HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA!

Well, this downloaded this from my sample pictures so there is hope.

Mainly I would like to wish Wanda a very happy and lovely birthday and to thank her for the many, many beautiful posts she has shared.  Her posts are so well done and must take her alot of time for she makes them so perfect.  It is almost like going on a mini vacation when I go to read her posts and enjoy the fantastic pictures she has so carefully taken and included...it often feels as if I am in the woods with her or on her porch enjoying the sights of nature.

Thank you for bringing so much beauty into our world Wanda and may you be blessed with the happiest of birthdays!

Sending you love and God's blessings too.

At one point I was doing 'helpful hints on Tuesdays' so today's "hint" would be to remember your friend's special days and then remember their not so special days in some way too (a nice little surprise like a card in the mail, a phone call etc.)!

~~~Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessings of thoughtful and uplifting friends...may they receive many blessings themselves!

Septic Tank...the final frontier...er, episode

Lots of busy days, lots of mass chaos, but here comes the final story of the sad septic tank. How were we to know he was so upset? While I am pleased that all that came out of the downstairs toilet twice was laundry and dishwasher water mixed with a few noxious fumes, it was still not something that warmed my heart.

When calling the gentleman who pumps out septic tanks (thank You Lord for these people and their lack of smelling ability) we were unaware of the surprises that lay ahead.

Michael had been told that our septic tank was waaaayy out in the back yard...wrong...so wrong and in so many ways. Two or three years ago we had our patio size enlarged and a little sidewalk put in and guess what? It was poured right over a huge part of the septic tank, making it inaccessible for the pumping.!!

This left us two options...tear up the concrete and leave it messed up that way or wait until Monday when the driller guy could just barely drill a hole near enough to the part of the tank that needed pumping, so we opted for waiting.

Need I describe what a delight that week-end was? Have you ever had to run to two different grocery stores to go potty or to work for a shower??? Michael tried to avoid having anyone see him as he slipped into work to shower in the little used small gym in the basement...it was a nervous shower as he still worried that the big female security guard on duty might decide to check out why someone was using the almost never used shower.

When everyone showed up on Monday morning I was one happy camper, although I did learn how to wash dishes and clean floors without letting any water go down the drain. The drill guy drilled, the pump guy pumped, but these people have burned off any sense of smell they may have had and they failed to warn me to close the door!!

The picture below would have been me, but not knocked over from sweet flowers for sure...

There weren't any smells like this coming up...

I love the smell of carnations but they wouldn't have stood a chance against the evil powers of the smell...

The cap they put on top looks a little bit like one of these...

The truck looked like this except not but it did have some words on the side and they should have been...KEEP FAR FAR FAR AWAY (go the the next State at least)FROM HERE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR NOSE AND YOUR NEIGHBORS' AND YOUR PETS' ETC. ETC.

Isn't it time for some funny snickers now and a stop to this potty talk (and to think I did a post on potty mouth and now I'M talking potty!!!)....


1. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The
ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve
you, but don't start anything."

3. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

4. A dyslexic man walked into a bra.

5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and
says: "A beer please, and one for the road."

6. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this
taste funny to you?"

7. "Doc, I can't stop singing The Green, Green Grass of Home."
"That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome."
"Is it common?"
"Well, It's Not Unusual."

8. Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to
Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning."
"I don't believe you," says Dolly.
"It's true; no bull!" exclaims Daisy.

9. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing
to look at either.

10. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I
couldn't find any.

12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted,
"Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!"

The doctor replied, "I know, I amputated your arms!"

13. I went to a seafood disco last week... and pulled a mussel.

14. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

15. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and
says, "Dam!"

16. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in
the craft. Not surprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't
have your kayak and heat it too.

17. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were
standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories.
After about an hour, the manager came out of the office, and asked them
to disperse.
"But why," they asked, as they moved off.
"Because," he said. "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open
foyer."

18. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes
to a family in Egypt , and is named 'Ahmal.' The other goes to a family
in Spain ; they name him 'Juan.' Years later, Juan sends a picture of
himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her
husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband
responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

19. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time,
which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate
very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he
suffered from
bad breath. This made him (oh, man, this is so bad, it's
good) ... a super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

20. A dwarf, who was a mystic, escaped from jail. The call went out
that there was a small medium at large.

21. And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to
his friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make
them laugh. No pun in ten did.


~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of the many happy endings in our lives that we take for granted and even overlook, we really DO mean to be grateful.

A Prize that is a Surprise

Marina @A Beautiful Hue is a pretty new blogger who is also an artist as well as an art teacher and she just happens to speak and write in at least three languages fluently so I can identify with a lot with what she does. She recently received an award and I was one of the blessed recipients...

If you receive this award, you have to answer the following questions:

IF YOU COULD COME BACK AS AN ANIMAL, WHICH WOULD IT BE?
Okay, if you know me, you know that this is one tough question, so let me narrow it down to a puppy, a kitten, a tigress, a panda cub, a butterfly, an eagle, a hummingbird, a duckling and probably a few others.
SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT
God and His goodness
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN ANOTHER PERSON
Caring, compassion, generosity for others and for animals.
THE COLORS YOU TEND TO WEAR ARE
Go figure this out... mostly blues even though green is my favorite color.
THREE WORDS THAT DEFINE YOU
Compassionate, prayerful, loving.
A PLACE YOU WOULD TRAVEL TO
Here we go again with these tough answers...the whole United States, Europe, Australia, Puerto Rico, South America.
YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE FROM A BOOK OR MOVIE
I have many, but let's use the best, "Love one another as I have loved you."
SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO
Win the lottery and help alot of people, write a book, become a better and better person.
YOUR MAIN STRENGTH/FORTE
Keeping level-headed in emergencies small or major (then I can always fall apart afterwards!)

You are also supposed to send this on to seven "young" blogs and seven blogs of wisdom. the nice thing about something like this is that it enables us to get to know one another just a little bit better and these 'tags, you're it' are fun and finally, if you have blogger's block, instead of walking around the block (get it...hee, hee???), you have something instant and easy to post.

Even though some blogs that I frequent have been around for awhile and some are quite young, I like to think that they are ALL wise, so I choose:

Brande @Steady As We Go...

Cathy @A Bit of the Blarney
Amy @A Redeemed Sheep
Abbey @ABBEY'S ROAD
Marlene @ANN OF GREEN CABLES
Lisa @Are We There Yet?
Angie @Can You All Hear Me at the Back?
Carol @Charli and Me
Eddie @Clouds and Silvery Linings
Do the Write Thing
Toni @Fangmann's Fun Follies
HOLIDAY IN THE SUN
Jerelene @Jerelene's Journal
Judy @ Just A Little Something For You
Linda @Linda Lu's BTDT (Been There, Done That)
Pat @LIVING ON GRACE
Wanda @Moments of Mine
My Home and Heart
Bernie @On My Own
Susana @ Para quien pase........ (Lo tengo en espanol si tu quieres hacer esto.)
Lara @Prossigo para o alvo
Rendezvous With Stillness
Joolz @ Simply Joolz
Sara @ So. . . This Is The Road I Am Traveling On
Susan @ susan in stitches
Tamara @Tamara's Treasures
Jackie @Teacher's Pet
Eileen @ Umma's World
Lois @Walking on Sunshine
Diana @Welcome to My World
Yaak Adventures

Meanwhile, back in jokeville, some poor blonds are taking the heat...

Blond Prize Winner
A blond goes to the local restaurant, buys a small drink for herself, and sits down to drink it. She notices a peel-off prize sticker on the side of her cup while she is drinking. After pulling off the tab, she begins screaming, "I won a motor home! I won a motor home!"

The waitress runs over and argues, "That's impossible. The biggest prize given away was a stereo system!"

The blond replies, "No. I won a motor home!"

By this time, the manager makes his way over to the table, and he too argues, "You couldn't possibly have won a motor home because we didn't have that as one of our prizes."

Again the blond says, "There is no mistake! I won a motor home!"

The blond hands the prize ticket to the manager and he reads, "WIN A BAGEL."

********

Slot machine winner

A mentally challenged blond was standing in front of a soda machine outside of a local store. After putting in sixty cents, a root beer pops out of the machine. She set it on the ground, puts sixty more cents into the machine, and pushes another button; suddenly, a coke comes out the machine!

She continued to do this until a man waiting to use the machine became impatient. "Excuse me, can I get my soda and then you can go back to whatever stupid thing you are doing?"

The blond turns around and says, "Yeah right! I'm not giving up this machine while I'm still winning!"
*******

I couldn't decide whether to go to Salt Lake City or Denver for vacation, so I called the airlines to get prices. "Airfare to Denver is $300," the cheery salesperson replied.

"And what about Salt Lake City?"

"We have a really great rate to Salt Lake—$99," she said "But there is a stopover."

"Where?"

"In Denver," she said.

