Pack Rat ~ Girl Scouts

You know you need to do something about the pantry when you go shopping and can't figure out where everything is going....so....we took a few days to gut and reorganize the pantry. It looks nice, I'd post an after photo, but we didn't think to take any before photos! Pack Rat, Girl Scouts have a pretty nice stash in our pantry! Then we proceeded to can Great Northern Beans....3 canner loads. 7 quarts and 16 pints of plain beans and 16 pints of chili beans (we've never canned chili beans before). So, in order to put those away in the shop we had to do a little reorganizing there, too! So, here we are today....getting ready for weekend house guests...baking and cooking up a storm!

A quest for the perfect oatmeal cookie to please hubby.....

This one comes close....

 

I used ghee in place of the shortening and butter, too, of course...I'll try again after the dough chills longer...maybe they will not spread out so thinly....but the flavor is wonderful!   We used our fresh eggs, homemade dark brown sugar using organic black strap molasses, organic white spelt flour, raw cream for the milk, organic quick rolled oats, half pecans and half walnuts. 

I doubled the recipe, of course!  

The Greatest Lesson We Learn When Someone Is Unkind

Every interaction is a learning experience, character building....making us shiny! Something for which to be thankful! =)   Debbie McKee

By Bree Barton

“I have learned silence from the talkative, 

toleration from the intolerant, 

and kindness from the unkind.” 

~Khalil Gibran

I recently traveled to Malaysia for a friend’s wedding where I spent four delicious days communing with wild monkeys and feasting on sticky rice. The people were kind and warm, the culture rich, the trip magical.
On my last day in Kuala Lumpur, I was headed out to buy souvenirs for family and friends when I stumbled across the most beautiful temple—filled with ornate gold and red statues, air thick with sweet-smelling smoke.

I wandered around, overcome with majesty, trying to breathe it all in. I was still under the temple’s spell when someone spoke to me.
“Your dress is ugly.”
I looked to my right where the voice had come from. A woman was sitting on a bench, not looking in my direction.
“Sorry?”  I said, thinking I must have misheard. She waved me off.
I stood there for a moment, trying to decide on a course of action. She was American, the first and only other American I’d met during my trip.

Had she really just said my dress was ugly? It was a simple blue affair, uncomplicated and perfect for traveling. Maybe she said my dress was pretty, I thought. I must have misunderstood.
The hurt and confusion was rising to a crescendo in my head. But if I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that we all have a choice of how we choose to respond to what we are given. I chose to engage.
“Did you just say my dress is ugly?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “I did.”
I took a deep breath and replied, calmly, “Why would you say that to me?”
“I’m entitled to my opinion,” she said. “Your dress is ugly; I can tell it’s not well made. Your purse is dirty. I am free to voice my thoughts and those are my thoughts about you.” 

To say it felt like getting slapped in the face would be an understatement; it was more of a punch to the gut. My blood boiled, my heart raced, and still I kept my voice at an even keel.
“You are entitled to your own opinion,” I said. “But we also live in congress with other human beings. Why would you say something so aggressive and unkind?”
At which point she reiterated her insults. Her words sliced coolly into the way I looked and the clothes I wore. That’s when I said the one thing I regret saying.

“I wish there were fewer Americans like you traveling abroad,” I told her. “You give the rest of us a bad name.”
I turned and walked away, and she yelled one more barb at my back as I walked out of the temple. I didn’t turn around.
My hands were shaking as I walked down the street. I felt a strange knot of emotions in my chest: hurt, anger, fear.
I was irrationally terrified that I would run into her again, that she would be sitting in the seat next to me on my flight home and I would be subjected to seventeen hours of her cruelty, unable to escape.

But most of all I felt baffled. Why did this woman choose to attack me? Why had she said what she said?
I couldn’t call my boyfriend, who was back in our sunny home in California, or my best friend in DC—both of whom were sound asleep halfway across the world. So I was left to process what had happened on my own, in a foreign country, without my normal triumvirate of “healthy coping mechanisms”: yoga, conversation, tea.
And here’s what it all came down to: kindness.
I had just read the wonderful convocation address given by George Saunders to the Syracuse class of 2013. George talks about something he calls a “failure of kindness,” and those three words were very much on my mind.

