Insomnia solution..Live in the moment,be present, and then surrender...

Does it seem like your dreams of sleep are  lost in a blizzard or  caught coming and going ? Feeling like you are trapped on an endless treadmill,or gerbil wheel

Sleep,the harder you try to sleep,the more frustrated you become when it evades you..

Rest easy my dear friend..
click on the  link below and read what the author shares.
I cannot vouch for everything the author may
espouse, value or believe.

I did think that some of the ideas in this article
could be most helpful for those who suffer from  racing minds and insomnia  Much of what is shared in this article goes "hand in hand" with things I am learning  with my new RenPro , CC  friends and fellow members.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-surrender-to-sleep.html

The perils of Pauline..here is your long awaited applesauce raisn bar recipe..

Pauline, I am sorry I kept you waiting so long,

When I saw you were in facebook I thought why not get your  long overdue recipie to you...

I just received a yummy best ever gingerbredman
cookie recipie from somone..I waited patiently for it too... so good things finally do come to those who wait ...and yowzers this recipie is really good..

It is one of my all time favorites and always ,always received raving reviews ,leaving me  empty handed with an empty
tray,leftovers would have been nice :-)...YUM....

Applesauce Raisin bars

heat oven to 350 degrees 

1 cup of flour
2/3 cup of sugar ( I haven't tried it,but it just occured to me brown sugar would perhaps make this even      
                           better)
1 tsp soda, 1 tsp cinn,1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8th tsp cloves
sift(or still well)the  dry ingred together..to mix spices into the flour
add;
1/4 cup of shortening(I always used butter,thank you Toffee,Daphne and Daffodill our beloved Jerseys.
1 cup of sweet applesauce( I always canned without sugar,so I used unsweetened applesauce)
1 egg.."ladies" with the feathers on..take a bow (you gals in the chicken yard , all know who you are)
1/2 cup of raisins

mix  everything together and  place in a well buttered 9x13 pan
bake 25-30 min

while still warm spread frosting on top

frosting :(this  is more glaze like,so could add 1/4-1/2 of the same recipe for a thicker frosting))
brown 2 TBSP of butter add 2 TBSP of milk,1/2 tsp of vanilla ,2cups of pwd sugar (if lumpy sift otherwise the lumps will show)

yummm....can I come over to your house for coffee AND..... :-)

Dream big..when I grow up..I want to be just like you.

I love our little bouncing horse
she was always a big dreamer.

Years ago she was the trusted and faithful steed
for all three of our children. She safely carried them across deserts,through swamps,up mountains,and
rescuing damsels in distress and boldly carrying her rider to victory after victory.

With reverence and respect I   sadly put her out to pasture, carefully tucking her
up in the attic rafters for safe keeping.

As our children grew,they each had a "real"horse of their own. We still have two of them with us here at
farmfunnies.  Midnight and Ginger.  Hummer,Tina,April and Sheba are now grazing on heavenly grass in gold and silver meadows .  Ruby and emerald boulders beset the edges of their meadow.
 
Our children,while not died in the wool horse lover/fanatics as their mom (me)
 became more skillful riders than myself ,their hopeless horse loving mom.
I envied them.

With grandchildren now, I have become a bouncing horse rescuer, we now have four trusty steeds,
each waiting for their own dteam to come to fruition
Our oldtimer  gal..little horse,wanted to go out in the world and meet her models,
she silently held onto her dreams for years..She  dreamed so long
of running through the fields and rolling in the snow with the other family horses.

One day "it" happened..Little horse made it...she  woke up  one day to find herself  nose to nose
with the big guys and gals...
she discovered ....
Nothing is impossible...you just  need to keep dreaming,
to never give up and  to always keep hope alive in your heart..

Little horse also discovered  it helps if you accept a little help sometimes
even if it is from  farmfunnies "granny" :-)

Little horse also discovered those big guys and gals just might be terrified of you.
Little horse was  so surprized when Czar,Malahara and Midnight snorted and ran from her.

Little horse calmly held her ground,waiting,listening validating her new friends as she felt empowered
with her  own new found strengths.

Do you think your dreams are impossible? 
Rember Little horse, never be too shy or embarrassed to seek a little help .
Sometimes  sharing your dreams with somone on the outside,(or standing under you in the rafters) will allow you to clarify what really matters to you..

