05.12.2009

Hello once again. Here it is practically mid-May, and we are still having April showers. This has to be one of the wettest springs I can remember. I was beginning to worry about veggie and flower seeds we planted, but one lone day of sunshine had all their little heads popping through the earth. It is so good to be tending to living things instead of shoveling snow!! :)

We have new subscribers once again this week--welcome aboard. There is a link at the bottom to the website where I have past issues archived if you'd want to check out past issues.

Until next time... ~Toni
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Good news: Marie's surgery went well and she's recovering nicely!!

~Marie's Laughter~

A new nurse at a hospital was perplexed by Dr. Smith’s behavior. Off and on throughout her shift Dr. Smith would run up and down the hallway, yelling, “Tetanus, measles, flu”! Very curious, the nurse asked the head nurse, “Why does Dr. Smith keep doing that?” “Oh, just ignore him,” the head nurse said. ”He thinks he calls all the shots around here.”
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It's time to give up your old pasta and try something new...

As delicious as traditional semolina pasta is, it doesn't pack the fiber punch of whole wheat or multigrain varieties, which provide 5 to 7 grams of fiber per serving (2 ounces, uncooked), compared with regular pasta's 2 grams. Either can make a great substitute--it just depends on what you're preparing: The nutty flavor of whole wheat pasta pairs nicely with garlicky greens and simple tomato- or vegetable-based sauces, while the milder taste of multigrain pasta marries well with tomato-based meat and fish sauces.

When shopping, look for "whole grain" or "whole wheat" on the packaging and the Whole Grain Council's stamp on the label (tomato and spinach pastas don't count as whole grain). The ingredients should include whole wheat, oats, and/or flax seed. Store these pastas as you would the regular kind--in a dry place at a cool room temperature. But note that their extra bran can cause them to go rancid faster than semolina pastas, so shop where there's a high product turnover and use within six months of purchase.
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Nevada

--Nevada takes its name from a Spanish word meaning snow-clad.
--The Reno Ice Pavilion is a 16,000-square-foot rink once dismantled and moved to Reno from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
--Bugsy Siegel named his Las Vegas casino "The Flamingo" for the long legs of his showgirl sweetheart, Virginia Hill.
--In 1931 the Pair-O-Dice Club was the first casino to open on Highway 91, the future Las Vegas Strip.
--In Death Valley, the Kangaroo Rat can live its entire life without drinking a drop of liquid.
--In Tonopah the young Jack Dempsey was once the bartender and the bouncer at the still popular Mispah Hotel and Casino. Famous lawman and folk hero Wyatt Earp once kept the peace in the town.
--Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park is constructed around the fossilized remains of ancient, mysterious reptiles within a well-preserved turn-of-the-century Nevada mining camp.
--Austin's oldest church, St. Augustine, requires the establishment's bells in the tower to be rung by pulling a rope located in the men's restroom.
--Most of the state is desert but the Sierra Nevada mountain range near Reno and the Ruby Mountains near Elko has snow for half the year.
--Locals use terms like The Sagebrush State, The Silver State, and The Battle Born State as nicknames for Nevada.
--Nevada is the seventh largest state with 110,540 square miles, 85% of them federally owned including the secret Area 51 near the little town of Rachel.
--Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state, with its highest point at the 13,145 foot top of Boundary Peak near the west-central border.
--Grammatically, the proper term for the mountains is the Sierra Nevada not the Sierras. Robert Conrad almost called one of his television series High Sierra Rangers but changed it to High Mountain Rangers.
--Wayne Newton owns a home in the Las Vegas area, and it was a real location for the film "Vegas Vacation."
--Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation. It is second in the world behind South Africa.
--Hoover Dam, the largest single public works project in the history of the United States, contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete, which is enough to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York. The dam face was used in an amazing stunt for Roland Emerich's "Universal Soldier" and has been seen in such films as "Viva Las Vegas" and "Fools Rush In."
--The state's Highway 50, known as the Loneliest Highway in America, received its name from "Life" magazine in 1986. There are few road stops in the 287 mile stretch between Ely and Fernley.
--Frank Sinatra once owned the Cal-Neva at Lake Tahoe's Crystal Bay. It is possible to stand in both Nevada and California inside Cal-Neva's building.
--The only Nevada lake with an outlet to the sea is man made Lake Mead.
--Camels were used as pack animals in Nevada as late as 1870.
--Construction worker hard hat's were first invented specifically for workers on the Hoover Dam in 1933.
--Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.
--Las Vegas has the majority of the largest hotels in the world.
--The longest morse code telegram ever sent was the Nevada state constitution. Sent from Carson City to Washington D.C. in 1864. The transmission must have taken several hours.
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Be cool, but not too cool...

