I remember a song about it being the Pepsi Generation. And of course there's the Baby Boomer generation and the Generation X.

But tonight, standing in line at a funeral visitation, there was a sign requesting we turn off our cell phones. A sad commentary that some of us have become so "connected" that we have to always have our phone on. I noticed that the over 50 crowd in this line didn't have their phones out checking them every minute. It was kind of refreshing because to be quite honest, I'm tired of trying to have a conversation with some of the people who are glued to the little screen on their phone, so afraid of missing a call or text.

How many folks stopped at the stop light are checking their phone. I can tell you there are many times when there is a long delay after the light has turned green and the head is down and the eyes aren't on the road.

I'm always amazed that when I leave the house early in the morning how many folks are yakking away on their phones. I didn't think that many people were morning persons wanting to talk the day away.

Then there's the times we eat out and people are watching their cell phone screens instead of trying to have a conversation with the people sitting across from them.

I like my computer and I certainly enjoy the benefits of a cordless phone in my home and a cell phone. But if it means not talking to the people I'm with and being so absorbed, I think I want out of the techy generation.

Any one with me?

Ten years ago on September 10, we had no idea the horrors that would strike our country as terrorists created so much havoc and changed so many lives.

As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 will soon dawn on us, please hold your loved ones dears and if anything could come of such a tragedy, let it be that we appreciate our family and friends so much more.

God bless you all!

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind. As any educator can tell you, the first few weeks of school is wild. There are always things that come up that even if you have things planned, other things have to be done. I spent most of Saturday cleaning so I could work most of Sunday on school work.

Sears update: I guess my calling the national offices and complaining because the local Sears manager didn't call back must have hit a nerve. I spoke with 4 different people. One lady said she oversees the installers and another lady said she was in the corporate office. The first said she would send me a $25 gift card for my trouble with the installer. The other said she would be sending me a letter of apology. Well, both were true to their word. I received the $25 gift card a week later. The next day no letter of apology, but a $50 gift card. Not bad overall, but I don't think I'll ever buy another appliance from Sears. I had to complain about complaining to get any action. And still nothing from the local store...no phone call, letter, or email. DH and are spent the money on exciting, but necessary items like underwear and socks.

I spent a big part of Saturday fixing casseroles for this week. It sure is nice to have them when I come home from work and pop them in the oven. I can make a salad and we have supper.

Guess I better get back to my "homework."

Our local gas prices dropped a whole penny overnight. Although oil prices have been going down, our "savings" usually trickles down a penny or two at a time. However, let the news report crude oil barrel prices going up, the hike can be anywhere from 15 to 20 cents a gallon in a matter of hours.

Our local news interviewed some guy at nearby university. He claimed that the reason the prices remain high is because we are using gas made with oil at the older, higher prices, so it takes awhile for the prices to come down. He might be a so called "expert", but my observation skills beg to differ. I have found many of these experts go by what it is supposed to be instead of what really is. Bleah!

Gas prices in Central Illinois range around $3.64...our town is higher than the other two larger towns around us. What are you paying?

Ever have one of those nights when you have a lots of odds and ends in the fridge and hate to see it go to waste? Last night was one of those nights at our house.

I have been working through the freezer and trying to use up some of the stuff we've had awhile, and crab cakes was the winner from the freezer roulette.

The fridge had a few different items. We had green beans from the night before, baked beans from lunch a couple of days ago (we had them for two meals before this), lettuce, tomatoes, and part of a red onion, a boiled egg, a small portion of Feta cheese, leftover biscuits, a small portion of cottage cheese, leftover roasted potatoes, leftover fruit salad, an overripe pear, and on the counter...very ripe bananas.

I heated the potatoes in a little olive oil and cut up part of the onion in them. The rest of the onion I used for the salad of lettuce, tomato, Feta cheese,and sliced the egg. I heated up both types of beans, and put the cottage cheese out in a little bowl. I nuked the biscuits.

I cut up the pear and bananas into the fruit salad.

There was ample food and little of it went to waste. I think I did pitch a couple of biscuits. I had made them a couple of days before with some flour, milk, baking powder, and herbs from our garden so I wasn't throwing out big money.

Not a gourmet meal, but full tummies and a cleaner fridge were the result.

