Living Rural

bornagainamerican

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Louie sings…

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

2 Chr.7:14 King James Version.

Today is a day for lovers and friends, spouses, and all romantics to show their LOVE.

  Long stem red roses are always a good choice.

and small, beautifully wrapped boxes are a winner on the most romantic day of the year!  Of Course all women hope for “the proposal” on this specail day for all romantics!

What do you have planned for your love?

What do you hope is planned for you?

If you are not in the relationship of a lifetime, today is a day to share love… with friends, family, charities … giving of your time is always appreciated.

Sharing a few Valentine quotes, feels appropriate to do now. Enjoy!

This morning I checked my email accounts, as I do every morning, and this video was in one from a dear friend, who BTW has no children. This concept is totally new to me - I truly wish it has been available when my girls were small and constantly in or near our pool. It takes a deep breath and some constraint with a lot of will power to watch it through. I want you to know it is so very worth watching it with your family and passing it on to others.

If you are still raising small children, or have grandchildren in and around your pool… then please take the small amount of time it takes to watch. The video gives links to the home site, etc., if you’re interested in having the program come to your area. The program is infant rescue swimming (IRS.)

Swimming Then go to near the end page and watch the three videos there.

Remember… “Y’all come back, ya’ hear!”

THOSE BORN 1920-1979

READ TO THE BOTTOM FOR QUOTE OF THE MONTH BY JAY LENO. IF YOU DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE—VERY WELL STATED

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and were not tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints…

We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts, or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren’t overweight because,

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. Moreover, we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms…….

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones, and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We received BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who did not had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success, and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t it?

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

‘With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?’

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us…go ahead and delete this.

For the rest of us…pass this ON!

Remember… “Y’all come back, ya’ hear!”

Thanks to my friend, Sally, for sharing this today.

I frown and I am in the South! We are having a very cold week and we are not suited for this much ‘coldness’, so we complain - a lot!

Of course, our youth live for “Snow Days” - teachers, too! And once every five years or so, isn’t to bad…

For die-hard Southerners, snow belongs up North with temperatures below 40. We live here for the warmth and the sunshine. Like I said, we complain a lot! I love the    

South.  

See what can happen when you least expect it! Quite a surprise this morning, yet so beautiful… maybe this would be nice everyday for several months… naw, just for special Snow Days! It is light and fluffy, just the kind of snow you want, without any ice problems. So the children and the adults with their ‘child’ self will be out and about - throwing snowballs, making snow cream, and building snowmen/women (equal time)! 

So funny, for us to have actual snow on the ground it is a big thing - phone ringing with calls from friends making sure I know it’s snowing, emails coming in, everyone so excited… we are a funny breed, aren’t we?

In case you want to see other photos of our area when it snows, go to http://www.scnow.com/

Remember… “Y’all come back, ya’ hear!”

Teams have won/earned the right to play in this years’ Super Bowl. Which team will win? Super Bowl XLIII Arizona? or Pittsburgh?             

Can you see the excitement of what is to come on Sunday, February 1, 2009? A good game no matter who is the winner … well, we hope it will be! GO TEAM!

Remember… “Y’all come back, ya’ hear!”

“PASS” the Seven-Layer Salad… 

This festive party dip with seven yummy layers can make any occasion a fiesta!

7 Layer Fiesta Dip

2 (8-ounce) packages low-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (your favorite brand)

2 cups prepared guacamole (make your own or use ready-made)

2 cups tomato-based salsa

2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped green onions

2 (2-ounce) cans sliced black olives

1. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and seasoning mix. Spread mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass dish.
2. Top the seasoned cream cheese with the guacamole, salsa, lettuce, cheese, onions and olives in layers.
3. Serve immediately accompanied with tortilla or corn chips.
4. Refrigerate any remaining dip.

Makes 20 servings.

Cook’s Note: If you like, reduce the recipe ingredients by half and use a 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish for a smaller party. Or DOUBLE recipe for larger gathering!

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (approximately 1/4 cup): 152.3 calories; 69% calories from fat; 12.0g total fat; 25.3mg cholesterol; 372.3mg sodium; 206.9mg potassium; 5.5g carbohydrates; 1.1g fiber; 0.7g sugar; 4.5g net carbs; 6.3g protein.

“PASS” the Beer Cheese Spread…

Beer Cheese Spread

4 cups (16-ounces) shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 cups (16-ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 (12-ounce) can beer, at room temperature

1. In a mixing bowl
   

   , combine the cheeses with garlic; set aside to soften to room temperature.

2. Add the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, mustard, hot pepper sauce, and enough beer to make a spreadable mixture.
3. Place in a crock or serving dish; cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Serve with an assortment of crackers, chips or crudites.

Makes about 8 cups.

Note: You’ll get the best results if you refrigerate the finished spread for several days to give the flavors more time to blend.
Both recipes are S.U.P.E.R.  BOWL fantastic!

Enjoy!

Remember… “Y’all come back, ya’ hear!”

If you notice the new look to 451Press and Living Rural Online, you are very observant! 451Press upgraded our sites to the newest version of WordPress. I think we will all like it, once we adjust to the “tweeks.”

Gosh, “THE YEAR OF CHANGE” is popping up everywhere, even in our new design at 451Press! I like it, we like it, and we hope YOU like it!

Change, Change, Change

Check out our new look over on our home page.  http://www.451press.com/

Let us know what you think about everything new at 451Press. All our blogs are listed at the end of each site. If you have not read about your favorite activity from eating to sleeping and everything in-between - give us a try. We are a hard working bunch of bloggers who want to write whatr you want to read, so give us a try, OK?

and

Remember… “Y’all come back soon, ya’ hear!”

HIS PROMISE TO AMERICANS

Famous Musician Play

President Obama takes the Oath of Office with the help of hie family

Inauguration, Part Two

Inauguration, Part One

The Prayer

Garfield has the right idea.

Our weekends should be relaxing - giving our mind and our body time to recover from the busy-ness of our lives. Saturday should be filled with whatever de-stresses you: mind, body, and soul. Sunday should be spent in YOUR CHURCH; whatever that means to you - in the Church of your choice, walking in nature, being creative, meditating, exercising, etc. A time to reconnect, rejuvinate your inner self, and dream of things to come.

Weekends should be about family and friends; sharing together; playing together; and loving one another without any expectations or conditions - the true meaning of kindness.

Just think about how we treat strangers during the week… with respect. Do we treat the people who mean the most to us the same way? Usually not. In the presence of those we care about we feel safe which allows us to let go and “be ourselves.” When stress builds up, we take it out on those we love. Let’s make a conscientious effort to treat the people we love with respect everyday this week.

Deal?

Check out The Quote Garden

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ~Mark Twain

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca

A kind word is like a Spring day. ~Russian Proverb

Let’s set the example.

Remember… “Y’all come back, ya’ hear!”