Wednesday, September 12, 2007





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My thoughts and heartfelt prayers go out to all today re: September 11th. Words just don't do it, do they?




Are you ready to have your heart touched even more today? My friend Gina posted, and her entry is altogther humbling and inspirational. You all know Gina lost her son, Nick just less than a year ago and she's been allowing us to share her journey of grief ever since. Well, she just knocks my socks off how she finds ways to bring honour to her son's death and still give to others. Won't you take a few moments from your busy day today to leave some love and encouragement for her? Just click here to be transported to her blog.




I'm also thinking of Kim B's friend Jazz who is in ICU on a ventilator – Kim's keeping us posted... but you could slip on over, leave your own boost, and scoop a very pretty ribbon freebie at the same time – just click
here.




Happy/Sad today. Mom and Dad left for home today, after visiting with us for a week. Before they arrive, it feels like a week will stretch out forever, and I am always afraid they will be bored, but before we know it, the time is gone. We had a lovely time and didn't wind up with too much time hanging on our hands. Unfortunately Miles had to work so he missed out on some quality time.




We assembled several puzzles, went for drives, ate, ate, ate and they also read the paper and fill out the crosswords daily. That fills up several hours at a time. Do you do crosswords? Doesn't it just suck when you get stuck on a word and don't want to give in? Well, no mind, help is near at hand with this helpful website which allows you to feed your info in and will come up with that word for you! Just click here to check it!








Even though our folks gave me some lovely birthday presents, the greatest gifts of all were the fact they wanted to be here to help celebrate, and all the things I learn from Mom... sometimes reluctantly, I'm afraid to say. We spent a day canning peaches together. Mom's got some methods that are ingenious, and others which would cause alarm with my home-ec teachers from school ... and not what 'the cookbooks' recommend. As she says, she's canned all these years and nobody's dead. Ha!




Speaking of canning – fruit and veg, I came across the funniest video from YouTube ... check it – you might find you have a talent for 'playing' your veg?














I am going to share a fact you may not know about me.



I can't wait to open up presents and gifts.




My birthday is coming, and I recieved a gift from my sister a few days ago and well, I just tore right into it. I have no self constraint when it comes to prezzies. Now if we had children at home then I would have to find some creative way to get around this, to set a good example. I think I might find away to make a 'bogus look-alike' package and switch them out in front of said child, then do some quick-trickery to make it look like I waited. Erm... ah, ok, I couldn't actually do that in good conscience, really, but since we don't have little ones at home, and since I've spent a lifetime of constraint and I'm an adult now, I'm not going to wait. So, I would advise anyone who knows me to send your cards in advance and the prezzie AFTER said birthday or else I'll be 'scrappin' the wrappin' the moment the package hits my warm little mitts. Either that, or send it to Mr. Miles, then I will trick ya by opening HIS mail haha!




Dairy Queen thinks the same way I do. See, they sent me my FREE Blizzard coupon already. Did you know that you can sign up and they send you a 2 for 1 coupon for your special day? Truly, for the past three years they've been faithful to me. I'm impressed! To register your (or someone you love's) birthday just visit them here.




So my sweet, darling, precious (mad at me) sister blessed me with a most bee-you-tee-ful necklace and earrings set (which I promise to be gentle with...) and a gorgeous card she scrapped herself. I will treasure both my Sis. I lerves ya to bits!




Speaking of jewellery, I had to put a piece away for a bit... and I'm sad about that as its something I wore daily. I have a ring which used to belong to Miles aunt, and I wore it daily. Mom has always advised me to get it checked to make sure the claws are strong enough, and I've always put it off. While they're visiting, Mom mentioned it again, so I said “lets just go do that” while she's here. Well... the jeweller has advised me to either fix it or put it away, as the claws need to be rebuilt, or I might lose the stone. It's going to be pricey just having the repairs done, so it's into the safety deposit box instead for a while... thank goodness I listened to Mom, though.




