I'm Not English, but I Love Tea...

I have made tea in my Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker for years....we drink a lot of tea and its easier and faster than making it in a tea pot or one cup at a time.  I use 3 Lipton tea bags, two are black tea and one is green.  But, we haven't a water softener and we live in an area where the water is rock hard,  full of two minerals -- calcium and magnesium.
 
I always have major tea stains in my sink and coffee cups.  Plus the tea looks murky.  The tea leaves a filmy layer in the cups and if I don't rinse the cups right away, the stains "set" and are very difficult to remove.  If I do rinse them in the sink and do not immediately clean the sink, it gets really yucky too and I have to scrub it with cleanser.   It sounds like I'm a terrible housekeeper but actually I'm not.  I just have this problem with tea bag stain.  Especially since the new "earth friendly" dishwasher detergents are totally useless in ridding my cups and glasses of stains. 

Last week my husband suggested that I put a coffee filter into the coffee pot, put the tea bags into it, and let the filter catch the residue from the tea bags and possibly the water.  Zoweeee, it works, my tea is clear and the flavor is as good as ever.

This residue stuff does not always appear.  I think that our water utility company treats the water differently depending on the season.   Our water is taken from either wells around Omaha, or from the Missouri River itself...a scary thought. The spring run-off from 5 states empties into the Missouri River....it is purified and treated and passes all its' inspections, but.........

Le Boicour Boutique at Bonanza

Are you one of the millions who BUY items online?  Or, are you one of the millions who SELL on line?  Some of my friends hold garage sales every spring, summer and fall – but that is usually too time-consuming and here in Nebraska, you never know what the weather will be like…..wind, sudden rainstorms or “fry an egg on the sidewalk” temperatures.
 
My friend Connie and I have ventured into the Sell On Line arena….at first we did some posting, etc. on Ebay…she has a basement full of glassware and did well.  Unfortunately, between owning a “store” on Ebay and paying a monthly fee, plus fee for posting an item and paying a final fee on the sales price (including postage) it turned out to be a lot more work and less profit than anticipated.  After a few months, I gave up.

I turned my back on Ebay and opted to try a new selling site…Bonanza.  Bonanza is not an auction site, you set a price and if a buyer wants it, they buy it.  All in all, Bonanza’s prices tend to be less than Ebays mainly because they do not have a charge for owning a “booth”, have no listing fees and once you list an item it does not expire in a week …

Many of the items are from our own family of four grown children plus seven grandchildren, ranging in age from 21 to 4.  I also frequent garage and estate sales (my favorite).  Estate sales have much nicer items….a garage sale usually has things that the owner wants to get rid of…an estate sale means that it all goes…good, bad and often quite ugly! 

My store/booth is called LeBoicour Boutique and I invite you to visit me on Bonanza.  Or, if you are a seller (or want to be) you can join and do some selling yourself.  The other sellers are the friendliest group you will ever meet…no snide remarks if you don’t know what you’re doing, many suggestions as to how to improve your booth…..many of your sales will be to Bonanza members and you’ll find yourself buying items FROM Bonanza members.

Come on over and see what I’m offering.

LE BOICOUR BOUTIQUE

JeaneBee

Our Hawk Visitors...can you identify them?

This beautiful hawk and friend visited our garden yesterday morning.  When I looked out of our kitchen window, it was sitting on the back fence just looking around.  After a while, it dropped down into the grass, hopped around for a second or two and with a leap was back onto the top of the fence.  We watched this early morning display from our kitchen window … but somewhere between looking out the window and pouring myself a cup of tea, another bird appeared on the fence.  I don’t know if bird #2 was on the ground and #1 went down to give it moral support and encourage it come up and see the world from the fence top or if it flew in from somewhere else.

We don’t know what type of hawk this is and would like it identified if you know.  Thanks to images on Google we think it might be a Groshawk or possibly a red-tailed hawk.  Bird #2 seems to have a lot of fluffy feathers…...it may be a fledgling and is just learning to fly.  Bird #1 could be a parent or even a sibling.

