Livin' Hot in Arizona

Religion Or Christianity.... Is there a difference?

2011-07-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

One of our pastors, W.D. Petersen, and his wife wrote a booklet with this title and I have their permission to post it here. They show 10 differences and I want to share them with you. I'll do Difference #1 now.

Religious People: Religious people put their trust in a system of doctrines or teachings or traditions:
Hoping for the forgiveness of their sins.

Jesus said: "In vain do they worships me, teaching for doctrines the commandments 'OF MEN'." Mark 7:7

Biblical Christians: Biblical Christians put their trust in a "PERSON", the "Lord Jesus Christ", trusting Jesus to "save them"; trusting Jesus to "forgive" their sins.

Jesus said: "you believe in God, believe also in ME". John 14:1
"NO MAN comes unto the FATHER, but 'BY ME'." John 14:6

The Apostle Paul said: "...we trust in the living God who is the SAVIOR of ALL men that believe." 1 Tim. 4:10

Question: Is your trust in a religion or in Christ Jesus Himself?

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

I hope you are having a great day celebrating our Independence Day from England.

May our country remember it's roots and stay true to the one true GOD of the Bible. Amen.

A few goodies from the Pima Co. Fair

2011-04-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we attended the county fair as Dean got free tickets. We ate some wonderful barbecue food and watched the free shows. As we walked through the exhibit hall 3 items really caught my eye!

This cool cross was made from the ribs of a sahuaro cactus. You may have to click on the pic and enlarge it to see all the amazing details!

Here's an etched cross with inlaid turquoise! Isn't the detail beautiful!

And last, a cake! There were quite a few people taking pictures of this! And, of course, everything but the wood base is edible!

And last of all, a photo of me, Dean, and my folks!

There were a lot of photographers at the entrance of the fair taking pics of everyone. I decided, what the heck! I purchased 3 pictures for $33. A bit prices but we really didn't spend much money other than for food.

What a flower!

2011-04-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I went into Tucson to do some shopping. I needed a new pair of Croc sandals and wanted to visit Joann's to see what was new and possibly use my coupon. The folks and I stopped at Macy's so mom could get some stuff when I seen this cool flower! It really caught my attention!

I started giggling and ended up buying it! Have you figured out it's purpose? I did need a new one and this certainly brightened up my kitchen!

Now you know!! How cool is it!! Have you purchased something functional that's fun lately???

A sign of spring...

2011-03-20T16:20:00.002-07:00

Yesterday as I was out and about in the yard before heading into town with friends I seen this...

Our Chinese Elm is in full leaf!! Now doesn't that just make you feel good!!

Birds and worms...

2011-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

We have some amazing birds around here... quail, roadrunners, hummingbirds, and cardinals, to name a few. The other day a most brilliant red cardinal decided to dine at the block... bird block that it. I grabbed my camera and carefully parted the curtains for this pic (zoomed in to really get a better picture).

Isn't she gorgeous!!

Last week at church we had a pie social to raise funds for the youth group. I remembered it's been quite some time since I made a mud pie that I did just that... and I loaded both pies for gummy worms!

I do have the plastic lid on this pie but you can see one worm crawling on the top (and 5 squirming in the dirt). These pies sold quite well and people got quite a kick out of them. I keep forgetting to ask Larry what his co-workers thought... The pies are basically a pudding (with whipped cream, cream cheese, and more) poured over a graham cracker crust with a crushed Oreo cookie top.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T10:11:00.003-07:00

The true story of Thanksgiving...

2010-11-25T08:06:00.002-07:00

I enjoy Rush Limbaugh and today he has a great article about Thanksgiving. I HIGHLY recommend giving it a read. Just click HERE to learn more.

America and some Thanksgiving history

2010-11-22T07:46:00.003-07:00

I know our current administration and many people want us to believe our great country was not settled by those who wanted to worship our God of the Bible. But just read the Mayflower Compact...

"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620."

The original is said to be lost but but the writings of William Bradford’s journal Of Plymouth Plantation and in Edward Winslow’s Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth are in agreement and accepted as accurate.

Interesting, wouldn't you say....

How about George Washington and his first Thanksgiving Proclamation written in 1789...

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington

How about Abraham Lincoln setting up the last Thursday of November as a "National" day of Thanksgiving...
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State
Textbooks are being rewritten and history "changed" to leave God out of our true history so as not to "offend" those who don't believe in God or believe in false gods. For shame!!! We need to stand up and let our children, grandchildren, and future generations KNOW the truth!!
As 2 Chronicles 7:14 of the Bible states: Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Those of us who are born again are responsible to pray, seek Him, and repent! Through us God will again turn to our country and bring this country back. But ONLY if we do this! If not, well, there is no hope for our country.

So, as you celebrate Thanksgiving this week please remember all the blessings God has provided for you and give HIM thanks!

Boy, did we get rain!

2010-07-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure no one would believe me so I took a picture of the folks' rain guage. I had emptied it a few days ago after we had 1/4". Last night it rained hard with lots of lightning and thunder. Virtually impossible to sleep. And I did not add any water to this. Dean had a bit of a problem going to work, A lady was stuck in the middle of the road - no 4 wheel drive and we did have a flash flood during the night.

I may have to go rake some debris out of the way on the road. It's really a mess.

The rain brought out the bugs. I don't know what kind this is but he's about the size of my little finger.

Last Saturday Dean worked a bit on his '47 International pickup. How do you like our fancy seats?? Was a bit rough riding. And the throttle isn't installed yet. The gear ratio must be pretty high as we moved very quickly! What a hoot! And the Buick in the background... it has 226,000+ miles on it and is still going strong!

Great cookbook

2010-06-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

I know, I haven't posted in AGES!! But have I got something for you! I purchased this cookbook by Gooseberry Patch a month ago and I absolutely LOVE it! I have so many pages dog-eared and have already tried quite a few recipes.

Just click on their name above to go directly to their site and see what all they have! They're also on FaceBook.

How cool are the Jews!!!

2010-03-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Our pastor gave us some statistics one Sunday about Jewish accomplishments. Did you know the following:

"Jews are a famously accomplished group. They make up 0.2 % of the world population, but 54% of the world chess champions, 27% of the Nobel physics laureates, and 31% of the medicine laureates.

Jews make up 2% of the U.S. population, but 21% of the Ivy League student bodies, 26% of the Kennedy Center honorees, 37% of the Academy Award-winning directors, 38% of those on a recent Business Week list of leading philanthropists, 51% of the Pulitzer Prize winners for non-fiction."

