Awesome Place To Vacation

What do you do when a friend calls and asks you if you would like to go on a short vacation/road trip? Well, why not? Since I am originally from the North Carolina mountains and I always love going "home" for a visit and my friend, Robin, loves the mountains; it wasn't a hard choice to make when deciding where to go.

However, it took us a while to decide where to stay. We looked on-line for places to stay near Waynesville, North Carolina. Waynesville is pretty close to the places we wanted to visit. Well, I pulled up a website for The Old Stone Inn and it looked pretty interesting. I saw it had cabins and the price was right. So I gave them a call to see if they had a cabin with two bedrooms at a reasonable price and they did. And the trip was on.

Robin came by and picked me up and we were off! The drive was great and the scenery was terrific. We arrived in Waynesville and drove through town into a neighborhood.

We were thinking and chatting about the fact that this place couldn't be in a neighborhood - but it was. We drove with an apprehensive feeling that our selection was going to be a dud. We found the street to turn on and drove up this narrow drive way that seemed to keep going up. Wow! What a surprise when we got to the top! Behind all of these huge, ancient trees was this quaint lodge. The Inn was surrounded by trees and it was so shady and cool. The area at the top of the hill wasn't vast but still large enough not to feel over-run with people.

The Old Stone Inn

ready to serve dinner

(picture taken at dusk)

We found our cottage, The Hemlock, and went in to check it out. It was rustic, very large and most of all - immaculately clean in every room. The cottage had two bedrooms with a bath in each, a small den with a fireplace, adequate closet space, and a mini-fridge in one of the closets. The porch extended down the entire length of the cottage. Sitting on the porch was kind of like sitting in a tree house because it was so high, as you can tell from the picture. From there, it was difficult to tell that we were in a neighborhood. In fact, the whole area was sheltered from the neighborhood. We spent most of our time gazing out at the trees from the porch. It rained several times and we had to question whether or not it was actually raining because we could hear the rain but the trees acted as umbrellas. It know it is needless to say, but we enjoyed the cottage and sitting on the front porch.

The Hemlock Cottage

Now comes my favorite part of any trip - food. The Old Stone Inn has a fabulous restaurant with two very talented chefs. I am a meat 'n tater person and don't know much about sauces and foods in a foreign language but I had a quick lesson. The benefit of this lesson is that I learned how delicious food can be that I haven't tried before. The chefs were so customer friendly and made sure that the food experience at the inn was something that would always be remembered. Delicious! I really can't compliment them enough. Another thing was the cleanliness of the kitchen. You could see in the kitchen as you walked by and never did I see a clutter or a mess in there - cleanest kitchen I've ever seen in a restaurant. I know my opinion doesn't count for much but I give it 5 stars - food, atmosphere, service, friendliness and cleanliness.

(left) Carr - Chef

(right) Terry - Head Chef

My Governor - He's A Ramblin' Man

If there's another sequel to the movie - Dumb & Dumber - Mark Sanford should definitely audition for the lead role.

I have very conservative political views and have always applauded Sanford's fight against "big government" and tax increases. I also applauded his stance against the SC Legislature concerning the so-called "stimulus plan". He always came across as a great conservative leader.

The last couple of months Sanford has obviously experienced stress over the loss of his ability to reject part of the federal stimulus money. So when I heard he was missing, I just assumed that he needed a break but didn't understand why his staff and family didn't know (?) or wouldn't reveal (?) his whereabouts. I asked myself - was he having a mental breakdown?

Well, after watching Sanford's news conference on http://www.wistv.com/ yesterday, I still wasn't sure if he hadn't had a mental breakdown. I am referring to the full news conference not the edited clips shown by major news channels. The full news conference is shown on the above link in the video titled - RAW: Sanford's Full Remarks.

He began the conference by rambling on about his college hiking trips, apologizing that he hurt his friend who spent the night in his basement on dinosaur sheets and other irrelevant things. About mid-way through his speech, he finally dropped a phrase that he was unfaithful to his wife.

It has finally been revealed that his wife learned about the affair with Maria from Argentina about five months ago. Jenny Sanford asked her husband to leave their home two weeks ago. My question is that since his wife already knew about the affair, why didn't he just tell his staff and others who needed to know his whereabouts that he was going to Argentina instead of lying? He handled "the reveal" in such a tacky way - humiliating himself, his family, and the Office of the Governor of SC.

He accepted the job of governing this great state and this job also comes with the responsibility of being available to run it. Being in a secret romantic rendezvous with your lover for days is not in the job description of being governor.

"Every decision has consequences - good or bad". The consequences of his decisions have drawn more negative press to SC and his political career is definitely ruined. But the most important consequence of his decisions is the burden he cast upon his family. Sanford caused a private matter and his family's pain to be broadcast over the world. Now, his and Maria's love e-mails have been published which will add more pain for his family. http://www.thestate.com/sanford/story/839350.html

After giving my opinion of Mark Sanford's indiscretion, I want to add that this family needs our prayers. Sanford spoke from his heart and professed his faith. He is forgiven!

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man". Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

You Gotta Love This Upset - Mine That Bird

Photo by John Gress/Reuters

This has got to be one of the most exciting horse races that I've seen in a long time. I always love the "come from behind" winner in almost all competitions and the Mine That Bird triumph was not a disappointment.

