OlympicMania!

Who else has been glued to the TV since Friday evening?

I've always enjoyed watching the Olympics in the past, but it's always been a take it or leave it type of thing. I enjoyed watching if I happen to turn it on, but didn't really think about it otherwise. Not this year! I just can't seem to get enough of it. I'm already sleep deprived from staying up late and it's only a few days in. I'll probably have huge dark circles around my eyes by the time it ends.

Saturday two of the grandkids and I watched volleyball and cheered and yelled and jumped up and down and clapped our hands as if we were really there. I'm even thinking about decking the livingroom out patriotic for the duration of the games. I just can't get enough!

I'm finding myself enjoying more than just the main sports...who knew there was more than gymnastics, swimming and volleyball?? Sycrinized diving was interesting, but I was afraid the men were going to dive right out of their little bitty speedos. There is a woman who hit 99 out of 100 clay pigeons, that is awesome! She also has won a medal (not sure if they were all gold) five times in a row. I even watched soccer at the Mexican Restaurant while I was eating..in Spanish. I still was glued to the TV.

If you haven't yet watched the games, get the family together, pop some popcorn and take the time to do so and cheer on Team USA!

The end of 35 days

Goodness gracious, life has been one busy day after another...35 days in fact. Beside work, I just came off of having something going on every day for 35 days/nights in a row. *whew* I am one tired puppy.

Even as tiring as it has been, there is not one single thing I would have given up.
Boy Scout camp
Our town festival
Vacation to see Ben in South Dakota
VBS

It's been a crazy busy summer, unfortunately it has also meant my home has suffered 35 days of neglect. Good news: that is being rectified even as I type. Just a few more days and everything should be back in tip-top shape.

So dear friends, posting will once again be happening here at Bear Necessities, feel free to comment on posts, recommend topics or ask questions.

Maple Syrup Burger

Sometimes I amaze even myself when I decide to invent some new recipe.

Planned on grilling some elk burgers for lunch today but didn't want the same old burger. Looking around the kitchen gave me a light bulb moment. Here is what I came up with:

Elk burger
Chopped onions
Crushed Honey Chex Mix
Maple syrup

Mixed it all together and cooked on the grill. MmmMmmMmmm

Be The Match

Yesterday morning on Good Morning America, Robin Roberts revealed she has a rare bone disorder and will be needing to undergo a bone marrow procedure. Fortunately, her sister is as close to a perfect match as can be found.

This morning I went to www.bethematch.org to sign up to be a donor. If I am chosen as a match, I WOULD NOT have to have a huge needle stuck in my spine sucking out my bone marrow. From what was explained this morning on GMA, I would be given a medication that somehow would put what was needed into my blood stream, and then I would basically give blood for a few hours. I know I just explained it in a very simple basic way, but you get the idea of what I'm talking about.

There are so many people on waiting lists trying to find matches. If you take the four minutes needed to fill out the form, you could help save lives. What better feeling in the world is there than helping someone to live?

Italian Raisin Pasta Salad

Last night I stood in my pantry with my hands on my hips trying to figure out what I wanted to go with the spicy oven fried chicken I was making. It was a tad warm out so I didn't want anything hot and heavy.

Still standing there looking.


Still standing there looking.


I spotted the pasta shelf and decided I would go that route, but didn't want the same old same olds that I normally make. I guess I was feeling a bit adventurous as I decided to come up with my own recipe. Because I couldn't come up with anything more exciting in the name department, I'm just gonna go with Italian Raisin Pasta Salad. Yeah, no creative juices were flowing when I came up with that one.

Italian Raisin Pasta Salad

4 C. pasta noodles cooked, rinsed and cooled. (I used bowtie noodles)
1 1/2-2 C. Italian dressing
1/2 avocado~chopped
3 T. banana peppers~finely chopped
1 T. spicy brown mustard
2 1.5oz boxes of raisins
1 C. cucumber~chopped
1/2 C blue cheese crumbles
big handful of spinach~coarsely chopped
1 small tomato~chopped

Mix all of this together. Pour over noodles and mix well. Refrigerate until cold.