The United States and the world owe a debt to the Jews yet so many hate them. Why? Possibly because of their intelligence, their ability to make money, or maybe because they ARE God's chosen people. The Bible tells us that to bless Israel and you will be blessed, and to curse Israel and you will be cursed. The U.S. is starting to curse Israel. What do you think will happen when our administration does this? Scary. Come Lord Jesus. Come quickly.

Real Stories of Muslim Dominance in Europe: a Warning to America

2010-02-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Anders Gravers

I am here to warn Americans about two Muslim war strategies: the salami method, slice by slice so no one opposes; and secondly, the dominant behavior method of the Muslims. They have used these two strategies in Denmark and Europe for 30 years now. In fact, Islam would never have achieved such a stronghold in Europe if it had not been for the European dhimmies.

What is a dhimmi then?

The basic understanding of a dhimmi is a person who is under Islam’s so-called protection and pay Muslims, “jizya”, a kind of "protection money". A lot of Christians live under very bad conditions as dhimmies all over the Muslim world but today I will use the word dhimmi in another way.

We use dhimmi to describe mainly left-wing multicultural people who are Muslim appeasers. When I think about these dhimmies I always think of the old Winston Churchill quote: "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

They are ready to do anything to please the Muslims and meet their demands in order to avoid any trouble or tensions. In fact they are ready to sell out Western values to "live in peace". It is another way of paying “jizya”. In fact they have not only allowed the salami method – they have encouraged it.

In the beginning when there were not so many Muslims, there were no demands, but when the numbers increased they started to demand special treatment for Muslims. Here follows a few examples of the salami method in Europe:

Muslims demanded special times for Muslim women only to use the public swimming pool because Muslim women are not allowed to swim together with men.

That was one slice.

Muslim men demanded curtains in the changing room in the shower section because Muslim men are not allowed to show themselves naked in front of other men. They have got their curtains.

Yet another slice.

The Muslim children are not allowed to take showers with the other children after gym hours in school.

Yet another slice.

The Muslims can't even be dead together with the so-called non-believers in the mortuaries in the hospitals. Muslim relatives have demanded special rooms for their dead family members. And they have got it – paid for by our tax money.

Yet another slice.

In some cemeteries, the dead are buried facing Mecca – Muslim or not.

In England, a church was converted into a mosque and the Christian graves there were bulldozed to oblivion. Only the Muslim dead are to be respected in dhimmi Europe.

Pigs were removed from children’s books and banks have removed the children’s piggy banks because they offend the Muslims’ feelings.

Banks now offer Sharia banking because Muslims are not allowed to pay interest. This gives Muslims the control of where the money goes and Muslim so-called charities are financed.

Muslims have demanded praying rooms in the schools and have got it.

Everybody is obliged to take any kind of job offered when getting social welfare, but unemployed Muslim women are allowed to say no to certain jobs where they could come in contact with men – or with pork meat.

At Christmas time, big supermarkets have removed the Christian Christmas decorations, just because it could offend the Muslims.

Oxford, in England, has changed Christmas into the Winter Festival, to avoid offending Muslims, but the mosque is allowed to use loudspeakers five times a day for calling to prayer.

Ninety-nine percent of all poultry in Denmark is now halal-slaughtered, and a fee is paid to Muslim organizations for each poultry that is slaughtered that way.

Large food chains such as KFC now only offer halal meat in some stores.

In many big towns, institutions don’t serve pork meat for the children any longer. So, even though the Danish economy is largely based on pork exports, Danish children are no longer allowed to eat all the different and common pork dishes.

Some of the schools in Copenhagen have recently introduced mothers-only parent-teacher meetings. The fact is that they are appeasing the Muslim men who do not allow their wives to take part in any meetings where men are present. Therefore, Danish fathers have to stay home when women-only meetings take place.

Because of the cartoon crisis, journalists no longer dare to publish Muhammed cartoons in the newspapers. Books have been rewritten because of fear of violent Muslims and recently, an auction house didn't want to sell a drawing made by Kurt Westergaard, the artist who drew the Muhammed cartoon, because of fear from Muslim protests. Clearly, Sharia censorship is creeping in.

The appeasement politics carried out by the European dhimmis has not made Muslims more satisfied with the Europeans. In fact, it is the contrary. Because the many Muslim demands are being met, they feel that they have enough power now to move to the next step and that is to use a well known Muslim weapon: dominant behavior towards everybody who is not a Muslim.

This dominant behavior is intended make non-Muslims convert to Islam so the Muslim and the formerly-non-Muslims can live in peace. We see this dominant behavior in the rise of the crime rate committed by the non-Western population. They want to show that they are in charge of the whole infidel kuffar system. For instance, Muslims throw stones and bottles at police, firemen and rescue teams when they enter the Muslim-only ghettoes. Ambulances and firemen have to wait for police escort.

In Denmark we have the right to demonstrate in any public place we like. As long as the demonstrations are peaceful the police cannot forbid them. But because of the increasing Muslim population, the police have now ordered the demonstrations to stay out of certain areas with many Muslim inhabitants.

The reason: the police fear Muslim violence and vandalism.

In other words, we now have areas where Muslims control the streets and where Danish law no longer applies. We have to hire professional security for our own legal demonstrations.

Muslim criminal gangs are ruling the streets in many of the major cities in Europe where their dominant behavior spreads fear amongst the people living there. In Copenhagen, Muslim gangs have made special zones where people will be body searched if they want to pass through.

The police have not yet succeeded in stopping it.

This dominant behavior spreads to non-Muslim areas as well. If a person meets a group of young Muslims on the street and dares to look them in the eyes, the Muslims take that as a provocation and attack the person. This happens every day. Most Danes now look down when passing Muslim groups as a result of their dominant behavior.

Rape is also a part of the dominant behavior. Rapes have increased over the last 20 years and many do not report the rape because of threats. Sweden is the most compliant nation of all European countries and they have one of the highest rape rates in Europe. Most of them are committed by Muslims.

The more you appease the Muslims, the more dominant behavior you will suffer. In Norway, dhimmi politicians said women must dress in such a way that they do not invite Muslim men to rape them. What happened to the rights women have fought for? Homosexuals are also feeling the Muslim dominant behavior. Attacks on them are the most common hate-crimes in big cities.

Greenland is part of the Danish state, which is why there are many Greenlanders in Denmark. Some of them have been stoned out of Muslim areas, and they have actually been expelled from Gellerup, a Muslim area in the second biggest town Århus.

Jews are being hunted down and beaten up in Europe these days. Many Jews dare not to wear their kippa in certain areas because they fear violent attacks from Muslims. In fact many Jews have now left Europe because it is no longer safe to live in major cities in Europe as a Jew. Jews have also left Denmark because of that. It hurts to watch this development in Denmark, because Denmark is known for our rescuing of numerous Jews during World War II. Now, Police Intelligence has openly declared that they cannot even guarantee their safety anymore.

