A Daughter of Eve

Green Grass

2012-01-18T22:47:00.001-05:00

I read recently, "that if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence trying watering yours." Thought provoking and puts the responsibility to our own happiness right where it needs to be. It's up to ourselves to be happy, no matter what people say or do and however life touches us. Happiness is a choice.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T18:31:00.000-04:00

In the past I've not said anything about my pictures I've posted, duh wordless Wednesdays. I'm turning my blog into a book, so I need to catalog my Wordless Wednesday pictures with some description.

Look closely...

"It's A Beautiful World"

Blessings

2011-10-02T00:58:00.000-04:00

How many do you have lately?

Daughter Of Mine

2011-05-10T15:16:00.001-04:00

Finally got in to see our Family Physician. Daughter gave up three big vials of blood and one small one yesterday. We already have the results today! I'll just say I'm in SHOCK! and sorry. Sorry because it's genetic and Wow shock. Guess it needs to set in for a bit. All will be well. I have the same medical problem so it brings great comfort in knowing that I can help her.

From the picture you should be able to tell what is going on.

Mom Is Full Of Surprises

2011-02-27T20:00:00.001-05:00

Last March 2010 Mom fell. Need staples and we found she had a tumor in her head.

My mother not feeling well and having terrible stomach pain went to the ER Monday the 14th. The doctor found that she had such a bladder infection that it was working it's way back up. Making her so very sick. Along with these findings the doctor also found Cancer, small masses on her Kidney and Adrenal gland or Node. Can't remember which. She's had blood work done and biopsy of both spots will be done this next week to confirm the Cancer. Kidney Cancer is fixable in early stages and thank goodness it's a slow growing cancer.

Looking forward to spending time with her. Help her, help her in her healing, and love her all I can.

Carpel Tunnel Surgery Left Hand

2011-02-24T19:33:00.003-05:00

Okay the doctor did the surgery on my left hand. All has worked out well. Hubby gave me lots of support. My second week I thought oh no what have I done to myself, but the third week came and everything improved significantly. I'm in my fourth week post op. I have some use of my hand and then things I do that I shouldn't be doing. Like a hair cut! It took some time but it was a success. I still have stiffness in my wrist and heal of my hand. I try and give myself the hand message twice a day. It is the most annoying time of my day. It brings no comfort until it's done. You think it would be the greatest thing but anyone recovering from a major injury can tell you it's no fun.

My hand in the hands of my Angel/Physical Therapist Nancy. Third week post-op. Nancy is awesome.

Looking forward to opening zip lock bags without help, opening doors or grasping, handling more weight, in general having more strength in my hand. Try peeling an orange with one hand. You can steady it with your other hand barley and definitely no squeezing. Takes time. I'm not aloud any squeezing exercises to build on that strength just yet. One exercise I have trouble with is holding fingers out straight with thumb in the air and bringing that thumb down. I guess like if you were going to salute some one. The joint below my thumb nail just doesn't want to bend down. So my thumb is just doing the same thing my fingers are doing, sticking straight out! Or to get it to bend better my other fingers try to encourage by bending in.

My hand in the good hands of Doctor Hart. First week post-op.

Visit with Dr. Hart. He wanted to do my other hand in March "any day" he said. Totally possible I'm thinking. I just have to remember that it's my RIGHT hand, my main using hand. I don't think I'm wanting to give up the use of it just yet. Also it's not as bad as my left hand was. Besides I have plenty on my plate right now. Not excuses... just not ready.

Update on husband and Sushi...Went back to the restaurant and he wouldn't have any of it.

Never Tries Anything New

2011-01-12T23:35:00.000-05:00

Husband never tries any new food. I try and get him to at least try a small bite. If he doesn't like it, that's okay but at least try. He won't try for anything. Sushi is easy. Start with the California roll and go from there. Tried to get him to try so many different times over the years and he won't have any of it. So a week ago or so we are out. Daughter brings EEL from the Sushi bar to the table. Oh man NO ONE is going to try this and their she goes just wasting food again. Well of coarse you know what happened next. Husband grabs a piece of the EEL to every ones "shock" and amazement! No Way huh! He even said it wasn't bad! I'll be watching his plate next time and see if he goes for something new again.

My niece who use to live in Japan says, the EEL is great to try. It's one of the sea foods that is not chewy. So I'll be sure to try it next time. Will you?

Update on Carpel Tunnel

2011-01-07T15:26:00.001-05:00

Went to second doctor. Liked him very much. He's all Hart! Doctor Hart is more than happy to help with the surgery and believes since I've been dealing with this for more than 20 years and it's getting worse that it's time to fix it. He's says I'll be cured 100%. I like him BUT he doesn't do the surgery with a laser. Apparently with the Laser you can't be sure you cut through all of the tendon. Without laser people tend to have scar tissue that causes problems. Suppose to have pre op. on Monday. Think I should cancel and find a "third" doctor? Crazy... What to do???

Carpel Tunnel

2011-01-01T14:11:00.001-05:00

I was diagnosed with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome this last October. Amazingly I have it worse in my left hand when I'm right handed. Things that make my hands go numb fast or instantly are driving, doing my make-up and hair, cooking/baking (stirring, mixing, kneading), cleaning but with emphasize on the hand scrubbing part. Even when shopping I can't grip my bags or clothes hangers very well. I get painful cramps a long with shooting pain in the palm of my hand. I also loose the ablitlity to grip or hold on. After a busy day of anyone of these I go to bed and hopefully I don't wake too often with the shooting pains Carpel Tunnel gives me. Then I can wake up to swollen and painful hands in which it takes days to recover from depending on how much I can use or push myself through the pain to use my hands. The hoildays put a big strain on them as you can imagine.

I do have Carpel Tunnel bad enough to have surgery done, BUT surgery can make it better or worse. I would rather wait as long as I can stand before having surgery.

This is why I posted the Kitchen Aid Donate. It would greatly help in my continuing cooking and baking needs of my family and friends while helping me save my ability of what is left of my working hands and to help my hands last as long as possible before giving in to that Carpel Tunnel surgery. Your help in donating would be very appreciated.

Click on the donate button to the right, under the Kitchen Aid picture. Thank You

Update On My Mother

2010-12-21T02:04:00.002-05:00

Mom's tumor (Meningioma) has not changed. The doctor expected her to have edema around the tumor but there was none. It has a tail which she said was normal for her kind of tumor. The doctor was also looking for it to have a white rim around it which it does not have. Waiting to hear what appointment she will have next. Mom continues to have symptoms.

ONE POUND

2010-12-02T17:42:00.000-05:00

One pound of butter
One pound of fruit
One pound of chocolate
One pound of sugar
One pound of flour
One pound of...FAT Exercising 30 minutes each day then adding another 45 minutes of walking I lost 1lb from Doctors apt. on August 5th to November 5th. This is what Thyroid Disease along with being Post menopausal with Diabetes does.

Good news though my exercising is paying off. My insulin dose was cut in half again at that November doctors visit!!! I didn't make my November goal to be off of insulin and kind of had a fall out from that but still getting on the tread mill everyday. I do 2-30 minute walks and one 45 minute walk everyday now. I'm not looking to add any more time but adding speed as fast as my body will let me. Also I walk with an incline and use the bars to move those arms back and forth.

Exercising!

2010-10-05T21:27:00.000-04:00

Stay at home Mom of two teenagers, in an economical recession, wish I could work and do something more with my time, has found a tread mill! My sister, who unfortunately moved to Germany but fortunately gave her TREAD MILL to me, and saved my life! They brought it up in July and I've been walking every day, first very slowly as it killed me. All the while flooding thoughts of “what have I done to myself” kept me occupied durning my walking time in the beginning.

I'm currently about 2.1/2.2mph fast huh! =) Making a mile under thirty minutes! My August 2010 doctor apt with the best Endocrinologist cut my Insulin in half! My doctor keeps telling me to take it slow but I can't help feel that the race is on.

I know that I'm not alone with my exercise and I know I have to do it for me, but when I take each step down into the basement, flipping the light switches, light a candle for atmosphere, turn on the music, get the tread mill up to speed, set my stop watch and I'm already walking. I feel so alone.

This is what I do to help motivate myself. Some days I just cry and try to get over it. I say a prayer or end up praying the whole time I walk. I also try and find and play songs that motivate me while on the tread mill. I have about four CD's that I listen to. Three of which I put together. First song I currently hear and last song I hear, never dreamed would be an Eminem song but the two of us have collided and I do have to say it's the cleaner version of the song. It's called "Not Afraid" here are some of the lyrics that help me. I know he is not talking about weight loss and exercising but I am.

[Chorus]
I’m not afraid to take a stand
Everybody come take my hand
We’ll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just let you know that, you’re not alone
Holla if you feel like you’ve been down the same road

[Intro]
Yeah, It’s been a ride…
I guess i had to go to that place to get to this one
Now some of you might still be in that place
If you’re trying to get out, just follow me
I’ll get you there

A Fitness Minute is in the back of my mind and I have a friend Candy L. who checks in on me about every month or so. She makes me feel better about myself. I'm hoping to be off insulin this November. Crossing my fingers. I know that I will never be Miss Skinny Minny because I have other medical issues but I sure can be a healthier ME. =)

Healing

2010-06-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

Mom's surgery is over. Let her healing begin. She has done well. The doctor did well. The nurse did well. Saying our thanks to our Father in Heaven for helping us all. Makes our faith and strength in him grow stronger. So grateful, So blessed, So loved.

We were told the tumor can take up to a year to show progress of shrinking or signs of growth after the Gamma Knife Surgery. She has a couple of appointments other than that, it's a wait and see what the tumor will do.

Thanks again for everyone who prayed, or thought about us, showed their love to us. WE LOVE YOU and APPRECIATE all you do in our behalf. Special Thanks to my brother Dennis and sister DellaBeth for all their efforts in taking good care of Mom.

Love you Mom♥

Rescheduled Surgery

2010-06-23T15:54:00.000-04:00

Mom has had her Gamma Knife surgery rescheduled for this Friday June 25 at 6am. It's a very long surgery about 12 hours. Will post again on Friday late evening to let you know how things went. Here are a couple of pictures of a Gamma Knife Bed.

