Don’t Cut Corners on Kindness. Question Evolution. Don't Get Caught! Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Don’t Cut Corners on Kindness

"A common axiom today says that we should not “cut corners” in life. An ancient biblical law could also be summarized by a different application of these words.

God gave many commands to ancient Israel. One of the commands may be confusing to people who don’t live in an agrarian society.

Notice Leviticus 23:22: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

You could summarize this command as: Don’t cut corners. The Israelites were commanded not to fully harvest their crops. God wanted a portion to be left in the fields and available for the poor to glean. The biblical heroine Ruth benefited from this law (Ruth 2:2-3).

Modern application of an ancient law

But how does this biblical law for an agrarian society apply to Christians today? Most of us don’t have farms. How can we avoid cutting corners today?

The answer becomes apparent when we understand the principle behind the law. Ancient Israel was not to forget the less fortunate and poor; the citizens of this nation were to make provisions to care for them. Though most of us cannot apply it in the same way the Israelites did, we can still apply the principle today.

How can we not cut corners today?"

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/blog/dont-cut-corners-on-kindness/

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A Science Teacher’s Bold Confession

"Although I’m a science teacher, I don’t believe in evolution. Let me give you two reasons why.

Why should we believe gravity, or any other natural law, for that matter, just somehow happened—appeared on its own out of nowhere?

Interestingly, all scientists call these natural forces “laws,” and indeed they are consistent rules that govern all things that exist.

Even more interesting, a source long predating Isaac Newton tells us where gravity and all the other laws of nature came from! That source is the Bible.

James 4:12 tells us, “There is one Lawgiver.” That Lawgiver is the Creator God who designed and made the universe and this planet we call earth. In doing so, He created the rules that control it, both the physical laws governing the behavior of creation and the spiritual laws governing the behavior of humanity.

The complexity of nature

Mankind has a long and fascinating history of attempting to comprehend and probe nature’s complexities.

Around 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Democritus imagined that matter consisted of tiny particles. He called these particles atoms, which in his language basically meant “indivisible,” (atomos, literally, “not cut”). Other Greek philosophers believed atoms came together to form molecules. They also thought atoms and molecules had mass or weight. It turns out they were far ahead of their time. Sad to say, other mistaken philosophical ideas gained precedence over these notions, suppressing for hundreds of years the concept of atoms."

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/is-there-a-god/proof-of-god/science-teachers-confession/

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Don't Get Caught!

"What does temptation have to do with getting caught?

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/christian-living/dont-get-caught

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Update:

Still no word from Ray, but he did send someone over to pick up all his potted plants that were in the front yard of the guest house.  We moved all his things that were in the living room into the bedroom and there is so much of his stuff that it has the bedroom  piled high. Very strange for someone to just leave all their stuff.  This time he has been gone over 5 weeks now, but legally, I can't get rid of his possessions.

Somehow a rock hit the patio door on the guest house, so now it is all crazed and waiting to fall into a million pieces.  I think a weed eater did it.

The new helper, Roy didn't work out at all.  He worked on the floor for a few hours on the Monday, and then worked on his own job, mowing lawns, the rest of the week.  He always had landscaping tools spread all over the front yard and everyone thought I was having a yard sale.  I got so tired of people stopping and calling, that I asked him not to do that again.  When I went into the guest house I found out that Roy had moved a bunch of his personal stuff in at night time, and had planned on living there.  I told him that it was a construction area, not a living area.  On Monday, 12th. his niece came by and told me that Roy had been put in the hospital and it took two car loads to get the small stuff out of there.  I am still waiting for Roy's brother to pick up the large stuff, like a refrigerator and a trailer that Roy towed behind his riding mower. 

So back to Jay and me!   We have been cutting out the bad flooring in the kitchen/dining area in the guest house.  

 

When we removed the kitchen cabinets we found out that Ray had let the drain leak under the sink, then that water had gone through the floor and caused termites to climb up into the wall.  Needless to say, the lower cabinets fell apart as we were removing them. 

Then when we went to remove the upper cabinets we found that they were full of canned goods.  Now who puts canned goods in upper cabinets??  As an old RVer, I know not to do that.  Anyway, so many upper cabinets are held up there with just a few screws, and aren't made to support the weight of a lot of cans.  This was so mystifying as there is a big canned goods rack built in one of the big cupboards.

Yesterday, Jay and I went to church.  I took Opo Squash and Ginger Chicken Soup, and Jay made a strawberry pie with real whipped cream, not Coolwhip.

The Bible readings were Num. 30:2-32:40, Jere. 1:1-2:3, and Mat. 5:33-37.  The Teaching was about "Trees planted by water"  Psa.1:3 and Jere.17:7-8.  Another new couple came for the first time, and I think that they will be regulars.   Everyone enjoyed the potluck, and a lot of talk and teaching was done around the dining tables.  It was so sunny that we were glad that we had put four sunshades up around the front of the van.   These are the hottest days.

Speak The Truth In Love. When Your Spouse Complains. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Majestic Monarch Butterfly. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Speak The Truth In Love.

"What we say and why we say it has a huge impact on our relationships. Can telling the truth ever have bad results? Is it okay to lie for a good reason?

“Is it OK to lie for a good cause?” was the question asked in a recent TED conversation. The answers that came in were interesting.

One replied, “In my opinion the basis for moral action is loosely speaking to ‘maximize others’ well-being/minimize the harm you do to others.’ A rule such as ‘never lie’ is thus in my opinion not in itself the basis for moral action, but rather almost always a direct consequence of trying to be moral in the first sense. Lying can in my view therefore sometimes be moral.”

But can it really?

Another person quoted a religious figure who provided a more traditionalist conclusion: “It is a sin for someone to lie. When he lies for a good cause, i.e. to save someone else, this is half a sin, because the lie is for the benefit of his fellow man and not for himself. However it is also considered a sin; therefore, we should keep it in mind, and not fall into the habit of telling lies for insignificant things.”

So, is it okay to lie for a good cause? What does God say about lying and truth and our motives?"

Read More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/communication/speak-the-truth-in-love/ By Ralph Levy

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Marriage Builder - When Your Spouse Complains

"When one spouse complains, typically the other becomes defensive. Learning to deal with complaints before they become destructive is critical to the success of every marriage."