This would also be good as a main meal with some grilled chicken on top.

I served this with spicy oven fried chicken and home canned cinnamon pineapple.

"Now now Johnny" doesn't work

Soap Box Alert!

I was brought up with parents who loved us enough to discipline us...regardless of where we were. I was also brought up in a time when it was socially acceptable to discipline your children and make them behave. Because of that, my parents were able to take us children into public to grown up places and not for one second worry if we would act inappropriately. And if we had a brief moment when we started to get a bit naughty, off to the bathroom we were marched and got a spanking right there. It's how all the children I knew were raised and we all seemed to grow up without any major defects because of it.

Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore. When Johnny is in a restaurant and throwing his food and banging his fork on the table and yelling and running around, mom and dad only say, "Now now Johnny, we don't act like that. Now now Johnny, let's not throw our food at the nice lady. Now now Johnny, if you quit running around and yelling I'll take you for ice cream".

SERIOUSLY??

What happened to the good old days of actions and consequences? When children were taught from a young age what is and is not allowed? When going for ice cream was a treat, not a bribe to stop bad behavior. I am a firm believer that bad behavior should never be rewarded.

I may sound like an old fuddy-duddy here, but what are these children being taught? How are they going to grow up to function in society if they have no concept of right and wrong? If children are not taught young, how will they ever make good choices when they are older? If they have a sense of entitlement, how will they ever understand when things don't go their way~and know how to deal with it?

There seems to be so much anger in younger people. Could it be they were given life on a platter when they were children, and now as they get older, not have a clue how to deal with being told no and not having it all their way?

I'm happy to say not all parents raise up their children this way. My foster daughter is tough on her children..and we can go out in public with no worries. They understand what 'no' means, and the fact that disobeying it comes with consequences. I applaud all parents who still take a firm stance on child rearing.

Another thing that seems to have gone by the wayside is a good old fashioned spanking. Believe me, I had my fair share of them growing up and I am very thankful to my parents for it. Well, I'm thankful now, wasn't so thankful then. We knew if we got too out of line, off to the bathroom we went. My mom only used her hand, never a spoon or belt or switch or any other object. We were never beat, we were never abused. We received spankings and learned right and wrong.

You may be wondering why I am on my soap box today. Well, I can't really say. I don't have any certain event setting me off. I guess it's just a concern for our young people and the effect 'Now Now Johnny' parenting is having on them. How they are not being taught life has boundaries and just because you want something doesn't mean you are going to get it. They are not learning how to cope with rejection.

Please, please, please, if you are the parent of underage children, it's not too late. Please love your children enough to discipline them. This doesn't meant as your children grow into adults, they are going to be perfect people. Nope, not at all. What it does mean is they will have the knowledge in them of right and wrong. They will make choices, not all of them good, but they WILL have knowledge inside of them that can help in those choices. Without this knowledge, they will make choices only on knowing they should always get what they want and there are no consequences for bad behavior.

Soap box talk is over, thank you for listening. (Smile)

Drinking and Driving

Back in February I shared with all of you when my son was in an accident. This accident was due to drinking and driving. By the Grace of God, both he and his passenger lived. This event drastically changed my sons life.

Sunday, there were three young people in an accident. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. A girl passed away that evening while the other girl has been released from the hospital. These young people were 20 and 21 years old. It has not been released to the media, but friends of these young people tell me there was alcohol involved. I have no doubt this event will forever change the life of the young girl who lived.

When I was younger, I did my share of drinking and getting behind the wheel. In fact, I did it for many many years. I guess this makes me the proverbial pot calling the kettle black because I want to just kick people square in the seat of their pants when they perform such a dangerous and stupid act.