Thanks for all your love and support.

NO GO ON THE GAMMA

2010-06-11T12:47:00.000-04:00

Mom didn't have her Gamma Knife Surgery. They didn't receive a call from the doctors office saying that it was canceled so they made the trip to Albuquerque to find out that LOVELACE HOSPITAL for some reason KICKED OUT the UNM DOCTORS from their HOSPITAL. Don't know why but we do know that lawyers are involved. Mom's doctor was finally contacted and mom was told they would reschedule her when they were able. This Gamma Knife Center is the only one in New Mexico. If Mom gets worse I'm sure they would have to ship her off to the closest center, in the mean time it's turned into a wait and see.

You know, I've never heard of Doctors being kicked out of a hospital. I've tried to find out more information on this situation but haven't had any luck. This is all very disturbing.

I'm also very concerned as this tumor has more time to grow. Growing means maybe surgery to remove the tumor on her brain. The surgery would be very difficult because of it's large size and life threatening for my mom. If not the surgery, it grows until it takes her. Either way I'm not ready. I keep telling myself God's will and she's in Gods hands but I want to keep her in mine.

Tumor

2010-06-09T02:54:00.003-04:00

Early in the morning today Mom will have her Gamma Knife Surgery to help stop the growth of her tumor. This is an e-mail my sister sent out that explains what happened to my mother. Tumor is about the size of a golfball also the x-ray is flipped your seeing the tumor on the left and it's really on the right hand side.

Last night, Thursday, March 18th, 2010 Mom went to LaSalita Mexican Restaurant by herself to have dinner. I was out Visiting Teaching, Mom called me and said that she had fallen and that the paramedics were with her and that she had to go to the ER for stitches in her head. Apparently, she lost her balance as she was getting into her car and fell over backwards. I picked her up from LaSalita at 8:20 pm and we were sitting in the ER waiting lobby by 9 pm. At 10:40 pm she was taken to a room where she was given a tetanus shot, an EMT numbed and cleaned the 1 ½” gash in her head (right side, above the ear, about the level where a hat would rest). 11 pm was the shift change, 12 am the ER doctor came in and put two staples in the gash, then asked if we wanted a CT scan. Mom was tired and just wanted to go home, I told the doctor that I wanted a CT scan done – He said good, because that was what he wanted too. (Head wounds can be very deceptive – swelling, bleeding, etc.) About 12:20 am, Mom was wheeled away for her CT scan, it took about 25 minutes. 1 am the ER doctor returned and said that the CT scan was being “read” by the CT doctor. The CT doctor, came to the room and said that everything looked fine and that we could leave . . . .

This is where it gets interesting . . . . the CT doctor returned to the room two minutes later and said, “You have a significant mass in your brain. You can’t leave until we contact the neurosurgeon and have him talk to you about the mass in your brain.” She walked out of the room and I sat there dumb, looking at Mom and asked, “What did she just say?” At that moment the attending ER doctor returned. I said, “The CT doctor said everything was fine, that we could leave, she returns two minutes later and tells us that mom has a brain mass?” The ER doctor said that the CT doctor thought it was an “existing condition”. He said that many people live with “these” brain masses for long periods of time, never knowing that they have them, until there is a head injury and a CT scan is done.

1:30 am - The ER doctor said that this was “LIKELY” a meningiomas – a slow growing brain tumor, non-cancerous, non-threatening . . . .however, he began to ask questions about headaches, dizziness, eyesight difficulty – all of which mom has been experiencing regularly over the past year. Also, the “feeling that someone is going to bash her head in”. Mom was moved to another room to wait for the directions from the neurosurgeon, after he reviewed the CT scan. 2 am – ER doctor returns, “The neurosurgeon wants to see you in his office within two weeks to discuss the brain tumor – options/effects of leaving it alone and options/effects of having it removed. They will verify the tumor kind, size and rate of growth."

Focaccia Bread Recipe

2010-05-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

Recipe for the best tasting Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:

4-4 1/2 c flour
1/2 c warm water (105-115 deg)
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 c warm water (105-115 deg)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp "dried rosemary" or basil
1 Tbs olive oil
coarse salt A must have before preparing ingredients. You will want this.

1. In a bowl combine 1/2 c of flour, 1/2 c warm water, and the yeast. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand overnight [or about 4-8 hours if you didn't plan that far ahead] at room temperature to ferment.

2. Gradually stir 1 c warm water, rosemary and salt. Add just enough flour to make a dough that pulls away from the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (about 8-10 min total). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn the dough once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).

3. Turn dough out onto a well floured baking sheet. Place a large bowl over the dough to cover it and let it rest for 30 min. Meanwhile preheat oven to 475.

4. Shape the dough on the baking sheet into a circle about 11 inches in diameter by pulling and pressing with fingertips. (Don't stretch dough to roughly or it will deflate; you want to keep air bubble intact.) Make 1/2 inch indentations every 2 inches in dough with finger tips. Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Carefully slide focaccia from floured surface to baking sheet or preheated bread stone.

5. Bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown, checking every 8 minutes and popping any large bubble with a fork. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Please let me know how yours turned out. Enjoy =)

FOCACCIA BREAD

2010-05-18T17:29:00.003-04:00

Fresh baked and still warm Focaccia Bread! yum yum! A friend of mine made this bread for a church luncheon and I asked her for the recipe. What a delight! This bread recipe would make the best homemade pizza dough as well. I look forward to making it often. Besides having it with spaghetti we also dipped it in olive oil with balsamic vinegar. YUM!!!

Changes

2010-05-06T21:51:00.007-04:00

I found an old friend on Facebook and she asked me if I still go through trials like I did when I knew her better. The answer of course is yes, still going through them. It's my life. Always something going on. Having a difficult time as lately. Don't know how I should be acting as far as having more faith that all is well, all is well. Somethings are easier than others but I have such a hard time when they come in groups. It's so overwhelming no time to recuperate before the next one hits. I think the older I get this would become easier but it's not at least not for me right now.

Two or so weeks ago I tried to blog about leaving your loved ones prepared for when you leave this mortal existence. It's a heart ache just loosing you than to have to deal with much more. I couldn't make the words come out right to explain all I was thinking and how we really can be prepared for that day.

We are at the end of school in Colorado for the kids. Their shortest school year ever by a whole 9 weeks, due to School starting in Sept in the east and ending in the west in May, plus the move and then another week missed for a recent funeral.

Grant was in track for the first time. Something to keep him busy until football starts back up. He threw the discus and shot put. He didn't do well until his last meet which he threw the discus over 100ft.

There is more to share but I'll leave this for now.

PS I've had over 5 new countries stop in for a look. =)

Oh Deer!

2010-03-15T17:03:00.009-04:00

What a surprise it was to be house hunting and finding these deer everywhere we looked on the west side of Colorado Springs. These pictures where taken the first week of December 2009. Click on photo for a better view. This first deer was eyeing a dog across the street that was barking.

Cell Phone/Pictures

2010-03-07T20:10:00.003-05:00

I have pictures on my cell phone that I don't know how to get onto the computer to make a new post and get all caught up.

Moving Violation II

2010-01-27T20:50:00.002-05:00

It was not against the law to hook up the UHaul to the Penske. It was just against the rules between Penske and UHaul. =)

Niagra Falls

2010-01-17T21:33:00.009-05:00

We stopped at Niagara Falls for a drink of water on our way out west. This is some of what we saw.

A Man and his dog.

Do you realize how many water balloons we could make?

I gotta go!

Ducks taking it easy feet from the falls! You can click on the picture for a large view.

Who knows the beauty of this earth, but one who travels it.

Olive You

2010-01-07T15:20:00.008-05:00

My favorite store to go to in Syracuse was Wegman's. They have everything as far as food is concerned. When we made trips to visit family in Syracuse I would try and make a short visit to Wegman's for this special treat. OLIVES! They had this wonderful fresh Olive Bar! mmm Makes me miss it as I write this post.

Olives stuffed with garlic, feta cheese, blue cheese, almonds, and peppers. Olives of all sizes, green and black, pit in or pit out. Plus all the little extras too, like fresh mozzarella balls, tomato and basil, artichoke salad, bean salad and such. You can see from the pictures I took. I stuff my little container soo full and pack it tight that the mozzarella balls take on a grey color in spots from the black olives. I don't mind but if someone else saw them they might not want to eat them. It's my way of saying you don't want these only Sandra does. So Kathy it's okay you didn't eat them, but sad for me that I forgot them at your home. Now go to the mirror and silently say, "Olive You"!

I love you too! =)

A Moving Violation

2010-01-04T15:07:00.003-05:00

Can you spot the violation in this picture?

Looking towards the back of the Penske truck there is a small U Haul trailer. Penske and U Haul don't want to tow each others equipment. It's in the contract you sign but don't have the time to read because "your moving"! The personnel at U Haul were more than happy to hook it up. Why he didn't say anything then and there I don't know, but maybe the almighty dollar speaks louder than paper. One guy followed Dennis and when we stopped he let us know how unhappy he was to see the moving violation. He said, "the U Haul was considered legally stolen." He also said he was a U Haul Manager. Oh happy day!!!

This picture was taken 11:30pm ish. Our house hold, our whole house was going to be unpacked off this truck and packed on another one because the running lights were not working. I could not bare the thought of my house being unpacked, spread out all over a gas stop, while it's trying to snow. I opted to return to Syracuse one more time. I'm soo Glad this is all over. Now does anyone want to deal with the insurance company for all the damaged the accrued from the repack?

I'm really alright and so is the family. Just more things to learn and grow from. It's good to be able to laugh about it now.

Where Am I

2009-12-29T17:53:00.008-05:00

From all the moving and Holiday traveling that we've done lately I kinda don't know where I am any more. I'm neither here nor there...dizzy! I guess it's best to get into a routine. Good thing the New Year is about to start.

Time to think about those things we want to change and make new goals for our New Year Resolutions. For 2009 I did half of my resolution and did not get around to the second half. Had I not moved I would like to think I would have the second part of my 2009 resolution finished.