From Jimmy Evans: "Early in our marriage, Karen and I had an enormous amount of anger between us. We fought all the time. We couldn't talk about anything because it almost always led to a fight.

That's a dangerous way to live in a marriage. Chronic anger causes severe health problems. Did you know people in bad marriages actually have shorter life spans? Anger consumes our energy and wears us out.

How do you deal with anger in your marriage?

First, don't deny it. In Ephesians 4: 26-27, the Apostle Paul says that we will be angry. When this happens, admit it. Don't bottle it up. Suppressing anger may feel helpful in the short term, but unexpressed anger can be devastating. The pressure will build and build until you explode.

Cultivate an atmosphere of honesty within your relationship, so you and your spouse both feel free to complain and express anger. You have to be able to share anything with each other. I've counseled individuals before and one person will tell me something important about their thoughts or feelings.

I'll ask, "Have you told your spouse that?" They'll answer, "Oh, no. They'll go ballistic." What that means is the atmosphere in their home is not safe. They aren't free to complain because that kind of honesty can be dangerous to their marriage.

Allow your spouse to be angry. But when your spouse does offer a specific complaint, you must respond in a healthy way.

Don't get defensive. The best customer relations counters are the ones that take back a defective product and replace it with no questions asked. It's easy.

That's the kind of attitude we need in marriage. Defensive behavior makes it difficult. It makes a spouse feel they don't have a right to complain. In fact, defensiveness is a major predictor of divorce.

Early in our marriage, Karen would tell me something that was bothering her. She would explain that there was a problem and I would respond, "No, you're the problem. If you would just get your act together, everything would be fine."   That is not helpful.

Don't let your anger "age." Paul told the Ephesians not to let the sun go down on their anger. He meant that anger should be dealt with immediately. If you let it age—if you let it simmer and stew—it gets worse. It begins to fester.

Long-term anger turns into contempt. It turns into bitterness. It becomes poisonous and hardens your heart to whatever made you angry in the first place. Don't hide your anger in hopes that it will just go away. It turns toxic.

Don't stonewall. This is when communication totally shuts down. It's a response that means you're not willing to talk at all. "Do not talk to me about the children. Do not talk to me about money. Don't talk to me about my behavior."

A marriage with no communication is a marriage that's in trouble. We need to be able to complain to each other. We have to talk things out—but we have to do it without getting defensive, throwing a fit, or insulting each other.

Dysfunctional families don't talk. Functional families are honest and work things out when one spouse has a complaint. What kind of family is yours?" 

More and video at: http://www.marriagetoday.com/when-your-spouse-complains/  and  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWVP_9CNGwU#t=13

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

An Amazing Fact: "Not all garbage ends up at the dump. In fact, Earth’s largest landfill isn’t on land at all. Every year millions of tons of plastic and other floating garbage is washed, blown, or dumped into the Pacific Ocean. It comes from rivers, boats, and populated beaches around the coasts of the great sea. Gradually, a constantly revolving whirlpool of ocean currents and wind gather and push these items into a virtual vortex of trash. This forms a floating rubbish convergence zone bigger than the state of Texas.

This galaxy of garbage, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, stretches more than a thousand miles across the central North Pacific Ocean. It is found in ocean space between Japan and California, while hovering a few hundred miles north of Hawaii. There are places where this tangled mass of nets, bottles, and bags is so thick you can walk on it, but most of the garbage patch is a minestrone soup of rubbish. Despite its continental size, the patch is not visible through satellite photography because most of its contents are a snow of plastic confetti suspended beneath the surface of the ocean.

This swirling synthetic sea presents a deadly minefield of debris. Each year thousands of ocean-going birds, fish, and mammals are killed trying to survive near this growing gauntlet of garbage. Turtles eat the plastic bags, thinking they are jellyfish. Birds eat the plastic particles, thinking they’re fish or shrimp, then starve because the indigestible polymers give them the false sensation they are full.

It is estimated this nebulous, floating junk yard, also called the Pacific Trash Vortex, may contain over 100 million tons of debris, and it’s growing every year. While it is the largest, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is not unique. It is only one of five gigantic gatherings of garbage found among the seven seas of the world.

 
Did you know the Bible says that God will cast our sins in the depths of the sea? But the good news is that they don’t float! “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. - Psalms 104:25

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In the Animal Kingdom:

Help Save The Majestic Monarch Butterfly

"Don't let this North American crown jewel slip away. Urge the EPA to come up with a monarch butterfly rescue plan.

The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable and revered butterflies in all the world.

Each year, the monarchs begin a remarkable journey when they fly north to lay their eggs—some as far as 3,000 miles. For three brief generations, each lasting only one or two months, the monarchs mate and breed. The fourth generation of butterflies then returns to Mexico where they hibernate in a remote forest for six to eight months, until it is time to repeat the process.

It is a process that has continued uninterrupted for 250,000 years, but the last 15 years have seen dwindling numbers.

In the US, modern pesticides are killing milkweed, a primary source of nutrition. In Mexico, illegal loggers destroy their habitat.

Monarchs are the only known species of butterfly to migrate each year, seeking abundant food in the summer and warmer climates during the winter. Unfortunately, modern pesticides are killing milkweed in the U.S., a primary source of nutrition, while illegal loggers destroy their habitat in Mexico.

Take Action: Urge the EPA to intervene. http://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/trs/petition/MonarchButterflies

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Update:

It has been another cold week.  Not much outside work going on.   Three stray feral cats that have taken up residence here have been going into the enclosed canopy carport and using it as their personal litter box.  They thought that it was much better than doing it out in the cold I suppose.  We sprinkled the ground with paprika one day, pepper the next, which seemed to work, and next we will try mothballs.   I furnished them with a real litter box and litter, and one did use it.  We can't trap them, they are too clever. The situation might get out of hand if they breed, so we will have to do something with these two females and one male.

One big thing happened this week.  The person who used my credit card that was stolen in the robbery, was finally arrested.  They were found with some 'controlled substance', too!  So now we, you and me, will be supporting them for a while.  I wish there were some way of retrieving the things that were stolen.  I had lost almost all the pictures of my kids when they were little in the house fire and then the flood.  The only ones that I did have were stolen in the robbery as they were in my checkbook case, which I left at the house while I was in hospital.