My heart is breaking for the parents who have just lost children. My heart aches for the girl who will carry this with her the rest of her life.

If there is any good to be found here it's maybe friends of these young people will think twice before drinking and getting into a vehicle.

So much more...

I completely understand getting excited about a three day weekend. Getting to spend time with family and friends around a picnic table, or campfire, or riding down the road on the bikes. Not having to set the alarm clock for three days. Not having demands on our time for three days.

There is so much more...

There needs to be time spent remembering the reason we have this three day weekend. All the men and women who died defending our great country. Some willingly went to battle while others went only because they had to. Regardless of how they came to wear the uniform, they are still dead. Their lives were taken in order for us to be able to enjoy the freedoms we have.

Please check your area and find a program honoring our service men and women on Monday. In my little town, we have a parade followed by a service at the cemetery. It is the same every year, and I wouldn't think of missing it! The parade starts at the Methodist Church, stops at the Veteran's Memorial on Main Street, and ends at the cemetery. The parade is led by the VFW followed by the Ladies Auxiliary. After that are the various Girl Scout Troops ending with Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts. Years ago, when my little town had its own school, the Marching Band would also take part. We stop at the Veteran's Memorial and the Ladies Auxiliary does a reading. We then proceed to the Cemetery for the ceremony put on by the VFW. The whole parade is about three blocks long, but it is a solomn walk.

I was raised going to the Memorial Day Parade and so were my children. It's not big, it's not fancy, there are no floats or candy throwing. It is however just a very small way we are able to pay respect.

So this weekend, enjoy your picnics and camping and motorcycle riding, but remember to take some time to show your respect and pay honor to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Legacy of Home

From time to time I think we all find ourselves needing a bit of inspiration to keep going in certain areas of our lives. We may actively seek a source of inspiration or if we are lucky, one will fall right into our laps. I have had the wonderful luck of just such a source of inspiration coming into my life.

As you know, I am a wanna-be domestic goddess. I want to be Suzie Homemaker, Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart all rolled into one person. Sadly, I am a closet hoarder, mediocre cook and have to force myself to be organized.

*Sigh*

I just happened to follow a link from somewhere to a blog that has richly become my daily source of inspiration. Mrs. White, the woman who blogs, takes being a stay at home mom/wife very seriously. Her satisfaction comes from taking care of her home and family. Her writing is just lovely and I often feel as if she is talking just to me. I used to turn my computer on and go directly to Facebook, now the first thing I click on is her blog. I'm inspired to be a better wife and homemaker.

If you are looking for a source of inspiration, click on over to Legacy of Home and let Mrs. White work her magic on you too!

First campout of the season

If you are a regular reader, you know I occasionally take a little break from Bear Necessities to give my brain some rest. I'm happy to report my brain is well rested and once again ready to go.

I would like to share with you the wonderful weekend I had. My longtime friend Vienna (I call her V) and her family made the two hour drive to our neck of the woods to spend time together camping. Before we even started setting up camp, their children were already in the pond. Now mind you, even though it was in the upper 80's, it is still only May and the pond is spring-fed, making the water quite chilly. I must say it was very enjoyable listening to the kids scream as they kept walking further out into the water.

As we each began to set up our tents, Papa Bear and I had a bit of difficulty with our big tent in the wind. The set up of said tent was ended as the wind kept taking it and I said *gasp* a curse word! The big tent was rolled up (as there was no chance of folding it correctly in the wind), stuck back in the trailer and the smaller tent was pulled out. Even setting the smaller tent up was a bit of a chore, but with the help of V and David, we got the fly on and all was right again in the world.

The weekend was spent basically with the kids playing in the water and fishing, the guys fishing and V and I sitting under a tree with our crochet in our hands and good conversation flowing. Of course, no proper camping weekend is complete without a campfire and s'mores.

