The Broken Harp

In the corner of the basement

Stood a cobweb-covered harp -

Broken now and so forsaken,

There it stood back in the dark.

No one in the little village

Could repair the harp again -

And you'd never guess the music

Or the places it had been.



Came a ragged man a beggin'

For a place out of the cold;

He was bent and slightly limpin'

He was lookin' frail and old.

So the houseman gave permission -

He could sleep upon the floor

Of the basement where was kept

The harp with melody no more.



Soon the house was filled with music!

'Twas as sweet as angels bring.

And the household came a-runnin'

Just to see the vibrant strings!

Dusted now, it stood in beauty,

Every web was cleared away;

And the ragged man was singing

Very softly as he played.



In his song he told the story

How he'd made that harp when new;

Since he'd made its first beginning

Fixing wasn't hard to do.

And, dear friend, if you are needing

Just a touch from God above...

Just remember Who has made you.....

He can "fix" you with His love.



He can fill the empty corners

Of your heart with song anew;

He can take each day and make

A special melody for you!

He can fix the broken pieces

Better even than before -

And open wide the storehouse

Of His blessing evermore!



Joan Clifton Costner

copyright

http://underhiswings0.tripod.com

Holy Blood

Holy Blood

He walked the way to the garden -
And blood fell in that place;
Bound before the rulers,
His blood streamed down His face.

No mercy, grace or pardon
Was granted to Him, here.
But, God was, then, providing
The price for all the years!

My sins were, there, upon Him;
Blood red, then sparkling white!
My hope in Him, eternal,
Brought Heaven into sight!

How can that bright red blood make white?
I do not understand.
But this I know, we'll never need
Another sacrificial lamb!

He is so very beautiful,
More worthy than any words.
I cannot think of the abyss,
Were His name never heard!

The tomb is but a vacuum,
Drawing earthly souls to Him!
See? The blood has done it's mighty work
And we are cleansed from sin!

~ © 2000 by Joan Clifton Costner ~
http://www.heavenlypoetry.com/

Good manners

Melissa Leo is no lady. Her mouth could be confused with a dumpster or sewer. It was even joked about later and the next day about her dropping the f bomb. It made me sick.

In the old days ladies acted and spoke like ladies. I miss those days. My grandma used to tell the grand kids if they said a curse word that we had something in our mouths that she wouldn't hold in her hand. I have never forgot that. She was mainly referring to the s word.

The genealogy of Christ

http://sacredsandwich.com/page/2

A poem by a friend of mine.

The Last Sunset



When the last sunset fades into darkness,

And this troubled world sinks into sleep;

When the last soul is saved and the Master,

Says, "Father, that's all we can reach."



'Twill be like on the cross - "It is finished!"

And all the rejoicing is done

That is given by angels in Heaven

For the salvation of anyone.



No more souls to be saved - it is finished.

No more pleading and no more debate -

So the peace always asked for is silenced

By men who are full of hate.



But the trusting souls gone on to glory

Will live one eternal day,

In the presence and love of the Savior

Prince of Peace who led all the way.



When the last Sunset comes in the evening

Then the morning will break bright and fair.

Jesus our friend and our brother,

Will greet us with His tender care.



When the morning breaks forth and the splendor

Of Heaven is there in full view;

I'll be watching dear brother and sister,

With Jesus...we'll watch for you!



Joan Clifton Costner

copyright

Joan is a Heavenly Inspirations author

Crochet baby blanket

I am making a baby blanket for a lady my husband works with. I have found a new kind of yarn I just love called (I love this yarn). Its 4ply like the super saver but the yarn is so nice and soft. I just love it. I am using yarn I already have so I sure hope she likes it. I decided to make two so she can choose which one she prefers. I have the first one done and the second one should be done by Wednesday or so.

My husband had asked me to make the blanket on our way home from Dodge last time. I wished he had said something while we were in Dodge at the Hobby Lobby and I would have chosen yarn specific for the baby blanket.

oh dear

I have this really bad.

Flip flops and muffin tops

How I keep my kettle clean

A while back I purchased this 1.5 gal. kettle from Lehman's non electric. It was around $37.00. The large size if great for canning or everyday use. Mine stays on the stove top all the time. I use it often. I found that the outside became grease spattered and dull. Washing with soap and water did not solve the problem so I bought some Bar Keepers Friend. It shinned my kettle right up. I do have some lime deposits on the inside so next I am going to pour vinegar in and let it soak. I want to take care of all my things so that they can last for years and years.

If you would like a kettle like mine go here: http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitchen___Helpers_and_Accessories___Teas___Large_Spout_Kettles___lgSpoutKettle?Args=#

Pictures are from the Lehmans's site where I bought my kettle.

Final pork butt count

Final count for the canned pork butt is 32 quarts. We have about 1 1/2 quarts left that is raw and I didn't want to have to run another canner load so we will just cook it up and add salsa and eat it with cheese and lettuce in a tortilla.

