Safe Travels

Looking forward to seeing the family returning safely back to Texas tomorrow.

Yuck

Gross - we had a few moths fly out of our pantry - apparently we bought flour or rice or something that had "pantry moths"in it!  Took everything out - scrubbed it down and pitched anything questionable!

Went by home depot and bought some traps - hopefully this will get rid of them!

BTW - I posted a while back about the ants in the bathroom.  That boric acid mixture worked - we have not seen any since!  ;0)

Ready for Vacation

So glad - finished up the necessary things on my desk and now officially on vacation for a week.  It will be a staycation this year.  I hope to get a little cleaning, a few projects and a bit of relaxation accomplished this week.  

I can't remember if I said - they made it up north safely and the services were very nice.  

Charles' leg is looking much better - he is doctoring it well.  Thank you for praying - we would love for him to be back to normal when he returns to the Dr. next week and blow her away at how quickly the Lord heals him up!

Looking forward to breakfast in the morning with Collette, Tracey, Sherry and Cheryl.

;0)

Long Day

I'm so ready for bed tonight.  It has been a very long day.
Woke
Got Ready
Talked to Becca a little while
Helped Charles with a few things
Talked to Chuck
Hugged the girls goodbye just in case I didn't see them before they left for NY
Went to Work
Trying to complete several things before vacation
Pick Charles up for Dermotologist
Pretty quick office visit - now it has turned into stasis dermatitis - got a prescription for ointment and need to pick up a wash for his leg
Ran to the hospital
Dropped him off at home
Timing was right we got to see Becca, Misti and Tim off
Ran to Walgreens to put prescription in
Went back to work
Met Anne Marie at Braums - treated her to a sundae since I had to get milk anyway - visited for a few minutes
Ran over to Walgreens - they didn't have the wash - the line for the pharmacy was quite long - so called CVS to see if they had the wash while I waited (nope they didn't) -finally got to the register and the prescription wasn't ready - but Praise the Lord they filled it while I waited
Called another Walgreens and headed that way to get home - (no they didn't have it either)
Ran home to get the milk in the fridge and out of the 100 degree heat
Gave Charles his ointment and he looked the wash up online and told me which one showed they had it in stock
Discussed dinner - getting late - so decided on subway
Headed back out - first Walgreens - nada
then CVS - still nothing
FINALLY - I started to pray
I don't know why I wait - (Charles said he was praying at home too)
I am so glad that God is God of all - He lead me to that medicine that Charles needed.
Another Walgreens - and found 3 boxes on the shelf - I bought them all!
He has to use this to wash his legs two times a day and I wanted enough to get us through!
I saw there was a subway down the strip mall, so I walked over to it to get our dinner.
Ordered Chucks - no problem, ordered mine - they were out of marinara sauce - oh well, ordered Charles - they were out of avocado!  had to go to another subway!
Ran to our regular shop - thank the Lord they had it - they quickly fixed Charles sub and even added marinara to mine - they were awesome!
Got home and enjoyed dinner very much.
Talked with Gramma, Ma-Maw, Aunt Collette and our previous neighbor Cheryl today
Cheryl is going to join us this Friday morning for breakfast - it will be nice to see her in person again, it has been a while since she moved.
Even though it was a busy, busy day - all went well - the Lord provided all we needed - thank you Lord for the daily provisions and strength that gets us through every day.


Praying for Becca, Misti and Tim as they travel to NY for Gramma's funeral.  I wish I could go, but need to care for my husband right now.  His leg requires constant elevation and lots of treatment and care.  We must watch his fever to avoid another hospital stay.  Stopping right now to pray for traveling mercies, quick and complete healing for Charles, and comfort, strength and love for all those affected by Gramma's death.

Going Home

Praise the Lord - Charles returned home today.  He is not completely healed but definitely on the mend.  We are all glad to have him back.

Great Gramma passed away today.  She went home too, to our heavenly home to be with her Lord and Savior.  We are going to miss her very much, but thankful she isn't suffering anymore.  I will be posting more about this special lady who had a huge piece of our hearts.

Tropical storm Debby hit Florida yesterday and today.  We haven't heard back from Scott - praying they weathered the storm ok.

We are all a bit tired from the events of this week.