I must tell you of one not so wonderful part of the weekend. About dusk, there are these tiny little bugs that come out this time of the year for a couple of hours. We were just finishing up supper when they made their appearance. I was literally having to squint my eyes and hold my breath cleaning up the kitchen area. I'm sure you've all seen a swarm of gnats, this is basically how the whole camp was. They got inside our cooler, tents, clothes...everywhere! We decided enough was enough and went into town for some ice cream. Wouldn't you know it, they followed us! I'm just so thankful they aren't a biting bug or there would probably be nothing left of us. I had finally had enough and sat in the truck. When we got back to camp, I stayed sitting in the truck until V assured me it was safe to come out. After that, everything was back to normal.

I wish my schedule afforded me more camping time as I love to sit and relax with Papa Bear while he fishes and I read or crochet or even just sit and do nothing. Waking in the morning and sitting outside enjoying a cup of coffee while watching the sun come up on the pond is an awesome way to start the day.

A big thank you to David, V, Jacob, Bekah and AnnMarie for sharing a wonderful weekend together.

Share what you have

The Big Ten ~5 & 6~

Welcome to week three of a short series on The Ten Commandments. Last week we discussed not taking the Lord's name is vain and remembering the Sabbath. This week we will continue on with numbers five and six.

#5 Honor your father and your mother
In the 23rd chapter of Proverbs, it says to listen to your father because without him, you would not exist. When your mother is old, show her your appreciation. It also says to let your father and mother be proud of you; give your mother that happiness.

Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord".

As a mom, I would love to quote every kids obey your parents scripture in the Bible. But, since I'm a cool mom, I won't do that to you. There is one scripture though that's pretty important. The one about treating others the way you want to be treated. This also applies to your folks.

When I was growing up, I was blessed with good parents. They were strict, and believe me, during my teenage years we fought like cats and dogs, but I knew they would always be there for me. Even now, I don't think I could make myself be disrespectful to them. Partially because that is how I was raised, and partially because I don't doubt to this day if I sassed them, I would get backhanded (my mom had a wicked backhand when I was a kid...back when parents were still able to backhand their own kids).

I grew up in a little town of 1000 people, I still live here, and it's where I raised my boys. I didn't grow up in an abusive or alcoholic home. I didn't grow up in a one parent home, or have divorced parents who constantly showed disrespect to each other in front of me. I can't begin to understand how growing up that way is. But I do know God tells us to honor our parents. It's not a suggestion from Him.

I want to share a little story with you. A Sunday School teacher was teaching her class about the Ten Commandments. After talking to them about honoring their mother and father, she asked if there was a Commandment teaching us how to treat our brothers and sisters. Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill". [giggle] This brings us to our 6th Commandment:

#6 Do Not Kill
God gave us life and we should treat our lives, and the lives of others, with care and respect.

What about killing other than life, what about killing a person on the inside? When we cut someone down, or keep nagging at them or showing disrespect, we're slowly killing that persons self esteem. No matter what a person lets be seen on the outside, we all know someones words can cut like a knife on the inside. We never know what is going on inside another person and one unkind word from you might be all it takes to push them over the edge.

Gossip falls under this Commandment.

Clean freezers and cooking

I have had a renewed interest in cooking and doing a menu. Friday, Papa Bear and I defrosted, cleaned and organized all three big freezes. I found strawberries in the bottom of the chest freezer I had vacuum packed before we got married (which will be 10 years in July) YIKES! Now that there is a place for everything and everything in its place, I can actually see what I have and am excited to be using it! Unfortunately, I ended up throwing out a 5 gallon bucket full of freezer burnt meat. It's my own fault though, and it did me good to see how wasteful and costly my disorganization can be.

I'm so very happy with the work we accomplished, I have gone out to the garage just to open the freezer doors and admire it all. I'm not being proud or boastful, just feeling accomplished at starting a project and actually seeing it through!