Yes, you could say I had suffered from a failure of kindness. But what I realized was that I, too, had been unkind.
I wish I hadn’t said what I said to her. That came from a place of being wounded, of feeling the need to fight back. I wish I had said: “I hope the people you meet are kind.”
Because I do hope that for her. I hope that she is bathed in loving-kindness, that she is inundated with so much that she cannot help but share it with the world.
While it’s true that kindness engenders kindness, the lack of it can be a powerful teacher.
For my remaining hours in Kuala Lumpur, I was abundantly kind to everyone I met. I complimented a girl on her joyful spirit, told shop owners how beautiful their merchandise was, smiled widely and genuinely. I made a point to be kind to these warm, generous people who had so kindly shared their country with me.
And every time I was shown kindness, no matter how small, I felt immeasurably grateful.

That woman gave me a great gift. She reminded me that we all have a choice to be kind, and we are presented with that choice many times a day.

Say a kind word to someone you don’t know.

It doesn’t have to be an eloquent oration—a simple compliment can make someone’s day. If you like a man’s tie or a woman’s necklace, tell them so. And if you are struck by someone’s personality or spirit, thank them for it.

Write a note to someone you appreciate.

Tell a co-worker, family member, or friend what you appreciate about them. Don’t hold back. These are the sorts of gifts people treasure, often keeping that little slip of paper (or Facebook post) for many years to come.

Tip someone who doesn’t normally get tips.

This was easy in Malaysia, where tipping is rare—one young woman was so happy she went dancing down the hall. Tipping can be a great way to show people you are grateful for their service. I still remember the night I gave $10 to a tired young man at a Taco Bell drive-thru. His eyes lit up like fireflies.
We’ve all committed failures of kindness when we are hurt, angry, or tired. But each of us holds within us the power to achieve triumphs of kindness every day.

The post The Greatest Lesson We Learn When Someone Is Unkind appeared first on Tiny Buddha.

Frankenfood, anyone????

A word for you:

contumacious   
 Pronounced: kon-too-mey-shuhs

 Contumacious is from the  Latin word contumāx (“stubborn, obstinate”)

Stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.

Or stubbornly resistant to authority; willfully obstinate

"She sat still, looking a little contumacious, and very much indisposed to stir."  

~Charlotte Bronte, Shirley

Synonyms:  

contrary, pigheaded, factious, refractory,  

headstrong, intractable.

Mushrooms for the Freezer

 We like to buy the big package of fresh baby bella mushrooms at Costco, lightly saute them in butter (don't crowd the pan!), and pack them into the freezer for later use....it's very handy and inexpensive that way. 

Note: place a wad of plastic-wrap between the mushrooms & the lid, to protect them from frost.  It's easy to dig out just the right amount...no need to defrost first.

Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon, and Arugula

Linguine with Asparagus, Bacon, and Arugula  (found here, on allrecipes.com)

Submitted By: Asiangirl    Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 5-6

"A must try, sauteed asparagus, bacon, and arugula are tossed with hot linguine; a special bright flavor comes from fresh lemon juice. It's simple and tasty!"

Ingredients:

1 pound linguine, uncooked 1/3 pound sliced bacon, cut in half 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 (5 ounce) package baby arugula leaves 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1.	Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
2.	Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove to paper towels. Pour olive oil into skillet, and stir in garlic and asparagus. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3.	Add pasta to skillet. Turn flame off. Toss with arugula, lemon juice, and bacon.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  We happened to have an abundance of arugula in the garden and all the other ingredients on hand so went searching and found this recipe to try....it was pretty good and it has potential...each of us thought of ways we could improve this recipe. I used 8 cloves of garlic instead of 2 and we all thought it could have used even more....red pepper flakes would have been good...we didn't care for the lemon juice and thought that white wine instead would have been better.   There was so much fat that the asparagus and garlic practically boiled instead of sauteed, but it turned out fine, not greasy at all.  In fact we thought there was too much pasta (we used Tinkyada Brown Rice Spaghetti) and maybe 12 -14 oz. would be better.  In that case maybe the oil should be cut a little....it needed salt and pepper and we topped it with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.  The arugula came from our garden, not baby leaves, but not too strong - about 4 ounces.  The bacon was ours - homegrown and home cured.  Onions or leeks caramelized with the bacon would have been a good addition as well.  Some small pieces of chicken breast added just before the asparagus and garlic would have been good....we'll certainly try it again and make these changes.  =)  Couldn't finish it and had no room for the fresh tossed green salad we made...saved the salad for "dessert" later!  We listened to our "Julie & Julia" soundtrack on YouTube (find it here), while we cooked & ate~ that was nice.

Creamy Roasted Parsnip Soup

We roasted the Parsnips the other day, thinking that we would eat them like that...but they  were SO strong- not as sweet and nutty as we hoped, that it was impossible to eat them plain like that.

That meant that the only thing to do would be to save them (in the fridge), until we had time to make tonight's dinner- Parsnip soup (here).

Topped with a pat of Kerry Gold Irish butter!

Things that we did differently were:

1. pre-roasted Parsnips
2. no Carrots
3. only half of the Cardamom, Allspice & Nutmeg and we added curry powder
4. whole milk, no cream 
5. added some more broth because it was soooo thick


It was very rich, heavy and not meant for a main course...we decided when we use the leftovers (we are putting in the freezer) we'll garnish with cheese and maybe bacon and serve over rice.  


Should we ever make this again we would:

1. cut the Cardamom, Allspice & Nutmeg again
2. cut the Ginger
3. use some carrots
4. add more garlic  :-)

25 pounds of beets...

...go a long way~ click here to find out what we did with them! :-)

Real Sourdough Bread

I followed this recipe pretty closely....no-knead-sourdough-bread  I've been meaning to, but haven't tried my hand at authentic sourdough bread in several years....

 I love my Dough Whisk from King Arthur Flour (buy them here)!  We used organic, freshly ground Wheat Montana flour.  Next time, I'll try Spelt....

 

Sticky dough!

 

I thought that the sourdough used all its oomph and wouldn't rise anymore, so we considered the bread a failure at this point, but we popped them into the oven anyway and said "Why bother about the pan of hot water (for the steam)?" But we should have- they did rise some after going into the oven and the steam would have let them rise even more...oh well!

Check the temperature to see if the bread is done baking...

 I took it out at 190 and rising...I should have made sure that it was 200...

 

It kept pretty fresh and moist for at least 3 days, considering there is no fat, milk or eggs, not too bad!  

We popped one straight into the freezer (We sure don't need to sit down and eat 2 loves of bread in one week!).  Hubby wasn't sure he liked it, but got used to it....in fact later in the week we ate out and he ordered a burger on sourdough....he said he couldn't even tell that it was sourdough, too wimpy! 

Eaten with plenty of organic butter, and maybe some homemade organic Strawberry Freezer Jam!

Not bad!

After thirty years....

....it is still nice to hear those words! 

September 26, 1982 was the first day of the rest of my life.....=) 

Happy anniversary, honey! 

Your sweet wifey!

Open letter to those who are offended by my stand on U.S foreign policy

I'm sorry, I must have offended you today.  I like you and consider you a friend.

I didn't come to where I am overnight (and I'm sure I have so much more to learn!).

 I first started learning about "how the world really works" about 10 years ago when my first born said he wanted to join the military.  I started researching about vaccines and how he could maybe get a medical waiver and avoid that danger.  I learned then that our boys are just cannon fodder for the global elite (both sides are funded by the same guys at the top who profit from it).  That was hard to wrap my mind around, and it took a few years!   That began a trip down the "rabbit hole" that still hasn't ended! 

I already thought outside the box with home schooling and natural health, so it wasn't too far fetched to find how we've been deceived about so much.  It really all connects - follow the money as they say!   Like I said, I've been connecting the dots for 10+ years now.  And many seeds were planted in my life for years before that.