Go ahead and dream big..nothing is impossible :-)

The INVISIBLE one,

I thought I would share a reflection  of some  of my recent coaching lessons.
All of us ,not just coaches, can use  these basic lesson/skills, in every area of our lives.

Listening,creating a safe place to "be" for them to share,to validate their  thoughts,values,cares concerns,hopes,dreams ideas...

Being present..that is... being THERE , not reading,watching something on a screen, but THERE.

Really there for whomever you are with:
Big, little,old ,young, even feathered or furry critters need  and appreciate these listening skills.

Challenge:
Who do you listen to?
How do you listen ?
What do you hear ?
What do you convey as you listen?

now for my reflections of my class

=====================================================================

Learning to listen to the unspoken words, ones perhaps unconsciously held captive within a clients heart.


Listen closely, can you hear the hurt , sense the pain perhaps long ago instilled by a simple ,careless word ?

Perhaps invalidation of their personal worth ,when no one seems to really "listen"..they ...become...INVISIBLE.

Listen, wait, your clue could be hidden, it could be in a toss away word.
Reflected back , their words, perhaps they are  the key that can unlock the door for success.

Wait, listen, wait...it may be tossed out in a simple sigh, or perhaps even in a laughing jest.

As their coach, you can create a safe harbor, for truths to come to light. You can create a place for confidence to grow, allowing your client to successfully take wing..soaring into their bright,new future.

Lessons from listening,being present and creating a safe place...

Here's to your heart..Oatmeal Cookies and meatloaf with oatmeal.

There was sunshine today, Mary Queen of Scott's had her royal honey army buzzing me today.

         

I noticed the little heads of my daffodills peeking up through the soil...

There was a promise of spring in the air....

Time to reflect how fast this month has already gone...

Time to find my "magic" love potion cake recipe for valentines day...

But now...it is time.... for those promised oatmeal recipies...

TaDa

I hope you didn't keep your oven on all day after you made my yummy applesauce oat bran muffins.

Oatmeal cookies.... 375 degree oven

I'm not sure where I got this recipie from, I just know it is our favorite one.

1 1/4 cup of margarine (creamed i.e. beat until it looks creamy

( I am a fan of Paula Deans,and I have her passion for  using butter in cooking. Our beloved Jerseys gave us the best butter, sigh..they are gone now.  I must say  though, butter doesn't "work"  well in most cookie recipies, the cookies spread out too much...I do like Mrs. Batemans baking butter( a low fat butter and marg subsitute)

1/2 cup of sugar,3/4 cup of brown sugar (packed) I'm researching a natural sugar substitute called whey low

stir into the butter until well mixed

1 egg ( our hens say YAY..eat more eggs),1 1/2 tsp of vanilla

1 1/2 cup of flour, 1/tsp of baking soda,1 tsp of salt,1 tsp of cinnamon, 3 cups of rolled oats ,

mix all of the ingredients together

you can add 1/4-1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts , and 1/2 cup of rasins ,if you wish

our kids liked their cookies "plain"  drop by tsp onto an ungreased cookie sheet bake 8-10 min

our favorite meatloaf

1 cup of tomato sauce

3/4 cup of rolled oats,1 egg

1/4 cup of dried onion flakes , 1/2-1 tsp of salt ,dash of pepper

2 lbs of hamburger meat

mix together and place in a bread pan(9x5loaf pan)

(sometimes i will shape a loaf inside a glass baking dish..but it isn't as stable.

I cover the top with more tomato sauce or sometimes a homemade bar-b-q sauce.

or add 1 tsp of vinegar and about 1/4 cup of bwn sug to the tomato sauce

bake 1 hr at 350 degrees after about 30 mins I will put potatoes in the oven too

baked potato 'secret' I  wash and scrub mine well ,rinsing well under running water

I will dry them a bit and rub butter or shortening all over them and place them like that

on  a pie pan in the oven .  As soon as they feel soft when you squeeze them, bring them out

give them a good squeeze all over, slice the top and stick in a cube of butter.(wrap them and keep warm

until the rest of your meal is ready to be served.(also with a growing family and limited groc money while the chilkdren were still at home, I seldom bought baking potatoes, we also ate the skins ,they are good for you.

make a cole slaw or salad, maybe a carrot salad as well (these you can make earlier in the day

I always baked homemade biscuts as well. (these only take  8-10 mins of baking time)

you'll have a wonderful healthy meal that is  hubby and kid pleasing ..it will fill them up and satisfy their creature comforts too.