I am now inspired to start cooking again. WooHoo! I am very blessed to be married to a man who enjoys my making supper, but is also completely fine with getting himself something to eat. With the schedules we both keep, we aren't always able to be home at a decent meal time together, which just compounds the problem of cooking. This week seems to be looking pretty good, so I'm going to enjoy some meal planning and preparation.

Monday
Wild hog ribs

Tuesday
Turkey and dressing

Wednesday
Venison ham and beans

Thursday
Crispy oven fried chicken

Friday
Grilled salmon

Circa 21 Salad Recipe

Last Sunday afternoon I was enjoying the company of ten other ladies as we left town heading west to the Quad Cities. Our destination was Circa 21 Dinner Theater. There are a group of us ladies who make this trip two or three times a year. It seems our numbers grow with each adventure (word must be getting out about the crazy ladies!).

On this particular trip, the dinner salad was so awesome I vowed to find the dressing to be able to make it at home. This incredible dressing was a cinnamon apple dressing, one I had never had before. In my searching for this recipe, I was fortunate enough to come across the exact salad!

This will not only make a wonderful addition to a meal, I'm also thinking it will be great as the meal all by itself on the hot days of summer.

Give this a try and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did.

The Big Ten ~3 & 4~

Welcome, my dear friends. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and we will continue on with a small study on the Ten Commandments.

Last week we discussed numbers 1 and 2. Today we'll cover numbers 3 and 4.

#3 Watch your words
If you know the 10 Commandments, you know this is actually 'Do not take the Lord's name in vain'. Watch you words, what you say about the Lord, is more to the point though. God wants us to use His name in a loving way, not in vain or anger. Now, the obvious swear word would be G** D****. {shudder} Even thinking that word makes me feel dirty. Unfortunately, there are many who seem to be unable to talk without inserting it into the conversations.

Maybe you don't use that word (good for you!). But...have you ever exclaimed "Oh My God!"? What about in a time of frustration saying "Jesus Christ!"? Yep, just as bad.

There are only two reasons that you should be using His name, when you are talking to Him, or when talking about Him. Everything else falls under the whole 'name in vain' thing. Think about it, how would you feel if your good name was used at a cuss word? I don't think I would take to kindly to Papa Bear hitting his thumb with a hammer and instead of saying "shucky-darn", he yelled out "Mama Bear"!

#4 Remember the Sabbath
We are to rest. We have six days to do our work, but the seventh is dedicated to rest and family and God. By keeping the 4th Commandment, we are showing God we are willing to honor Him. God made the Sabbath as a time for us to rest from the previous six days of work...whether we think we need it or not.

He knew we would need to rest physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The Sabbath is a time to break away from the daily routine. There is much debate on which day is actually the Sabbath, and then what about people who HAVE to work on that day...firemen, hospital workers, farmers still need to milk the cows and feed the pigs and gather the eggs.

In my opinion, and this is just my opinion, I feel as long as we take one day a week and set it aside to relax and unwind, that is fine. I like to work in my yard and in my garden. to me, this isn't working. I have no problem doing this on Sunday as I find it to be very relaxing. I really think the Sabbath is meant to take a break from the daily grind, to spend time in Christian fellowship, and to spend time with God.

Egg Bread Recipe

I grew up on cheap white bread, to this day, it is what I prefer. I've been trying to do better about eating whole grains, I'm just not developing a real love for whole grain bread though. Oh, I suffer through and eat it because it's good for me, but it is definitely not my first choice in bread...cheap white bread is.

As I looked through my bread recipes yesterday, I came across one my friend Karyn from The Teakettle Corner gave me several years ago. I had completely forgotten about this little jewel. It's as close to cheap white bread as any homemade bread I have made. I teased Papa Bear with the smell of it, then teased him more as I explained how very light the loaf was, but he couldn't eat any of it yet as it needed to cool. When he was finally allowed to dive into it, he asked if I was going to make another loaf tomorrow! Believe me, this is really something coming from a die-hard wheat bread eater. I'm thinking next time I make it, I'll put the flour as 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat and see how it turns out. Who knows, if whole wheat bread can be as soft as white bread, I may just learn to eat it.

