GROWING OLD

By Diane Forrest

You're only as old as you feel, and 50 is the new 30. We have all heard these sayings, but I must say I agree. I recently celebrated a milestone birthday, and I still feel (and sometimes act) like a kid. I have been blessed with great genes from my family, and with beauty salons and skin care items, gray hair and wrinkles are not a problem yet! I believe that staying active is key for remaining young. When my father retired from his job he began planning a year before. He built an office at his home, and continues his routine of getting up every morning at 5:30 heading to his office, reading the paper and having his coffee. He believes that keeping his body in the motions that it's accustomed to will keep him in shape. His sister on the other hand stays up late, sleeps late and lounges around all day. I guess that works for her.

How are you handling the advancing years?

What works for you?

Let us know in the comment section below.

REBUILD YOUR LIFE QUOTES

By Terry Orr

Here are some inspirational quotes that can help put everything into perspective:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you can. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes. ~ Zig Ziglar

The world is your mirror and your mind is a magnet. What you perceive is in this world is largely a reflection of your own attitudes and beliefs. Life will give you what you attract with your thoughts think, act and talk negatively and your world will be negative. Think and act and talk with enthusiasm and you will attract positive results. ~ Michael LeBeuf

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. ~ Johnann Wolfgang von Goethe

Don’t limit yourself to the possible when you can reach for the impossible. Kim Trinh

One’s best success comes after his greatest disappointments. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. ~ Henry Ford

 (Photos from Google) 

Baggie with Water and Penny’s

By Terry Orr

(Too interesting not to share)

We went with friends to a restaurant on Sunday for lunch and sat in the patio section beside the store. We happened to notice zip lock baggies pinned to a post and a wall. The bags were half filled with water, each contained 4 pennies, and they were zipped shut. Naturally we were curious!

The owner told us that these baggies kept the flies away! So naturally we were even more curious! We actually watched some flies come in the open window, stand around on the windowsill, and then fly out again. And there were no flies in the eating area! This morning I checked this out on Google.

Below are comments on this fly control idea. I'm now a believer!

Zip-lock water bags

#1 Says:

I tried the zip lock bag and pennies this weekend.. I have a horse trailer. The flies were bad while I was camping. I put the baggies with pennies above the door of the LQ. NOT ONE FLY came in the trailer. The horse trailer part had many. Not sure why it works but it does!

#2 Says:

Fill a zip lock bag with water and 5 or 6 pennies and hang it in the problem area.  In my case it was a particular window in my home. It had a slight passage way for insects. Every since I have done that, it has kept flies and wasps away. Some say that wasps and flies mistake the bag for some other insect nest and

Are threatened.

#3Says:

I swear by the plastic bag of water trick. I have them on porch and basement. We saw these in Northeast Mo. At an Amish grocery store & have used them since. They say it works because a fly sees a reflection & won't come around.

#4 Says:

Regarding the science behind zip log bags of water? My research found that the millions of molecules of water present its own prism effect and given that flies

Have a lot of eyes; to them it's like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner. When you figure that flies are prey for many other bugs, animals, birds, etc., they simply won't take the risk of being around that much perceived action. I moved to a rural area and thought these "hillbillies" were just

Yanking my city boy chain but I tried it and it worked immediately! We went from hundreds of flies to seeing the occasional one, but he didn't hang around long.

(Photos from Google)

National Waffle Iron Day Update 2013

By Terry Orr

Waffle irons originated in Belgium during the 14th century. These early contraptions consisted of two metal plates hinged together. The plates were then attached to a long pole, which allowed the cook to hold the iron over an open fire. In 1869, a man named Cornelius Swarthout patented the first American waffle iron. This device was designed for cooking waffles over the burner of a wood or gas stove. Fifty years later, General Electric began producing the first electric waffle irons for everyday use. (Source: Punchbowl.com)

Waffle Irons come in all sorts of sizes and shape – with many different patterns to satisfy most people – but I suspect we will see even more in the coming months and years ahead.

Here are a variety of Waffle Irons:

National Waffle Iron Day – 2011

National Waffle Iron Day – 2012

(Photos from Google) 

The Candy Man Can

By Chef Diane

Who can take a sunrise

Sprinkle it with dew

Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two

The Candy Man

The Candy Man can

'cause he mixes it with love

and makes the world taste good

First of all I want to apologize to you.  June is National Candy Month, but I picked a terrible time to tell you since it's the next to the last day of the month.  That doesn't give you much time to indulge, so I guess you can say I was looking out for your health.

June is a great month for candy.  In recent years a popular item at wedding receptions is a candy bar, a table is set with all kinds of different candy, sometimes in the bride's wedding colors, and in various types of containers.  This is a big hit for children who are attending, and is also fun for grown ups too.  Normally a bag is provided for the guests to fill with their choice of candy and this serves as their "wedding favor" or gift for attending the wedding.   Since June is the most popular month for weddings, celebrating candy in June makes good sense too.

When my son was small we had pizza and movie night every Friday night.  Every Friday night he would always get the same movies, Peter Pan and Willie Wonka.  My favorite part of Willie Wonka was when all the kids were on the boat and they are floating down the chocolate river and they arrive in "Paradise".  The room where everything is edible and the kids are running around tasting everything.  It all looked so delicious.

I have dabbled a bit in making candy.  Mostly at Christmas time I will make fudge, divinity and pralines.  Pralines are a southern specialty, and I have a wonderful recipe for them that will simply melt in your mouth.  Since I was so late in telling you about Candy month, I thought I would share my secret Praline recipe with you.

So for the last days of Candy month, treat yourself to your favorite candy, or try your hand in making your own.

Pralines

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

5 Cups sugar

1 stick butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 pound pecan halves

Directions

Mix first 4 ingredients and cook on low in large pot.  I use my biggest soup pot.  Stir side to side until you can see the bottom of the pot when the spoon scrapes across.  This takes about 2 hours.  Add vanilla and pecans.  Cool pot in water and stir until thickens.  Drop on wax paper in large spoonfuls.  Let Cool.  Enjoy.

 (Photos from Google)