Jay and I went shopping on Wednesday and picked up some 2x6's for the ceiling in the greenhouse extension to the storeroom.  We also got some bargains at the thrift shops.  I got some lovely sweaters, and Jay got some winter shirts.

Something went wrong with Ray's car, so I took him to the doctor on Friday.  The doctor sent his prescription to CVS.  We went grocery shopping and got a few parts at Lowes waiting for the prescription to be filled. When Ray called them, they said it would be another hour, and then it was another half-hour.  So we just dawdled around Conroe most of the day.

On Sunday, Ray and I took this computer out into the workshop, opened up the big workshop door, then opened up the computer and gently blew the dust out with the compressor.  Then we moved the computer desk and everything back to it's old place in front of the patio door that leads to the screened–in porch.  We moved my sewing machine back to where the computer was, and oiled it.  I might get some sewing done now.

Jim, the mechanic down the street, finally made the diagnosis that Ray's car needed a coil pack, so I took Ray to get it, Jim installed it and all is well now.

Ray and I went to church bundled up in several layers, as it was cold and rainy.  They can't keep the chapel very warm as it is an old building with not much insulation. The Bible readings were Deut. 6:5, Psa.139, 145, Exo. 1-6:1, Isa 27:6-28 and Jer.1:1-2:3.  The Teaching was about the 'Destructiveness of Sin'.

The potluck was good as usual.  We never know what the members will bring to the dining hall.  We had salmon hors d'oeuvres, salads, turkey chili with turkey sausages, turkey meatloaf, beef enchiladas, beef tacos and fixin's, and lots of different veggies.  Pumpkin pie, cake and cookies for dessert.

I had wanted to watch one of my favorite shows 'As Time Goes By' on PBS at 7.00pm, but fell fast asleep.  It had been a happy though tiring, rainy day.

What Easter Doesn't Tell You. Recap of The Last Couple of Weeks.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

The program on WGN TV this morning:

"What Easter Doesn't Tell You."

Something critical is missing in the story of Easter and it has everything to do with your salvation. Learn more.

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/doctrinal-beliefs/what-easter-doesnt-tell-you

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Yesterday:

Ray and I went to church.   He is driving me most places, as I am still scared of the driver's side air bag.  Already being height challenged, the steering wheel is close to my chest, and if that air bag went off hitting the place where I was sawn open, and then wired and glued shut, I don't know what I would do. 

Each day I am getting stronger, but still not up to par.  After all those years of being tied down to this computer from morning to night for my work, I still have a bit of an aversion to it.  It is a relief not to have to be on it all the time. 

We have tackled some jobs, got the Heat/AC that blew cold air in the heat mode out and returned to the store, and installed one that works like it should.  The patio door on the guest house had somehow got out of square.  Ray and I undid the screws on the right side of the frame and dropped that side down, so the door closes properly now.  The washing machine that I bought used, in 1994, finally gave up, and I have another one, a Roper this time, in my van, but Jay hasn't been here to help us move them around.

Ray and I went to see the detective that is handling my robbery case, and he says that it sometimes takes three months to get things in gear, as they are short staffed…..  But when a neighbor had to call an ambulance, two cop cars, an ambulance and a great big fire truck with six firemen on board responded, just to pick up one little old lady!! 

Jay went to church with us the week before, but he didn't yesterday.

The sermon was about how important it is that we observe Passover, as we are directed all through the Bible.

After church, Ray went to Petco as it was his turn to tend to the cats at our SPCA Cat Habitat. Right now it is housing the kittens that he cared for here, while I was in the hospital, so it was a happy reunion for the kittens and Ray.  One has already been adopted.  The others will be there for two more weeks, and if not adopted they will be back here, until it is their turn to go back to the Habitat. 

I still have Nala, my foster cat, and my 'new', old, black cat, Ava.

Ray really likes this little church, and we stayed for the potluck and fellowship afterwards, which made it a great day.

Summer Tips. Justin Bieber’s Mally. Coal Tar-sealed Asphalt. Forget What You Think You Know About Curb Appeal. Vesuvius. Huguenot’s Massacre. Mexican Independence.

 

For “Summary Saturday”:  News, Some New, Some Old, some that you may not have seen:-

10 Life Hacks You Need To Know For Summer!

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Justin Bieber’s Mally, Monkeys Are Not Pets!

“Recently pop star Justin Bieber was in the news because one of his friends gifted him with a baby Capuchin monkey. Sadly, German authorities confiscated the monkey because Bieber didn’t have the proper paperwork to import “Mally” into the country while he was performing there.

Since Bieber didn’t produce the required documents by the deadline, little Mally became the property of the German government, despite efforts by a primate sanctuary in Florida to bring him back to the states to live with other captive Capuchins.

After several weeks of quarantine, Mally has been transferred to a zoo in northern Germany where she will live out her life on “Mally-bu” island. This unfortunate outcome is all too common for primates kept as pets.”  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/08/12/monkeys-not-pets.aspx

Now:  Germany tells Justin Bieber to pay up for his former pet monkey, Mally

“The authorities have posted a public notice urging Justin Bieber to contact them about an unpaid bill for his former pet monkey, Mally.

The Canadian pop singer failed to produce the necessary vaccination and import papers for the capuchin monkey when he arrived for a European tour in March. Mally became the property of the government in May when Bieber failed to claim his pet. It has been rehomed in a zoo in Lower Saxony.

Franz Boehmer of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation says Bieber has a week to pay €1,130 (£980) for Mally's care – or customs officials "have ways of making him pay" next time he enters Germany.”  From: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-tells-justin-bieber-to-pay-up-for-his-former-pet-monkey-mally-8738710.html

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Coal-Tar Sealants In Asphalt Driveways Could Raise Cancer Risk

“Could your driveway be dangerous to your health?

Mounting evidence shows that coal tar sealant -- used to maintain pavement on asphalt, including the asphalt in some driveways -- contains human carcinogens.

One recent study, published earlier this year in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, suggested that people who live near coal tar-sealed asphalt may have a higher risk of cancer, due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

NBC News explained that people can be exposed to the PAHs when the coal tar sealant breaks down over time, becoming a dust that is either inhaled or enters waterways.