We watched them for about 15 minutes and then decided to get closer for better photos.  I walked to about 15 feet from the fence and the smaller bird #2, took off.  It had very large wings, easily 3 feet or more from tip to tip.  It flapped it’s wings several times and glided to a tall tree in another yard.  Bird #1 sat patiently while I snapped a few more photos, then raised up, flapped it’s wings and took off, landing next to it’s friend on the neighboring tree. 

The next morning, I went out to get our newspaper, and there sat bird #1 on the fence again.  It stayed for a half hour or so, and then flew away….probably never to visit us again.  But we enjoyed the visit…and wonder if there is a nest (probably a really big one) somewhere in the neighborhood.    Also made a mental note to keep an eye on Fred, our cocker spaniel and Oakley, our granddaughter Jennifer’s little Westmoreland Terrier when we babysit her next week.  The birds may have a problem getting chunky ole Fred off the ground, but Oakley would be a prime target.

Concrete Angel by Martina McBride

This video and song by Martina McBride is hard to watch without bringing tears to your eyes.  How can someone physically or mentally abuse a child.  Drinking, drugs, mental illness are sometimes given as the reason...but there is NO reason. 

Concrete Angel

To Women Over Forty ,,,Thoughts by Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney says:

As I grow in age, I value women who are over forty most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over forty will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think.

If a woman over forty doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it’s usually something more interesting.

A woman over forty knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of forty give a hoot what you might think about her or what she’s doing.

Women over forty are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

A woman over forty has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn’t trust the guy with other women. Women over forty couldn’t care less if you’re attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won’t betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over forty. They always know.

A woman over forty looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over forty is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one! You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over forty for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of forty-plus, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some twenty-two-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free,” here’s an update for you. Now 80 percent of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig, just to get a little sausage.

By:  Veronica Kavanaugh

Foreclosure

Guest post written by Joseph Finch

We loved our neighbors. They were awesome people who were always up for hanging out. We moved into our current house about six years ago, and they were the first people that we met on our block. We became fast friends as we had children that were roughly the same age. My husband and her husband are both avid football fans, so the men always had something to talk about. I was heartbroken when the wife told me that they were going to be moving because they no longer could make their house payments. I was depressed for a week. Two weeks after they told us, they were gone. Now, a vacant home sits across the street from us, and I am concerned that an empty house may lead to trouble. Foreclosures are common in our area, but I did not expect to have one across the street from us. My husband and I decided to purchase a home security system through homesecuritysystem.com, but I still worry that an empty house may bring trouble. Plus it will make our own home more difficult to sell. I wish our friends were still here.

Odd Facts You Didn't Know about 7 Iconic American Products

Odd Facts You Didn't Know about 7 Iconic American Products
Source:  Reader's Digest

1.  PHILADELPHIA BRAND CREAM CHEESE was made in New York........American cream cheese was an attempt to replicate the style of French neufchâtel cheese as it was made in the 1800s. Cream cheese was first made in 1872 in New York State by dairyman William A. Lawrence. Eight years later, the enterprising cheese distributor A. L. Reynolds packaged the cheese in foil wrappers and called it Philadelphia Brand because the public associated the City of Brotherly Love with high-quality food products. To this day, Philadelphia cream cheese has a monopoly on the cream cheese market.

2.   GATORADE DOES HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH "GATORS".......In 1965, a coach for the Florida Gators college football team and one of the university's kidney specialists came up with a concoction of water, salt, sugar, and lemon juice to keep the school's football players hydrated and energized while playing football under the hot Southern sun. Two years later, Gatorade was marketed nationally and has since netted the University of Florida more than $90 million in revenues.

