HAPPY HALLOWEEN

"Halloween Funnies:

What's a haunted chicken?
A poultry-geist.

Why did the monster eat a light bulb?
Because he was in need of a light snack.

What kind of mistakes do ghosts make?

Boo boos.

Why couldn't Dracula's wife get to sleep?
Because of his coffin."

                       ~~From Royalty Rewards, with many Thanks!

 ~~Photo by Bev                                                       

                                                                                          ~~~

INSIGHT FROM BECK

"Sex, drugs and criminals: Occupy Wall Street getting ugly

A story today revealed the Occupy Wall Street protests have devolved into a shameless display of moral depravity - with shocking (or perhaps not) interviews of protesters claiming to be getting high every day and having sex 'in a tarp' out in plain view. For all the 'tea bagger' jokes the media couldn't resist telling, perhaps they could come up with something this time around?

Occupy Sacramento: Why are we here?

 

In a surprisingly candid interview, protesters at Occupy Sacramento admitted to not even knowing why they are there. When asked to elaborate on why they are there organizers said they are still trying to figure that out. Who shows up to a protest when they don't even know what it's about?"

~From Glenn Beck's newsletter

 

You've heard, of course, that there are ads on the net for paid protesters?  Do you think these protests could be a diversion tactic? 

~~~

 

WE MISS YOU

My Grand-dog, Aspen, a very large husky/wolf blend has gone to hang out with the angels and get some rest.  He just couldn't beat the lymphoma.  Here he is about a year ago trying whole-heartedly to play with Chloe, but she was kind of nervous about it.  And in the other picture, I assume he was opening a can of cat food!  He visited occasionally and even lived here for awhile.  I will miss him.

~~~

A BIT OF HUMOR

"Life's a Mess
A poodle and a collie were walking down the street. The
poodle turned to the collie and complained, "My life is a
mess. My owner is mean, my girlfriend is having an affair
with a German shepherd, and I'm nervous as a cat."
"Why don't you go see a psychiatrist?" asked the collie.
"I can't," replied the poodle. "I'm not allowed on the couch." "

~~Another gem from Royalty Rewards at Beverly's Gift Shop
    

~~~

MY ANSWERS

Here are my answers to the test questions on August 13th post:

1. Maybe the government needs to tighten its belt like we do.
2. I agree.
3. Yes.
4. Depends on hype.  Some politicians might try to scare us into accepting their methods.  Like raise the debt ceiling  again, raise taxes, increase regulations, implement another stimulus program...
5. Perhaps we need to watch and learn.  Yes, we do.  And then act.

~~~

By the way, I have started researching the Full Circle? post.  We might be surprised. 

~~~ 

"There are two kinds of truth.

There are real truths

and there are made-up truths."

~~Marion Barry

~~~

CAN YOU DO THIS?

Great-granddaughter, Kyra.


"Playing as children -
means playing is the most serious thing in the world."
~~G.K. Chesterton

~~~

BY REQUEST

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

With our rights come responsibilities, among those to which we must adhere to maintain our God given rights are honor, courage, and vigilance:

Honor - be a beacon of integrity, have respect for others.

Courage - is the ability to face danger, criticism and scorn while overcoming fear.

Vigilance - be the person in the watchtower, all night if you must.  Sound the alarm when all is not well.

As Edmund Burke said, “all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” We must DO something. Stand watch. Speak up. Become involved.

Thus, we the people do hereby declare not only our rights, but do now establish this bill of responsibilities.
`
1. Because I have the right to choose, I recognize that I am accountable to God and have the responsibility to keep the 10 commandments in my own life.
2. Because I have the right to worship as I choose, I have the responsibility to honor the right of others to worship as they see fit.
3. Because I have freedom of speech, I have the responsibility to defend the speech of others, even if I strongly disagree with what they’re saying.
4. Because I have the right to pursue happiness, I have the responsibility to show humility and express gratitude for all the blessings I enjoy and the rights I’ve been given.
5. Because I have the right to honest and good government I will seek out honest and just representatives when possible. If I cannot find one then I accept the responsibility to take that place.
6. Because I have the God given right to liberty, I have the personal responsibility to have the courage to defend others to be secure in their persons, lives and property.
7. Because I have the right to equal justice, I will stand for those who are wrongly accused or unjustly blamed.
8. Because I have the right to knowledge, I will be accountable for myself and my children’s education…to live our lives in such a way that insures the continuation of truth.
9. Because I have the right to pursue my dreams and keep the fruits of my labor, I have the responsibility to feed, protect and shelter my family, the less fortunate, the fatherless, the old and infirm.
10. Because I have a right to the truth, I will not bear false witness nor will I stand idly by as others do.
Unconditionally, while maintaining my responsibility to compassionately yet fiercely stand against those things that decay the natural rights of all men. And for the support of this declaration, and with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, fortunes and sacred honor.
~~Glenn Beck

~~~

A TREE BRANCH AND A BAR STOOL

"According to police in Suffolk County, New York, a 31-year-old man was apprehended earlier this month after he tried to rob a 7-Eleven store while armed with a tree branch.