This New Year 2010 I will complete the second half of 2009 resolution along with getting more settled here in Colorado. I don't like setting goals that I know I can't accomplish. I like setting goals that are reasonable. For instants one year my goal was to purchase, when on sale, new bath towels.

Are you making any New Year goals? Do you make them hard to accomplish or reasonable and tailored to make a difference in your life?

Moving

2009-12-11T21:46:00.007-05:00

Had some problems getting started on our move, but we made it. Family that we stayed with were super amazing. Sherry and Ray for their generosity and traveling snacks, Kathy for sharing the way they make "Taco Salad," mine is forever changed. Rhonda and Justin for giving up their bed for the night. Might not be what Rhonda likes but it sure was a "wonderful nights sleep"! We also met Justin and Ryan for the first time. Love them both. Ryan is soo cute and fun. Candy had great food and supplied us with our very own tour guide for Tulsa Oklahoma. Herman (aka Tour Guide) took us to the center of the Universe and back again. Did you know the center of the Universe was in Tulsa Oklahoma? Amazing it was. I took video but the Universe can be pretty dark. =) Lincoln gave up his concert ticket so Rebecca could go and then he hung out with us. Lincoln is so grown up. It was fun to visit with everyone although our time was never enough, it sure was a blessing to be able to stay with family as we made our move back west. Thank you, thank you, thank you!=)

Who will be the 5,000 visitor?

2009-10-30T14:19:00.005-04:00

Ten visitors away from 5,000! Who will it be?

NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA is my 5,000 visitor!

What's in a name?

2009-10-26T15:06:00.005-04:00

How did you get your name? Easy one for me. On the back of the birth announcement to my Mother's parents it reads, Tinsley (my father) wanted to name her Tammy. Had my father lived longer I might have been better known as Sandy. Tammy and Sandra were popular names in the 60's. My mother was a fan of Sandra Dee and had friends with the name of Sandra. How did you get your name?

Smiles

2009-10-16T15:34:00.007-04:00

You’ve experienced it. You come into a room with a real big smile on your face and suddenly people respond to you with a smile and seem to treat you better. It’s a well-researched social phenomenon. In fact, just looking at photos of happy-faced people has been shown to make a person’s brain waves go into a happier mode. Seeing a smile can give you more pleasure than money, eating chocolate, or intimacy.

In my days of writing real snail mail letters I use to sign it with Smiles go miles. Smiles are so easily passed on. I also remember times when I was struggling with things and just a simple smile made me feel alive and so much better. So please go ahead and smile at someone. It just might make your day too! =)

ps A BIG smile to Roffe who shared this post with me.

Yo-Yo Ma~Cellist

2009-10-14T16:01:00.006-04:00

Can't wait any longer to share with you yo yo ma the cellist. He is awesome. I've had his music on my playlist before and will add his music to my playlist again shortly so you can listen to his music. I discovered him off of someones blog about two years ago or more likely I was a fan of his music and didn't know it was him til two years ago. Here is the exciting part of this post. October 27, 2009 will be the release day of his 30 Years Outside The Box anniversary gift set. Just to wet your appetite don't want to ruin all the surprise for you but over 50cd's and much much more! Go and find out for yourself how wonderful he is by clicking on his name above, it will take you to his official site. Watch some videos, read his short bio, and enjoy. Fun Fun Fun! Were you a fan of his music and didn't know it? What's your favorite song? Did you know about yo-yo ma? I wonder if yo-yo ma and David Garrett have played together? Ahh the power of love in music! Heavenly~

David Garrett ~ Violinist

2009-10-02T10:34:00.013-04:00

While driving home from Syracuse we were going through the Satellite radio and happen to catch this amazing song after listening to the song we realized that it was an interview between David Garrett and a radio personality. Never heard of David until that moment. Dennis, myself and the teens in the back seat, sat mesmerised by his talent. We must have caught the beginning of the interview because we were able to listen and enjoy him all the way home. Lucky us! David is so incredible. U tube him. He's fun to watch! I've added some of his songs to my Play list at the bottom of my blog. It's not on auto play so you need to click on play to listen. Would love to see him in concert! I do have his Encore cd and love it. Tell me if you like him too!

Here is a little of what Wiki has to say about him. When David was four years old, his father bought a violin for his older brother. The young David took an interest and soon learned to play. A year later, he took part in a competition and won first prize. By the age of seven, he was playing once a week in public. He studied violin at the Lubeck Conservatoire. At the age of 12, Garrett began working with the distinguished Polish violinist Ida Haendel, often traveling to London and other European cities to meet her. At the age of 13, Garrett recorded two CDs, appeared on German and Dutch television, and gave a concert in the residence of the Federal Republic of Germany President, the Villa Hammerschmidt, at Dr. von Weizsäcker’s personal invitation. He was offered the use of the famous Stradivarius "San Lorenzo", which is among the best instruments of the "golden period". At the age of 14, as the youngest soloist ever, Garrett signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Aged 17, he played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Zubin Mehta in Delhi and Bombay in concerts marking the 50th anniversary of India’s Independence.
Two years later, Garrett played with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchster in Berlin, under the direction of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and was hailed by critics. This led to an invitation to perform at Expo 2000 in Hannover. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music in London. At the age of 21, he was invited to perform at the BBC Proms. He graduated from the Juilliard School in 2004.
While studying at the Juilliard School in New York City, as one of the first students to study with Itzhak Perlman, Garrett supplemented his income by working as a model. Some fashion writers have described him as "the David Beckham of the classical scene".

Great Harvest Bread Co.

2009-09-28T17:22:00.003-04:00

I've missed not having a Great Harvest Bread Co. here in H2Otown. On occasion when living in Reno and Albuquerque I would take the children to 7/11 for a Slurpee and then next door was a Great Harvest Bread Store. They always let you have a slice of bread for free and they gave you four to five items to choose from! Although in Reno they spoiled us and would pull something down for us if it wasn't a choice. We have a Panera Bread here in H2Otown but it's just not the same. Which is your favorite Great Harvest Bread Co. or Panera Bread?

Soda, Pop, Fountain Drinks!

2009-09-22T12:01:00.005-04:00

I was a big soda with caffeine drinker. I got down to drinking one 12oz can the last 4 or 5 years. About a month ago I was able to quit drinking soda all together. I've not had any desire for it or any big withdrawals symptoms. Guess I was ready to make the change.

I might have Sparkling Cider for celebrations but don't know if that counts for soda.

You know it doesn't seem real since it was something I did for so long. I don't really know if I really kicked the habit or if this is just a phase?

Samaritan in Watertown

2009-09-14T18:17:00.008-04:00

Ugh I've not wanted to make this post and relive this experience. So I'm making it short and to the point. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will comment back here.

Okay so I've been a diabetic on pills for about two years now. I went to an Endocrinologist to help maintain the right sugar levels and she put me on a new drug called Byetta (at the beginning of the year I think) to help with keeping my sugars on the low side. It's a shot I was giving myself twice a day. Also, my Primary care doctor put me on Vytorin some time ago to help with cholesterol levels. Both of these drugs have side effects that can cause Pancreatitis which could happen to anyone, and we all take that chance when we take medicine. The other causes for Pancreatitis were drinking alcohol, which I don't do, and having a Gall Bladder, which mine was removed in 1994, just after loosing a baby. The only other cause was cancer, and what a scare that was!

I went to Samaritan hospital Wednesday this last week at three in the morning because I could no longer take the "SEVER" pain I was in. It reminded me of labor as the pains came and went. It was so bad I could not hold back the tears each time. Knowing that the episode would end was my happy thought. After being admitted to the Emergency Room, it took three Morphine shots to finally take all the pain away. The pain was like one I've never had before. I've had my Gall Bladder out and I didn't feel like I was going to die although I might have wished to. I have also had two C-Sections, one horizontal and one vertical. Vertical ones hurts way more but don't compare well with the pain I was having. I've had breast reduction and follow-up surgery to fix the reduction, which was more sensitive than I expected, but still doesn't compare. I guess the best way to describe the pain I was having is your stomach blown up by shrapnel.

I was out of the hospital Saturday afternoon. The pain has lingered longer than I thought it would. Now it feels like some one took the sharp jagged side of a meat tenderizer to my stomach. Food or no food, it's just been painful! I went to the doctors today for pain management and I am finally getting some relief. The doctor said it can last like this for 7 to 10 days, but since taking the new pain relief and acid reducers (as I don't have anything on my stomach since the broth goes so fast) I think I will live again! Yeaee happy news. My new daily medicine has been dropped to just three pills. Very happy about that. I think I'm ready to make some more life changing habits. I'm looking for a treadmill if anyone has one they are not using. I'm willing to give it a work out! Being up here in the cold that New York offers and not having a second vehicle has put me out, but I'm ready to fight back!

I can't end without leaving a few more thoughts. The nurses, doctors, aids, housekeeping, and cafeteria workers were out of this world! Like I died and went to heaven. They all did a fabulous job. They were very kind and all went the extra mile. I was amazed and grateful for such care. I think that this happened because of my family and friends praying for me. They asked for the Healing Angels and I got them. To you I am so grateful. I was so happy to see Todd and Gina stop by at the hospital and even brought some flowers! That was a super treat. Last but never least. My husband Dennis. It was only the second day of school for the children, with Grant going into 10th grade and Rebecca 8th. We had waited until Thursday to get the children ready for school. So while I was in the hospital Dennis did school shopping, went to Grant's out of town football game, took the children shopping for clothes, went to work, and was with me at the hospital when he could. He has made sure I had everything I needed and even more. Dennis has been a miracle for me, he's been my Samaritan.

Healing Slowly

2009-09-14T12:13:00.002-04:00

Healing slower than I anticipated. Went to doctors office to touch bases and also let them know that I'm still in alot of pain and not able to progress off the liquid diet. Trying some medicine and go back to the doctors office in two days. I am home and so grateful for all the prayers in my behalf.

Hospital

2009-09-11T20:30:00.001-04:00

In the hospital, doing better and will have more to post later.