The history we are taught, the propaganda we hear and read from the news outlets is all so skewed.  There is so much wrong with our government, most people have no idea. 

I just ask and hope that you will do some of your own research and not just dismiss what is hard to hear.  It was hard for me when I first came upon it.

In Him,

Debbie McKee

Some writers, speakers, etc. to check out:

Major General Smedley Butler (War is a Racket), John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hitman), Judge Andrew Napolitano, Jesse Ventura, THE BEST ENEMY MONEY CAN BUY By Prof. Antony C. Sutton (youtube of interview or book – free online), Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty (JFK book), The Real Lincoln by economics prof Thomas J. DiLorenzo and so many more…..

Quotes from Butler’s book:

"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small 'inside' group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

In another often cited quote from the book Butler says:

I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.

The book is also interesting historically as Butler points out in 1935 that the US is engaging in military war games in the Pacific that are bound to provoke the Japanese.

"The Japanese, a proud people, of course will be pleased beyond expression to see the United States fleet so close to Nippon's shores. Even as pleased as would be the residents of California were they to dimly discern through the morning mist, the Japanese fleet playing at war games off Los Angeles."

Butler explains that the excuse for the buildup of the US fleet and the war games is fear that "the great fleet of this supposed enemy will strike suddenly and annihilate 125,000,000 people."

And history continues to repeat itself…..

Pray for the Troops?

 This bit is excerpted from Laurence Vance's article:

Should We Ask God To Bless the Troops?

Vance, well said, as always...

 "...Pray that the troops don’t shed innocent blood. Pray that the troops don’t commit suicide. Pray for pastors to stop recommending military service to their young people. Pray for Christian families to stop supplying cannon fodder to the military. Pray that the troops come home. Pray that young people find employment instead of join the military. Pray for the end of military recruiters preying on young, impressionable students. Pray for an end to senseless foreign wars. Pray for an end to the U.S. empire of troops and bases that encircles the globe.

Oh, there are many things regarding the troops to pray for, but God blessing the troops should not be one of them."

....read the whole article HERE.    
I personally think praying they won't commit suicide is asking God to bless them and their families! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I have a son in the Air Force. Vance really challenged my thinking when I came across his writings about 5 years ago....I have his book, a collections of his essays: "Christianity and War and Other Essays Against the Warfare State" (find it here)....very good.

 I was so distressed about my son joining up. Knowing what I know about how our government works and how our boys are cannon fodder for the global elite.....I prayed he would not be responsible for the killing or wounding of innocent people, not be responsible for any atrocities. I would rather he died than have to live with the guilt of that....I'm his mother, no one cares more about him than I, but I'd rather he be dead than commit atrocities.....yes, that sounds shocking....18 service members commit suicide every day...something is terribly wrong....)

Are We A Nation Of Drug Addicts?

by Sherry Jackson Peel

 Click here for original post

When I was growing up I saw films about the drug era of the 1960′s. I saw people strung out on heroin, tripped out on LSD and people that were called “potheads”. I never thought much about drugs back then and even until recently my mind was not focused on the deception that is taking place concerning drugs.

All mainstream media focus is being placed on “illegal drugs”, like cocaine and methamphetamines. There are even television shows that regularly show police and drug enforcement officers catching and arresting drug users. However, we need to change our focus and take a good look at prescription drugs.

More and more we are finding that these drugs are not developed as cures, but are made to keep people addicted to them and generate huge profits for the pharmaceutical industry. We are seeing a proliferation of children addicted to mood altering drugs, just as their parents have been for decades. When a child is active and disruptive in school the teachers are taught to immediately label them ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and push pills as a solution. These drugs, although having been found to cause severe depression and suicide, are still being pushed to desperate, ignorant parents. (If you ask me all some of these kids need is a good butt whipping.)