That may not sound very threatening, but the report states that it was a large tree branch.

The man allegedly walked into the store around 11:30 on August 4 and demanded money. The clerk refused, probably having noticed that the robber was only armed with a tree branch. His moderately brave action infuriated the man, who then reportedly "struck the clerk several times with the tree branch," then fled. He tried to make a getaway on a motorcycle, but was blocked by an off-duty police officer who responded after seeing the man "being chased by the clerk and a small group of customers." (Again, this pursuit was probably due to the tree branch not being all that intimidating.) He was arrested and charged with robbery in the first degree.

This is certainly not the first time a robber who didn't have a gun available has turned to nature. In June 2008, a Florida man tried to rob a convenience store armed with a yucca plant. That again was slightly more threatening than it sounds, because he was wielding "Spanish bayonet," a member of the yucca family with sharp two-inch leaves that is apparently formidable enough to be used as a "security plant." Still, he too was unsuccessful, mainly because he was jumped by a customer armed with a bar stool.

The year before that, somebody robbed a bank in New Hampshire disguised as a tree. To the best of my knowledge, that guy is still at large."  ~~From the blog "Lowering the Bar"  with my thanks.

~~~

SCHOOL STARTS

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."  ~~from Apples of Gold

"There are two things a child will share willingly:  communicable diseases and his mother's age."
~~Dr. Benjamin Spock

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." ~~James Baldwin

"Out of the mouths of babes come words we shouldn't have said in the first place."
~~ from Apples of Gold

~~~

WEASLEY ALERT




ARE YA SCARED???



~~~

TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY

"I should have figured it out sooner.

It's the shampoo I use in the shower.

When I wash my hair, the shampoo runs down my whole body.

Printed very clearly on the shampoo label it reads, "FOR EXTRA VOLUME AND BODY."

I have gotten rid of the shampoo and I am going to start using Dawn dish detergent.

Its label reads, "DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE." Problem solved!

Geez! It sure pays to read the label!"  ~~
~~From Joke of the Week for Royalty rewards from Beverly's Gift Shop

~~~

CLIMATE CHANGE IN SIMPLE TERMS

As of last year, our atmosphere consisted of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% trace gases, including carbon dioxide.  Although the measurement of carbon dixoide (CO2) in the atmosphere is very low, 0.038% in 2010, it can fluctuate slightly with the change of seasons, water vapors, El Nino and sun flares.  Volcanos and forest fires also emit small amounts of CO2.

We need CO2.  Why?  It is absorbed by all vegetation and is used for photosynthesis and other organic compounds needed for plant development.  Some plants are used for food, of course, but we all need the oxygen they emit.  ~~Data compiled from a column by Bill Conry in The Canon City Daily Record.  Thanks Mr. Conry

~~~

"GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry told the New Hampshire voters Wednesday that he does not believe in manmade global warming, calling it a scientific theory that has not been proven."

~~by Steve Peoples, Associated Press 

8-17-11

~~~

~~~

OH NO! THE TEST IS BACK

This is a required weekly test.  Please feel free to post your answers or other thoughts in Comments. I'd love to read them.

1. Did you know that our national debt ceiling has now been raised 75 times since 1962?
2. "During his Thursday radio program, Glenn Beck said that if the 2012 election were taking place today, Michelle Bachmann would be his first pick for President of the United States."~~from The Blaze, Aug. 11, 2011.  Who will you vote for to run against Barack Obama in 2012?
3. Does Gloria Steinem, with her Palin-/Bachmann-bashing make you wish that birth control was retroactive?
4. Do you think that S&P's decision to lower our  National credit rating from AAA to AA+ will have a huge impact on our country, no impact or something in between?
5. How do you feel about the rioting in the UK? 

~~~

"The nice thing about being a celebrity is that when you bore people, they think its their fault."

~~Henry Kissinger

~~~

FULL CIRCLE?

Here's an article from 'news of the weird' in the August, Senior Beacon:

    ~~Full-Circle-Outsourcing:  A Mumbai, India, company,Aegis Communications, announced in May that it will hire about 10,000 new employees to work in its call centers fielding customer service problems for U.S.-based companies.  However, those jobs are not in India.  Aegis will outsource those jobs to Americans, at $12 to $14 an hour, at nine call centers in the United States. ~~ Compiled by Chuck Shepherd

~~~

BOO

PARENTING

Here are some exerpts from Erma Bombeck's column, 'A parent's love is hard to understand':

"Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I'll tell them:

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt and fail.

