Dee

See the lessons of the day As a blessing in your life Take each moment and event that comes along As a gift to be cherished As a light along the way Celebrate it with a welcome or a song. Even when the road seems rough With big stumbling blocks in place Choose to walk around them in a different way Let your heart be open wide Hope & faith anchored inside Receive the loving hand that guides you on your way Cultivate a world view Regardless what folks do That holds you steady with a vision of God’s plan Expect things to be right Seek the morningstar at night Find the place within of greater peace and calm Plan to see the positive Then the chance is good you will For the vision sets the path to manifest. A better life that is to be Truly starts right here with me While judging not the deeds or actions of the rest. Proverbs 11:21 "You can be very sure the evil man will not go unpunished forever. And you can also be very sure God will rescue the children of the godly."

For all of you who sign up for freebies please donate your incontinence samples to : P. Dee 16 P. Dee Farm Road Peedyville USA

Hanes Ladies Undies- THUMBS DOWN! I purchased several pairs of these panties because they were on sale and I will never buy them again! The elastic in them comes apart and ruins the panties.

Keebler graham crackers- THUMBS DOWN! These crackers are cheap to make but Keebler charges alot of money for just one box of these. High way Robbery!

Low Sugar Cool Whip! THUMBS UP! I made a cheesecake using a container of coolwhip and a block of cream cheese and some splenda and this came out great. I put this mixture in a lower fat graham cracker crust.

Treat wooden floors like a fine piece of furniture. Determine what kind of finish the floor has. For example, if a cloth saturated with paint thinner comes up clean when rubbed on a small spot of floor, that means that the floor has been finished with polyurethane. If the cloth takes up a bit of color, that indicates a wax finish.

Honeybee Haven It's not news that the honeybee is in trouble. Due to predatory mites, disease, and habitat destruction, these essential garden pollinators are on the decline in many parts of the country. In fact, in many parts of the country, the situation is so bad that bees are actually trucked into farming communities to help pollinate food crops. "Without bees, life as we know it would cease to exist," says master gardener Paul James. "And many of the foods we enjoy would no longer be available." There are ways that you can protect honeybees and encourage them to come to your garden. One of the first steps you can take is to stop using pesticides altogether. Nearly all pesticides, whether organic or synthetic can be toxic to bees. If you find that you must treat your plants to prevent floral fatality, do so only late in the evening after the bees have returned to their hives, and focus the spray on the leaves, not the flowers. A second way to persuade bees to visit your yard is by planting as many flowering plants as possible, including a wide range of flower shapes, colors and sizes. There are certain wild bees such as solitary and mason bees that, while less efficient, do help pollinate the flowers. These particular bees are also more active than domestic honeybees on cool, rainy days. You can actually attract wild bees to your yard or garden with nesting boxes. Simply hang the box on a fence, wall, or tree near your flower or vegetable garden, and in a few weeks you should begin to see bee tenants. However, bee houses are a lot like bat houses in that they don't consistently work. "Take comfort in knowing that if the bee house doesn't attract bees, it may attract lady beetles, and that's a good thing too," says James. So if you thought bees were nothing but annoying pests that buzz around the garden to annoy people, think again. "We gardeners need to remember that we need to do everything we can to coax those little guys and gals into our garden," says James. "After all, without the bees, we wouldn't have anything in the garden to enjoy."

I make Top of the Stove or fireplace Tuna Noodle Casserole. Open 1 can of tuna 1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup a half a package of egg noodles Cooked your noodles till tender then drain add your drained tuna and your can of cream of mushroom soup. Its easy and fast to make.

