Ann

Ginny...I can't believe it! I have that sign in my kitchen too!!! Truer words have never been spoken. I think my soul is sky blue. Certainly not white. I think I have a very "tranquil" soul and whenever I see the blue sky I have a strong feeling of peace and tranquility.

I guess a lot of us will be making at least one batch of deviled eggs this summer, so I thought I would share some tips for the perfectly boiled (and peeled) egg. A friend of mine that is a wonderful cook shared these with me. Now...I seem to have great boiled eggs every time. Place the eggs you want to boil in a pot. Make sure that the pot does not have water in it yet. You would be surprised just how often people try to gently place the eggs in the bottom of a water-filled pot, only to crack the shells when they drop them too quickly. Fill the pot with lukewarm water, so that it covers the eggs completely. Place a lid on the the pot and put the pot on the stove. Turn the burner on "high." Wait for the water to start to boil. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your pot and your stove. You will know when the water is boiling even if you are not in the room because you can hear the eggs tapping against the bottom of the pot. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat off and leave the pot on the stove for 10 minutes so the eggs can finish cooking. This is called carry-over-cooking. Remove the pot from the stove and place it into an empty sink. Empty most of the hot water into the sink, without allowing the eggs to come out with the water. Fill the pot with ice & run cold water into the pot to end the cooking process and allow the eggs to cool. Leave them in the pot in the sink for about 10 minutes. Peel the eggs immediately, returning them to the ice water when peeled. Tips Turn the heat off as soon as the water begins to boil rapidly. Don't let the eggs boil for very long, as they will be overcooked. Add lots of salt to the water before boiling to make peeling easier. After the eggs come to a boil leave the pot on stove for 10 minutes with the heat off. Its been said that eggs are overcooked if the white is rubbery and the outside of the yolk is tinged with gray-but remember, some people like it this way.

This information is valuable and will save women a lot of stress. Please re-read often.... Because I'm a man, when I lock my keys in the car I will fiddle with a coat hanger long after hypothermia has set in. AAA is not an option. I will win. Because I'm a man, when the car isn't running very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the engine as if I know what I'm looking at. If another man shows up, one of us will say to the other, "I used to be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn't, know where to start." We will then drink a couple of beers and break wind, as a form of holy communion. Because I'm a man, when I catch a cold, I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You're a woman. You never get as sick as I do, so for you a cold is no problem. Because I'm a man, I can be relied upon to purchase basic groceries at the store, like milk or bread. I cannot be expected to find exotic items like "cumin" or "tofu." For all I know, these are the same things. Because I'm a man, when one of our appliances stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair person gets here and has to put it back together. Because I'm a man, I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole show looking for it (though one time I was able to survive by holding a calculator) ...applies mainly to engineers. Because I'm a man, there is no need to ask me what I'm thinking about. The true answer is always either sex, cars, or sports. I have to make up something else when you ask, so don't ask. Because I'm a man, I do not want to visit your mother, or have your mother come visit us, or talk to her when she calls, or think about her any more than I have to. Whatever you got her for Mother's Day is okay; I don't need to see it. And don't forget to pick up something for my mother, too. Because I'm a man, you don't have to ask me if I liked the movie. Chances are, if you're crying at the end of it, I didn't....and if you are feeling amorous afterwards... then I will certainly at least remember the name and recommend it to others. Because I'm a man, I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine, too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or without it, looks fine. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go? (And, no, that dress doesn't make you look fat. Nothing makes you look fat so quit asking. Because I'm a man, and this is, after all, the year 2006, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the vacuuming, and the dishes, and I'll do the rest... like wandering around in the garden with a beer thinking about sex, cars, or sports. This has been a public service message for Women to better understand Men

In honor od Uncle Doug, I'm going to try his recipe this weekend. What a wonderful friend he was!

If your soul was a color, what color would it be?

Wow, Jamie. Your uncle is a great testimonial for the use of ACV and honey!

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctors' permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But by the time I'd got my leotards on, the class was over...... The nice thing about being senile, is that you can hide your own Easter Eggs. Just before the funeral service, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, "How old was your husband?" She replied, "98. Two years older than me." "So you're 96?" the undertaker commented. She responded, "Hardly worth going home, is it?" I've sure gotten old. I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees. Fought prostrate cancer, and diabetes.I'm half blind, and I can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. I have bouts with dementia. I've poor circulation, hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my drivers' licence. My memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Know how to prevent sagging? Eat till the wrinkles fill out. I'm getting into swing dancing. Not on purpose. Some parts of my body are just prone to swinging. It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker. Don't think of it as hot flushes. Think of it as your inner child playing with matches. Don't let ageing get you down. It's too ****ed hard to get back up again. Remember.....you don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. The Senility Prayer..... Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference. Now, I think you're supposed to send this to five or six, or maybe ten. Oh, just send it to a bunch of your friends, if you can remember who they are......

