Tuesday Tips #4 - Coffee Filters

Hi everybody! Doing okay here--how about you? Hope I can get by to see some of my friends when I get through my home school and housework duties of the day. It's snowy here where I live. What's your weather today? Here it's a great day for a cup of soup or a cup of COFFEE. Almost every household has coffee around; even if you don't drink it yourself, it certainly is hospitable to offer it to your guests, so I'm assuming that most households have coffee filters somewhere. So here's some info from an email I received just a couple of days ago.

I haven't tried any of these suggestions yet; it never occurred to me that this little item could be used for anything but coffee. Have any of you tried any of these and if so, which ones? If not, which do you think you'd like to try?


COFFEE FILTERS

Coffee filters ..who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.
Coffee filters make excellent covers.


2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.


3. Protect China. Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.


4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.


5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.


6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.


7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.


8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.


9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.


10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.


11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.


12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.


13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. Soaks out all the grease.


14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS

Two Bowls

I sit here today, Saturday the 31st of January, between two "super" events. Tomorrow is Super Bowl XLIII, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. Tell me, does anyone else have trouble with Roman Numerals besides me? I always have trouble translating them into the numbers I understand, having to think about it forever before I come up with the right number. I'm okay up to thirty or so, but after that my dense brain takes a while to process and figure it out. So, without checking this in a book or anything or hearing anyone say it, I do believe this is the forty-third Super Bowl. Am I right? And why don't they just say that in the first place?

The first picture above is the winner of another Bowl, which was held in our area yesterday. The guy you see pictured is John Squibb, who has been given the title "Super Squibb" after wolfing down 203 chicken wings in the 2009 Wing Bowl. (There's the word "super" again.) Now you folks are going to have to bear with me because I'm going to be very negative. I think this Wing Bowl, and all eating competitions that we hold in this country are a national disgrace. There, I said it. First of all, we've been listening to report after report telling us about the horrible economic state our country is in. As an aside, I do want to say that things are bad, but America has been through hard times before and we can come out of this if we do it the right way. But that's another story which I'll leave alone for now. I read a good article about that topic recently which really encouraged me. Read it if you have time.

But it's not just the state of things in our own nation that turns me off so badly when I hear about these eating contests. I wish the money that is spent on the food and whatever expenses go along with them could be sent to one of the countries in this world, like Zimbabwe, where people are starving. Or send it to Feed the Children or some other group that helps feed children who are hungry in our own land. It's for that reason also that I would label such competitions as disgraceful.

I posted the two pictures above because these two events have something in common: chicken wings. A lot of chicken wings are eaten at both. For the Super Bowl, it's a traditional food at all the parties that take place for the big game. So one of the current worries is that there are enough wings available for that purpose. I saw an article about that also. I hope you won't think me inconsiderate if I say that's the least of my worries for our country.

And to say more about the Super Bowl, things are pretty quiet about it here in my area since the Eagles and Giants aren't in it. Last year I was so excited, as you may remember, because of the fact that the Giants were not only in it, but won it. Now I don't care as much, but I think I'll root for the Steelers, since they're not too far away from us and I'm more familiar with them. We always tape the big game and look at it on Monday. I REALLY enjoyed it last year.

The big news about tomorrow is we get to go to church and worship our SUPER great God. And about "wings?" Here's a good verse to leave with:

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Psalm 36:7

And the refrain from one of our favorite hymns:

Under His wings, under His wings, who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.

Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!!

Lifting Arms to God

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

~ Joyce Kilmer

I love trees. We live in a neighborhood with lots of them, this once having been a wooded area before our development was built amidst the tall oaks and others. I'm always sad when one is cut down, usually worrying that it was the home of some squirrels or birds. I'm kind of silly that way. I'm a little melancholy tonight for several reasons, among which is the fact that every day it seems I hear of more of my brethren who are going through one kind of trial or another. Such was the case tonight--I just heard of another one. So I've abruptly changed from what I was going to post and while looking outside at the falling snow, this familiar poem that we all know came to mind. I don't even know what I want to say; I just wanted to post it.