I bet we could get people to think leftovers were gourmet undertakings if we could figure out a catchy phrase for it!

Happy 235th birthday, USA!

I guess for countries, that isn't THAT old, but for a human, it's kind of ancient!

I hope that you are having a great holiday...I guess I should bake a birthday cake, eh?

I have been working on those homemade pie crusts. I used a recipe from Ina Garten for "perfect pie crust". I don't know if it is perfect, but it is pretty darn good. I made enough for two last week and we had quiche on Saturday for lunch. It was pretty good.

Yesterday I tried it again and made blackberry pie. I'm learning more each time I try. I think I got it a little thinner this time. The crust was flaky and good. I'm sure practice will improve and isn't it a shame my husband has to be the taste tester? :-)

Goal two accomplished...on to goal three: pizza!

I was raised by frugal parents. They had to be, as their parents had to be.

My dad worked full-time and they also has a business on the side. For awhile it was a furniture store. Then it was an antique shop. We went to sales, auctions, etc., always looking for a bargain that could either benefit us personally or their shop financially. That was years ago and my parents have passed.

Last week we went "antiquing." I use the term loosely because many of the items in these antique shops really aren't antiques. We enjoy looking at older stuff whether it is from our childhood, or from over a generation ago.

I often buy my kitchen stuff used. Last year before Pyrex and Fire King and Corningware became popular again, I decided to try and get rid of most of the plastic containers in my kitchen. I keep a few, but for personal use, I use glass ones. I found some refrigerator dishes to store leftovers, and have found some Pyrex dishes for leftovers and some small Corningware dishes to bake in. I like using them because I feel a little safer -- the BPA thing kind of worries me -- but I also just like using glass.

Most of the casseroles and glass dishes in my kitchen were bought "used". They cleaned up great and I enjoy using them. Plus, being the klutz I often am, I figure if I drop one, I'm not out a lot if it breaks.

The other day I was remarking that I was also being a recycler of sorts because I was reusing something someone else didn't want. I don't care if my Pyrex or Corningware doesn't match. I got a great deal on a Corningware dish at the church's rummage sale: $1. It doesn't match anything in my kitchen, but it holds good stuff when I put it in there.

Since most of the stuff anymore isn't made in America, I like using stuff that had been, at one point, made in our country.

In a way, I'm being green. I use and reuse these dishes. I'm not throwing out disposables. And I adopted these unwanted items. I figure I save money by buying them used, and since I'm not buying disposable stuff, I'm not constantly replenishing it so I'm also being frugal. And, if I'm cooking at home, I'm probably saving some money there as well.

Twenty-one years ago we took our marriage vows and today we celebrate that decision. I'm glad we did. I am married to my best friend and can't imagine my life without him.

Our wedding was not big. We had my mom and dad and godparents and his mom, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. We had a reception for family and friends. We married in his mom's back yard and the reception was at a local community center where my parents lived. My folks didn't have money for a wedding so we paid for almost everything but the cake -- two sheet cakes is what we had.

Instead of a fancy dress, I wore something I had. I bought the cups, plates, and flatware at a discount store, as well as the decorations. A friend and I decorated the room.

We used the money to put a down payment on our first house. When the bank asked us back then if we had 20%, they were surprised that we did. Our goal was to buy less of a house than we could afford, and fix it up and still do things.

Twenty one years later I think we did OK. We are still married, we have moved to another house that is paid for, and we can do things we enjoy.

Sometimes I wish I had the big church wedding because I see the ones on television and in the movies and think they are beautiful. But in the long run, I'm married and we are happy and I think a lifetime of love and security is worth far more than an album of pretty pictures and possibly debt if we had gone wild.

Guess I'm a pragmatist at heart.

It's true. I drive my husband crazy.

When I get on a cleaning spree, I go nuts. Then I usually move things around. I tell him that it makes things look different and new and that I'm saving money doing so. He nods his head and agrees, but I really think he thinks I'm nuts. Maybe so, but I like to change things around. I used to change the furniture around a lot just to give rooms different looks. Our old house was a little bigger and I could do that. Can't do that so much with this house. Plus, my husband doesn't handle it when I move the bed because he says he can't find the bathroom at night when he's disorientated. I get that.