Cheese Pizza is our dish this evening A tossed Salad too A Chocolate Cake for Cappy Will make Cappy Happy

Rice Leftover rice does not have to be thrown out. You can place this in a casserole dish, add a little water, a herb cube, cover it with foil and reheat it - or use the microwave, but then cover with a micro- wave cover not aluminum foil. Our favorite use of leftover rice is to make fried rice. You can use any combination of leftover vegetables, fresh herbs -especially coriander is delicious - and leftover meats cut in thin strips to make a good fried rice dish. Several dashes of Thai fish sauce brings out the flavors. The fish sauce is full of vitamins and enhances the flavors. Thai fish sauce does not taste like fish; it is like a soy sauce - it adds a little salt and "energy". To start with, you might try sprinkling no more than one teaspoon into the food you are preparing to see if you like the additional flavor. When you make fried rice, try adding one or two fresh tomatoes. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and chop them into good- sized pieces. Add them to the rice at the last minute, stir through and serve. By removing the seeds and adding the tomatoes at the last minute, the tomatoes do not become soggy and the seeds do not add unnecessary liquid to the rice. If you include strips or cubes of leftover meats to your rice, you have a whole meal which is nutritious, economical and tasty.

QUINOA Quinoa is a member of the goosefoot family, and yields a supergrain. It is native to the Andes, and was a staple of the Incas. One cup has more calcium and protein than a quart of milk. Ounce for ounce it has as much protein as meat, contains all of the essential amino acids, calcium and iron, It supplies more of the nutrients necessary for life than any other food

Eternity is two people and a roast turkey

Moldy Cheese If you notice moldy cheese in your refrigerator, don't throw it out. Instead, dip a knife into household vinegar. Slice off the mold. Vinegar will keep the mold from returning, so wrap the cheese in a cloth dampened with vinegar.

Not too many here! I started out as a Nursing Assistant at the age of 15 going on 16. ( all my family except one are of the medical field persuasion) Law Student working at Legal Aid while in college Switched to Social Services after two years of Legal Aid work and worked at the Social Services Dept as an assistant caseworker in training. Stopped fiddling around trying to decide what I wanted to do and decided on the education field and tutored and taught university students at the local u. I am planning on getting my doctorate in American History with emphasis on the Civil War and continuing my studies for a doctorate in British Literature with emphasis on Old English and Scottish. I am published and am working on writing a childrens book at the moment. I have also written a play which was performed by the students at the U and I also have had alot of my artwork displayed in local and regional galleries. My best job was just being mom and being a good wife to my Cappy the love of my life and my soulmate. I paid for most of my education with my earnings from the above jobs that I had along. I know what it is to work your arse off cleaning arses and I am not afraid to get my hands dirty in the least.

Lowie I received mine... That was fast.... I am mailing mine out this week, probably tomorrow. Hugs from across the pond!

I WILL MAKE A PRINTOUT OF ALL THE GET WELL WISHES AND SEND THEM OFF TO MARE SO THAT CAVEY CAN HANG THEM UP IN HER HOSPITAL ROOM to let her know we are thinking of her and hoping she gets well soon!!!!!

THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE CAVEY! WHAT IF YOUR STILL MODERATOR BUT CAPPY TAKES OVER WHILE YOU ARE INDISPOSED UNTIL MARE GETS BETTER??????????PLEASE!!!! TELL MARE WE LOVE HER AND HOPES SHE GETS BETTER REAL SOON!...

Doll Collecting- THUMBS UP! and Thumbs DOWN!- You can buy Porcelin dolls for under 20 dollars that are just as nice as the Home SHopping QVC or other expensive dolls for 100's of dollars.

HICKORY FARMS! THUMBS DOWN. Too expensive for very little product. You can buy a larger summer sausage stick at aldi's grocery for 2.00 compared to 35+

Proctor Silex 3 Speed Easy Mix Mixer- THUMBS UP! This brand name product is inexpensive about 20 dollars or less, very easy to use, a longer cord and It can be hung from a hook in your kitchen if you have lack of cupboard space. Its a great mixer for a good price.

