Think twice; LOOK TWICE at this photo!

When all seems wrong with your life, think again - look again at this courageous dog who's walking on his hind legs; no front legs. Standing up straight - it's an inspiration to me.

Think twice when you complain about your 'rough day'...

Think and appreciate what our troops deal with. As I was thinking about this, I received this e-mail from my dear friend who was in the path of the terrible storm the Philippines just experienced. This is what it reads:
Dear Lady D,
It is 11:58 PM now from where I am. The winds have subsided for the time being but the rain caused by the typhoon's tail end remains constant.
It has been 3 days of consistent rain pour and high winds because of the storm "FengShen".
This typhoon was unpredictable the same way Katrina was. PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronimical Services Administration), which is the national bureau responsible for weather forcasts detected that the initially projected path of the typhoon has changed when it was slowly moving on land. Instead of heading South West, it changed it's path toward the more populated North.

The typhoon, locally named as "Frank" headed straight for Manila and the provinces of the northern luzon area.

Due to the sudden change of the typhoon, it was too late for ships that had previously been allowed to sail to head for safety. At this point the news of a transport ship, the vessel "Princess of the Star" has flipped over with all 700 unaccounted for.

As for the cities and the provinces in the northern luzon. At this point it is already for sure that the damage is great. Local officials and the National goverment have yet to announce the actual figures of the extent as of this time.

Me and my family are safe. It is a good thing that the city of Antipolo of the Province of Rizal is elevated compared to the greater metro manila area. This has protected us from floods and kept our home safe and sound.

Electricity is back now. It returned around 3 hours ago. We are very fortunate that electricity is back after 1 day of total darkness. Water, Internet and other services are back.

Unfotunately this is not the case for many in the greater metro manila area and the provinces of northern Luzon. They may need to wait for the record high flood levels to subside which may take days and even weeks.

People now bond together and announce means of how we can help our countrymen. All goverment agencies along with philippine business establishments provide means of helping those affected by the typhoon. What most victims need now is water,canned food, clothes and rice.

Your country has also announced its support through its embassy in Manila. It has announced providing logistics and equipment support for the people missing of the sunken ship "Princess of the Sea". This help is greatly appreciated since we fear that there are people still trapped inside the remains of the ship as it sinks. If they are still alive, then they have been there for almost a day and I fear the worst for them.

With all that is happening I know reflect. It is sad that these events of nature has become so destructive. Is this normal? This is a question that I ask myself. Has it been like this even before I was born? Is this a sign that we human beings have reached a point where in our disregard for nature and the environment has reached its inconvenient reality and truth? It this is truly the case then I hope that the world wakes up.

In memory of George Carlin

He was just one of the best. You can see the beautiful picture they've put on his web-site by going to: http://www.georgecarlin.com.

Last year George gave a wonderful speech that didn't have any 'naughty words' in it - it was prophetic; insightful, and heart-warming. I was happy to get a copy of that, and that's the way I'll always remember him.

He made me laugh; he made me think - yes, he sure made me think twice!

Before we leave for the summer, just a few links and things I remember to do...

I remember to put a spare house key in the mail to me - one to where I'm going to travel; another to my own home. I'll be certain to have a house-key one way or the other..........

Now for a couple links I find valuable, and my wish to any reader to have a great summer as we plan on doing!

ANOTHER 'BLOG' THAT'S GOT EXCELLENT HOUSEHOLD TIPS & GREAT IDEAS - THIS IS 'THINKING TWICE'!!
http://opossumsal.homestead.com/household.html

I LOVE THIS BLOG - IT'S GOT GREAT MONEY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
http://moneyplusthoughts.blogspot.com/

RICHARD ANDREW KING ALWAYS THINKS TWICE; SHARES THIS LINK - FOR OUR SAFETY!
http://www.felonspy.com/

THINK TWICE - TAKE THE TIME TO USE YOUR COMPUTER FOR THIS PROJECT.
Get your household inventory on your computer. Aside from the normal furnishings, list items such as:

Where the LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT IS STORE - COPIES TO YOUR CHILDREN PLEASE!