I loved you enough to shove you off my lap, let go of your hand, be mute to your pleas and insenitive to your demands...so that you had to stand alone.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say no when you hated me for it.  That was the hardest part of all."

~~~

GOT HICCUPS?

1. Hiccups will often vanish if you swallow a tablespoon of lemon juice.
2. Here's one I hadn't heard:  Press softly on your eyelids.
3. Breathe in and out into a paper bag.
4. Swallow a teaspoon of honey.
5. Swallow a teaspoon of vinegar.
6. Swallow a teaspoon of sugar.
7. The old stand-by:  hold your breath as long as possible, then exhale slowly.
8. Or try to drink a glass of ice water from the opposite side of the glass.
9. And last, for now:  The bartender's cure:  Drizzle a few drops of bitters on a wedge of lemon or lime before you eat it.

~~

 

THE ARRIVAL OF WEASLEY

My Grandsons, Jason and Josh, decided that "we" needed a kitten.  So he arrived here on July first.  We named him Weasley.  And here he is a few days later with Great Granddaughter, Kyra:

He fell instantly in love with my dog Chloe, so we have to make sure that she doesn't get too rough with him.
~~~

MISSING

In these picures, Big Bear and Barbara Jean, nearly a year ago.  She worked hard to get this close to him.

Now they are gone, chased away by a stray dog, as far as we can tell.  It's been a month now.  Sure miss them.
~~~

REVERSE FORECLOSURE

We've all heard of reverse mortgages, haven't we?  Now, how about a reverse foreclosure?

MY THANKS TO KEVIN UNDERHILL, AUTHOR OF LOWERING THE BAR

To read his blog click on 'Lowering the Bar' under Great Ideas Links in the side-bar.

"Homeowners Foreclose on Bank

It's sad, even if sometimes necessary, when the sheriff's deputy and moving trucks show up to seize assets because of an unpaid debt.

Actually, though, I guess it's not that sad when it's the bank that's getting foreclosed on.

According to this report from Collier County, Florida, Bank of America brought proceedings against Warren and Maureen Nyerges, seeking to foreclose on their home for failing to pay the mortgage. This was a shocking development for the homeowners, especially since they had paid cash for the house and never had a mortgage at all. Apparently unable to convice the bank that it had made a mistake, the homeowners had to endure a year and a half of legal proceedings in order to get the matter resolved. A judge ruled that the bank had to pay the couple's legal fees, but five months later the bank still hadn't paid.

Then the trucks showed up at the local Bank of America branch.

"I instructed the deputy to go in and take desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets [and] cash in the drawers," said the homeowner's attorney, Todd Allen, who is shown in the video clip smirking like he's probably never smirked before, and for good reason. Allen said he had seen too many cases where banks had been careless. So "[a]s a foreclosure defense attorney," he said, "this is sweet justice."

One can feel at least mildly sorry for the branch manager on duty, who was probably not personally responsible for the mistake but who was confronted with sheriff's deputies saying they were there to take his stuff. "He was visibly shaken," said Allen, who was visibly happy. "Having two sheriff's deputies sitting across your desk, and a lawyer standing behind them, demanding whatever assets are in the bank, can be intimidating. But so is having your home foreclosed on when it wasn't right."

Bank of America later apologized for the delay, although it also blamed that delay on an unidentified "outside attorney" who is no longer practicing law. Whatever the reason for the delay, once the trucks showed up the homeowners had a check within about an hour.

The report doesn't say anything about a counterclaim, so it may be that the homeowners can only recover their fees and costs. The claim that comes to mind is negligent infliction of emotional distress, but it looks like Florida generally only allows such claims if there has also been a physical injury or at least some physical contact. Obviously, though, Mr. Allen is fairly creative. If he comes up with something, and wins, the bank should probably go ahead and pay up."
`

  ~~~From the Blog "Lowering the Bar"

        (Written by my favorite lwayer)

                                                                  

Related articles

• Bucks: Angry Homeowners 'Foreclose' on Lenders (bucks.blogs.nytimes.com)

AHH GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN



Grandaughter Brandy created this gorgeous penguin birthday cake for my great-grandson.



Gavyn with his new bike
(I heard he was quite anxious to get rid of those training wheels.)

                                       



Big brother Eyan with Gavyn at a school program.



All ready for a hot summer!!

Photos by Brandy Peek



TO PAY THE PIPER

Today, I'll share the trials of my oldest son with you.  The poem was written many years ago and things have only gotten worse.  In the end, I had to force him out of my house.  Tough love?  Maybe, I know it's tough to do and may never know if it works.  Another accident occured and he awaits sentencing.  Perhaps a year from now we will know.

