The Old Paths

My friend Pat from Living on Grace had this posted on her blog last week. I liked it and thought you would too.

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I liked the old paths...when

Moms were at home, Dads were at work

Brothers went into the Army

And sisters got married before having children.

Crime did not pay, hard work did

And people knew the difference.

Mom could cook Dad would work

Children knew how to behave.

Husbands were loving, Wives were supportive

And children were respectful, appreciative and polite.

Women wore the jewelry

Men wore the pants.

Women looked like ladies. Men looked like gentlemen

And children looked presentable.

People loved the truth and hated lies.

Hymns sounded transcendent

Sermons sounded powerful

Rejoicing sounded wonderful

And crying sounded sincere

Cursing was wicked

Drugs were for illness

And divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was respected

America was Beautiful

And God was feared and honored!

We read the Bible in public

And preaching was heard everywhere.

To be called an American was worth dying for

To be called an American was worth living for!

I still like the old paths the best!

Michigan Winter

I found this neat site that lets you upload your pictures and add a song to make a short clip. You can do a 30 second clip for free. Here's a sample that I made using some pictures of our snowy neighborhood!

Cooking Thursday

Thursday's almost here and that means it's time to share another recipe. If you want to see more, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Here's a little different appetizer. They are really good!


Crispy Chicken Wontons
8 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons mild green chili, diced
1 tablespoon jalapeno, diced
1/8 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced finely
1 pkg wonton wrappers
vegetable oil for frying
In large bowl, combine cream cheese, chili, jalapeno, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt and chicken. Mix well.
Wontons may be made in two ways: place 2 teaspoons of filling in center of wrapper, moisten one side with egg white to seal and roll. This makes a larger size, long roll.
Or, place 1 teaspoon in center of wrapper, moisten one side with egg white and fold diagonally to make a triangle. You will have more appetizers, smaller in size.
Press edges together and seal. In deep saute' pan on high, heat oil and fry wontons until golden, about 1 and 1/2 minutes. These may be served immediately or frozen and microwaved or reheated in oven. They reheat well.
Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Works for me Wednesday

I got an e-mail recently that said you could extend the life of your dryer by cleaning the filter with a brush and water. It said that dryer sheets leave a film that you can't see, over the mesh which impedes the air flow and may make the motor burn out quicker.
I checked it on Snopes and it's true. So - I pulled out my filter and tried the test they mention. After you remove any lint, try putting it under running water. When I did this, some water ran through, but a lot puddled on the mesh. After cleaning it, the water ran through freely.
Keeping my dryer working longer works for me!
For more tips, visit Kristen at We are THAT Family.

Psalm 23 for work

A friend sent this to me recently and it was really meaningful, because we've gone through a rough stretch at work. Although I love my residents and my job, sometimes those above us can make life quite difficult. I'm happy to say that things seem to be really improving as the person who was stressing many of us has left. However - I think the points made here are good to remember in whatever situation we find ourselves!

Public Bathrooms

(A friend sent this funny e-mail to me. You may have seen it before, but if you haven't, it'll make you laugh!)

Public Restrooms

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.
Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty.
You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume "The Stance."

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold the "The Stance".
To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.
You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you would have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.
Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, losing your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because you never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, frankly dear, "You just don't know what kind of diseases you could get."
By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your rear-end and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.
At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.
You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.
You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's and and tell her warmly "Here, you just might need this."
As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with public restrooms (rest??? you've got to be kidding!) It finally explains to men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked question about why women go to the bathroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto the purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!

How the story changes...

Mike over at Rambling Stuff had a link to this clip. It's amazing how the story changes when a video clip shows up!

Cooking Thursday

It's time for another recipe! For more ideas and recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.
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My family likes taco's but we don't always want to deal with crumbly shells. This is a favorite way to eat a taco's at our house!

Taco Ring
3/4 pound hamburg, browned and drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons water
2 pkg crescent rolls

Stir seasoning, water and cheese into browned hamburg. Unroll crescents and arrange in a circle on a round baking stone with the ends pointing out. (You can use a large cookie sheet, just adjust the cooking time, as it cooks quicker)
Scoop meat onto wide part of each crescent triangle. Bring outside points in and tuck under dough at center.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 375 degrees until lightly browned. Slice and serve wedges with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and sour cream.

Works for me Wednesday

You know how much space utensils and other gadgets take up in your drawers and cabinets? Here's how I store mine:

I have a piece of pegboard in my pantry. You can buy different types of hooks for hanging different things. It's amazing how much can be stored in a small vertical area. I even have my big fry pan hanging on it.
For more tips, visit Kristen at We are THAT Family.

Are you watching the Olympics?

We really enjoyed the opening exercises of the Olympics. Our friends in Canada did a great job! The way they changed that floor was really amazing. Our favorite part was when the ice turned to water, after which the whales swam through it.
As you can see Oliver is enjoying it too. He sat right in front of the tv and watched it for quite some time. He's such a funny cat!

Sweetheart Supper

The high school youth from our church put on a Sweetheart supper Saturday night. There is a group of them going to Guatemala this summer so this was set up as a fund raiser for that trip. We were greeted by a few of them when we arrived and directed to go in and have our picture taken. We then had a nice supper of salad, assorted pasta dishes, breadsticks and dessert. The youth were great waiters and waitresses; checking to make sure our food was all right, filling our cups and taking away our dishes.
It was a fun night, we didn't have to wait to get in and our money went to a good cause!

Happy Birthday to Heather!

Valentines day is coming soon, and although it's a fun holiday, something else happens on that day that takes precedence. It's Heather's birthday!

Here she is, when she was only a little over a year. She was always such an easy going kid. We saw those dimples frequently!