3. SPAM STANDS FOR SOMETHING!......In 1937, in Austin, Minnesota, the Hormel Company developed the first canned meat product that did not require refrigeration. Made of chopped pork shoulder and ham (a cut from the pig's buttock and thigh), it was marketed simply as "Hormel Spiced Ham." The public's response was anticlimactic. Other companies developed their own canned meats, and Hormel's product was soon at risk of getting lost in the shuffle. To save the day, a decision was made to offer a prize to the person who could think up a catchy new name. The winning entry was "Spam". Several versions of the name's meaning are in circulation — the two most credible are: It's a blend of "spice" and "ham," and it stands for "Shoulder of Pork and Ham." What is known for certain is that Kenneth Daigneau, a Broadway actor — and the brother of a Hormel vice president — submitted "Spam." As the contest winner, he was given a prize of $100

Today Spam is iconic. It is still an inexpensive source of protein that can stretch a budget; yet it is "famous" enough to have spawned fan clubs and cookbooks. It is known (sometimes by reputation and sometimes by taste) by Americans of all ages. As is fitting an icon, its packaging was accepted into the Smithsonian. And if you travel to Austin, Minnesota, you can visit the Spam Museum, opened in 2001. You will be welcomed by a variety of interactive and educational games, exhibits, and video presentations, all singing the praises of Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam.

4.   WHAT DOES THE FRISBEE HAVE TO DO WITH PIE?.....The Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, sold pies. Local college students used the empty tins (embossed with the words "Frisbie's Pies") to play catch. In 1948, Walter Morrison and Warren Franscioni found a way to capitalize on this free toy by creating a plastic version called the Flyin' Saucer and later renamed the Pluto Platter Flying Saucer. (This was after the alleged UFO sightings in Roswell, New Mexico.) When the founders of Wham-O bought rights to the toy and renamed it Frisbee, sales truly went out of this world.

5.  WHAT IS A CHICKEN NOODLE IN CAMPBELL'S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?........"Chicken with Noodles" soup was a variety introduced to the public by Campbell's in 1934. Despite the fact that it is now considered a mainstay comfort food, sales back then were slow — until the product's name was misread during an episode of the popular Amos 'n' Andy radio show. Once listeners heard the words "chicken noodle soup," consumer interest was captured. Folks began to call Campbell's to ask about this "new" soup. Wise to a good thing, the company quickly dropped the "with" and the "s" and renamed the soup to match the blooper that raised its sales.

6.  WHAT DO NATHAN'S FAMOUS HOTDOGS HAVE TO DO WITH DOCTORS?......In 1916, Nathan Handwerker started his own hot dog stand in Coney Island, using an all-beef recipe developed by his wife, Ida. He charged 5 cents because he wanted his product to be affordable. The public stayed away, reasoning that if it was so cheap maybe it was horse meat! Nathan devised a creative solution: He hired people to stand and eat in front of his place wearing lab coats and stethoscopes. He then posted a sign reading, "If doctors eat our hot dogs, you know they're good!" It was this type of moxie that enabled him to build his stand into a hot dog empire, and create a brand name that is recognized around the globe.

7. MARSHMALLOWS USED TO SOOTHE SORE THROATS .......Today a marshmallow is a spongy treat cooked over campfires. Up until the mid-1800s, marshmallow candy was used medicinally. Doctors extracted juice from the roots of the marsh-mallow plant and cooked it with egg whites and sugar, then whipped it into a foamy meringue. This hardened and the resulting candy soothed children's sore throats. Eventually, advanced manufacturing processes replaced the root juice with gelatin, which eliminated any healing properties.

And YES folks, these products are still MADE IN THE U.S.A.

Dogs I have owned and loved

The first dog that lived in our home when I was a kid was Rex, a Heinz 57 variety of cocker spaniel and traveling man. Rexie was mostly black and brown with tan eyebrows and muzzle...I see a lot of dogs with that combination so the traveling man was very popular with the ladies.

My own first dog was a collie given to me by a boyfriend who I eventually married. Danni was a purebred, an offspring of two show dogs. Danni didn't have the large white ruff around his neck so was not considered show quality and his price was affordable. He was a sweet, good natured dog but had wanderlust....when we moved to a new house in the suburbs without a fenced in yard, Danni wandered off.....we always hoped that he found a good home.