The girls decided that since it is nice today that we should do some laundry so we are on our second load. Its so easy to wash with the wringer washer. I just fill with water and add soap, then agitate for a bit and begin adding clothes. When I think it has enough clothes I let it agitate for maybe 5 min., then turn it off and let it soak. Later I go back and turn it on to agitate again and then run the clothes through the wringer and place in a separate rinse bucket. In my case I use a 15 gal. new muck bucket. We swish the clothes around the rinse water until we think they are rinsed and then run them through the wringer again and hang them up to dry. The clothes line is just a few steps away. Every thing is arranged in close proximity to each other so its not a hard job. I have the washer sitting next to a table that has the rinse bucket sitting on it. Its all shielded from the wind by the storage trailer.

~~~~The news we have all been waiting for~~~~

Jeff received news today that he officially got the job he had been waiting on. We will be moving within the next two to three weeks. We had been waiting on all the paper work to be completed before we gave out the news officially.
So now its official, we are moving.
I am not going to disclose the location we are moving to. Close friends and family know so its not like we are dropping off the face of the earth. I will continue to blog I just wont be saying where we live.

I have more time than I first thought

I liked this photo of mother and daughter dressed so neatly to shop.

Of course I can, can you?

For some reason I thought I had less time this week than I actually do. How did I do that you ask? Well today is Wednesday and for some reason I had it in my head that I only had one day until Friday. Today. Well guess what? I have Thursday and then Friday. I think sometimes when we have a lot of things to get done we get muddled up in our thinking and begin to worry when we shouldn't. I need to remember that I have the same amount of days as everyone else and I can only accomplish what I can accomplish. If I do my best that's all I can expect from myself.

Now with that said I will tell you what I am up to today.

Mollie has cubed two more pork roasts and we have a canner load just starting. We should end up with two more loads today for a total for today of three. When we cube the last two pork roasts that is the end of it for now.

I had to make a run to town late last night to do a favor for a friend so I thought I would just pick up the last two packages (four roasts) from Kristy's refrigerator and save myself a trip and some gas. I thought to myself that it would be cool enough to keep them outside somewhere. We are in the country so there is always the possibility of wild animals so I wondered where I would keep the meat. I decided that the Maytag wringer washer would be a good place because it is metal and it would get cold and stay cold. So that's what we did. This morning the meat was still there untouched and very cold. I say this to say to you that if you think about things there is usually a solution available when you have a dilemma or problem. Just be creative.

Tomorrow will be wash day again. I think the weather will be decent and hopefully not too windy.

Make Your Own Household Cleaners Using Essential Oils

If you've ever thought about making your own natural household cleaning products using essential oils but weren't sure how to do it, then keep reading. You're in for a pleasant surprise!

All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
Add 6 drops of lavender essential oil and 6 drops of rosemary essential oil to one pint of water in a spray bottle.

Furniture Polish
Add 10 drops of lemon or orange essential oil to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and add then add 2 to 3 drops of jojoba or olive oil. Mix thoroughly and apply to furniture with a soft cloth.

Bathroom Cleaner
To clean tile or linoleum floors add 50 drops of tea tree oil to a gallon of water in a bucket. To get rid of mold and mildew on counters and other surfaces, add a few drops to a wet sponge and wipe down surfaces. Rinse and repeat as often as needed.

Disinfectant Spray
Add 10 drops of grapefruit essential oil and 10 drops of lemon essential oil to a pint of water in a spray bottle.

Glass Cleaner
Mix 10 drops of lemon, lavender, or rosemary essential oil with one cup of white vinegar and mix with a small amount of water.

Laundry
When washing sheets and pillowcases or anything else that dust mites thrive in, add 25 to 30 drops of eucalyptus oil to the water for each load.

To add a fragrance to clothes while in the dryer, simply add 5 drops of your favorite essential oil to a damp washcloth and toss into the dryer with clothes you are drying.

Since I dont use a dryer I am going to try putting a few drop of orange oil in the rinse water.

source: http://www.marigoldlane.com/greenliving/cleaningrecipes.html

I thought it was interesting that they said to use eucalyptus when washing sheets or anything dust mites live on. I will be doing that next time I wash sheets.

Rice cooker

This is the kind of rice cooker I have.


Do you have a rice cooker? I got one for my big birthday a few years ago and have used it ever since. I use it for much more than rice too.
For instance: A couple of years ago we went on a mission trip to a church in Kansas. I had no idea of the facilities (non existent) so I brought a few appliances I thought might be useful.
1. crock pot
2. rice cooker
3. griddle
I was not feeling really good physically so I offered to be the cook. I was sure I would not be able to do the physical labor that the others would be doing. I ended up making a wide variety of foods with the limited equipment available to me. I had what I brought, a table, and a bathroom with a small sink that only had cold water. One of the local church ladies furnished the dessert each day so that was a wonderful blessing.

If I were to do this again I would bring a dorm size refrigerator.

One day I decided to make chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes. I had brought along a few home canned foods (chicken) and bought the rest of the ingredients for our meals at the local grocery stores.

I used my rice cooker to make the chicken and noodles. It worked out very well.
Today I am making hamburger stroganoff in my rice cooker. The reason I am using my rice cooker is because the stove is busy with my huge canner.

To make the stroganoff I first crumbled the hamburger into the pot and added chopped fresh onion. When that was done cooking, one cycle of the rice cooker, I drained the grease from it and then put the noodles and water on to cook. When that gets done I will drain the noodles put the noodles and drained hamburger back into the pot and add a can of mushrooms, a can of cream of mushroom soup and some sour cream. I will turn the cooker on once again for a few minutes to heat up the soup and sauce then it will be ready to eat.

I am now wondering if I could cook a whole chicken in my rice cooker?
Have any of you used your rice cooker for more than rice? What did you cook in it?

Homemade veggie burgers

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can kidney or pinto beans, drained, and rinsed
1-2 C. rolled oats (as needed)
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 C. onions or leeks, finely chopped
1-2 carrot(s), shredded
1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped
3 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1 tbsp. soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
1/2 tsp. salt
Spices and herbs to taste (Cajun, Italian, Mexican, etc.)


Instructions: Throw all ingredients (start with only one cup of oatmeal) in food processor (or use a stick blender).

Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add more oatmeal as needed, until patties hold together well.

Chill mixture for about an hour, then shape into smallish patties (these are rich and filling, so don't make them too big!).

Chill patties several hours, or freeze and save until needed.

If your patties want to fall apart, you'll want to cook them in the oven. Broil patties 4-6 inches from heat about 10-15 minutes, until browned and heated throughout.