~~~Lord, thank You for the blessings of the "prizes" we receive in life that have no monetary value whatsoever.

Hear Ye Hear Ye...Read All ABout It

We read a newspaper and rarely wonder how it evolved or what it can be used for after we finish getting depressed reading it! Well, put a smile on your face and gain some knowledge at the same time...

The Internet supplies us with a wealth of information....

"In Ancient Rome, Acta Diurna, or government announcement bulletins, were made public by Julius Caesar. They were carved on stone or metal and posted in public places.

In China, early government-produced news sheets, called tipao, circulated among court officials during the late Han dynasty (second and third centuries AD). Between 713 and 734, the Kaiyuan Za Bao ("Bulletin of the Court") of the Chinese Tang Dynasty published government news; it was handwritten on silk and read by government officials. In 1582 there was the first reference to privately published newssheets in Beijing, during the late Ming Dynasty;[1]

In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie scritte, which cost one gazetta.[2] These avvisi were handwritten newsletters used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently throughout Europe, and more specifically Italy, during the early modern era (1500-1700CE) — sharing some characteristics of newspapers though usually not considered as fully being ones.[3]


Modern era
Newspapers printed with movable type date to the beginning of the 17th century.


Asia
By 1638 the Peking Gazette had switched from woodblock print to movable type.[1]


Europe
Johann Carolus' Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien, published in 1605 in Strasbourg, is often recognized as the first newspaper. Strasbourg was a free imperial city in the Holy Roman Empire; the first newspaper of modern Germany was the Avisa, published in 1609 in Augsburg.


The first English-language newspaper, Corrant out of Italy, Germany, etc., was published in Amsterdam in 1620. A year and a half later, Corante, or weekely newes from Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Bohemia, France and the Low Countreys. was published in England by an "N.B." (generally thought to be either Nathaniel Butter or Nicholas Bourne) and Thomas Archer.[5]

The first newspaper in France was published in 1631, La Gazette (originally published as Gazette de France).[2]

Post- och Inrikes Tidningar (founded as Ordinari Post Tijdender) was first published in Sweden in 1645, and is the oldest newspaper still in existence, though it now publishes solely online.[6]"


Another site gave this info....

"Fun Recycling Facts for News Paper

By recycling one ton (2,000 lbs.) of news paper, we save: 17 trees; 6,953 gallons of water; 463 gallons of oil; 587 pounds of air pollution; 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,077 Kilowatt hours of energy.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reaches more than 245,000 readers per day, and the average newspaper is over 1 pound, so let’s say conservatively: that’s 44,712 tons of newspaper used per year – at a minimum – not counting Metro Pulse, or any of the other local papers.

If we recycled just half of the annual production of Knoxville News Sentinel papers, that would equal saving 380,000 trees; 155 million gallons of fresh water; 10 million gallons of oil; 13 million pounds of air pollution; 68,000 cubic yards of Knoxville’s landfill space and 91 million Kilowatt hours of electricity. "

If funds are short, think of all the clothing accessories you can make from newspaper and still be so fashionable, like this individual...

10 Uses for Newspapers


1. Deodorize food containers. Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a lunch box or thermos, seal it, and let sit overnight.

2. Ripen tomatoes. Wrap them individually and leave them out at room temperature.

3. Pack delicate items. Wrap frames and figurines with several pieces of newspaper, then crumple the remaining sections to fill extra space in the box.

4. Wipe away tough streaks on glass. Use newspaper with cleaning fluid to clean mirrors and windows.

5. Preserve antique glass. Some older frames have finishes on the glass that can be damaged by cleaning solutions. Remove smudges by rubbing with newspaper dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and one part warm water. Let air-dry.

6. Dry shoes. Place crumpled paper in them overnight.

7. Wrap gifts. Use the comics to wrap a child’s birthday gift, or try the wedding announcements for an engagement gift.

8. Create a home for slushy snow boots. During the winter, keep a pile of newspaper near the entryway. When your little snowmen and -women come home, they can toss their winter wear onto the newspaper instead of creating puddles on the floor.

9. Prepare a garden. In the fall, mow a patch of lawn to make room for a dedicated bed. Cover it with four layers of newspaper, then a four-inch layer of shredded leaves or bark mulch. Hose it down. Come spring, the compost blanket will have smothered the grass roots, and the bed will be primed for planting.

10. Keep the refrigerator vegetable drawer dry and free of smells. Line the bottom with newspaper.

Actual Newspaper Headlines...