Now, two states and multiple communities in other states have banned this particular kind of sealant, and major home improvement stores -- including Home Depot and Lowe's -- don't sell the product.”  More and video at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/coal-tar-sealant-cancer-asphalt-carcinogen

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You’re Standing on It! Health Risks of Coal-Tar Pavement Sealcoat

“The pavement of many parking lots is coated with coal-tar-based sealcoat, which is marketed to increase the longevity of the underlying asphalt and improve appearance. Car tires grind the dried sealcoat to a fine powder that is a potent source of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The sealcoat particles wash down storm drains, are blown onto adjacent soil and pavement, and are tracked into homes on the soles of shoes.

For someone who spends their entire lifetime living adjacent to coal-tar-seal-coated pavement, the average excess lifetime cancer risk is estimated to be 38 times higher than the urban background exposure.  More than one-half of the risk occurs during the first 18 years of life, and most of it (84 percent) is from ingestion of soil.  The estimated lifetime cancer risk also is elevated for someone who spends just the first 6 years of their life living adjacent to coal-tar-sealed pavement—about 25 times higher than urban background exposure."  More at: http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/youre-standing-on-it-health-risks-

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Forget what you think you know about curb appeal

“Native plant expert knocks down 8 urban myths about what your front yard should look like.

This is how a yard would look with native plants and reduced lawn. (Photo: Doug Tallamy)

Doug Tallamy, the passionate voice and inspirational conscience of the native plant movement, is on a mission. He’s asking America’s homeowners to buy into a new definition of curb appeal.

When Tallamy, a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, thinks about curb appeal, he envisions residential yards in which lawns are reduced by 50 percent, groups of diverse native trees, shrubs and flowers line each side of the lawn, and the small grassy areas guide the eyes of passersby through the landscape to a focal point on the house, such as a door.

He knows this definition won’t be an easy sell.

“Curb appeal is a concept introduced by real estate agents,” Tallamy told the 30th annual Cullowhee Native Plant Conference in Cullowhee, N.C., in July. “In the real estate view, curb appeal seems to be a full view of the front of the house, which by default is an open lawn.

Chickadees will keep caterpillar populations in check among plants that are native species. (Photo: Gerald A. DeBoer/Shutterstock)

The problem with yards that are mostly grass is that they are “dead landscapes” that lack plants, specifically plants native to a homeowner’s region of the country, that support the web of plant, insect and animal life, Tallamy contends.

Urban legend No. 1: Native plants are messy

This, perhaps, is the misconception that has gained the greatest traction.

“Some people think that to share our landscapes with other species we have to stop mowing our lawns, or give up landscaping altogether,” Tallamy said. “But native landscaping is not the absence of landscaping. Barren lawn is the absence of landscaping.”

Myth 8: Native plants are too expensive

It is actually great expanses of lawns that are expensive to maintain and start. They require large amounts of fertilizer; they must be mowed regularly in warm months; and some grasses such as fescue, a pasture grass with a normal height of 2 feet that is mowed to a height of 2 to 4 inches, require annual reseeding in the fall. Lawns are also susceptible to fungal diseases and damage from insects that don’t attract predators. Because trees have been removed and replaced with grass, lawns also act as heat sumps, absorbing large amounts of heat in the summer and increasing air conditioning costs.”

WAIT! THERE'S MORE: We've got more myths to dispel  

at: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/forget-what-you-think-you-know-about-curb-appeal#.Uf-EO7SxlQo.facebook  By Tom Oder

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On This Day:

Vesuvius erupts, Aug 24, 79:

“After centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing thousands.

Within the next 25 hours, it wipes out entire towns. Hundreds of years later, archaeologists excavated Pompeii and found everything and everyone that had been there that day perfectly preserved by the volcano's ash.

When rain mixed with the ash, it formed a sort of concrete, preserving the city. The town of Herculaneum was also buried on August 25, but by a mudslide set off by the eruption and accompanying tremors. It is estimated that 13,000 people in total died from the eruption.

It was not until 1595, during the construction of an aqueduct, that Pompeii was rediscovered. Unfortunately, what can be viewed today is only a small fraction of what was found then, as looting and pillaging over the years has greatly reduced the archaeological value of the site. Some scientists believe that there may still be other villages buried by Vesuvius that have yet to be discovered.

Today, Mount Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European mainland. Its last eruption was in 1944 and its last major eruption was in 1631. Another eruption is expected in the near future, would could be devastating for the 700,000 people who live in the "death zones" around Vesuvius.”

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Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre, Aug 24, 1572:

“King Charles IX of France, under the sway of his mother, Catherine de Medici, orders the assassination of Huguenot Protestant leaders in Paris, setting off an orgy of killing that results in the massacre of tens of thousands of Huguenots all across France.

Two days earlier, Catherine had ordered the murder of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, a Huguenot leader whom she felt was leading her son into war with Spain. However, Coligny was only wounded, and Charles promised to investigate the assassination in order to placate the angry Huguenots. Catherine then convinced the young king that the Huguenots were on the brink of rebellion, and he authorized the murder of their leaders by the Catholic authorities. Most of these Huguenots were in Paris at the time, celebrating the marriage of their leader, Henry of Navarre, to the king's sister, Margaret.

A list of those to be killed was drawn up, headed by Coligny, who was brutally beaten and thrown out of his bedroom window just before dawn on August 24. Once the killing started, mobs of Catholic Parisians, apparently overcome with bloodlust, began a general massacre of Huguenots. Charles issued a royal order on August 25 to halt the killing, but his pleas went unheeded as the massacres spread. Mass slaughters continued into October, reaching the provinces of Rouen, Lyon, Bourges, Bordeaux, and Orleans. An estimated 3,000 French Protestants were killed in Paris, and as many as 70,000 in all of France. The massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day marked the resumption of religious civil war in France.”

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Spain accepts Mexican independence, Aug 24, 1821:

“Eleven years after the outbreak of the Mexican War of Independence, Spanish Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú signs the Treaty of Córdoba, which approves a plan to make Mexico an independent constitutional monarchy.