If your patties hold together well, you can simply saute them in a skillet. Heat a bit of olive oil and cook patties over med-high heat 6-7 minutes a side, until crisp outside and cooked through.

For veggie burgers on the grill, pre-cook burgers, then re-heat on the grill.

Eat on pitas, whole wheat buns, or on a bed of lettuce. Dress as desired.

source: http://www.divinedinnerparty.com/veggie-burger-recipe.html

God or the Government? Who do you choose?

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Rom 13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Taking a breather

I decided that today instead of finishing up the pork butt canning we would just wash and label full jars and process the jars that were in the fridge that hadn't sealed. The girls were very agreeable to this idea.

We will resume and finish the canning tomorrow.
As of right now all the washing of jars and labeling is done. The jars that didn't seal are in the canner and the girls took the full boxes to the shed.

The wind is coming up so Mollie is outside getting the clothes off the line before they get whipped and shredded or the clothes line gets broke. The clothes are the ones I washed yesterday afternoon.

I will try to resume only washing clothes on Monday and Thursday. When I was washing in 5 gal. buckets in the tub I had to wash everyday or there were too many clothes to keep up with. Now that Jeff has my outdoor wash area set up I can wait and wash more clothes at a time and in less time. I like using the wringer washer, it uses less soap and water and takes less time. I have decided not to run jeans through the wringer and just wring them out by hand thereby saving the breaking of zippers. It is necessary to have two people to wring out jeans. I don't have the hand strength to wring them out by myself.

yes we can

I eat local

Because I can

canning update

Mollie cut up four pork butt roasts. It filled 18 jars. If the other four roast fill another 18 jars that will be a total of 36 jars. I wonder how I got so far off in my first estimate?

The second and last canner load of the day is beginning its process. Two loads of laundry are washed, rinsed and hung to dry and the dishes are done.

This morning on the way to pick up the first set of pork roasts I stopped at a lady from the church's home to assist as needed. She had fallen over the weekend and could not do anything but lie in bed. I was happy to see another lady from church and a man had just gotten there. The two of us ladies were able to help her get to the portable toilet and back to bed. We straightened the bedding and her brace. Brushed her hair and anything else we could think of. I got word a couple of hours later that she is being taken to the hospital where they can give her much better care. I am relieved because I am untrained in that area and I did not want to hurt her more or throw out my back or something. Now she will get better care and more constant care. I was only going to be able to stop in a few times a day.

I will go to the hospital in a little while to visit her and she how she is faring.

Mollie asked me what I am going to do with the fat she trimmed from the roasts. I am thinking about trying to render it and can the lard since I am doing some canning already.

Edited to add: I changed my mind. I do not think I will try to render the lard at this time. Maybe next time.

Getting started canning the pork butt

We began cutting the pork butt and got started canning it. We are using quart jars for this. I think I grossly overestimated how many jars it would take. I picked up one package from Kristy's this morning, each package has two large pieces of meat. Mollie began at once to cut the meat into cubes while Hannah and I prepared the jars, garlic and salt. We also labeled all the bacon jars and Hannah stowed them in the shed.

Mollie cut up both hunks of meat and we got 9 quarts. That means we will only be getting about 36 quarts. A far cry from the 96 quarts I had estimated. On the one hand it means we will have less meat canned and on the other hand we will get it canned much faster. Right now we are happy to get it done faster.

The first batch of meat is in the canner right now and the girls are doing their school work.

For journal writing Hannah is writing an epitaph. It was quite cute. It went something like this. Here lies the body of Hannah banana. Choked to death by a green bandanna. Who might of done this you might ask, just some fellow in a gray mask. Hannah has always had a knack for writing. If she pursued it I think she could be quite good because she has a great imagination.

It got cold again last night. I went outside to start a load of clothes so they can soak and the hose is frozen so it will have to wait until it warms up a bit.

Surviving off grid-the book

Just a reminder to buy this book at Amazon on March 4th. It may become available before then but please wait and purchase it on the 4th. Mr. Bunker is trying to get as many people as possible to buy it on that day and then it will be considered higher on the ladder so to speak. I for one am excited and cant wait to buy it.

Computer glitch

My computer has been slowing down a bit at a time. I kept telling Jeff it had problems. Last evening it bit the dust.

We called a friend who is a whiz at fixing computers and he and his family were all set to pop over, they were already out enjoying the beautiful weather, when Jeff was able to get some kind of fix it program running. It took several hours to clean it up but I think its good to go again. Jeff was also able to back up the computer to a portable hard drive.

Mollie and I finished cannng the bacon this evening at 9pm. The last batch was in the canner and Jeff and I went out to eat while Mollie watched the canner. She called and said there was steam coming from around the edge of the canner. She shut it off and when I got home I found the gasket messed up. I have a large canner but I was pretty sure it would not fit under the hood on the stove of the 5th wheel. Jeff wanted to see for himself if it would fit. Upon actually trying it we found that it does indeed fit, but barely. It does sit squarely over the burner so I transferred the jars to the big canner and was able to finish canning the bacon tonight.

Total bacon canned was 17 quarts and 52 pints. It seemed like out of every batch 2-3 jars didn't seal. So each batch had a few with new seals and re canned. At the end I had two quarts that didn't seal and probably will end up with a few pints that didn't seal. I will just use them istead of recanning. We will see tomorrow.

We will take Sunday off and on Monday we will begin canning the pork butt. I am estimating 96 quarts of pork butt. We will see how close my estimate is.

Jeff unloaded my wringer washer from the storage trailer and helped me set up a washing area at the end of the storage trailer. He installed shut off valves on the filling hose and the emptying hose. Now its easy to fill and empty the tub. I also like the power wringer because its easier to wring out bigger items. I had already washed the clothes by hand so when the wash area was set up I washed Jeff's work coat and two rugs. Those type of things are harder to wash by hand. And almost impossible to wring out by hand. The power wringer will be very helpful with jeans too.

Having the wringer washer set up to use will also enable me to wash only every two or three days instead of every day. Washing by hand had to be done each day or it was too tiring for me to wash too many things by hand. I do have a system worked out so I know I can wash by hand if necessary.

One tip to keep from breaking zippers and buttons when putting them through a wringer is to fold the item of clothing so that the buttons lie flat and are covered with fabric. In other words fold the sides of a shirt over the middle where the buttons are. Same thing goes for zippers. Fold the fabric over the zipper and run through the wringer.

WWII~Coffee Cake

WORLD WAR II COFFEE CAKE
Printed from COOKS.COM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,191,139179-232206,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. sour milk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Cinnamon-sugar-butter mixture to sprinkle on top

Cup of fresh milk can be "soured" by adding to it 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar.