When our second daughter was about 2 years old, we decided to get another dog....prior to this, a friend had given us a pony...a little white spotted mare. Since our suburban neighborhood was rapidly filling with new homes, we no longer had space for a pony so traded her to a farmer friend for a bassett puppy. Lazee Dazee was the family playmate and followed our girls whereever they went. Dazee died when she was 8 years old.

Our family was growing so we bought a larger house and moved again...by this time we had 3 children, 2 girls and a boy. And wanted another dog. Freckles was found at our local animal shelter...a combination of cocker spaniel and we think terrier. She was also a very prolific little dog....she had evidentally had some dealings with another traveling man because several months later she had a litter of 6 darling little black and white puppies. About this time we decided that 3 young children, a dog and 6 puppies was too much for me to care for, so my mom graciously volunteered to take Freckles and her brood. Freckles lived out her life in luxury .... spoiled to the max.

When our last child, Nancy, was 3, we were given a German Shorthair Pointer....a beautiful dog. His name was Argang's Dark Shadow and he lived with us until his death at age 13. Shadow was of the "traveling man" variety...if he could climb the fence, slip out the gate or get out of the door, he was GONE!. The kids would run after him yelling "Shadow, Shadow" and he'd tuck his tail between his legs and run....but he always came home. Shadow passed away in his sleep at age 13.

After Shadow passed away, I said "NO MORE DOGS" but of course no one listened. Our son was 16 and had just passed his driving test...he had a license!!.. so the first place he went was the animal shelter.

I was happily cleaning up in the kitchen when the phone rang....a lady from the shelter. She said that Jeff was there wanting to adopt a dog...since he was still under our roof, she said she couldn't let him have one without our permission. I asked what does the dog look like, what kind is it? She must have been very anxious for Jeff to have the dog because her description was a little vague...."well, its white with black spots and we think it is a terrier.." Yep, it was white and black alright, but about 8" taller than any terrier. We had Duke for nearly 10 years.

Finally our children married and moved into homes of their own. And, we were dogless. But not for long. Our youngest, Nancy decided that we needed a pet, so brought over a darling little cocker spaniel puppy....golden brown with a WHITE topnotch....his name was Copper Valley Flintstone. One look at those liquid brown eyes and we were hooked. Fred is 14 years old and is my husband's constant companion.

The last member of our doggy family was a Keeshound named D. B. Kuper....Kuper was one of our son's four dogs. When Jeff moved from the country to the city, he could only take three of the dogs with him. Kuper needed a home...ours. Luckily Fred and Kuper knew each other and Fred was willing to share his home and yard....not his doghouse however. Kuper knew that the doghouse was forbidden territory and never went in. They were good buddies until Kuper died of cancer.

Ole Fred is not in the best of health, he doesn't see well and is hard of hearing (so is his owner!) or has selective hearing....hears when he wants to. He has a small tumor which is being watched. We dread the day that Fred passes away, but realize that it will not be far off.

Fred will be our last dog....I cannot handle my heart being torn apart piece by piece when our sweet, beloved dogs die. Each of them lives in my heart and memories of them will be with me always.

Post script:  Fred passed away on September 1, 2011.  He had been ill for a while and one night, he curled up in his bed and went to sleep. We hope that he will be waiting for us with the rest of our beloved dogs at the Rainbow Bridge. 

My Moonflower Garden

My moonflowers are growing wild! I thought they were nice, gentile little bushes that flowered for a year and then died off. Wrong! This year they came up from the root of last summer's plant and they were off and running. We have them planted along the side of the yard and the bushes are nearly 5 feet high and spreading.


They have trumpet shaped flowers as large as saucers and have a fragrant aroma. Once they are finished blooming, they produce a large 3" in diameter seed pod that is vicious....full of spines and when they dry, they get hard and remind me of those mines that were used in WW2 to sink ships. You do not want to fool around with them unless you're wearing gloves, leather preferred.