I was forwarded a humorous email (thanx Marie R.) about Julie Andrews, as she celebrates her 69th birthday on October 1. She made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music hall for the benefit of the AARP, and performed this updated version of that famous song she sang in The Sound of Music all those years ago... (Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.)




MY FAVORITE THINGS




Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.




Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.




When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.




Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.




Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.




When the joints ache,
When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.






I want to be sure to share a tip with you which I devised. Miles loves biscuits, so I don't make them often. LOL... I'm not Grisilda the cruel wife, its just that he really, really, REALLY likes my biscuits and will eat every crumb. And I want him to keep his slender waistline, so he gets them in very small batches – usually at a time I know we have guests or he can take some to the school as a treat for the staff and students.




My secret for them is actually two things...




The first thing I do is when I flatten the dough out to about 1 inch thick, then I sprinkle the surface lightly with flour using a sifter. Then, I fold the dough over and press it with my hand till its 1 inch thick again. This way, the biscuit will seperate itself when its pulled apart when eaten. I cut my biscuits to a fairly small size, using a tomato paste tin which I've cut both ends out of.




I also put a slab of cheddar cheese ontop of each biscuit before baking, this gives it a nice crunchy, savoury top. Adding in a bit of garlic salt, chives or spices to the dough makes these a hit!




I would like to say Thank You to Ruthie, who awarded me with the Rockin' Girl Blogger award – wowza, this is my third election. You folks are giving me a LOT to live up to! I promise to 'tag' some people in the near future, ok? And thanks for thinking of me!




Also, I've had several comments from you, Olga, and would like to send you an email. Could you please email me at
lalalime@hotmail.com as I don't have any way to contact you.



Sneaky Potty!




I came across a blogsite which features very unusual furniture, like this port-a-pottie... hehe, how clever... will make you look at that business person with toting their breifcase in a totally different manner... To check out the other 'oddities' just click here.




Well, I had better 'git it together'... a lot of stuff to do in this next week, as I put everything aside to visit with the folks. I hope to post again in the next few days. Until then, I wish you all a Blessed Week.



Daddy helps me Can!



Today in History:



1609 - Henry Hudson, English navigator and explorer, entered the river later known as the Hudson, in North America.

1873 - The customers bought the first practical typewriter.

1878 - The obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle, originally cut from the quarries of Aswan in about 1475 B.C., was erected in London.

1910 - The world's first woman police officer, Alice Stebbins Wells, was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department.

1928 - Actress Katharine Hepburn made her stage debut in the play, "The Czarina". It would be four years until the "First Lady of the American Screen" would make her first film, "A Bill of Divorcement".

1935 - United States millionaire Howard Hughes flew a plane of his own design at 352.46 mph to establish the first of his several aviation records.

1940 - The Lascaux cave paintings were discovered by four teenagers near Lascaux, France, after following their dog down a narrow entrance into a cavern. The 17,000-year-old paintings, consisting mostly of animal representations, are among the finest examples of art from the Paleolithic period.

1953 - 24-year-old Jacqueline Lee Bouvier married 36-year-old United States Senator from Massachusetts, future United States President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

1954 - It was the first appearance of "Lassie" on CBS-TV. Despite being called, "girl," Timmy, played by Tommy Provost, and June Lockhart, who starred as Mom, "Lassie" was a male dog. There were over six Lassie dogs doing stunts. "Lassie" aired on CBS for exactly 17 years; the last episode aired on September 12, 1971.

1958 - Researcher Jack Kilby invented the Integrated Circuit, popularly known as the "chip." The chip consisted of a transistor and other components on a slice of germanium. The chip is considered of such importance that many of today's electronics products could not have been developed without it.

1966 - The Beatles were awarded a gold record for "Yellow Submarine".

1970 - The supersonic airliner Concorde landed for the first time at Heathrow airport in London, prompting a barrage of complaints about the noise.

1983 - Fourteen years after leaving Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger became a United States citizen.

1991 - The space shuttle Discovery took off on a mission to deploy an observatory that was to study the Earth's ozone layer.

