Good Morning!
What’s on your mind today?
Quote of the Day
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
Benjamin Franklin
QoD
Who is your favorite “Founding Father”?
And why, if you’d like tell us.
Wandering Views 
Benjamen Franklin was the most interesting character but Washington was a man of great integrity and don’t think it would have worked with any other first leader.
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George Washington’
How can i be first at 7:37?
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Can anyone really say that God didn’t have a hand in assembling so many great men in such a small place at one time?
If you seriously consider how all this came together, it’s an amazing thing.
They weren’t all good men.
They didn’t all agree, they had different visions.
They all loved the country they formed.
Truly amazing.
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I’m trying to come up with a persona for a blog I’m going to start. It will be about low sew, no sew costumes and Hubby’s grandma’s recipes.
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Good Morning everyone. I have been in a “Blue Funk” for a week or so now. It never is any one, big thing that does this to me; it is a series of little things. Every slight and imagined slight magnifies itself. I have those conversations where I tell myself that it really isn’t any of my business what someone else thinks or says about me. I tell myself that I really don’t have to be privvy to everything going on around me. I tell myself that I am relatively intelligent and worthy but none of it seems to help.
I am trying to surround myself with positives and hand it all over to God, but I am still struggling. I am also feeling a little anger and resentment towards those around me. I told my ex-mother-in-law that her son must have a secret porn addiction because if it was drugs surely he would be happier. He calls me each month to ask me to pay for things for BG including all of her therapy and calls several times a week to critique my parenting and make “suggestions”. He also calls to plead BG’s case when I have issued a punishment or even the way I give her her clean clothes to put away. This past weekend she was with him and because I didn’t answer his phone call on Friday night he sent me a nasty email and refused to answer any of my calls the rest of the weekend to “show me” –He finally admitted that was what he was doing when I called him for the 6th time Sunday morning and he answered! I don’t know this George. I don’t know how to handle him.
OK. I am finished dumping all of this. I have to go finish dressing and get myself psyched up to work the phones today and make some money. Money can’t buy happiness but it sure can buy the land and fertilizer for you to create some! It would also allow me to tell George “don’t worry about it. I got it covered”. Oh whoops that is what I already tell him because it is just easier than listening to him rant about how broke he is (that George I do know how to deal with).
Favorite Founding Father? Perhaps John Hancock. That signature of his was probably meant to express how he really felt. A little passive aggressiveness? Take THAT! King.
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Chas, also amazing how God seemed to bring Margret Thacher, Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II into power at just the right time to bring down the Iron Curtain.
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Good point, KBells. They were a great team.
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The late Jim McKeever once said that Bill Clinton was God’s judgment on America.
I doubted it then. But maybe Obama is.
How he got here is a bit of a miricle also.
Think about it.
Where did he come from?
What did he do to get to be president?
How was he qualified?
I showed that I was better quallified to be president than Obama.
It was all in fun, and I enjoyed messing around with it.
Unfortunately, it was true.
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KBells what I come up with is a Modern Southern Belle (no sew) bridging the gap to the past (hubby’s grandmother’s recipes) that coupled with your sharp, witty personality has to be great. I don’t know …a post-modern Southern Belle looks back type of thing. There is a book called New Times in the Old South maybe you could be an Old Times in the New South kind of thing. Just you and nobody else go check out the blog Delta Bohemian.
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Here is a name for you, Kbells, Jiffy’Tumes Cookin’ Nana. You may not like it, but perhaps it will inspire other thoughts.
George Washington is my favorite, but I do not have an answer for why.
Kim, that is plenty of “stuff” to feel down about. Plus, it is that time of year when a lot of people feel down. More prayers are lifting you up.
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KBells, Gone with the Thread.
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Pretty funny Ricky.
😆
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I know what a Southern Belle is.
I’m not sure I know what “post modern” is.
I’m certain that I don’t know what a post modern Southern Belle is.