Egg Bread

1/2 C. water
2 C. white bread flour (I used regular white flour)
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 T. butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk (reserve white for later)
either 3/4 tsp fast rise yeast or 1 1/2 tsp active yeast

Place all ingredients as recommended into your bread machine and bake with light crust setting.

What I did is:
Place all the ingredients into the bread machine on the dough cycle. When this was complete, I turned it out onto the floured counter and kneaded it a few times. I then made it into a loaf shape and placed it into a greased loaf pan to rise (about and hour). I then brushed the top with the egg white left over from the extra egg yolk. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes.

This is so incredibly yummy, your Papa Bear will be begging for more too!

Feeling the Love

When I was younger~~much much younger~~I looked forward to my birthday each year. It almost seemed like I was starting the count down the day after my birthday for the next one. Now that I'm a little bit older, this day doesn't seem to be as sought after as it once was. As time goes on, the special day turns from parties and family and presents to getting the kids up and off to school, going to work, getting supper before going out to a meeting. The whole "WooHoo it's my birthday!" becomes just another day.

This year, I had the most marvelous birthday! It all started Saturday when it became clear to me Papa Bear and my dear heart-daughter Alicia had been conspiring together to give me a special time. My most favorite birthday meal is Hooters. Seriously, I DO go there for their hot wings! And for the crab legs, and shrimp and oysters too. So, off to Hooters we all went. Well, Alicia and her family went in their van, Papa Bear and I rode the motorcycles over..Yippee Skippee!

Later that evening, Papa and I went over to our oldest daughters house for a visit and I got to spend some time with two of my grandkids...Yippee Skippee!

Tuesday night, as I lay sound asleep in my bed, the phone rang. Now, everyone knows if the phone rings that late at night, something is wrong. Nope, I was wrong, it was my son Ben calling. He wanted to be the first one to wish me a happy birthday...Yippee Skippee!

Yesterday was my actual birthday and boy oh boy was it great! It started in the morning with my daycare children bringing me cards. My mom and her daycare came over for a visit and brought me a gift. Not just any gift either, it is a singing and dancing bear from Menards (my most favorite store in the whole wide world). It sings the Menards jingle and is absolutely adorable. When I logged onto Facebook, I had gobs and gobs of Happy Birthday wishes (my heart was so filled with happiness). Last night was an ambulance meeting and the whole crew sang Happy Birthday to me, that was just so very sweet of them. After the meeting, we stopped at Alicia and Joe's for a bit and they gave me a gift that fits perfectly between our two families, they couldn't have picked out anything better. AND, I got to spend time with my two heart-grankids...Yippee Skippee!

Tonight, when I get off work, I am going to town to spend time with my foster daughter and my two foster grandkids...Yippee Skippee!

All in all, I think I can say this birthday has been one to rival the birthdays of days gone by. No, there wasn't a party with balloons and cake and presents galore. What there was is way better. This year, I really felt the love.

The Big Ten ~1 and 2~

Last week I started a short series on the Ten Commandments. I'll be covering a few of them each week. This week are numbers 1 and 2.

#1 There is one God
We worship one God. God made our world and each one of us. He wants us to know He loves us and He will always be with us. There's really not a whole lot to say on this one...ONE GOD, that's all you need to remember.

#2 No false idols
Should we worship more than one God? No, two is too many, one of them must be an idol because there is only ONE GOD. It's ok if you have a cross, that's a reminder. It's a symbol. It's NOT ok if you worship that cross.