Ten Tips on Buying a New Air Conditioner This informative guide will tell you everything you need to know to find the perfect air conditioner for your home. Although this review is most relevant to people living in the USA, other readers may still find it useful. Portable and central air units are outside of the scope of this guide. 1. Should I buy an air conditioner? You should consider buying one during the spring "rebate" season if your current unit is old and you are worried about its reliability. A new unit can also be a good idea if your old unit has an 8-EER or less. During the summer, units are expensive and have limited availability. However, if your old AC unit is broken then you have no choice. Most companies have rebates in the March-June timeframe and the new, more efficient models appear in the spring. Although you can get some bargains after the season, a warm summer can leave pretty slim pickings. Don't forget that your warrantee starts on the day you buy it, so buying in the fall effectively shortens the warrantee. 2. What type of air conditioner do I need? Air conditioners come in four main types: window units, through the wall units, portable units and whole house/central air units. Window units come in three main flavors: double-hung windows, sliding windows and casement windows. Window units will usually convert between types with special hardware, which is often included. Small through the wall units will often convert into window units. Large through the wall, and central air units usually require professional installation, which adds to the cost. 3. What features do I need? You should expect the unit to have an adjustable thermostat, at least two cooling speeds, two fan speeds and an energy efficient setting, which stops the fan when the unit is not cooling. The unit should have an adjustable vent, which allows you to aim the cool air, and an exhaust vent setting allowing fresh air to be introduced from outside. The filter should be easily accessible for removal and cleaning. You want a manufacturer's warrantee for at least 5 years, with full replacement for at least 1 year. Some of the newer units have an electrostatic filter available either standard or as an option. This filter will remove extremely small particles from the air. This is a super feature for people with allergies. 4. What is EER? EER or Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of how efficient a particular air conditioning unit is. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit and the less it will cost each year to run. Small units currently have a top EER of about 11, while the most efficient large units have an EER of about 13. Don't be fooled by the ranges shown on the yellow tags. The top rated units are often beyond the range. 5. What cooling capacity do I need? Cooling capacity is measured in BTU/hour. (British Thermal Units per Hour) The higher the number, the more powerful the unit is. A small room of 150 square feet may only need a 5000 BTU/Hour unit, whereas a room of 1200 square feet may need a 19,000 BTU/Hour monster. However, room size is not the only factor that contributes to the capacity. There are many other factors including: · the number and size of the windows · the direction the room faces · the available shade · how well the room is insulated · how many people use the room · what appliances (computers etc.) are in the room The little chart the salesman uses is woefully inadequate. The easiest way to calculate the required size is to use one of the on-line guides. There are many available. Look to see what figures the guide of your choice requires, then measure your room. I liked the one in the free area of the Consumer Reports site best: http://www.consumerreports.org/Special/Wor...ts/ac99wks.html It is important to get a unit as close to the correct capacity as possible. Too small a unit may not be able to cool the room on a hot day. Too large a unit will cost more to operate. It may also cool the room too quickly and leave excessive moisture in the air. 6. How much will it cost to run? The number printed on the yellow tag at the store, about 8.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, is the national average cost for electricity, which for most of us is a fantasy. Try not to laugh too hard when you read it. The better guides will calculate the estimated annual cost for running AC units for you. You need to enter the cost of electricity in your area, so go find your last bill and last summer's bill if you can. The guide will show the annual cost at different EER levels. Print this out and take it to the store with you. 7. How much does my electricity cost? Guess what? Your electricity bill is probably unreadable, I know mine is. Theoretically, you should add the generation cost per kilowatt-hour to the delivery cost per kilowatt-hour to get a true cost. However, many areas charge different rates for different usage and have a surcharge for high usage during summer months. Duh! An easy way is to divide the total payment by the kilowatt-hours used. Do it for your last bill and for last summer's bill and use the higher of the two numbers. This number is not totally accurate, but it works well. (The number should be about 5-50 cents. If it isn't you probably did the sum wrong.) Don't forget. The national grid is old and needs work. Nuclear power plants are aging too, and will cost a fortune to replace. Oil powered generation will be effected by high oil prices. You can bet money that conventionally generated power is not going to get cheaper. 8. How do I calculate the payback? Start with the EER of your old unit. Subtract 1 from this EER for every 5 years of its age -- more if you never clean it. Use the guide to generate the annual cost for the old unit and for the unit you want to buy. You may have to extrapolate if the figures are beyond the range of your chart. Subtract the two numbers to get the annual savings. Divide the purchase price by the annual savings to get the payback time. If the payback time is lower than the warrantee period, it's like money in the bank. If it is less than double the warrantee period, it is still probably a good buy. You live near Washington DC which has a cooling season of about 600 hours per year and your adjusted electricity cost is about 25 cents per kilowatt-hour. Replacing a 6000 BTU/Hour 6-EER unit with a 5800 BTU/Hour 11 EER unit will save about $60 a year. If you pay $300 for the new unit then you will get your money back in 5 years. 9. Which AC should I buy? You should buy the unit of the correct capacity and type that has the highest EER, if you can afford it. Buying a unit of lower EER that costs less is usually a false economy. However, in areas with very short cooling seasons, or extremely cheap power, a lower cost unit may be a good buy. (Use your guide to find the annual cost to run the two units. Multiply the difference by the length of the warrantee. Add that number to the cost of the lower unit. Is it still a bargain?) Of course, common sense still applies so follow the normal rules: · Check the unit at on-line rating services like epinions.com. · Use on-line price comparison services to find the going "street" price. · Consult the manufacturer's site for the EER, BTU/Hour and list price. · Check the manufacturer's site for rebates. 10. Where should I buy it? AC units are heavy so it is generally better to buy locally. Make sure the store is an Authorized Dealer or some manufacturers will not honor warrantees and rebates. If you are out in the boonies, consider shopping on-line. Look for companies with free delivery, and make sure you check the store out with rating services like Bizrate.com and Gomez.com. Always use a credit card. If there is a problem, the credit card provider will beat up the store far more effectively than you can. Use your gold or platinum card to "double" the duration of full replacement warrantee -- usually up to an extra year. If the unit requires professional installation, see if the store can recommend someone and factor that cost into your decision. Make sure the installer is licensed and insured. Check with the Better Business Bureau.