They are self seeding....when the pods dry, they burst open and dozens of little seeds are released. This spring, little plants have shown up in areas of the yard that were nowhere near the mother plants. They like sun, the flowers bloom at night (I think) but are in full bloom in the morning and early afternoon. (husband calls them the "one night wonders") By afternoon the flowers have begun to wilt...some die but other hang in there until the next day.

1

Sow the moon flower seeds in the spring after all danger of frost is gone. In frost-free areas, the seeds can be sown in the fall to early spring. You can also start the seeds indoors in a well-lit area, 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost.

2

Prepare the seeds the night before you are going to plant them. Moon flower seeds have a thick husk and need to be chipped before planting. The seeds are about the size of a kernel of corn, so this is not difficult to do. You can take a metal file and file the seed. Or you can take a sharp knife and score the seed. You can also take a pair of nail clippers and nip one of the edges of the seed.

3

Put the seeds in a cup and cover with warm water. Let them stand overnight. This, along with the chipping, will help the seeds germinate quicker.

4

Select a sunny location to plant the moonflowers. They need as much sun as they can get. If you can, plant them in a place where their fragrance can be enjoyed. Also take into account that this is a climbing vine and will either need something to climb on, like a porch rail, a lamp post, a trellis, or even twine or floral wire.

5

Plant the seeks ½ inch deep. Gently tamp the soil down on top of the seeds. Carefully water the soil so as not to move the seeds. Keep the ground moist. Seedlings should appear in 7 to 14 days, depending upon the soil and weather conditions.

Read more: How to Grow Moonflowers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2296251_grow-moonflowers.html#ixzz0x3YOenjE

Affordable Car Insurance

Our granddaughter is a freshman in college and finding affordable car insurance is very important to her family.  Jenny isn’t a bad driver but will probably be lumped in with others of her age who are.  There are lots of insurance companies and it’s hard to determine which one is the one for her.  Her family is comparing providers and also comparing rates.  They know that young people are the most expensive to insure.  You would assume that boys are hard to insure, but in our area we had a terrible accident that took the life of a 19 year old girl and badly injured her passenger. She was not speeding, but was carrying on a conversation with her friend, the road made a sharp turn, and she didn’t.  The car went off the road and hit a tree.

One way to find an affordable insurance rate is to go online.  Or to make it easy, just click on a site that looks for you..  They offer cheap quotes from many insurance providers and you can use their data base to find the best rate and service for your car and state.  All you do is fill out their form and let them do the rest.

100 Years from Now.......my legacy

..........................100 Years From Now.......


It will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or what kind of a car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child...

Grandma

Cash at Home

Authored by Rickey Combs

Someone in my neighborhood told me about Stream Energy but I waited a long time to look into it. I was glad I did when I finally got around to it though because I ended up saving some good money and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I had switched all our utilities over. I realized we were just leeching money into the ground between energy and our security system and the cable and all that so I did a whole home audit and made some changes. I cut a few things too like the landline because we never use it and I don’t think anyone in the house would have noticed if I hadn’t have told them. I think it’s important to stay on top of your financesbecause companies will take as much money from you as they possibly can and that’s no way to live, you know? I really wish I knew better but at the end of the day it’s all about saving a nickel here and a dime there for me…

Honor Those Who Died for You

You have heard many times about the "Tomb of the Unknowns" in Washington, D.C., perhaps you've even visited it. But what do you know about the men who honor the tomb by keeping watch over it day and night?

This must take a special kind of person.

1. HOW MANY STEPS DOES THE GUARD TAKE DURING HIS WALK ACROSS THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS AND WHY?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. HOW LONG DOES HE HESITATE AFTER HIS ABOUT FACT TO BEGIN HIS RETURN WALK AND WHY?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.

3. WHY ARE HIS GLOVES WET?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. DOES HE CARRY HIS RIFLE ON THE SAME SHOULDER ALL THE TIME, AND IF NOT, WHY NOT?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. HOW OFTEN ARE THE GUARDS CHANGED?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL TRAITS OF THE GUARD LIMITED TO?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5'10 and 6'2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30".