I'm gonna show my age here a little and let you know that back in the day, I was a huge Hulk Hogan fan. (You can't see it, but I'm flexing my ripped muscles right now) I was glued to the TV every Sunday night to watch wrestling...'cause we all know how real it is. I lived and breathed Hulk-o-mania. I was definately a Hulk-o-maniac! I think my obsession was on the side of idol worship. Could the Hulkster help me in my time of need? Could he comfort me, heal me, teach me? (Well, he did teach me how to do some great poses in the mirror, but you know what I mean)

Anything we put more importance on in our life then the Lord, is most likely an idol. It is all too easy to find ourselves busy busy busy going and doing in our everyday life. Are these things keeping us going and doing pushing time with the Lord out of the way? At the end of the day, are you able to look back and know you spent time with HIM? If not, then you may be placing more importance on the 'stuff' of life than you are with God. Remember, there is only ONE GOD, things that get in the way of your relationship with Him may be false idols.

My friend, the author!

I look forward to the mail lady each day. Her arrival in front of my house means there is the chance of excitement when I open my mailbox. Who knows what it might be; a seed catalog, a Boy Scout magazine, the latest from LTD, maybe a letter from a friend or family member far away. The possibilities are endless. I even have a friend who raises chickens and each spring brings a whole lot of chirp chirp chirping to the Post Office as her little chicks arrive.

Yesterday was one such day of excitement. Yesterday, my autographed copy of Earth's End arrived! My dear friend, Kim Curley, is a published author and I am so very happy for her. Kim's story, Faith: An Apocalyptic Story, is one of eight stories in this book.

I'll be honest with you, this type of book would not be something I would normally read. That said, I sat down with my book and a glass of water and started to read Kim's story. Wow! I couldn't put it down! It isn't a real long read, I was able to do it during nap time. The problem I ran into was not wanting to put it down, and at the same time drinking a HUGE glass of water. I thought I was going to tinkle my pants by the time I read the last line. I am anxiously looking forward to reading the other seven stories.




Shameless plug

You can click right here and you will be linked to Earth's End on Amazon. Don't let the picture on the cover fool you, this is a wonderful read.

You might even be able to go to your local library and request a copy.

Frugal Tips

As I searched around the internet this morning, with my cup of fake coffee in hand, I came across some tips on being frugal from wikihow.com.

Use what you already have. Not buying something is always cheaper than buying something. Look around your house. Do you have another item that will accomplish the same purpose? Can you engineer a solution out of materials you already own?

Borrow items from friends and neighbors. In many situations, you do not need to own an item, you simply need to use it occasionally. If you have a reputation as a good borrower (i.e. returning items on time and in good repair), you will be able to borrow many items from your less frugal neighbors and friends. For example, unless you are an avid camper, you will only use a tent a few times a year. Don't buy one, borrow one from the boy scout leader in your Church.

Use public transportation. You will save gasoline and wear on your vehicle. If it is possible, eliminating your vehicle entirely is an excellent cost saving measure. Or, if you live in Podunk like I do, car pool.

Cook your own food. Restaurants are expensive because you pay for service, ambiance, and space to eat. Cooking your own food also allows you to customize recipes for maximum savings. If you have the space, gardening provides even greater cost savings when combined with cooking your own food.

Avoid name brands. Famous brands are usually more expensive. There are often cheaper, store-brand alternatives that may be of the same or superior quality.

Fix broken items. Often repairs are as simple as a paperclip or some glue or a coat of paint. Even if repairs require tools, it may be cheaper to invest in the tools for future repairs.

Replace only what you need to replace. You can buy a kit to refill your ink cartridge instead of buying a new ink cartridge every time yours runs out. You can buy a new wheel instead of replacing your stroller.

Buy items that are reusable. In the long run, throwing something away and repurchasing it many times will usually be more expensive than buying one durable item. A good example is disposable vs. cloth diapers.

Comparison shop. Compare different brands and packaging sizes of the same product. Sometimes a larger container will be cheaper per ounce. Compare prices between stores. Rarely will one supermarket have the best price on everything. With large purchases such as cars, savings can be even more substantial by comparison shopping.