With all this in mind, a special quote comes to my mind which fits Islam exactly in Europe:

The way to march a thousand miles, and still win the battle, is to make the other side march the thousand miles.

The dhimmies and their dhimmi attitude have marched – and are still marching – for Islam.

How can we stop this suicidal development? How can we turn this quote around and use it against the Islamization of Europe?

SIOE (Stop the Islamization of Europe) was founded in 2007 as a European model of SIAD, Stop Islamization of Denmark. One of the cornerstones in SIAD is our provocations.

We are fully convinced that if we should have a chance to wake up our population, we need to provoke, in order to get the truth well known and widespread.

By provocations, we mean it in the understanding of Roman law: to act as an advocate in a courtroom to provoke the accused until he reveals his true face.

SIAD and SIOE have carried out numerous demonstrations and, especially the ones that took place in certain Muslim areas, we made the Muslims show their true face so the people could be informed that Islam is not the religion of peace.

SIAD held a demonstration in 2006 in a Muslim area in Århus with the title: The Genociders Hamas out of Scandinavia. 800 furious Palastinians turned up, fired crysantemum-bombs and fireworks at the police and journalists, threw stones and made so much disturbance that the police had to escort our little demonstration away before it was finished.

SIOE held a demonstration and commemoration on September 11th 2009 in Harrow, London to oppose the building of a big mosque. There was only Stephen Gash and around 20 others, but around 2000 furious Muslims turned up and made riots in the streets. Stephen Gash was arrested and the demonstration was prevented. SIOE was called fascist and far right by media and even government ministers.

Contrast this with the response to a Muslim demonstration in London the previous January where Muslims rioted. Nobody called them fascists and the BBC described the demonstration as peaceful. SIOE demonstrated again in Harrow in December, to show we were not defeated. Hardly any Muslims showed up. Since September 11th 2009 five mosques have been stopped from being built in England, including the world’s largest planned for the 2012 Olympics in London.

So action does work.

Remember, the shoe-bomber and other terrorists were sent out from these mosques.

Socialism, Communism and Islam are collectivist totalitarian doctrines, which is why they support each other. The biggest totalitarian project is the European Union. The European Union acts secretly, deceiving the European people about its development. Democracy is being deliberately removed, the latest evidence of that being the passage of the Lisbon Treaty.

However, the plan goes much further with the ultimate goal being a Eurabian superstate, incorporating Muslim countries of North Africa and the Middle East and the European Union. This was already initiated with the signing of the Barcelona Treaty in 1995 by the EU and 9 North African States and Israel, which became effective the 1^st of January 2010. It is also known as the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation.

In return for some European control of oil resources, Muslim countries will have unfettered access to technology and movement of people into Europe. The price Europeans will have to pay is the introduction of Sharia law and removal of democracy.

Believe me, America is not far behind, and we think you are overtaking us.

Violent, economic, cultural and stealth Jihad is the knife slicing the salami of freedom. It is time for us to snatch the slicing-knife of jihad, stop mosque building, stop Sharia law and stop Sharia finance, for we are free – not dhimmis – and we will never be dhimmis. And we will never surrender!

That is why the Western World needs to stand together and fight evil, and fight for freedom and democracy!

*********************************************************************************************

I thought this article was very interesting and therefor, worthy of posting here. I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. I do not agree/disagree with this article but it is something to think about.

Finally got our headboard done!!

2010-02-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Dean worked on this for quite some time and yesterday he got it finished!! I got the garland attached and now it's up! Wahoo! It turned out how I imagined it. And with it up we were able to hang our portraits that we had done last year. How cool is that!

Here is a close up of the garland. Do you see the butterfly? It's actually a bookmark! I stuck it there so we could find the center to help hang the portrait. We did get the headboard a bit to much to the right but I sure like it!

Great Brownie pan!

2010-02-16T20:12:00.007-07:00

My birthday just passed and my folks got me this cool brownie pan! I was looking at it in our local True Value and just recently seen it on TV! So, I made some brownies using a recipe in the booklet that came with it.

This pic shows the pan, the divider, and the rack. The bottom comes out of the pan.

This above pic shows the pan sitting on the rack. The sides of the pan drop down leaving the bottom above. You'll get a better idea in a following picture.

Here I have the batter in the pan and the divider rack inserted.

Now the brownies are baked. The batter did rise above the rack some. I had to bake the brownies about 10 minutes longer but I think that was because I had the pan sitting on a cookie sheet in case it overflowed. The pan is about 7" x 11" and the batter will easily fill a 9" x 13" pan. I didn't want batter all over the bottom of my oven. But, it didn't overflow. I will continue using the cookie sheet but will place it on the rack below the brownies.

Here you can see what happens when you remove the divider rack and place the slightly cooled pan on the rack! How cool is this!! Brownies already cut and ready to devour! Of course Dean and I had to sample one when they cooled more.

Fire in the Sky

2010-01-21T07:40:00.003-07:00

What do you think about this sunset!! Aren't the colors amazing!! This was taken on January 18 about 5:45 pm. I was going over to my folks and when I opened our back door this greeted me. I had to go get my camera!! The awesome colors were gone in 10 minutes but I thank the Lord for showing me this!

Weekend Breakfast Bake

2009-12-23T15:50:00.003-07:00

I made this recipe for breakfast for the family and it was a hit!! I even sent some of it in Dean's lunch as I think it'll nuke nicely.

12 oz. pork sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted

1. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Transfer to a greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese.
3. Combine eggs and soup; pour over cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Yield: 8 servings.

More pics of our home

2009-11-26T07:42:00.003-07:00

Here are a couple more pictures of the front of our house. I think we are almost done fixing it up the way we want it.

We spend a lot of time at the table. We love eating meals here and I frequently do my Bible study while sitting on the lawn swing. Hopefully next year we will put in a stone floor and better steps.

If you're ever in our neck of Arizona come visit!!

Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

2009-11-24T15:33:00.002-07:00

Since I did George Washington's Proclamation the other day I thought I'd do Abraham Lincoln's today! Please keep in mind that President Obama highly regards Lincoln....
Any bold or italicized words are mine for emphasis.

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?

We have been the recipients of the choisest bounties of heaven, we have been preservedthese many years in peace and prosperity, we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all those blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken sucess, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

(signed) A. Lincoln
October 3, 1863

This is OUR history!! This United States of America is only because of those Separatists who settled here to escape religious persecution to be able to worship God! And this same United States fought England for freedom of taxation and tyranny of big government! I am so thankful for my/our ancestors who believed in God and worshiped Him and settled this country. What are you thankful for?