Other requirements of the Guard:

*

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.

*

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

*
Their shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All of duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who there are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis (the boxer), President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, (the most decorated soldier of WWII) of Hollywood fame.

*
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

*
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me. Funny, our US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of the expected storm.

On the 2003 ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington, D.C., the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, “No Way, Sir!”

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

God Bless them them all

Grandma Miller's Hats

Years ago when my children were newborn babies, we didn’t leave the house without putting a baby hat or cap on them.  We were so afraid that they would get chilled and catch a cold.  Baby hats or toddler hats were usually handmade out of soft crocheted or knitted yarn.  I remember the one my grandmother made for Lisa, our first daughter….Grandma was from Denmark and did a lot of knitting for the grandbabies in her family.  When we were ready to bring Lisa home from the hospital, grandma was there with a dainty pink hat knitted with very tiny knitting needles.  It fit over her head and covered her ears… actually it was closer to a skull cap.  It had a little puffball on top and Lisa looked so cute in it. 

Grandma Miller has been gone for many years and the knitted hats she made for our babies are only memories.  I really hate seeing many new mothers carrying their babies around just wrapped in a blanket…nothing to keep their heads warm.  Plus, their little toes are peeping out of the blanket…what! No booties!   The babies are bundled up pretty well in winter, but as soon as they enter a store, off comes the blanket.  Hellooo, some stores are drafty and in summer, there's air conditioning to worry about.

I guess the lack of baby and toddler hats isn’t as important in many areas, but we live in the Midwest….spring and autumn can be chilly and winter downright cold.  It makes me feel like saying to the mom “your little one should have a hat to keep her head warm”…..since I don’t know what kind of reaction that would bring, I keep my feelings and thoughts to myself.

What is Beauty?

What Is Beauty?

It's not about the lines on the face or the gray in the hair - it's about the wisdom behind them. Rather than lamenting the passing of the years, celebrate what you have achieved, learned and earned, for your benefit and the benefit of others.

Ref: Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Every morning when I look in the mirror, I resent the lines in my face, the double chin and 25 lbs that I've accumulated over the years. I look for the person I used to be, the one who could ride a horse, play tennis for hours , hike and was considered to be a pretty girl with long eyelashes and dimples. I want to be her again....but it will never happen.

Then I think about my friends, people I grew up with, went to school with and enjoyed life with. So many of them have passed away, are in bad health, or are living a life that they never planned on, some in nursing homes, some in assisted living.

I have nothing to complain about....a few wrinkles, a few pounds what are they compared to a wheel chair, cane or being bedridden for the remainder of my life.

FX is great

Guest post written by my buddy Hans Hale

I found a direct tv movie list online and I made it my personal mission to watch all the movies on it. I know that sounds crazy but a few years back I decided to watch all the movies on the AFI Top 100 list and I was already about 60 through that and some of the DirecTV movies overlapped so I knew I needed a new strategy. My husband and I really like watching the “best films” of all time and you know, at the end of the day for some reason I feel less stupid watching movies all the time than TV. At least with old movies you know you’re absorbing something cultural and significant and I can’t exactly say the same for every episode of Jersey Shore I’ve watched, you know what I mean?

If there was ever a show that should be struck from the earth it’s that one and I can’t wait until they cancel that monstrosity so the rest of the world will stop looking at America and thinking we’re all like that!

English or Western Tack and Apparel

I’m a horse lover through and through..  Growing up in Nebraska, and having a friend who raised Shetland ponies and horses, I spent a lot of time grooming, riding and cleaning up after horses, ponies, colts and an occasional donkey.  I rode Western, meaning my saddle had a wide front swell and saddle horn (if I planned to rope any steers, I’d have something to wrap the lariat around) and leather covered wood stirrups. 

I always admired those who rode English and wore what was termed proper horse riding attire (I wore Levis jeans).  I tried riding English once and found myself so off balance that I nearly fell off the horse.  An English saddle is flat with little metal stirrups, a big change from my Western saddle. I was used to leaning into the swell and whoops, there isn't one on an English saddle. You lean forward into nothing and find yourself face down in the horse’s mane.