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

(ONLY an expert could have figured this one out...thank goodness they called in an expert for this.)

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

(Sometimes you've just gotta get tough, but they may need to open up a Jaywalker hospital.)

Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted
(Apparently they believe in the 'spare the rod spoil the child' axiom.)

Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case
(They had a hard time squishing him in there, but, hey, bet he'll think twice before drinking again!)

Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents
(You've got to get your parents to stay together one way or another...this gives new meaning to parents who stay together for the sake of the children! Personally, I'd still opt for prayer.)

Farmer Bill Dies in House
(He was formally known as the Farmer in The Dell and should have stayed out of politics.)

Iraqi Head Seeks Arms

(Personally, from all I have observed, it looks more as if the head is missing along with the heart and soul or we wouldn't have all this fighting...hmmm...maybe if the head doesn't find the arms, we can have peace!)

Soviet Virgin Lands Short of Goal Again
(She's trying to find a good Christian guy to marry but they seem hard to find.)

British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
(Hey, you never know when people will get hungry again and this could be a new disarming tactic...maybe those Iraqi Heads up above need waffles!)

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

(So far the male mushrooms have remained unscathed and pretty much clueless.)

Eye Drops off Shelf
(This could have belonged to a woman, in a store that was having some great sales, who was trying to keep an eye out for a bargain!)

Reagan Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead

(At least they're out in the open about the lying here.)

Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim
(The dog just couldn't seem to get the hang of it, so the squad gave the victim a few practice bites first...we are hoping and praying the victim is some random Knight in Shining Armor.)

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax

(As much as Jerelene @Jerelene's Journal loves cows, think she may never have seen this side of them...could we call this an enraged side of beef? Moral here...keep all axes and other weapons far away from your cows!)

~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of newspapers to keep us informed and to keep us praying.

Now Let's Eat some Vinegar + An Award

Here I am extolling all the virtues of vinegar in your food and guess what I was eating at 2:45 a.m.?? It wasn't vinegar, my friends...nope, but it was chocolate almond ice cream and if I was REALLY health conscious (mainly at that time of the morning I was more unconscious) I WOULD HAVE WASHED IT DOWN WITH VINEGAR....

More great information from the Internet...

(By the way, all of you need to STOP encouraging me to comment on these important facts I give you...now I need to join commenters anonymous!!...Yikes, now I'm commenting on my commenting!)

"In the kitchen and the preparing of foods, there are many uses as well.

Rinse your fruits and vegetables in a solution of vinegar and water before eating or preparing the food for cooking.

(This works especially well for things like bananas and coconuts.)

Make a better pie crust by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to recipe. The crust will be flakier.

Add a little vinegar when boiling eggs. If there are cracks in the egg, it will prevent the whites from leaking out.

(Guess I'll have to stop adding that super glue after all.)

Add a teaspoon of vinegar when poaching eggs to prevent separation.

(If, however, you suffer from separation anxiety...NOW is the time to bring out the super glue.)

When canning or preserving foods, wipe the jars with vinegar. That will prevent the buildup of mold producing bacteria.

(But regular bacteria will have lots of fun.)

To improve the taste of fish when cooking, rinse in a solution of vinegar and water. Much of the fishy taste and odor will be removed.

(So if there is any food you do not like, like frog eyeballs, snake nostrils or asparagus, just rinse with vinegar and you will love them.)

A spoon full of vinegar added to the water when cooking cauliflower will make it whiter, and when cooking green vegetables, it will make them greener.

(Please note.....This cannot be substituted for that spoon full of sugar for the medicine...they (Wanda and Eileen) didn't call me Marcy Poppins for nothing!))

Adding a tablespoon of vinegar to gelatin will make it firmer.

(There are probably LOTS of people out there who LIKE rubbery jello.)

Add a 1/8 to ¼ cup of cider vinegar when soaking beans to remove the gas from the beans.

(If it works for the beans try it on your spouse...sprinkle liberally.)

Cabbage odor can be removed when cooking cabbage by adding some vinegar to the water.

(If you notice guests who may be odoriferous, discreetly spray some vinegar on them...a little spritz on their back and underarms will go unnoticed.)

To prevent mold from the end of an uncooked ham, just rub some vinegar on it.

(As for the rest of the ham...just let it get moldy and eat only the end.)

To make a real fluffy meringue, add one teaspoon of vinegar to 3 egg whites.

(For super fluff, add 3 tsp of vinegar to one egg white.)

Adding vinegar to the water when boiling a ham will remove the salty taste and improve the flavor.