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Or the Post Modern version “The Thread Done Gone”
Post Modern Southern Belle–We turned our backs on our past and tried to become ultra modern, savvy women. We became disenchanted with that and decided our grandmothers were probably right so we want all the modern conveniences but we also want to remember our past with some fondness…
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Chas, it might not have been a miracle that got Obama elected. (Well, it was God’s sovereignty.) It might well have been old-fashioned Chicago-style politics. It was in someone’s best interests to get him elected.
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A Post Modern Southern Belle still cooks with butter, but she melts it in the microwave for convenience. Is that what you mean, Kim?
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Agree, Cheryl. I keep saying that he would not have been elected without the fraud factor. There was fraud the first time around and also the second time around. But still God’s soverienty allowed that to happen.
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KBells,
How about Ladle and Thread?
Or Thread and Ladle?
Kim,
There was nothing passive about it, hence this quote from John Hancock.
“There, I guess King George will be able to read that without his spectacles!”
More of an In your face!
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Cool ideas. 🙂 I need to mull them over.
Janice, most of these recipes skip right over the butter and goes for shortening. At least I haven’t found one that uses bacon grease or lard.
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Today I’m making my first turkey for my family. I’ve made one before, quite a few years ago, and helped with others, but this is only the second I’ve made. And the first one was just for myself. I planned to make it over Christmas, but one of our girls was sick for a good part of Christmas, and after that the season was simply too busy. Now only one of them is home, but three of us will enjoy a nice meal and the leftovers. (Growing up in a large family and a medium-sized turkey, we usually had leftovers only for the evening meal, never enough for this turkey-loving girl.)
Does anyone know a good recipe for turkey soup? I love turkey sandwiches, but I also want to try a pot of turkey soup. . . .
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Anyone want to define “helpmeet?”
Is it related only to one sex?
And if it is not, does it differ in the actions?
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KBells, how about Needles & Noodles? (Or maybe Pasta & Pins?) 😉
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Bingo Janice!
KBells, throw some lard in for good measure but don’t tell me about. Just let me eat in blissful ignorance.
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Cheryl, the first turkey I cooked was out of necessity. We were at the timeshare without any food and it was the holidays. Not much was left in the store we found open, but we did find one large frozen turkey. I had to be up all during the night trying to get the thing to thaw in several changes of water. It seemed like a nightmare (nightturkey?). I managed to get it roasted and it was great! I could hardly believe my success on that one. I have mostly bought fresh turkeys and used Reynolds oven cooking bags since then and it seems quite the routine and easy thing to do now. I love those cooking bags for their help with moistness. There is nothing like a difficult experience up front to set the pace for all that comes afterwards to feel easy (as pie and like a piece of cake—sweet)!
I once had a turkey noodle soup a friend made and it was wonderful. It seemed very simple. I think she must have just used the broth from the turkey with pieces of the white breast meat and perhaps celery and onions with a little seasoning to taste. It was so simple and yet so good.
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I work with someone during tax season who used to be in the restaurant business, and she does cook some with lard. She does really old fashioned country cooking without recipes. I have never known anyone else who cooks with lard. Needless to say, she is from the south.
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Michelle, I just saw that word “helpmeet” at World. Here is the link:
http://www.worldmag.com/topic/marriage_longevity/
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Back to work for me. How many more years is it ’til the next presidential election? 😉 Painful. It’s all just so painful. 😦 😦 😦 And what’s hard (scary), too, is that the administration has very little in the way of a cohesive and strong opposition right now, everyone’s running in circles. It’s only emboldening the president and his party to push even harder.
Kim, hang in there, we’ll be praying for you.
And this is a “funky” time of year. I’ve never liked January in general. Or February. Why can’t it be Christmas again? I begin to come out of it by March/April, when the first hints of spring arrive. But from my vantage point, life’s not completely OK again until tax season is over with and the property taxes, house insurance and car registration are all paid (whew!) for the rest of the year. (How is it that those all came due like within 2 weeks of each other??) 😦 Blech.
Pray for me also today, that my attitude remains even and calm (and my complaining, inward and outward, is hushed!). Our work environment is just a bear right now.