Yesterday I took orange oil cleaner to the kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and the woodwork in the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathrooms, and hallway. I was thinking how it seemed to refresh the wood and make it look nicer since it was cleaned. Although I spent the money on the cleaner, I felt like I saved money by taking care of something we have.

When I was growing up my parents instilled in me the idea of taking care of things. For example, you don't jump up and down on the sofa because it makes it eventually wear down. You don't do the same thing to a mattress because it can wear down the springs and possibly put too much stress on the rails. You use coasters when you have a drink so you don't have water marks. All these items are free, but can keep things looking nicer. I use trivets when I have hot foods so I don't burn my countertop or table.

I think taking care of things also saves money. I asked my husband not to beat on the wooden arm of his chair because he was scratching it. He thought I was being mean. He sat in my chair and looked at the arm and said, "You don't have have knicks or scratches on it." Yep, I don't. I try to take care of my chair.

During my first year of teaching we put up a tree in the room. That tree was a sorry example of a tree, but it was what was in the basement. I crocheted ornaments for every student to put on the tree and then take home, and we made ornaments. I remember this one student telling me it was the most beautiful tree he had ever seen. I took him seriously and asked why that was. He said that years before his mom had put up a tree, but he and his brother tore it up and mom said she wasn't going to spend money on another tree. I wonder if this student got the point of that lesson!

I may drive my husband crazy, but at least I save him money!

I remember an old Cat Stevens' song about it being Saturday night...guess I'm aging myself a bit. But, there's something exciting about a Saturday night.

Our Saturday nights are pretty tame. We usually spend the evening with Suze Orman and Gail Vaz-Oxlade. We listen to their discussions about money and budgeting.
It's kind of nice to relax. Usually we have most of our chores done by then and can look forward to Sunday.

Poor old Cat, in his song, said he had money but nobody. Hopefully you all, on this Saturday night, have both someone to love and love you back and some money too!

So, how's your Saturday night?

No kidding...that's pretty obvious, isn't it?

I was reading an article in today's paper that said that young adults who participate in church activities may be prone to obesity due to many of the church functions relating to food. Amen to that! We like to eat, that's for sure, and fellowship usually involves some type of food, doesn't it?

I, unfortunately, love to eat. I remember a friend of mine who basically ate to live. She said the only time food tasted good was when she was pregnant. She said she would then sit and eat row after row of Oreos because they tasted so good.

Part of good things of the trip was trying a couple new restaurants. We ate at two very good ones in the evening. I'm not a big sea food lover, but the crab cakes at one restaurant were so good. At another, the shrimp and grits were very delicious. We ate lunch at a restaurant that was named after a Greek god and the portions were large and the food was superb.

I get caught up on how important food is. I've become a bit of a snob at times. I like trying new things and I want it to be flavorful and good. A lot of my free time is spent in the kitchen. My husband is not complaining -- he said to buy whatever I want because he benefits. We had a chance to visit a great kitchen store in Charleston and I found a baking stone I felt I needed. I have to admit the fact my pastor was telling about how much fun he had using his baking stone on making bread certainly made me consider getting one. I also bought a bamboo spatula. Did I need these items. Not really. But I will get far more use of them than a t-shirt.

I think eating is like everything else, it needs to be done in moderation and that is not only in the actual tasting of food, but the thinking about and preparing as well. I certainly don't want to be so caught up in it, I forget to do other things. That being said, guess I need to get ready for supper!

I haven't been on lately because we were out of town. This last week was spring break -- we normally don't get a whole week -- and we had been saving to go to Charleston, SC, so we took off and drove the over 800 miles there and then over 800 back. And, I'm doggone tired!

We live in Illinois and took a route that took us through North Carolina and we toured the Biltmore. Can you believe the Vanderbilt and Cecil families did not invite us to tea? We then proceeded to Charleston, S.C.

We only had about two days there, but we did eat at a couple of great restaurants, as well as touring Fort Sumter. One restaurant had absolutely delicious crab cakes...we started our meal with tomato basil soup which was scrumptious.

It was nice to get away and see some neat things, but the past two days on the road made me want to kiss my driveway when we pulled in. I believe I will sleep well tonight because I am very, very tired!

We did our weekly grocery run and I spent some time the last few evenings making my lists. Not sure if I checked them twice, but I am going to tell you who I think is naughty and nice!