A little better

How it looked this morning

The kiddos at the Hospital

Chuck

Becca

The doctor told him that it seems he had an allergic reaction possibly to a bug bite as well as the cellulitis.  Steroids were given today to help his healing.  Please pray for him to continue to get better and hopefully go home tomorrow.

Traveling and Update

Tim got home safely! I haven't talked to him yet - but think he had a fun trip.  Misti was excited to see her little spoiled doggie, it's funny how these pets can be.
Scott returned home today - wish there were more hours in a day - I know each of us wanted more of his time - especially his sis.  (Seriously, sounds like we need to plan a road trip!)

I'm not sure if they will release Charles today or not.  They put a line in his upper arm today since the iv in his hand was causing it to swell.  I thought his foot and leg looked more swollen today but he had his socks off.  He didn't think it was any more swollen than before.  His leg is still so red but it does look like there are a few spots of white showing through.

Healing

His leg still looks bad but is healing. It is still very red and almost looks blistered. The itches are starting, please pray that it will not itch.

The kids have been great troopers thru all of it.

Mom and Dad were pulling into the nursing home when I was talking to them. I got to say hi to Great Gramma and tell her that I love her. She isn't doing well. :0(

Cellulitis and a Wonderful Surprise!

Well - it's the first time dad has ever been admitted into the hospital.  The symptoms I mentioned yesterday did not turn out to be the flu.  The diagnosis is cellulitis.  The afternoon started with a visit to the doctor, which was then redirected to the ER then up to a hospital room.  We were finally settled in the room about 2:30 a.m. and he got a good night's rest.  Bless his heart they had iv's in both hands with multiple lines funneled into each, an oxygen line in his nose and holes in his arm from drawing blood.  He's has some sweet nurses, which always helps.  Here is a little info about what is going on in his body right now.

Cellulitis (sel-u-LI-tis) is a common, potentially serious bacterial skin infection.

Cellulitis appears as a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot and tender, and it may spread rapidly.

Skin on lower legs is most commonly affected, though cellulitis can occur anywhere on your body or face. Cellulitis may affect only your skin's surface, or cellulitis may also affect tissues underlying your skin and can spread to your lymph nodes and bloodstream.

Left untreated, the spreading infection may rapidly turn life-threatening. That's why it's important to seek immediate medical attention if cellulitis symptoms occur.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Just in case you wondered... (I kinda wondered)...

Cellulitis isn't usually spread from person to person. Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of the skin most commonly caused by bacteria that normally live on the skin's surface.

The best part of the day was seeing a few family members.  I apologize - I have been terrible about bringing my camera with me and also about pulling my phone out to capture these moments.

Round One: Mamaw and Granddad
We had a nice visit with them and the conversation went in all directions.  One interesting thing that came up was snakes.  Did you know your Granddad is quite the snake killer?  Copperheads, water moccasins, rattlers were a few that he told about.   Yuck!  If there is one thing I'm definitely not fond of it is snakes.  Mamaw and I were in total agreement about that!

Round Two: Aunt Collette
I scared her to death.  I really didn't mean too!  It was all part of a bigger plan going on behind the scenes - concocted by her brothers!  I called her in the afternoon and asked her to do me a big favor.  Could she come to the hospital just to sit with me?  She and I are very close - she is the sister I didn't have growing up!  I assured her that everything was ok - but I just wanted her company for a little while.  Well she didn't hear any of that last statement!  She just knew that I don't usually ask for things like that.  She flew over to the hospital to find out that all really was ok.   We sat talking for a few minutes when my cell phone rang.  Round three was about to begin - he was there!  I told a little fib to her (I'm sorry)  stating it was Charles' co-worker there to visit for a minute.    She scooted over to the couch to open up the chair for this stranger she was about to meet.

Round Three:  Scott
He appeared at the door and I turned to watch Collette as he entered.  I so wish I had this on video!  She looked at him quickly and then glanced away.  Her eyes kept being drawn back to this "co-worker" of her brother.  He kept walking closer (and honestly  I was watching Collette - so not sure - but believe his eyes were glued on her).  Her facial expression changed the closer he came to her and then she suddenly gasped, jumped up and they were in an embrace that lasted for quite some time.  She was in shock and probably still is.  He wanted to surprise her and surprise her he did.  It was the first time they had ever met face to face- brother and sister finally seeing each other in person.  He had an unexpected trip across the country to attend the funeral of his Uncle Mickey.  We are so sorry for the loss of this man he held so close to his heart.  This reunion was grand!  The three siblings talking, laughing and sharing together. 