1992 - Mae C. Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space. An astronaut and physician, Jemison was a Peace Corps volunteer in the mid-1980s, and soon afterward joined NASA's astronaut program. The United States space shuttle Endeavour took off with a crew that included Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple in space.

1993 - Television and film actor Raymond Burr died at the age of 76, falling victim to liver cancer. Burr's acting career, which spanned over 30 years, included his brilliant portrayal of defense lawyer Perry Mason and investigator Ironside on the TV series of the same names.




Barb's Handy Tip # 306
Be Part of a Pyramid?




NOT a 'sales' pyramid, the REAL thing... and you can 'reserve a stone' in your name!




The Great Pyramid can potentially be any human being’s grave or memorial site. As monumental as it is affordable, it serves those of all nationalities and religions. Individuals who are either unwilling or unable to have their physical remains buried there can also opt to have a memorial stone placed instead. Stones can be custom designed with any number of colors, images, or relief decorations. The Great Pyramid will continue to grow with every stone placed, eventually forming the largest structure in the history of man.




The Egyptian pyramids were build for eternity but only for one single person. This pyramid is open to every individual. Rather than hastily burying one another or allowing our ashes to be scattered, as a small stone in the pyramid we can remain part of our species’ constantly shifting and ever-expanding tableau.




The Great Pyramid




18 comments:

  1. Thanks for the beautiful overlays!

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  2. great paper ..love it ..chat to youn soon

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  3. Hey, hey, sweet lady ... I don't know how you manage to visit so many sites to give a word of encouragement! Wow, says I.

    So you had a birthday and I missed it! Too caught up in my own affairs to clue in. So sorry. Happy Belated Birthday! ... but wait, have I missed it yet or is it still coming? I'm confused.

    I'm with you on the presents though. Why wait? is my take on the whole thing. I'm also TERRIBLE at keeping a secret from Sweetie Pie when it is HIS birthday ... I can't WAIT to give my present to him once I have it in my hot little hands.

    Sounds like you had a lovely time with "Mom and Dad". My DH LOVES doing crosswords. I help once in a blue moon but he really is the brains of the family. I'm better at Sudoku. I'll pass your site tip on to him! When he's desperate he hits the computer.

    My Mom probably canned like your Mom ... and we all lived through it too. D and I were just talking about this the other day!!! Funny you should bring it up.

    Our nephew and his wife spent some time in Japan and he puts up funny videos from there too. An interesting sense of humour.

    Those biscuits look positively scrumpdillyitious! Whoo-eee! I'll have to try those additions to my own recipe. We have biscuits only rarely as well. I'm really sneaky as I divide the flour/lard mixture into two portion sizes and refrigerate/freeze it ... adding the liquid only when needed! I know, I'm just SO rascally. But we BOTH have to watch our waistlines!

    I don't know about that potty in the briefcase thing. EEEE-yoooou!

    Well I best sign into Skype. Sweetie Pie should be logging in any time soon for our evening chat! Only two more sleeps and he'll be home...until next spring.

    We'd love to stop and see you ... get together for supper or breakfast if we get your way ... we usually stay in that motel by the Husky and eat at that pub adjacent to the motel as we don't know where else to go? Will keep you posted as to dates.

    Ta, ta from your Ciceroo in the Cariboo!

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  4. HI! I love you to pieces. I so don't have time right now to read this long post but those biscuits I saw are making me hungry. I'll be back later but wanted you to know I popped in to say Hiya!
    Hugs to you and the mister!
    -Amy

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  5. Thank you! The DigiFree freebie search engine is about to list this blog post at digifree.blogspot.com

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  6. Good Morning Barb:)
    Well I have spent a good portion of my morning reading your blog.LOL
    You have sooo many cool things to check out.:)
    Happy Birthday!Whenever it is.LOL My MIL is like you..one year she just couldn't wait to open her Christmas present from her Dh.She opened it and rewrapped it and said it was the worse Christmas she ever had..cause she felt soo guilty.LOL
    I love that video.LOL I will never look at veggies the same way.hehe.Let me know if you try it.LOL
    Okay..those biscuits look scrumptious! My mouth is watering.Good thing I only get a pic of them..cause I am like Miles..they would be history!LOL
    Well..I would finish this but Dh just saw your biscuits and said..speaking of biscuits..what's for breakfast.LOL

