Christmas music

Welcome to the Christmas season! I've added a music playlist on the side bar for your listening enjoyment.
(I'm so proud of me for figuring out how to add it!) (although there is something wonky with the margins.)

happy Thanksgiving to all!

Don't we all have soooo much to be thankful for? Let's remember Him from Whom all blessings come.


Have a great day!

the results are in---food storage poll *revised*

(The link to the Book of Gomer Parable, below, now works!)

So, here are the results of my extremely scientific survey:

No one has a full year's supply of food. Oh, dear...
57% have 3 to 6 months of storage. Yay!
28.5% have a few cans in storage. Better than nothing.
14.5% said "Food storage? What's that?" Uh, oh.

Of course, only 7 people participated in the poll... Including me... So there was only respondent who said "Food storage? What's that?" So maybe that was some blog browser who just stumbled in. Or maybe it was one of the few who trot on over here from time to time. Certainly not YOU, eh? :-D

Lately I have felt an increasing urgency about getting food storage and emergency preparedness supplies. It seems overwhelming, but bit by bit we've started gathering food and supplies. We're nowhere near a year's supply, but I tell myself, "Something is better than nothing!"

I have found some places on the Internet that are great for working on this. Of course, there is the Church's Provident Living website. I also cruise on over to Safely Gathered In, a blog where they have storage reminders and recipes. The Seven Steps blog is great for a weekly list of just seven things to do that week, a systematic way to get prepared in all ways (food storage, 72-hour kits, emergency evacuation, etc.) over the course of a year. I know there are LOTS of other web sites and blogs and deal with this as well. Maybe you have a favorite?

Our leaders have repeatedly counseled us to get our food storage. President Benson said, “The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah” (“Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 69).

Click here to read The Book of Gomer Parable about the importance of food storage.

Let's not be left out in the rain...

Red Kidney Bean Danger!

Did you know this? I didn't until I was surfing the net the other day.

Raw or undercooked red kidney beans can cause serious food poisoning, due to a natural toxin in the beans. As few as 4 or 5 beans can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, sometimes serious enough to require hospitalization. And undercooked beans (cooked to only 176 degrees F.) may be up to five times more toxic!

What to do? According to foodreference.com, you should soak the beans at least 5 hours, then discard the soaking water. In fresh water, boil rapidly at least 10 minutes (mine take 25 to cook soft).

Since many of us have children who are curious and will munch on most anything, this seems important to know!

Another Children's Sacrament Meeting Program under the belt

We did it! We successfully completed another Primary Sacrament Meeting Program! After months of practice, encouraging, teaching, leading, playing games, coaxing, and cajoling, we survived another of these adventures. Some weeks the children sang like the Tabernacle Choir. Some weeks they sang as if they'd never heard these songs in their little lives. But in the end, they came through.

There were children swallowing the microphone, and children speaking too quickly to understand. There were children with their parts memorized flawlessly and children who needed just a bit of help. There were children singing their hearts out and children singing out only the two or three words they knew really well. There were children standing up on cue and children standing once they realized everyone else was up.

There were smiles. There were tears. There was the sweet Spirit of the Lord in the meeting.

Whew!

Now, on to next year's songs....

Heather has a job!

So a while back, I asked for help in finding Heather a job. I need to report that she found one all on her own. She's working at the Kids' Klub at Court Sports. She works Saturdays from 8 to 1. It's a great job. And doesn't she look cute in her uniform?

Autumn Fun

Autumn is my favorite time of year. This year we...

Buried David in a pile of leaves

Visited Hentze Family Farm

where we also wound our way through the hay and corn mazes

Danced at the ward Fall Festival.

Be Kind to Your Bishop...

[Whispered voice]:
When you're a bishop, a school-teacher, a husband, a dad...
some days are just very long.

(Shhhhhhh)

Happy Halloween

Welcome Verideon Koff, dark Jedi from a galaxy far, far away....

Verideon Koff in attack mode.

Verideon with his co-conspirators, before a night of loot-seeking.

Much loot was gathered by all.