Both Collette and I arranged for the next two rounds...

Round Four:  Chuck, Becca and Misti
Chuck had not had the priviledge to meet his uncle yet, like Becca, who met him in FL in January.  They all came to see their dad/uncle in the hospital, of course, but also to meet Uncle Scott.  Introductions were made and they chatted a bit. 

Round Five:  Uncle Ed, Jonathan and Benjamin
Ok - so Collette played a little trick on Ed.  She told him to come right away - now this was after she left the house in a panic don't forget - and he was awaiting the status of what was going on at the hospital.
He texted - WHAT is GOING ON??????????????????
She didn't keep him in suspense for long and let him know that Scott was there!
He was now in shock!  He didn't tell the boys who they were about to meet - loaded up and headed over.
They arrived and were shocked and excited to meet their Uncle who they had heard so much about.

All the well wishes for Charles were wonderful
The get together of family was so sweet - just wish it would have been longer - but so thankful for the time we had together!
We love each and every one of you more than you know!

Whispers in my ear

Ok - I had a little test today.  You know, the kind when there are those little whispers in your ear speaking to your soul.  I was at work and received a call.  It was a client that had been in earlier that day.  She asked for my co-worker who happened to be at lunch.  She said, "Well tell her that she might find two twenty dollar bills on the floor in front of her desk - or they may be out in your parking lot - I think they fell out when I pulled my hand out of my pocket."  She had a very positive attitude and said - "I believe these things happen for a reason and hope that whoever finds it is blessed by it and that it meets their need."  I told her we would look for it and if we found it would send it back to her.  She repeated herself about hoping whoever found it would be blessed.  I went to the front and looked around the office - no money there.  The wind blew as I walked out to the parking lot to look around.  I  looked by the vehicles and in the surrounding grass - nothing!  In the next lot, I saw something near the bushes, there was one twenty dollar bill.  I looked around and back by our building was the other twenty.  I couldn't believe they were still there several hours later with the wind blowing as it was and the foot traffic we have on our street.  

I scooped them both up and went back to my desk.  

Here is when those little whispers began.

Look up her address, get an envelope and put in the mail now.

That is the right thing to do.

 

She said - she thinks things like this happen for a reason.  She wants someone to be blessed.  You know you could use the money right now and you Did find it.  She will never know that you found it.  She wanted WHOEVER found it to be blessed by it and you deserve it.

You told her if you found it you would send it back.

She did call you and tell you she lost it - you know it is hers.

Let her be the one blessed by receiving it back - she needs it or she would not have called.

You went out to look for it because she called you.

Send it back to her.

Do the right thing.

 

No one will ever know.

You are the only one that knows about it.

You can always send her some later if you think that you should.

Keep it - it can go towards.........

He knows!

Sometimes it is embarrassing to be completely honest about the thoughts that go through our head.

It's even worse to admit when you follow that stupid devil.

The Spirit had victory over my flesh today.

I got up, went to the supply closet and pulled out an envelope and a piece of letterhead.

The customer's address was easy to find and I took a moment to write her a little note.

I truly pray that this blesses her heart when she receives it later this week.

^{Matthew 41} Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

There's No God Like Jehovah

One of the popular music selections at rally time in VBS this year was Days of Elijah!  I have not heard this song before and loved it.  Talk about getting goosebumps - it was powerful stuff - hearing all the kids praising and singing - "There's No God Like Jehovah!"  Our ministry team had motions for the chorus that the kids already knew - it was awesome seeing them Praise Him!
Here is a link to this song - found a version of it on line...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s4hkcZhfqQ

We have sickness in the house!  Yuck!  Becca is fighting this cold and Charles has flu-like symptoms.  I know he is sick when he needs a second blanket, has the heater in the bathroom on in the summer, cranks the temperature up on the air and is still shaking from the chills. Please pray for total healing for both of them and for containment - hoping it doesn't spread!
They both have been still and weak recently.
There are times we are stopped in our tracks - sometimes from illness, other times it may be other situations that stop us dead in our tracks.  
Here are a few verses that may encourage your heart when this happens to you.