I've Changed My Title

2009-08-20T19:37:00.002-04:00

Changed my blog title some time ago and noticed that you still use my old title. Should I change it back? Just wondering~

My Henna/Hehndi

2009-08-13T14:34:00.005-04:00

For those asking why? It's something I've always wanted to try. So this is what it looks like now that I have taken off the paste. It's darker where the skin is thicker on my fingers. Here is some Wikipedia on the subject. Henna has been used to adorn young women's bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations since the late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean. The earliest text mentioning henna in the context of marriage and fertility celebrations comes from the Ugaritic legend of Baal and Anath, which has references to women marking themselves with henna in preparation to meet their husbands, and Anath adorning herself with henna to celebrate a victory over the enemies of Baal. Wall paintings excavated at Akrotiri (dating prior to the eruption of Thera in 1680 BCE) show women with markings consistent with henna on their nails, palms and soles, in a tableau consistent with the henna bridal description from Ugarit. Many statuettes of young women dating between 1500 and 500 BCE along the Mediterranean coastline have raised hands with markings consistent with henna. This early connection between young, fertile women and henna seems to be the origin of the Night of the Henna, which is now celebrated world-wide.
The Night of the Henna was celebrated by most groups in the areas where henna grew naturally: Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Zoroastrians, among others, all celebrated marriages by adorning the bride, and often the groom, with henna. The use of henna and mehndi by the Prophet insured its place in history and its popularity and acceptance among the Muslim people.
Across the henna-growing region, Purim, Eid, Diwali, Karva Chauth, Passover, Nowruz, Mawlid, and most saints' days were celebrated with some henna. Favorite horses, donkeys, and salukis had their hooves, paws, and tails hennaed. Battle victories, births, circumcision, birthdays, Zar, as well as weddings, usually included some henna as part of the celebration. When there was joy, there was henna, as long as henna was available.
Henna was regarded as having "Barakah," blessings, and was applied for luck as well as joy and beauty. Brides typically had the most henna, and the most complex patterns, to support their greatest joy, and wishes for luck. Some bridal traditions were very complex, such as those in Yemen, where the Jewish bridal henna process took four or five days to complete, with multiple applications and resist work.
The fashion of "Bridal Mehndi" in Pakistan, Northern Libya and in North Indian diasporas is currently growing in complexity and elaboration, with new innovations in glitter, gilding, and fine-line work. Recent technological innovations in grinding, sifting, temperature control, and packaging henna, as well as government encouragement for henna cultivation, have improved dye content and artistic potential for henna.

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-08-12T18:29:00.000-04:00

A Little Dog's Dance

2009-07-22T17:46:00.008-04:00

This little dog did a little dance with this little guy and decided they weren't for each other after all. Krispy left the dance in a hurry! Found out that shampooing right away will elemenate the smell. So what smell we had to deal with was coming from outside. THANK GOODNESS!

Blogging

2009-07-01T19:55:00.004-04:00

Went to check my Google Reader today and to my surprise I found one hundred and ninety-eight entries that I needed to get caught up on! The family went to YM and YW tonight so no better time to read them. I'm glad to know that everyone from all the posts and are doing well. Some of the post where about Father's Day (which was a special day also I was tickeled to see the I Love Lucy "She's Having Our Baby" scene again!) birthdays shared, a baby born, a lost child found, family trips, orthodontics, more give aways, (that I never leave a comment on to win anything), celebrities deaths and tributes. I was really touched by two post. One being that my sister in law while on a trip made a special effort to put pin wheels and flowers on my three daughters graves and posted a picture of them and the second one being HERE. I lost an uncle a couple of weeks ago and with others passing and the craziness of these times made me feel better to read the short story. I'm grateful for my family and wonderful friends that help me and keep me going just by sharing their smiles to their caring compassion and reaching out. I have One hundred and thirty-six e-mails to tackle before the gang arrives home in maybe 10 minutes or less. Wishing everyone loving hugs from me.

Lost Blue Parrot in Watertown

2009-06-07T17:09:00.006-04:00

Dennis was cleaning up in the back yard a week ago when he came across the most beautiful sky blue parrot. Unfortunately he had given up the ghost and that had been very recent by the time Dennis found it. There didn't appear to be anything wrong as far as being sick or starved to death but we rather thought it was the cold. It was about 8 to 10 inches tall. Beak was smaller than the one in this picture which makes me think it was still very young along with it's all blue coloring, because I think birds like that come into their color the older they get. It was sad.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2009-06-04T16:19:00.005-04:00

Went with Dennis to get his hearing tested the other day. Sure enough he needs a hearing aid for his left ear. Higher pitched tones are not so audible for him and since it's only one ear we get the hearing aid at half price. =)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T10:22:00.006-04:00

Rebecca's Turn

2009-06-02T10:58:00.006-04:00

The week after Grant's new appointment Rebecca had hers. The doctor was giving her a great check up. Checking everything head to toe. The doctor had Rebecca do the bend over to look at her back and surprise surprise she has... Scoliosis! We went and had an x-ray done to confirm it. Ten and below is good anything higher needs to be watched to having surgery. Rebecca's spine is off by 13 degrees to go with her age I guess. Another surprise!, found out Dennis has it too! of which I had no idea. Just when you think you know everything there is to know about your spouse of 16 some years. Anyway... we are waiting to have an appointment with Orthopedics. As mild as her case is I think it will be a watch and see and any one seeing her slouching out there might remind or encourage her to sit up straight or stand up straight. Old habits are hard to break. =)

For those of you wondering about any connection with Vitamin D and Scoliosis. There is none. The lack of Vitamin D makes your bones very brittle, can cause Rickets. Scoliosis on the other hand makes your spine curve, no matter how much or how little Vitamin D you have. Feel free to click on RICKETS and SCOLIOSIS to take you to more information at Web MD.

Vitamin D D D d d...

2009-06-01T12:47:00.006-04:00

Four months ago I went to see my doctor and found that I was short on Vitamin D. Living in the north east it's what you can expect, so I'm taking a Vitamin D supplement. Now thinking if I were short on the D then I wondered if the rest of the family was falling short as well. I had Grant's levels checked and the doctor said he was below what they wanted by 8 points so he gave him "50,000 Units" (I think this is an extreme amount) to take once a week for 8 weeks and then take another blood test. In all of this process I was also switching doctors. The new doctor said Grant was fine by the old standard and didn't need to take anything. Although the new doctor will go along and have Grant take a blood test in June and check to see how he is doing. I had Rebecca do blood work about two weeks ago and still have not heard back yet. This conflicting message between the new and old doctors is a bit crazy so all I can say is that I'm glad the snow is all melted and we can be one with the sun again. With our sun block on because those UV rays still get through but at a slower rate. I think they have raised the national levels of what the Vitamin D levels should be. So eat your greens and dairy products but best of all get out side for at least 15 minutes a day. That is the best Vitamin D you can get!

First Talk In Church

2009-05-04T12:36:00.004-04:00

My son Grant, gave his first church talk a couple of weeks ago. I want to share it with you. He is only 15 years old and as nervous as he gets passing the sacrament he acted like a pro while giving his talk. He tried making it longer but as you read the talk you know it's complete. Hope you enjoy it.

Hi, my name is Grant for those of you who do not know me. I have been asked to give a talk today on the Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, to be honest I have not fully or completely understood the Atonement. James E. Faust said it was the greatest event in all of history and that it was the most transcended act that has ever taken place. M. Russell Ballard said that this was the most heroic act preformed in history.
So what is the Atonement? Well, in definition Atone means to pay the price for sin. Before the world was formed Jesus chose himself to pay this price instead of each one of us paying the price for our own sin.
Our former President, Gordon B. Hinckley, told “something of a parable” of the Atonement, “it was about a one room school house in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them.” “Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted the risk. The first day of school the teacher asked the boys to establish their own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with ten rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’ “‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response. “A day or so later … the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was stolen. ‘The thief was located, a little hungry fellow, about ten years old.’ “As Little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’ “The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, Big Tom jumped to his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking. “‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked. “After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class was sobbing. ‘Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. “Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!”
President Hinckley then quoted Isaiah:
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …” “… He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
He suffered a great deal of pain, “indescribable anguish,” and “overpowering torture” which was done for our sake. In comparison it is a bit like us trying to climb Mount Everest and only getting up the first few feet. But He has climbed all 29,000 feet to the top of the mountain. He suffered more than any other mortal could. His indescribable suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He took upon Himself the sins of you, me, and anyone who has ever lived, this caused Him “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer mentally, physically and spiritually. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly,” saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and denied by Peter. He was mocked by the chief priests and officers; He was stripped, smitten, spat upon, and scourged in the judgment hall.
He was led to Golgotha, where nails were driven into His hands and feet. He then hung in agony for hours on a wooden cross bearing the title that Pilate wrote: “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Darkness came, and “about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” No one could help Him; he was completely alone. Then Jesus, when he had cried one last time with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. One of the soldiers with a spear later pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. The earth then greatly shook and when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
What He did could only be done by a supreme being. As the Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh, Jesus inherited divine attributes. He was the only person ever born into mortality that could perform this most significant and supernal act. As the only sinless Man who ever lived on this earth, He was not subject to spiritual death. Because of His godhood, He also possessed power over physical death. Thus He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves; He broke the cold grasp of death.
Now that we have a basic understanding of the Atonement, why do you? Or I need the Atonement? Paul gives a simple explanation for the need of the Atonement. In 1st Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 he says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” This means that through believing and accepting the Atonement we can be resurrected just like Jesus. We are commanded to remember the singular events of the Crucifixion, and the Atonement by partaking of the sacrament weekly. In the spirit of the sacramental prayers, we partake of the bread and water in remembrance of the body and the blood sacrificed for us, and we are to remember Him and keep His commandments so that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.
The Atonement and the Resurrection accomplish many things. Only through the Atonement we are cleansed of sin on condition of our repentance. Repentance is the condition on which mercy from our Heavenly Father is extended. After all the things done for us the least we can do is make right our wrongs, the Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us. Christ’s Resurrection overcame death and gave us the assurance of life after death. Jesus himself said: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” The Resurrection is unconditional and applies to all who have ever lived and ever will live. It literally is a free gift. President John Taylor described this well when he said: “The tombs will be opened and the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall come forth, they who have done good to the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil to the resurrection of the unjust.”
The Atonement does not only benefit sinners but also benefits those sinned against—otherwise known as the victims. By forgiving “those who trespass against us” the Atonement brings a measure of peace and comfort to those who have been innocently victimized by the sins of others. The basic source for the healing of the soul is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This is true whether it be from the pain I suffer or the pain you suffer. He will help us carry our burdens. Some injuries that we have are so hurtful and deep that they cannot be healed without help from a higher power. Without this higher power we cannot hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. Since the Savior has suffered anything and everything that we could ever feel or experience, He can help the weak to become stronger. He has personally experienced all of it. He understands our pain and will walk with us even in during our worst times.
The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving. The evil influence of Satan would destroy any hope we have in overcoming our mistakes. He would have us feel that we are lost and that there is no hope. In contrast, Jesus reaches down to us to lift us up. Through our repentance and the gift of the Atonement, we can prepare to be worthy to stand in His presence. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

100

2009-04-27T16:56:00.004-04:00

This is my 100th post!