New Pictures!

2009-11-23T11:49:00.004-07:00

We finished our fence yesterday, planted a tree, added my metal wheel, and fixed up the front of our house, finally! I used the house picture to change the banner since we've done so many changes this year! What do you think? We love enjoying our meals under the awning! And the swing is so relaxing!

Here is my red wheel! I've had this for over 10 years and Dean painted it for me this week. I'm thinking of planting something next to it that climbs. I think it'd make a great trellis!

And here is my jalapeno pepper plant! I cut it way back and it's sprouting all over!! I may have a winter crop! I'll have to cover it on cold nights but that's not a problem. It's growing in a half whiskey keg. I have a tomato in the other one but the frost did nail it a couple weeks ago. I'm waiting to see if it'll re-sprout like the pepper.

I'll get another picture of the house from a different angle soon.

Thanksgiving Proclamations

2009-11-22T14:38:00.001-07:00

Today our pastor read these 2 proclamations as part of our service. Please read. Any bold or italicized words are my emphasis.

Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1789

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks -- for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation -- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humble offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions -- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithful executed and obeyed -- to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 17989.

Isn't this proof that the United States started as a Christian nation? Yet new history textbooks are leaving all mention of the reason this "great" country was settled, etc.

May this Thanksgiving you remember and thank God for this country and PRAY that He will once again bless this country and that we'll have a government that is truly concerned for the state of our country without the greed and power-hungry that are destroying it.

Twas the Month Before Christmas....

2009-11-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*

* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

not Happy Holiday !*

Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet during the

holidays a

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!

Tucson's Last Stand

2009-10-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Oct. 10, my family and I attended a "Tea Party" in Tucson called Tucson's Last Stand. The local paper reported that there was about 6000 of us! It was wonderful! There were Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in attendance who are tired of the current administrations' lack of transparency, high spending, health care plans, etc. I tried to get a picture of the crowd but this is only about 2/3 of them. We were sitting at the first base line at the Tucson Electric Park ballpark and there was more above, below, and behind us. James T. Harris, a talk show host, was the emcee and he did great! There were speakers running for Tucson city council and other organizations. Then came the main speakers.....

Barry Goldwater, Jr. spoke and he was great. He talked about his dad and we did purchase his book, "Pure Goldwater." I will read it when I finish the book I'm currently reading.

J. D. Hayworth, a former AZ congressman gave a wonderful speech! Hopefully he'll run for the Senate seat. Great conservative, values and morals.

And the last speaker was Judge Andrew Napolitano of Fox News. The last 10 minutes of his speech was inspired preaching about God!! He had the audience on their feet in agreement many times!

I am proud to be an American and I love the Constitution. Have you read it? Do you know your rights? Do you know that the current government is way overstepping their limits according to the Constitution?? I'm also a member of ResistNet, an organization to fight socialism and to preserve grassroots America and the Constitution. I'm also a member of the Arizona Patriots, a state group of ResistNet. I was not politically minded until the middle of the Bush's last term and do NOT like the direction our "government" is taking us. I believe strongly that a person should not complain about the way things are going if they don't vote as that's a vote FOR what's going on. We have a right to let our elected officials and the government know that WE elected them to work FOR us!! Take a stand! Be involved!

Pecan Chew cookies

2009-09-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

I made these today and they were sooooo good! Give them a try!

Pecan Chews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

1 cup butter
3 cups brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups finely chopped pecans
4 cups flour

Melt butter and add the brown sugar. Mix well and let cool. Add beaten eggs and mix. Add salt, baking soda, vanilla, and nuts. Mix well. Add flour and mix until flour is thoroughly mixed in.

Form dough into walnut-sized balls (I used a soup spoon and just dropped these on the cookie sheet) with your fingers. Place them on a greased cookie sheet. Press them down with a spatula (spray with Pam first).

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cookies set up on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: 8 - 10 dozen

Days of the week....

2009-09-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Without God our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday and Shatterday. Seven days without God makes one weak! Do you have God in your life? Is Jesus your personal Savior? Is the Holy Spirit teaching you anything new? If you have any questions about this please contact me!

The Birds

2009-08-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

No, this is not about Alfred Hitchcock's movie but we do have lots of birds frequenting our bird block.
There are times when you almost can't see this bird block for the wrens! And the doves, woodpeckers, quail, cardinals, and even the roadrunner (but he's up there hoping to catch birds, not eat the seed).

Here's a hawk that did some hunting just 30' from our house. I'm not sure whether he has a dove or quail but he flew off after "posing" long enough for me to grab my camera.

This is our cat keeping on eye on the block. Miss Piggy is in the lower right corner. She has brought me 2 live birds as gifts which I was able to release back to the wild virtually unharmed. Of course, Piggy wasn't real happy with me. She is a great hunter and I love her but I'm not overly thrilled with her gifts. She likes to bring geckos to us, too, but they are very difficult to catch and there are a couple in the house (I'm sure they're deceased).

So, what's your "wild life"?

Cherokee Legend

2009-08-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.
He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it.
He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises.
Wild beasts must surely be all around him .. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.
It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him..
He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, Sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, All we have to do is reach out to Him.
If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn.

Moral of the story: Just because you can't see God doesn't mean He is not there.. 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.'

Great newsletter!!

2009-07-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

I just have a real problem with what our Congress and Senate have been doing lately. It's like they think we are totally brainless and cannot take care of ourselves! But I think they're mostly the insane ones! I just signed up for Glenn Beck's newsletter. Very good! Just go to Glenn Beck and sign up for it! His July 29th article was so full of encouragement! I would love to post what he said but instead here's the LINK! Please go read!

I Pledge Allegiance

2009-07-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on his television program as he related the story of his teacher, Mr. Laswell, who felt his students had come to think of the Pledge of Allegiance as merely something to recite in class each day.

Now, more than ever, listen to the meaning of these words.

"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester

and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you.

If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"

I I

me, an individual, a committee of one.

Pledge

dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.

Allegiance

my love and my devotion.

To the flag

our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever

she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given

her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!

of the United

that means that we have all come together.

States (of America)

individual communities that have united into 48 great states.

Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and

purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to

a common purpose, and that's love for country.

And the to Republic

a state in which sovereign power is

invested in representatives chosen by the

people to govern. And government is the people

and it's from the people to the leaders, not from

the leaders to the people.

For which it stands, one nation

one nation, meaning "so

blessed by God"

Indivisible

incapable of being divided.