And here she is now. I can't believe she's turning 24 this year!
Happy Birthday, Heather! You are a blessing!

Cooking Thursday

It's time to visit with Sandra and friends and share another recipe. This is a favorite salad in our house. I got the "recipe" from my daughter who got it from her husbands family. It's a salad that her hubby's grandpa always brought to family gatherings, which is why it has the name it does. I've made it to bring to potlucks and we've had it at home and it's always a hit. There is no actual recipe, so you can make as much or as little as you like. Sometimes I make a small version and bring it to work as my lunch.

Grandpa Salad

lettuce; variety of your choice, torn into bite size pieces

hard boiled eggs; sliced (I use 6 or 7 for a large bowl of salad)

bacon; cooked and broken into small pieces

cherry tomatoes

cheese, cut into small cubes (I use the Kraft crumbles variety)

mayonnaise (I use Kraft, reduced fat with olive oil)

Place lettuce into serving bowl. Stir in eggs, bacon, tomatoes and cheese. This may be done ahead of time. Immediately before serving stir mayonnaise into salad. Use just enough to coat the other ingredients.

It sounds funny to use mayonnaise but it really tastes good. My husband and one of the girls at work don't like mayonnaise but they like this salad!

For more recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Works for Me Wednesday

I seem to be accumulating more and more reward cards. You know the type; use this card 10 times and get the 11th item free, show this card and get a percent off, or use this card to get points toward a dollar amount to be used at our store. They offer great deals, but I had a problem. I could never find the card when it was time to check out. It could be in any number of pockets or slots in my wallet.
So - I was out shopping and I had an idea:

I found this little case being sold with wallets and purses. It's meant to hold bank and credit cards. I simply took all those reward cards and put them in the zippered section. There was a spot for my license in the front, and there are slots on the back for bank cards, insurance card...
This really does work for me. It's much easier to find this little case and then I just need to find the card inside.
For more tips, visit Kristen at We are THAT Family.

Winter Fun

Winter has been hitting with a vengeance lately, and lots of us are supposed to get more snow Tuesday and Wednesday. I thought we could use some snowman fun. Hope they give you a laugh!

My many names

I was at work the other day and when one of the residents called me Betty as she always does, it struck me that I answer to many names. I thought I would share a few with you.

• My real name is Maribeth, and that's what I was often called in school. My family and friends shortened it down to Mari, which is what I still usually go by.

• Then, there are the family names - as in Mom and Hon. Sometimes Bob calls me Bethie and for some reason my daughters sometimes call me Susannah. (I have no idea where that came from!)

• I've had quite a few people who have called me Marie, because in reading Mari they thought that was how it was pronounced.

• At the Nursing Home, my co-workers usually call me Maribeth, because the person who hired me knew me by that name. However some of the residents come up with their own names and that's what I answer to. Some of the names I answer to are Betty, MaryAnn and Penny. The best is Marilyn Supervisor. This name came from one of my sweet little ladies trying to read my name badge with says: Maribeth, and under that it says Supervisor. She thought the first word was Marilyn and that Supervisor was my last name, so I've answered to that name for several years now. A few days ago someone called me a rat because I was trying to check her mouth for a sore. You never know what you may be called there!
  

What is my most important name? It's Christian! It's because of that name, that I know my name is written in God's book of life. It's the name I will answer to for eternity!

What a deal!

My daughter Laura told me about an outlet she discovered and some great deals she got there. I wanted to go, but usually don't do well at these places. Other people always find great deals and when I check - nothing!
We decided to try it though. Laura went with me and my sister Cheri, and we did great! I got the items pictured above for only $9.80!

• one small strainer - $2.50
• one slotted serving spoon - $2.00
• one long, slotted spatula -$0.90
• one large serving bowl - $2.20
• one 14" platter - 2.20

Can't you just see a big fruit salad in that bowl? Cheri got a 6 quart stainless steel crockpot for $14.40 and Laura got a leather computer chair for $42.00.
We left happy and will be going back again!
If you want to see some other great deals, visit Leigh at Bloggeritaville.

Pottery Barn giveaway

My friend Cathy who has a wonderful decorating blog, is having a wonderful giveaway. She will he having a drawing for a $200 Pottery Barn gift card on February 10. Stop by her blog and sign up!

Cooking Thursday

We love cheesecake but it's not something I make often, because it's not exactly good for you and making the real thing can be time consuming, with the springform pan and water bath. My sister shared this easy cheesecake recipe that's really good. If you want to make one quickly, you'll like this recipe!


Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
1 graham cracker pie shell
3 - 8 ounce pkg cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese till smooth, then add condensed milk. Add egg and stir in vanilla.
Stir together 1/2 cup chocolate chips and the teaspoon of flour. Stir into cream cheese mix and pour into pie shell. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 45 minutes or until filling is set.

For more recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Works for me Wednesday

Do any of you save your change? We've been doing this for most of our married life. We have a big jar tucked in a corner of our bedroom that we dump our change in at night.

You can use any jar, but I find it's helpful to have one with a small top. That way you aren't tempted to reach in a grab a few quarters - it takes a little effort. We usually wait until the jar is nearly full, and it's surprising how much you can save up without feeling like you are sacrificing. We have used this for money to take along on vacations or to put toward a big purchase. We emptied it in early November and the money in it went a long way towards a new TV we purchased.
Saving change - it works for me!
For more tips, visit Kristen at We are THAT Family.

911 call

My friend Cheryl, from Cherdecor had this clip posted last week. I thought the little girl was so cute and remained so calm, I had to share it too. Hope you enjoy!

PS - don't forget to stop at Joanne's place. The interview she did with me is going to be posted on Tuesday.