New Englanders put vinegar on their French fries. It is also used that way in the UK. "
(Or buy plain potatoes chips and soak them in vinegar for a new and unique, if somewhat drippy sensation.)

"Timeless

Vinegar has been used for 10,000 years. It just might be the world's oldest ingredient!

(And I was guessing ketchup and mustard.)
The main uses for white distilled vinegar are cooking/food preparation and cleaning/disinfecting.

(This doesn't leave too much else for it to do, although maybe it could be used in building demolition...see the scary egg shell one below...)

World Renowned

The International Vinegar Museum is in Roslyn, South Dakota.

(NO fly worries in Roslyn.)
The International Vinegar Festival is held every June in Roslyn, South Dakota. The Pride of the South.

(I'm still stunned by calling it the pride of the south...what do they call the REAL south?)
Consumers in the South buy and use more white distilled vinegar than in any other region of the country.

(Guess this MUST refer to SOUTH Dakota??!!)

There she blows!
Adding vinegar to baking soda produces a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide. This combination is often used to make a do-it-yourself erupting volcano.It’s magic…

(This is not a good thing to share with ANY of the male population!)
Pearls melt in white distilled vinegar.

(Grandma was ever so delighted with little Johnny when he put the heirloom pearls in this solution as an experiment.)
An egg softens in white distilled vinegar because the acetic acid dissolves the eggshell.

(To tell you the truth, this one just kind of scares me.)
Immersing a chicken bone in vinegar for 24 hours will make it rubbery.

(Johnny is at it again!)

A Breath of Fresh Air
An open dish of white distilled vinegar will help remove paint smells from a room.

(And now you will have...TA DAH...a room full of vinegar smells...bet even Martha Stewart has overlooked this party favorite.)

Secret ingredient

Salad dressings, sauces, marinades, ketchup, mustard, and pickles are all made with white distilled vinegar.

(If you don't tell and I don't tell this can be KEPT a secret because obviously this could be dangerous in the wrong hands or it wouldn't be a secret.)

From the Garden
Vegetable vinegars are made with potato, cucumber, beet root, and tomato.
Herb vinegars include thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, garlic and mint.
The most popular herb-flavored vinegars use thyme and oregano."

Now, here is a lovely award I received from Tammy @A Stitch In Thyme and from Jackie@Teacher's Pet. Thank you both for your kind consideration of me, just more blessings in my life. My future plans for any and all awards will be to acknowledge and accept them with gratitude, offer them to anyone reading about them. If there are some cute questions I'll probably answer them, but I can't choose only so many people, so I will choose EVERYONE each time and leave it at that. Please don't feel bad if you don't see the award on my blog site, but this is just a humble little blog and I'd rather have Jesus all over it. All these awards are saved though in a special folder on my computer and I can go back to them and think what kind people there are who give such nice awards.

A chuckle or two just for you.....

Kid's Food Jokes
What did the mother ghost tell the baby ghost when he ate too fast? Stop goblin your food.

What do you get when you put three ducks in a box? A box of quackers.

Why couldn't the sesame seed leave the gambling casino? Because he was on a roll.

Why did the student eat his homework? The teacher (Jackie) told him it was a piece of cake.

What did the hungry computer eat? Chips, one byte at a time.

Why do fish avoid the computer? So they don't get caught in the Internet.

What did the cannibal order for take-out? Pizza with everyone on it.