Nice -- those companies who give you more than three weeks to redeem the coupon. I realize grocery shelf is a hot commodity, but there are times I don't need something before the coupon expires. I'm not asking for a year, but give me at least two months.

Nice -- those companies who realize that most of us don't have warehouses to store the products. There are two of us in this house and I'm the only one who eats cereal and having to buy three boxes to save a buck might be OK if I ate three boxes in a week, but I don't. I try to buy cereal when it is on sale and when I have a coupon as well as when I have storage. My pantry space is limited.

Naughty -- OK, the this is a repeat sort of, but less than four weeks of time to buy something? Come on! Some folks budget and if it isn't a necessity, they'll do without. I might be tempted to try your product if I had a little more time with the coupon, but if I already have something, I'm not throwing it out just so I can try your product.

Naughty -- buying multiples of something or the huge size of something with your coupon. I grant you that the warehouse stores have made regular stores try to compete, but I simply do not have a place to put 24 rolls of toilet paper and 10 paper towels. And many of us who buy name brand items, don't use two toothpastes in a month.

Naughty -- a coupon that you have to buy one item to get another free or marked down. I've bought a bag of potatoes and can save 50 cents if I buy something like a cheese spread. That would be great if I wanted the cheese spread, but if not, than I feel I was cheated out of saving 50 cents.


Naughty -- those chain stores who take you to a coupon site where you can print coupons, but then the local store doesn't accept Internet coupons. All or nothing, my friends. I'm not spending the time, ink, and paper only to be told that I can't use them. And I'm old enough that I don't care if the person behind me thinks I'm an old fuss budget and refuse to buy the item. In this economy, only the strong survive!

Dear coupon folks, please think about those of us who don't have a big family and we don't need multiples of things -- I really don't need three bags of party mix to save 50 cents. I have decided that if I can't save a few cents on one item, maybe I'll just do without!

There's just something aromatic about sauting garlic and onions and even celery in olive oil. So many good smells emit from the kitchen.

I sauted onions, celery, and mushrooms for the brisket and then added some garlic. My husband came into the kitchen and told me, "It sure smells good in here." I had to laugh. He doesn't care for fancy perfumes, but he sure likes the aromas of food cooking.

I know when I bake bread he likes it too. I remember last year when I baked bread at school people would open my classroom door to get a whiff and then smile. We humans like good smellin' stuff!

Somehow I don't think I'll be putting a little olive oil and garlic behind my ears, but I'm happy about making my hubby pleased. Think of the money I'm saving him in perfume by cooking and having that great smell? Am I being frugal????

So, what is your favorite aroma?

I tried a new recipe today for bread. Like that's a big surprise, because I'm always on the look out for a new bread recipe. But, if someone had said a year ago that I'd think about trying a recipe for poppy seed bread, I'd say "Nah!" Banana bread or cinnamon bread or peach muffins yes, but poppy seeds????

Long story short, I grew up in a dysfunctional family. To be exact, my half brother and I didn't really see each other for over 40 some years. I mean, I knew he was around and vice versa, but because of problems with our mother, and the fact he was older and almost an adult when I came along, we just didn't get to know each other.

A few years ago when our mother died, I called and told him. He and his delightful wife attended the funeral. We talked a bit, but never really did too much together. Part of it is because I don't trust people very much. Again, an issue with my childhood and I certainly don't want pity. But, through the years we are getting to know each other and my brother realized I like to cook and bake. He shared that his grandmother (we had different dads) used to make poppy seed bread and how much he liked it.

Well, I decided if he likes it so much, I thought I should find a recipe. I've talked to my sister-in-law and I think I might have found one that is similar to what his grandmother used to make. Big brother will be eating his poppy seed bread tomorrow when I give it to him.


Poppy Seed Bread

Original Recipe Yield 2 loaves

Ingredients
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions
Mix together the flour, 2 1/4 cups white sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and eggs. Mix in the vegetable oil, poppy seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 1/2 teaspoons almond flavoring. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans or 6 small loaf pans. Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

If you have a recipe for poppy seed bread you'd like to share, please do! Hopefully Big Brother will find this one to his liking!

Last night I was looking at my grandmother's recipe box. It's an old wooden box and most of the recipes are typewritten on cards or papers that have yellowed with time.