Cream together first four ingredients. Add flour and cinnamon. Pour into a small round cake pan. Sprinkle topping mixture over batter. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

WWII recipes~Red Devils Food Cake

While watching the canner I was online looking at WWII recipes. I thought maybe they would be good because sugar was rationed and many good recipes came about using less sugar. Here is the first one in my insallment of WWII recipes. Courtsy of cooks.com

RED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE (WORLD WAR II RECIPE)
Printed from COOKS.COM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,191,147167-242205,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar or syrup
2 eggs
1 7/8 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 tbsp. hot water or coffee
1 tsp. red coloring
1 c. sour milk or buttermilk (or 1/2 c. milk if syrup is used)

Beat sugar and shortening. Add 1/2 cup flour. Add eggs, cocoa mixture and flour and soda with sour milk. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,147167-242205,00.html

Canning inside and out

Living in a 5th wheel where things are downsized to put it mildly present challenges. I am usually up for a challenge so it doesn't really bother me.

One of our greatest blessings living here is being able to have the 30ft. enclosed trailer that we built shelves along each interior side for storage. There is no possible way I could do all the things I do without that storage trailer.

I do end up going in and out of there dozens of times a day. Its almost like an extension to this 5th wheel. I keep extra food items there, sewing things, yarn, extra pans not used all the time, my canning equipment and that is just a small sampling of what it holds.

As I was pondering the bacon and pork butt canning thing I kept thinking that it sure would go faster if I was somehow able to use my big pressure canner instead of just the smaller one. Its too tall to fit on the stove in the rv, what to do? I do my best thinking in bed when I should be sleeping so last night I came up with an idea. This 5th wheel as do most campers came with a stove that can be hooked up to the exterior of the rv. Ours is brand new, never having had occasion to use it. Anyway I got to thinking that if its not too windy I could use the outdoor and the indoor stove at the same time and whip through this canning in no time.

I emailed my husband at work to see what his thoughts on my idea were. He said it was a good idea so I am going to be canning indoors as well as outdoors today. I also got the camera down and am taking pictures today so I can share with you how we do things around here.

Mollie is being a wonderful help today between her studies she is helping to fill jars and helping me keep an eye on the pressure gauge of the canner. I am so glad she is helping me. It really does help to have two people working at the same time. I can be cutting up the parchment paper, washing jars and getting everything ready while she arranges the bacon and fills the jars.

Thanks Mollie, I love you.

Canning bacon

I just got the first batch of bacon out of the canner. I hear the music every canner loves. pop, pop, pop.

My husband was able to bring home 48lbs. of bacon and 75 lbs. of pork butt. Since we live in a 5th wheel we are limited on freezer space. Therefore I decided to can as much of it as I can.
I am guessing I will end up with about 96 pints of bacon. I am using straight sided wide mouth pint jars as much as possible. These hold about 3/4 lb of bacon before cooking. When we make bacon we eat an entire package even when we don't really need all of it. That is why I chose to can in smaller containers. When I am done I will have an accurate count of the number of jars.

The bacon cost us $2.84 a pound. I figure if I get 96 jars it will cost with the lid and propane to can them about $2.00 per pint jar. I think this is a better deal than the canned bacon I have seen advertised at $10.00 per can. I think their cans are larger than mine, maybe twice as large but even at that I think I am ahead of the game by canning my own bacon. And the bacon we got is quality bacon. I have seen similar bacon sell for $5.99 lb. on sale at our local grocery store.

The pork butt will be cut into chunks and canned with out anything but salt. I have canned pork butt in the past with salsa but this time I decided not to season in any particular way. This way when I am ready to use the pork I can have more options for different meals.

Do any of you have suggestions for seasoning for the pork butt? I just don't want it all to be pork chili or bar b que. Just a general seasoning.

Guess what I am going to be doing tomorrow? And the next day and the next day? Bet you cant guess.

Instructions were found at: http://paratusfamilia.blogspot.com/search/label/Canning?updated-max=2010-11-28T18%3A11%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=20
That gal, Enola Gay cans anything that doesn't run away. LOL

We're about to blow away

I read a thread about a lady who has a clothespin apron and I began looking for ideas. I found this picture and I kinda am leaning toward the #1 purse type bag. I currently use something similar to #3 for my clothespins but the bag stays outside and is about to fall to pieces. I also usually leave my clothespins on the lines. I am trying to decide if that is really a good idea. Maybe I should take them off each time. What do you do? What do you use for your clothespins?

The wind is gusting over 30 mph and blowing steadily between. The 5th wheel is shaking about. I don't care for this part of RV life. I feel safe and I am not concerned that we will blow over but I don't care for the banging of the skirting and shaking.





I washed some laundry this morning. One item I washed was a long sleeved denim dress. I wasn't able to use the wringer on it so I just hung it up dripping. It sure didn't take long to dry completely.





I have other clothes soaking but I am not going to finish washing them today because although the wind helps dry clothes fast it also can whip them to shreds and that's how windy it is today. I try to make sure I take the clothes off the line as soon as they are dry when its windy because I don't want the wind whipping the hems out and such.





I made and bottled two batches of Body Whip today. One regular and one with Thieves Oil. I bottled them in the pink pump bottles. I plan to make a couple more batches tomorrow and bottle them in the gray tubes. I like having a variety of packaging options.

Remember the first time homebuyers tax credit?

I saw on Yahoo News that the folks who took the first time home buyers credit in 2008 now have to pay it back over the next 15 years. I am pretty sure that part wasn't disclosed. I think my daughter and son in law may have taken this credit. It just seems wrong for the government to dangle that in front of people and then a couple of years later tell them they have to pay it back. Did any of you take it and if so did you know you would have to pay it back later?


Homeowner Tax Breaks

Are you eligible to claim the home-buyer tax credit on your 2010 return? You won’t be able to e-file. The IRS wants you to snail-mail information with your return.

The credit is worth up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers and $6,500 for long-time homeowners who lived in their home for more than five years. Read the rules for the first-time home buyer tax credit on IRS.gov.

If you claimed the credit in 2008, you are among the unfortunate group that must pay the credit back over the next 15 years — and 2010 is the year your first bill comes due.

Also, if you claimed the home-buyer credit in 2008 or 2009 and then moved out of the house, you may have to pay back the credit. Check out Form 5405 for the details. (Did you know that doing a Google search of “Form 5405” — plug in any IRS form number — will get you the IRS page you need?)

If you’ve had a problem with so-called “corrosive drywall” in your home, the IRS may let you treat that as a casualty loss. See this IRS page for more.

But, bad news for homeowners who didn’t jump on the tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements, such as new doors and windows: That tax break got trimmed for 2011. Still you can take it for 2010 if you made the eligible energy-efficient upgrades by the end of the year.