With liberty

which is freedom -- the right of power to live one's

own life without threats, fear or some sort of

retaliation.

And Justice

the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.

For all

which means, boys and girls, it's as much your

country as it is mine.

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country

and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance...

UNDER GOD

Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said

that is a prayer

and that would be eliminated from schools too?

God Bless America!

I added the words that are in parenthesis as they were missing from the document I found but feel they really needed to be here. I do not know the year this was said by Red Skelton but is was sometime prior to the statehood of Alaska on Jan. 3, 1959.

Charles Krauthammer

2009-06-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Speech/Comments on the ‘New Economy’
& Barack Obama

To my friends & associates:

Last Monday was a profound evening, hearing Dr. Charles Krauthammer speak to the Center for the American Experiment. He is a brilliant intellectual, seasoned & articulate. He is forthright & careful in his analysis, & never resorts to emotions or personal insults. He is NOT a fearmonger nor an extremist in his comments & views. He is a fiscal conservative, & has a Pulitzer prize for writing. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News & writes weekly for the Washington Post. The entire room was held spellbound during his talk. I have shared this w/ many of you & several have asked me to summarize his comments, as we are living in uncharted waters economically & internationally. Even 2 Democrats at my table agreed w/everything he said! If you feel like forwarding this to those who are open minded & have not ‘drunk the Kool-Aid’, feel free.

A summary of his comments:

1. Mr. Obama is a very intellectual, charming individual. He is not to be underestimated. He is a ‘cool customer’ who doesn't showhis emotions. It's very hard to know what's ‘behind the mask’. Taking down the Clinton dynasty from a political neophyte was an amazing accomplishment. The Clintons still do not understand what hit them. Obama was in the perfect place at the perfect time.

2. Obama has political skills comparable to Reagan & Clinton. He has a way of making you think he's on your side, agreeing w/ your position, while doing the opposite. Pay no attention to what he SAYS; rather,watch what he DOES!

3. Obama has a ruthless quest for power. He did not come to Washington to make something out of himself, but rather to change everything, incl. dismantling capitalism. He can’t be straightforward on his ambitions, as the public would not go along. He has a heavy hand,& wants to ‘level the playing field’ w/ income redistribution & punishment of the achievers of society. He would like to model the USA to Great Britain or Canada.

4. His 3 main goals are to control ENERGY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, & NAT’L HEALTHCARE by the Fed. govt. He doesn't care about the auto or financial services industries, but got them as an early bonus. The cap & trade will add costs to everything & stifle growth. Paying for FREE college education is his goal. Most scary is healthcare program, because if you make it FREE & add 46,000,000 people to a Medicare-type single-payer system, the costs will go thru the roof. The only way to control costs is w/ massive RATIONING of services, like in Canada. God forbid.

5. He’s surrounded himself w/ mostly far-left academic types. No one around him has ever run even a candy store. But they’re going to try & run the auto, financial, banking & other industries. This obviously can’t work in the long run. Obama’s not a socialist; rather a far-left secular progressive bent on nothing short of revolution. He ran as a moderate, but will govern from the hard left. Again, watch what he does, not what he says.

6. Obama doesn’t really see himself as President of the USA , more as a ruler over the world. He sees himself above it all, trying to orchestrate & coordinate various countries & their agendas. He sees moral equivilency in all cultures. His apology tour in Germany & England was a prime example of how he sees America ,as an imperialist nation that has been arrogant, rather than a great noble nation that has at times made errors. This is the 1st President ever who has chastised our allies & appeased our enemies!

7. He’s now handing out goodies. He hopes that the bill (& pain) will not ‘come due’ until after he’s reelected in 2012. He’d like to blame all problems on Bush from the past, & hopefully his successor in the future. He has a huge ego, & Mr. Krauthammer believes he is a narcicist.

8. Republicans are in the wilderness for a while, but will emerge strong. We’re ‘pining’
for another Reagan, but there’ll never be another like him. He believes Mitt Romney,Tim Pawlenty & Bobby Jindahl (except for his terrible speech in Feb.) are the future of the party. Newt Gingrich is brilliant, but has baggage. Sarah Palin is sincere & intelligent, but needs to really be seriously boning up on facts & info if she’s to be a serious candidate in the future. We need to return to the party of lower taxes, smaller govt.,personal responsibility, strong nat’l defense,& states’ rights.

9. The current level of spending is irresponsible & outrageous. We’re spending trillions
that we don’t have. This could lead to hyper inflation, depression or worse. No country has ever
spent themselves into prosperity. The media is giving Obama, Reid & Pelosi a pass because they love their agenda. But eventually the bill will come due & people will realize the huge bailouts didn’t work, nor will the stimulus pkg. These were trillion-dollar payoffs to Obama’s allies, unions & the Congress to placate the left, so he can get support for #4 above.

10. The election was over in mid-Sept. when Lehman brothers failed. Fear & panic swept in, we had an unpopular President, & the war was grinding on indefinitely w/o a clear outcome. The people are in pain, & the mantra of ‘change’ caused people to act emotionally. Any Dem would have won this election; it was surprising it was as close as it was.

11. In 2012, if the unemployment rate is over 10%, Republicans will be swept back into power. If it's under 8%, the Dems continue to roll. If it's between 8-10%, it’ll be a dogfight. It’ll all be about the economy. I hope this gets you really thinking about what's happening in Washington & Congress. There’s a left-wing revolution going on, according to Krauthammer, & he encourages us to keep the faith & join the loyal resistance. The work will be hard, but we’re right on most issues & can reclaim our country, before it's far too late.

Coming soon for a vote: The "Hate Crimes" bill will take away our religious freedo

2009-06-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

"Hate crimes" laws are a key part of a long-term strategy by homosexual activists to use "sexual orientation"-based policies and laws to suppress dissent, radically redefine marriage, and ultimately criminalize Biblical morality. Robert H. Knight, Director of the Culture and Family Institute.

If you are a Bible believer your freedom of religion and freedom of speech is soon to be taken away by a minority of people who hate you passionately! You need to call your senators NOW to stop this. For more information read THIS! You don't have any time left.

Another soapbox moment!

2009-05-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

As you know I'm a born-again Christian, Biblicist, pro-lifer, NRA member, and more. But, now I'm no longer a "right wing extremist"! Napolitano removed that label yesterday!! I also am a conservative and subscribe to online news groups such as OneNewsNow, The Media Research Center, One Million Moms, just to name a few. I also did not vote for our current president but I know God has allowed him to be in office for some reason. Hopefully to get the Christian back on his knees and praying for the revival of God in our country. And I know that the end times is coming so quickly that I expect the Rapture to take place within my lifetime. Anyway, I really do not like the majority of TV news programs, they are ultra liberal, faith bashing, biased groups that can no longer report the news truthfully. Here is a blurb from The Media Research Center concerning them:

Get one for yourself and share the others with friends and family members who need the truth about the media’s atrocious coverage of the Obama Presidency!