Any type of Protein Bars- THUMBS DOWN! All of them are nasty. Don't waste your money.

Budget Stretcher (featured column) Are You an Impulse Buyer? by Terry Rigg Impulse buying is simply defined as making an unplanned purchase. This can be an extra pack of cookies when grocery shopping or buying a car on a whim. Most of us are guilty of this at one time or another. Even though the term is simple, it probably accounts for the majority of money problems family's have. * * * Planning a purchase of any kind is absolutely necessary if you intend to use your money wisely. That extra pack of cookies I mentioned isn't going to break your budget, but with the prices of groceries today, it doesn't take too many items to put a dent in your grocery allowance. However, buying a car without prior planning can get very expensive. Besides the obvious things like finding the best purchase price and interest rate, down payment, money for taxes and license, etc., you need time to decide which car is right for your family. The below list of tips may help prevent impulse buying: If you see something you like, leave the store without it. Go home and look at your budget. Then if you feel you can afford it, go back. In addition, this will give you time to think about whether you really need it. Always go to the grocery store or dollar store with a list. Buy just what is on your list. If you see items you would like to have, make a note to put them on your list for your next trip. Always consider the entire price of an item before buying. In my state, if you buy a car that costs $20,000, you have to pay about 7% in sales taxes within 30 days of the purchase. That $1400 may not be that easy to come up with. I know that the above ideas takes all the fun out of spending your money. Planning and budgeting are about as dull as watching grass grow. However, a family that budgets their money and plans purchases, will no doubt be able to make more purchases and feel much better about it.