100
If the World Were a Village of 100 People. If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:

The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific
51 would be male, 49 would be female
82 would be non-white; 18 white
67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian
80 would live in substandard housing
67 would be unable to read
50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
33 would be without access to a safe water supply
39 would lack access to improved sanitation
24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)
7 people would have access to the Internet
1 would have a college education
1 would have HIV
2 would be near birth; 1 near death
5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be US citizens
33 would be receiving --and attempting to live on-- only 3% of the income of “the village”.

Please Help! I Need A New Title For My Blog

2009-04-25T01:49:00.008-04:00

Okay I always encourage friends to choose a really cool title for their blogs that express more about who they are in a creative way. I on the other hand have about the lamest blog title. I would love a new one. If you would like to help I would be grateful. Just leave your ideas in the comments. I might even send out a basket of "Chocolate Love" to a winner provided there is a winner. Anyone and everyone can leave suggestions. Thanks

A disclaimer for fun. =)

:) Sandra can use one or all blog titles and ones that spark other titles at her discretion now and through her blogging years if she so chooses or blogs that long. Sandra can change her title as much or as little as she likes. No take backs, but Sandra can give your title back, as well as passing it along to someone else who needs help with a title. Sandra does not have to pick your title because of relations, or giving her gifts, although the gifts might help. If Sandra sees anyone else with her new "Blog title" they will have a good thing going for them self and I wish them many happy comments from family, friends, and fans. Sandra will consider all titles thoughtfully and equally but not equally thoughtful.

Thank you for your help. =)
Love and Hugs

Shout Out to Nogales Mexico!

2009-04-23T00:00:00.004-04:00

Someone from Nogales Mexico stopped by on my blog. Nogales Mexico was the first place I stepped off American soil. I was in my teens, traveling with friends from visiting friends. We got out took and picture and came back. No big deal just something I did. Since then I've been to Juarez a few times, Mexico City, and Acapulco. Betcha didn't know that about me?

A New County Visits

2009-04-22T19:48:00.013-04:00

Palestinian Territory's first visit to my blog. This makes 98 countries in total. Eighty seven more to go! I thought the culture was a fine place to start. Remember you can get all this information and more at Wikipedia. I just pick out some things that I liked. =)

Ali Qleibo, a Palestinian anthropologist, has critiqued Muslim historiography for assigning the beginning of Palestinian cultural identity to the advent of Islam in the seventh century. In describing the effect of such a historiography, he writes: "Pagan origins are disavowed. As such the peoples that populated Palestine throughout history have discursively rescinded their own history and religion as they adopted the religion, language, and culture of Islam". That the peasant culture of the large fellahin class embodied strong elements of both pre-Arabic and pre-Israelitic traditions was a conclusion arrived at by the many Western scholars and explorers who mapped and surveyed Palestine in great detail throughout the latter half of the 19th century, and this assumption was to influence later debates on Palestinian identity by local ethnographers.

The Art: Contemporary Palestinian art finds its roots in folk art and traditional Christian and Islamic painting popular in Palestine over the ages. After the 1948 Palestinian exodus, nationalistic themes have predominated as Palestinian artists use diverse media to express and explore their connection to identity and land.

The Cusine: Palestinian cuisine is divided into three regional groups: the Galilee, the West Bank and the Gaza area. Cuisine in the Galilee region shares much in common with Lebanese cuisine, due to extensive communication between the two regions before the establishment of Israel. Galilee inhabitants specialize in producing a number of meals based on the combination of
bulgur, spices and meat, known as kibbee by Arabs. Kibbee has several variations including it being served raw, fried or baked. Musakhan is a common main dish that originated in the Jenin and Tulkarm area in the northern West Bank. It consists of a roasted chicken over a taboon bread that has been topped with pieces of fried sweet onions, sumac, allspice and pine nuts. Other meals common to the area are maqluba and mansaf, the latter originating from the Bedouin population of Jordan. The cuisine of the Gaza Strip is influenced both by neighboring Egypt and its location on the Mediterranean coast. The staple food for the majority of the inhabitants in the area is fish. Gaza has a major fishing industry and fish is often served either grilled or fried after being stuffed with cilantro, garlic, red peppers and cumin and marinated in a mix of coriander, red peppers, cumin, and chopped lemons. The Egyptian culinary influence is also seen by the frequent use of hot peppers, garlic and chard to flavor many of Gaza's meals. A dish native to the Gaza area is Sumaghiyyeh, which consists of water-soaked ground sumac mixed with tahina and then, added to sliced chard and pieces of stewed beef and garbanzo beans.

Film: Palestinian cinema is relatively young compared to Arab cinema overall and many Palestinian movies are made with European and Israeli support. Palestinian films are not exclusively produced in Arabic; some are made in English, French or Hebrew. More than 800 films have been produced about Palestinians, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other related topics.

Palestinian handicrafts: A wide variety of handicrafts, many of which have been produced by Arabs in Palestine for hundreds of years, continue to be produced today. Palestinian handicrafts include embroidery and weaving, pottery-making, soap-making, glass-making, and olive-wood and Mother of Pearl carvings, among others.

Intellectuals: In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Palestinian intellectuals were integral parts of wider Arab intellectual circles, as represented by individuals such as May Ziade and Khalil Beidas. Educational levels among Palestinians have traditionally been high. In the 1960s the West Bank had a higher percentage of its adolescent population enrolled in high school education than did Lebanon. Claude Cheysson, France’s Minister for Foreign Affairs under the first Mitterrand Presidency, held in the mid eighties that, ‘even thirty years ago, (Palestinians) probably already had the largest educated elite of all the Arab peoples.’
Diaspora figures like Edward Said and Ghada Karmi, Arab citizens of Israel like Emile Habibi, refugee camp residents like Ibrahim Nasrallah have made contributions to a wide number of fields, exemplifying the diversity of experience and thought among Palestinians.

Palestinian literature: The long history of the Arabic language and its rich written and oral tradition form part of the Palestinian literary tradition as it has developed over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.

A Hermit Crab, 6 New Countries, and A Fitness Minute

2009-04-20T20:11:00.005-04:00

Oh my goodness...with a deep breath and big sigh "why am I not blogging" asks my Mother. Well the first of the year came with a hormonal surprise. I'm getting to the point I was before January came. Thank goodness! Although the biggest reason is family issues. I've become a hermit crab seeking shelter in my shell, only to come out and play when the issues have subsided. What's that saying, "Grin and bare it" so I'm doing the best I can.

Here are some new countries that have been first time visitors to my blog. Instead of doing the normal set up I'm leaving it up to you to go and read and enjoy finding something new about these countries you didn't know before. They are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Senegal, Vietnam, Lebanon, Botswana, and Jamaica.

Also during my time away I found a terrific blog. I thought you might enjoy knowing about it too. It's called A FITNESS MINUTE. I love it! Just a minute to find something useful, encouragement (we all need that), tips on health and nutrition. I wrote and asked a question about how much sun light we need in a day and she was more than helpful and answered right away. Thanks Pat for sharing with us your talent and knowledge.

Who will be my 4000 vistior?

2009-04-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

Two more people and I will have my 4000 visit. Will it be u?

This is what I found out...

2009-03-04T22:20:00.004-05:00

According to my Mother's comment saying, that it was my "Great Grandmother on my fathers, mothers side is full blooded Cherokee Indian". Her name being Maxaline Cornette (Gray after she married). Found her family on an 1800 census. Fathers name is Hiram and Mothers name is Fanny. Those names appear to be very white to me as well as the race on the census sheet marked w. The only thing I can think of is that it was not popular by any means to be Indian. So in order to make her be full blooded Cherokee I would need to keep searching the line back until I come across documents stating the Cherokee Indian race, and then work my way back forward. So if Great Grandma Maxaline Cronette is Indian or not I am to far removed to be apart of the tribe. Not enough blood for me, so I am not Cherokee. So my New Years Resolution has been completed. What do you think?

I am Sandra Morgan my father is Tinsley Morgan his mother Della Gray Morgan her mother being Maxaline Cornette Gray her mother Fanny Cornette and her mother Elizabeth no last name mentioned on census, was from Tennessee with both her parents from North Carolina which I know is Cherokee Indian territory. I would have to find more information on Elizabeth which would be difficult without a last name.

On a side note, something I found out about getting my Father's Birth Certificate. When the certificate was submitted to the Vitals Office someone forgot to give the "day" so it just has the month and year on it. When that happens they have to give a certified letter with a seal on it saying that the birth certificate is authentic. Interesting huh!

Am I Cherokee

2009-02-18T11:33:00.002-05:00

My New Year's Resolution is to find out for sure if I'm Cherokee Indian. I've been told my Grandmother is full blooded Cherokee Indian. We have some issues as this situation is on my fathers side of the family. My father passed when I was very young and my Mother moved us close to her family. My father's family was non existent growing up and even now. All my fathers family members except for an Aunt and a handful of cousin are left. My fathers family lived the life of Hill-Billies in one of the Hollers of Kentucky. We have no way of contacting them unless I make a trip.