Well, I will say that I'll learn a lesson or two from trees: They look at God all day and lift their arms to pray. Probably in the morning, snow (and ice) will be lying on the bosoms of the trees in and around my yard. They'll keep lifting their arms to God, though. I pray the same for my several hurting friends who are struggling through their winter storms.

Cuteness

Ahhh, I needed this. You folks know what I weakness I have for these creatures. Look at the reaction of this little fella, a Golden Retriever puppy, at the news conference about his breed once again having the distinction of being the most popular dog in America for the eighteenth consecutive year.

Another news item: I just learned something about Barney, the Bush's infamous White House Scottish Terrior (Neesie and I are fans of his). I just heard that he recently bit a reporter. I can't give any further details about this, but if it's true, it looks like he's more on top of things than a lot of people. Just kidding (sort of). Hopefully, he'll enjoy his remaining years in Texas and he and his family will mostly be among people who love them.

Now, don't you feel better?

Rejoice!

So we have come to this momentous time in the history of our country. I've been thinking for a couple of days about what to say, and nothing has seemed appropriate or right. But I can't let this day go by without saying something. I just cannot let this day before noon go by without saying how terribly I will miss the man who has been my President this past eight years. He's like a family member, sometimes frustrating and/or irritating me as family members often do, even though we love them. I'm very thankful for his service to us all, even to those who speak so ill of him. So it's hard. And I have to look to the future and pray for those coming in. I must, because it's what the Lord would have us do. And in the meantime, I'm going to pray for my own heart and do my best to be a good citizen in whatever way possible.

May I exhort all of us to pray diligently for our nation and for those who will now be in leadership? It's the will of the Lord that we do, you know.

But mainly I want to say to all of us that we should rejoice because the same One who has always ruled is still on the throne. And we worship Him alone. No earthly ruler--only Jesus. So rejoice today and in the days to come.

Rejoice, the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore;
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore:

Jesus, the Saviour reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When he had purged our stains
He took his seat above:

His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o'er earth and heav'n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv'n:

He sits at God's right hand
Till all his foes submit,
And bow to his command
And fall beneath his feet:

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

~ Charles Wesley

Sanctity of Human Life Day

In one of his final actions in the White House, President Bush on Thursday declared Jan. 18 to be “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.”

“All human life is a gift from our creator that is sacred, unique and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world,” reads the presidential proclamation.

Well thank the Lord for that, at least.

The entire article can be found here.

Tuesday Tips #3

I only have a moment, but couldn't resist this. For those of you who are tempted to go out and get a star named for someone you love, maybe you better think again. It's been my understanding that all the stars already have names. Besides, perhaps you can save the money for something else.

A couple of verses from this morning's devotions:

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Isaiah 40:26

He [the Lord] telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Psalm 147:4

Hope to get by to visit some of you later today!

Sneaky Nutrition - Hot Dogs and Spaghetti

Yep, we're having a very humble meal tonight, and we all better be thankful for it. Actually, this is a favorite at this house--I have a couple of hot dog lovers here. I like the combo too. Well, even though they are not considered to be one of the healthiest foods around, I still decided to make this a sneaky nutrition post. Where's the nutrition you say? I know, I'm pushing it a bit, but at least I use turkey franks to cut down on the fat. But there's plenty of nutrition in the pasta. I've been using the whole grain of late and the brand depends on whatever I have coupons for and/or is on sale. This time I have Barilla thin spaghetti, but there are others to choose from. In one serving, you get six grams of fiber, along with significant percentages of iron, phosphorus and magnesium. That's not bad, right? And listen to this: someone at a cooking demo said to put a couple of carrots in your sauce to sweeten the taste a bit. So, if you happen to eat a couple of chunks, a little bit of Vitamin A won't hurt matters either.

So that's our dinner and I'm getting quite hungry. If you ever decide to have this meal, don't forget to serve with spinach or broccoli for the Vitamin C and other good stuff. Now, THAT's rather healthy after all.