I found 4 wine recipes. I've concluded that wine making must be an art because of the time it takes. I had heard my grandfather made his own wine and I assume these were some of the recipes. However, other than the basic ingredients, there were few instructions. Maybe they knew what to do and just needed a reminder of the measurements.

One recipe for a fruit salad said buy a 10 cent box of crackers...think that might be a hard one to follow!

There's my grandmother's peanut brittle recipe in there. I've made it a few times and I have great respect for my grandmother and her hands of asbestoes...she would stretch the hot peanut brittle after taking it out of the cooking pot because the thinner the better. For years my mom wouldn't give me the recipe. I found that odd because the one time my mom tried to make it, she burnt it. It isn't any great secret, that's for sure. Yet she didn't want to give it up.

I found 6 recipes for fruit cake. Yep, 6 different recipes for fruit cake. I guess I find that amusing because nowdays people have jokes about fruit cake.

But the funniest recipe of all has to be how to get rid of a tapeworm!

Today is our second snow day for our school district. We don't get them often, so having two in a row is an indication of how grim the weather has been.

We received a layer of ice, then some snow, them some frozen something or other on top of that, to be complimented with yet another coating of snow. With cold temps and some high wind gusts, there is no doubt we are in winter. The most frightening part was the lights flickering on and off. Some parts of our city did lose power. We had an ice storm in 2006 and being without power even just two days made it tough. With the frigid temperatures predicted, it could be life threatening if we were to lose power.

The good thing about being home is we ate well. I fixed a big breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast and that make my hubby very happy. Lunch was a cheese spread on homemade bread. Supper was a pork loin roast, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a fruit salad.

Today I used the leftover pork roast and made pulled pork sandwiches. Hubby was pleased about that. Tonight it is beef stew as long as we have power.

Our cul-d-sac is pretty deep. The city plows usually don't get to our subdivision until days after a major storm, so I'm not looking for them anytime soon as they struggle to dig out the city. I called a guy to plow our driveway and so far he hasn't shown which is frustrating because two of our neighbors had their driveways plowed and we could have asked their people to do it while they were here, but we hope our guy shows.

I hope all of you who are suffering from this storm are safe and warm!

A few years ago we were browsing at one of these antique malls and I saw it. No, there wasn't a beam of light directing my view...it was actually sitting admist a bunch of other stuff. It was a covered enamel ware pot. It was light blue and that is really what caught my eye -- I like blue. It was a size I didn't have in a pot or pan -- not huge and not tiny. I was thinking, hey, wonder what this costs.

As you may have already gathered, it was $3. No chips, it was clean, nothing burned on it. Looked like it hadn't been used, in fact.

Well, it became mine. And I've decided I got a bargain. I have cooked green beans in it. I have made soups in it. And I use it to bake no knead bread.

It's not fancy and I'm sure most chefs would turn their nose up at it.

But, for $3, it has been a workhorse for me and I'm glad I found it. I truly feel I got a bargain.

If you've never read any of the Amelia Bedelia books, the next time you are at the library or in a book store, be sure and find a couple of these books and read them. They are basically kids books about a gal who is so literal. I remember she was working as a maid at a house and the lady of the house left her a list and it said to "dust" rooms. Amelia didn't know where to find dust, but in the bathroom she did find some "dusting powder" and she went around and "dusted" the room. It's a great story to talk about what we are trying to communication and what it says and what it really says.

Well, I dusted my kitchen today. I didn't plan on it and certainly wasn't thrilled with the cleanup, but it happened. I was talking to my brother and he was talking about how he often stops and gets some fresh bread at a small town near here because he loves the flavor and the freshness. My brother and I did not grow up together so in the past couple of years, we are working on building a relationship. I thought I'd be a good sister and bake him a loaf of bread. I don't believe he reads my blog so I think the surprise is safe!

Anyway, the recipes calls for 6-7 cups of flour, but you don't put them in all at once. (I shared this recipe previously.) You put in some and then keep adding until the dough isn't super sticky. I had about 6 cups in and went to add about another half of cup. I turned off the mixer so I wouldn't have it all over. However, I guess the dough was up far enough that when I turned the mixer back on, the flour was thrown out and as you know, flour travels.

