded and what he did for a living. But, I never really knew my father as a man. Who he really was inside. He died from lung cancer when I was ten year old. I never got to enjoy things that most boys got to enjoy with their fathers.

I never had him teach me how to play baseball or fix a car or how to ask a girl on a date. Oh sure, I had other family members teach me these things, but I still feel like I was somehow cheated out of a piece of my life that I will never get back. Those precious memories that stay with a person for the rest of their life. Although I never really knew him, I miss him. I miss the moments we did spend together. The times we built kites together and flew them in the playlot at Wm. P. Gray Elmentary School. The times we went to the movies in downtown Chicago on my half days of school. How he would always take me to the Treasure Chest Magic Shop and tell me I could get one magic trick. How he would say to choose carefully as if it were an important world changing descision. Looking back, maybe the magic mexican jumping beans were not the greatest choice. I can still remember him taking me to his work - a police station and how I sat in awe looking at the jail cells. I remember his bushy eyebrows that felt like little wires. I remember all the silly little things that really don't matter, but to me somehow they do. Maybe because that is all I have, are those silly little memories.

When my father passed away in 1969 I was never allowed to see him in the hospital, nor was I allowed to go to his funeral. After all I was only ten years old and my mother said I was a sensitve child. She was probably right, maybe it was better for me to remember him the way he was in my memory and not see him in that condition.

This is just something I wanted to get off my chest and share with everyone. Remember your father and remember you can lose him or your mother at any time without warning. Keep the relationship there for the both of you. Father's take care of your bodies, you have a responsibility out there.. your child.

Mo Green Ideas

Been doing a lot a reading online at lime.com. So, we found some new ideas to implement.

1. We are no longer using the dry cycle on our dishwasher. We open it open at the end to let the steam out.
2. I now use environmentally friendly dishwasher soap.
3. I unplug all phone chargers and all other electrical items(toasters, blenders, coffee makers) when not in use.
4. We now use white vinegar instead of Cascade in the dishwasher.

Had a great time last Saturday at our Small Group from Church BBQ. Played a fun game called ladder golf. We dined on the finest hot dogs, hamburgers, beans and potato salad. Almost everyone made it. Bob and Michelle could not, since they were celebrating their 1 year anniversary.

Let me know your green ideas!

Green Festivals - View picture GFCH2007_Emily-Kenny

Picture of me taking a snooze at the Green Festival in Chicago. I'm laying down on a wool mattress that is like a pad. Very comfortable!


Green Festivals - View picture GFCH2007_Emily-Kenny

Green Festivals - View picture GFCH2007_Emily-Kenny

Picture of me taking a snooze at the Green Festival in Chicago. I'm laying down on a wool mattress that is like a pad. Very comfortable!


Green Festivals - View picture GFCH2007_Emily-Kenny

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture

We just joined a CSA. Ours is located in Crystal Lake and is run by Walkup Heritage Farm & Gardens. They feature heirloom and native plants. Our first weeks pickup contained some Native Plants and heirloom plants and the following herbs and vegetables:
Spinach
Scallions
Lovage
Parsley
Garlic Greens
Chives
Tarragon

I have so far made the spinach into a delicious salad and I used the herbs into fresh herb omelets

My Part in Getting Green

My wife Char and I have always been very aware of the environment. We recently went to the Green Festival in Chicago on April 22. The event was staged over 2 days, but we only attended the last. I thought it was a huge hit! They had speakers on a variety of subjects, many vendors showing their 'green' wares and of course food! The food was great, It was all vegetarian. and normally I am not a vegetarian, but I loved it. I have made a personal commitment to eating at least 2 vegetarian meals a week, if not more. Here are some the changes we are making in our lives to become a little more green.

• We are changing our laundry detergent to a more ecologically friendly one.
• We have been changing all of our light bulbs to the more energy efficient CFL lights.
• Composting food waste and yard waste using our new compost bin.
• Switched over from a gas mower to a push reel mower. Did you know that every hour of mowing you do with a gas mower creates the same amount of pollution as driving a car for 100 miles!
• Switched to organic fertilizer/weed control and pest controls for our lawn.
• Switching to more organic foods.
• Switching to Fair Trade coffee
• Using Air Conditioning in our car less.
• Recycling more.
• Joining a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculure) membership.

Do you want to make a promise for a better Earth? Get your whole family involved, together we can make a difference!

Go to Sara Snow's Promise for a Better Earth Page

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

We calculated ours and came up with this:

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Penny Postcards

Want to see Penny Postcards from years gone by? Fist click on the state and then the county.