So I went to Ancestry.com and went looking. My dad was in the Army and they had a record of his death. I went to look for his birth record and could not find one. Thought it was strange they would have his death but not his birth. I was able to find his twin brother and sister and another sister with my Grandmother as mother. I also searched but could not find my Grandmothers Birth or Death records.

So with what information my Mother and sister had I ordered my fathers birth certificate. It's coming today by UPS. I'm a bit nervous about it. As all Birth Certificates are NOT created equal. I'm looking to find his Mothers full name on the birth certificate and possibly where she was born. So I can then purchase hers.

It's not like I'm going back 6, 7, or 8 generations. It's a possible dream right? Just looking to find my Grandmother and her parents to confirm what we have been told. If we are, then to see about what I need to do, to be a part of the Tribe. Having an id number and such.

My mother has taken us to Pow Wow's. We lived very close to the Mescalero Indians growing up and that has been part of our culture growing up. When I lived in Idaho I went to Pow Wow's there, also when we lived in Albuquerque attending the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow. My Grandpa (my mothers father) and I would sit together and make jewelry to sale at a Trading Post. We sold 95% of the jewelry to our Native American Indians.

I feel a strong connection with our Native Americans. I love them and I hope that one day instead of watching them dance I'm down on the floor with them dancing.

Wishing A Valentine's Day Filled With Love

2009-02-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

Just for You!

2009-02-08T00:27:00.002-05:00

Sending Love Your Way,

Today and Always

Hugs and Kisses

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-28T01:25:00.000-05:00

Confession

2009-01-21T14:27:00.006-05:00

I'm atleast two new countries behind that need to be posted besides reading your blogs and making comments on them. I've just had a difficult time as of lately getting on my blog and posting. My wonderful always here or there Hormones have being playing tricks on me. I cry, I laugh, and my husband and kids are wondering why I'm screaming at them. Truly I don't mean to, I've just been thrown through a couple of loops and trying to get my barrings back. Please bare with me. I'm sure there is light at the end of the tunnel, I just don't know which tunnel I'm in. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T00:27:00.005-05:00

Who will be my 3,333 visitor?

2009-01-10T19:39:00.004-05:00

Who was my 3,333 visitor?... My anonymous Mother was my 3,333 visitor. Was confirmed by a phone call, and who else would it be? She's my biggest fan. Love Ya Mom!

Cape Verde

2009-01-10T18:45:00.005-05:00

I am still taken back to see new countries popping up on my NeoCounter so frequantly and more so because I'm not actively seeking visitors. Cape Verde came early this week and Bosnia & Herzegovina came by today.

The Republic of Cape Verde is a republic located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century (though there may have been earlier discoveries), and attained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Politics of Cape Verde is a stable democracy. The Cape Verde constitution—adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995, and 1999—forms the basis of government. The president is head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The prime minister is head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for 5-year terms. Three parties now hold seats in the National Assembly--PAICV 40, MPD 30, and Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) 2.

Economy Cape Verde has few natural resources and suffers from scant rainfall and limited fresh water. Only 4 of the 10 main islands (Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and Brava) normally support significant agricultural production, and over 90% of all food consumed in Cape Verde is imported. Mineral resources include salt, pozzolana (a volcanic rock used in cement production), and limestone. Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about 9% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. Fish and shellfish are plentiful, and small quantities are exported. Cape Verde has cold storage and freezing facilities and fish processing plants in Mindelo, Praia, and on Sal. Expatriate Cape Verdeans contribute an amount estimated at about 20% of GDP to the domestic economy through remittances.

The Demographics for Cape Verde

Around 71 percent of the population is Creole of mixed black African and Portuguese descent. The remainder of the population is mostly black Africans, with a small number of whites. The European men who colonized Cape Verde did not usually bring wives or families with them. As female African slaves were brought to the islands, inter-marriages occurred. More than 85 percent of the population is nominally Roman Catholic, though Catholicism is often syncretized with traditional African religions. The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene; other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and various other Pentecostal and evangelical groups. There are small Baha'i communities and a small but growing Muslim community. The number of atheists is estimated at less than 1 percent of the population.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T20:06:00.000-05:00

Nepal

2009-01-05T14:43:00.013-05:00

A new visitor from Nepal brings new country flag to the NeoCounter.

Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is non-quadrilateral in shape. The blue border on the flag of Nepal signifies peace. The red in the flag stands for victory in war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. While the curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, the sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors.

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the north and by India to the south, east and west. The Himalaya mountain range runs across Nepal's northern and western parts, and eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest, lie within its borders.
Historically, what is now Nepal was made up of many small kingdoms. The modern state was formed with the Unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah on December 21, 1768. Until 2006, Nepal was a kingdom. Nepal is now a federal democratic republic.[3] Its recent history has involved struggles for democratic government with periods of direct monarchic rule. From 1996 until 2006, there was a Civil War between government forces and guerrillas of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
On December 28, 2007, the Interim Parliament passed a bill and declared Nepal to be a Federal Democratic Republic. The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly officially implemented that declaration on May 28, 2008.
Nepal is a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-religious country. For a relatively small country, Nepal has a diverse landscape, ranging from the humid Terai plains in the south to the mountainous Himalayas in the north, which makes it a major tourist destination. Hinduism is practiced by a large[specify] majority of the people, but the country also has a strong Buddhist tradition; Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is located in the Terai, one of the three regions of Nepal.
The capital Kathmandu is the largest city in the country. The official language is Nepali and the state currency is the Nepalese Rupee (NPR).

Nepal's gross domestic product (GDP) for the year 2005 was estimated at just over US$39 billion (adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity), making it the 83rd-largest economy in the world. Agriculture accounts for about 40% of Nepal's GDP, services comprise 41% and industry 22%. Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 6%. Agricultural produce — mostly grown in the Terai region bordering India — includes tea, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Its workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labour. The spectacular landscape and diverse, exotic cultures of Nepal represent considerable potential for tourism, but growth in this hospitality industry has been stifled by recent political events. The rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches half of the working-age population. Thus many Nepali citizens move to India in search of work; the Gulf countries and Malaysia being new sources of work.

A typical Nepalese meal is dal-bhat-tarkari. Dal is a spicy lentil soup, served over bhat (boiled rice), served with tarkari (curried vegetables) together with achar (pickles) or chutni (spicy condiment made from fresh ingredients).. The Newar community, however, has its own unique cuisine. It consists of non-vegetarian as well as vegetarian items served with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Mustard oil is the cooking medium and a host of spices, such as cumin, coriander, black peppers, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi (fenugreek), bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chillies, mustard seeds, etc., are used in the cooking. The cuisine served on festivals is generally the best.

Thanks

2009-01-04T20:05:00.007-05:00

Just wanted to let you know how I appreciate you coming to my blog and for leaving comments. You always brighten my day.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-30T22:59:00.005-05:00

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

And here's a hand, my trusty friend And gie's a hand o' thine We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. Auld Lang Syne literally means "old long since", but a better English translation would be something like "long long ago", "days of long ago", "in olden days", or even "once upon a time". "For old time's sake" or "to the good old days" may be modern-day expressions, in common use as a toast, that capture the spirit of "for auld lang syne".

My dog Krispy...UH-OH!

2008-12-28T20:17:00.015-05:00

This is my dog Krispy. While we were delivering cookies to the neighbors Christmas Eve. Krispy was busy on my kitchen table eating the cake I just pulled out of the oven. We were gone all of 3 minutes! When we returned he had eaten half of the Cake! Can you believe that? Crumbs all over the kitchen table, thank goodness for him it was not iced yet. I think he was happy to go to his kennel.

Alex

2008-12-27T17:27:00.005-05:00

My nephew Alex has Prader-Willi. Which means he is has some obsessions. Playing church is one of them. He has loved playing church for years and every time his Mom tries to video tape him, he stops. Well Christina (his Mom) finally did it. This is Alex playing church, but before you watch it I want you to know some things. First he lost his hymn book, so while at church and singing the hymns he was busy writing the words as they were being sung so that he could play church later. Second notice the pages, he wrote every song and every testimony down many times. Third we excuse Christina (the Mom) for her giggles as we know how excited she was to finally have this on tape. We all laugh as she plays it off to "nothing... not doing anything". So have a smile, a laugh, and even a tear or two. Here's ALEX!

I know that Christina already posted this video and is still up as her last post. I wanted to share Alex with my side of the family and with those that read my blog as he is one of my favorite people. :)

Christmas Eve~Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-24T10:56:00.005-05:00

Belarus!

2008-12-22T13:54:00.007-05:00

New visitor from Belarus brings new country flag to my NeoCounter. Belarus /ˈbɛləruːs/ (help·info) (Belarusian: Беларусь, Łacinka (Belarusian romanisation): Biełaruś, Russian: Беларусь or Белоруссия) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homiel), Mahilyow (Mahiloŭ) and Vitebsk (Viciebsk). Forty percent of the country is forested, and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing.
Until the 20th century, the Belarusians lacked the opportunity to create a distinctive national identity, since the lands of modern-day Belarus for centuries belonged to several countries, including the Duchy of Polatsk, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. After the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic (1918–19), Belarus became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Byelorussian SSR.

On February 2, 1386, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were joined in a personal union through a marriage of their rulers. This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, created in 1569. The Russians, led by Tsar Ivan the III, began military conquests in 1486 in an attempt to gain the Kievan Rus' lands, specifically Belarus and Ukraine. The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, and the commonwealth was partitioned by Imperial Russia, Prussia, and Austria, dividing Belarus. Belarusian territories were acquired by the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine II and held until their occupation by Germany during World War I.

Economy remains state-controlled, as in Soviet times. Thus, 51.2% of Belarusians are employed by state-controlled companies, 47.4% are employed by private Belarusian companies (of which 5.7% are partially foreign-owned), and 1.4% are employed by foreign companies. The country relies on imports such as oil from Russia. Important agricultural products include potatoes and cattle byproducts, including meat. As of 1994, the biggest exports from Belarus were heavy machinery (especially tractors), agricultural products, and energy products.