Well, my kitchen has been dusted and Amelia Bedilia is no where to be found!

This has been a week to remember! My earlier blog mentioned my 50th birthday and many of you were sweet and wished me a happy birthday and some of you will be achieving the 50 spot as well! Thank you for your nice wishes.

Wednesday night was interesting...we had planned on eating at our favorite restaurant, but I was surprised because my sweet hubby had planned a surprise party. Our server had started to seat us at a table we often frequent and she said no, we don't have room, you have to come here, and there was family and friends waiting. It was a lovely party and my husband outdid himself. He tells me he can't plan things, but I think he did a fabulous job!

The only sad note to the day was a food pantry we support had a fire and had to close for this week. Fortunately some churches are holding a drive to replenish the food and clothing that was lost.

To say this has been a whirlwind week would be an understatement!

Today is my 50th birthday. Although not ancient, it is still half a decade. I certainly hope I've learned something in these 50 years.

We recently viewed a DVD of Julie/Julia and I didn't think my hubby was paying that close attention. Apparently he was, because on my birthday card he wrote, "Paul Child said it best...you are the butter to my bread and the breath to my life." Paul apparently said that as a toast to Julia. Wasn't that sweet -- for both Paul and for my husband to write on my card?

I, unfortunately, am a collector. I think I've written that I like Blue Willow dishes. I better like them, because we have a whole lot of it.

We went to an "antique mall" near us today and DH found a Blue Willow teapot that he felt I should own. It wasn't a whole lot and it was in nice shape so I succumbed to temptation and purchased it.

I really enjoy cooking and one of the things I enjoy looking at in stores would be kitchen things. I am incredibly dismayed that just about everything nowdays is made in China. With the paint scare on toys earlier this year, how do I know the stuff is safe?

So, last summer I went on a kick of replacing my plastic containers that we used to heat stuff in the microwave with Pyrex dishes -- older ones -- ones that were not made in China. I have also purchased those old glass lidded refrigerator dishes to store leftovers in. For awhile, it was a struggle to find them, but now lots of places have them out to sell.

I have a friend who turns her nose up at my purchases because I'm buying used stuff. When I grew up, we didn't buy a lot of new things because we simply didn't have the money. As long as it is clean and in good shape, I don't have a problem buying something that has been previously used. Many times I can find something much more reasonable that has been "loved before."

Although I spent money instead of saving it today, I enjoyed looking at all the other things. And maybe having bought things more cheaply, I can rationalize my purchase. Or not.

Anyway, it was a nice way to spend today. My husband found a train that he swears he had one when he was a kid. It was a heavy Lionel engine -- big wheels and very heavy. I can see him and his brother clunking each other in the head with it on occasion too.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2011 brings you much happiness.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I hope you all have a blessed day!

I am just starting to come down from a high.

No, I don't do drugs...yesterday we took some students from one of my schools on a luncheon donated by our favorite restaurant. The owner, Benny, told me last week he wanted me to bring some students over so he could treat them to lunch. It was a last minute planning session for the principal and me. We couldn't get a bus because it was too late. But we worked it out!

Our High Honor Roll students were treated to a free lunch of salad, all the breadsticks they wanted, spaghetti, and dessert. And talk about royal treatment -- cloth tableclothes and napkins, real china and glass glasses. No plastic stuff! That was heady enough, believe me. Many of the students haven't had the opportunity to eat at a nice restaurant like this.

Then, today, the local paper put out a great article about it. The paper interviewed the principal and the owner of the restaurant and had some comments from the children. Apparently the Associated Press liked it because it then was put on the mobile part for AP. A friend emailed me the url for it:

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_8545/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=yCS0FUnd


Then, we saw the video the newspaper created. Wow. It showed the kids and the principal and even my husband who volunteered as a chaperone. My husband is showing the fine art of preparing olive oil and Parmesan cheese to dip breadsticks in.


http://herald-review.com/app/multimedia/#vmix_media_id=41218271

What a day! The students were excited about the meal and the aspect of being in the paper and video. The principal is pleased that his school received some positive publicity. Our district is equally pleased that we had some great news coming from one of our schools. The restaurant owner was pleased the he could be generous and be part of our community. It doesn't hurt that he loves children and likes to see them happy.

