2010-11-26

Drew Brooks arrived on Thanksgiving

our 6th grandson arrived healthy but a bit bruised.... he didn't want to exit the womb and needed prodding from Dr Nobles and crew.

2010-11-22

from a fine First Lady to ex-gov palin

oh... if ONLY Mrs Barbara



since ditto-head pa(l)in will never get the message as long as there is big moolah to be made.. here's a great cookie recipe credited to Mrs. Barbara Bush.

Ingredients:


* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips


Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

1. Blend butter and sugars until fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture.
4. Stir in oats, vanilla and chips.
5. Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or until golden.
7. This recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies.


link for cookie recipe

2010-11-21

36 hours

we have a new PUPPY!

after many delays [strep for every two-legger on the hill] Ranger and i went to get the newest addition to the family... i figured it was now, or wait till december [son and d-i-l are due to have their baby boy next week] so, i woke friday morn, grabbed our backpacks and we headed east to dahlonega, georgia.

uneventful trip east, save the regular traffic snarls around atlanta [i do NOT like large cities... seems once ya start selling property by the square foot the number of idiots increases exponentially] ... i observed one particularly nasty traffic tie-up from atlanta going west, and made my lil prayers that it wouldn't occur on our trip home. as we were going past that  fiasco i glanced over and saw a hitchhiker waiting on a ride west and thought 'babe, you can walk faster than they are moving'

dahlonega is a gorgeous town... we must return when i have more time to spend wandering.  checked into the smith house and i find out it's owned by the welch family, my great-grandfather was from this area and moved to m'sippi when a child. yeah, i have cousins everywhere. 
"old books and chocolate? side by side? is the heaven?" From dahlonega and back

next morning we picked up our baby and headed home... stopped in north atlanta to let the 4-leggers relieve and stretch. Bubbles did great the whole trip [no accidents] but did NOT like the lead i had her on and refused to load and unload... so i had to pick her up with Ranger right beside me making sure i didn't fall and wondering why i was loving on a dog other than he. all i could think was "oh boy! gonna be a l--o--n--g trip.... i am going to need help----- where's a hitchhiker when ya need one?" 

well lo-&-behold the guy that was looking for a ride west was back in the same spot.... with a sign that read "New Orleans"   JACKPOT!!  i backed up and he looked inside at Ranger [who let out his obligatory rrrrumble] --- i smiled and said "have i gotta job for YOU" the look on his face was priceless. i explained the situation to danny and he agreed to help me with the puppy at the pit stops. 

yeah, yeah, i probably know what you're thinking.... it's dangerous to pick up hitchhikers... nah. what i was thinking :: why is the speed limit fifty-five miles per hour on i-20 from the GA-AL line to talledega? and why are drivers from texas, hinds co m'sippi, and north atlanta all unaware of common courtesy when driving? did they have the same driving instructor?  if you know  the answer to any of these questions... leave a comment... now back to what you might be thinking...
i have always been one to give someone a ride, i've met many great people and heard wonderful life stories... as far as danger? in my life i've been hurt most by those i know, those who profess to love me... those put in a position to care for me... i was molested at 6 years old by a step-uncle... burned by a baby sitter when a toddler... raped as a teen by 'friends' .... robbed and cheated by 'family' .... hurt by those that will never know what loving and caring for another really means. you are taught to be afraid of strangers... but i've found, strangers sometimes treat me better than those that profess to love me.

i let danny out at jackson, he was heading to biloxi for the winter, not new orleans [he figured nola would be more recognizable than another city] arrived safely back in the hamlet of wesson... stopped and introduced Bubbles to the grandsons... all is well in my world... ok, if not in my world.. it is well in my soul... and THAT is all that matters. 


the end



From dahlonega and back

2010-11-08

why me........

why not you?


i get really tired of people that think this world is supposed to be fair...those that question "why do bad things happen to good people?"


i've yet to meet anyone that deserves only good things to happen to them. if most of us got what we truly deserve?...wow, how different the world would be today.


the 'good' and the 'bad' happen -- that's just how it goes... we have a choice... a choice in how we perceive this world, a choice in helping those less fortunate, a choice in living the life we've been given, a choice to leave this world better just because we existed... a choice to take the good and the bad and improve the life of another, a choice to rejoice in facing another day, another obstacle, and a chance to lay down when the day is done and know -- i did my best ...

a choice to wallow in misery and cry ---

"why me?"

2010-11-01

election 2010

read a post on investors.com by Thomas Sowell Posted 10/29/2010 07:11 PM ET... Will Voters Set U.S. Free From Obama's Hold?
just have a few comments on his points.

These include threats against people who simply choose to express opinions counter to administration policy, such as a warning to an insurance company that there would be "zero tolerance" for "misinformation" when the insurance company said that ObamaCare would create costs that force up premiums.

Zero tolerance for the right of free speech guaranteed by the Constitution?

i do admire that he made sure to add "misinformation" and i for one am totally concur on "zero tolerance" for misinformation... because isn't misinformation just a nice way to say "YOU LIE!!" ??

As more businesses reveal that they are considering no longer buying health insurance for their employees, as a result of higher costs resulting from ObamaCare legislation, the administration has announced that it can grant waivers that reduce these costs.

horsefeathers... these companies are most likely revealing this because it will reduce costs... giving businesses an easy way out on commitments made to employees.

Recent proposals from the Obama administration to force disclosure of the names of people who sponsor election ads would likewise open all who disagree with Obama to retaliation by the government itself, as well as by community activists and others.

only the right to a private vote is protected... i am not so sure the right to sponsor election advertisements SHOULD be private. seems to me, if you want free speech to be protected you should be able to live with the consequences of your speech. period.

We have a strange man in the White House. This election is a crossroads, because either his power will be curbed by depriving him of his huge congressional majorities or he will continue on a road that jeopardizes our freedom and our survival.

strange? maybe.. but "the decider" scared me more, and look at the mess he left us with.. sheesh... talk about "gettin' when the gettin's good"
anyway, the only thing that jeopardizes our freedom, is a misinformed citizenry. 

and while i'm at it... take a look at Summary of Latest Federal Individual Income Tax Date

The amount of individual income taxes paid fell substantially in 2008, by $84 billion, and nationally, average income tax rates were at their lowest levels since 2004. The average tax rate for returns with a positive liability went from 12.68 percent in 2007 to 12.24 percent in 2008.

did all these 'less taxes paid' help the economy? are you better off than you were in 2000? if you're not better off than you were in 2008... it's that "trickle-down" hitting ya on the head. get an umbrella, it's only going to get worse.[oh, and don't buy gold... if it gets as bad as the infopundits are spewing.. you're gonna need lead and reloading equipment... that gold has a higher melting point than lead.. so do yaself a favor. buy lead.]

back to the point i was making... thanks to the Bush Era Tax Cuts... we are at a crossroads... do you feel that the price for living in the USA should be less? are you willing to give up public education? public utilities? libraries? highway funding? medicaid? medicare? social security? financial aid so maybe those that have the ability can get a higher education?

i hear people complaining about capital gains tax... the tax rate varies from 0% to 15%... that is not a bad tax to pay for income.

also, the top 1% in 2008 averaged about $1,205,000 per income tax filed, while the bottom 50% averaged around $15,000. so YES... if you make more, you should pay more... how many of you can live on 15K a year?

a loaf bread costs the same, whether you make $1.2M or $15K.