So very sorry to read this news. His presence on this board and his wonderful words will surely be missed by all.

I am so very sorry to read this news about Uncle Doug. Thank you, Pat, for letting us know.

Without a doubt, the most spiritual moment in my life was witnessing Dennis leave this life and pass on to a better one. Just after he passed, my best friend and my DIL were outside. They heard a noise, looked up, and saw what must have been ten thousand little birds hovering over the end of the house where Dennis's body was. The Hospice nurse said she had never witnessed anything quite like this and asked if she could use this story to pass on to others. All of my neighbors were all standing in their yards, looking up in tears. These birds stayed until the transport vehicle showed up to remove Dennis' body. Then, these birds left, flying over the van for miles, according to the driver. My neighbor identified these little birds as Swifts. We have never seen these birds again. At that moment, I had to believe that God and Dennis were sending us a beautiful sign.

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES 1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed. 2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away. 3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. About lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink. 4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer. 5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. 6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough. 7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache. 8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape. 9. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. 10. Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom. 11. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance. 12. And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan!

http://media.putfile.com/Funny-dogs89

If you had to pick the single most spiritual moment in your life so far, when would it be?

Hi Laura. Welcome aboard. You and I almost got the opportunity to meet while you were here with your mom. I live in Palm Bay. I'm sure you know what a wonderful mom you have. She did a super job of caring for your dad and making sure that everything was done for him that could have been. She's very proud of her children. I'm so glad that she has you for support right now.

Isn't it strange that none of us seem to have saved toys from our childhood? Hey...as old as I am things from my childhood would be worth a fortune right now. My boys have all saved some of their favorite toys. One still has all of his G.I. Joe figures and his comic book collection. The other one has tons of Matchbook cars and Star Trek things and the other has all of his HE-MAN figures and baseball cards. I think I probably encouraged them to save their things, as I was foolish and didn't see any value in saving things from my childhood.

Me too, Ginny!!!!

You should look into having your license removed from public viewing on the internet.* You can go to this website and see yours or anyones for that matter by following this link.* http://www.license.shorturl.com/ I had mine removed last night.

My soon-to-be DIL loves my chicken 'n dumplins. Now for those of you who are NOT from the south, that would translate to chicken and dumplings. I actually thought about making a big pot of these for dinner. My youngest son and oldest son have to both do earlier meals with the gals families. I always seem to do all this cooking and they are pretty filled up from a noon time meal. But...don't think I'm ready to do chicken 'n dumplins for Easter.

Shelly.... You're just a wealth of ACV information. Thanks for all the tips. Wonder how many of us are going to try this now??? Who's on Shelly's ACV plan???? I'm headed to health food store this evening after work.

A funny joke to hopefully brighten someones day!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTUAL AUSTRALIAN COURT DOCKET 12659---CASE OF THE PREGNANT LADY A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus. She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her. She immediately moved to another seat. This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, the man burst out laughing, she complained to the driver and he had the man arrested. The case came up in court. The judge asked the man (about 20 years old) what he had to say for himself. The man replied, "Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I couldn't help but notice her condition. She sat down under a sign that said, 'The Double Mint Twins are Comin' and I grinned." "Then she moved and sat under a sign that said, 'Logan's Liniment will reduce the swelling', and I had to smile. "Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, "William's Big Stick Did the Trick", and I could hardly contain myself." "BUT, your Honor, when She moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, 'Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this Accident'... I just lost it." "CASE DISMISSED!!"