Belarus's natural resources include peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomite (limestone), marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay. About 70% of the radiation from neighboring Ukraine's 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster entered Belarusian territory, and as of 2005 about a fifth of Belarusian land (principally farmland and forests in the southeastern provinces) continues to be affected by radiation fallout. The United Nations and other agencies have aimed to reduce the level of radiation in affected areas, especially through the use of caesium binders and rapeseed cultivation, which are meant to decrease soil levels of caesium-137.

Belarusian cuisine consists mainly of vegetables, meat (especially pork), and breads. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. A typical Belarusian eats a very light breakfast and two hearty meals, with dinner being the largest meal of the day. Wheat and rye breads are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. To show hospitality, a host traditionally presents an offering of bread and salt when greeting a guest or visitor. Popular drinks in Belarus include Russian wheat vodka and kvass, a soft drink made from malted brown bread or rye flour. Kvass may also be combined with sliced vegetables to create a cold soup called okroshka.

ICELAND

2008-12-20T00:52:00.005-05:00

New visitor from Iceland brings new country flag to my NeoCounter. Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean between mainland Europe and Greenland. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík.
Located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active on a large scale; this defines the landscape. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterized by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude and provides a habitable environment and nature.
The settlement of Iceland began in 874 when, according to Landnámabók, the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic and Celtic origin settled in Iceland. Until the twentieth century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1918 a part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. In the twentieth century, Iceland's economy and welfare system developed quickly. In recent decades, Iceland has implemented free trade in the European Economic Area and diversified from fishing to new economic fields in services, finance, and various industries.

Iceland is the fourth most productive country in the world by nominal gross domestic product per capita (54,858 USD), and the fifth most productive by GDP at purchasing power parity (40,112 USD). Except for its abundant hydro-electric and geothermal power, Iceland lacks natural resources; historically its economy depended heavily on the fishing industry, which still provides almost 40% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. The economy is vulnerable to declining fish stocks and drops in world prices for its main material exports: fish and fish products, aluminium, and ferrosilicon. Whaling in Iceland has been historically significant. Although the Icelandic economy still relies heavily on fishing, its importance is diminishing as the travel industry and other service, technology and various other industries grow. Economic growth slowed from 2000 to 2002, but the economy expanded by 4.3% in 2003 and 6.2% in 2004. The unemployment rate of ~1.0% (2007 est.) is among the lowest in the European Economic Area. Although Iceland is a highly-developed country, it is still one of the most newly-industrialized in Europe. Until the 20th century, it was among the poorest countries in Western Europe. The strong economic growth that Iceland has experienced in recent decades has only just allowed for the modernization of infrastructure. The government coalition plans to continue its generally neo-liberal policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatising state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily due to Icelanders' concern about losing control over fishing resources.

Icelandic culture has its roots in Norse traditions. Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas and eddas which were written during the High and Late Middle Ages. Icelanders place relatively great importance on independence and self-sufficiency; in a European Commission public opinion analysis over 85% of Icelanders found independence to be "very important" contrasted with the EU25 average of 53%, and 47% for the Norwegians, and 49% for the Danes.
Some traditional beliefs remain today; for example, some Icelanders either believe in elves or are unwilling to rule out their existence. Inhabitants of mountainous areas still pay homage to these beliefs by constructing stone piles near roads and tracks. Iceland ranks first on the Human Development Index, and was recently ranked the fourth happiest country in the world
Iceland is liberal in terms of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) matters. In 1996, Parliament passed legislation to create registered partnerships for same-sex couples, covering nearly all the rights and benefits of marriage. In 2006, by unanimous vote of Parliament, further legislation was passed, granting same-sex couples the same rights as different-sex couples in adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment.

My Neo-Counter's 3000 vistitor was from...

2008-12-19T22:29:00.002-05:00

Kent, Washington and is a friend of mine.

New country flag from Slovakia to my NeoCounter .

2008-12-18T11:38:00.010-05:00

New visit from Slovakia this past Tuesday, brings new country flag to my NeoCounter. These European countries I've had of late are fascinating to read about. If you have the time you'll enjoy reading about these countries that I've posted.

Slovenská republika (help·info), is a landlocked country in Central and Danubian Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (almost 19,000 square miles). The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, UN, OECD, WTO, UNESCO and other international organizations.
The Slavic people arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia between the 5th and 6th centuries AD during the Migration Period. In the course of history, various parts of Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire (the first known political unit of Slavs), Great Moravia, the Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg (Austrian) monarchy, Austria-Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovak Republic became an independent state on January 1, 1993 with the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia in the Velvet Divorce; it was, with Czech Republic, the last European country to gain independence in the 20th century.
Slovakia is a high-income economy [3] with one of the fastest growth rates in the EU and OECD. It joined the European Union in 2004 and will join the Eurozone on the 1st of January, 2009. Industry
Although Slovakia's GDP comes mainly from the tertiary (services) sector, the country's industry also plays an important role within its economy. The main industry sectors are car manufacturing and electrical engineering. Since 2007, Slovakia has been the world's largest producer of cars per capita, with a total of 571,071 cars manufactured in the country in 2007 alone. There are currently three car manufacturers: Volkswagen in Bratislava, PSA Peugeot Citroen in Trnava and Kia Motors in Žilina.
From electrical engineering companies, Sony has a factory at Nitra for LCD TV manufacturing, Samsung at Galanta for computer monitors and television sets manufacturing.
Tourism in Slovakia
Slovakia features natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts. More than 1.6 million people visited Slovakia in 2006, and the most attractive destinations are the capital of Bratislava and the High Tatras.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T12:40:00.007-05:00

Littleneo's Flag Quiz

2008-12-15T10:13:00.002-05:00

Neoworx has given me an early Christmas gift. I've been asking about this Littleneo's Flag Quiz from Neoworx for some time now as I've seen it on a couple of blogs. I've been collecting flags from other countries with my NeoCounter, now I can put my knowledge to the test and so can you!!! The game is easy... They give you a picture of a flag and a three countries to choose from. You click on which country you think that flag represents. Very simple. I've placed the Flag Quiz at the bottom of side bar. Tell me how you do and Good Luck!

ps One time I played I got 19 correct out of the "20". They rest of the time I have lots to learn. hahaha :)

Jesus vs. Santa

2008-12-09T13:30:00.004-05:00

Santa lives at the North Pole.
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly
JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO
JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.

Jesus is still the reason for the season! :)

A New Visitor From Dominican Republic Brings New Country Flag To My Neocounter

2008-12-08T21:34:00.007-05:00

Hahaha I'm so happy the new countries keep coming. Some times there is a long break inbetween the last new country and the most recent new country visit. The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana; Spanish pronunciation: [re̞ˈpuβ̞lika ð̞o̞miniˈkana]) is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island Hispaniola is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries, Saint Martin being the other.
The Dominican Republic is the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas: Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the current capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo.
For most of its independent history, the nation experienced political turmoil and unrest, suffering through many non-representative and tyrannical governments. Since the death of military dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in 1961, the Dominican Republic has moved toward a liberal economic model, which has made it the largest economy in the region, and towards representative democracy.

The Mother Letter

2008-12-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

Calling all mothers. I came across this Mother Letter and wanted to give my readers a chance to participate. I hope that you will have time to write a letter. :)
What's The Story?
Christmas day of 2007 came and went. It was the typical American Christmas—gizmos, gadgets, whatnots, and an oversized helping of turkey. Two days and a transatlantic flight later I was standing in a small other-continental village regretfully pondering my extra helping of Christmas turkey and materialism. I decided that things would be different in 2008.This year, my wife and our extended families have decided to give a Christmas present to that little village. We want to spread our wealth, meager as it may be. We have decided to create presents for each other and donate the difference to our friends in the village. And here is where you come in.I am creating my wife’s Christmas present-the Mother Letter Project. Simply stated, I am collecting a series of “open letters” from mothers, to mothers. Share your stories—no matter how raw or difficult. Share you concerns—no matter how foolish they may seem. Share your wisdom—no matter how you came by it. Share your mother story. The only request? Start the letter “Dear Mother” and sign it. I will compile all of the letters in a Christmas book for my wife. If you share a letter here or by email (motherletter@gmail.com) before Christmas, you'll get your own copy of the letters.

A New Visitor From OMAN Brings New Country Flag To My Neocounter.

2008-12-04T07:05:00.007-05:00

We have Oman on the map! Yey! So exciting to have new flags and new friends. Oman is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the south and east and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The country also contains Madha, an exclave enclosed by the United Arab Emirates, and Musandam, an exclave also separated by Emirati territory.
A vast gravel desert plain covers most of central Oman, with mountain ranges along the north (al Jebel al Akhdar) and southeast coast, where the country's main cities are also located: the capital city Muscat, Matrah and Sur in the north, and Salalah in the south. Oman's climate is hot and dry in the interior and humid along the coast. During past epochs Oman was covered by ocean. Fossilized shells exist in great numbers in areas of the desert away from the modern coastline. The peninsula of Musandam (Musandem), which has a strategic location on the Strait of Hormuz, is separated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates and is thus an exclave. The series of small towns known collectively as Dibba are the gateway to the Musandam peninsula on land and the fishing villages of Musandam by sea. Boats may be hired at Khasab for trips into the Musandam peninsula by sea. Oman has one other exclave, inside UAE territory, known as Madha. It is located halfway between the Musandam Peninsula and the rest of Oman.[7] Belonging to Musandam governorate, it covers approximately 75 km² (29 sq mi). The boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the Fujairah road, barely 10 m (32.8 ft) away. Within the exclave is a UAE enclave called Nahwa, belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about 8 km (5 mi) on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists of about forty houses with its own clinic and telephone exchange.