Guess I should have put that on the prayer thread but I have to scram, I still have veggies to cut for my salad I’m taking for lunch — my eating habits also have been poor in the past week or two which hasn’t helped my mental or emotional state, I’m trying to get back on track with some healthier fare (which often makes me feel lots better just by itself).
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The second turkey I ever cooked I cooked all night on low in an oven bag. The next day when I started to take it out of the bag the carcass came out and all the meat stayed in the bag! Everyone ate it so I must have done something right.
My grandmother used to make the BEST hash browns. I cannot make them taste like hers. I KNOW the secret is lard, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.
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Kim & Donna – I’ve been dealing with some grumbling within myself as well. Emily & I often have very different ideas on how to arrange, organize, etc. the house. Over the past year & a third since Emily & Forrest have been with us, I’ve had to make so many changes in my home & in the way I do things.
For the first several months (close to a year), I seemed to be adjusting pretty well. But there are some things one can successfully deal with on a temporary basis that become much harder to handle as time goes on, & temporary turns into permanent.
In our case, we all acknowledge & agree that Emily & Forrest (& most probably Chrissy, too) will be with us for several years. We love that they are here, we love that Forrest has us to help raise him & love him (& play with him, of course). But we are four adults & a toddler (not to mention the cats & dogs), with only two real bedrooms, so Emily & Forrest use the living room as their bedroom.
I find myself yearning for a little sitting room of my own, or wishing for an extra room for Emily & Forrest to have as their bedroom (& then I could use the living room in the evenings again). Finances will not allow us to do a renovation of our stone-&-cement basement, & we will not evict our friends/tenants who live in our upstairs.
I have always sought to be content in my circumstances, but I find I’m having a really hard time with that right now. 😦 And I’m not happy with myself for feeling this way. 😦
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I always make turkey soup with the leftover turkey carcass etc. I prefer potatoes, celery and carrots to noodles, however. I make the broth first and freeze it in batches. Since I put carrots, celery, onion, peppercorn in the pot when making the broth, I get a rich broth. I don’t add onion to the actual soup, but do the other things. No peppercorns either. I usually add parsley and some thyme and a bay leaf perhaps. I add salt for taste as it is cooking. I make it similar to my chicken noodle, but with that I do prefer the noodles. Don’t ask me why.
I love lard for pies. I always used to use it, but use shortening now. Everyone used to use it, whether from the South or the North.
I love the Ladle and Thread idea. Wish I would have thought of that!
The quote is perfect for me today. I am not a fan of Ben Franklin. He was very inventive and clever, but I think he leaves much to be desired as a role model. The courage of our Founding Fathers (and the women who supported them) amaze me.
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Michelle, God made Eve to be a helper who was suitable (“meet” in the KJV) for him. I think the word is used specifically of the wife; it is not an insult or a lessening of her value, but it does mean she was made for him and not the other way around.
So I would say that, in general, the wife should mold herself to fit her husband more than she expects him to do so for her. It was proper for me to move to join myself to my husband and his life, rather than to want him to fit into my life. Her presence frees him to do better at what he does. Some of that is “mundane,” for example she may be taking care of most or all of the meals, freeing him from that particular care. But some of it is far beyond mundane–she is able to love him (sexually) in ways no one else can love him; she can bear his children; and she can know his weaknesses and vulnerabilities and still respect him and strengthen him in that knowing and that respect.
The husband, in turn, delights in loving his wife and showing her that love. So he may choose to do one of “her” tasks (washing the dishes) or lighten her load and love her by taking her out to eat. And he supports her in her own desires and needs–listening to her when she is sad, praying for her specific needs, encouraging her desire to have time with friends, and so forth.
But I do think marriage works better if women don’t stress over trying to get “equality” of tasks or other aspects, and see the privilege we have of offering support to one good man. We were created for him, not him for us, and it’s a blessing to live out that calling. And we’re happier than the women who try to “keep score” and keep it all even, both because we’re doing what we’re made to do and because men never will do as good a job at some of that as we will. (But he does better at other things, so it works out.)
