Our Thanksgiving Table

 Thanksgiving with our Daughter and Family

 Celebrating with Family

Thanksgiving

393 years ago a small band of religious pilgrims set sail from England to the New World to establish a better life. Upon arriving at Plymouth they founded a new settlement and agreed on how it would be governed. Their covenant began in the name of God. Amen. Today, we know this agreement as the Mayflower Compact, and these pioneers as Pilgrims. This Thanksgiving, we hope you have an opportunity to enjoy the many pleasures of life with family and friends.

Super Healthy Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are among the world's healthiest foods and most delicious foods. Their health benefits, including weight management and cancer fighting abilities. They are great sources of vitamin A and also contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. Many people are not aware of how versatile sweet potatoes can be in the kitchen. Besides baking them, they can be roasted, pureed, steamed, or grilled and used in a wide variety of dishes. So load up on this super food for Thanksgiving minus the marshmallow topping.   

 Bee Products That Make Great Health Supplements

The bees are pretty much dormant this time of year. Although I did see one bee on a solo sun flower the other day. See it in the middle of this sun flower? It was a bee that will winter over, and was very sluggish. All the summer bees have died off and the winter bees are in the hive. But today happened to be a spring like day so the bee was getting some food.  I am fortunate to have bees, and I take advantage of the bee propolis and honey that the bees supply. With the depleted nutritional value of many of our healthiest fruits and vegetables, more and more people are starting to seek out less conventional foods to meet their daily vitamin and mineral requirements. I use honey in everything that calls for sugar. I swallow the propolis and it is suppose to contain vitamins A, B, C and E as well as many amino acids and over 60 trace minerals. UNBELIEVABLE!  



Beauty surrounds us; yet weeds strive to choke it out. We must be ready and willing to pluck the weeds from our lives. How do we do that? When we procrastinate weeds grow quickly, like in our gardens. Challenging our financial well being. Late charges, over the limit charges, and extra accumulated interest can create havoc in our lives. Wouldn't our lives be better if we paid our bills first and splurged on the extras last? We are now in the autumn season of the year. We will harvest what we have sown in the spring and the summer of our lives. If we have plucked up weeds in our hearts and minds and replaced them with forgiveness and organization, we will discover that as the seasons change, we can find greater joy and happiness. Won't you pull up the weeds along the way instead of allowing them to choke out your peace of mind?

Morton

Today was a sad day, because I lost another rooster to a hawk. I had been looking out the window and all the chickens along with the two roosters were in the chicken house. What's with this? The sun is shining and it is 50 degrees. I look out a few minutes later and still no sign of the chickens. I decide to go out, and when I do, I see a hawk fly out of the chicken yard. Oh no! He has gotten Morton. We have fishing wire up, but I guess it wasn't enough. I am going to look for some netting today at Stockdales. Chumly is in charge. Go Chumly. Keep our hens safe. 

Gettysburg Address 150 Years Ago Today

Its opening line is one of the most famous in the history of political speeches. The Gettysburg Address, delivered 150 years ago today by US president Abraham Lincoln, begins: "Four score and seven years ago"...Can you recall any of the rest of the speech? The beauty of Lincoln's speech lay in its conciseness, is probably the greatest speech ever written. In just a few sentences, he summed up American history and democratic ideals as well as giving a new motive for keeping up the fight, so that those who fell at Gettysburg "will not have died in vain".

Washing Eggs And Why You Shouldn't

To wash eggs or not to wash eggs.. that is the question! Except that it's not much of a question for me. Washing eggs is something that can be on the risky side, if you do it wrong, so I don't wash my eggs unless they're soiled. Even then, I don't wash then unless they are VERY soiled. And if they must be washed, I make sure to eat them before any of my good, unwashed eggs. The reason I don't wash them is that eggs are laid with a natural coating on them. This coating helps keep bacteria out of the fresh egg. Washing removes the bloom and can actually contribute to bacterial contamination. But unfortunately store bough eggs are washed, and that is a no no.

HONEY

Honey is a baker's best friend. It not only tastes good, but it also is good for you. As a sweetener, honey imparts exceptional flavors in all bakery foods and sweetens bakery foods naturally, giving bakers a clean label alternative to other sweeteners. Need ideas for incorporating honey into your dairy foods? Visit dairywithhoney.com. The holidays are right around the corner and fruity, nutty and sweet and savory are topping this years flavor inclusions. All of the bees hard work is manifested in an amazing ingredient, HONEY!

Wintering Over Your Chickens

Don't fret over cold or drafts for your grown chickens. Chickens are startled by the first snowfall if it's heavy enough to completely cover the ground. If we scatter a little straw on top of the snow, making a path between the waterier and the chicken house the chickens will venture out willingly. They quickly get used to snow after they've seen it once or twice. In the old days, farmers liked to use straw litter in the chicken house and scatter some grain in it every day. The chickens would spend hours hunting for the last morsel, and scratching around in the litter would fluff it up and keep it from caking. Something for the hens to do indoors during bad weather. The rule of thumb is the rate of lay falls whenever the chickens are exposed to daytime highs below freezing. Frostbitten combs are more a sign of excessive dampness than excessive cold. Most of all, don't let chickens run out of feed or water in cold weather. They can stand a lot of cold if they have plenty of food energy, and to eat, they must also drink.

Are Americans Actually Insane

This is very interesting. Check out the examples, and see which ones apply to you.
1. You are miserably overweight and have no energy, yet consume a diet high in processed food.
2.  You under perform on the job and think you deserve more out of your employer.
3.  A parent complains about a spoiled child, but continues to spoil.
4. You act as if material goods give you happiness. When they don't you seek more material goods.
5. You have low self-esteem, but pile on with daily self-condemnation.
6.  A tortured woman stays with the man who mistreats her.
7.  A busy person complains of too much stress, but won't slow down.
8.  The government has mismanaged funds worse than a severe gambling addict, but you aren't prepared for a global financial catastrophe.
9.  Raw, organic fruits and vegetables are clearly the healthiest foods on the planet, but your diet contains less than 10% of these.

Is it really INSANITY or something else?

The Healing Power Of Bee Pollen

Bees have been in the news a lot lately, and not for good reasons. Bee pollen is considered one of natures most complete foods. It contains nearly all the nutrients required by humans. Know as a powerhouse of nutrition. When deciding to incorporate bee pollen into your healthy lifestyle, there are a few factors you want to consider, including buying it raw, and as local as possible. Do not heat. A great way to incorporate bee pollen into your diet is by simply eating the granules themselves or incorporating them into smoothies, yogurt, trail mix, cereal and oatmeal. Happy Health!

White House Head Gardener Fired

James "Jim" Whitey, the head gardener at the White House, was dismissed today after 31 years of loyal service to scores of US Presidents and First Ladies.

 

In an exclusive interview outside the back gate of the Presidential Residence, the 64-year old Mr. Whitey, proclaimed his innocence and strongly condemned his firing.

 

"It all happened so fast. I'm still in a daze," said the bewildered Whitey. "All I know is, I was getting ready to weed the rose bed outside the Oval Office window like I do every week.

 

"I called out to my assistants, "Has anyone seen the spade and the hoe?" and the next thing I knew, the Secret Service was hauling my ass off the property.  

This is what the Nazi's did and its happening to us!  

No Ethics

Have you ever played the board game Monopoly, and another player has a bunch of hotels stacked up on Boardwalk and Park Place? The two most expensive properties, and you land on them. What happens to your bank account with all that pretend money in front of you? Your wiped out! Welcome to Obamacare, where every roll of your dice lands you on a health care premium that will wipe you out. What's wrong? Can't afford healthcare insurance anymore? That's because there is one monopoly of ALL healthcare now. It is centralized control of pricing set in place by the Wall Street Thugs. Welcome to Obamacare everyone!

Clif Bars

As the holidays roll in; Clif bar special seasonal flavors return with a brand new flavor this season. Pecan Pie! It is soooo good along with spiced pumpkin pie which is waiting for me to try. Another favorite is iced gingerbread. I love Clif bars. But I think 250 calories is a little too many. But for this holiday season I will splurge. Join me in a seasonal favorite.

2nd Running BG 26.2 And Half Marathon  

Starting at 7:30 yesterday morning, I worked at the Trax water station to help pass out water and powerade to the runners. It was a beautiful day for a run. It started out cool with a 37 degree temp at 7:30, but with rising temps in the 50's by 10. Our water station was selected as the most active. With the music going from a local country station, our cheering runners on, and cow bells ringing no wonder why we were selected. Our daughter ran the Marathon and had a entourage at her beckon call. She came in 2nd in her age group. What a fun day!

Boys Halloween Party

David and I attended the boys Halloween Party Thursday at school. It was a blast. The boys and girls sure know how to have fun. Pizza, candy and games sum it up. Throughout all of our lives, there are times when we sit back, take a deep breath and reflect on past accomplishments. This time of year, as we approach Thanksgiving, we reflect on the many blessings in our lives and WE GIVE THANKS.