"Be still and know that I am God"
~Psalms 46:10~

 

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
~2 Corinthians 12:9~

"What time I am afraid I will trust in thee"
~Psalms 56:3~

 

"Cast all your care on Him, for He careth for you"
~1 Peter 5:7~

Blessed by my Boys

     I'm so blessed by all the men in my life.  They never cease to amaze how they take such care of me and Becca.  To make a long story short, I was going to do a task that is normally Chuck's responsibility.  I was not expecting him to do it - I truly planned to take care of it.  Well, as soon as he knew I was going to do it - he refused to allow me to do it and he got it done!  What character...He made me proud!  I am thankful that he is not the type to sit on the sidelines and let others do his work for him.  He digs in, does more than his share and works hard.  His sister has this trait too!  She worked herself silly this weekend without complaint. 
     Charles, my handyman fixed my shoe!  I have these flip flops - I call this particular pair my flippers.  They are really kind of ugly - made out of the same material as crocks.  They are very light and comfy.  Well - the piece between my toes came out the other day and Charles fixed them for me! Thank you Thank you!
    
     Becca has caught this junk going around and has been congested the last few days.  Stuffy nose, sore throat and sleepiness have attacked!  She is feeling a little better today.  Pray that it doesn't go into an ear infection - her ear has been a little bit "clogged".

    Ok  - I didn't post it before - remember I told you I would tell you later!  The girls have started their own blog.  I'm so proud of their hard work!  They are staying busy with projects (seems like most of these projects have been FOOD - so far)!  I can't wait to look back at the end of the summer to see what all they accomplish!

Here is the link to their website - if you would like to check it out!

http://www.projectilltellyoulater.blogspot.com/

Happy Father's Day!

Charles -

You are a rich man.
You have a strong faith.
Children that love you,
And a wife that adores you.

Happy Father's Day
to the richest man in the world.

A faithful man will be richly blessed. Proverbs 28:20

Dad -

I want you to know how thankful I am to have a dad
like you. Your guidance, encouragement, and love
have made such a difference in my life. You stand
out in this world, because Jesus stands out in you.
With Love on Father's Day

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23

We are so blessed with the father’s in our lives.  Amazing dads, grandpas, uncles filling our lives with love and godly examples!  So very thankful for all of you!  Thank you for following our heavenly Father and teaching us to follow Him too!

No more Soulman's Breakfast - Boo!

It was a busy morning.  Charles and I were going to go to breakfast at a buffet that our family likes, but they no longer offer breakfast at this barbque restaurant.  That was disappointing.  We decided to go to Golden Corral, since he had an eye appointment.  Eh - it was ok - but not to appealing.  We have the best eye doctor - he is very thorough and personable.  He has an excellent staff too.  He ordered his contacts and I finally picked up my glasses - they've been ready - it was just me dragging my feet.  I am so glad to see clearly again.  Becca will be going soon - I know she is ready.
Chuck went to Dickey's and Becca did an awesome job cleaning this morning.  Charles and I headed to the bookstore and I found a few books that Becca has already pulled a few projects from.
BLT's for lunch and breakfast for dinner.  It was a productive day.

Psalm 73

²⁶ My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
²⁷ For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
²⁸ But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

Verses 26 and 28 jumped out at me this morning.  Oh - how true - my flesh and heart fail so often. - But - God is my strength!  My portion for ever.  Isn't that cool!  He gives us the right portion of Himself.  I've been working on portion control with my eating.  I've found that we should not overeat - but we shouldn't under eat either - both are unhealthy.  If we overeat we are overfull - stuffed and miserable - if we undereat we are undernourished, weak and worthless.  What I'm finding is the best thing for us is to eat small portions often.  Now back to the verse - He knows our proper portion.  He is always there for us for ever - to fill us. 
Then in verse 28 - reminds us it is GOOD for us to draw near to God - put your trust in Him - He is good - and declare all He does for you!

VBS - Last Night

Brother Gary - When you're up you're up

Opening Ceremonies

Brother Robby Pie

What a good sport!

Flower the Clown

Happy Hands - Another awesome dramatic presentation

VBS - Night Three

I liked the clouds on the way to VBS - pretty contrast that wasn't captured too well!

Mrs. Tracey teaching the girls about Philip and his trip to Gaza.

Two of the girls were acting out the story.

Our beautiful young helpers - they are doing an amazing job with sweet serving attitudes.