In early 1821, Agustín de Iturbide, the leader of the Royalist forces, negotiated the Plan of Iguala with Vicente Guerrero. Under the plan, Mexico would be established as an independent constitutional monarchy, the privileged position of the Catholic Church would be maintained, and Mexicans of Spanish descent would be regarded as equals to pure Spaniards. Mexicans of mixed or pure Indian blood would have lesser rights.

Iturbide defeated the Royalist forces still opposed to independence, and the new Spanish viceroy, lacking money, provisions, and troops, was forced to accept Mexican independence. On August 24, 1821, O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba, thus ending New Spain's dependence on Old Spain.

In 1822, as no Bourbon monarch to rule Mexico had been found, Iturbide was proclaimed the emperor of Mexico. However, his empire was short-lived, and in 1823 republican leaders Santa Anna and Guadalupe Victoria deposed Iturbide and set up a republic with Guadalupe Victoria as its first president.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay in the van, as the Puddle Jumper was just on the high side of “Walk”.  After we picked up Jay, we went to the store around the corner and filled up the gas cans and put the gas in the Puddle Jumper when we got back here. 

Misty liked going somewhere new for a change.  She is very alert and interested in everything that goes on.  My SPCA boss and the vet are very surprised that she is in such good condition with her inoperable cancer.  Her largest breast tumor has got bigger, but not as big as they thought it would be after 3-1/2 years.  When I got her they didn’t think she would live a year!

Jay and I installed some of the metal r-panel roofing on the screen porch.   I cancelled the fiberglass r-panel from Muellers, as I don’t want anything yellowy on my white house. 

Over the patio door, we used the clear and opaque polycarbonate roofing that I already had, for now.  It’s not the r-panel configuration, but it let’s a lot of light into my living room, and that is what it needs.  

I don’t know why Muellers stopped selling the opaque polycarbonate roofing, I have had some on the guest house for about three years, and it doesn’t leak.  I am still hoping that I can get some opaque r-panel from the other dealer, and then we will replace the section that we put up there yesterday.

Great Green Macaw. You Can't Spell L-I-F-E Without Bee(s). Not "Bee-Friendly" Plants. Woodpeckers, Kookaburras, Ravens ... Benny Goodman. Hawaii.

For “Winged Wednesday:

Great Green Macaw

“The Great Green Macaw—second-largest macaw in the world after the Hyacinth Macaw—created quite a stir in Ecuador recently. A sighting of 36 birds flying over the lush forest of the Canandé Reserve marked the first time such a large flock was spotted here. The flock included more Great Green Macaws than were previously thought to exist in the country.

Canandé Reserve—established in 2000 by the Jocotoco Foundation and supported by ABC, World Land Trust-US, and other partners—was established in part to protect this macaw. Park guards have continued to track the birds to try to learn more about their seasonal movements. Ironically, it is suspected that timber harvesting adjacent to the reserve is causing these macaws to seek new habitat and thus, signals that more conservation action is needed.

Like its other parrot relatives, the Great Green Macaw is highly sociable. Sightings of groups of a dozen or more birds should be common, yet this majestic bird has become rare throughout its range due to poaching for the pet trade and feathers. Other threats include habitat destruction from logging, conversion of land for agriculture and cattle pasture, and hunting.”

Help ABC conserve this and other birds and their habitats!

Photo: Great Green Macaws, Wikipedia.org; Range Map by ABC

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And our winged friends, the Bees:

TIME Magazine Envisions a World Without Honeybees

TIME Magazine's cover this week depicts a single bee, its wings flapping in frenzied motion on a stark black background. It forebodingly reads, "A WORLD WITHOUT BEES: THE PRICE WE'LL PAY IF WE DON'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S KILLING THE HONEYBEE".

The article by Bryan Walsh addresses a disastrous phenomenon that could tumble the basis of our food system: the widespread collapse of honeybee colonies nationwide known as "colony collapse disorder." Honeybees across the nation have been dying at rates unseen in history. To say that the bees are dropping like flies, well, it's an affront to the necessity of bees in our food systems and economy. It's hard to talk about colony collapse disorder and not sound Doomsday-ish. And that's because, as Walsh reveals, one-third of the food on our tables is there because of honeybees, which pollinate a wide array of the foods we love and need, and their survival is required to fuel our both our bodies and our economy. Forget about berries, fruits, many vegetables if we fail to address this honeybee crisis.

He reports on the lethal effects on bees of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, or "neonics" for short.

Neonics are highly toxic to bees. Science shows that these pesticides could be the reason for the widespread die-off, and if these pesticides aren't killing the bees directly, they are likely causing them to lose their way back to the beehive, so they get lost and starve.”  More at: http://earthjustice.org/blog/2013-august/time-magazine-envisions-a-world-without-honeybees

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You Can't Spell L-I-F-E Without Bee(s)

“As the narrator of the documentary, Vanishing of the Bees, Page and Maher spoke quietly and seriously about the fact that our bees are dying in mass quantities, and at an alarming rate. They're pesky stinging bugs, so why should we care? Well, here's why. We cannot live without bees.

Well, guess what? The bees are disappearing. In massive numbers. All around the world. And if you think I'm being alarmist and that, "Oh, they'll figure out some way to pollinate the plants..." No, they've tried. For a lot of what we eat, only bees work. And they're not working. They're gone. It's called Colony Collapse Disorder, when the hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, and all that's left are a few queens and some immature workers.

A quote by Einstein to illustrate the importance of this bee issue: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

But I think we're the ones suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder. Because although nobody really knows for sure what's killing the bees, it's not al-Qaeda, and it's not God doing some of his Old Testament shtick, and it's not Winnie the Pooh. It's us. It could be from pesticides, or genetically modified food, or global warming, or the high-fructose corn syrup we started to feed them. Recently it was discovered that bees won't fly near cell phones -- the electromagnetic signals they emit might screw up the bees navigation system, knocking them out of the sky. So thanks guy in line at Starbucks, you just killed us. It's nature's way of saying, "Can you hear me now?"