If you have any healthy, humble meal combos you'd like to pass on, please do!

He Leads Us for Another Year

"The land whither ye go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year" (Deut. 11:11-12).

I like the Streams in the Desert devotional today. It speaks of the well known fact that we are standing on the verge of the unknown. There is a new year stretching out before us and we are going in now to possess it. Isn't that quite a thought? There are, in every year, hills and valleys and never can we expect everything to go smoothly. As we go in to possess this year and whatever it brings, my prayer for each of us is that we will never lose sight of the fact that it is our God who leads us in the year ahead, as He did in the year that we're journeying out of. Some of us have experienced the valleys and they have been deep ones. Some of us have had somewhat of a difficult time climbing the steep mountains. But He has been leading us, yes?

May you take the hand of your merciful, compassionate, and loving Lord through the days of 2009 and have the full awareness in your heart of hearts that He is leading you and me through each second, minute, and hour.

He leads us on by paths we did not know;
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.

He leads us on through all the unquiet years;
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze
Of losses, sorrows, and o'erclouded days;
We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on.
--N.L. Zinzendorf

The Day After

Just a little reminder that there are 364 days until Christmas. Excluding Sundays, there are 312 shopping days until Christmas.

Also a reminder to remember our troops, especially those who spent Christmas in harm's way. A reminder to pray for them and to be thankful for them and those who have served before them and have given so much so that we could enjoy yet another Christmas Day in safety.

"That Holy Thing"

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:34-35




It was a miraculous conception. Mary was His mother, but God was His father. As we heard in our sermon Sunday, this Child was holy in every sense of the word. He always was the Son of God, but was given a body of flesh through His mother's side. All of this the work of the Holy Spirit of God so that the incarnation of Jesus was like no other event that ever occurred. And the best part of it is that this Child, the Son of God, who became as one of us in the flesh, yet without sin, went on to humble Himself to the fullest extent by dying on the cross for those who are sinners. So, my dear Christian friends, is it no wonder that we celebrate this birth? And if you happen to be someone who comes to visit here and don't know the Christ of Christmas, come to Him today and rejoice in Him, whether you celebrate the holiday itself or not.

Merry Christmas to all and a blessed holiday season to you and your family!

Sweet Sixteen Girl

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth,

and even for evermore.
~ Psalm 121 ~

Well, it's another birthday in our family and this time, it's our daughter Neesie, who many of you know already. Today she turns sweet sixteen and her dad and I are so thankful for the young lady she has become as she reaches this milestone. We are especially thankful to see her love for the Lord increasing and to see precious traits of character emerging as she approaches adulthood. May the Lord in His mercies preserve her is our prayer and may we continue to see the fruits of the Spirit of Christ in her life. The above passage is her life verses that we have recited to her almost every night since she was a wee girl. May she always trust in the truths found in these words, and hold them close to her heart.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NEESIE! Much love from Dad and Mom!

Tuesday Tips #2

I got this one (forward) today and it reminded me that I hadn't posted in a week and that it's Tuesday and I could use it as a Tuesday Tips post. (See last post if you're confused.) I had the urge to post pictures of my kids and grandkids anyway, so this email fit perfectly, except for the riddle thing at the end that totally confused me so I'm leaving that off.

Well, I must say that I agreed with much that was said in this forwarded email, originating with Paul Harvey [this is questionable-could be someone else.] He talks about the fact that people can try so hard to make things better for their kids that it makes them worse. Then he talks about some hopes and desires he has for his grandchildren. I sure do have many of the same desires and hopes for mine. Here are some excerpts for you to ponder and hopefully take to heart.

I would love it if they never had to had a hard day in their life or that they would never need to shed a tear or that everyone would always love them and treat them like gold, but you know, what kind of person would that cause them to be? Above all else, I hope they'll know Jesus and have Him to help them through whatever life may bring. I love them so much and part of me wishes all their hurts could be taken away, but mostly I hope, as expressed here, that all of the hurts that are sure to come will be refinements:

Selena with her mommy

Shana with her Auntie Nee

Perhaps some day there will be more of you, but for now, this is for Lena and Shae-Shae:

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep. [As both your mommy and Auntie Nee have the latter.]