Edited to add:
I emailed my son in law about this and he said they had bought their house later in 2009 so it didn't affect them. The lady at H&R Block said today that she had been sure that the gov. would go and change it for the ones who bought in 2008 and early 2009 but they didn't. It doesn't seem fair.


For 2009 Home Purchases
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 expanded the first-time home buyer credit by increasing the credit amount to $8,000 for purchases made in 2009 before Dec. 1. The Worker, Home ownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 extended the deadline — taxpayers who had a binding contract to purchase a home before May 1, 2010, became eligible for the credit. Buyers must have closed on the home before July 1, 2010. That closing deadline was extended to Sept. 30, 2010 by the Home buyer Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010, enacted July 2, 2010. See news release 2010-80 for details.

For home purchased in 2009, the credit does not have to be paid back unless the home ceases to be the taxpayer's main residence within a three-year period following the purchase.

First-time home buyers who purchased a home in 2009 can claim the credit on either a 2008 tax return or a 2009 tax return. The credit may not be claimed before the closing date. News release 2009-27 has more information on these options.

To love or not to love

The Church stood up

Abortionist Kicked Out
Because The Church Showed Up

Mila L. Means - Abortionist



CURRENTLY Abortionist Mila Means has nowhere in Wichita to perform her abortions. After she announced her plans to begin performing them at the same location as her family practice (9916 E. Harry St., Wichita, KS), the landlord sought an injunction to prevent her from doing so. We recently learned that after retaining George Tillers old attorney (Clinton Appointee) Lee Thompson to represent her, has now decided not to fight the landlord and has agreed to move.



We have also learned that Means gave a letter of intent to lease a location at 446 Delrose. Once the owners found out about it what she was going to use it for, they told means... no way!







Why?



Because The Church Showed Up To The Gates Of Hell!



In Their Own Words (in red is mine)



"The lawsuit said Means' plans to begin offering abortions later this year already have prompted protests at the building. (most of the time all 3 of us (one time we had 12 or so))"
"The lawsuit said three tenants have announced plans to leave the building if the protest continue."
"The intermittent presence of demonstrators, protesters and police officers is unsettling (pretty unsettling to the unborn child also, I should think) to my staff and to clients visiting my office."
"Protestors have staged demonstrations at Means' clinic since The Associated Press story..."
"The landlord contends performing abortion in the multi-tenant building would be a disruption and nuisance to other tenants...(well, I've been called worse :))"
"...three tenants have notified the landlord of their intention to vacate their leased premises due to the anticipated (they anticipated well) nuisance of daily protests..."
"Foliage contended it would lose substantial revenue from tenants vacating the office building and would have difficulty leasing space if abortion were performed on the premises."


"Andrea Hamel, office manager for Means' family practice, on Thursday referred comment to Kari Ann Rinker, state coordinator for the National Organization for Women. Rinker blamed anti-abortion groups, which she said have been ratcheting up their rhetoric and encouraging harassment of Means." (being confronted with ones own sins can be pretty "harassing.")
"She is within her rights to practice her medicine at this facility, but the intimidation from the other side forces us to have to pay the price and the community needs to stand up and be held accountability when something like this occurs, (we could not agree more!)" Rinker said. "We failed to do that adequately for Dr. Tiller. I don't plan to fail this doctor."



Clinic Training Wichita Doctors to Provide Abortion -



http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/16/1635620/clinic-training-wichita-doctors.html



Landlord sues doctor to block abortions -

http://www.kansas.com/2011/02/03/1704654/landlord-sues-kan-doctor-to-block.html







Thank you to our courageous Pastor, Pastor Rob Rotola who lead many of the saints of Word of Life, to the gates of hell, to come out and truly be... A-WORD-OF-LIFE! The only Wichita, Sr. Pastor to do so!!





Would you like to help us keep Wichita abortion free? Contact us:

Spirit One Christian Ministries, spiritonecc.org, 316.305.1229



"The gates of hell can not prevail against His church." Mt. 16:18
Oh if only the church would leave the padded pews for the poignant persecution. - Pastor Mark

Attend your favorite, non-seeker friendly, 100% pro-life church this Sunday. America will not survive if you don't.

Praying for Missionaries

Les and Jane Zerbe
In the Heart of Alaska for the Hearts of Alaskans
356 Louise Lane, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
907-479-3779 zerbe@alaska.net

February 2011
Greetings in Christ,
We are presently in North Carolina with my dad, age 88, who recently had successful surgery for colon cancer. We’ve been using a few months for a min-furlough to visit some of our supporting churches and leave to drive back to Fairbanks at the end of this month. The 41-year-old Dodge pickup with a camper has done very well on the trip so far. We have two sleeping bags rated for -25 degrees and a propane heater. We take showers at truck stops or when we visit friends. I remind Jane that there are lady truckers who use the showers too, so all is well, but we’ll be glad to be back in Alaska soon.
You may remember that we were missionaries in Liberia, West Africa, before the civil war broke out there and have been in Alaska since 1980. Just recently I was contacted by some of my African friends who had escaped the war and became refugees in the USA. Some have been here thirty years, and some around eleven years. Just two weeks ago, I met one of the men with whom I grew up in Liberia, Moses Kpah, who stayed with his congregation all through the war in the capitol city Monrovia—a main war zone.
During one two week period in which the war raged around his small church, more than 300 people huddled to escape the bullets flying from warring factions on both sides of their building. The small building was so packed with people trying to sleep on a cold concrete floor that when one made a trip to the single bathroom available, he would of necessity walk on top of live bodies to get there. Running quickly to the church for shelter, the people had brought no food. To put something in their stomachs, they would eat the leaves from a flowering hedge (hibiscus) growing around the church, but several starved. The dead bodies out the back door at night into a drainage ditch. No food, no spare clothes, diapers, no income from any source, yet these Christian remain faithful.

Later the UN peace keepers—soldiers-- having no charcoal to burn to cook their food, discovered the church pews and cut apart all the pews for firewood. The faithful at Redemption Baptist Church had to bring their own stools every time they came to church, balanced on their heads. Thank the Lord for the folks at Marshall Baptist Church who have given the funds to buy the lumber and pay a carpenter for new pews. Pastor Moses immediately sent his staff a money gram to get the construction started.
On top of that twice a month Pastor Moses Kpah walks a day and a half, about 45 miles, to a satellite church in a remote village where cars cannot go. That’s 180 miles a month in the hot sun. Folks at several churches have given so that when he arrives back in Liberia, Pastor Moses can purchase a motorbike to ride to minister in that remote church and on his visitation rounds.