Last week I asked: If it solved global warming, would you give up the TV remote and go back to carting your fat ass over to the television set every time you wanted to change the channel. If that was the case in America, I think Americans would watch one channel forever. If it comes down to the cell phone vs. the bee, will we choose to literally blather ourselves to death?”  More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/the-birds-the-bees-and-ea_b_46410.html

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Gardeners Beware: Bee-Toxic Pesticides Found in "Bee-Friendly" Plants Sold at Garden Centers Nationwide

“A new, first-of-its-kind pilot study by Friends of the Earth-US and Pesticide Research Institute has found 54 percent of common garden plants purchased at top retailers including Lowes and Home Depot contained neonicotinoid pesticides, which studies show can harm or kill bees and other pollinators, with no warning to consumers.  The UK’s largest garden retailers, including Homebase, B&Q and Wickes, have already stopped selling neonics.”  More at: http://www.foe.org/beeaction

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BirdNote: Woodpeckers, Kookaburras, Ravens ...

 

Upcoming Shows

Northern Flicker SUNDAY Woodpeckers As Keystone Species by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Bobolink MONDAY Grassland Meander by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Mallard TUESDAY Male Mallards Disappear by Frances Wood  LISTEN NOW ►

Laughing Kookaburra WEDNESDAY Laughing Kookaburra by Bob Sundstrom   LISTEN NOW ►

Northern Cardinal (Female/Male) THURSDAY Northern Cardinal - Meet the Cardinal by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

European Blackcap FRIDAY Evolution Of European Blackcaps featuring Mike Webster, Ph.D. Director, Macaulay Library  LISTEN NOW ►

Common Raven SATURDAY How Raven Made the Tide by Frances Wood  LISTEN

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On This Day:

The Swing Era begins with Benny Goodman's triumphant Palomar Ballroom performance, Aug 21, 1935:

“While the roots of swing music clearly lie in earlier forms of jazz—and particularly in African-American jazz performance styles—swing as we know it may just have been born at a specific time and in a specific place, with an electric performance by one particular Big Band for one particularly enthusiastic audience. The time and place was August 21, 1935, at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, California, where Benny Goodman and his band emphatically opened the Swing Era with an exuberant performance witnessed by thousands of young fans in the live audience and millions more tuning in to a live radio broadcast.

The ninth of 12 children in a large Jewish family in Chicago, Goodman had been sent by his father at the age of 10 in 1919 to the local synagogue for clarinet lessons in the hopes that a music career might provide him a way out of poverty

By his early teens, Goodman had proven his father correct by becoming a working professional, and by 24, he was successful enough to land his band a regular gig on a weekly radio program broadcast out of New York City called Let's Dance. It was there that Goodman began performing "hot" arrangements by African-American bandleader Fletcher Henderson—arrangements that departed from the more romantic style of the day by employing loose, upbeat, syncopated rhythms that had been common in African-American jazz ensembles for years. Goodman's band would often appear well past midnight, New York time, on Let's Dance. And while this limited their exposure on the East Coast, Goodman would soon discover a huge new fan base when he took his group west to California.

Already familiar with Benny Goodman's exciting new style from his Friday night radio appearances, a huge crowd of young people turned out for his Palomar Ballroom debut on this day in 1935. It was a promising start to an engagement Goodman hoped would salvage a summer tour otherwise judged a failure. But Goodman stuck to relatively staid, stock  arrangements during the first part of that night's show, and he began to lose the young crowd.

Before their return from the first intermission, the band's drummer, Gene Krupa, is said to have urged Goodman, "If we're gonna die, Benny, let's die playing our own thing." It was at that point that Benny Goodman famously pulled out Henderson's arrangements along with all the stops on his talented orchestra, to the crowd's immense delight.”

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Hawaii becomes 50th state, Aug 21, 1959:

“The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state. The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. The new flag became official July 4, 1960.

In 1893, a group of American expatriates and sugar planters supported by a division of U.S. Marines deposed Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii. One year later, the Republic of Hawaii was established as a U.S. protectorate with Hawaiian-born Sanford B. Dole as president. Many in Congress opposed the formal annexation of Hawaii, and it was not until 1898, following the use of the naval base at Pearl Harbor during the Spanish-American War, that Hawaii's strategic importance became evident and formal annexation was approved. Two years later, Hawaii was organized into a formal U.S. territory. During World War II, Hawaii became firmly ensconced in the American national identity following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

In March 1959, the U.S. government approved statehood for Hawaii, and in June the Hawaiian people voted by a wide majority to accept admittance into the United States. Two months later, Hawaii officially became the 50th state.” 

From me:  Hawaii was the first state to ban plastic bags.

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Yesterday:

Ray had to take Shay to the doctor, and I didn’t hear from Jay, so I took off to the metal carport dealer in the next town.  They have an Eagle carport dealer here in Willis, but when I spoke to them on the phone they didn’t seem as knowledgeable, or as interested in selling me one.  The one in Conroe is run by a sweet lady who has a recently disabled husband, and they having a hard time, so I wanted to give her my business.  And I wanted to take another look at the 34’ Avion travel trailer they have for sale.

After she made a call to the factory to check on some things, I placed my order and paid the down payment.  My carport will have to be custom made, as it has to be narrower, and I am adding an extra 4’ to the legs.  I do want to be able to keep the sun off my house, and also get my little motorhome in there, if needed.

I toured the Avion, this time looking in all the top and bottom cabinets, and around the toilet and tub, and didn’t find any weak spots.  It is a lovely trailer, I just don’t really care for the floor plan.  It has a rear bathroom, so it doesn’t have a real bedroom, unless you count sleeping in the hallway from the bathroom to the living room.  That’s alright for a trip, but not for fulltime living.  Also, the stove is on the left, the sink next to it, and the counter to the right of that.  I prefer to have some counter space between the sink and the stove.

About 30 miles from here is a 38’ trailer with front kitchen which is on two walls so it has plenty of countertop, dinette and couch in the slide across from a patio door, and rear bedroom.  Hopefully, I can go see it today.

RVers, Do You Want To Workamp? Your Resume. Porch Door. Pine Needles.

I kinda left this announcement too late, unless you are right there, but maybe you can find out about the next one:

"Learn about workamping at April event:

Workamper News Rendezvous set for April 26-28 in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Fourteen seminars will be held in a classroom setting at the new Heber Springs Community Center.
 
Attendees will learn from experts who will provide both practical and advanced strategies for living the Workamper lifestyle. They learn about RV maintenance and technical help, talk with employers about their opportunities, have fun and fellowship and enjoy food and entertainment. They can learn out books and CDs that are available through the Workamper bookstore and become a certified workamper by completing an education track.