FINE ART-WORK; RARE LETTERS & BOOKS.

ALL ITEMS IN THE GARAGE TOO.

LIST STORAGE LOCKERS; ADDRESSES - GIVE THE RIGHT TO ENTER UPON YOUR DEATH IN A STATEMENT TO THE MANAGER OF THE STORAGE LOCKER - HAVE THEM KEEP IT IN YOUR FILE.

GIVE AN EXTRA KEY TO ALL YOUR STORED GOODS TO YOUR FRIENDS.

MAIL AN EXTRA COPY OF THE STORAGE LOCKER KEY TO YOURSELF - LET IT SIT IN THAT ENVELOPE IN YOUR POST OFFICE BOX OR MAIL BOX AT HOME - ONLY YOU KNOW WHAT LOCKER NUMBER IT FITS, AND WHERE THE STORAGE LOCKER IS.

Think Twice - Before you spend money on an Expensive Gift...

Thanks to a dear friend in Michigan, I created a new 'blog' that gives us all a chance to think how we can better contribute to the world-wide condition of poverty and hunger.

We have to remember that certain charities eat up a major percentage of your donation, with high-paid administrators and enormous amounts of money spent on advertising.

Is it a kind heart that reaches out to ask for your help, or is it a voracious organization in disguise.

I've worked extensively to find stories; links, and ideas to help you make better choices as you think twice about what you really can do, to help.

The link is here: http://sweetcharityplease.blogspot.com

THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU START A 'BLOG', AND PUT ALL YOUR LINKS WAY FAR DOWN ON THE SIDE-BAR!

When you fail to think through something like I did, it means re-typing it again - see; I just got too hurried and didn't think it through. I promise, the links will be 'back up top' when I get time.

Oh yes, and before I forget: I call this photo 'BRIDGING THE GAP'

Diane

http://about.com/
http://allhappytalk.blogspot.com/
http://dexterspeoplerecipes.blogspot.com
http://dietandmusic4weightloss.blogspot.com
http://fivewaychili.blogspot.com
http://sparkpeople.com
http://womenonwomen1.blogspot.com
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http://www.aeu.org
http://www.businessweek.com
http://www.cookinglight.com
http://www.familyeducation.com
http://www.kaboose.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.prevention.com
http://www.richardking.net
http://www.snopes.com
http://www.usgs.gov
http://www.washingtonpost.com

THEN AGAIN, THINK TWICE - AND TRY A 'PASTE'...AH - LAZY ME!

WHY I STARTED THIS BLOG EARLY MONDAY MORNING...

I got so tired of wrestling with my computer; trying to manage my blogs, and e-mails - felt 'glued' to the computer, and was wishing I could just get outside and enjoy the great weather.

It popped into my head that since everything I do, I can 'control', why was I feeling so controlled!

I asked my husband if he'd run get me a pack of cigarettes - stunned by this request (since I don't smoke), nevertheless he ran the errand without giving me a lecture on why I shouldn't start smoking at the age of 65 (which I am - he's 72).

I lit up; promptly got dizzy, and laid down for half an hour before I tried it again. I wondered why I chose this as an 'out' - a way to 'sit', and avoid a certain tension and boredom. Somehow this newest experience, was telling me something - I just didn't know what it was at the time.

With the periodic cigarette going, I found it easier for me to deal with the 'routine' - the rote method by which one writes; edits and follows the step-by-step 'rules of posting'. When the posting failed; the computer 'slowed', I would 'take a puff', and be much more patient!