Keeping your fridge and freezer colder than necessary can boost your energy consumption, and your bills. Your fridge should be set between 37F and 40F; the freezer temperature bewteen 0 and 5F.
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~Cheryl's Tips~

Wooden Drawers Stuck? You can get them to glide again by simply rubbing the contact surfaces with a candle stub or bar of soap. Insert and test to see if they slide out more easily.

Soft Cookies Have Become Crispy? Put a slice of fresh bread on top of an aluminum foil sheet in the cookie jar. The bread will dry out and the cookies will become a tad softer.

Removing Bundt Cake From Pan To prevent the cake from sticking to the pan, lightly grease and then sprinkle sugar, instead of flour, over the pan. The cake should slide right out.
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Unusual town names in Georgia:

~Between
~Chickasawhatchee
~Enigma
~Hopeulikit
~Jinks
~Santa Claus
~Snapfinger
~Talking Rock
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Yet another place to recycle cell phones...Phones for Soldiers, a nonprofit (started in 2004 by two kids, now 16 and 18) that accepts all models (even really old ones!) and resells them to a recycling company. Proceeds buy calling cards for U.S. soldiers abroad to call their families--27 million minutes have been provided so far. Mail your phone to Cell Phones for Soldiers, 2555 Bishop Circle West, Dexter MI 48130-9916. Print a receipt and free postage label at http://www.CellPhonesForSoldiers.com
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Want to degrease pepperoni slices before using on pizza? Place slices on paper towel-lined plates, top with a double layer of paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Carefully remove the hot plate and press down on the paper towel to sop up grease. Place slices onto pizza, then bake according to recipe.
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Need help to balance your checkbook and manage your money? Try http://www.clearcheckbook.com where you can view reports, set budgets, create reminders and more. Cost: Free for the standard version; $4 per month for Premium.
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More real celebrity names:

~Buddy Hackett -- Leonard Hacker
~Monty Hall -- Monte Halparin
~Jean Harlow -- Harlean Carpentier
~Gary Hart -- Gary Warren Hartpence
~Susan Hayward -- Edithe Marrener
~Rita Hayworth -- Margarita Cansino
~Hulk Hogan -- Terry Jean Bollette
~William Holden -- William Franklin Beedle, Jr.
~Billie Holiday -- Eleanora Fagan
~Buddy Holly -- Charles Hardin Holley
~Bob Hope -- Leslie Townes Hope
~Harry Houdini -- Ehrich Weiss
~Rock Hudson -- Roy Scherer
~Engelbert Humperdinck -- Arnold Gerry Dorsey
~Tab Hunter -- Arthur Andrew Gelien
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Are you ever confused by all the different types of sugars in foods? Here's a breakdown:

brown sugar...White sugar with molasses added
corn syrup...Made from corn starch
dextrose...A naturally occurring form of glucose in fruits and veggies (your body also produces it)
fructose...Found in fruits, vegetables and their juices; used in crystaline form as a sweetener
high-fructose corn syrup...Highly processed form of sugar made from corn starch and fructose
honey...A natural sweetener; contains fructose and glucose
molasses...Dark syrup made by boiling down sugary from sugar cane
sucrose...Cane sugar (plain white sugar)
turbinado...Made by spinning sugar cane extract in a centrifuge or turbine to create large brown crystals
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Go here http://www.win-malt-o-meal.com/ to enter for a chance to win a year's worth of coupons for free Malt-O-Meal cereal. That's 52 coupons and each is worth $5.50. Enter before July 31.
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Find Mr. Jelly Belly as he travels the world gathering all the real ingredients used in Jelly Belly jelly beans and you could win the $10,000 grand prize or one of thousands of great prizes instantly. Visit http://www.wheresmrjellybelly.com to begin your adventure.
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The number one rule for keeping clothes in good condition is follow the directions on the label. For a full printable chart to keep posted in your laundry room, go to http://www.carelabels.com


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Hello everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the month of May so far. This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love sitting outside in the shade with a good book, or hanging laundry out to dry on the line. It won't be long until the heat of summer is here, so get out and enjoy the nice mild weather while you can! ~Phyllis