There is also a big difference in Western and English tack and how the horse is trained to respond to the rider.   The bridles are not the same and most horses who are ridden English do not neck rein…one rein is held in the right hand and one in the left.  A slight tug with the left rein and your horse turns left, tug with the right rein and it turns to the right.  A Western trained horse will “neck rein”…the reins are held in the right hand and moving your hand to the left will cause the right rein to press against the horses neck, indicating to the horse that it is to turn to the left …when you move your hand to the right, the left rein presses against the left side of the neck and the horse turns right.  The horse  responds to a neck rein when it has learned that a light pressure of the right rein against its neck on that side means for the horse to turn left and vice versa. Sounds confusing but its really not.

A horse show brings out the very best horses and English riding apparel, the riders are often dressed in hunter shadbelly,  a tight formal-looking jacket with tails.  Dressage apparel usually consists of a black or very dark jacket, generally a shadbelly, and tight white breeches, tight high boots and a dressage helmet or a top hat.  Dressage classes are beautiful to watch.  Such grace and elegance in both the rider and the horse.

Horses are My First Love

Back when I was a pre-teen, horses were the love of my life. Now that I'm a grandmother, I have passed that love onto our youngest granddaughter. "Becca" is 14 and loves to ride....luckily we have friends with horses! Our friends also have 3 goats......playing with the goats is fun, but nothing compared to playing with the horses.

How to Ruin a Car Thief's Day

A few precautions will make your vehicle less attractive to car thieves. It takes less time for a professional thief to break into your car, start it up and drive away as it does for you to walk into a store, buy candy bar, pay for it and watch as your car leaves the parking lot. Car thieves never pass up an opportunity to make a quick buck by stealing a car and they work weekends, nights and holidays.

The following tips can help your car become a less inviting target and slow down, discourage or actually prevent car theft.

1. Park in plain sight -Thieves prefer to work out of sight of people and electronic recording devices, so leave your car in a well-lit, populated area.

2. Take your keys---always - Car theft is often a crime of opportunity, so shut yours off and pocket your keys even if you're only ducking into a convenience store.

3. Don't hide your keys anywhere within or outside the car - Thieves know all the hiding places you do, and probably a few more. Those magnetic key holders are BAD ideas.

4. Use a variety of methods to slow would-be thieves - The more prevention methods you have the harder it will make a thief work to steal your car. Put on the emergency brake, turn your wheels hard to the left or right, set the car in "park" or in gear to make it more difficult to be quickly towed.

5. Disable your battery if parking long-term - A thief won't spend the time trying to start a car with a possible dead battery. Yank one of the cable wires to your battery if you're leaving your car parked at an airport or anywhere where it will sit unattended for more than a few days.

6. Sign valuable parts - Put the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the inside of your trunk, inside your doors, on your sound system components and any other pricey parts thieves like to chop.

With foresight and preventive measures that don't take much time, you can help ensure you'll never have to experience that unique nausea familiar to anyone finding a grease spot where their car was parked.

Dealing with Business Software

Many companies find that dealing with the software development process can vary from vendor to vendor.  Software is not always consistent with each other making it hard to compare the values.  What is needed is a company specializing in technology which gives you up-to-date information and software development which will integrate with other software systems and manage software vendors.  This is particularly true with offshore purchases which can make it difficult to understand who is delivering what product.  Vendor management is just as important as software development.  The development process often varies from vendor to vendor.  This makes it difficult if not impossible to obtain accurate and consistent figures, making it difficult to compare the value that vendors are delivering to your organization.

Companies realize that the cost of maintaining software is roughly about half of the average IT budget.  And it is rising every year.  Another cost of software development is labor…..how do you optimize that?  How do you find a company to help identify waste and inefficiency through software when so many software use different metrics.

BlueOptima is a company offering solutions to address these challenges.  Their technology is finely tuned to allow you to view up-to-date metrics which are automatically drawn from your existing software.