On top of the blessing of seeing Moses and assisting him, I received a call from another Liberian in the USA, Kendrick Brown, my former head deacon at Grace Baptist Church in Yekepa, Liberia, whose whole membership became refugees in Ivory Coast, Ghana, and elsewhere after we left the country. At least seven men are currently pastoring in Liberia who came out of Grace Baptist Church where Jane and I served for one term. This makes my entire life of missionary work worthwhile because the church has so multiplied itself.
Now Kedrick Brown, will be ordained to the gospel ministry Feb. 27th in New Jersey. We plan to be there and then drive back to Alaska, where I will continue to serve and to support my African brothers in Christ. They are true soldiers of the cross!
How many of us would walk 180 miles a month to preach the gospel at a remote church? How many of us would go to church if we had to bring our own chairs? About 98% of the membership is unemployed and living a subsistence lifestyle off their small farms and gardens. When I asked Pastor Moses if the church members were able to pay him a salary, he replied that his family brings farm produce and rice down to the coast from time to time. Without this help from his family who live in the interior he and his family could not survive.
The preachers who came out of Grace Baptist Yekepa also have great needs. I have confirmed that they are sound preachers of the Gospel. During this time of emergency in Liberia, should any of you want to donate $10 or $25 monthly or a onetime gift, please send it to CMC. Include a note stating it is for the “refugee pastors’ account” and send us your email address so they can thank you. I will send it on to these pastors.
• Pastor Moses Kpah
• Pastor Morris Bordor –Now the pastor of GBC Yekepa, his house recently burned down. He sustained first degree burns, lost a young child in the fire. This family lost everything!
• Pastor Thomas Yeeson
• Pastor Kpewoaon
• Pastor Edmond Jacobs
• Pastor Aloysius Kpadeh
• Pastor Albert Dweh
The war in Liberia is over, but the country was set back two hundred years, as infrastructure was destroyed, roads not maintained, and businesses fled. No electric utility exists in the city. The country is starting over to seek development and aid. These pastors have not asked me for anything. I am asking for them. Please call me if you have any questions on my cell phone, 907-332-8807.
Thank you for your faithful support financially and prayerfully over the years.

Faithfully yours,
Les Paul Zerbe
Les Paul Zerbe
www.FarNorthFlyingChaplain.com

It was good to fellowship with Vicky

Today I visited an old friend who is such a woman of God. It was good to fellowship and visit. I love talking with someone who loves the Lord like Vicky does. Its hard to explain but everything said and done leads into conversation about God. Our Bibles were at our sides, in our hands, held out to one another as we visited and things reminded us of certain scripture or Bible stories. I have missed that.

When our old pastor lived here that was how it was with them. You talked and God is a huge part of your life so naturally you talk about God.

We looked things up. Asked one another their interpretation of passages. Oh what fellowship.

I pray that I find new friends who love the Lord like that.

More on the Mobile washer

Yesterday I did two bucket loads of wash with my mobile washer and today I just have some underthings and socks to wash. I am once again surprised at the amount of dirt in the wash water. Not having washed clothes by hand since we moved here it seems like there is just a lot of dirt in the clothes. After all, its a t-shirt, two pairs of socks and two pairs of underwear. I poured the dirty wash water down the drain and filled the bucket up again with wash water. I am finding that doing the laundry this way is very easy. When I get my wringer in on Friday I will just wash and rinse my clothes in the tub in buckets just like I have been doing and then take the clean clothes outside and run them through the wringer and hang them outside to dry. Its suppose to be in the 60's by the weekend and so that should work fine.

I just need to figure out where to attach the wringer. The owner of the company said it can be attached to a saw horse but I am thinking our saw horses wont work because they are the collapsible metal kind and the cross piece will be too wide. I am sure I will figure out something. I am thinking about getting a couple of galvanized metal tubs to do the wash in outside when the weather is warmer so it may attach to one of them easily. I have tables outside to set my tubs on.

Dyna-Jet has a non electric wash machine I would love to buy but for now I am just going to have to be satisfied with the set up I now have. It works fine.

I was thinking about contentment the other day and wondering why I always want something else or something more? Why am I not content with what I have now? I am trying to work on that and hoping to be content. Some people look at others who are content with the way things are as being ambivalent. I guess there is a fine line between being content and being ambivalent. I will have to think on that.

New book coming March 4th

This is a new book by Michael Bunker which is due to be released March 4th, 2011. Mr. Bunker and a group of like minded believers live off grid in Texas. Mr. Bunker is the spiritual leader of his group of agrarian folks. These people have forsaken modern convinces to embrace the old ways. I am looking foreword to reading this book.
You can read more about Michael Bunker on his blog at http://journal.michaelbunker.com/

This book will only be available for sale on Amazon.com beginning March 4th. Tell your friends.

Waiting on the book

I wouldn't have guessed this....

I have one of these mobile washers. I have had it for a couple of years. I bought it when Jeff was living in the RV in Tulsa. The girls and I would come visit now and again and play around outside with this tool. Today the weather is extremely cold and we just went to the laundry mat yesterday so there were just a few clothing items in the dirty bin. So I decided to get my buckets, lids, mobile washer and clothes rod to hang over the shower and putter around with them. I filled a bucket with warm soapy water and put my black sweat pants, 2 pairs of my undies, 2 pairs of socks and 1 pair of Jeff's undies in. I plunged a few times and let them soak for a while. Mollie took the bucket out of the shower and put it in the hall while she showered.

After she showered she replaced the buckets in the shower stall. Every now and then I would go in there and plunge a few times. I finally decided it was time to rinse so I pulled the clothes out and plopped them into the other bucket. Then I dumped the wash bucket and boy did I get a surprise. The water was really dirty. This surprised me because of the items washed and how I thought they were not very dirty. Humm. I washed them again and then rinsed, wrung them out and hung them in the shower with a clip on fan to dry. I am now washing my next load. I sure was surprised how much dirt was in my clothes. I think I may do more of my laundry this way.

I emailed the fella at Dyna-Jet about ordering a wringer. That will be a huge blessing and when I get one of those I may be able to do most of my washing in the tub. I wonder if it will clamp onto a 5 gallon bucket? Mollie says she is still going to go to the laundry mat but she may change her mind. We will see.

When the weather warms up and I can hang clothes outside it will make a huge difference.

I'm going to check this out at the store.

One Light Bulb at a Time

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one
grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a
billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following,
obviously written by a good American ..

Good idea .. . one light bulb at a time . . . .

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for
some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose
attachments.. They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace
Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there.
They were made inUSA. Start looking.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects
someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this
lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made
in Mexico now.. I do not buy it any more.


My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ...now I have switched to
Crest You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce
dryer sheets.. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand
I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both
types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the
price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the
thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and
the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a
company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that
are made right here.

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets....yep, you guessed it, bounce
cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less
money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets
performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at
almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for
everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job
you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so
we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from
overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago.........)

Let's get with the program....help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and
create more jobs here in the U.S.A.

This is not a hoax-its happening all over

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

You've no doubt heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.

Well, my thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago.. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs.
It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of
cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to Mine? I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs.
Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my
life in jeans. And then the thieves struck again.

My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they
took pains to match my new rear-end to the thighs they had
stuck me with earlier. But my new butt was attached at least
three inches lower than my original! I realized I'd have to
give up my jeans in favor of long skirts.

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. One
morning I was fixing my hair and was horrified to see the
flesh of my upper arm swing to and fro with the motion of
the hairbrush. This was really getting scary - my body was
being replaced one section at a time. What could they do to
Me next?

When my poor neck suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a turkey neck, I decided to tell my story. Women of the
world wake up and smell the coffee! Those 'plastic' surgeons
are using REAL replacement body parts - stolen from you and Me! The next time someone you know has something 'lifted', Look again - was it lifted from you?

THIS IS NOT A HOAX. This is happening to women everywhere
Every night.

WARN YOUR FRIENDS!

P. S. Last year I thought someone had stolen my Boobs. I was lying in bed and they were gone! But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in
my armpits as I slept. Now I keep them hidden in my
waistband.

I thought this was too 'important' not to pass on. Have a
wonderful day - with a joy filled heart. Always remember to
Laugh!! Helps the heart AND the wrinkles!!

Those same thieves just came into my closet and shrank my clothes!

How do they do that????

Monday is laundry day

Yep its Monday again and time to wash. I have been reading old housekeeping books and they always washed on Monday. I always wondered why but now it seems I wash on Monday's too. But I wash at least one other day a week as well. I have read some old housekeeping books where they did wash more than once a week but it seems like they only did that if they had housekeeping help.

Last evening my mom called and said they were coming to visit. I was thrilled but it was already 4:00 and worried what their plans were. To go back home the same night or stay. I was hoping they had planned to stay. They hadn't but I talked them into it. We laughed, talked and had a great time and we all went to bed as soon as the super bowl was over. Then my folks got up at 2:30am and drove home. Mom was hoping getting home early would enable them to take their pills with out any repercussions. They are both diabetic and have other ills.

I told mom that from now on it would be a good idea if they are going out of town to bring along their medication and a change of clothes. I think mom had forgotten how far it is to my house. She said they wanted to see where we lived while we still lived here.

I asked mom if she had imagined a cramped icky living space and she said crammed yes but not icky. She liked the way we have the RV fixed up and how organized things are. She said it was now very easy to see how we can live here and be comfortable and happy and not crowded and cramped. She said she wished I could spend a few days organizing and fixing up their new camper.

I got to thinking about how I am like my mom. I have a lot of the same ideas and dreams as she has had. She saw some realized and I have seen others realized. I am going to list some of the ways I am like my mom.

1. we both love to can food
2. we both love to garden
3. we both are do it yourself kind of gals
4. we both are industrious
5. we both like the old days
6. we both like the farm life
7. we both love farm fresh eggs. (who doesn't)
8. we both sew and crochet
9. we are both good cooks
10. we both have a giving spirit
11. we both are creative
12. we look alike (and like her mom)
13. we are both able to make do when we need to
14. neither one of us is high maintenance
15. we both love our families
Wow, I bet I could think of many more things but I need to go wash the laundry. Are you like your mom? How so?

When mom called at 4 o'clock yesterday I got busy and made 4 batches of thieves oil and 6 batches of body whip. I packaged all the body whip but not the thieves oil. I sent quite a lot of product home with mom and we will be going to Dodge on Friday or Saturday so I will bring the products I didn't have time to make. Like sugar scrub.

My you all have a great day and I hope you get many things accomplished.

product labels, frozen water lines, etc.

Yesterday as I heard Jeff's pickup pull into the campground the sink started to gurgle. I got up and looked and sure enough it was starting to drain. Praise God. I ran hot water down the drain and cleaned the sink really good. I was so happy. Later the drain for the bathroom thawed so that means showers at home again. Yeah. I sure appreciate my friend Kristy who allowed us to use her shower. She sure is a blessing.

Today we are praying the sewer line thaws so the black tank can be dumped. God is so good. He really cares about every aspect of our lives from frozen water lines to our souls, with souls being the most important of course. I like the song Take it to the Lord in Prayer.

I got am email that our pastor is in the hospital with phenomena in his left lung. Please pray for this Godly man if you've a mind to. His name is Jim Jamieson. He and his wife Tilley are such a blessing and sweet representatives of the Lord we serve.

Last evening I worked on the computer on labels for my products. I am always changing them up and improving on them. I now have adhesive labels for my thieves oils and my lotions. Yeah. I had previously had to use packing tape to hold the labels on the thieves oil.

I also placed an order for more bottles and found some really cute ones for lotion for ladies purses. Its a little bottle with a pink round lid. I am finding that the customers are liking the pump bottles and the tubes as well as the glass jars I had used for a while. I had also had some small bottles and decided to use them for small carry around bottles and they are selling well so when I found the cute ones I ordered 100 of them.

Yesterday I was able to sew an apron for a friend of Mollie's and also embroider a burp cloth for her for a baby shower. She was amazed at my machine. I love it too. Its an Ellure. Its probably 7 or 8 years old now and I need to have it cleaned and adjusted but its a great machine. I had had my previous machine for over 30 years having received it for high school graduation when it started having problems. Jeff would not hear of me buying a cheap Wal Mart type machine with plastic parts that would wear out in no time with the way I sew, so we went sewing machine shopping and I ended up with this Baby Lock Ellure and I love it. My old machine did not have any fancy stitches and I really wanted one that had some. I sure got my moneys worth. I have sewn hours and hours on this machine.