This routine of smoking started January 3, 2008; by now, it was starting to 'take its toll' - I was feeling that nasty taste in my mouth in the morning, and starting to question why I was letting the 'cigarette habit' infiltrate my life. I'm paying for my 'cigs' from my personal allowance each week; my, it's gobbling up that money at a rate I don't like. There I stood in the kitchen; looking at that dirty ash-tray, and noticing the smell in the computer-room - all 'negatives' which I don't like.

I opened the windows; put the ash-tray into the sink, and put the half-empty pack of cigarettes into the freezer. I stood there by the sink; my head was down, and I started the morning coffee.

Suddenly it struck me: Would I smoke if I had to make the paper and process the tobacco? No - I would not, and could not! Would I be enjoying a nice hot cup of French-roasted coffee if I had to pick the beans; I don't even live close to where coffee is grown! Would I be able to make coffee if I didn't have a coffee maker or electricity - nope, no way!

What's my point? Well not
everything we enjoy as a 'modern-day' convenience, is BENEFICIAL to ourselves.
Many things have actually contributed to our loss of self-reliance. We've
allowed ourselves the 'luxury' of eating out, rather than cooking - lost dollars
for certain. We've enjoyed the convenience of a 'fast-food' restaurant - now we
have a nation of over-weight people; including young
people.

We once 'worked' (hard) during the
course of our day; it kept us physically fit and strong - now we do 'sedentary'
way too easily because of all the 'conveniences'.

We've come to expect things that
we WANT, and call them NEEDS - think twice, and see if I'm not true when I say
we are truly spoiled - we do NOT need all that we've come to
expect.

I could make this 'list' a lot
longer, but I do not NEED to - you can make your own personal list, and evaluate
yourself.

What I do need to do, is finish my
menu-planning; my grocery list, and decide on what I'm going to fix for dinner
tonight.

Pondering the menu for the evening meal, I thought about making baked potatoes - baked once, and 'be done with it'. Ah then, my neighbor tells me that those twice-baked potatoes are so much better, so I figured I'd give it a shot - that extra touch......

The extra touch - why has that become such a necessary part of the woman's life when I don't see this concept being utilized by a lot of the men I know (including my own husband).

Where have we gotten this idea we have to do the "Martha Stewart"
thinking? I call it the "MS" thinking because it seems ever since this woman
started publishing her books; teaching all the women 'what we should be doing'
on her television show, things have gotten ever so time-consuming for the woman
who's trying to 'do better' for her family, and in her career, etc.

What is the cost of 'doing better'? What kind of revenue are all these
retailers enjoying now that we are all so 'programmed' into thinking that
candles must burn while we dine? What kind of money and time are we 'shelling
out', to live up to the "Martha Stewart' image?

I started thinking - twice is what I'm calling it. Some could call it
second-guessing; I think we should all start doing 'second-thinking' - just like
those potatoes, we need to look at what we're calling an improvement, and
determine if it really is an improvement, and not just succumbing to the
influence of television advertising; magazine advertisements, and falling prey
to an ever-demanding 'call to spend'.

Spend money!
Spend time!
Life seems to be complicated not by our own
decisions, but by what we see and hear is 'necessary' if we're keeping current
with the trends of today.

I think it's time to revitalize some of the old tried and true ways of living; revert back to some of the values that my great grandmother taught me - start thinking and doing the things that worked so well 100 years ago, and we just might save a few dollars in the process.

I'm guessing the 'trend' starting in 2008, will be the 'trend of
saving and saving not only our own house-hold from financial threat, but the
trend of the nation'.

Half-baked ideas? No, twice-thought methods; time to dig them up and out.

Time to share my ideas that have worked for 45 years. Time to put into service, the things I know (but have been neglecting). Time to 'take control', and ask myself each time I start to spend another $20 bill: "Is there are better way?"
2008 - a better way; twice-thought, twice-baked - twice the rewards!

Now let me leave a few recipes for you, that are low-cost; low in calories - this might get you started....

Saute bread-rounds. Remove center portion. Spread cavity with pate de
foi gras puree. Put a poached egg on top; a teeny weeny bit of sour cream on the
top.