We see that these drugs are being prescribed for people that just need a little better nutrition and exercise. For example, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes seven years ago. I was given a prescription for the “disease”. A month later I attended an off shore conference and found out how I could eliminate diabetes completely. I changed my diet, stopped taking the pills and never tested positive for diabetes again.

Another problem is the fact that so called epidemics and pandemics are being manufactured so that drugs can be developed and given to people without legal ramifications for Big Pharma when people are killed or otherwise maimed by the effects of the drugs.

Please watch the video below and educate your friends and family about the real problem – “legal” prescription drugs being pushed by the pharmaceutical industry.

Also, take the time to do research on everything you put into your body, especially prescriptions. We survived without all these diseases and pills for centuries and I believe we can get back to the point that we can stay healthy without them.

My comments on the recent Chick-Fil-A (gay rights) issue

I posted this on a Facebook thread:  

 I'm afraid that things like this really make me think that the media just fans the flames and provides more ways to distract and divide us....What's really happening in the world they don't want us to pay attention to? 

I  haven't seen or heard any of the news accounts, so I can't comment on what's been said or how it's been twisted.  (We haven't had a TV since 1994 and I pick and choose what news I spend my time, emotions and brain on.)  I really don't care to be stirred up and manipulated by the mainstream media -whether left or right- on the issue. 

If Christians were more Christ-like we'd have more impact on our society on all kinds of people.... I support CFA (and Hobby Lobby) more for being closed on the Lord's Day.  God cares more about that issue (the 4th Commandment)  than the one in the news right now.... really folks....As far as rights, there is no such thing as group rights, only individual rights.  We all need to learn the difference....

 And the media hasn't been unbiased since before my time, at least!   I could write much more on everything I touched on, but time doesn't allow....

 

AND

Kale Chips

This post is just to route you over to our family blog, if you want to see our recipe.

(click here)

How to stop a massacre: Surveillance video reveals simple, low-cost solution that works everywhere

Sunday, July 22, 2012
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
For original post click here.

(NaturalNews) In the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado Batman movie theater shooting, a surveillance video has surfaced that shows the simple, obvious answer to the question on everybody's mind: How do we stop a massacre?

The answer is revealed in the stunning short video shown below. This remarkable solution:

• Requires no police.
• Costs the taxpayers no money.
• Requires no up-front paperwork.
• Protects innocent lives.
• Is deployed in as little as FIVE seconds.
• Works everywhere.
• Deters violent crime.
• Makes bad guys flee immediately.
• Is easy to learn.
• Functions at the local level.
• Does not require control or intervention by the United Nations or any government entity.

Watch the video at:
http://youtu.be/KjH3ZMUks1o 

 

 

Follow the link to see what we have been up to! (click here!)

What should I do with...

  ...Sweet Potato Leaves? 

How about this:
Sweet Potato Leaves (homegrown)
Swiss Chard (homegrown)
one Scotch Bonnet pepper (homegrown)
Onions (Costco)
Four homemade Polish Sausages

The Scotch Bonnet was SO hot that we added:
one quart of Garbanzo Beans (home canned)
one can of organic diced Tomatoes (Costco)

And we washed it all down with home brewed Kombucha!
  The Scotch Bonnet heat is the kind that is accumulative~ okay at first, but at the end it was almost all you could do to eat it! (Adrienne thought Kombucha did a better job cutting the heat than Orange Juice.)  No salt or pepper or anything else needed.  Very good flavor with just the ingredients listed above....

The bottom line? It was really good...too bad you weren't here!

Salsa remake....

Basic recipe click HERE.  Some ingredients really depend on the flavor of the produce used.

The first time we made this the tomatoes were pretty weak and watery so we ended up using 1 1/2 jars (10-11oz) of Italian tomato paste.  This year we used one 7oz jar and maybe didn't need it.
We did add extra lime juice (2T), salt (2t.), cumin (1t.) and garlic (1/2t.) this year.....we ended up with hotter jalapenos, or using more of them, plus 3 Scottish Bonnets in the pepper mix.  It's much hotter than last year's batch. (Adrienne keeps sneezing!) But still good!

I hope hubby can get used to raw salsa.  He prefers his tomatoes cooked......  