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I so understand, Karen and am praying for you all. It is no wonder that Paul reminds us to not grow weary of doing good. It IS wearying! God does not fault us for our honesty. I picture Moses with Aaron and Hur holding his arms up, so that the battle would be won. We need the prayers and help of each other, too, to help us continue the battle.
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Cheryl, your post is so in line with what my pastor preached about on Sunday. We are studying in 1 Corinthians 11:1-12 and the message covered the role of the woman. He was talking about that Jesus is in the role of Son to the Father so even though they are part of the three in one they each have a distinct role. He said the role does not mean one is of lesser value. It just means there are different expectations to fullfil for each person. The husband has the role of being the head of the marriage relationship much like Jesus has the role of being head to the church, His bridegroom.
Once when I had a birthday party for our son a child came with one parent and about half-way through the other parent came to do their time as the replacement for the first parent. I was amused at how they balanced out their duty to be with their child. I guess I should look at it as they each couldn’t wait to spend their time with their child. But somehow I got the impression they each couldn’t wait to have their own free time. Of course it could have been that one had an appointment or something like that. I am always so judgemental. I have to ask numerous times for God to forgive me for that habit!
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Karen, it isn’t the same thing, but having our son home after four years living on a college campus year round, does at times feel a bit strained. I was use to the empty nest. Our son was use to feeling more independent. It is an adjustment for now which will not be too long if things pan out with grad school applications. Since he homeschooled, he is not wanting to feel like he has regressed back into those days when mom was in control.
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Thanks for your support & prayers, Kathaleena & Janice. I appreciate them.
It’s nice to be able to come here & share things like this, knowing we’ll find prayerful support.
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Janice – Who has the harder time treating your son as an adult – you or your husband?
In our house, it’s my husband who has to watch how he words things, because he still thinks of the girls as “teens”. (Emily is 23 & Chrissy is 20.)
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That’s an interesting question, Karen O. I have never considered that before. I feel like we probably are both feeling similarily except that I have been around our son more than my husband has so I am more aware of his capabilities. We always gave our son opportunities for independence through summer camps since a fairly young age. One summer he did at least three different overnight summer camps. I think that helped a lot. But he did not have a car until this senior year of college so I think that kept him from feeling as independent as some of his friends. We could not really afford a car and college too so we went with what was seeming to be most important.
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In case you missed it, here’s a powerful message from Pastor/Rabbi Jonathan Cahn at the National Prayer Breakfast:
http://www.revivalschool.com/boldness-jonathan-cahn-presidential-prayer-breakfast/
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Karen we are never alone 😉 You are among friends.
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Michelle, I agree with Cheryl on the help meet question, and she said it much better than I ever could.
I’ll add to the conversation by pointing out a few things I learned about the use of the words “help meet” from reading a book by Debi Pearl entitled Created to Be His Help Meet.
Those two words — “help meet” (and they are two separate words) — appear in the KJV just two times: Genesis 2:18 & 20 (which you probably already knew 😉 ). The words, however, are a translation of one Hebrew word — ayzer — found 21 times in the Hebrew Bible. It’s translated “help meet” two times, and just plain “help” 19 times. When it’s translated “help meet”, it is saying that Eve was created to be a helper (noun) who was meet (adjective), suited to Adam’s needs.
The author points out the New Testament references that use the word “meet” (in the King James Version), that can help shed some light on the word: Acts 26:20; Romans 1:27; I Cor. 15:9, 16:4; Phil. 1:7; Col. 1:12; II Thes. 1:3; II Tim. 2:21; Heb. 6:7; II Pet. 1:13.
I looked up these verses in the KJV, and it was helpful for me to see just where the word “meet” was in each verse, and how it fit the context of the verse.
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Thank you. 🙂
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On Friday, I happily reported this: “THE GOOD NEWS is that, reportedly, today is hubby’s last overnight shift! On Monday he starts a noon-to-midnight shift, and that will be so much better! 🙂 Then in a few weeks supposedly he will go to first shift permanently…
Anything will be better than these overnights, though, and I’m hoping that that is the end of that!”