When April steps aside for May,
Like diamonds all the raindrops glisten;
Fresh violets open every day;
To some new bird each hour we listen.
-Lucy Larcom
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A bit depressing but here's a website to tell you which famous people you have outlived;
http://dead.atyourage.com/
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Time Capsule
A time capsule is a container for storing items for future discovery. Sometimes they are created for special events, such as a worlds fair or as a cornerstone for a building. The term "time caspule" has been around since the late 1930's. Here are a few tips for making your own time capsule!
1. First decide who you want to open the time capsule, and when. You could decide to open it yourself at some future date, or leave it for your kids or gandkids.
2. Decide where your time capsule will be stored. Usually they are buried but this is not always the best choice. If you bury it, not only could it become damaged by moisture, but you could also forget exactly where you buried it.
3. Choose a container for your time capsule. Think about how long your time capsule will be hidden, and how many items you want to put into it. If you store it indoors, a shoebox or plastic container will be good enough to do the job. But if you plan to bury it, you need to find a better container that will be waterproof.
4. Decide what items you want to include in your time capsule. To do this, think about who the time capsule will be opened by, and when. You don't have to choose valuable or expensive items for this. Choose things that represent you, or the date on which you create your time capsule. Some things to consider adding;
Labels from foods or items you like. If possible, use the price tags too.
Current newspapers or magazines
Pictures
A note written by you, describing what your world is like right now, including clothing styles, popular song titles, current books, the cost of everyday items such as milk and bread, and anything else you think might be interesting.

Finally, seal the time capsule well and store it (or bury it) to be opened sometime in the future.
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Tulsa Time Capsule
In 1957 in Tulsa, OK, a time capsule was buried at the county courthouse, with plans to open it in 2007 to celebrate Oklahoma's state centennial. The time capsule was a very large concrete vault in which was buried a brand new Plymouth car, along with some unleaded gasoline, motor oil, the contents of a woman's handbag and a case of beer!
A contest was held when the car was buried; people had a chance to guess what the population of Tulsa would be in 2007 when the vault was scheduled to be opened. The person who had the closest guess would win the contents of the vault. If that person was deceased, the prize would go to their heirs.
Here is a video of the car being put into the vault;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK2SLl1dY7k

Sadly, when the car was removed from the time capsule in 2007, it was ruined because the vault had leaked. The car was completely rusted and the upholstery had rotted. Here is a picture of the car as it looked when it was removed from the vault;

http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/16/plymouthtime02.jpg
Supposedly there are plans to restore the car but the only website I could find about that has not been updated recently.

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Just for fun!
http://www.faceinhole.com/us/
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Looking for something to do with the kids or grandkids this summer?
http://www.wildlifeviewingareas.com/
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Moon Phase Images;

http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/time/moon-phase-images?searchterm=moon+phase+images
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Ben & Jerry's is having a contest where you can create your own ice cream flavor! If your flavor is the grand prize winner, it will be featured in stores! There are other prizes too. Hurry, contest ends on May 26!
http://www.benjerry.com/activism/inside-the-pint/do-the-world-a-flavor/
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Does your bra fit correctly? Most women don't know what size bra they should be wearing! Here are some signs of an incorrrectly fitting bra;

1. Your breasts touch together, giving you a "uni-breast".
2. Your bra rides up in the back. (The back strap of your bra should be level with the cups.)
3. Your bra leaves indentations on your shoulders.
4. Breasts spill over the top or sides of your bra.
5. Your bra causes chafing.
6. You are always tugging at your bra.

So if your bra is an incorrect fit, find out how to measure for the right size at

http://www.herroom.com/bra-fitting-advice,901,30.html
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To find the lowest gas prices near you, visit
http://www.gaspricewatch.com/new/default_V3.asp
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Something for the kids!
To learn abut the insects in your yard, visit www.whatsthatbug.com
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COOL PICK
This issues cool pick website is http://www.empowher.com/
EmpowHer is a great website dedicated to women's health issues. There is a wealth of information to be found there, including message boards where you can discuss health topics with other women like yourself. There is also a library of health videos, up to date news reports about health issues concerning women, and links to free or low cost seminars, screenings, immunizations, support groups and more. There is a lot to see at this site, so check it out!
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A lot of us are feeling the need to pinch pennies now! But sometimes we still like to go out to eat. Here's a site to help you save a little money when going out to eat with the kids;
http://www.kidsmealdeals.com/
This site will help you find kids meal deals at a restaurant near you!
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Here's an eye opening site to show you how much sugar there really is in your favorite foods and beverages;
http://www.sugarstacks.com/