+ + It’s worse than we thought we knew!

None of the three broadcast network aired a single story focused on whether President Obama’s economic policies were driving the U.S. towards European-style socialism.

Not a single network news reporter used the term “socialist” to describe how Obama’s policies are shifting economic authority to the federal government, away from the free market.

Amazingly, network reporters never even called Obama or his agenda “liberal.” NBC and CBS never even used the word in reporting on Obama’s radical agenda.

On three of Obama’s major economic policies and plans - his banking bailout, his auto bailout and his plans for universal health care - the networks never had a single sound bite from a conservative or a free market expert.

I would recommend you signing up for this online newsletter. Just click HERE to go to their website. Also, for online news without bias go HERE for OneNewsNow. Great articles that you'll never see on TV!

Back on my soapbox....

2009-05-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what in the world is our Congress and Senate up to??? I mean, they must think we're really stupid or whatever. Anyway, this rightwing extemist (that's what our Homeland Security gal Napalitano calls us who believe the Bible, are anti-abortion, etc.) is really upset with the garbage our government is trying to pull off.

For example, the new Hate Crime legislation... (Click HERE for more info) Those of us who have strong Biblical values will now lose our freedom of speech!! And our pastors cannot say certain things from the pulpit!! No more reading the Bible outload about what God says about homosexuality! What happened to the First Amendment?? Anyway, I would highly recommend you sign up for OneNewsNow! This is very much a conservative news reports with a Godly perspective.

Tea'd Party

2009-04-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today I joined in the national Tea'd Party here in Green Valley, AZ. I learned this week that those of us who support the original Constitution and oppose Obama's mad dash to socialism are considered "right-wing extremists"!! Obama's DHS has issued a "rightwing" threat assessment to warn of the "current economic and political climate fueling resurgence in radicalization and recruitment" for "rightwing extremism." Who are these extremists? According to the report, adherants are primarily "hate-oriented" or "antigovernment" but also include "individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration." So much for conservatism, believe in God, freedom of speech, etc.!! Well, I'd rather be an extremist than a socialist! I would guess there was about 200 people involved and a vast majority of vehicles were honking in agreement!! What a fun, noisy group! I loved it! Here are 2 pictures I took of just the 1 street corner where I stood! All 4 corners of this intersection had people holding signs or American flags! We even sang "God Bless America!"

I'm wondering if the media will report on these Tea'd Parties. They are and have been taking place all across our nation. I think people are realizing that the change we got is not a change for the better!! Do you know our president spent more of our tax dollars in his first 100 days than any previous president?? And the media are more interested in the president's "dog" than anything else!! I'm betting that only Fox News will report today's activities with any positive connotation and that all the others will be calling us the extremists! I'm sure our signers of the Declaration are up in Heaven crying for the future they envisioned. Well, I'll get off my soapbox for the moment.

Blossoms and Wildlife

2009-04-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Spring has definitely sprung!! I just had to share these pictures with you!

This quail was feeding in our back yard. We have a platform made to keep the jackrabbits out of the feed but the birds (lots of doves, cactus wrens, etc.) spread the seeds of the birdblocks all over. The quail don't really like flying up onto the platform but today I did see one up there. This quail was enjoying itself and was about 20 feet from the house. I used the zoom lens on my digital camera and stood at our dining room window as they spook very easy!!

This is an orange blossom taken about 2 weeks ago. Dad has some great trees in his yard and the sweet scents drift to us.

This is a blossom from a chinaberry tree. I collected some seeds and hope to get some growing.

My garden is growing quickly! The lettuce and radishes are doing great. I haven't seen any signs of the carrots yet. The tomato plant is creating blossoms so will have to get my blossom set out to get the tomatoes growing. The pepper plant has grown a few inches. We have to water twice a day already! I hope to get pics of these as they get larger. Hopefully spring has sprung in your neighborhood!!

Great game!

2009-03-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today's game was great! The AZ Diamondbacks won over the Cleveland Indians 5 - 3!

Can you believe these nachos!! And they were REAL good! Had my nose running, my ears burning, and my eyes watering! But they were worth it!

This guy's name is John Cox. He's a scout for the San Francisco Giants. Look at the ring on his hand. Can you guess what it is??

It's a World Series ring!! Mr. Cox was a scout for the New York Yankees in 1999 when they won the Series!! This ring is heavy! And gorgeous!! Lots of diamonds!

Anyway, after those nachos I'm not eating the rest of the day. And Monday we're going to another game! We'll see the D-Backs play the CO. Rockies (my favorites)!

So, I hope you have a great week!

Running around Roadrunner!

2009-03-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I was within 20' of this guy this morning! He wasn't spooked but the other one, which was about 30 ' away, was quite spooked.

We also have quail, flycatchers, hummingbirds, cactus woodpeckers, and more! It's fascinating to watch the feathered wildlife and they are very vocal in the mornings!

The North American Union and Amero Dollar

2009-03-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

We are coming close to the one world order as foretold in our Holy Bible in the book of Revelation. Just google "Amero Dollar"!! Soon us (the U.S.), Canada, and Mexico will be 1 nation without borders and with one currency, the Amero Dollar. Obama's agenda is going this direction on a fast track but it started with Bush. I believe by the end of this year we will see the U.S. as a socialist nation. Just check it out.
Here is one of the coins that will take the place of our currency. Please be forwarned!

Piggy & the bird seed

2009-03-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

I just had to take a picture of this! Just too funny! Does Miss Piggy think the birds will become a fly-in dinner?? If it works it's better than drive through! What a hoot!

On a sad note.... Saturday Dean had to put Arlene down. She's been in kidney failure for quite some time but Saturday she went into convulsions. Dean built a nice wood coffin and Dad dug the hole. We will be putting up a sign with her name on the corner post where she's buried. She was almost 20 years old and had an easy indoor life. She is greatly missed.

Springtime blossums

2009-03-23T19:03:00.001-07:00

Well, it's definitely spring! At least here! I thought I'd share some of our "spring" with you!

Here's some peach tree blossums! The little tree was just covered but it's all over now. They were just beautiful and so pristine!

This is my smaller patch of aloe vera. My larger patch has a few winter-kills and needs to be cleaned up a bit but this little patch is one happy camper!

