I've Switched!

WATER

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%.

One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%,

It can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.



COLA

In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of cola in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of cola and it will be gone in two days.

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl and let it sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in cola removes stains from vitreous china.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in cola.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

To bake a moist ham: empty a can of cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the cola for a sumptuous brown gravy.

To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of cola into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle.

Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

The active ingredient in cola is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days.

Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

To carry cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

The distributors of cola have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!


Now the question is: would you like a glass of water?

Hints to inspire you:
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Memorize your favorite poem.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
Believe in love at first sight.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

Quote:
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. --Wade Boggs

Blessings!

Taking It By Faith . . .


I received a note the other day from a friend. It was an encouraging note. Wonderful, really. In it she said how much she loved and appreciated me and my husband. And "that, of course, we already know that."

Well, I must say knowing and being reassured now and then are two different things.
Of course, I know some people like me.
Of course, I know some appreciate me.
Of course, I know, I'm a writer.
Of course, I know someday I'll be traditionally pubbed.

But like many writers I know, I need to be reassured now and then. I need your comments, your emails, your calls and letters and notes and word-of-mouth reassurances that you're there for me.

Without you where in the world would I be?

Without you, my readers and friends and family, what would be the purpose of my writing? I'm a needy person. I need you! Who would read my future books? Who would critique my works in progress?

Without you (my works), my faith will be in vain. Smile.

Faith: believing something will come to pass without seeing it. Ach! How hard to put into practice. How frail I am.

But I do have determination. That counts for a lot, don't you think? and maybe that determination has a bit of faith in it, else why would I be so determined?

Make sense?

Keep that encouragement coming. I love you all!

Here are some good thoughts on fulfilling those dreams:

• There comes a time when you must stand alone. (ouch!)
• You must feel confident enough within yourself to follow your own dreams. (I do, Lord, I do. Honest)
• You must be willing to make sacrifices (o-kay)
  
• You must be capable of changing and rearranging your priorities so that your final goal can be achieved. (Been there, done that!)
  
• Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better. (No whining, Caroline!)
  
• Be confident enough that you won't settle for a compromise just to get by. (You never think this will happen to you, but I've been reading about it on one of my writing loops.)
  
• Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life. (May take years, but gotta do it!)
  
• Don't stand in someone else's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way. (Stand forth, all ye bashful beings!)
  

And there you have your hints and quotes for today.
Blessings!

Hope for Today--Enough

Hope is one of the most heartwarming emotions known to man. How could we exist without it? Doesn't matter how deep we sink in depression--if we have hope, we can crawl back.

Doesn't matter what rejection we suffer, if there's hope, we bounce back, stronger than ever.

If we're knocked down by the hurts and problems and troubles and setbacks of life, we stand right back up, straighter and taller than before--if we've got hope in front of us.

One of my writer buddies shared this on a loop today. Loved it. Read and enjoy and may you find the strength, the meaning, the thing that gives you the hope you need!

The Gift of Hope
by Max Lucado

The aspiring young author was in need of hope. More than one person had told him to give up.

"Getting published is impossible," one mentor said. "Unless you are a national celebrity, publishers won't talk to you."

Another warned, "Writing takes too much time. Besides, you don't want all your thoughts on paper."

Initially he listened. He agreed that writing was a waste of effort and turned his attention to other projects. But somehow the pen and pad were bourbon and Coke to the wordaholic. He'd rather write than read. So he wrote. How many nights did he pass on that couch in the
corner of the apartment reshuffling his deck of verbs and nouns? And how many hours did his wife sit with him? He wordsmithing. She cross-stitching. Finally a manuscript was finished. Crude and laden with mistakes but finished.

She gave him the shove. "Send it out. What's the harm?"

So out it went. Mailed to fifteen different publishers. While the couple waited, he wrote. While he wrote, she stitched. Neither expecting much, both hoping everything. Responses began to fill the mailbox.

"I'm sorry, but we don't accept unsolicited manuscripts."

"We must return your work. Best of luck." "Our catalog doesn't have room for unpublished authors."

I still have those letters. Somewhere in a file. Finding them would take some time.

Finding Denalyn's cross-stitch, however, would take none. To see it, all I do is lift my eyes from this monitor and look on the wall.

"Of all those arts in which the wise excel, nature's chief masterpiece is writing well."

She gave it to me about the time the fifteenth letter arrived. A publisher had said yes. That letter is also framed. Which of the two is more meaningful? The gift from my wife or the letter from the publisher? The gift, hands down. For in giving the gift, Denalyn gave hope.

Love does that. Love extends an olive leaf to the loved one and says, "I have hope in you."

Love is just as quick to say, "I have hope for you."

You can say those words. You are a flood survivor. By God's grace you have found your way to dry land. You know what it's like to see the waters subside. And since you do, since you passed through a flood and lived to tell about it, you are qualified to give hope to someone else.

What a wonderful God we have--he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
2 Cor. 1:3--4

Success Hints:

• Relax
• Realize there's always another day (well . . .)
• Remember from where you've come
• Reach out farther, deeper, higher. If you don't reach the stars, at least you're higher than you were!

Quote:
" One man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world was better for this." -- Don Quixote

Blessings!

And One of My Favorite Pastimes . . .


(Sheepish grin) . . . making a list. This one's about autumn, my favorite time of the year.

What do I think of when I think autumn?

Trees
leaves
color
orange
yellow
brown
red

Trees
bare
dying
sleeping
wet bark

Trees
leaves everywhere
in my pond
on my porch
on my car
on the ground
in the air

Leaves
blowing
scattering
falling
wet
crunchy
beautiful
decorative

Air
crisp
cool
warm
windy
wet
heat
cold

Harvest
fruits
vegetables
grain
apples
cider-warm and cold
pumpkins
food
pies
soup
corn
Indian corn
gourds


Fun
sticky and browned marshmallows
hotdogs
cookouts
weiner roasts
stories
hayrides
big moons

Full barns
Ready-for-winter animals
squirrels
walnuts
hickory nuts
wooly worms

Living
poems
dreaming
writing

Leaden skies
blue, and purple, and orange skies
big moons
misty valleys
cold nights, crisp mornings
orange lights
heavy clouds
sunny days
rain
wet
damp

Fun
scarecrows
crows
candles


Autumn

Here's a fun outdoor decoration. Just make sure to keep a close eye!

Hanging lantern

Among the garden fall decorations the most famous item is the gourd or pumpkin.

• Cut the gourd on the top
• Take out all the pulp from inside with a spoon.
• Make a hole on both the sides with a screwdriver. Make the hole near the upper side cut.
• Tie a copper wire on both the sides to make it a handle
• Put a small tea candle on it and hang it anywhere to create a dreamy aura.

Quote:
I saw old autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening to silence. --Thomas Hood


Blessings!

LIVE FOR TODAY
FOR TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says."

She read the words " United States of America "
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?"

"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!”

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient . . .

Garden Hints:

TIPS FOR VEGETABLES:

• Store carrots in ground if they are in well drained soil.
• By mid-October, or if frost is predicted, pick all tomatoes, whether they are ripe or not. Refrigerate or freeze ripe tomatoes.
• Wrap green tomatoes or hang the entire plants (with unpicked fruit) upside down. Alternatively these can be stored in a brown paper bag in a cool dark area.
• In late October cut back asparagus stalk to the ground. Mark the location. Mulch 3 to 4 inches.
• Prepare vegetable beds for spring and remove all debris.

Quote:
October's poplars are flaming torches
lighting the way to winter. --Nova Bair

Blessings

What? You've Got Stress?

Thank you to my friend, Joyce, for sending this my way . . .

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,
raised a glass of water and asked
"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20 g to 500 g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued,

"And that's the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,

as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,

we won't be able to carry on. "

"As with the glass of water,

you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it home.

You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now,

let them down for a moment if you can."

So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden
to you right now.

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. I Peter 5:7

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30)

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:
for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good
if you die in the middle of it.

* If you can't be kind,
at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,
it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird,
sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way,
you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons...
Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull.
Some have weird names, and all are different colors,
but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone
has thought about you today...I did!

Lord, when I am wrong, make me willing to change. And when I am right, make me easy to live with. Amen.

Blessings

The Leaning Side

I love barns especially old ones. I guess atmosphere-settings-fascinate me more than a lot of other things. But more on that later. If I was a professional photographer, barns would be one object I'd take lots of pictures of. And I love to read about them in novels!

• Did you know that older barns were built from lumber sawn from timber on a farm?
• New England, and probably old England, used stone for their barns.
• Nowadays, steel is the favorite building medium.

Lots of them have gambrels (hip roofs) to maximize the hayloft. How many children have spent a sunny afternoon inventing adventures there? How many hoboes or homeless people or even hired hands have spent their nights in one?

Here's some fun idioms:

• To go "all around Robin Hood's barn" means: to take an indirect route.
• To "lock the barn door after the horse is gone" implies that one is trying to be careful or try to make something certain or to fix a problem after it is too late.
• "Were you raised in a barn?" is an accusation used when someone exhibits poor manners such as leaving doors open.
  

And last here's a story about a leaning barn. Read and learn!

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side."

After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, "Well sir, you see, it's like this . . . I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time. It's withstood a lot of weather, it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. It's still standing, but one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

Then I got to thinking 'bout that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time, I've withstood a lot of life's storms, I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop me up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning, at times."

Sometime we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't. We need to pray, "Lord, prop us up on our leaning side," so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord. --Author unknown

Two trivia Questions today!
What was the most used colors for barns, and why?
Name three rooms that were common areas in a typical barn.



Quote:

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
- Robert Frost, October

Happy October weekend blessings . . .

Doctors

Thought you might enjoy this article; it's good for a laugh if not for a thought!

(A) The number of doctors in the U.S. is 700,000
(B) Accidental deaths caused by physicians per year are 120,000
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 17.14%

Statistics courtesy of the U.S. Dept. Of Health & Human Services

Guns
(A) The number of gun owners in U.S. is 80,000,000 (yes, that's 80 million)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is 0.001875%

Statistics courtesy of the FBI

So statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Remember, guns don't kill people, doctors do.

NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR
Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!

Out of concern for the public at large, I have withheld statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention.




Caroline's suggestions for a good life:
Worship God (seems simple doesn't it?)
Smile a lot (besides making you feel good, it'll cause everyone to wonder what you're up to!)
Eat good food (Or maybe I should say: give up the fast food, chips, and cookies. Yikes!)
Forgive, forgive, forgive. (and try to forget!)
Find something interesting to do. (whether work or relaxation)


Quote:
There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October. -- Nathaniel Hawthorne


Blessings

Never Done

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now. Working on so many different novels, trying to get them ready to go out on their own . . . but that’s not right. Cause they’ll not be alone. They’ve got my prayers winging along with them, the well-wishes of friends, and the encouraging hope from my family.

I’m scared, afraid they’re not ready. But that’s my protective self, afraid to let go. The same feeling, only in a very minute way, hounded me when I joined critique groups and had to send my chapters to the critical eyes of others.

Yet it was good for me, and so will this be.

Following is an excerpt that I love. I’m sharing it with you today so you might see how a writer feels . . .

"A writer out of lowliness is trying to communicate like a distant star sending out signals. He isn't telling or teaching or ordering. Rather he seeks to establish a relationship

of meaning
of feeling,
of observing.

We are lonesome animals. We spend all our life trying to be less lonesome. One of our ancient methods is to tell a story, begging the listener to say and to feel . . .

Yes, that's the way it is, or at least, that's the way I feel it. You're not as alone as you thought.

It is so hard to be clear. Only a fool is willfully obscure.

To finish is sadness to a writer--a little death. He puts the last word down, and it is done. But it isn't really done. The story goes on and on and leaves the writer behind, for no story is ever done." --John Steinbeck

Beautiful. And true.

Winter is coming, so Autumn is the best time to get ready. Check out these hints:


1. Heating system: Check your heating system or have a professional check to make sure gas vents are not clogged, that pilot lights function, that filters are clean. During heating season, set registers on lower floors to open wider than on upper floors.

2. Doors: Install or replace weatherstripping if it's damaged. Caulk around exterior and interior door trim.

3. Decks: Coat deck boards once every two or three years with a stain that contains ultraviolet light inhibitors.

4. Windows: Replace any cracked panes and repair or replace any damaged glazing compound. Caulk around window trim on the outside and inside to keep out drafts.

5. Chimney: Check to make sure there is no buildup of creosote inside. Rule of thumb: Clean after each cord of wood burned. Call a chimney sweep to do this work.

6. Safety equipment: Test all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide testers; insert fresh batteries.

Quote:
The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions. --Wm. F. Scovalino


Blessings

I'm Quitting!


That's the topic that's been on one of my writers group's loops this week. The discouragement and doubt that comes with being a writer.

I'm not good enough.
Well, really, how can you get good enough if you don't work at it? And to get good enough, you've got to write. Seems simple, doesn't it?

What am I doing thinking I can do this?
If you're thinking of being a writer for the glory or the money or to make an impression, forget it. It takes writing and studying and more writing and years, and sometimes you make it. If you can't get away from it, if God wants you to do this, if you have the talent, if this is "the place" for you, you'll write. In spite of the doubts.

It's too hard.
Well, duh. It's hard work. It's not a hobby (if you're serious about it) or an easy-money route. It's a job. You labor through the research, and blocks and rejections to get where you want to go. And sometimes . . . it's fun.

I'll never get published.
So? If you're doing it for the fame, money, attention, or anything else but because you feel it's something you've gotta do, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. Do you have that desire, did God call you to be published or to write? Decide now.

You've got to have a liason to "get in."
Okay, sometimes the answer is, yes. Sometimes, no. When you're good enough, when you've done your best, you'll make it. You have to have faith.

Who would want to read what you wrote?
Depends on what you write and who for. That's who'll want to read your writings. Write what you love, what you know. But don't forget what the market is.

When do you have the time?
If you've got that thing inside of you to write, you make the time. You let some things go, you make decisions. But you write. There's choices here.

You've got too much to do.
Even with that you find some time. While stuck in traffic, waiting in a doctor's office, at lunchtime at work, early/late at night. Wanna write? find the time. Simple as that.


I'm quitting? Not really. I'll never quit. It's in me. Has been for years. I've never gotten away from it, and never will. Will I ever be published the way I want to be? Maybe. I'll certainly strive toward it. But published or not, I'll never quit writing.

Never.
Never.
Never.



Hints for some aspiring writers.

• Want to write a poem or a play or a children's story? Then read the type of poems, plays and children's books you like. Study them. What makes them likeable? How do they flow? How do the children act? Do the poems rhyme? How are the plays put together?
• Want to write your memoirs? Okay, begin. Start back as far as you can remember. Use a loose-leaf notebook so you can adjust pages as you want. Write whatever you can remember first. Fill in as things begin coming back to you.
• Want to write your grandparents or ancestor's biography? Fun! Start with something interesting, catching, that will attract the reader's attention. Bring in things that won't be boring to someone not involved with your ancestor's lives.
• Don't want all that, but you would like to record your thoughts? Believe it or not, this could be the easiest--or hardest--thing to do. But it is rewarding. Don't try to write pages and pages unless that's really what you want to do. A sentence or two will do it. Maybe a half page. Again, a loose-leaf binder works great here.

Have fun!


A writer's quote today:
AW Tozer once, speaking about Elijah and Elisha, and how Elijah tried to "shake off" Elisha at first. Tozer's words: "If you can be shaken off, you weren't called in the first place."

Dan Case's adaptation:
"If you can truly STOP writing, you aren't a writer anyway."



Blessings!

An Apple in October . . .

To appreciate the wild and sharp flavors
of these October fruits,
it is necessary
that you be breathing the sharp
October or November air.
What is sour in the
house a bracing walk makes sweet.

Some of these apples might be labeled,
“To be eaten in the wind.”
It takes a savage or wild taste to appreciate a wild
fruit. . . The era of the Wild Apple will soon be past.
It is a fruit which will
probably become extinct in New England.
I fear that he who walks over these
fields a century hence will not know
the pleasure of knocking off wild apples.
Ah, poor soul, there are many pleasures
which you will not know! . . . the end
of it all will be that we shall be compelled
to look for our apples in a barrel.
- Henry David Thoreau

A wild apple.

What is better than a crisp, juicy apple? Yellow, red, even green, they are yummy . . . and good for you! You've all heard the old saying about eating apples and keeping away the doctors? Who doesn't think of apples when the cool air of autumn begins?

The blossoms are gorgeous and heady-smelling. The older knarled trunks are fascinating.

Did you know . . .

• That apples can be canned, juiced, and fermented to produce apple juice, cider, vinegar, and pectin?
• That they are an important ingredient in many winter desserts? apple pie, apple crumble, apple crisp and apple cake.
• They can be eaten fresh, baked, stewed, dried, or re-constituted for later use.
• They can be made into apple sauce or apple butter or apple jelly.
• They can be cooked with meat.
• They can be made into treats such as toffee apples, candy apples, or caramel apples.
• Jews eat them with honey.

Did you know . . .

• That apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer?
• That apples may help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol?
• That apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggles such diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism?
• That the antioxidants found in fresh apples can protect nerve cells?
• That apple consumption can help remove trapped food and clean between the teeth?

Then there's the myths . . .

• Apples are thought to be a mystical and forbidden fruit in some religions.

And one more, which is interesting . . .

• Apple trees do not flower in tropical climates because they have a chilling requirement.

Gotta go now . . . headed to the market . . . to buy some apples.



Apple Hints for those crazy about the fruit:

• To keep apples from discoloring after they are peeled, cut the pieces into a bowl of salted water (1 tbsp to a qt. or water).
• Use a ripe apple to ripen other fruits quickly. Place both in a brown paper bag. Set in a cool, shady spot and make sure there are a few holes in the bag.
• When making caramel apples, stick them onto a piece of styrofoam after dipping. They dry without sticking and store nicely in the fridge.
• Instead of throwing away the peels, saute them in butter, then spice them with sugar and cinnamon. Yum!

Quote:
In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November. -- Rose G. Kingsley



Blessings.

I Believe . . .

That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we became.

That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you sometime, and you must forgive them for that.

That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be . . .

That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you ever see them.

That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

That money is a lousy way to keep score!

That I have a right not to like something, but never a right to be cruel.

That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to forgive yourself.

That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

That the people you care about most in this world are taken from you much too soon.

Life is more precious than money will ever be.




Here are some more color hints to brighten up your rooms for autumn:

• Use rugs and pillows to color coordinate your room. Bright reds such as cherry, persimmon, or cranberry are great!
• Traditional neutral colors, including some new ones like sand, wheat, mustard, and stone never go out of style and blend harmoniously with most existing color schemes.
• Using a few different but coordinating colors can be a great way to add dimension to a room and highlight certain things, or even divide a room into separate areas when it's used for multiple functions.
• Experiment! Be brave. Try new colors on small sections first to see how it looks.

Quote:
Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. -- Stanley Horowitz


Cloudy Day Blessings!

Imagination Gone Wild . . .


Snicker.

Don't you just love the names of some books? Here's a few that capture my attention . . .

• "All the Tea in China" a missionary book by Jane Orcutt
• "Reclaiming Nick" by Susan May Warren
  
• "Bayou Justice" "Bayou Corruption" "Bayou Judgment" and "Bayou Paradox" by Robin Carroll. (Anything to do with Louisiana captures my interest!)


• "Along Came Love" by Carrie Turinsky
  
• "The Root of All Evil" and "The Lost Sheep" by Brandt Dodson (love this guy's writing & by the way, I sat under one of his classes at the ACFW conference. Talked with him, too. He is a cool guy.)
  
• "The Winter Pearl" by Molly Noble Bull (look for her interview soon!)


• "Petticoat Ranch" by Mary Conneally
• "In the Midst of Deceit" by Deborah Piccurelli
• "The Guy I'm Not Dating" by Trish Perry


• "Chocolate Beach" by Julie Carobini
• "A Pirate's Prize" by Lena Nelson Dooley (gave me a great critique!)
  
• "Sushi for One" by Camy Tang

I also like story titles like these:

The Cat Who Went Bananas (Lillian Jackson Braun)
The Shadow of Suspicion (Emily Loring)
and lots of Martha Grimes books: "The Old Contemptibles," "The Man with a Load of Mischief," and "A Dinner to Die For."

Then I have a couple of friends who are writing stories. Here's some of their titles:

Jazz Baby (Christy)
Alabama Rain (Lin)
Chasing the Wind (Jam)

Don't those just make you want to dig into those novels?