The weather is typically nice that time of year in the southern doorstep of the Ozark mountains, and those who plan to attend with RVs can enjoy the outstanding campsites at the Corps of Engineer Campgrounds on Greers Ferry Lake."
Click here for more information. 
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Your resume:

"Almost every resume is full of words that suggest the person is someone worthy of a spot on the team, yet few of them explain what they have actually done in their place of work to prove that they really possess these attributes.
Some of the biggest "offenders" I see repeated over and over again on resumes include:

1. reliable
2. loyal
3. trustworthy
4. great sense of humor
5. conscientious
6. helpful
7. innovative
8. seasoned
9. results-oriented
10. dependable
11. detail oriented
12. highly motivated
13. versatile
14. independent
15. self-starter

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Workampers Needed:

"Jobs are now available for singles and couples at the Riverside Resort & RV Park located between Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park in Southern Utah. Flexible terms, work for site only, or site and cash. Perfect location for outdoorsy persons.

Jobs available are: Front Desk (x3), Lawn Maintenance (x1 or 2), Handy Man (x2), Events Coordinator (x1 or 2). Preferred work dates are April 15th through September 30th. Experience preferred. Must have own rig. Front Desk must have cheery attitude, basic office skills and MUST have computer skills."
Send Resume and photo of self and your rig (pets are ok).

For more information about us, visit us on the web at http://www.riversideresort-utah.com/
(If you look at the monthly rate page, you will see that it says 'workampers wanted')
14 hours for 30 amp   -   16 hours for 50 amp   -    based on one or 2 persons   -  utilities included
With pay is the same for the site. Any extra hours worked are paid by the hour. Rate depends on the job."
From: http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=90306&pid=442538&st=0&#entry442538
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 Workers On Wheels


Current Job Openings for RVers.  Subscribe to our Workers On Wheels E-zine. There's no cost.   ~ Workers On Wheels
"Here are some of the most recently listed job openings. These are just a few of them. Go to the website to see all of them.
~ AZ: Pay for All Hours Worked, Plus Site with Paid Electric
~ CA: Help Wanted, Pays Hourly Wage, at RV Resort
~ IA: Seasonal Help Wanted - Work for Site, Pay for Extra Hours
~ OR: Volunteer Fairgrounds Host – Wallowa County Fair Board
~ TX: Camp Hosts Needed - Some Barter, Some Pay
The freshest ads are on the April Job Listings page. Go to the page listed below to see them all, including details and contact information."
~ April Job Listings For the archives of previously posted job listings, see the monthly job index page.  Job Listing Index
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314 Opportunities Found at:  http://www.volunteer.gov/gov/results.cfm
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Texas state parks looking for volunteers

"April is National Volunteer Month, and folks who love state parks, hunting and fishing in Texas have plenty to celebrate. In 2010, volunteers provided close to 955,000 hours of service worth an estimated $16.9 million to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Texas State Parks and Historic Sites alone receive volunteer service saving TPWD’s State Parks Division almost $10 million per year in avoided costs for administrative, maintenance, interpretive, and park host duties throughout the state.

Volunteers are also vital for wildlife management areas and state fish hatcheries. And TPWD has entire education programs that could not function without large and well-trained corps of statewide volunteers, including hunter, boater and angler education and archery instruction."
Info at : http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/involved/volunteer/spdest/
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Work From Home Resources by Rae :http://travelswithmiranda.uskeba.ca/

Posted By Rae on January 20, 2010
"There are some legitimate ‘work from home’ sites out there, although not nearly as many as there are scams! I’ve been able to get work (contracts) through the following sites:
Elance and Guru
I’ve lumped these two together because they are quite similar. Both are sites where freelancers can showcase their skills in many fields as well as browse for, and bid on, projects. While there is a lot of work to be found on both sites, I’ve found it hard to compete with members who live in south east Asia and are willing to work for a dollar or two an hour, plus Elance and Guru take a cut from what you earn. Still, a couple of bucks an hour is better than no bucks an hour and I go to these sites when I’m desperate to bring in something. Both sites offer a free, basic, membership as well as paid levels. I don’t pay.
Editfast
Editfast is a site for professional editors, proofreaders, and writers. Once you pass the rigorous requirements to be accepted on the site, including proofreading and writing tests, you get to build a profile page showcasing your skills. Companies looking for editors, proofreaders, and writers can search for a contractor matching their criteria. Editfast acts as the middle person and takes a cut of the profits, but you can adjust your rates to take into account this percentage. It’s through this site that I got my first writing contract. Check out my Editfast profile.
Homejobstop
There is a small fee to join Homejobstop and, yes, I do earn a commission if you sign up through the above link. That said, this site is a great resource with links to tons of legitimate telecommuting positions. Most are in the US, but there are some in Canada and the UK, and even more with no geographic restrictions. They charge a fee because the site does not accept advertisements. There are no scams or links to ‘get rich quick’ schemes, just everything from sites offering paid surveys to postings by companies looking for full-time, salaried employees. While I haven’t found a permanent position from the postings on this site, I have found a couple of short contracts which have more than paid for my $9 sign up fee.
Finally, there’s
Genuine Jobs
This site is a recent find; I haven’t found any work through this site yet. As far as I can tell, they pull postings for telecommuting jobs from other sources, kind of like an RSS feed. I’ve seen postings at Genuine Jobs that I recognize from Craigslist and Canada Job Bank. Like with Homejobstop, and any other job search site, for that matter, I research the company to make sure it’s legit before sending off my resume.
While a full-time, work-from-home position with a salary and benefits would be great, I would also be happy earning a full-time income from a variety of small projects. The above-mentioned sites, and a few other resources, are slowly, but surely, making my dream of employment from home a reality. Maybe they’ll do the same for you."
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Work at Home Now is recommended by the Wall Street Journal
"1  Search the FRESHEST LEADS FIRST... TODAY'S FREE SCREENED JOB LEADS!   And, for "early notice" and exclusive job leads, be sure to sign up for our free email updates/bulletin using the form in the upper right corner of this page!
2  View our free list of HIRERS and JOBS BY TYPE of work using the menu on the left side of the page.
3  Then conduct some searches on your own by using some of OUR FAVORITE GOOGLE SEARCH TERMS.  (Be sure to read our tips for spotting scams before you start your search.)  "
More at: http://ratracerebellion.com/
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Those should keep you busy for a while!