To make the win of this horse even better was the humbleness of the owners and trainer and the enthusiasm of Calvin Borel, the jockey. You couldn't help but feel Borel's excitement as he took Mine That Bird to the Winner's Circle.

If you didn't get to see the Kentucky Derby yesterday, it would be well worth your effort to find a video of the race and watch this unbelievable win.

The Four Blessed Looks

I recently received this in an e-mail and felt that I should share it with my readers.

Look Back and Thank God.

Look Forward and Trust God.

Look Around and Serve God.

Look Within and Find God.

This was included in the same e-mail:

Without God, our week is:

Mournday

Tearsday

Wasteday

Thirstday

Fightday

Shatterday

Sinday

So, allow Him to be with you every day!

Photo Op Arrogant And Insensitive

Maybe I shouldn't watch or read the news anymore because I am sure finding a lot of stuff that irritates me. When I saw this incident on video, I was appalled and full of empathy for the people who had to endure it.

I cannot believe that someone in the President's administration is arrogant enough to believe that his decision to do a low fly-over using the President's plane with F-16's chasing it would not upset the citizens of NYC. The people in Lower Manhattan were rightfully terrified at this sight. The mayor of NYC evidently was not informed of the "photo op" and he was furious and his anger is just.

I read an article on the web found on www.nypost.com pertaining to this ignorant action approved by the Director of the White House Military Office. It is my opinion that this person should not approve anything in the future if this is an example of how he makes decisions.

Follow Up On My Global Warming Post

I recently found some more information that contradicts Al Gore's global warming movie. It is presented on You Tube and points out 35 errors found in Gore's movie. It will give you something to think about.

Lord Christopher Monckton, a former science advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pointed out these errors in several forums. Of course, I recommend his website to read the transcript of these videos if you wish. Also, the following website has more links pertaining to errors and exaggerations presented in "global warming" scare tactics. http://www.scienceandpublicpolicy.org/

Monckton was supposed to appear with Al Gore at a global warming hearing this past Friday (April 24th) in Washington. However, Monckton states that when his plane from England landed in Washington, he was informed his invitation was rescinded. That's the reason I'm passing along some of Monckton's thoughts on global warming. I believe it is important to get all sides of the global warming story so each person can make up their own mind.

As I stated before, climate is always changing - always has and always will. It changed to extreme warmth when there were no cars or smoke stacks. It is my opinion that climate change is a phenomenon that exists and at this time, scientists can only speculate on the causes, the length of time it takes for the change to occur, and the severity of the final change. After all, it could warm a little bit and then start cooling again. Again, opinions are like heads - everybody has one.

My Earth Day Contribution - Part 2

I will continue my rantings from yesterday. There are some environmental issues that do bug me more than the "global warming alarmists".

PLASTIC and TRASH - I don't like plastic grocery bags. I believe they were originally utilized because "tree huggers" wanted to save trees and not use paper. My friends - trees are a renewable resource. Botanists and horticulturists have developed some very fast growing trees. Tree farms and plantations produce wood to make paper. And believe me, there are enough "tree huggers" around now that clear-cutting would not be a problem anymore. Paper will eventually decompose but plastic will be around almost forever.

I have never liked plastic grocery bags:

1st - because my groceries usually fall out and I have to round them up and rebag them before I can bring them in the house.

2nd - those plastic bags are used everywhere now and end up on the highways and in the waterways. People who litter make me ill.

3rd - when the bags and other plastic things end up in the waterways, aquatic life is destroyed. I like the beauty of lakes, ponds, rivers, etc. and love fish. So please keep your plastic to yourself and BRING BACK PAPER!!!


Now on to the next environmental issue that really bugs me. There are many things in life that are beyond our control and we don't get to make a decision about them. But there are some things we do get to decide. When making those decisions, we don't weigh all the pros and cons. We don't give some of our decisions enough thought and sometimes those decisions put our well-being at risk. You are probably wondering what I am talking about.

Why do people build their homes on barrier islands? The islands developed from wave action and possibly hurricanes over a long period of time and they are meant to be temporary. But people build homes on them to enjoy the good life and have to end up building jetties, sea walls, etc. to keep their beaches from washing away. A major hurricane will take what ever it wants - including beach front property and homes. The washing of the sand from the beach and the erosion of the property are natural and are constantly changing. It seems to me that a person can not really own a beach because Nature is going change it or take it to the sea and put it some where else.

Why do people cut out a mountain and build their homes on the side of it? No matter how structurally correct and sound a building engineer has told you your mountain side home is - with enough rainfall and the right conditions - it can fall down. I have seen some standing for many years and some that have slid down the hill after just a few years.

Now, thankfully we live in America and people are allowed their freedom to make their own decision about where they live. But think before you build.

I know opinions are just like heads - everyone has one. All of this is my opinion and thank you for letting me have my say.

My Earth Day Contribution - Part 1

Sometimes people do not think in logical terms and want to blame all bad changes in our environment on something we can control. I don't agree with many of the theories put forth about global warming so I want to express my opinion.

Yesterday, I heard a new theory about obesity contributing to global warming. What!? I just had to throw that statement in because it struck me as humorous.

As almost all of us know, our environment, landscapes and climate have been changing for thousands and thousands of years. For example, during the Mesozoic Era (about 245 million years ago to about 65 million years ago) - the climate was so warm that there were no ice caps at all. Food was plentiful because plants loved the warmth and moisture. And we weren't even here so we didn't cause it.

