ASSORTED TAPES ELEMENT - NINA'S TAPES
NEW BABY ALPCARoger and Marie have a new baby! Hey, we all thought they were enjoying retirement and here they go having a baby! Welcome to the newest addition to your family, baby Cria, just born the other day and already several times bigger than your chihuahua Novia! Thanks for providing us all with this sweet baby picture! What a sweet surprize - may we come an visit her one day soon? My camera is twitching!
MMMMM.... MEATPIE!It's potluck lunch today at the school so I took advantage of the cool evening yesterday and baked up this savoury meatpie. It's a really easy recipe I've created - and I will share it with you!
MRS. MILES EASY SAVORY MEAT PIE
pastry for top and bottom pie
two lb extra lean ground beef
1 packaged stuffing mix
1/2 to 1 cup water
two tablespoons dark soya sauce
fresh herbs, minced (basil, rosemary and/or oregano)
lotsa fresh ground pepper
3 - 4 slices of crispy cooked bacon, cut into small bits (optional)
Preheat oven to 450.
Prepare the bottom layer of pastry, lining a large pie plate.
Brown the ground beef over medium high heat until cooked. Now if you like a richer pie, as I do, and don't care terrifically if its a bit more fattening, you can add a few slices of crispy bacon too. Add stuffing mix and any spice packet it came with. Add the water as needed - so bread bits have soaked it up and mix is not 'dry'... add pepper and fresh herbs.
Put browned mixture into pie shell. Top with pastry, cutting vents in top shell.
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes... then reduce heat to 350 for aproximately 30 minutes. If it's browning too fast, cover with foil at that point.
SOFT SUMMER RAIN ON THE LAKEI worked out of doors for a couple of hours yesterday - removing a surfiet of cones from some cedar trees (or were those junipers? all I know is they had a lot...) Sometimes when the trees get stressed they make an overabundance of cones which weighs their branches down... so I was just helping them so they can wave thier branches freely again. I usually take a radio with me so I can listen while I work, but yesterday I decided not to... and it was a good thing to be alone with my thoughts. You know it tells us in scripture to get away in quiet and pray when we can, and thats sort of how it was for me. I had some good thinking out there.... one thought was about the birds. You see, I know that when I stand still enough, the birds let me look at them, and it occured to me that if I sit still long enough perhaps the birds might come to look at me. In these busy times sitting still that long seems impossible.
The other thing that was working in my heart was an issue which has been unfolding in our little valley. There was a convicted sex-offender released into the community recently. He was convicted of brutally raping an eight year old girl several years ago. He has served his time now but he maintains his innocence - therefore has refused to get any sort of help during that time, like psycologically. The police consider him both a danger to the community and at high risk to re-offend. He's chosen to come back and live at a community a mere 15 miles north of here as he has family there and says he wants to move on in his life.
Of course his presence has stirred a lot of people up. People are (rightfully) scared, abhorred and alarmed. A great many don't want him there and are actively working to try and get rid of him.
So, I've been an outsider looking in. I don't live right there, so I have the luxury of feeling fairly safe and unthreatened. I can only imagine how the family of the poor little girl feel - and her friends etc. So they would obviously feel passionately about this issue.
My first instinct is to lock him up and throw away the key ... and then my mind and heart say "Hey, wait!" Am I a Christian? How can I just slam the door like that without even examining this situation... and no, not the situation with the offender, but with ME. Who am I to simply want to lock up and get rid of this guy? I completely agree that we have to be safe and wise... but since when did I get to the point that I could just think "he's bad - lock him up forever" Where's my love and compassion for this fellow human being. Yes, he DID evil things, evil and possibly unforgivable things - but is this for ME to decide? Now the hardest part of all this is it SEEMS that this fellow is unrepentant that he did this crime - because he is in denial he did it at all. In that light then I would find it a bit easier for me if I believed he was innocent. I just honestly can't know, though from all I've heard the evidence points directly at him. But the scariest thing to me is that I'm so confused. What if this man decided to come to our Church? What if he came and begged for us to help him? How would we deal with this? I think at this point we have the convenience to know thats not a great probability. How many towns can simply shift him off? Which poor town will end up with this dilemma? This is some of the hardest stuff that God gives us - to know that this person is our brother. Why is it easier for us to pray for the victims and their familys than for the offender? Why is it we forget the offender has a family who would like to move on, too. I know there are many prison ministries ... how do these people do this? How do we put aside our immediate repulsion to give God to the sinners? I want to know. Situations like this remind me how much more I need to know of the Lord... Help me, folks, I need your thoughts on this.
You can see the footage on the news story of this crime by clicking HERE - perhaps you will get a sense of the emotions and drama unfolding. Perhaps you will have some words to share with me.
ANYONE CAN HATE, BUT IT COSTS TO LOVE.
"Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13
Today in History
1775 - US Army founded
1777 - Continental Congress in Phila adopts Stars & Stripes as flag
1801 - Former Revolutionary War Gen Benedict Arnold died in London
1841 - 1st Canadian parliament opened in Kingston
1847 - Bunsen invents a gas burner
1850 - Fire destroys part of SF
1876 - California St Cable Car RR Co gets it's franchise
1919 - 1st direct airplane crossing of Atlantic
1922 - Baltimore radio station WEAR 1st to put on a President (Harding)
1938 - Chlorophyll patented by Benjamin Grushk
1941 - Ground broken for Boeing Plant II (ex-AFLC Plant 13) Wichita KS
1942 - Walt Disney's "Bambi" is released
1948 - TV Guide is published
1951 - UNIVAC 1 - 1st commercial computer - unveiled
1954 - Pres Eisenhower signs order adding words `under God' to the Pledge
1967 - Launch of Mariner V for Venus flyby
1976 - Gong Show premiers
BARB'S HANDY TIP #282
Fun With Photography
This one of the sites I keep TELLING my friend Becky about - thought I better just publish it today so i don't forget AGAIN...
I'm going to set the link to today's project page because its a neat project, but after you check that out you might want to hit the HOME tab so you can bookmark the entire site. This site has been a terrific resource to me for loads of unique photo projects. I hope you enjoy it too! OH, and don't forget to sign up for the awesome newsletter, delivered right to your inbox.
4 easy steps to make Old Fashioned Lenticular images from your photos!
TYFS more of your WONDERFUL tape!!!
ReplyDeleteStill loving all of these great tapes!!! Thanks so MUCH!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the cuuuute froggy and gorgeous flower tapes. Boy, you really got me with this sex offender issue. Unfortunately, there is a very high rate of re-offending. For those that don't, God bless them. For those that do, I really feel for the victim and have no sympathy for the offender. But our judicial system says that this man served his time and he needs to live somewhere. At least we're warned now.
ReplyDeleteStill loving all of these great tapes!!! Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeletethank you so much for the oh soo CUTE tapes!! i truly & thoroughly enjoy you so much! thanks for all the pictures and links!! GREAT fun! The sex offender is really a dilemna! They do have the right to live SOMEWHERE, after time has been served, but could i invite them to our area? WOW!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a "sssshhhhh", listen time with God. It IS very hard to sit still ... much to the chagrin of my husband, I'm always seeing stuff to pop up and attend to. He, on the other hand can sit still for AGES and all the little critters just ignore him and carry on as though he wasn't there. Sigh. Actually I do find a sit still more when he is working! But I do like it quiet ... no human noise ... rarely put the radio on when home alone. D ALWYAS has music on (except outside).
ReplyDeleteNo words to add re the sex offender.
Glad you posted anyway ... miss you when you don't show up at all. For not going to post today you sure posted a LONG one!! Nice to be forewarned that you're taking a few days off (if you do).
P.S. That meat pie looks scrumdillicious! and thanks for the link to photojojo.
ReplyDeleteBarb, thank you so much for making us feel like such a part of not only your blog but your life :D...I say it every time, but it bears repeating, YOU ARE SUCH A BLESSING!!!
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon Barb.:)
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming to see me.I love your little poem.LOL
Thank you also for todays tapes.I love them all.:)
How cute is that baby? I bet you can't wait to get pics of it.:)
About your dilema...with the sex offender.It is a hard one to deal with.We all think we know how we would handle it..until it hits home.When you figure it out let me know.LOL I think..better the devil you know than the one you don't.At least the police will know where to look if anything suspicious happens.right? And this guy knows he will be first on the list to be questioned.If he is smart..he will keep to himself and not cause one bit of trouble....Well..we can hope so anyway.:)
How you feel Spiritually about it..you have me asking that of myself too.But I would have to be one of those who layed their stones back down when Jesus said..he who is without sin..cast the first stone...and also..when God said..Vengence is mine..I will repay ..boy..do I need work.LOL
Hugs,
Valinda
Thank you!!--jsj
ReplyDeleteThanks for the frogs and flowers and thanks also for the meat pie recipe - sounds delish!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link my friend. That lenticular image thingy sounds fun. I'm going to give it a try when I find the time. Want to look at all the other projects too.
ReplyDeleteLove the baby alpaca! CUTENESS!
I haven't given much thought to our local sex-offender really. Only God knows the mans heart but if he was living in my backyard & I had a little girl, I can tell you, I might be MUCH MORE nervous & vocal about his presence. I just don't know. If he does re-offend, then everyone will tell the courts the 'i-told-you-so' but until then, if it ever happens, I suppose he just has to live his life. Im on the fence about it I suppose.
Thanks for the little chit-chat this morning:) Looking forward to our play-date should it all work out for Monday morning! TTYL
Thanks so much for these tapes! I had to have the one with the frog because my little girls have been pretending that they are frogs for the past 2 weeks - Ribbit! Thank you, and have a great day!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much sweet sis for the wonderful tapes. You are so talented. We will have to work on trying to get these from digital to my cards when I come to visit
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Nina
THANKS BARB!!!
ReplyDeleteLovin' these tapes! Thanks so much for sharing your talent and finding so many interesting things to share with us! :)
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing your life with us, i always look forward to reading about your days
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tapes!