Aw, you caught me mowing our "desert" grass. I'm sure our son will be amazed to see I'm actually running this machine. I did my best when we lived on our farm in northwest Wyoming to not learn to run the riding lawn mower. LOL!

And, finally, a spring training game in Tucson. The AZ Diamondbacks are playing the Chicago Cubs, an lost. Darn! The seats were sold out with 11,455 in attendance! We're sitting behind home plate as you can see. We usually leave about the top of the 8th inning to "beat the crowds" but I found out the final score was 10 - 7. We'll be going to another game this Saturday!

I want out!

2009-03-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

I just had to take a photo of our cat, Piggy, a manx, wanting out the front door. Isn't this a hoot!
We are learning to try to get her in by supper time as after that, she is hard to find! And we do have coyotes just across the road in our rural home.

I hope to post our church sermon soon. It was so good last Sunday and I want to do a bit of research before posting. So, stay tuned!

Our storage shed is finally painted!

2009-01-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was so nice and warm that I just had to finish painting our storage shed.
And it is packed full! The walls aren't bulging yet but it is full to the rafters! We have yet to hang the clothes line and ladder on the left side. Hopefully Dean will get that done this weekend after he helps my dad hang a heavy storm door on their house.

Murder and Munchies!

2009-01-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

What do these have in common? You must read the great murder mysteries by Joanne Fluke! These books have a fun plot with lots of recipes!! How do Swedish Oatmeal Cookies, Cappuccino Royales , and Angel Kisses sound? I don't dare post them here but go to your nearest library and start checking them out! With titles like "Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder" or Fudge Cupcake Murder" don't you want to find out more? The heroine, Hannah Swenson, a baker and cookie store owner, has some close calls, handsome boyfriends, and lots of goodies! Just too much fun!

Breakfast Pizza

2009-01-01T14:18:00.001-07:00

I made this pizza this morning and it was so good! I got it from another "angel". Give it a try!

1 lb. pork sausage
1 pkg. crescent rolls
1 c. hash browns, thawed (I used the ones with onions & green peppers)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. milk
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Cook and drain sausage. Pat crescent rolls out on a 12" round pizza pan, with the points to the center and seal edges together. Spoon sausage and hash browns over the crescent roll crust. Top with cheddar cheese. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, & pepper together, pour over the sausage/hash browns. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Back at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 min. Use a cookie sheet under this as mine overflowed and now I have my over to clean.

Beautiful mountain scene!

2008-12-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon the mount got a dusting of snow! Then, as the sun goes down, the clouds broke up and shone red on the mountain! How do you like this! Isn't it just beautiful!!

We had a rather quite Christmas. Mom and Dad came over for a brunch breakfast casserole and we opened gifts at noon. Dean had to go to work at 2:30 pm but I got a couple of pictures. My portrait picture is one of them. I watched a movie in the afternoon but it didn't show up well through closed eyelids! I hope you had a great Christmas and celebrated Jesus' birthday with remembrance of His birth and sacrifice for us.

More great recipes!

2008-12-09T12:40:00.001-07:00

Well, remember I told you about the pumpkin muffins I made? Well, they are GREAT!! I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com and they're called Nutty Pumpkin Muffins. I did alter the recipe some and here is what I came up with:

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin (not the pie stuff)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 c. flour and 2/3 cup wheat flour)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used 1 1/2 tsp.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp . salt
3/4 cup chopped cashews or walnuts (I used pecans)

In a large bowl, mix eggs, pumpkin, sugar, oil, and water. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stir into pumpkin mixture; mix well. Fold in nuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes or until muffins test done. DO NOT overbake. Cool on wire rack. Makes 12 muffins.

Then I made fudge using Velveeta cheese. Yes, you read correctly, Velveeta cheese!!! It's called Chocolate Cheese Fudge and it is absolutely delicious! You can't taste the cheese! And here's that recipe:

1/2 pound Velveeta cheese, sliced
1 cup butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts, pecans, or walnuts
2 (16 ounce) packages/boxes confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Spray lightly the bottom of a 9 x 13" (2" deep) pan with a nonstick spray.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the cheese and butter together, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and nuts.

In a large bowl sift together the sugar and cocoa. Pour the cheese mixture into this mixture an still until completely mixed. The candy will be very stiff.

Using your hands, remove candy from the bowl and press evenly and firmly into the pan. Place pan in the refrigerator until candy is firm.

Cut into squares.

Ok, enough recipes for now! Give these a try!

Pumpkin Fudge

2008-12-04T13:51:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. Boy, time flew by quickly! I've been busy with getting things made for Christmas. I have purchased a few things but everyone will still get something home made. Today, I made Pumpkin Fudge. Sounds weird, doesn't it? But it is REALLY good! I got the recipe from a friend on a website where I hang out. Here's the recipe:

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter (I used the real thing)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup pumpkin (from a can and NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (OR 1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves)
1 (12 oz.) pkg. butterscotch chips
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, butter, milk, pumpkin, and spices in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Continue boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches soft ball stage (238 degrees) on a candy thermometer (about 10 minutes or so).
Remove from heat, stir in the butterscotch chips.
Add marshmallow cream and vanilla until well blended.
Quickly pour into a greased 13" x 9" pan. Cool then cut.

I also made some Pumpkin Nut muffins but haven't tasted them yet so won't include the recipe here until I do. I have another busy week coming up. I still have lots of gifts to finish, next Tuesday I have a stamp class, Tuesday evening a church ladies Christmas party, Thursday a craft table at a local farmers market, then Saturday another church Christmas party. I won't go into the next week but my brother and sil will be coming about the 18th. I hope to decorate the house soon but we'll see when I feel like I have the time. Really need to get it done before my brother gets here.

So, hopefully you'll keep checking my home blog! And please try the fudge!!

Barrel Cactus

2008-10-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours has been working on clearing a spot for a new house and was told to get rid of the cactus. Well, we couldn't pass up the offer of this large barrel cactus so last Monday Dad and I planted it. It stands about 3' high! And it was heavy!! I've been busy with my folks all week and today I managed to get some time to myself. I actually made dinner last night!! This afternoon we're going to a "garbage can" dinner at the Baptist church. We're supposed to dress up like hobos so I found a pair of Dean's bib overalls which I'll wear. That's about as "hobo" as I'll get.

Honey Bun Cake

2008-10-13T06:42:00.001-07:00

Here's another recipe from Everyday Cheapskate Newsletter that is just so good! Kinda reminds me of a coffee cake.

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 8 oz. container sour cream

Filling:
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. brown sugar

Icing:
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. milk

Preheat the oven to 325 F. In a large bowl add all 4 cake ingredients. Mix well with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes, or until fully incorporated. Spread half of this batter into a well-greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside the rest of the batter.