There have been several ice ages through time and it is believed that another one would have begun more recently but it was stalled because people began intense farming about 8,000 years ago and messed up the atmosphere with "greenhouse gases". Others believe movements within the earth and volcanoes cause the "greenhouse gases". Some believe in the Milankovitch Cycles which states climate suffers warming/cooling changes because of one of three Earth orbital changes.

In all my reading, I have found lots of theories and hypotheses about the causes of dramatic climate changes but nothing that is concrete. Only one thing is certain - climatic changes are cyclical. Geological history shows these cycles occurring even when there were no people.

Sea levels are continually changing also. For example, as late as 55 million years ago, the Atlantic Ocean was 100 miles inland in South Carolina. It is my opinion that it will change again but how long it will take or why - I don't know but neither does Al Gore.

The point of all this is that the Earth's climate is going to go through dramatic changes with us or without us. So to all the "global warming alarmists" - chill out! Yes! The climate will change and we don't know why or how long it will take.



Tomorrow, I will write about some things that actually do bug me - trash (particularly plastic grocery bags) and other stupid people tricks.

A New Day - Rejoice - We Are Blessed!

"The Blessings That Are Ours Because He Lives"

"Joy - for He has triumphed over death.

Peace - for He has forgiven our sins.

Purpose - for He walks with us every day.

Love - for His presence fills our hearts.

Hope - for He is coming again."

~ Author Unknown

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." ~ John 1:16 (NIV)

Bobby's Exercise Program - You Might Want To Try It

Bobby - A Man Of Deep Thought - Wise Beyond His Years

My friend Bobby sent me an exercise program via e-mail. He has been participating in this program and declares that he has seen great results. I thought I would share it with my readers in case you want to start getting in shape.

1. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.
   
   
2. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
   
   
3. Each day you'll find you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.
   
   
4. Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
   
   
5. After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.
   

Great Palm Sunday

~Beulah Baptist Church~

~Prayers For A Mission Team Leaving For West Africa Tomorrow~
Keep Them In Your Prayers.

Today's service at Beulah Baptist Church was uplifting and "joyful". I mentioned joyful because Pastor Brad related the difference between experiencing joy and experiencing happiness. I felt the message was uplifting.

I would try to relay to you what Pastor Brad said but I believe his own words would best explain this message. Fortunately, Pastor Brad now has a blog and he posted a synopsis of this message on April 3rd. Go to his blog: http://www.wordunhindered.blogspot.com/ and read it. It is well worth the read.

Today I witnessed 3 people who came forward and gave their lives to Christ and made the decision to follow Him. That brings me "joy"! And the best thing about their decision is that now they will feel true joy/fellowship!

Incredible Act Of Kindness

I know many good people that help their neighbors at every opportunity. I have watched "news" reports of wealthy philanthropists who donate their money to a worthy cause. I have watched dedicated Christians sacrifice their time to practice their faith and spread the Gospel. All of these people are special and are blessed with a special kindness and concern for others. But I believe the story I heard on WIS TV last night was an incredible act of kindness and needs to be mentioned.

Hannah Horne reported on the 11 O'clock News about a man who gave up his job so that a co-worker could keep his. Mike Camp and Ralph Hanahan worked together and were informed by their employer that due to cut-backs, one of them would lose their job. Hanahan volunteered to give up his job so Camp could stay.

Hanahan would lose his seniority (only lacking 7 yrs. before his retirement from the state) but he unselfishly realized that sacrificing his job would be far less traumatic than if Camp lost his job. Hanahan realized that the job loss of his friend would result in no money for the Camps and their four children. But even more dire would be that the Camps would have no insurance. Insurance was absolutely necessary for the Camps because one of their children has autism and requires daily therapy.

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need." ~ Romans 12:10-13 (NIV)

I do believe that Ralph Hanahan is serving the Lord. I'm not sure many of us would have made the sacrifice he did. His quote: " 'God will take care of us, Jenny and I believe that very deeply' ".

" 'God has taught me so much through this whole experience about loving your fellow man and how important it is,' says Camp."

This is probably one of most compelling, inspiring stories I've heard in a long time. The entire story and a video can be found on the following website: http://www.wistv.com/

Did You Know?

- Man Arrested Driving Drunk On A Bar stool - Strange but true! This is the first time I have heard of this. A man in Ohio was arrested for DUI. The fact that a man was arrested for DUI is not a first but the machine he was driving is a first. Of course, I may be out of the loop. Have you ever seen a vehicle made from a bar stool?

The man called 911 for help because he had a wreck and needed assistance. The police arrived to find the injured man and his bar stool. The man explained he built himself a "ride" using a lawnmower engine and a bar stool. His "ride" would travel at nearly 40 mph but he explained to the police that he was only going 20 mph when he crashed. He was charged for the DUI and driving with a suspended license. However, he did get to keep his bar stool.

My faithful readers know I always wonder about the origin of words and today I was thinking - why are hamburgers called hamburgers and they are made out of beef. Of course, I had to research this anomaly. I found many references to people who claim to have made the first hamburger but the following is the only reference I found as to why the hamburger is not made from ham.