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Yesterday:

Bobcat managed to roll in something nasty.  She is so fat that she can't wash her back, so I gave her a shower in the grooming room bathtub.  She protested vocally, but she has had baths before, so knew to trust me and holds still.  She has found out over the years that I might do something unpleasant to her, but she feels better afterwards.












The weather was great, not hot, not humid, and ideal for letting her dry on the screen porch.
Later, I took her in the dog room and blow brush-dried her, to get any dampness gone.
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Today:

Jay and I left Ray alone to sand, prime and paint in the cargo trailer, while we did other things.  Not finished yet, so no pictures.
 
Each winter, after we put up the vinyl on the screen porch, there is a space where the little hidden door  lets cold air in during the winter, so I had resorted to stuffing towels down the crack, to keep the plants warm.  Also, it is not bug proof in the summer.  Little lizards have found their way in, and received a 'cat demise'. 




So Jay and I installed some blue insulation board on the inside, as a draft and bug barrier.  It took longer than we thought to cut it to follow the contour of the siding.








The door was put there in case of emergency, but we never use it, as there is a patio door in my living room going into the screen porch.

Then we replaced a broken translucent panel in the roof of the attic over the guest house.  While Jay was up there, he raked the pine needles off that roof, roof of  the RVport, and pergola. 

The house's composition roof hadn't kept any pine needles, the winds had blown them off, so we didn't have to blow that off today.

Turkey Day. Thanks. Fage. Baby Bellas.

________________

"The season of driving over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house is upon us. Addressing three aspects of driving will help make holiday trips -- or any trip -- safer and more comfortable.
Holidays are times of good cheer and family road trips. They are also some of the most dangerous times to be on the road. According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), drivers are significantly more likely to be involved in accidents on three upcoming holidays. In order of increasing driving danger, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve are statistically risky times to be on the road."
More at: http://autos.aol.com/article/protect-your-passengers/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec3_lnk2%7C179520
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Be thankful for those in your life.

The United States
"In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.
The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.
The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.
In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.
Canada
Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Observance of the day began in 1879.
Biblical lessons from the harvest
"Is there any connection or correlation between the Feast of Tabernacles and Thanksgiving Day? The seventh chapter of the Gospel of John describes Jesus Christ observing the Feast of Tabernacles.
In his New Testament Commentary, for John 7:2, David Stern writes, “The festival also celebrates the harvest, coming, as it does, at summer’s end, so that it is a time of thanksgiving. (The puritans, who took the Old Testament more seriously than most Christians, modeled the American holiday of Thanksgiving after the Sukkoth [or Feast of Tabernacles]).”'
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 A History of Thanksgiving Day in the United States

1621: The first Thanksgiving at Plymouth, Massachusetts, lasted three days.
1639: Although records from the early years are incomplete, a proclamation of thanksgiving for September 1639 survives, as do proclamations for 1644 and for every year from 1649 onwards.
1775: Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Continental Army besieging the British troops in Boston.
1777: Thanksgiving was for the first time proclaimed by a national authority, the Continental Congress, for all 13 states. It was kept on Dec. 18 by Gen. George Washington and his troops at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
1863: President Abraham Lincoln established the national holiday of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November.
At that time, Abraham Lincoln warned, "We have been recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven... we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown, but we have forgotten God."
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Today was shopping day in the next town.  Jay went with me, but he was very miffed that the thrift shops were closed. 
The forecast was for 83 deg., so I was wearing a sleeveless dress, and we ran the AC there and back. I had the AC on in the house, for the animals, too

We went to Lowes to get parts for the cargo trailer:

Locite Power Grab Adhesive; as it can be used on Styrofoam.
Small electrical boxes; as they had to be shallower than the normal ones.
Regular and GFI outlets.  Shallow junction boxes with covers.
Gusset angles; for where electrical wires go around the wooden corners to protect the wires.
Heavy duty metal repair straps; for where they just had cut grooves in the wood for the wires.
Several nail stops; to protect the wires that were going through the studs.
Plastic bushings for the breaker box.
And a new patio door handle, with lock, for the guest house.
We don't want to be stapling into the wiring when we put up the new paneling in the trailer!

Then I stopped at Krogers, Jay didn't want to go in, as he is there so often with his mother, so he sat in the van under a shade tree, and read one of the Reader's Digests that I keep in there.

Yesterday, Jay had brought some ham to me, to make into ham salad.  Remember, his mother is still at her daughter's, so then he leans on me to feed him.  BUT he had also brought some mayonnaise, and celery for the construction thereof.  
I had ground up the ham, celery, a hard boiled egg, and doused it with real lemon juice and dill weed, and kept it separate from the ham.  I wanted to have some myself, but I don't eat mayonnaise.  First, because it is so unhealthy, even the light. Secondly, because it has mustard flour in it, which makes me feel ill.


So the stop at Krogers was for some Fage. (Fa-yeh!)
All natural Nonfat Greek Strained Yogurt, in the refrigerated health food section.

Jay made some with his mayo, and I made some with my Fage.
 
I couldn't believe that Jay liked mine better, he is so picky!  He even tried some as a spread on toast.  He said he is going to throw out his mayo and get some Fage.
 
At least in my small way, I can help Jay and his mother to eat healthily.  I know I would be very picky about my diet if loving parents had donated their 13 year old's liver to me!


Some refrigerated sliced Monterey Baby Portabella mushrooms were on sale, and when I was checking out, the lady behind me said  "Those are good", so I replied
"Yes, and I sauté them in Coconut Oil as it is good for you, and Olive Oil is bad for you when it is heated."
She asked me if Krogers sold coconut oil, so I told her where it was.  http://www.montereymushrooms.com/VitaD.htm
and:
http://pennys-tuppence.blogspot.com/2010/11/why-coconut-oil-winter-coming.html

I think I will make a scrumptious dish with them, to take to Claudia's daughter's house when I go tomorrow.

Y'all have a very happy and safe day.