**************

While I was making a huge batch of snickerdoodle cookies, I asked my ten-year-old to read the recipe and ingredients off the box to me, doubling them as he went along. He did as he was told. His first instruction: "Preheat the oven to 700 degrees."

~~~Heavenly Father thank You for the blessings of the the many flavors we can add to our food and our lives to make the world a better place.

Chocolate Part 2...it's so Versatile

How can you compete with one tiny baby chocolate chihuahua? Rumor has it that his mother loves chocolate so much that she can't stop licking him. As for me I would just be non stop kissing and nuzzling him...

Guess I should have announced that this is a three part series on chocolate as I just found too much good stuff to share about it. There will be a slight interruption for tomorrow's final chocolate splurge as there is a new Meme that I will be doing, so Thursday will be the grand chocolate finale!

All this chocolate talk and writing and research has kind of put me over the edge...I had not one but TWO chocolate (dark chocolate so it's healthier) ice cream bars for breakfast already!!

The perfect start to a perfect breakfast...chocolate pudding in a lovely dish (sometimes it's ALL about how you present it) with a banana to go with it....

Here is the mother lode of chocolate in all its' various delightful tastes from light milk chocolate to dark rich chocolate...

Oh yes and it's VERY important to remember that chocolate can make you holy! Sometimes we forget that God is in all His Creation, so there are chocolate wrappers to remind us.....

Here's Part 2 on the chocolate facts....

Chocolate fun facts

"Christopher Columbus, in 1502, was thought to have brought cocoa beans to King Ferdinand, during his fourth trip from the New World. The cocoa beans went unnoticed due to the other amazing treasured discovered by Christopher Columbus. Upon Don Cortes’ travels, that led him to discover Mexico in 1517, he sought the riches and eminence of the “New World” within the realm of the Aztec civilization. Don Cortes’ interest in the Emperor Montezuma and the empire’s riches drove him to make his way to the Tenochititlan city from Veracruz, where he had first landed upon reaching the “New World.” This is where Don Cortes took his first drink of the treasured ‘chocolatl’ presented in a golden goblet.

Montezuma was known for always drinking his ‘chocolatl’ from a golden goblet and before retiring to his harem, drank his most valued drink. This is where the idea that chocolate holds the effect of an aphrodisiac came into the picture. In 1528, after the Spanish were driven from the city of Tenochtitlan, Cortes returned to Spain but not before loading his armadas with the valued cocoa beans and the equipment to produce the delicious ‘chocolatl’ drink. It was not long after that that ‘chocolatl’ grew to be the drink of choice among the rich.

Of course, new recipes were formulated to suite the Spanish taste. In that time the Monks of the monasteries were skilled in medicines and were given to task of processing the beans and creating the ideal tastes according to the Spanish. It was revealed that the drink was improved when served hot. Sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg were added and the chili removed from the recipe creating a light and delicious version that was kept a secret, due to the lack of supply of cocoa beans in that time. By 1606, chocolate was reputable in Italy, where Mr. Francesco Carletti broke the Spanish monopoly. Francesco Carletti discovered how the Indians made the ‘chocolatl’ drink when he visited Central America.

The Dutch also came upon the treasured cocoa bean when they detained Curacao during the 17th century. This allowed the wonderful properties of the cocoa beans to be recognized and spread through out Europe. It was acclaimed that the cocoa bean was a cure for many ailments at that time. The marriage of the daughter of King Philip II of Spain to King Louis XIII of France not only joined the two as allies but brought chocolate to the French, which ignited a passion for the exotic concoction. Not only did it prove to be nourishing but had medicinal properties as well. In 1684, the French conquered Haiti and Cuba and started their won production of cocoa crops. This created a good supply for the French market.

Germany was introduced to chocolate around 1646 when brought by visitors. Chocolate ultimately reached England in the 1650s, where King Charles II found it to be on of his most valued treasures.

In 1657, London opened one of the first known chocolate houses. The French also began producing and selling chocolate by 1657. A pound of chocolate was prized around 10 -15 shillings. Chocolate was a luxury product only afforded by the rich. The value of cocoa grew so great it surpassed money through out the countries. It was used for trade and worth the weight of gold.

The amazing chocolate drink was the center of gatherings. It was the favored drink among social, business, and even political events. "

Some chocolate smiles....

CHOCOLATE CANDY BARS

Chocolate is a vegetable.Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans.

Bean = vegetable

Sugar is derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets.

Both of them are plants, in the vegetable category.

Thus, chocolate is a vegetable. To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy.

So chocolate candy bars are a health food.

I know Darth Vader's REAL problem ...poor guy NEVER had any chocolate!!!

We no reeds it two weel and no rits it et all, but we kan spiks Inglish lik a turist!
Thoughts to ponder and smile about......

T-shirts & Bumper Stickers

Put the chocolate in the bag and nobody gets hurt.
EMERGENCY ALERT: If wearer of this shirt is found vacant, listless, or depressed, ADMINISTER CHOCOLATE IMMEDIATELY.
Intergalactic Peace Through Chocolate!
I take chocolate from strangers.
There's a thin person inside of me screaming to get out, but I keep her sedated with chocolate.
If they don't have chocolate in heaven, I ain't going.
Nobody knows the truffles I've seen.
So much chocolate, so little time!
Simply put... everyone has a price, mine is chocolate!
Will work for chocolate.
I'll eat anything! As long as it's chocolate.
There's more to life than chocolate, but not right now.

Nothing chocolate.... Nothing gained.
Eve left the Garden of Eden for chocolate!
I'm not overweight, just chocolate enriched.
Do not Disturb! Chocolate fantasy in progress.
If it ain't chocolate, it ain't breakfast!
Chocolate - The breakfast of champions!
I'm a Chocoholics Anonymous dropout.
The problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