"Western New York history recorded that Frank and Charles Menches ran out of pork for their sausage patty sandwiches at the 1885 Erie County Fair. Their supplier, reluctant to butcher more hogs in the summer heat, suggested they use beef instead. The brothers fried some up, but found it bland. They added coffee, brown sugar, and other ingredients to create a taste which stands distinct without condiments. They christened their creation the "Hamburg Sandwich" after Hamburg, New York where the fair has been held since 1868; the name was probably later condensed by common use to the shorter contraction "hamburger" (and so explaining why a beef sandwich--which never contained any pork--bears this name). The original recipe is featured at Menches Brothers Restaurants in Akron, Ohio. " - wikipedia.org

Blessed To Be A Part Of The Beulah Baptist Family

Pastor Brad Bessent, Pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Hopkins, SC

"Pastor Brad is greeting two Bambara believers in a village in Mali. He teaches local pastors to be better leaders and provide discipleship training among their people".

Dear Readers,

Yesterday at church, I picked up a copy of the Spring 2009 issue of "To The Ends Of The Earth: International Mission Board, SBC". This post is from the article, Strategic Partnerships: at home and abroad, found in this publication.

I am very low tech and was unable to scan the text from the original article but I believe this story is important and needs to be shared so I am entering part of the article manually.

"It's an awe-inspiring argument for the power of partnership. Beulah Baptist is a 200-year-old church in Hopkins, S. C., that averages about 275 people on Sunday morning. In 2007, pastor Brad Bessent led Beulah's congregation to begin praying about partnering with the International Mission Board to adopt an unreached people group.

Bessent says the church soon recognized and answered God's call to take responsibility for spreading the Gospel among the Bambara, a West African people group at least 4 million strong.

Working together with IMB missionaries Steve and Susan Roach, Beulah set its sights on an unreached village of 3,000 Bambara in Mali. There were no evangelical churches in the village and no known Christians.

Short-term missions teams from Beulah began visiting the village every six weeks, openly sharing the Gospel with anyone willing to listen. At an average cost of $4,000 per volunteer, the trips weren't cheap, and the church didn't have money to fund them.

'God started this and He'll sustain it,' Bessent says. 'Our folks raise their own money. ... I haven't had anybody yet that the Lord didn't provide for.'

After nearly two years, Beulah Baptist has made more than 12 visits to the village and has witnessed more than 100 Bambara come to faith in Christ.

'I'm convinced that God called every one of us to fulfill the Great Commission,' Bessent says. 'If we don't get our churches mobilized there are going to be millions of folds that continue to die and spend eternity in hell because nobody told them about Jesus.' "

How awesome is this? Continuing missions dedicated to bring the Gospel to unreached people!!! I feel so blessed to be a part of the Beulah Baptist Church family.

Unfortunate Demise Of Popcorn Sutton

I have not been keeping up with the news lately and today, I read my favorite newspaper on line, The Mountaineer. I was shocked to learn in a story written by Beth Pleming that Popcorn Sutton had decided to take his own life. This horrible decision by Sutton was made just a couple of days before he was supposed to report to a Kentucky prison to begin his 8 month sentence.

See my January 30th post in this blog for a story about Popcorn's trial.

From The Mountaineer (story dated March 18, 2009)

"Just days before 62-year old Marvin 'Popcorn' Sutton was expected to report to a Kentucky penitentiary, Western North Carolina's most notorious moonshiner took his life in the front seat of his "three jar Ford" - a John Deere green 1982 Fairmont, with bright yellow rims and an orange bumper for which he traded 3 gallons of liquor.

Sutton was discovered dead shortly before 4 p.m. by his wife of almost two years, Pam, who told detectives she returned from running errands to find her husband's body in his vehicle a short distance from their Parrotsville home. Cocke County Sheriff's detectives said it appears Sutton died of carbon monoxide poisoning and have ruled out any suspicion of foul play".

http://www.themountaineer.com/

It is so sad that this poor soul did not ask God to help him through his torment. If only he had proclaimed his faith and believed that God was the only answer to his inner peace and survival, he could have served his 8 month sentence and gone home to live out his days in peace and contentment. I will keep his family in my prayers and hope you will too.

This Is So Cool!

As a genealogist, I take notice of articles about ancestry. This is especially true when I hear one about someone confirming something he/she has heard about an ancestor all their life but was just short of proving it. I saw this article on http://www.foxnews.com/ and thought I would share it with you.

This is a story about Jonathan Dillon who was a watchmaker on Pennsylvania Avenue. Dillon was in his shop in 1861 holding the pocket watch of President Abraham Lincoln. It was at that time that Dillon heard that the Civil War had begun in South Carolina. The watchmaker's story doesn't sound too eventful up to this point but his actions after he heard about the war makes all of this interesting.

A story had been passed down from generation to generation that Dillon had inscribed something inside of Lincoln's watch. In fact, Dillon went to the press in 1906 and told them his story. A reporter published the story at that time but still no proof of the inscription had ever been found. Proving it was not really pursued and it just became "family talk".

Finally, Doug Stiles, the great-great grandson of Jonathan Dillon decided to tackle the task of proving what he had heard in "family talk". He went on the Internet and found the story published by the New York Times in 1906. He passed the information along to the curators at the Smithsonian. Evidently, the curators thought it might be worth a look.

So, on March 10th, Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch was opened at the National Museum of American History by George Thomas, a watchmaker who volunteers at the museum. Mr. Stiles was invited to come up and read what his great-great grandfather had inscribed inside the watch. Part of the inscription reported in the article I read states:

" ' Jonathan Dillon April 13-1861,

Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels

on the above date' ". Another part reads,

" ' Thank God we have a government' ".