Wow! Two new countries in one day.A New Visitor from Estonia Brings New Country Flag To My Neocounter

2008-12-02T12:15:00.013-05:00

These two new countries that I've posted about today are amazing, in there struggles of war, and life they have pressed on thourgh history to be an outstanding people and therefore outstaning countries. Do go and read about these countries you will be just as impressed as I am. Estonia [ɛsˈtoʊniə] (help·info), officially the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Finland across the Gulf of Finland, to the west by Sweden across the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by the Russian Federation (338,6 km).[5] The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km² and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate.
The Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns, with the Estonian language sharing many similarities to Finnish. The modern name of Estonia is thought to originate from the Roman historian Tacitus, who in his book Germania (ca. AD 98) described a people called the Aestii. Similarly, ancient Scandinavian sagas refer to a land called Eistland, close to the German term Estland for the country. Early Latin and other ancient versions of the name are Estia and Hestia. Until the late 1930s, the name was often written as Esthonia in most English speaking countries.
Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic and is divided into fifteen counties. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. Estonia was a member of the League of Nations from 22 September 1921,[6] has been a member of the United Nations since 17 September 1991,[7] of the European Union since 1 May 2004[8] and of NATO since 29 March 2004.[9] Estonia has also signed the Kyoto protocol. With only 1.4 million inhabitants, it comprises one of the smallest populations of the European Union countries.

Estonia regained its independence on 20 August 1991. It has since embarked on a rapid program of social and economic reform. Today, the country has gained recognition for its economic freedom,[13] its adaptation of new technologies[14] and as one of the world's fastest growing economies.[15]

New Visitor From Ukraine Brings New Country Flag To My NeoCounter

2008-12-02T08:41:00.008-05:00

I'm excited to share with you, the country of Ukraine!
Ukraine [juˈkɹeɪn] (help·info) (Ukrainian: Україна, Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/) is a country in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania, Moldova (including the breakaway Pridnestrovie) to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev (Kyiv) is both the capital and the largest city of Ukraine.
The nation's modern history began with that of the East Slavs. From at least the 9th century, the territory of Ukraine was a center of the medieval Varangian-dominated East Slavic civilization, forming the state of Kievan Rus' which disintegrated in the 12th century. From the 14th century on, the territory of Ukraine was divided among a number of regional powers, and by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire, with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. After a chaotic period of incessant warfare and several attempts at independence (1917–21) following World War I and the Russian Civil War, Ukraine emerged in 1922 as one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic's territory was enlarged westward shortly before and after World War II, and again in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the co-founding members of the United Nations.[4] Ukraine became independent again after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This began a period of transition to a market economy, in which Ukraine was stricken with an eight year recession.[5] Since then, the economy has been experiencing a stable increase, with real GDP growth averaging seven percent annually.

I have only about 90 something countries left, so if you have someone you know from a different country other than the ones that I have already. Please have them stop by. I would love to have atleast one visit from every country. Thanks :)

Lights are out?

2008-12-01T19:00:00.003-05:00

As you know I wanted to put up our Christmas tree early this year. Our theme for this year has all been sorted ready to go but after we put up the Christmas tree we soon found out the lights are not working. Ugh So...do we go lightless on the tree and wait for the light sets to go on sell after Christmas and buy new ones for next year? Which I'm totally fine with as our children are older too, or do we suck it up and buy some new ones before Christmas? Eight boxes of Dancing white lights @ Wal-Mart x $12.00 a box comes to $96.00 or after Christmas at least 1/2 off if not 75% off or maybe one of those amazing deals?!?

Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. While we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done. Buy a ribbon, or make a donation.

Here are a few of web pages:
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation
World Vision AIDS/HIV
Aids Foundation South Africa
There are sooo many sites to choose from and small donations add up.
Thanks :)

Holiday Food Follies

2008-11-29T18:42:00.007-05:00

Thinking back over some of the holiday foods we've had, brings to mind some of the dilemmas we've had. No.1 The pilot light went out on the oven and the Turkey had not been cooking for some time. When we caught on, it was two hours at least into cooking time. We had a late dinner that year. :) No. 2 Just this year my wonderful husband was scooting things around on the counter and down went a bowl of salad onto the floor before we had a change to eat it. I was able to save some of it. hahaha

Please share some of you Holiday Food Follies!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-26T00:36:00.004-05:00

Would You Spend $20 Million On...

2008-11-23T16:51:00.004-05:00

a party for the 1.5-billion-dollar “Atlantis, The Palm”. Shrugging off the global financial crisis, Dubai toasted a new luxury hotel with a 20 million dollar bash attended by film stars and sporting greats and marked by a spectacular fireworks display. Which most of the 20 million dollars was spent on the Firework Show. With the world in a recession, was it well spent or should it have gone to something else? Would you spend $20 Million on a party? If not What would you have done with the $20 million budget? This post was taken in part from here.

Have You Seen This?

2008-11-21T23:29:00.003-05:00

This happened at least a year ago in Parma, Ohio.

Oooh I'm Excited!

2008-11-17T13:22:00.002-05:00

It's so exciting to bring a new program to you called Free Poverty. I've posted the Free Poverty in my side bar under the Free Rice Program. It works like the Free Rice Program as in playing a game, but instead of a word play game it's World Geography and instead of sending Rice it's Water. The game starts out easy and moves up. Give it a try it and then play a round of the Free Rice to celebrate this Thanksgiving Season.

Thanks :)

I Just Can't Wait...

2008-11-16T19:55:00.006-05:00

til Christmas this year. I've wanted to put the Christmas Tree right up after Halloween but the children keep telling me to wait. I can't wait any longer, we or I will be putting up the tree tomorrow! Oh I can't wait! I'll try and post a picture when it's all done. Going with the old fashion theme this year. I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait, I don't know why but, HO HO HO and Merry Christmas to you! :)

I Have Never Seen A...

2008-11-13T11:02:00.013-05:00

It's almost a year since I've been blogging and I've seen Adoption blogs, Autism blogs, blogs about Animals, Art blogs, Baby blogs, Baking blogs, Buy my stuff blogs, Canning blogs, Car blogs, Cooking blogs, Craft blogs, Blogs about nothing, saving my Dog Hair to knit with it blog, Dark and Frightening blogs, Electronic blogs, End of the World blogs, Family blogs, Famous People blogs, Fashion blogs, Fishing blogs, Friend blogs, Foreign blogs, Funny blogs, Gardening blogs, Genealogy blogs, Home Schooling blogs, House blogs, Hunting blogs, Inspiring blogs, Jewelry blogs, Knitting blogs, Motorcycle blogs, Movie blogs, Music blogs, Nature blogs, Needle-work blogs, Parenting blogs, Photography blogs, Blogs about how People and Places came to be, Pet blogs, Quilting blogs, Reality blogs, Recipe blogs, Read My Book on my blog, House Remodel blogs, Religious blogs, Saving Turtles blogs, Scrap booking blogs, Sewing, and Knitting Clothes blogs, Space blogs, Technology blogs, Travel blogs, Vacation blogs, War blogs, Weather blogs, Wedding blogs, Writing a Book blogs, but I have never seen a HORSE that BLOGS til now... Welcome to SkyLucy's Blog! How fun huh! :)

New Visitor From Uganda Brings New Country Flag To My NeoCounter

2008-11-10T09:34:00.006-05:00

The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, within which it shares borders with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompassed a portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala.

New Visitor From Morocco Brings New Country Flag To My NeoCounter

2008-11-05T22:14:00.017-05:00

Morocco (Arabic: المغرب‎ "al-Maghrib"), officially the Kingdom of Morocco[3] (Arabic: المملكة المغربية‎), is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south via its Western Saharan territories.[4]
Morocco is the only country in Africa that is not currently a member of the African Union. However, it is a member of the Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union, Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mediterranean Dialogue group, and Group of 77. It is also a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-05T00:56:00.004-05:00

Voting in America

2008-11-04T13:43:00.005-05:00

Does your country let you vote? Do your politicians slander one another like they do here in America? Do riots and such break out where you live? Are you glad when it's all over? What do you hate about the voting process the most and what do you like the most about being able to vote?

Don't Forget...

2008-11-01T22:01:00.004-04:00

For those observing Daylight Savings don't forget to change your clocks back an hour.

Go Smell the Flowers Award

2008-11-01T17:15:00.009-04:00

I was awarded a Flower Smeller Award for doing a small act of kindness. Which when we do is no big deal but for the person who noticed becomes meaningful. I'm glad for small acts of kindness they make my world meaningful and joyful. This is the link to read why I was awarded the Flower Smeller Award.

Now here a five people I've chosen to receive the Flower Smeller Award. You can click on their names to take you to their blogs.

My Mother: Even though she in her Sixties she is still willing to learn new things. She blogs on our Family private blog and always leaves me a comment on my blog.

Chirstina and Family: Her blog takes you through having her Preemie baby Seth to bringing him home.

Keeping up with the Wedemeyer's: My first friend I found through blogging. She loves to blog and is always finding good things to add to her blog or post about. She has adopted two children and home schools.

I Blog About Nothing: Simply put, just because of this touching story. Well wait she has five boys too!

roffemix: When I'm out of my zone, I feel accepted here. It's quite and relaxing. I can loose myself in the life and beauty of his pictures and sometimes he throws in a laugh.

I want to say Thanks to my five for inspiring me to Go Smell the Flowers. You've made the world a better place for just being in it.

Happy Haunted Halloween

2008-10-31T00:08:00.001-04:00

Have a Ghoulish Good Day!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T16:10:00.016-04:00

Beautiful Things

2008-10-28T16:28:00.009-04:00

Birthday flowers from someone I love.

Our first snow this new season and still snowing.

A tree with leaves of green, yellow and gold.

My first sighting of deer in our back yard! I was the last of the family who had not to seen any deer. If you look closely at the this picture (or click on it) there are three trees behind this large one. That is where three deer came out of our little forest on the right yesterday about the five o'clock hour, to graze on clover in the yard. I hope to see them again and have the camera ready. It is special to see the deer as we are so close to downtown. My neighbor Mr. Coleman explained, "they follow the tree line down through the back yards as they have no fencing, cross the street and take my driveway to the back of my house to our little forest we share. :)