ReplyDeleteawesome tapes again ..thanks Nina for mentioning frogs ....always remember the Lord say anyone who asks Him to come into his life ..he will take ..God says ask forgiveness and it is through into the sea of forgetfulness...God says He will not remember those things we ask forgiveness for so it is a hard one ...at least like they say we now know where they our and they are the first the police will look for...
ReplyDeleteI am watching the link to the news you have mentioned in your post today, and I find that the whole situation is being handled very badly by the police and the rest of authorities in the area. They never actually say the reasons in which they actually base their opinion to believe the man is a dangerous man. He is completed his jail term, and whether you like it or not he has the right in the eyes of men and in the eyes of God to redo his life, and that way of acting by the police is not going to help him. They are also creating a sense of panic in the population and make them feel uncomfortable without giving a good reason for it. Only just their belief as far as I can know.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that having committed a crime and a crime of the nature he has committed, people should be aware of his whereabouts and the dangers. But that's it. Otherwise we enter in a situation in which once you have committed a crime you are labelled with the crime because that is the only thing you are going to do, so there is no reason for actually releasing prisoners because you know they are going to commit the same crime over and over again.
The way they are acting looks to me against human rights, and not very Christian. I am not saying that I would try, for instance, to befriend him. In a similar situation of course I would be afraid and definitely very careful, and more if I'm around him. If I were a mother surely I would be very afraid, but you can not act the way the police is acting. If they have reasons to believe in him committing the same crime again, they should take those beliefs before a judge. Otherwise it looks like they are trying to either force him out, in which case he will go to another community and be in the same situation, or worse see himself unable to reintegrate in society and commit the same crime or other other crime ending up again in prison, being that his only future.
My personal opinion would be to be careful, of course, but not to go into a panic. And try to see if a second chance does work with that man. We can all commit a mistake out of ignorance or because we are young and stupid, that is why the Bible speaks about being giving a second chance. In those moments you show whether you have learnt or not.
I absolutely share the feelings of the people in the area, mostly by mothers, but he needs a second chance otherwise his only future is prison. Nobody wants that kind of future.
I'd be careful but I would try not to go into panic. And without knowing more about the bases for the police not sure what else to say. And yes I know that I'm not in the area and emotionally can't feel what the population in there feels.
In any case you need to be careful a lot nowadays, I speak from my own experience of living in big cities where there is crime, so I try to be careful. I know it's not the same as a village where nothing has happened until now.
I know my opinion might not like to a lot of people so please don't be to harsh and don't take personally.
By the way lovely tapes, as always, thanks a million for sharing them with us :) Best wishes. :O)
Thank you for the tapes as well as the other tidbits of info :-) I visited the website - very cool!
ReplyDeletei thought i posted here already lol oh well, i wanted to thank you for your blog that i so much enjoy!! and thank you so much also for your warm visit to my blog! of course you can add me i would be honored! :) and you can call me shirley or xashee, what ever you feel comfy with! thanks so much for asking and for your interest! Have a BEAUTIFUL day and did i say thanks! lol Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteLove the frog. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, I just love all the tapes!!!!!!! Kimmistil
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, you are on a roll with all these tapes!!I love them, today's are perfect for a layout I want to do of my sister, so thank you.
ReplyDeleteMore great tapes, TYSMFS :o)
ReplyDeleteOn the sex offender...
ReplyDeleteI like to think that if I spent all of my time casting judgement on people for choices they have made in the past, I would have to live in a air tight locked up iron-clad house from fear.
I try to think that it is God's heavy burden to have to handle these situations and that it is just one more reason to be thankful to Him. My job is to focus on improving and judging only myself and having a generous and giving heart.
That doesn't mean however that I would let this guy babysit for me or let my daughter go alone to his house to sell him girlscout cookies.
And... last thought... evidence is still only the product of human knowledge and humans are not perfect. This person may really believe in his innocence... and really be trying to just get on with his life. Who knows? Only him and the man upstairs (and the guilty party if it is not him by some freak chance.)
We live in a crazy world, but if it were totally sane, we wouldn't learn all of those important lessons.
I love PhotoJojo! And I think by you examining your local situation that it is making you a better Christian. I am not a terribly religious person, and I get frustrated when I see people do things that do not follow the golden rule in the name of the lord. God created us all and I feel a good christian doesn't follow the masses but instead looks to themselves to see what should be done. Growing up my husband and his family attended a Baptist church and were very devout. They attended functions at the church nearly every day, and it was their life. They did not have money to send their 4 kids to college, but donated many thousands yearly to the church. Then when my husband was 13 his father cheated on his mother and left the family. At a time when they needed the church the most they were shunned because his mother went through with the divorce. His father was not going to come back to them and the only way for them to get public aid was to take his income out of the equation. If the members of their church had thought for themselves instead of just going with the "divorce is wrong" theory I am sure they would have come to the conclusion that God would have wanted them to help this family in need as opposed to shun it. So, in your dilemma, look inside your self and think of what God would want you to do or feel. You may be surprised at the outcome.
ReplyDeletewhy can't i download the tapes?
ReplyDeleteI also have not been able to download some of the tapes(last 3 sets) All the tapes are absolutly lovely! Thank you so much for sharing with us.
ReplyDelete