I can only imagine the joy and pride Mr. Stiles must have felt. He had finally proven that the inscription "legend" was not a legend; instead, his diligence was rewarded with a proven fact.

The watch went back on display but now it is accompanied by the story of Jonathan Dillon and a photo of the inscription.

Great Series At Beulah Baptist Church

Good Afternoon Readers - I just listened to a great lesson at Beulah Baptist Church. Today's lesson was "Worry Free Zone (Anxiety, Worry, Fear)". It is about a topic that most of us experience every day. Pastor Brad did a great job relating this message to our lives. In fact, how do you tell if your Church experience is awesome? How do you tell if the pastor's message has hit close to home? The way I can tell is if tears come to my eyes. Not from sadness but from relief. I know that God's love and lots of praying is the only way to get relief from personal pain but we often get so wrapped up into ourselves that we forget to go to God in prayer. It takes a good message from your pastor to jog your memory, sometimes. The message today reminded me of one of my favorite Third Day songs ~ "Cry Out To Jesus".

What A Deal!?

Readers - I know you've been to the grocery store lately and noticed the shrinking packaging of your usual staples. I first noticed it about six months ago while buying cereal - the boxes were so skinny. Now all the groceries are looking smaller. The problem is that quantities are smaller but the prices remain the same. Effective marketing or just a rip-off?

I feel sure that companies do a lot of psychological studying before they decide the best way to market their products. They probably felt that people wouldn't notice smaller packaging as fast as higher prices. They are correct in their conclusions but after a while, the smaller package begins to make many consumers feel ripped-off. I would be one of those consumers.

I love these deals - Buy One Get One Free. But if you think about it, we are not getting anything free. The total size of both packages/containers are equal to the size of one so we're actually just getting one. Where's my free one???!!!

Great News!

Chemist Georg Steinhauser has now completed his research in belly button lint. He spent 3 years studying his belly button and those of his friends. His hypothesis is that abdominal hair is the culprit that causes the lint to collect in your belly button. He has also hypothesized that men are more prone to have belly button lint than women. Amazing?! Please keep in mind that we now have more knowledge about this phenomenon because of his work. Of course, there are many more findings in his study and I feel sure you could probably buy a copy of his complete study somewhere, if you wanted. I don't but you might.

Also, this blog would be remiss if I didn't mention Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki who won an lg Nobel Prize in 2002 for his Interdisciplinary Research into belly button lint. His research was conducted through a systematic survey. The conclusion of his research was about the same as the conclusions of the above research but I believe that Dr. Kruszelnicki is a pioneer in this field.

Also This Week - "National Crown Roast of Pork Day" - Yikes!

After the "Pig Day Holiday" post which is celebrated on March 1st, I realized that following closely on March 7th is "National Crown Roast of Pork Day". It is with a heavy heart that I must report that "National Crown Roast of Pork Day" is a special day to cook and eat pork. I'm sorry for all the people who just celebrated Pig Day. But truthfully, if I had to choose between the two special days, I would prefer to celebrate "Pork Day".

This Week's Special Holiday

National Pig Day

While surfing the web, I found a website with unique and weird holidays. Of course, they are not national holidays; nevertheless, someone thought a specific cause needed to be celebrated. The holiday discussed below is one of them and it will be this bloggers holiday of the week.

Each year on March 1st, some people-somewhere celebrate National Pig Day. The observers of this holiday are aware of the pig's high level of intelligence and cleverness so National Pig Day was established to give pigs the respect they deserve.

One may celebrate with activities, such as a "snort off", a "pig out", or just online pig chats. I think pigs are cute but a celebration for them is not high on my list of priorities. I must add for those who wish to celebrate "Pig Day":

HAPPY PIG DAY!!!

Another Animal Story

Hi Readers - You all know how I love sweet animal stories but this one gives me the heebie-jeebies. It's a story about a courthouse in Florida that is overrun with mice. It is said that mice have been seen falling from the ceiling tiles. The employees check their purses and personal items before they go home to make sure mice haven't taken up residence.

I have always believed that animals have a special place in our world and there is a tender place in my heart for them. But I believe if a mouse fell on my head that tender place in my heart would be replaced with a "heart attack".

How Cute!

"Lewis"

Lewis was born on February 9th at The Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. He is nine days old and is 5'5" tall and weighs 126 lbs. You've got to admit he is a cutie.

GRACE

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ~ Ephesians 2:8

Today I followed my usual morning routine and got up, turned on the coffee pot, and reached for the TV remote to hear the news. When the TV came on - Dr. Charles Stanley was speaking from the First Baptist Church in Atlanta. He was speaking about God's Grace.

It seems I always catch one particular word or phrase when I am listening to a message/sermon/teaching that I can't get off my mind. And this is one of those phrases. Dr. Stanley asked what is Grace? Then went on to explain:

"God's Riches At Christ's Expense"

I thought that explanation was awesome and I wanted to share it.

Things To Think About

1. A compromise is an agreement whereby both parties get what neither of them wanted. ~ Author Unknown

2. A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. ~ Arthur McBride Bloch

3. How come there's only one Monopolies Commission? ~ Nigel Rees

4. I have six locks on my door in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three. ~ Elayne Boosler

5. Anybody can win, unless there happens to be a second entry. ~ George Ade

6. You can't have everything... where would you put it? ~ Steven Wright

7. He's turned his life around. He used to be depressed and miserable. Now he's miserable and depressed. ~ Harry Kalas

8. The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. ~ Author Unknown

I Love Animal Stories

There are some animal stories that touch my heart and make me say - aawww. That's the way I feel about this wonderful firefighter giving aid and comfort to "Sam" the koala.