In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork until incorporated to make the filling. Sprinkle about half of this filling mixture on top of the cake batter in the pan. Spread the rest of the cake batter over this. Sprinkle the remainder of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top of the second layer of cake batter. Using a butter knife, swilr the top just slightly into the batter to make a pleasing pattern.

Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the over. Mix icing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the warm cake. Servings: 8 - 10.

I cut the cake into smaller pieces so I get about 20 servings. It works really good for Dean's lunch box. He'll be going on graveyard shift in a week for 3 months and will have to take 11 days of vacation during this time (or lose them). Freeport-McMoran has a hiring freeze as the price of copper has dropped in price by half. And today our area set a new record cold temperature of 35!! There was a light frost on the car!! A classmate from Riverton, WY called Saturday and said they had at least 3" of snow! Brrrrr! We had some rain Saturday morning and winds, a result of Hurrican Norbert. It's going mostly east of us but we still got some weather results. We'll be back up to a high of 85 on Wednesday (back to shorts and Tshirts!). All weekend we've had water well issues (we're on a community well) with the submersible pump buring out and electrical problems. Today I started some laundry and had to turn off the washer before the rinse cycle as, again, no water. A bunch of us paid anywhere from $120 - $300 to help pay for the very costly repairs (will be applied to our monthly charge). Well, I better get dressed and check my emails. Hope you have a real blessed day!

Cheaper & Tastier than Canned Biscuits Recipe

2008-10-07T14:16:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe for these biscuits from Everyday Cheapskate newsletter. Click here for the main website, Debtproof Living, and look down the left menu for the newsletter to subscribe. This is a great newsletter with wonderful recipes and ways to live cheaper (and with the stockmarket and economy the way it is we all need help nowdays!).

I haven't baked any of these yet but they were super easy to make and freeze.

Cheaper & Tastier than Canned Biscuits

6 cups self-rising flour (0r 6 cups flour mixed with 3 Tbsp. baking powder & 1 Tbsp. salt)
1 cup solid shortening, like Crisco
2 cups buttermilk

Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and mash it into the flour with your fingers or a fork or biscuit mixer until it is in small chunks the size of dried beans. Do not over mix! Stir in the buttermilk and mix with a fork only until you have soft dough. Knead the dough exactly 10 times. This activates the gluten in the flour just enough to make good biscuits. Roll the dough out into a nice thick slab using a rolling pin. Cut the dough into biscuit shapes. Use a clean can or glass rim, if you don't have a biscuit cutter. Tuna cans with both ends cut out are just the right size for big breakfast biscuits. Continue rolling and cutting until all the dough is used.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Arrange the biscuit dough on the sheet and freeze overnight. The next morning take the biscuits out of the freezer and place them in a plastic freezer bag. Keep them frozen until you are ready to bake them.

When you want hot, fresh biscuits, take out the number you want and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake in a preheated 450 F oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

These biscuits are better tasting and much cheaper than canned whack-'em-on-the-counter-biscuits. even if you can get them on sale. Yield: About 30 (I got 25) medium-sized biscuits, or about 20 grand breakfast-sized biscuits.

A Day at Old Tucson

2008-10-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Freeport-McMoran Inc., the company Dean works for, treated their employees to a day at Old Tucson along with meals and beverages last Saturday. Old Tucson has had a lot of westerns filmed there such as Rio Lobo starring John Wayne, Three Amigos starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and ?? (I forgot). Anyway, also going on is their NightFest, a Halloween festival. We stayed for part of it, too.
Here I am with one of the ghouls. Isn't he a handsome rascal? He had special stilts on so when he stood he was about 7' tall! There were quite a few "characters" running around. Just funny, but some children were pretty scared.

Here's mom, dad, and Dean at the Grand Palace Saloon & Hotel. We were waiting for a stage show called "Cowgirl Up" which starred 4 gals singing and dancing. They were pretty good and had a lot of energy. We didn't take in any other shows in the Hotel but seen 2 gunfights out in front. Great fun. The weather cooperated with temperature in the 80's and a breeze. We did have a few raindrops. We took in a Halloween show but it was extremely stupid and not fun at all.

So, what have you done recently?

Devil's Claws

2008-09-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Did I get your attention?? These are actually seed pods from a weed that reminds me of a squash plant. Click here for more information. And you can find more info doing a search on Google. Fascinating plant. My picture was taken on our patio table in full sun so the shadows are pretty strong but you get the "picture"! Bad pun!

Dean accidentally killed that large tarantula the other day. He was using the weed-eater around some cactus with the tarantula came out from under the cactus and, needless to say, got whacked. But, yesterday I seen a little one by our back steps! The species we have are poisonless but they sure are fuzzy!

Talk about a BIG spider!!

2008-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

How's this for a big spider!! Piggy scared up the tarantula last night. She thought it was a toy and proceeded to play with it so we put her (Piggy, not the spider) in the house. Below is a picture of the spider and Piggy so you can get an idea of the spider's size. And the darn thing can LEAP!! Not far but enough to make you really jump!! We left it alone and it was gone this morning. It was about 25 feet out our back door.

Header background

2008-08-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

I finally got a picture of our home in the header! This was taken today. It is getting ready to rain, the thunder is rumbling like crazy! At least the temperature is dropping but the humidity is rising! Ugh. The weeds are growing and yard work abounds! Too many rocks (we need to rake them when temperatures are lower) to use the riding or push mowers. I did make a garbage run - we have to haul our garbage to the transfer station - and got 3 loads of laundry done, not folded yet but ready. So, how's your day going?

Sewing area now ready to use!

2008-08-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

Finally! Got my sewing stuff out of containers and organized! I can sew! I'm just an ole sew and sew! Golly, this is getting bad! LOL! Anyway, this weekend I got 3 large containers sorted and put away. I need to start on some fabric wallets for craft fairs. I did get a bunch posted to my stampingcarol.com gallery in the Handcrafted Gifts for Sale album. I need to start getting money together for next year's TAC Seminar. I've been checking airfare and it is around $400. Ouch! Mom is giving me her fancy Pfaff sewing machine as my Kenmore (these are the conventional machines, not the serger under the cover in the picture) is 25 years old! But it's still a good working machine. So, look in the Handcrafted Gifts and start thinking, "I need some Christmas gifts, I need some Christmas gifts."

Personal Blogsite

2008-08-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have decided to separate my personal blog from my stamping blog so here it is! You will not be able to subscribe to this one but it will be linked to/from my stamping blog. This is being set up this way so that I can promote my stampin' business better. So, if you're interested in our new life in southern AZ check in sometime!