Overview: I had to take my son's lizard to the vet. Here's what happened: Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was "something wrong" with one of the two lizards he holds prisoner in his room. "He's just lying there looking sick," he told me. "I'm serious, Dad. Can you help?" I put my best lizard-healer statement on my face and followed him into his bedroom. One of the little lizards was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed. I immediately knew what to do. "Honey," I called, "come look at the lizard!" Oh my gosh," my wife diagnosed after a minute. "She's having babies." "What?" my son demanded. "But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!" I was equally outraged. "Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce," I accused my wife. "Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?" she inquired. (I actually think she said this sarcastically!) "No, but you were supposed to get two boys!" I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting my teeth together ). "Yeah, Bert and Ernie!" my son agreed. "Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know," she informed me. (Again with the sarcasm, you think?) By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it. "Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience, I announced. "We're about to witness the miracle of birth." "OH, Gross!", they shrieked. "Well, isn't THAT just Great! What are we going to do with a litter of tiny little lizard babies?" my wife wanted to know. (I really do think she was being snotty here, too. don't you?) We peered at the patient. After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later. "We don't appear to be making much progress," I noted"It's breech," my wife whispered, horrified. "Do something, Dad!" my son urged. .. "Okay, okay." Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gingerly tug. It disappeared. I tried several more times with the same results. "Should I call 911?" my eldest daughter wanted to know. "Maybe they could talk us through the trauma." (You see a pattern here with the females in my house?) "Let's get Ernie to the vet," I said grimly. We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap. "Breathe, Ernie, breathe," he urged. "I don't think lizards do Lamaze," his mother noted to him. (Women can be so cruel to their own young. I mean what she does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb, for God's sake.) The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass. "What do you think, Doc, a C-section?" I suggested scientifically. "Oh, very interesting," he murmured. "Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?" I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside. "Is Ernie going to be okay?" my wife asked. "Oh, perfectly," the vet assured us. "This lizard is not in labor. In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen... Ernie is a boy. You see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into maturity, like most male species, they um....um....masturbate. Just the way he did, lying on his back." He blushed, glancing at my wife. "Well, you know what I'm saying, Mr.. Cameron." We were silent, absorbing this. "So Ernie's just...just...Excited," my wife offered. "Exactly," the vet replied, relieved that we understood. More silence. Then my viscous, cruel wife started to giggle. And giggle. And then even laugh loudly "What's so funny?" I demanded, knowing, but not believing that the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my flawless manliness. Tears were now running down her face. "It's just...that... I'm picturing you pulling on its...its...teeny little..." she gasped for more air to bellow in laughter once more. "That's enough," I warned. We thanked the veterinarian and hurriedly bundled the lizards and our son back into the car. He was glad everything was going to be okay. "I know Ernie's really thankful for what you've done, Dad," he told me. "Oh, you have NO idea," my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter. 2 - lizards - $140... 1 - Cage - $50... Trip to the Vet - $50...

I know the pain you are feeling today. After losing a loved one, these special dates are really hard to face alone. I think you should go out and buy yourself eight beautiful roses...seven for the seven years you had with the love of your life and one to represent the next year ahead. Make today a day to remember some of the many beautiful memories you made during the wonderful time the two of you spent together. I know how hard this is to do...

I was also a very "outdoors" type of gal. I was raised an only child so I spent a lot of time with my cousins that lived down the hill. There were thirteen children in the family. There were four girls and the rest were boys. Two of the girls were older than I was, so I learned to play a lot of baseball. My mom tried really hard to get me interested in dolls. She was a great seamstress and made great doll clothes for me but....I would always put the doll clothes on my cats. Those poor cats!!! There was one black and white cat...Baby Doll...that would let me completely dress her and then push her around in my doll stroller...lol! I don't have any of my dolls today but I do have a couple of my mom's dolls.

Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee.....Share your Easter dinner menus. I desperately want to cook some different dishes but my brain seems to be temporarily out of order. I will share one new dish I'm preparing that sounds yummy. It's called Pineapple Casserole. Pineapple casserole 1 cup sugar 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups grated sharp cheddar **grate your own 2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained, and 6 tablespoons pineapple juice reserved 1 cup cracker crumbs --I use saltine, but ritz works too 1/2 cup melted butter Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a medium-size casserole dish. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Gradually stir in the cheese. Add the drained pineapple chunks, and stir until ingredients are well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. In another medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, Spread crumb mixture on top of pineapple mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice. The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into: A.. $8,896.66 a year, B.. $741.38 a month, or C.. $171.08 a week. D.. That's a mere $24.24 a day! E.. Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140? A.. Naming rights. First, middle, and last! B.. Glimpses of God every day. C.. Giggles under the covers every night. D.. More love than your heart can hold. E.. Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs. F.. Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. G.. A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate. H.. A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites I.. Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day. For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to: A.. Finger-paint, B.. Carve pumpkins, C.. Play hide-and-seek, D.. Catch lightning bugs, and E.. Never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to: A.. Keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, B.. Watching Saturday morning cartoons, C.. Going to Disney movies, and D.. Wishing on stars. You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day. For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for: A.. Retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, B.. Taking the training wheels off a bike, C.. Removing a splinter, D.. Filling a wading pool, E.. Coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, F.. Coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat to history to witness the: A.. First step, B.. First word, C.. First bra, D.. First date, and E.. First time behind the wheel. You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits. So . . One day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!! Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!! They are priceless....