Jazmine & Becca

Puppet Show

One of our first graders was trying to figure out if the puppets are really doing the singing and how they are working the puppet in the tub!

Cletus and Billy Bob were up to their antics with a "stick of dynamite" 

trying to get to Silly Sally and Silly Billy

Happy Hands signing a song - Beautiful job

Love seeing the emotion in the song when they sign it!

VBS - Night Two

This Little Light of Mine - Glow in the Dark Puppet Show!!!

Awesome Drama to Song

Flower the Clown with Silly Sally and Silly Billy

...

VBS - Night One

Rally Time

Puppets Singing Praises

More of the stage and some of the crew

Brother Robby - will try to get a better picture this week

Cool Performance with Black Lights and Glowing Movements to Song

Fish Fry

We had a fish fry for lunch - it was very good!
Deep fried Catfish
Shrimp
Hush puppies made from Scratch
Beans
Potatoes and Cream Gravy

I never was a big fish eater growing up - but this was delicious.
VBS workers meeting - Becca will be helping in the mystery room this year and a helper in the 1st grade girls room with Tracey.
I will be working registration and my favorite thing - listening to the children say their verses.  I'm ready to be blown away by their hard work!

We now have a ginger!

Becca colored her hair today!

Isn't it pretty?!?

Girl's Night

It was funny tonight!  Chuck had to work late and Charles went out with a few of his co-workers, therefore Becca and I were going to be on our own.  We agreed upon Panda Express for dinner.  As we were driving over to pick it up - I said - "Yes! We will be able to pick anything we want to watch tonight!"  We both looked at each other and shouted out at the same time...

Me - chick flick

Becca - Horror movie

We burst out laughing as our eyes got big! We thought we would say the same thing!  It just shows another way she is a lot like her dad!  I told her it sounds like it's time for a Daddy, Daughter night - they can enjoy that together.

We looked through the movies and ended up watching Soul Surfer.

Chuck got home earlier than expected (I guess I wasn't listening correctly when he told me his hours), so we headed back to Panda for more dinner.

It was a fun night.

Charles enjoyed his evening with his co-workers - please pray for all of them!

Ants

I'm trying something new.  I think Aunt Dawn used to kill ants successfully with it.  A mixture of sugar, water and boric acid. 

 The rain is a welcome thing, unfortunately it brought a few visitors with it.  A few ants apparently wanted a dry spot to go.   Hopefully, this concoction will take care of these uninivited guests.

Projects

The girls are going to have a project filled summer.  I'll tell you later! 
They have already decided on a few projects.  Can't wait to see what they come up with!

Thank you Lord for the rain!

No word yet - will try to call tomorrow!

Squash Chips

Take 1:  Didn't work out to well - both burned and/or soggy

Spray Pan with Cooking Spray

Slice Squash Thin

Season (used nature seasonings)

Cook at 375 for 30 minutes

This was too hot and too quick!

The pieces that were very thin burned and the one that were a little thicker didn't get crisp because I took them out by about 20 minutes

Take 2:  we shall see they are in the oven now

Pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil on cookie sheet

Pour any seasonings in the oil 

        I used dill weed, nature seasonings, onion powder and garlic salt

Mix the seasonings and oil and spread over pan

Place sliced squash on cookie sheet 

Sprinkle the tops of the squash with more seasonings

    (a good suggestion I saw was to put the squash in a large baggie with oil and seasonings and shake to coat - I would have done this if I had freezer sized baggies)

Cook at 220 for 2-3 hours until desired crispness

  (will add parmesan cheese about 15 min before done)

I hope these turn out better!

They were delicious!

Strawberries

Becca was on pinterest and came across an interesting fact.

She read that strawberries actually help whiten teeth!

Who would have thought?!?

Instructions:

1. Strawberries contain malic acid, which acts as the primary stain remover. First grab a fork or another mashing utensil and smash the strawberry into a pulp.
2. Then mix about a teaspoon of baking soda into the strawberry mash. Baking soda is also great at removing unwanted teeth stains from coffee, tea or smoking.
3. Once the mixture is ready, it should be a light pinkish color. Use your toothbrush to apply some of the mixture to your teeth.
4. Let it sit on your teeth for about five minutes, then rinse.
5. Brush your teeth thoroughly with regular toothpaste. (Note: Many toothpastes use sugars to make the paste taste better. Try to find a paste with little or no sweeteners.)
6. Floss to remove any strawberry seeds. Rinse again using hydrogen peroxide to kill off bacteria and also to whiten teeth some more.
7. Finally rinse with water one more time.