Then there's the story about 22 dogs crammed into a car with the owner. This story makes me say - what!? I kinda believe that 22 dogs in a car are about 21 too many. But maybe, that's just me - I could be wrong.

Please Pray For The People In Australia

The people in Australia are battling horrific fires. The last I heard there are at least 173 people dead, more than 750 homes have been destroyed and 5,000 people have been left homeless. The 60 mph winds and the drought and heat are making these fires spread and hard to contain. I also thought about all the vegetation and wildlife being destroyed.

Please pray for them.

Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Church

I woke up this unusually warm morning feeling refreshed but a little hurried because I like to allow myself plenty of time to get ready for Church. I like to eat a bite so my stomach won't growl all the way through the service. So I did that and then checked my eye because I have been fighting with a sty for the last couple of days and you know, sties aren't really becoming. I had been able to reduce the swelling with warm compresses so I decided I didn't look too "freakish". My eye looked good enough to be able to go to Church and not make everybody scream at the sight of me.

Then, I went in to brush my teeth and I always brush with some intensity. I don't know why - it just seems like a good thing to do. I finished that little hygiene thing and rubbed my tongue on my front teeth to see if they felt clean. "Panic, Anxiety, Shock!!!" There was a gap in my front teeth that wasn't there before!!! The bonding on my front teeth was gone!!!

So my dear readers, it was at that time that I thought it would be better if I stayed at home. Believe me when I say that I am not a vain person but I felt the gaping hole in my front teeth and the sty were a little too much embarrassment for me to handle today.

****Update****

I glued two "chiclets" on my teeth nubs but they didn't look right so I went to the dentist and now I have real fake front teeth again.

Sorry - Back On My "Bandwagon" Again

I try to stay out of politics on my blog but there are times when I feel strongly about something and I want to have my say. My first thought was to go back to 1993 and write about the events which I feel made it necessary to establish a detention facility like Guantanamo Bay but decided to stick to why I oppose closing the facility.

I read and heard about President Obama's meeting with invited families of the 9-11 victims and those of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. Some declined to accept the invitation. But this story got me to thinking.

I know in my head and heart that God will judge those who committed these atrocities. But then there is the "mother bear" in me that will do anything to protect her young. I know if anyone intentionally harmed anyone in my family, I would want justice for their suffering. I feel so much sympathy for the victims and the families of the victims of these horrific events. My prayers go out to them.

What makes it so sad for these families is that the charges and trials against the detainees have been suspended, even for one detainee who is responsible for the Cole bombing. This is not fair to families who had loved ones killed by evil people.

I have lots of questions: Where are the detainees going when "Gitmo" is shut down? Is there a plan? Will this plan protect us from their wrath and revenge? Does the administration actually think these detainees are going to stick around to see if they should eventually be brought to trial - once they are set free? Does the administration believe that the detainess now love America?

If the detainess are sent back to their home countries, I feel they will disappear into the shadows and regroup only to reappear during another attack in the future. I pray that the administration comes up with a fail-safe plan before "Gitmo" is closed.

How Well I Remember!!!

My friend, Carolyn, sent me this menu from the fifties in an e-mail. Oh boy - it sure did bring back memories. I have eaten at Woolworth's many times in the good ol' days. Check out the prices. I see cent signs and not dollar signs. Doesn't it make you nostalgic for the era in our history when most of our nation's companies and corporations weren't ruled by greed and extravagance?

Bits And Pieces But Not Much Of Anything

There are days I just don't feel inspired to blog. But I have been reading some news stories that deserve a small comment.

I feel sure most people have heard about the lady who had eight babies and already had six children at home. Then I read a story about a 60 year old lady who had twins by artificial means. These two news stories would go in the "what were they thinking" category.

The last bit for today is about the proposed stimulus package. This part goes in the "that needs to go" category. "Hollywood" would get to write off half the production and filming costs of the big-budget films and TV shows. The tax break for them amounted to $246 million. Whether this special tax break is still included, I do not know for sure but the story stated that the Senate Republicans stripped the tax break from the package. I believe the Hollywood producers, etc. can recover their expenses through box office and merchandise sales so I have a problem feeling too sorry for them.

Do You Remember This Voice?

This is the bass-baritone voice of George Beverly Shea singing "Sweet Hour of Prayer". Shea started singing and traveling with the Billy Graham Crusade in 1947. His wonderful voice would resonate through the thousands of people who attended each Billy Graham Crusade. His songs and booming voice have brought comfort, hope and inspiration to millions of people over the years, including me.

Yesterday - he turned 100 years old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY - GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA!!!

Popcorn Sutton

I always like to read The Mountaineer Newspaper (http://www.themountaineer.com/) and happened to notice this story about Popcorn Sutton. In fact, there are numerous stories about him on the internet. He has a rather large following and many supporters. He is a folk-hero in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. This post about Popcorn comes from several internet sources, including The Mountaineer. Of course, I added my two cents.

I did not know him personally but I knew of his reputation. There have been documentaries made about him and his profession on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. As you can see in one of the above pictures, he wrote a book about making "likker".