TO PAY THE PIPER

 

A little boy born in the early light

Hurried to grow with all his might.

At first he could sit and then he could crawl

And finally walk, but occasionally fall.

With big sisters about, he was quick to learn

Then trouble appeared with a sudden turn,

A new baby brother was thrust his way,

Too small to even begin to play.

The little boy learned to ride on his trike

And then one day moved up to a bike

And when his big sisters would generously call

He would go riding, and occasionally fall.

When school time arrived, as always it must

The little boy cried for he couldn’t trust

All the strangers and newness coming his way.

So his Mama reminded him every day,

“Remember your sisters are just down the hall

And every one has to occasionally fall.”

Then little league ball became his big dream

With hope in his heart, he was placed on the team

And play it he did becoming the star,

His coach believing that he would go far.

He made it through chicken pox, flu and braces

His teeth now straight in all the right places.

He learned how to hunt and he learned how to fish,
At last came the girl and he made his big wish.
But about the time that he got his first car
Ol’ whiskey took over and drug him afar
To places that most of us don’t understand
But still, we were there to lend him a hand,
Even when he would occasionally fall,
And the piper still had to be paid by us all.
There were tickets and wrecks and calls in the night
And bondsmen and lawyers and judges to fight.
Through nights without sleep in hospital rooms
“You can solve it, I’m sure,” his brother assumes.

 But, much more than once he’d occasionally fall,

And forget the grand promises, one and all.

He married the girl. They were too young to see

The troubles ahead that would certainly be.

So now he’s a man with sons of his own

But the demon inside won’t leave him alone.

Through many long years, it’s been quite a haul

Sometimes we walk and sometimes we crawl.

The boys are all grown and the girl is gone

But the demon’s still there dragging him on.

A little boy born in the early light

Hurried to grow with all his might…
***

WINNING A MEDAL

My great grandson, Eyan Peek, going on 7, with his medal from the wrestling tournament.  He looks very pensive, don't you think?  We're very proud of him.  His Dad is one of the coaches and his Mom took this picture.  They have another tournament coming up Saturday.

~~~ 

WORKING LIKE A DOG

Image via Wikipedia

The story:

"Once upon a time, there was a Great Dane whose specialty was collecting miniature Poodles.  For extra income he took in a Border Collie.  His best friend, a Boxer, lived next door to a German Shepherd.  And on Sundays they all went to hear St. Bernard speak.  Those lucky dogs!"

LOVE AND SUCH

Image via Wikipedia

"Real friends are those who, when you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel that you've done a permanent job."~~Unknown

"He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass, for every man has need to be forgiven."~~George Herbert

"Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts."~~Ronald Reagan

PROBLEM SOLVING

"You only have to solve two problems when going to the moon: first, how to get there; and second, how to get back.  The key is don't leave until you have solved both problems."~~Neil Armstrong

And just for fun:  "The shortest period of time is between the time when the light turns green and when you hear the first horn honk."~~Unknown

~~~ 

Related articles

• Who Is Neil Armstrong? (brainz.org)

RECIPE FOR MILKY WAY CAKE

Image via Wikipedia

For those of you who might have missed Sarah's recipe (via glen Beck) for Milky Way Cake, here it is:

Cut 6 regular size Milky Way candy bars into 1" pieces.  Melt in the microwave with one stick of unsalted butter, stirring occasionally. Mix well.  Prepare a yellow cake mix per directions on the box, then stir in the candy mixture.  Bake in a bundt pan as directed. 

Note:  Someone suggested using a chocolate cake and icing it with:  Two melted Milky Way bars mixed with a bit of milk to spreading consistency.~~the sixties recipe~~

Related articles

• Recipe: Snickers Bar Cheesecake (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

PROVERBS

Here are some old proverbs that seem to make good sense:

The unexpected always happens.

THEN

When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.

AND

It is easy to be wise after the event.

~~~

THE LEGEND OF THE PINE TREE

Image via Wikipedia

In an effort to bolster my own (somewhat thin this year) Christmas spirit and expand it throughout the year I send you The Legend of the Pine Tree:

"When the little Christ was born in Bethlehem, not only the wise men came to offer gifts - the birds, beasts and plants came, too, each one had something to offer the little Jesus, excepting the pine tree.  It had nothing to offer except its needles, and they would only prick the baby, and were not at all suitable.  But God saw how disappointed the little tree was, and told some of the stars to go down and rest on its branches.

When they did, the little tree was covered with such radiance that when the Child saw it, he stretched out his arms toward it in happiness.

From that time forth, at Christmas time, the little pine tree always bears lights which we place there in memory of the night it gave pleasure to the Christ Child." 

~~~