Warning: Doing this process more than once a week is not recommended as it might erode tooth enamel.

Note: This whitening process does not work on dental repairs or dentures.

Recommended Toothpaste: Arm & Hammer® Extra Whitening

from: http://guymanningham.com/2011/06/whiten-teeth-strawberries-baking-sod/

Here are a few more fun facts about stawberries!

• On average, there are 200 tiny seeds in every strawberry.
• If all the strawberries produced in California this year were laid berry to berry, they'd wrap around the world 15 times. That's enough strawberries to provide every U.S. household with 12 pint baskets.
• Eight medium-sized strawberries contain 140% of the U.S. RDA for Vitamin C. One cup of fresh strawberries provides about 88 milligrams of ascorbic acid.
• One cup of unsweetened strawberries has only 55 calories.
• In addition, strawberries are good sources of folic acid, potassium and fiber.
• Strawberries are also fat-free and low in calories.
• If you're expecting a baby, you'll be very interested in some of the new discoveries about folic acid. In fact, 8 strawberries have 20% of the folic acid you need every day.
• Fresh juice from sieved strawberry pulp has a cooling effect on feverish patients. For a cooling and purifying drink, either pour water on crushed berries or chop the berries roughly and whirl in a blender with a little water.
• As part of the 5-a-day program suggested by the American Cancer Institute, strawberries can also play a part in helping you to reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease.
• Strawberry juice combined with honey will reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.

California Strawberries

• From the end of September through the end of October, strawberries are planted and harvesting occurs from mid- December through mid-July in Ventura County, CA, which produces more than 27 percent of the state's strawberries. The peak harvesting season in California runs from April through June, when up to 10 million pint baskets of strawberries are shipped daily.
• The largest producing state, California harvests 83% of the strawberries grown in the U.S. on approximately 24,500 acres. And with about 5,000 commercial acres, Florida is the second largest producing state. Ideal temperature for strawberry plants should not exceed higher than 78 degrees or lower than 55 degrees.
• Every strawberry plant is hand-picked approximately every three days. This is the time in which it takes for strawberries to complete their cycle of turning from green to white to red. There is no storage of fresh strawberries. After picking, they are rushed to coolers where huge fans extract the field heat. Then they are delivered to supermarkets across the country via refrigerated trucks.

from:  http://www.pickyourown.org/strawberryfacts.htm

 

Eggs

I've been eating more eggs recently after seeing several references for the health and dietary benefits.  They seem to satisfy my hunger well.   My preferences for breakfast are either scrambled or fried and it is best when prepared in coconut oil.  My preference for snacking is hardboiled.  The rest of the family has different tastes.  Charles likes his over-easy, and Chuck does too.  Becca is in agreement with me - pop that yolk or scramble them up!

Interesting egg facts

Can’t remember if an egg is fresh or hard boiled? Just spin the egg. If it wobbles, it’s raw. If it spins easily, it’s hard boiled. A fresh egg will sink in water, a stale one will float.
Eggs contain all the essential protein, minerals and vitamins, except Vitamin C. But egg yolks are one of few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D. Eggs also contain choline, which is necessary for healthy cell membranes in the body. Choline stimulates brain development and function and helps preserving memory. Eggs also are good for your eyes because they contain lutein which helps prevents age-related cataracts and muscular degeneration. In fact, eggs contain more lutein than spinach and other green vegetables.
The color of the egg shell is not related to quality, nutrients, flavour, or cooking characteristics. White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and white ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. Brown egg layers usually are slightly larger and require more food, thus brown eggs usually cost more than white eggs. An egg shell has as many as 17,000 pores over its surface.
A whole egg is about 3 tablespoons worth of liquid, the egg yolk measures about 1 tablespoon of liquid. Older hens tend to lay bigger eggs but double-yolked eggs are produced by younger hens whose egg production cycles are not yet synchronized. There are about 70 calories in an uncooked egg and 77 calories in a cooked egg.
China produces the most eggs, at about 160 billion per year. In the US, about 280 million hens produce more than 65 billion eggs per year. A hen can lay about 250 eggs per year.
Chicken are descendants of the red jungle fowl (gallus gallus spadiceus) that lives in Asia. The chicken is one of the first domestic animals, appearing in China around 1400 BC. The are some 150 chicken species and hundreds of chicken breeds.
What was first, the chicken or the egg?
Short answer: the chicken is the egg’s way of creating another egg.
According to the bible, the chicken came first. Genesis 1:20-22: So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”
Egg recall
The bacteria salmonella can be on the inside AND outside of an egg that looks normal. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has tips on how to reduce the risk of salmonella from eggs.
Egg cook book: EGGS by Michel Roux