Penny Postcards

Imported food rarely inspected - Yahoo! News

Watch where your food is coming from! We are now trying to use the 100 mile rule for buying our food. We will only try and buy food grown within 100 miles of where we live. We are in the process of joining a CSA (customer Supported Agriculture) group in our area. They grow most of their own fruit and veggies, some of it is brought in from other local farms. We also plan on visting our local Farmer's Market more often. BUY ORGANIC!

Imported food rarely inspected - Yahoo! News

Imported food rarely inspected - Yahoo! News

Watch where your food is coming from! We are now trying to use the 100 mile rule for buying our food. We will only try and buy food grown within 100 miles of where we live. We are in the process of joining a CSA (customer Supported Agriculture) group in our area. They grow most of their own fruit and veggies, some of it is brought in from other local farms. We also plan on visting our local Farmer's Market more often. BUY ORGANIC!

Imported food rarely inspected - Yahoo! News

The 25 Most useful Sites on the Internet

The 25 Most useful Sites on the Internet

Recipe Box: Cheesy Pita Chips

Recipe Box: Cheesy Pita Chips

Blue Rose

Why do I always have to be the one that starts to do laundry and there's no detergent? I guess it was time for me to do my "Dollar Store" run, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags and Clorox. So off I go.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man that appeared to be about sixteen-years- old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there.
This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here." It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Hal."
"Hal like Halloween?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?
"How old am I now Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years- old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow and pink roses in God's garden, however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a "Blue Rose" and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a "daffodil or maybe even a dandelion," but I sure love living in God's garden.

Pastor Hal Steenson This real life story took place July 12, 2006.JEB

Please the next time you see a BLUE ROSE don't turn your head and walk off, take the time to smile and say Hello. Because by the grace of GOD this mother could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From another old daffodil.

Becky Mother to James, 16, Autism, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, MR, ADHD

Feed the Pig

Check this website out for great money saving tips!

Feed the Pig

The Easter Bunny - Kickin' Back and Chillin'

I saw a good friend of mine the other day - The Easter Bunny! He was just kickin' back and relaxing before the big day. Here are some photos of him in the Raue House in Crystal Lake. You can see him live and in person at "Lunch with the Bunny" in Downtown Crystal Lake. Click on the link for more information!



Leaning on the fireplace, it's cold in Chicago!









Just reclining on a antique loveseat!














Pointing to my old pal Ben Raue. May he rest in peace. Whatta a guy!

Yankee - Dixie Quiz

This is fun, give it a try!

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html

16 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN

16 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN
By Dave Barry Nationally Syndicated Columnist

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and
never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

Child Prodigy? WOW!

Check out this video from CNN:

http://tinyurl.com/yxewot

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law,and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.There,Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Dog Photos

A friend of ours - Tami Powell was over the other day and took some photos of the Little White Dog named Max. In the one photo he is wearing his brand new parka!

Heres a Picture of one of our other dogs - Joey.

Water Freezing and Boiling Myths: Interesting Thing of the Day

Water Freezing and Boiling Myths: Interesting Thing of the Day

God's Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. ; Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
I'm living on borrowed time, and I thank God for the loan.

Giving Blood Using The Alyx System

Last night was an interesting evening. I went to my local Lifesource blood center to give blood. I had an appointment 3 weeks and I have had to reschedule it every week due to a nasty cold. They asked me if I wanted to give blood using Alyx System. I asked what that was. They gave me a rundown:

Blood contains red cells, plasma and platelets. Red blood cells are an absolutely essential component in emergency medical situations and can mean the difference between life and death for trauma victims and those undergoing surgery. Red blood cells are also used to treat people with certain types of cancer and sickle cell anemia. Because red blood cells are so essential, they are also the most needed blood component – with approximately 14 million units transfused every year.

Systems that collect individual blood components have been in use for over 20 years, safely providing millions of doses of platelets and plasma. The new Alyx System specifically collects red blood cells and helps increase the supply of this critically needed blood component.

I asked if it would take longer to do this then just giving whole blood. She said about 15-20 minutes. "No problem", I replied. They hooked me up to the Alyx machine and it was very easy. I would do it again for my next donation.

As promised, here is a picture of the little white dog - Max after his fur was all cut off.

bookofjoe: Skid Mark Brief Safe

An interesting way to keep your valuables safe!

bookofjoe: Skid Mark Brief Safe

Pictures of the Little White Dog Named Max

I promised some pictures and here they are. These are the "Before" pictures. He is going to the groomer - Cut 'N Cuddle in Crystal Lake tomorrow. I will then post some after pictures.

Dog Philosophy

The Saga of the Little White Dog ends. After having him for two weeks, he get's along great with our other dogs and we kinda got attached to him. He is now staying with us permanently.
His name is Max! Photos will be coming soon after he gets groomed and his hair grows back.