I never met a chocolate I didn't like. - Counselor Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Seven days without chocolate makes one weak.
Chocolate: Here today... Gone today!
Seduced by the chocolate side of the Force.
Given enough chocolate and coffee, I could rule the world.
Here, have some chocolate. Feel better now?
I only eat chocolate for you, so there will be more of me to love.
Some like it hot, some like it cold; I like it chocolate!

*****I would like to close by asking all who read this

today to also take some moments to hold in prayer a

friend of Angie's @ Can You All hear me at the Back.

Her friend John has been diagnosed with terminal

cancer and needs loving prayers...Thank you, dear

friends!!*****

~~Thank You Lord for the many blessings You surround us with be they chocolate or more chocolate, to cheer us up.

A Few Strange Things

Having found those adorable miniature cows yesterday, I decided to go on a little journey to find a few other unusual items. While the blue bottle looks perfectly normal, the very pretty amber bottle might be difficult to use and easy to break...

If you are in the market for the different and unusual, here is the store for you, all you will need is an armed bodyguard to shop in this area...

When I found this, the only description was 'a weird toilet fixture in Germany' ...does anyone have any idea WHAT this is?...


This was described as a weird paper or memo holder (looks like they got that one right)...



This is some sea creature (or thing) that is very beautiful and colorful, but again, does anyone have this in their home aquarium or know what it is?.....

In a lot of countries you need a translator not only for the language but also for the translating which can turn out to be quite hilarious...

This is some artwork in a Japanese subway...doesn't it look like a fancy laundromat...think this guy is looking for the coin insert location...

Okay, now this gave me (and my computer) a hissy fit. I tried to find out more about it for you and my computer froze. Before that delightful episode occurred what I did see was all in the Malaysian language! This is from Ripley's Believe It or Not...

How about this little gem? This is listed as a souvenir (not sure from where or which planet!) And you thought it was so hard to pick up a souvenir for those people who ask you to do so on a trip....bring this back for them and they will NEVER ask you again...

These are some 'things' (for lack of a better word or any real clue here) that are listed as weird things in Wisconsin...

For those looking for REALLY unique furniture, I found these pieces and you can actually buy them, put them in your home and watch people worry about what they just ate or the side effects of their medications...Finally, although he thinks we'd have a zoning problem if we got a miniature cow, Michael wanted me to find some other miniature animals, so here are some pygmy elephants. Be the first in your neighborhood to have some of these in your own backyard! I'm not too sure if you can house train these guys, so let me know if you are one of those who wants an inside elephant!

"Miniature Elephants are a Unique Subspecies
The pygmy elephants of Borneo are baby-faced little pachyderms, with oversized ears, plump bellies and tails so long they sometimes drag on the ground as they walk.
For years, it’s been believed that these tiny elephants were simply the semi-tame remnants of a domesticated herd abandoned on the island years ago.
But a WWF study proved that wrong and Borneo’s pygmy elephants are likely to be officially declared a new subspecies. That makes them a high conservation priority. Yet they remain the least-understood elephants in the world. "
Some more weird, but funny stuff.....

An optimist is someone who goes after Moby Dick in a rowboat and takes the tartar sauce with him.

******

Christian Bulletin Bloopers

Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in Church Services..........

Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa. (And I thought teaching my kids good manners was a challenge!)

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

(But of course, there will be no prayers either!)

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus." (He will find US because WE are His lost little lambs.)

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale.....It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands. (Husbands...beware...shape up or we ship out!)

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

(We are hoping to disarm everyone before the next meeting.)

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

(This will endear you to them and fast friendships will form!)

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

(For those of you who DO know, please help the less fortunate parents who don't know they have children.)

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

(There will be free earplugs for all.)

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.

(Pastor Jack is now looking for a new job....in sleep therapy.)

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

(Now begins something VERY scary.)

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

(This time, instead of free earplugs, free nose plugs will be provided.)

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be, "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

(And do the equivalent of several years of penance.)

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

(It's not ALL about helping any more.)

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

(This will be a tight squeeze as well as rather disgusting.)

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

(If you're gonna be hostile, at least be gracious about it.)

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

(THIS is one supper you don't want to miss.)

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

(Let's hope the non church going sinners don't hear about this one or that church will be packed.)

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done. (Too scary for words.)

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

(A fun time will be had by all watching him in these electric girdles busting some new dance moves.)

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

(And keep your heads down as you crawl to the door.)

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

(You can even cry before hand...they are THAT bad.)

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double doors at the side entrance.

(And just waddle on in as we make you feel good about yourselves.)

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours"

(Speechless here...)