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. [Well, I don't know about the back eye part, but maybe some bruised feelings.]

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom .

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.


Just copying these here brought some tears. Perhaps the same will happen to you as you think about your children/grandchildren.

Tuesday Tips

I don't know why I'm having so much trouble of late getting to making blog posts. There seems to be one "pressing need" after another that needs my attention. For instance, the gift I ordered for my granddaughter coming in with half of it missing, whereupon when I call the vendor I find out that they don't automatically send in the missing part but you have to return the whole thing, wait for them to issue the return slip, or whatever it is, before you send it back for credit, etc.etc. After bragging about how I do most of my shopping online, this doesn't say too much for me as to how well I checked out the return policy at this place. So now I've been online trying to find it somewhere else because I'm afraid to order from this place again. Whew!

Next, I've had a health insurance situation needing attention, and you know how it is to get on the phone with automated systems and the like, and that took forever.

Now, I've somehow (only me) lost the map activity book and key which was supposedly included in our curriculum materials which came in July, but I can't for the life of me remember where I put it. So Neesie's been assigned map activities by the video teacher, but this scatterbrained home teacher can't find the materials she needs!

I wanted to make this post this morning, but every time I want to make a post, these are the type of things that happen. These mixed in, of course, with the normal duties. Then, I have to confess that lately I've gotten distracted with some things that perhaps I shouldn't let take up my time, but being one of those curious types, I've been keeping up with certain happenings which I really have found intriguing, and that too has kept me from blogging as much.

I got this bright idea. I thought about passing on some of the helpful info I get from some friends who send me forwards, many containing humorous tidbits or helpful hints. So that's what this post is really all about. I'm starting a new category and calling it "Tuesday Tips" ( I don't know if anyone else is doing anything like this, but if so, please forgive me as I'm not being a copycat on purpose). Not always, but on some Tuesdays I'll pass along some of the information or even lighthearted nuggets I get from my friends. I'm thinking most of it will be helpful to folks who come here, even if just to give them a chuckle in their day. So here's the first one. It's a note that may be copied by all of my pet owning blog friends.

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - pet nose height:


Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food.
The other dishes are mine and contain my food.
Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.
Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.
Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.
It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible.
I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom.
If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, and try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open.
I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years -- canine or feline attendance is not required.
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's back parts. I cannot stress this enough!

Once to Every Man and Nation

We are seeing history written these days, which is true of any day and age, but particularly so during the time we find ourselves in. At this historical time, I've been finding myself reflecting on the past, for some reason, and not the future. The Present Crisis was a poem written by James Russell Lowell, an abolitionist, and was first published in 1845. It was written by Mr. Lowell as a protest over certain issues connected with slavery. I posted this portion of the poem a couple of months ago, but I want to repost it today since it's been so much on my mind of late.

Because of several issues surrounding the current day and time, some national, I wanted to reflect on this poem once again, due to its depth and meaning. The first and last stanzas are particularly important for us to remember, certainly those of us who are believers. It's EXTREMELY important that we embrace what's being articulated here. There are some of you who know what I mean in a more particular way. Note that the last stanza says that it's often the portion of truth to be on the scaffold, while wrong is often on the throne. But note this certainty most of all: It's the scaffold that sways the future, and somewhere in the shadows, though unknown and unseen by many, GOD IS KEEPING WATCH ABOVE HIS OWN. I read somewhere that this poem reminds us that it is GOD who is in control of history and HE will write the last chapter. Amen. Hallelujah.

[ Scaffold, in capital punishment, refers to a structure at a gallows that the condemned stand upon, often with a trap door; it can also refer to the elevated structure on which a condemned person is set to be beheaded. (per Wikipedia)]

This is the hymn version:

Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

~James Russell Lowell