Saute bread rounds. Remove center portion. Fill cavity with sliced mushrooms; put a poached egg on top - a bit of sour cream and a sprinkling of parmesean cheese - a few pimentos to top it all off.

Cook and mash or rice: Two cups of potatoes (I use red, and leave the
skins on). Mix in some sour cream (about 1/4 cup). Add 2T of finely minced
pimento. Pile this into a baking dish. Make four cavities. Slip a raw egg in
each cavity and bake until set. Serve with tiny bits of fresh chives and fresh
ground pepper and tiny slivers of green or red pepper.

I BAKED SOME ACORN SQUASH FOR EVERYONE; SERVED IT WITH A BIT OF FRESH ROSEMARY; FRESH BASIL - AND GOAT CHEESE - IT WAS GREAT.

I ADDED A SIMPLE TOSSED SALAD:
Tossed Salad, 2 apples diced; 1/4 cup of chopped pecans, 1/2 cup of cubed feta cheese, 1/4 cup of sliced red onion, and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries - yum!

I also put a couple sliced soft-boiled eggs on top for 'pretty protein'.

WHEN MAKING TWICE-BAKED POTATOES: Before you fill the skins with the potato mixture, mix in a bit of left-over ham or poultry (diced small). Stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream; make that little 'cavity' and put in an egg.
Put these back into the oven; 275 - until the egg is set. Easy; good for you - and served with a spinach salad made with red onion; feta cheese - diced apples, and a few dried cranberries - a terrific dinner or a brunch!

Save that lelft-over creamed spinach. Make up 6 soft-boiled eggs; cut
and warm them together (or serve chilled). When serve chilled, I put this on a
bed of romaine, and put red onion slices over it; I don't use a dressing, but
probably a nice vinegar & oil would be nice.

I dislike making stuffed artichokes; too much work. Instead, I get the artichokes that are canned in water (2 jars). I make up my favorite stuffing; starting with the artichokes on the bottom - layer (like lasagne). We just scoop it out and eat.

If I've got the time and can afford the 'calories', I make a binder of sour cream and 2 eggs - mix that into the artichokes and stuffing - think 'mixing meat-loaf'. Then I bake - 30 minutes @ 350 - tasty with bits of left-over ham mixed in as well.

PASTA WITH PEAS - LIGHT AND LOVELY! Make up your favorite pasta - angel
hair is nice for a very light meal.
Saute 1/4 cup of red onion with 1/2 cup
of chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano. This doesn't take long - do it
on medium low so it doesn't burn. If you like garlic, make it light - 1/2 to 1
teaspoon of minced garlic.
Add 3 cups of frozen or fresh peas at the very
last; keep them green and tasty - not more than 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
Put
all of this with your pasta; serve with parmesan cheese.
Note: Sometimes I
add mushrooms with the onion and tomatoes too - depends on their price since I
use fresh.

Another version: Use broccoli - very tender; young (or small pieces that you buy frozen). This time I like lots of garlic - at least 1T of minced garlic; 1/2 cup of slivered almonds - saute them together until they're tender (season only with a bit of coarse-ground black pepper).
Toss all of this with the pasta and a good butter replacement for flavor - again, mushrooms are very good wtih this as are slivers of red pepper for a garnish and a bit of sweet crunch.

This is fun: Get those asian wraps (egg roll wraps are just fine). Fill
them with:
Chicken filling made with: 1/2 cup of Ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup
diced cooked chicken, 1 egg beaten and mixed in - 2 T parmesan cheese; salt to
taste (ever so lightly); a wee bit of pepper. Add 1/4 cup of finely minced
scallions and 1/2 cup of shitake mushrooms. Once you've worked all this together
- fill the wraps and seal.
Drop these into French onion soup (save time; use
the mix - just add beer instead of water for a better taste). Let them float;
they steam-cook - great fun!