There is more truth than poetry in some of the sayings:

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -Ann Landers

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. -Will Rogers

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. -Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy Rooney

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made. -M.. Acklam

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate. -Sigmund Freud

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. -Rita Rudner

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. -Robert Benchley

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog. -Franklin P. Jones

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. -James Thurber

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise -Unknown

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money!-Joe Weinstein

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come from a grocery with the most amazing haul, chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! -Anne Tyler

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. -Mark Twain

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' - Dave Barry

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret

My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog thinks I am.

Words to Live By

Here is a cool list of rules to live by sent to me by my sister.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk..

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: R espect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Take Me Back To The Sixties

Check out this website for a Blast Into The Past!
Take Me Back To The Sixties

The saga of the little white dog continues....
He is still with us. I think he was dumped by his owners. I will be looking for a good home for him.

My weight loss so far - 2 pounds!!!!!

Yippee!!!!!

More On The Saga Of The Little White Dog

The saga of the little white dog continues. It seems the last phone number I tried to call is not the owner of the little white dog. Char called and talked to the person with the same last name as on the dog tag and lives within 3-4 blocks of where we found the dog. He claimed they did not own any pets at all. I have now run into a dead end! I just put a found dog ad on the www.dogdetective.com website. It looks like no one is even looking for this poor little dog.

Yippee!

It looks like the discoveryhealth channel has Sara Snow back on the air! Sara had a show last year called Living Fresh. Her new show is called Get Fresh with Sara Snow. Here is a link to her new website - http://health.discovery.com/fansites/sara-snow/sara-snow.html

Check out this show, if you are into health and green living you might like it.

Another one of my favorite shows is Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe on the Discovery Channel and Man Vs Wild on Discovery. Another great one is Top Chef on Bravo.

The Saga of the Little White Dog

Sunday night, my wife Char and I were returning from a friends house. It was a rainy night, about 9:00 pm. We slowly turned into our subdivision from a very busy 50 mph street. Lo and behold what do we see on the street almost getting hit by an SUV is a little white dog. I quickly stoppped the car and yelled to my wife, "quick grab that dog!" Without missing a beat, she leapt from the car, unbuckling her seatbeat in one smooth motion. She ran up to the dog before he could make it to the busy street.

The dog was very friendly, clean and white as snow. Char sat down with him in her lap and we proceeded to our driveway to read the tag on his collar. He did indeed have a collar with a phone number, name and city. Now the city name was of a city that was about 3-4 miles away. It was raining out and this dog was not that wet and dirty to travel that far.

I called the number and received one of those generic answering machine messages... "please leave a message at the tone" the robotic voice suggested. I followed it's advice and left a message that I had found a dog and it's collar had this phone number. I left my cell phone number and asked for a return call. In the meantime, I slowly brought my garbage from the gargage to the curb. Hoping and waiting to see if anyone was trolling the streets looking for a lost dog. After 15 minutes, no one even drove down our street.

No one called that night, or the next morning. I call again and left another message. I then proceeded to notify the local police department and animal control that I had this dog in my possesion and gave them my phone number in the event someone would call and ask about the dog.

I then decided to look the phone number up on the Internet using Google. The phone number was assigned to a Nail Salon, about 20 miles from here. The plot thickens! Char, calls the number again in the afternoon on Monday and gets a live person. He tells Char the dog does not belong to him, but it could have belonged to the previous owners of the salon. He does not know how to get a hold of them and he believes they have since divorced.

So I take the last name and look it up in switchboard.com amd found someone with that last name that lives about 3-4 blocks away from us. I call and leave a message. So far no one has returned my call. Doesn't anyone want this poor little white dog? If it were my dog and it was missing, I would be going crazy!

Evolution of Video Games

Here is a link to a pictorial of the history of Video Games.

http://knuttz.net/hosted_pages/Console-Evolution-20070103

Let's see I have had the following:

Odyssey
Atari 2600
Atari 400 (which was really a pc/video games)
Sega
Nintendo 64
XBox

I was driving along the tollway to Chicago the other and noticed a sign hanging over the tollbooths.

It declared - "Welcome to Chicago Rod Blagojevich - Governor"

Now isn't this just a wonderful waste of the taxpayers money? Everytime a new governor is elected, someone has to go and repaint these signs all over the state. Illinois is not the only state that does this. I have also seen this in various cities as well.

I would think that everyone that lives in the state should know who the Governor is and if they don't, they don't deserve to know. As far as people passing through, I don't think they really care.

Just my opinion.

Happy New Year

Wow! What a great way to start a New Year. The temperatures in the Chicago area are in the 40's.

My New Year's resolution is to lose 16 pounds by April 25th. That's my birthday. That is a little over 16 weeks. That is one pound per week. If I can't do that, I might as well hang it up!

What I'm Reading:

More Twisted - Jeffrey Deaver


What I'm Watching: