Have you done something good today?

Here is a project for all you kind hearted people out there. Not a lot of time involve. Not a lot of money. Just a lot of love.

Shelly at This Eclectic Life has challenge (my word not hers) to help out the children attending Camp Sanguinity next summer. These are are children being treated for cancer and blood disorders and siblings of children being treated for cancer and blood disorders.

Where did I hear of this? From my good friend W.O.W at A Cowboy's Wife. She always finds good stuff.

This project involves making "medicine bags" and finding "lucky charms". If you are interested in helping out in this project visit Shelly HERE. And make a child's day brighter and happier. I am.

Stumble It!

Lessons Learned

WARNING:

DO NOT EVER ~ EVER~ EVER
I really mean it ~ E V E R

Put your contacts in after cutting up onions and garlic!

OMY gosh! Bad move. I got up, browned my pork roast, sliced onions and garlic.
Got the roast in to slow cook while I am at work.
Took a shower. Did my hair.
Washed my hands (because you do everytime)
THEN put in my contacts!
(I only started wearing them about 6 weeks ago.)
OMY gosh. My eyes were on fire.
I used my drops, cleaned them, used more drops.
Well, eventually, I just tried to put on make up.
Cried all the way to work.
Now my baby blues are swollen and hurt!

So heed this contact wearers of the world~

Contact Lenses and Onions DO NOT mix!

Stumble It!

Dawn in Four Oaks

Have a great day everybody!

Stumble It!

Who do we appreciate????

Why the girls of course..... As many of you know, we brought home our first chicks this spring. What a total delight they have been. We got 9 chicks, thinking that we would be lucky to have 5 of and 4 of the other. Well, we were blessed with 1 rooster, Stew the stud and 8 hens.

They started out in a card board box. Got move out to the greenhouse in Sugar's old crate with a heat lamp. They started to grow ~ FAST! So we designed a portable chicken coop. We (my sweetie) pushes and scoots that coop all over the yard. The chickens always have a clean fresh place to hang out.

Nothing prepared me for the bounty that was soon to appear in the nesting boxes!



Kyle with Hilda. The whole gang!

What is he doing to my sister?



We started out with one egg in August about every other day.
Then maybe 2 in a day. Or even 1 a day.


Then OMYGOSH!!!!

Them gals can't stop layin'!

What do you do?

5-7 eggs each and every day!!!!!

Who can use that many eggs?

What to do?

Help! Calling any and all egg recipes! PLEASE!

Stumble It!

It happened again!

I was tagged by Lea at Ocean Of Perspectives for the A-Z tag. Thank you for this honor.

A is for April ~ the month my sweet daughter was born.

B is for Boys ~ I have 2 of them, my greatest joys and my greatest challenges.

C is for Coffee ~ duh, what else!

D is for Dirt ~ the foundation of sustainability

E is for Earth ~ our home for this time. We need to treat her right.

F is for Family & Friends ~ spirits that we join with for this time. We learn from them. We gather strength from them. We gain joy from them.

G is for Green ~ Treat all things with respect and reverence. Waste not, want not.

H is for Health ~ Take care of your self.

I is for Insight ~ Observe and learn from your surroundings.

J is for Juggle ~ Balance in all things.

K is for Kindness ~ Be kind every chance you get. It comes back to you.

L is for Life ~ Live it to the fullest.

M is for Myself ~ I am the core of my world. What I do affects others.

N is for Negative ~ Avoid it!

O is for Oceans ~ The life force of the earth.

P is for Parents ~ They create, loved and nurture you. If it weren't for them, you wouldn't be.

Q is for Quiet ~ Embrace it. Re energize.

R is for Relative ~ Everything is relative to the situation, time and place that surrounds it.

S is for Seeds ~ Without "seed" there is nothing.

T is for Time ~ Respect all time: past, present, and future. It is all intertwined.

U is for Unity ~ Whether you like it or not, what you do affects everyone.

V is for Victory ~ Glory in the challenges of each moment. Celebrate the victories.

W is for World ~ The earth and peoples that populate it are

X is for X ~ An unknown variable. Respect the unknown.

Y is for You ~ My companion spirits in this time and place.

Z is the final letter in this alphabet.

Now I’m expected to pass the A-Z tag on to other bloggers.

The instructions are that each blogger starts with some random facts/habits about himself/herself. As you are tagged you need to post the rules (this bit) and your responses on your own blog. At the end of your post, you need to choose some people to tag, list their names and leave them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged.

I enjoy being tagged, it is an honor. But I have a hard time selecting who to tag. So this time I leave it up to you, my fellow blog friends. If you would like to join in and share, please do so. Leave me a comment so that I may read your thoughts.

Stumble It!

Remember when?

.... you were small and you got your first grown up doll.