Um…no…that is NOT the end of that. 😦 Things changed (what a shock). Yesterday morning he got told there wasn’t enough work ready for him at noon, so he shouldn’t bother coming in until late afternoon. He didn’t get home this morning until about 5:30. Today he starts in the mid-afternoon, and the overnights will continue (probably for weeks) until they get enough workers hired for earlier shifts. Disorganization abounds! I could use more prayers for patience.
Praying for Donna, Kim and Karen, too, with the situations you relayed here on this thread, and Janice and Kathaleena with your requests on the prayer thread today. There have certainly been lots of prayer needs lately. What a blessing that the Lord hears them all and cares immensely for all of us in our struggles.
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I mostly wanted to stay out of the “helpmeet” conversation because my mother preached and drilled it into my head to never get myself in a position where I was dependent on a man. My secret desire has always been to have a man “take care of me” and provide the life for me to which I wanted to become accustomed. I am not made that way as much as I want it. I once hid several thousand dollars in the freezer when I quit work to stay home with BG so that I wouldn’t have to ask George for money. Up until I quit work I made more money than George did. Once I quit work I never felt equal to him again and he questioned every dime I spent and I didn’t have “pocket money” once I spent my reserve.
For eight years I have managed and mismanaged my money all on my own. I was the responsible one and if I didn’t have any money it was my own fault. I mostly smiled and went about my business. Very, very few, those of you who were over on WorldMag with me knew the desperation in which I was living.
I have found myself doing the same things with Mr. P. I work, I make money, the lease agreement, and all the bills are in my name. I get paid on the first and the fifteenth and I pay all of the bills out of my earnings–then I resent Mr. P for not contributing. I recognize this in myself. It is the way I am conditioned.
So I turned, once again, to the handy dandy “His Needs, Her Needs” by Willard F. Harley, Jr (1986) recommended to me years ago by a Christian therapist.
Chapter 1 How to Affair Proof Your Marriage
Chapter 2 Why Your Love Bank Never Closes
Chapter 3 The First Thing She Can’t Do Without–Affection
Chapter 4 The First Thing He Can’t Do Without–Sexual Fulfillment
Chapter 5 She Needs Him to Talk to Her–Conversation
Chapter 6 He Needs Her to be His Playmate–Recreational Companionship
Chapter 7 She Needs to Trust Him Totally — Honesty and Openness
Chapter 8 He Needs a Good Looking Wife–An Attractive Spouse (this just means she takes care of herself, not that she is a model)
Chapter 9 She Needs Enough Money to Live Comfortably–Financial Support
Chapter 10 He Needs Peace and Quiet–Domestic Support
Chapter 11 She Needs Him to be a Good Father– Family Commitment
Chapter 12 He Needs Her to be Proud of Him–Admiration
Chapter 13 How to Survive an Affair
Chapter 14 From Incompatible to Irristible
Once again, Cheryl has said what I mean to say much better than I have…go back and read her post.
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Interesting chapter topics. I once mentioned something on Worldmag blog. I got it form somewhere, forgot where so no attribution.
A man wants the woman he loves to admire him.
A woman wants to be loved by the man she admires.
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Family.
My dad and one of my uncles traded guns with instructions that my dad wanted me to have his gun back at some point. No one said anything to me about this. I sold the gun. My uncle just told me to give him $800 and he would give me my dad’s gun back. I told him there were a lot of things I needed to do with $800 before I spent it on a gun.
Other Parents:
Last yeat at Spring Break I ended up with one of BG’s friends for the week. When I went ot pick her up the mother was on her way to Jamaica with her boyfriend for a week. I think she gave me $50 for food. This year she is renting a condo and has invited BG to go with them. I just need to contribute $250 to help pay for the condo.???????? Yeah, my thoughts too.
I think I might just run away.
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So Drill came around yesterday and I missed him.
QoD: I don’t really have a favorite. Perhaps it would be Patrick Henry because of his passion for liberty at any cost. They all had their good and bad points.
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Kim – Wow. That’s absurd. What kind of invitation is that?!
Earlier you mentioned one of the issues being how you fold BG’s clothes. Then I saw a photo of her driving on Facebook.