8 1/2 pints in the freezer!

The Revolution is NOT About Ron Paul

The Revolution is NOT About Ron Paul

Milo Nickels, Contributor
Activist Post

Like many of you, I sat in disbelief as I watched Rand Paul publicly endorse a gun-grabbing, healthcare-socializing, flip-flopping, border-opening, war-mongering, banker-controlled statist puppet.

I immediately felt like I'd been simultaneously kicked in the gut, stabbed in the back, and sold down the river. Yes, the endorsement made me angry. The realization that Ron Paul, himself, must have given his blessing to the endorsement made me feel ill.

I scoured the Internet looking for answers to some burning questions. Why did Rand Paul endorse Romney? Have they made some shady backroom deal? Was Ron Paul in on it? Had I been played for a fool? Have I been wrong all along?

Although I haven't found the answers to those specific questions, I've found something far more valuable. I've found that the liberty movement is still going strong.

I am not alone and neither are you. The blogosphere is ablaze with negative talk of Rand Paul and Ron Paul, calling them sell-outs, traitors, and con-men. And, like it or not, this is a very good thing.

At first, I'll admit, it broke my heart to see widespread negativity about the Pauls who I had come to view as champions of liberty. But I've gained a new perspective. As far as champions of liberty go, the champions aren't nearly as important as the liberty!

 Where I may have lost some respect for the Pauls, I've gained immeasurable respect for everyone in the liberty movement. We are not anti-war protesters who stayed home when Obama expanded the wars. We are not advocates of small government who turned a blind eye to Bush's PATRIOT Act. No. We refuse to partake in the hypocrisy and flip-flopping of the two-party system where we follow our leaders like sheep. We are consistent even when our representatives are not. Our beliefs do not shift, or bend, or change depending on the political climate. We do not place the messenger above the message.

Yes, we may feel betrayed, but we must never forget the lessons we've learned from Ron Paul about individual liberty, personal responsibility, sound money, cooperation, property rights, charity, and voluntarism. We don't believe in these concepts because Ron Paul believes in them, but because they are true. Ron Paul will always be a hero in the freedom movement for shining a light on these issues.

So I don't care if Rand Paul endorses Mitt Romney. I will continue to endorse liberty. I don't care if Ron Paul concedes defeat. I will continue fighting for victory.

The Ron Paul revolution is NOT about Ron Paul. The revolution is about liberty. Ron Paul is only one man. You are the revolution.

You can support this information by voting on Reddit HERE.

Milo Nickels began blogging and cartooning about politics in the year 2000. After achieving some notoriety at that time, Milo took a break. Now, Milo has launched a new website, Five Cent Revolution where he continues to write about political issues. In particular, Milo focuses on constitutionalism, critiques of modern liberalism and progressivism, and defends individual liberty above all else. Milo wants the government out of our wallets, out of our business, and out of our lives to the greatest extent possible.

Freshly Squeezed Organic Orange Juice!

Today was a little taxing.  I thought I'd squeeze some oranges we received in our Azure Standard order Thursday.....Yum!   Aren't these little juice glasses sweet?!  Adrienne bought them somewhere, an estate sale or something, she can't remember! 

I just can't bring myself to pay retail these days!  Between Azure, Costco and Frontier I am SO spoiled!  Costco didn't have any organic apples the past two times we've shopped there.  I thought about getting a few at Whole Foods (for hubby's lunches), but no way was I going to spend 2.49 per pound!   We've got blueberries and peaches from 2011 in the freezer (need to be eaten) and an entire case of organic juice oranges.  In lieu of apples, I did pick up a pineapple, a watermelon and a bag of bananas at Costco.  So we can do without apples for now!   What was I thinking, we really didn't need those extra fruits from Costco this time!   I tend to continue to buy for 4 or 5, although there are only 3 of us!

 That reminds me, we need to pick our blackberries!  It's been a couple of days.....