A Barbie. I do. I remember sitting and playing forever with my Barbies. I remember getting desperately upset when a shoe or a hat or piece of clothing went missing. I remember begging to sew new clothes for my Barbie. I remember my uncle building me a special "closet" with sliding doors for my Barbies and their friends and all their stuff! I remember going to my cousins house and her Barbie had a convertible! I remember getting older and becoming more interested in friends and boys and clothes and makeup. I remember that old closet being covered by a scarf and becoming my night table. I remember my Barbies and things being boxed up and taken to the storage unit. I remember many years later wondering what happened to them.

Meet 1959 Barbie. We were made in the same year! (above)


Now meet Barbie 49 years later!

I do believe she has evolved and grown and changed over the nearly 5 decades of existence. She and I have definitely developed a few wrinkles and a few grey hairs!



Why worry about Barbie today? What is so special about Barbie?



Nothing, no reason. Barbie is just one of many memories over the past 49 years. Today is a day of remembering and reflecting on these past 49 years. Today is my birthday!

Other things I remember ...

learning how to cook by my grandmother's side
going to "help" Daddy on Saturday at the dairy
picking strawberries all summer to earn the money for a swing set
learning to ride a bike
Christmas with aunts and uncle and cousins and grandparents
summers doing rain dances
climbing grandpa's tree
picking wild mushrooms at the farm
hunting squirrels
building snow men
sitting by my mom in church




having my babies
visiting other countries
teaching my daughter to ride a bike
being my son's cub scout leader
watching my son charm adults as youngster
seeing my children grow and develop into wonderful adults




seeing my grandchildren come into the world
watching my mother grow old
meeting my soul mate, sweetie and bff
there are so many memories
nearly a half century of them
to many to name



To myself, today you have permission to remember and reflect!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINA!

Stumble It!

Forum Finder

The "Eyes" have it! Two Thumbs up!

I joined ForumFinder last week. It is a really great forum to do social exchanges. For example Digg, Technorati, Blogcatalog, Entrecard, etc..... tons of ways to use your favorite social networking sites all in one place. The administrators are friendly and helpful. I look forward to making new friends there.

Here is another article by LBP on ForumFinder.


Register and check it out here!

Stumble It!

"Spill the Beans"

Okay.... everyone knows~ I hate GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS!!!! Monsanto is worse than a murderer. Ely Lilly has taken over rBGH.


Why can't we as consumers be assured that we are getting our foods the way we want them. It is vertually impossible to buy raw milk anywhere. Who knows if the corn we buy at the grocery is GM or not. What about soy? Soy is in everything these days.


I grow as much of my own food as I can. I buy as local as I can. I would love to have my own cows and pigs, but that is in the future.










I want to know that my grandkids are getting healthy non GMO foods at school.






The government does not require labeling for using GMO products. There are not enough voluntary labeling for non GMO. I promise you. If there are 2 products side by side, and one says non GMO, I WILL BUY IT!



But anyway, the new Organic Consumers Association newsletter is out....


This Article is a must read. This is the source of the article.

There are tons of great articles there! Sign up for your own copy of the newsletter here!

Stumble It!

Sunday Evening in Four Oaks

A View from my Front Porch.....

Well, it looks like Ike is gonna tear  up the gulf...  at this point he could

make landfall anywhere from the Florida panhandle to the Texas Coast...

New Orleans is in the middle, who knows??????

Have a great week Everybody!

She already gone.....

Hanna has come and gone.

My power went out last night, but was on by 9 am.

We got 4.2 inches of rain.

It knocked dowm most of my sunflowers(they were in their last days...)

There has been some flooding.  Silly drivers going through the drainage under the overpasses were stalling out.  Some sense is required when driving after a heavy rain!  DUH

I haven't heard of any serious damage or injuries.  The areas prone to flash flooding ~  did!  But they flood at less.   It looks like Hanna has made it through Virginia and is off shore.  I hope everyone is  safe and dry....  Take care!

Hanna is coming to visit.....

Well,  you would think I would be used to these things.....  But you know, I haven't dealt with the threat of a hurricane up close and personal in quite a while.  For 5 years in Okinawa, we looked forward to the frequent "Typhoon Parties" when the base went into lock down and all you could do is look at rain pound you for 5 days.   3 years in Hawaii only a couple of tropical storms came our way.  Then 10 years on the Gulf coast in Florida.  But now I need to get ready for Hanna.  Water, flashlights, food that requires no cooking--- everything small and loose put up, bigger stuff tied down.  She should be arriving sometime in the wee hours.  Please let her be gentle!

Have a great day Everybody!

Friends.... Not always on the same block, but very, very dear just the same!

I have been awarded the Great Buddy Award  by my friend, Kathy at Brazoscowgirl!

She is a wonderful lady who I feel I have much in common with, not the least a love of coffee!  Thank you, Kathy!