I'm not much on one-word titles, although that's all the fad right now. Of course, that won't stop me reading, if the book is good.

This is just a scratch on the surface of interesting novel titles. There are so many, who can name them? I guess that goes to show what imaginations we humans have . . . or maybe I should say, we writers have.

What catches your attention?

I love hummingbirds! Here's a few hints to keep them coming!
Pour 4 cups of hot tap water into a large pot or pan (don't use aluminum).

Add one cup of table sugar (No honey or artificial sweeteners)

Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Cover the pan, bring the mix to a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes. don't let the water evaporate.

Cool and pour into well-cleaned feeders.

Notes:

• boiling is not necessary if birds are draining the feeders within 3 days
• red food coloring is not necessary once birds have found the feeders.
• feed extra mix until needed
• the usual water/sugar ratio is 4:1. When weather is hot, cut back on the sugar.

Quote:
A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air. -- Eric Sloane


Blessings

Beautiful Woman Month


To all my friends and readers and critics and family: If you're a woman, this is for you. Written by Audrey Hepburn and read at her funeral. It says a lot and is worth reading and thinking about! Enjoy.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness...

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone...

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
Never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

And your hint for this weekend?
Take a walk
Kick up the leaves
Think
Pick up a leaf
Pick up a whole bunch of them
Lie in the leaves
Thank God for life.



Quote? I love so many, it's hard to choose, but here goes with another good one:
Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile. -- William Cullen Bryant


Weekend blessings!

I've Got a Disease . . .


It's called Book Madness. (Laugh. You really thought I was serious, didn't you?)

Well, I am serious.

(This library, Celsus, was built in 135 A.D. and could house 12,000 scrolls!)

I sat in the library last night and looked. Books! Books on the shelves, books on carts. Books in hands and books on desks. Books were being talked about. Phone calls made concerning late books. books in bags and books in arms. Overloaded books and one single book. Everywhere I looked there was books!

I thought about books and how very precious they are to me. How I loved to shower my sons with books. It was never considered a waste of money to buy a book. In fact, my husband just called me (both of us traveling our own directions) and told me about a book sale in town--he'd just happened to see the sign.

So that got me to thinking about books. Here's what I came up with. (in case you haven't figured it out, I love lists!)

Fiction books
non-fiction books
adventure books
thriller books
romance books
suspense books
romantic suspense books
mystery books
cozy books
science fiction books
fantasy books
women's fiction books
historical books
period books
porno books (YUK)
picture books
kids books
travel books
advice books
craft books
school books
photography books

I'm taking a breath . . .

Career books
Bible books
Cop books
lawyer books
doctor and nurse books
psyciatric books
encyclopedias
online books
e-books
research books
map books
geneology books

And . . .

books for dummies
books for smarties
books for men
women
kids
teens
books to help me be good, lose weight, go to heaven, learn a new career, get a GED, research the past. Books to teach me how to learn a trade, file my taxes, write a book.

books to make me think, cry, laugh, get disgusted, write a letter, be encouraged or discouraged. Books that make me want to go on . . . or quit.

books I love, hate, will never read again, keep.
books that I recommend or warn about.

and someday . . . my books will be there. Waiting on someone to read, love, cry, and be encouraged. I hope.

Here's a treat for an early Saturday or Sunday breakfast. Great in the fall!

Pumpkin Waffles (or pancakes!)

Makes 4 waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin, either canned or prepared yourself (you can substitute sweet potatoes, yams, or squash
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional but highly recommended)

Start heating your waffle iron. Mix together the pumpkin, butter, egg, and milk in one bowl and the flour, baking powder, spices, pecans, and salt in another bowl. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir everything just until smooth. Avoid overbeating.

When the waffle iron is hot, spray both top and bottom grids with cooking spray to keep the waffles from clinging to the iron. Add about 3/4 cup of the batter to the center of the iron. The exact amount will vary depending on the style and manufacturer of your waffle iron, so check the instructions. Close the iron and cook until done, 3-4 minutes or until the waffles stop producing steam. Serve the waffle immediately or place in a warmed oven to keep hot.

These waffles are best served hot with real maple syrup and maybe a sprinkling of more chopped nuts.

I love this quote:
Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.
-- Carol Bishop Hipps




Warm autumn blessings!