It's going to be hard going back to "normal" after all this good stuff that happened!

I love Christmas music.

It's simple, I love Christmas music because it makes me happy. It makes me thoughtful. And, because it is often enjoyable and something I know the words to.

I listen to Christmas music year round in fact. Call me weird. There's one CD I like to clean house by. I don't know why. I just do. Well, there's also a Beach Boys CD I clean house by too. I bet those surfing guys never pictured that.

With You Tube, we can get so much music out there and find new artists and this and that. And see some of our old favorites.

I love acapella music. I don't have perfect pitch so I can appreciate those who have it. There's a group out there called Straight No Chaser and although I have purchased two of their CDs, I still like seeing them on You Tube because I can "see" them. Their Twelve Days of Christmas is a classic. Today, on Facebook, a friend shared their Christmas can can and it was a hoot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE&feature=related

I don't go out caroling because if I breathe too much cold air, I get bronchitis. But, I certainly like listening to Christmas music.

Do you have a favorite Christmas song?

Our local university puts on Vespers which is a beautiful Christmas program each year. We look forward to it each year. They have 4 programs -- 2 matinees and two evening performances on the first weekend in December. With the local symphony and 350 voices, it is truly splendid.

However, we have noticed that some people in the audience seem to have forgotten their manners. The evening show for which we purchased tickets was to start at 7 p.m. Strange people that we are, we got there before 6:30 so we could be seated when the doors were opened and make sure things like using the restroom were taken care of. By 6:50 the auditorium was still almost empty. By 6:55 it was almost half full. We knew it was a sell out crowd, so we wondered where they all were.

I guess I misunderstood the 7 p.m. starting time. Apparently, from the behavior of the audience, the 7 p.m. time is merely a suggestion and that means you are to start thinking about finding your seats, but then you throw down your coats and decide to go and find a bathroom. The program didn't start until after 7:10 because we had so many later comers.

The beauty of this program is not only the music, but the choreography -- different choirs go up and down the end aisles because with so many singers, the stage would be very crowded. Throughout the program there were people leaving and then coming back. We had three people in our aisle alone who left and then returned and they did not wait until between songs to leave or enter. We noticed that there were a minimum of 20 people doing this during the program. I realize that sometimes there is an emergency, but why couldn't they wait until between songs to return to their seats?

I am afraid that common courtesy has taken another hit. We've seen this at other concerts and programs. Even at church we see kids and adults leaving and coming back like they are leaving the comfort of their easy chair during a commercial to use the facilities or get a snack.

I had a friend who once told me that she was too busy to get to a performance 15 minutes early. I guess she isn't alone. However, for those of us who would like to get there and have some time to relax and enjoy thee surroundings, these busy people are becoming a nuisance.

Today was the day! A day to reflect and be thankful. A day to eat more than I should. A day to relax.

There are so many things that I have been blessed with and I often take for granted. My friend had a major heart attack Tuesday night. He had bypass surgery this morning and his family spent the holiday loving him yet concerned. How many holidays have I spent at home in the comfort of my own place not being ill?

I had more than enough to eat. I can't remember a holiday that I went hungry.

It's cold out today. We had a wintry mix of precipitation. Fortunately I have power and heat so I didn't get cold.

I have running water and could clean things and drink fresh water and run the dishwasher.

I spent part of the evening changing my summer wardrobe to my winter wardrobe. I have more than enough clothes.

I am married to a remarkable man who loves me.

After seeing the advertisements in the paper and the ongoing commercials, I am thankful that I do not have to get up early and hit the Black Friday sales. There is nothing that I need to get that means I have to face crowds and an early ringing alarm.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be grateful for so it sometimes is difficult to pinpoint just one item. Today I think I'm going to say I'm appreciative for the medical profession. We are blessed to have doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to help us and the fact that we can, if need be, get things off the counter to help in many ways that other countries can only dream about!

When I think of how blessed I am to have plenty, I think of those who do not. Today I am grateful for food pantries and organizations who are there to help those who are in need. I remember watching the Golden Girls years ago when Rose realized a friend of hers was homeless and that just a few bad breaks and she could be in the same spot. We are a country that is blessed to have these folks who are willing to service those who need help. I am not only thankful for them, but applaud their efforts.