I know he looks like a harmless old man but that is not the entire story. From his pictures, he looks like he is about 80 years old but he is only 62. I think his lifestyle has probably contributed to his rapid aging. It is said that he lights one match a day - that is one match in the morning and lights his cigarette and continually lights another one from one already lit all day. Of course, I feel sure he does a lot of tasting of his "likker".

In the past, he has been convicted on having an unregistered still and manufacturing untaxed liquor and was given probation. He was convicted on a felony drug offense and was given a suspended sentence. He was convicted for an assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. He has been jailed numerous times for alcohol related offenses. He had always "lucked out" and evidently gotten lenient judges each time but he did not get so lucky this time. Early last year, Popcorn was caught when he sold about 200 gallons of his "likker" to an undercover agent. He mentioned to the undercover agent not to worry because the local law would not bother them. But this agent wasn't the local law; he was a federal agent.

Well, this past Monday, Popcorn appeared in Federal Court in Tennessee and was given 18 months in a Kentucky Federal Penitentiary. Popcorn and his attorney pleaded for probation due to the fact that he was old, sick and he promised that he wasn't going to make any more liquor. Popcorn went on to say that he had always prayed to God that he could die at home.

The judge reminded Popcorn that he had five prior felony convictions and that he always got probation. The judge went on to say that Popcorn continued to break the law, seemed proud of it and showed no remorse at all. There were no documents presented that showed Popcorn was too sick to go to prison or that he was incapable of committing more crimes. So Popcorn received his 18 month sentence but he was given 10 months credit for already being on house arrest. I believe the sentence was just but I also find it sad because I believe he realizes he is getting older and that his health is declining. Being a folk-hero has taken a toll on his health and on his ability to enjoy his older years.

Hopefully, Popcorn will ask God for strength and forgiveness so that he can live out his remaining years at home in peace like he wants.

"If we claim to be without sin, we

deceive ourselves and the

truth is not in us.If we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just and will

forgive us our sins

and purify us from all unrighteousness".

1 John 1:8-9

Proud Of My Childhood Hometown

Location of Canton in North Carolina

Canton, North Carolina

Pisgah High School Band In Labor Day Parade

(Pisgah High School was named

Canton High School when I attended)

Canton, North Carolina - my hometown - is very special to me. I have fond memories of the small town and the friendly people. According to the 2000 Census, there were 4,029 people living there. And I can guarantee that they are all just as kind and neighborly as when I was growing up there. I still have relatives and friends that live there and in the surrounding areas who are so special to me. So, if you're ever traveling through Haywood County, NC - stop by Canton and meet some friendly people.

Just A Thought About Economic Stimulus

Developing Story: The government has now decided to postpone the transition to DTV conversion for four months. They ran out of money and coupons but have no fear the government will include more money for this program in the new economic stimulus package.

My question is: who were the planners of this program and what were they thinking?

I have been hearing about converting all TV reception to digital on February 17th for almost almost two years. The news media stressed that all would be OK because the government would give coupons to the people who don't have digital TVs or cable or satellite service. These coupons will help pay for a box that will convert the analog service to digital. All would be well.

I would like to share my story with you. I am one of the people that uses "rabbit ears" on 2 of my TVs because I can only afford satellite on my main TV in the living room. So, I applied for 2 coupons. The coupons came and I noticed that they would expire 90 days after they were mailed. OK, no problem - I thought. I put the coupons away and really didn't think much about it because I really don't think about digital TV 24-7.

Then the local TV stations ran a trial to see if everyone in the area was ready for the conversion. Well - my 2 "rabbit ear" TVs weren't ready. I went to get my coupons from the drawer where I had stashed them and to my amazement - they were expired. As I was staring at my expired coupons, I heard the news commentator responding to a question from a viewer about expired coupons. She said that the viewer could not use them and could not get new coupons because each household was entitled to only two. But, she went on to suggest that the viewer could possibly find a friend who didn't need the coupons and let the friend order them for the viewer.

This brings me to my point. The conversion was to be on February 17, 2009. So why did any of the coupons expire before that date? I believe the original planners of this coupon program had a "stupid fit". It is logical that the program would not have run out of coupons if they had a reasonable expiration date on them (like February 17th...duh!). I believe that many of the people who received the coupons were like me - either absentminded or are on fixed incomes which made them have to delay the purchase of the converter boxes until they could afford them. Now - if the planners had used the conversion date as the expiration date of the coupons (1) they would not have run out of coupons (2) they would not have run out of money because I feel sure they had to send out millions of coupons to people unnecessarily because of expired coupons.

Sorry but I had to get on my "bandwagon" a little bit and state my opinion about something I feel strongly about. However, I am happy to announce that I am ready for the conversion - no matter when it is.

Sopping Pot Liquor and Gravy

Cornbread

Collards

Blackeyed Peas

Molasses

Biscuits and Gravy

I thought I'd share with my readers some of my sopping favorites. Over the years, I have developed my favorites when it comes to pot liquors and which bread I use to sop.

Cornbread, of course, is best for collard, cabbage, pole bean, pinto and other dried bean pot liquors. Cornbread seems to work well with the pot liquor in stews also.

I prefer biscuits with all milk gravies and gravies made from the grease of pan fried foods. Of course, biscuits are good with molasses and butter.