found these facts at http://didyouknow.org/eggs/

Rivalry

We started watching the Hatfields & McCoys tonight.  It is so sad to see how bitter and hateful things became between the families.  We will probably finish the series this weekend.

I had a date with husband today at Red Lobster and enjoyed it very much.
Chuck had a good day and has been nominated for employee of the month - praying he wins it!
Becca painted a little today.

Crazy Lady

So - the girls and I went to McDonalds this morning and we had an interesting experience.  We walked up to the counter behind an older lady who was there before us.  We frequent this particular McD's for our weekly girlie time and are familiar with some of the staff.  The young lady behind the counter looked rather perplexed, and I soon found out why.  The lady in front of us was either crazy, drunk, on drugs or something, we were not exactly sure which was the case.  She was talking on and on, teasing the cashier about cookies that she was buying.  She was telling the worker, I baked these cookies, they should be free.  I'm a world class baker and I'm going to marry Troy Aikmen.  Becca, Misti and I gave each other the look - you know, that look!   Well, the cashier looked at us, with sort of glazed over eyes and a lot of desperation.  That caught this ladies eye and whoooop she spun around on a dime - immediately.  Here is where the fun begins! (not really but WOW)!   She was a 73 year old beauty (she later informed us of her age) with lots of baby blue eyeshadow to boot!  The first thing she told us was that she was going to marry Troy Aikmen, but if she didn't marry him, it would be Stan.  (Stan who, I have no clue!)  She talked very fast - somewhere in there she mentioned an Indian husband and moving up to the area, looking for a trailer and all.  I had a shirt with butterflies on it.  She actually started pointing at them and counting them...did you know that butterflies are gift from above they are actually angels of free love - or something like that!  By now the girls had stepped back by a wall - retreating fast and ready to run or call the cops I believe!  She then proceeded to tell me and every one there how beautiful they were.  You are beautiful, she is beautiful, they are beautiful, but he is not beautiful, she clarified that last fact - guess she didn't want to offend the male worker by calling him beautiful.  The poor cashier and everyone there were just looking at each other wondering if this was really happening.   Next, she proceeded to tell me how to get healthy.  Drink water and dance!   Ok - here comes the good part!   She starts telling me I should be a striptease!  She wiggles her hips and said she could do it - that is what I should do!  Not only does she say it to me, she turns to the girls and said, she should be a striptease (about me), then to the cashier and anyone in the restaurant.  She starts, yelling - She's a striptease! several times over.  I think my jaw hit the floor!  (so i went from hearing her suggestion that I should be one to -in her weird little mind - becoming one) Trying not to make it worse - another worker comes up and starts to help us - so the lady seemed to simmer down and pay for her cookies.  We got our food and headed over to the drink machines - guess who was still there - yep - the old beaut!  She giggled a little and said  - you're a striptease.  I had, had enough and let her know that she was being offensive.  What offense? - oh yes that makes me think about my Cowboys!  she said.  What do you mean offensive, I'm just fun.  I said there is nothing fun or funny about what you have done this morning, it is offensive and rude.  She left the restaurant giggling.  We got our drinks and found a table.  I went back to the counter to talk to the staff.  The young man said, did she just call you a STRIPTEASE?!?  The young cashier was still in shock from the craziness that had just occurred. It was an interesting time, that's for sure!  I don't know if she was crazy, or just plain odd!  I pray she was not ill or a missing senior.  If that was her "normal" self, it makes me a little sad.  More of her comments were about the Lord, and how we will go to heaven as soon as we die, then quoting Garth  Brooks lyrics, a little bit of hippie talk, while thinking that stripping is an honorable thing.  That is some very messed up thinking.  I will pray for her and bet you will too, after you finish having your laugh for the day!