~~~Thank You, Father for the blessings of the weird and unusual in my life, may it help me to realize my own 'weirdness' and be more loving and compassionate to all of creation.

Roaming the Village Streets

Okay, as I roam the streets here in the Village of blogland...people are just wandering off or frying computers or fixing them up or going on vacation...gosh, where is blogland loyalty any more???

This is me on a search mission....

And I am REALLY looking EVERYWHERE...

Don't they all know how missed they are?

Let me see now, Bernie is off on a jaunt to visit family for a few years (it seems), Wanda decide to have her computer tweaked and did cleaning and baking for the State of Ohio (or so it seemed), Diana got tired of cooking in the kitchen and 'cooked' her two computers to a crisp (or so it seems), Carol decided she needed time off for good behavior and to rest for the rest of the summer (or so it seemed), Lisa has disappeared without a word and could be lost in the mountains of Colorado (or so it seems), Cathy is off to the far ends of the world to visit family and look for a gold mine (or so it seems), Lara almost left us for good...gasp, Ann of Green Cables aka Marlene leaves us bereft for long times (or so it seems), Angie goes off partying till all hours of the week(s) and doesn't post (or so it seems), Tamara decides to give us a heart attack by having one herself (or so it seemed) and then there's our repeat offender, Jackie, like running away to the mountains once wasn't enough...she has to do it twice or twenty times (or so it seems). You know what it REALLY seems like...it seems like I REALLY miss these wonderful people!

Remember that song was composed and sung just for people like you..."Won't you come home Billie Bailey...la la la...!"!!

Please, dear people don't wander off too far and become a goat herder or herderess...

Once you've gotten hooked on Snow white, it hard to do without her ....

So, for now, no more whining and a few goofy jokes...

************

A doctor was interviewing a mental patient and deciding if they should release him.
Doc: “What did you work as before your breakdown?”
Patient: “Well, before I was in here, I worked as an air traffic controller. The stress of the job really got to me and that’s why I suffered my breakdown.”
Doc: “If we release you, what would you do with your life?”
Patient: “Well, I could teach students. There’s not enough teachers with my qualifications in the industry.”
Doc: “Yes?”
Patient: “Or I could write novels about the industry, manuals and such.”
Doc: “Anything else you could do?”
Patient: “Well, if none of that works out I can always continue to be a teapot”.

***********

A chemist walks into a pharmacy and asks the pharmacist, "Do you have any acetylsalicylic acid?""You mean aspirin?" asked the pharmacist."That's it, I can never remember that word."
**************

Two molecules are walking down the street and they run into each other. One says to the other, "Are you all right?" "No, I lost an electron!""Are you sure?" "I'm positive!"

***************

Chemist's last words
And now the tasting test...
And now shake it a bit...
In which glass was my mineral water?
Why does that stuff burn with a green flame?!?
And now the detonating gas problem.
This is a completely safe experimental setup.
Now you can take the protection window away...
Where do all those holes in my kettle come from?
And now a cigarette...

*********************************************

The Limo Driver

After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.

'Excuse me, Your Holiness,' says the driver, 'Would you please take your seat so we can leave?

''Well, to tell you the truth,' says the Pope, 'they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today.'

'I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! What if something should happen?' protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning..'

Who's going to tell?' says the Pope with a smile.Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel.

The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kph.. (Remember, this Pope was German.)

'Please slow down, Your Holiness!' pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.'

Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job!' moans the driver.

The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.

'I need to talk to the Chief,' he says to the dispatcher.The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 205 kph.

'So bust him,' says the Chief.'I don't think we want to do that, he's really important,' said the cop.The Chief exclaimed,' All the more reason!''No, I mean really important,' said the cop with a bit of persistence.

The Chief then asked, 'Who do you have there, the mayor?'

Cop: 'Bigger.'

Chief: ' A senator?'

Cop: 'Bigger.'

Chief: 'The Prime Minister?'

Cop: 'Bigger.''Well,' said the Chief, 'who is it?

'Cop: 'I think it's God!'

The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, 'What makes you think it's God?'

Cop: 'His chauffeur is the Pope!'

~~~Thank You Dear Lord for the blessings of all these dear people whose paths have crossed mine and who have made my life a richer and holier life.