Save Money Using a Price Book by Bobbie Jean Knealing Bobbie shares how creating and using a price book can help you save on groceries and other items, she's even found a way to save time while doing it. * * * Saving money at the grocery store doesn't have to be a hit or miss thing. By creating and maintain a price book you are better able to track sales. Tracking sales allows you to know where and when you need to shop in order to make the most of your monthly food allotment. If you are computer literate you can do this on the computer using spreadsheets and whatnot. I, however, prefer the pen and paper method. I use a notebook. Each week when the Sunday paper comes I take all the ads and sit down and write the items that I purchase in my price book. This is a good time to make your shopping lists. I keep track of the date, the item, the price, and write the information down in columns in the notebook. Having a separate page for each of the items you purchase helps keep things orderly and easy to read. Doing it this way you may need more than one notebook. I have 3. When starting out I make a list of everything I can think of that I have ever bought or ever will buy. Then in the notebooks I write down each item at the top of a page. After each grocery trip I transfer the information from my receipts into my price book. When I come across a good sale while doing my shopping, I can look in my price book and see what the best price I have gotten on this item is and when it was, as well as where it was. I can then buy or leave it, accordingly. This is a good time to check your coupons too. If the sale is a relatively good one, and you have a coupon that will crease your savings that expires soon it is in your best interest to buy an equal amount of items as you have coupons for. After you've been keeping a price book you will be able to track the sales at the stores you frequent. When you know how often a sale occurs you can buy enough of the product to hold you over until the next sale. You can also save up coupons to use during the sale. Creating and maintaining a price book may seem time consuming. I spend about an hour a week on this, in addition to the hour a week (or less) I spend on couponing and menu planning (each). The longer you use the tools you have (price books, coupons, menu planning, etc.) the less time you have to spend on organization and records. For saving a substantial amount on my family's grocery budget, I'm happy to give up 3 hours of my time. I usually do this while watching a television program or listening to some good music. The key to saving money and ensuring that your time spent with all these efforts is well spent, is to gather all the facts and information and decide what works best for your family, and then do it. Copyright © 2001 by Bobbie Jean Knealing

Why Some Budgets Don't Work and How To Fix It by Terry Rigg This article is for those families that have sat down at a desk or the kitchen table time after time trying to develop a family budget that they can live with. * * * Why don't they work? There are several answers to that question. Most budgets are doomed from day one because they are too complicated, don't have the commitment of all involved or the numbers simply don't add up. The biggest culprit is that most people don't allow for unexpected expenses. Let's tackle these one at a time: Too Complicated: When you list every expense you have on your budget you set yourself up for defeat. Some budgets include such things as cleaning supplies, dog food, haircuts and car gas. In order to keep track of all of these you would need a new box of envelopes every month. Answer: Streamline your budget. By simply including a topic on your budget entitled "Household" where you can include everything you spend money on each month, excluding bills. Groceries will undoubtedly be the largest expense in this category. By taking the extra time to figure what needs to go into your household budget when you set it up, you can save a lot of time each payday. Commitment: 1. Many times the commitment to live by a budget is lacking. 2. People get into spending habits that are hard to break. 3. There is constant friction in the family over money. 4. It is more comfortable to live beyond your means. Answer: You have to consider all of the above problems when setting up your budget. The Family Budget is just that, the FAMILY BUDGET. Everyone in the family that is old enough to count should be included. I don't mean to say that children should have a say in where the money goes, but they should be aware of what the spending limits of the family are. If you work closely with your spouse in developing a family budget you both are more likely to stick to it. There is one other detail that will help. By setting aside money for yourself and your spouse, that you don't have to account to the other for, your budget is more likely to succeed. The Numbers Don't Add Up: You have more budget than you have paycheck. Generally, this is caused by not being realistic in your budget. You try to make your paycheck fit your budget. Answer: Start by listing your household expenses and bills. Then include 10% of your income for long and short-term savings. If this total is more than your paycheck, you have to cut back. Start by looking at your household budget. Are there items that you can do without? If you have money left over after considering all of the above, then increase your savings. Unexpected Expenses: This can be from your car breaking down, need a new washer or any number of other expenses that you can't predict. Answer: While long-term savings is for things such as a home or car purchase or college for the kids, short-term savings is just as vital to your financial security. A short-term savings will accomplish two things. It will provide you with the money you need to pay those unexpected expenses and it will cut down on the use of credit cards. The short-term savings could save you hundreds of dollars a year. When you develop your budget, keep the following things in mind: 1. Make your budget as simple as possible. 2. Get the family involved. 3. Make your budget fit your paycheck, not the other way around. 4. Plan for the unexpected. Copyright © 2001 by Terry Rigg