I am on the lookout for a good treadle sewing machine that I can sew on without electricity. I learned on a treadle from my great grandmother and would have loved to have her machine. That didn't happen of course so I have always been on the lookout for one and have not had the good fortune to find one in good condition close enough to dive and pick up. I would drive a few hours if the machine were in good shape.

I am praying blessings on everyone who reads here. Have a great day.

Pound your own well

Taking a shower~taking it for granted

Taking a shower~taking it for granted.
Is humbling to realize how much we take for granted. I always took having water for granted. The last few days have made me realize how blessed we are. I know much of the world does not have clean water and I complain because I cant take a shower whenever the mood strikes.

We have had both hot and cold water, then just cold water but not draining, now hot and cold water but not draining. We are hoping the drain thaws today. The black tank is about full. We have been bailing the water out of the sinks and tub and using buckets to wash in and tossing the water out on the trees. Makes me think of the old days when the ladies had to do that every day.

We had not had a shower since the day before yesterday. Not that long but long enough. It was such a blessing to shower at Kristy's today. I am amazed at what water and clean clothes can do for a person.

It makes me think of homeless folks. I had made beans and cornbread for lunch yesterday so I took some to a guy who lives in his truck. I also took some soap and lotion. He was happy to get them. I asked him if he knew where to get a free shower and he said he did, that's when I gave him the soap and lotion. I also had some hats I had made so I put one of them in there too.

I want to make some hygiene packs. I can put my homemade soap and things like that in there. It would be good to have in each vehicle to give when I see someone who can use them. Here are a few things I would try to put in a hygiene pack. You can also make a meal kit.
1. soap
2. lotion
3. wash cloth
4. comb
5. clean socks
6. deodorant
7. Q-tips
8. toothbrush
9. toothpaste
10. bandanna
11. small hand towell (suggestion from Yolanda)

Can any of you think of other things that would be good to put in? I would try to get this all into a gallon zip lock type bag.

Have a blessed day everyone.

update on planned parenthood video

Planned Parenthood fires employee in controversial video

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Planned Parenthood clinic manager has been fired for behavior captured on an undercover video made by an anti-abortion group, a Planned Parenthood spokesman said on Wednesday.

The video recorded at a central New Jersey clinic was made by Live Action, which says it shows Planned Parenthood trying to cover up sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

The footage, recorded January 13, shows the manager discussing abortion, sexually transmitted disease testing and contraception with people posing as a pimp and prostitute and coaching them to lie about their age and other information, according to Live Action.

The clinic manager was fired late on Tuesday, said Planned Parenthood spokesman Stuart Schear.

"The behavior we saw in the videotape was egregious and repugnant," he said, adding it was "completely inexplicable and inconsistent with what Planned Parenthood does."

Planned Parenthood said it notified authorities in New Jersey after the January 13 visit and contacted national authorities after similar unusual visits occurred in at least 12 centers in six states within one week.

Schear said the secret tapings were part of a large, coordinated national effort to take funding away from Planned Parenthood by creating controversy in the organization.

Earlier in January, Planned Parenthood said it alerted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to the string of health-center visitors in a number of states that indicated involvement in sex trafficking of minors.

Planned Parenthood said the FBI is reviewing evidence and photos.

Live Action said the video, released publicly on Tuesday, "proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Planned Parenthood intentionally breaks state and federal laws and covers up the abuse of the young girls it claims to serve," said the group's president, Lila Rose.

(Reporting by Lauren Keiper; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Jerry Norton)

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110202/us_nm/us_abortion_video

Loving this winter storm NOT but still thankful

Yesterday we didn't have water in the kitchen until about 3:30pm. Today we have cold water in both the bathroom and kitchen but no hot water. Also the drains quit running which means there is an ice bridge. That happens sometimes when you leave the valves open to drain. We left the valves open because we were afraid we wouldn't be able to open them in the brutal cold weather. Its a quandary, leave them open because they may freeze and not be able to open them and chance an ice bridge or keep them closed and risk not being able to open them for days. Oh the joys of RV life.

I am still thankful that even though things aren't peachy they are still good. We are still blessed.

I am fixing to take the laundry to the laundry mat. I have avoided it long enough. I called my friend who works there to be sure it was open and not frozen up and she said yes indeed they are open. It is about 8 or 9 miles away so I did not want to drive all that way and not be able to do the laundry. After laundry I may go to my friend Kristy's and sew a bit. I have an apron to make for a friend of Mollie's and some more curtains to make for Kristy. Then I have groceries to buy. The girls are staying home to do school so I will be doing the work by myself.

Your tax money at work

Good to know

What is the difference between http and https ? Don't know how many
of you are aware of this difference, but it is worth sending to any
that do not.....
**The main difference between http:///and https://is It's all About
keeping you secure** HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol The
S (big surprise) stands for "Secure".. If you visit a Website or web
page, and look at the address in the web browser, it Will likely begin
with the following: http://. This means that the website is talking to
your browser using The regular 'unsecured language. In other words, it
is possible for Someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's
conversation with the Website. If you fill out a form on the website,
someone might see the information you send to that site This is why
you NEVER ever enter your credit card number in an Http website! But
if the web address begins with https://, that Basically means your
computer is talking to the website in a Secure code that no one can
eavesdrop on. You understand why this is so important, right? If a
website ever asks you to enter your credit card Information, you should
automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://
If it doesn't, You should NEVER enter sensitive Information. PASS
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Thanksgiving

I am so thankful.

The wind is blowing a gale, the temperature is below freezing, well below, the water is frozen in the kitchen and there is condensation on all the windows.

Why am I thankful? Well here is a small list.
1. I am not homeless.
2. I am not freezing, nor are my children.
3. I was able to take a shower, the water in the bathroom is not frozen.
4. I have heat.
5. We have plenty of food.
6. I may not have water in the kitchen but I do in the bathroom and we can haul water from there and still cook and do dishes.
7. Since I have water in the bathroom we are all able to take showers today.
8. We have enough propane to last through this cold spell.

Some folks have no home, no heat and no food. I have all of those things. What would I have not to be thankful for?