Can you see where I’m going with this?
If she’s old enough to drive, she’s old enough to do her own laundry. 🙂
BTW, I do realize that there could be a good reason why she doesn’t. But if not, get her butt in gear for laundry.
Another piece of totally unsolicited advice (you’re very welcome) – It may be good for your marriage to put all “your” money & “his” money in one account, where it becomes, for the two of you, “our money”.
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Interesting & encouraging article about a gay activist & his blossoming friendship with Chick-Fil-A’s Dan Cathy…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-l-windmeyer/dan-cathy-chick-fil-a_b_2564379.html
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I don’t fold BG’ s clothes . Apparently I don’t put the clean clothes in her room the.right way
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Clothes are supposed to be folded?
Busy day at work, now I’m ear-deep in the Westminster dog show story which is due a week from Thursday and will run Feb. 10, the Sunday before the show begins.
I have about 6 dog owners/handlers lined up to interview (one phone interview done), trying to set up photos. Also have a request in to one of the judges who is from our regional readership area.
Meanwhile, I came home to find one of my (not perfect show) dogs had ripped up more of one of the dog beds, presumably because the gardener came today. 😦 Dog beds aren’t cheap. But they’re cheaper than furniture, which is why I keep them off mine with barricades whenever I leave the house.
I know, I know. What are your dogs doing inside, donna? (channeling mumsee).
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The five and six year olds fold their own clothes here, anybody over eight washes his own clothes.
We are still under the weather here. I suspect one of the two illnesses running through is the flu. I sat in my chair and slept almost all day. Interestingly, when children arrive here, they tend to hang out in their own rooms. But after a short time, they realize it is more interesting in the family living areas. Anyway, they all tend to hover around me so when I was first down with this and tried to rest in my room, they all hovered around my door. I decided it was just easier to keep them quiet by sleeping in my chair where they can see me and yet respect my need for rest. It worked well today.
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Feel better mumsee, that’s sweet about how they’d all hover at your door. 🙂
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I did not say anything at all about those tick and flea limousines being in your house.
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You didn’t. And I appreciate that. 😉
Tomorrow we have 90-minute google training sessions at work, we’re not only switching out all our email platforms but then next month we get a whole new operating system.
And I still haven’t really mastered the new phones we got 2 months ago. 😦
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This could get interesting (article is by Kristen Powers):
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/29/obama-vs-fox-news-behind-white-house-strategy-to-delegitimize-news-organization/?test=latestnews
“Whether you are liberal or conservative, libertarian, moderate or politically agnostic, everyone should be concerned when leaders of our government believe they can intentionally try to delegitimize a news organization they don’t like.
“In fact, if you are a liberal – as I am – you should be the most offended, as liberalism is founded on the idea of cherishing dissent and an inviolable right to freedom of expression.
“That more liberals aren’t calling out the White House for this outrageous behavior tells you something about the state of liberalism in America today.”
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“Tick and flea limousines.” LOL!
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We’re moving over to google email this week, too. I can hardly wait to go to work tomorrow to find out what’s next . . .
Meanwhile, a pretty amazing opportunity arose if I can pull it off . . .
I’ll let you know if/when it works! 🙂
Anybody know anything about Gallipoli?
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Not much. But I know that Winston Churchill tried to do an end run around the Huns in WW I at Gallipoli and got kicked out. That’s about it.
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Churchill did the same thing in WW II. Convinced Roosevelt to invade Africa. WW II would have ended the same without the North Africa/Italy campaign.
And Mark Clark wasn’t that great a general, even if he has a freeway named after him in Charleston.
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Isn’t it also a movie from the 80’s, with Mel Gibson?
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Yep. It is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_(1981_film)
“Gallipoli is a 1981 Australian film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, about several young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in the Australian Army during the First World War. They are sent to the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire (in modern day Turkey), where they take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. During the course of the movie, the young men slowly lose their innocence about the purpose of war. The climax of the movie occurs on the Anzac battlefield at Gallipoli and depicts the futile attack at the Battle of the Nek on 7.”
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