I know all this may seem trivial but it is important when I go out to eat and have to select a restaurant for my dining pleasure. Most fancy restaurants don't have food with pot liquor or cornbread or biscuits. Also, if I happen to find a bit of juice left on my plate that I can sop, the hard rolls most fancy restaurants serve aren't very good absorbers and I usually end up pushing the juice around. Now, I do have a little class so I'm not going to spend too much time chasing the juice around. Instead, I'll just lift my plate and lick it (please know I am kidding about licking my plate but it is an idea).

Are there any readers out there that enjoy sopping as much as I do?

The Onion Attack

One of the culprits

I covered the wound for the pictures to spare you from the gore.

I really am curious if anyone else has suffered an injury from an onion. Here's the way it went down on Monday (I watch a lot of cop shows). The vic (that's me) was going to make chili. Of course, one of the main ingredients in chili is onions.

I went to the grocery store to get a couple of onions for my chili. I approached the bin containing a big pile of onions with caution because I know onions can be vicious at times. And just as I stuck my hand into the bin to make my selection, my fear became reality - the perp (alleged onion) struck my thumb with intense force.

I immediately felt the stinging pain and withdrew my hand from the bin and examined my wound. I noticed a red spot on my thumb and tried to be brave as the pain became greater. Unfortunately, this was a covert operation and I was unable to pick the perp out of a line up. But, I am a "brave lil' soldier" so I "sucked it up" and continued my shopping.

Seriously though, that little prick from an onion has caused my thumb to swell, turn red and throb for days. It even had a fever. I am a fan of the T.V. show "House" so I immediately tried to diagnose the injury. Is it a splinter? I don't see one and I have never heard of onions having splinters. Is it a spider bite? I hope not.

I use the "old school" treatments for wounds: an Epsom salt soak to draw out the infection and ease the soreness, a white vinegar soak as an antibiotic, Dial soap to wash it and a band-aid so I can't see it. I must say that the treatment has helped but my thumb is still red around the once red dot. I can see it is definitely infected so I may have to give in and go to the doctor. My home remedies aren't working fast enough because it has been 5 days since the onion attack. But it's going to be embarassing to tell the doctor that I hurt my thumb on an onion.

Does anyone know if onions have splinters or some other debris that could do this?

A Little More About the Inaugural

Pastor Rick Warren

I salute President Obama and Rick Warren for ignoring protests to have Pastor Warren banned from delivering the invocation at the Inaugural. Pastor Warren did not cave in and ignore Christ in his invocation. In fact, he mentioned his love and trust in Jesus several times. He even repeated the name of Jesus in several languages and continued to recite the Lord's Prayer. Yea! Rick Warren!

For months now, I hear news commentators talk about our nation in turmoil. I believe the words I heard Franklin Graham speak on Fox News this morning pretty well sum up why our nation might be in turmoil. He stated that when you take God out of government, there will be turmoil. We, as Christians, know the turmoil we feel in our personal lives when we leave God out of it. He delivered a wonderful explanation about why God needs to be in every part of our lives. We should not try to be politically correct and ignore God. He said that God has been banned little by little from the public by lawyers and government over the past 50 or 60 years. This country was founded on "In God We Trust". Our founding fathers do not want to take God out of government or schools.

If there is ever a time to put God back in government, it is now. Again, I thank Rick Warren and President Obama for standing up for their beliefs and not denying Christ to be politically correct.

Inauguration

I watched the inauguration and I'll give you my take on the great celebration. It has nothing to do with the Obamas because I believe they were gracious to George W. and his family.

My disappointment lies in the mass of "so-called great Americans" who were cold and abusive to our former President. I'm sorry but I do not believe that you can be a great American and also lack respect for the office of the President. I also believe that you are not a good Christian if you are abusive to other people.

George W. Bush sacrificed much while he was in office. George W. Bush sacrificed and served America. Are we forgetting that he implemented many programs and new laws to keep us safe? Are we forgetting that he and his family have investments just like us and are taking the losses just like us? We must remember also that he cries tears for the sacrifices of our troops just like us? I feel sure he has spent many sleepless nights worrying about the future of millions of people. I offer my prayers for George W. and his family as they make this transition. May God Bless Them!

I also offer my prayers for the "so-called good Americans" who boo, jeer and hate. I pray that God will give them the ability to feel compassion and understanding.

Personally, I have always liked George W. Bush and all of his family. I think they are good Christians; as well as, great Americans. Also, don't you think the Bushes would be fun to hang-out with?

Let us all offer prayers for President Obama as he leads our nation into a new era. As his term progresses, let us not be critical but pray that God will give him the wisdom to make the correct decisions for our nation.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

I'm Back!

Hi Readers,

I am sorry but I have been doing hobby things and haven't been inclined to blog. I hope your holidays were wonderful. I had a great time with the family but ended up with a "nice" cold a couple of days after Christmas. I think a lot of other people got a nice cold for Christmas because several people I talked to during the holidays sounded just like me - hoarse, nasal, coughing.

Well, I went on a new adventure yesterday - Facebook. I got an e-mail from Carolyn which basically wanted me to sign on to Facebook and become one of her "friends". Since she really is my friend, I couldn't turn down the request. After signing on and becoming one of her friends, I decided to join Facebook and start one of my own. Evidently, it would help to be a teenager so I could understand the jargon. I have not a clue what I am doing on Facebook. If I ever figure it out, I will give you my site or you can just check it out.

However, I believe blogging is more my cup of tea. I hope to be blogging regularly now. I'll see you back here in a couple of days.