The Big Ten

I will be doing a Wednesday series on The Ten Commandments, or as I like to call them, The Big Ten. I hope you enjoy.

When I was growing up, my folks had tons of rules, and most of them didn't make sense to me.

"Stop and look both ways before crossing the road."
My friends were on the other side having run..like I had time to stop and look BOTH ways. Besides, we live in Podunk, it's not like a lot of cars are on our street.

"Eat everything on your plate."
Even the the carrots? Are you serious??

"Make your bed."
I'm just going to mess it up again.

"Clean your room, don't smoke, be home by curfew..."

At the time, I didn't see a need for their rules other then they were a pain in my rear. Now that I'm older, I see they were there to keep me safe, healthy and learning to be responsible.

Just about anywhere we go in life, there's gonna be rules: home, work, school, even in play. Anyone play basketball? You have rules. Same with soccer, baseball, NASCAR and even Go Fish. I take care of children and we're pretty big into Chutes and Ladders and Candyland. Even my little 3 and 4 year olds understand there are rules.

The Sky is blue, the grass is green and rules exist. It's just a part of life.

What I'm going to tell you about The Big Ten isn't exactly word for word what the bible says. I'm going to tell it a little more simple, but hopefully it will be easier to remember.

The Big Ten

1. There is one God
2. No false idols
3. Watch your words
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor your mom and dad
6. Don't kill
7. Don't commit adultery
8. Don't steal
9. Don't talk about others
10. Don't get the 'gimmies'

Next Wednesday I will start discussing these more in depth with you. I hope you are able to stop by and join me on this journey.

Blue and Gold Banquet

One of the many hats I wear is temporary Cub Master for our local Cub Scouts. I say temporary as I am already Scout Master for the Boy Scouts. I only stepped in to help fill the position and help the Pack out for a few months. While serving as Cub Master, I was given the opportunity to host the Blue and Gold Banquet yesterday...what a great time!

The Pack has some wonderful leaders in place who stepped up and helped get the setting up and decorating done.

Like any good function, it started with a potluck meal...MmmMmmm...I sure love a potluck meal! Somehow, the table I was sitting at went first (golly, I wonder how that happened).

Each Den performed a skit before receiving their awards. Is there anything more cute then nervous little boys talking in front of a crowd of people?

All in all, it was a great day. I think everyone walked away having a good time and encouraged in their Scouting path.

Sparky for Cancer!

I would like to introduce all of you to an incredible young man. Dan Knapp is the kind of man we would all love to have as a son...or son-in-law.

I met Dan many many years ago at Ingersoll Scout Reservation while camping there with my Boy Scouts. He went by Sparky then, and believe me, he lived up to his name! Dan was only 12 (I think) at the time but already serving in a leadership role. I've had the honor of watching him grow up over the years, grow into a caring young man who isn't afraid to step way outside the box. Because of this, he relates well with young people, helping to spread a positive message to them.

You may be wondering why I am singing the praises of Dan today, well, let me tell you. He is once again stepping outside that box to help others. He is raising money for childhood cancer by agreeing to have his head shaved.
Here are a few pictures of Dan (Sparky) and some of his wild hair-do's.

In case you are wondering, no, he isn't some kind of weirdo. Well, not in a bad way anyway.

Dan in unselfishly giving each and every one of us an opportunity to help others. Please click on this link to help children with cancer.

http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/77638/2012

Thank you so much for not only taking the time to read this blog post, but for also helping those who are unable to help themselves.

Busy Pinning

Man oh man oh man! I have discovered the world of Pinterest!

I must admit it did take me a little bit to get the hang of it...actually, I asked a few people who set me on the right path to understanding. Once this happened, I find I can't get enough of it. I was warned this would happen but I didn't listen. Listen to me people, if you are not already on Pinterest, be warned, you WILL get addicted!

Here is my shameless plug to join me http://www.pinterest.com/domesticdebi/pins/

Good Friday