An embedded song:

Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe, 1870

This Mother's Day, we honor all mothers affected by war, in particular those who have suffered the ultimate loss of a child from war. These days, we must count the losses of our soldiers killed in action, but also those who die by their own hands both on and off the battelfield, as military suicides now exceed the number of combat deaths.

IVAW is focused on ending the Afghanistan War, and our Operation Recovery Campaign is working to end the deployment of traumatized troops and fighting for service members' right to heal from war so no more mothers have to experience the losing a child to war.

Today, we honor the origins of Mother's Day as an international call to end all wars.

************************************************************
 This year, Brave New Foundation is remembering and honoring the origins of Mother's Day in this short online video (HERE).  Through the power of compassion and womanhood, we hope to work towards peace.
**********************************

Mother's Day Proclamation

by Julia Ward Howe, 1870

Arise, then, women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice." Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace, Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask That a general congress of women without limit of nationality May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient And at the earliest period consistent with its objects, To promote the alliance of the different nationalities, The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
***********************************************
In Solidarity,
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee

Big Brother....more domestic spying on Americans coming down the pike???

House Passes CISPA in Surprise Vote; Opponents Will Continue to Fight in Senate (click for original post)

 Friday, 27 April 2012 11:20 By Mike Ludwig, Truthout | Report

The House passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) in a surprise vote late Thursday despite a veto threat from the White House and opposition from civil liberties groups that say the bill undermines existing privacy law and would allow private companies to spy on American citizens.
The House passed CISPA by a vote of 248 to 168, with votes for and against coming in from both parties. A vote was expected on Friday, but the House came to a vote soon after debating the bill. The Senate will now consider the bill.
CISPA is designed to break down barriers between the government and private business and allow for open sharing of intelligence on cyber threats, such as foreign hackers. Big tech and web firms, including Facebook, AT&T and IBM, support CISPA and hope the government will provide them more information on cyber threats.
Civil liberties and Internet freedom groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU claim the bill goes too far and would allow private companies and the government to circumvent existing privacy laws that prevent domestic spying and allow big web firms to hand over private data and information, such as emails, to the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. The ACLU and the EFF say they will continue to oppose the bill in the Senate.
"Cybersecurity does not have to mean abdication of Americans' online privacy," said ACLU legislative counsel Michelle Richardson. "As we've seen repeatedly, once the government gets expansive national security authorities, there's no going back."
Senior White House officials said Wednesday that President Obama would veto CISPA because the bill fails to protect personal privacy and does not do enough to protect the nation's core cyber infrastructure.
With online momentum leftover from the fight against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), activists launched a massive Internet campaign to stop CISPA that included more than 100,000 Tweets to members of Congress and more than one million petition signatures.
"Hundreds of thousands of Internet users spoke out against this bill, and their numbers will only grow as we move this debate to the Senate," said EFF Activism Director Rainey Reitman.
CISPA's opponents also claimed that the government could use personal information gathered by private companies to crackdown on citizens for a variety of offenses beyond cybersecurity, such as late taxes or immigration violations. Lawmakers recently worked with civil liberties groups, however, to pass amendments clarifying that the government can only use intelligence gathered under the act to address cybersecurity threats, threats to national security, threat of bodily harm to individuals and child pornography.
The House rejected additional amendments offered by Democrats and supported by CISPA opponents that would have prevented information from private citizens from landing in the hands of the National Security Administration, which was caught in 2006 working with AT&T to data mine Internet traffic and gather thousands of phone records from customers. 

This article is a Truthout original.

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"In the final analysis," I wrote in my new book The Revolution: A Manifesto, "the last line of defense in support of freedom and the Constitution consists of the people themselves. If the people want to be free, if they want to lift themselves out from underneath a state apparatus that threatens their liberties, squanders their resources on needless wars, destroys the value of their dollar, and spews forth endless propaganda about how indispensable it is and how lost we would all be without it, there is no force that can stop them."

Our time has come to act on these words.

May future generations look back on our work and say that these were men and women who, in a moment of great crisis, stood up to their politicians, the opinion-makers, and the establishment, and saved their country.

For liberty,

Ron Paul