So, here goes the tag! Here are the rules:

• Save the image above to be forwarded;
* Choose several people who are buddies;
* Give the reason why you chose those person

My 1st choice is Lacy from RazorFamilyFarms.    Lacy is a very big inspiration to me.  She is young and smart and knows what she wants.   I applaud Lacy.  She will make the greatest mom one of these days.

My 2nd choice is Barb from A Cowboy's Wife.  Barb knows what the simple life is and lives it each everyday, even when life is not so simple!  I constantly feel the love she has for her life, lemons and all, and especially the love she has for her cowboy and family!  (She also loves coffee!)

My 3rd choice is Robbyn from The Back Forty.  Robbyn has had some ups and downs and has chosen to walk the simple path the best she can.  She has a goal and is working toward it.  She has a supportive family that walks with her!  

All of these ladies, I am proud to call my friend.  I would dearly love to meet each of them and get to know them better.  The words that they write each week encourage me to go on and strive to do what is right, to live the simple live one step at a time.

To Know or not To Know????

BRCA1 A gene on chromosome 17 that normally helps to suppress cell growth. A person who inherits an altered version of the BRCA1 gene has a higher risk of getting breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.

Why be concerned?
A mutation in the BRCA1 gene confers an 85% chance of developing breast cancer during a woman’s lifetime, and a 44% risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women without these mutations have a 10% (breast) and 1% (ovarian) risk. ...

How do you know if you have the mutated gene?
Family history plays a role in the development of breast cancer. You are more likely to have breast cancer if your mother, father, or sister has breast cancer. Also, women who carry certain genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 are more likely to have breast cancer. If you have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, you may want to be tested for these genes. People who inherit specific changes, or mutations, in one or both of these genes have a greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Testing
Genetic testing for BRCA1 mutations is commercially available through Myriad Genetics, a private company that holds at least 17 patents worldwide on BRCA mutation testing. The cost starts at $325 for an analysis of a single mutation site in relatives of an individual with an identified mutation. Although many health insurance plans will pay all or part of the cost of genetic testing for BRCA mutations, some individuals choose to self-pay because they are afraid of insurance and employment discrimination. Others apply for assistance from the Myriad Financial Assistance (Hardship) Program or charitable organizations, such as local and state breast cancer support programs. Individuals and families involved in research concerning BRCA mutations may be able to get BRCA testing done at little or no cost.

Resources
www.revolutionhealth.com
ovariancancer.gog199.cancer.gov/glossary.html
www.uihealthcare.com/topics/medicaldepartments/cancercenter/prevention/preventionterms.html
www.medscape.com


Why am I concerned about this?
I have always been interested in women's health issues. There have always been "cancers" in my family. Now, my mother has had the genetic testing and it was revealed that she has the mutated BRCA1 gene. Now the question is.... To Test or Not... To Know or Not. Well, the mom in me says, yes you must for your children. It is a hereditary trait. My daughter deserves to know. If I am a carrier of this mutated gene, then she needs to start doing yearly mamograms NOW. She is only 27. She has 2 daughters. My sons deserve to know. If I am a carrier of this mutated gene, then they also need to be more dilegent in looking for signs. Men do get breast cancer. Also the likelyhood of prostrate cancer is more prevelant in BRCA1 carriers.

My Mom recently had the tumor removed from her breast. It was discovered through her yearly mamogram. The surgery itself was not a real big deal. Same day, home by evening. The thing that bothers me is that during all of this, a lymph node was supposed to be located. The day before the surgery she was injected with a nuclear medicine. This material is radioactive and shows up on xray and ultrasound. The medical professionals that did the injection led us to believe that the solution had done and gone where it was supposed to. The next day before the actual surgery, there were additional ultrasounds to mark for the surgeon the location of the lymph node. The markings and the wire supposed leading to this node were done. The surgeon did the pre op check and all looked good to go. Then she went to surgery and the doctor tried to follow the path to the node and was unable. 2 different sets of medical professionals did not do their job. The solution did not travel and mark the node. They made a guess and left the surgeon unable to locate it. This is upsetting because the lymph nodes are the bodies garbage collector. Analyzing the node would tell us if the cancer from the tumor was spreading. If the node was clean, the radiation could most probably iradicate the cancer cells in the area the tumor was removed. She still would have to do the Chemo, but prognosis would have been better. Now she may have to undergo another surgical procedure to try to find that lymph node. Meanwhile time slips by....

On another note.... I bet you all did not know I could be so wordy!!!!! ha ha.... thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

Top Droppers for August

ATNIZ
Simply Shiny
REENASHWINA
What a bald guy told me about technology!
CDubMarketing
FruityOaty
Best HomeSchool Place
Towts4u
Brazoscowgirl
Wonderful Pic Colection

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I have been mostly absent this last half of the month! But I am home and ready to get back into the swing of things. I have missed my blogging friends! I have definitely some reading to do to catch up on my favs.....