    I'll be back!! sometime.LOL

    Hugs,
    Valinda

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  7. Sorry to hear your parents have left wishing them a safe journey home!!
    TY so very much for the beautiful BG's!!!!
    Love the potty in the briefcase!!! LOL

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  8. Thank you soo much for such a WONDERFUL place to visit! Thanks for the links and stories and pix .... EVERYTHING!!! i soo look forward to your each blog so please know you are missed and hurry on back :D
    oh & i meant to get a page together for DH's art, you gave me the idea!
    He does metal free standing sculptures and different material wall pieces! Thanks soo much for asking (way back when ya did, i haven't forgotten :D)
    Have a GREAT day!

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  9. Oh Barb- you sure know how to lighten up a dreary day- ROTF! I just wish those 5 technicians that were here were a little 'easier' on the eye's then it wouldn't have been such a long one- hahahahaha. Girl I think you are going to have to move closer so that you can teach me to bake or can! Cook I can do- now canning I haven't tried- but I STINK at the baking! And those "scone" things look AWESOME! hahaha- Thanks for the "mention"- I've managed to get my line stable again ( for how long- I don't know!) but at least it's working for now! Jazzy opened her one eye today as her daughter was visiting and shook her head when she had to leave- so that is a GOOD sign! - they still can't turn the vent down as her own lungs aren't doing their jobs yet- but I think all the prayers are working! Thank you! And I'm a crossword junkie-( well I was until I found designing- LOL) = swopping one addiction for another! I hated giving up! But also hated looking up words in the dictionary! So they would sit next to my bed until I eventually got the new one- hahahaha.
    Here I am writing a book again-
    Barb my e-mail is kbroedelet@telkomsa.net- Please send me yours- otherwise I'll fill this thing!
    Sending hugs
    Me

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  10. Mrs. Miles,
    I do so appreciate your blog. It has so much good info. Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoy reading yours when I can. Am glad you can have a nice visit w/ your folks. Enjoy them while you can. Mine are in heaven so have to wait a bit to see them again. Keep up the good work.

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  11. Hello my friend,

    I had to dash to Calgary for a couple days but I am back. When is the big berfday?? Did I miss it? Happy belated if I did! Please post when it is!

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  12. Good Morning Barb:)
    Just stopped in to wish you Happy Birthday again.:)Hope you have/had a fantastic one!:)

    Hugs,
    Valinda

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  13. Just stopping by on my daily visit & figured I'd leave you a little lovin!!!
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  14. Hi Barb i thought i would leave you a messige on this your special day. I hope you day is full of happeis and joy. Your blog rocks Barb. You will have to came up one night when Mr. Miles is working up here to get your your presitent from me.

    Love from Your Friend Mel

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  15. HAPPY BIRTDAY TO YOU .. ! *Let's pretend That you can hear my voice* HAPPY BIRTDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTDAY DEAR BARB .. HAPPY BIRTDAY TO YOU! Hope you had a very sweet day! Know that I didn't forget and that I love you :) XXXXX

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  16. Happy birthday Barb!!!
    I read on Vals Blog that it must be sometime this weekend, so I thought I´m on the safe side when I congrat today LOL
    Hope you spend a wonderful time with your family and friends :)
    Hugs,
    Conny

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  17. Happy Birthday, a bit late I know and I hope you had a great time during your day. :)

    Thanks so much for another great post and everything else. :)

    Best wishes. :O)

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  18. Thanks for the tip about DQ. I went to sign up, only to find out our email addresses are already in their system - but unlike you, we've never received a single coupon from them!
    The ice cream birthday club I love is Cold Stone Creamery's - don't know if you have them in your neck of the woods, but they give a very generous scoop of ice cream, totally free, on your birthday.

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