If your bunch can afford the extra calories, a slice of homemade apple pie and freshly made icecream

will polish  off your meal till you shine.( or you can cheat and buy real icecream..(the kind made with real cream and sugar and not all the 'stuff" that tastes like plastic..it looks like it if you leave a bowl  of it set out for a while , bleahhh

ok  you win, here is my cole slaw, much like the colonels

shred 1 head of cabbage ( I like to cheat and use a processor, careful or you'll have cabbage soup

1/4 cup of dried onion flakes

1 tsp of salt 1/2 of a carrot shredded(can omit)

1/2 cup of sour cream ( oops none in the fridge? evap milk or even plain milk with a tsp of vinegar

( it will curdle or as my grandma would say clabber)

3 Tbs of vinegar ( I always use real apple cider vinegar ..watch your lable as apple cider vinegar can mean it is "flavored only, there are health benefits to real apple cider vinegar.. I now buy and use  Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar .

2 tbsp of olive oil...mix together and chill at least an hour ( I know sometimes  you're late and you forgot to make it ahead..go ahead and use your cole slaw it's ok, it just tastes better when the flavors... marry..:-)

may your family have a wonderful time sharing  a wonderful homecooked meal. together.

(left overs make a great sandwich for hubby to take to work..think of the money you'll save and I'm sure he will be envied..how many people have a lovingly homemade lunch nowdays?.

Lets bring back the family to America....the table is a good place to start...

while you're at it ,what about  sharing a short thank you to God for His mercy,love and the ability to eat, some cannot (ever help a tube fed person, I'm sure they would be thankful to eat again)

of course you can Thank God for anything, you will be the one who is blessed.   

Watch your communication...or Prepare to dish up,MORE cornmeal gravy... .

>>>>My apologies,I had to change the title to this post, evidently it, or my whole post, had something someone else wanted,because they hijacked it...the "bootleggers" linked my post wto there website and got a bad "mark" saying it was unsafe... but it is not this post or my blog,that is unsafe...it is THEM the varmits who stole from me.  So if you saw something attatched to farmfunnies with a warning pleas read a bit farther to see where the actual link is going to.<<<<<<<
========================================================================
 You  never know what is around the corner.

At our 1st annual marketingmerge event (also known as RenPro) we were encouraged to look for solutions to problems, to not give up when we hit what appears to be a brick wall. If you hang in there, you can become a problem solver, a solution provider. Then give back and also  share with others.

The good Book says ..as you give ,so shall you receive. 

Do unto others as you would have them do to you

and one I also know to be true, you can't out give God. 

Many very wealthy unbelieving  people know this is a  basic truth( umm try..universal law, like gravity)

 they  know it "pays" to  give generously to various charities.

I'll share a  great family story which is a good example of using a problem to create a solution then getting unexpected and overwhelming results.

Farm funnies hubby's mom once created a wonderful meal that had everyone begging for more.

The family was tired and hungry they'd  worked hard all day in the fields picking beans ,just to survive.

The family was  living in a tent ,at the time, in a camp for migrant workers.

(I remember working in the fields sometimes  to help our family too, though my parents let us keep what we earned, hubby's family could not.)

Mom said to her hungry brood, "I don't have anything to cook for supper".

Dad asked if she wanted him to go to town and get something,

Mom said" get whatever you want"..Dad repeated "what do you want me to get"?

Dad was getting a bit annoyed that mom didn't give him a list.

Mom again repeated ,"just  get whatever you want".

Mom was tired ,still busy caring for the needs of the kids,she didn't care  what Dad brought home ,as long as it was food to feed the  clamoring kids.

Dad, somewhat miffed, went to the store and brought back a 2 qt bottle of beer, that was it.

When Dad came home,Mom asked what he'd brought home for super , he held up his bottle of beer.

Mom yelled "WHAT"..Dad  grumbled "you told me to get what I wanted, and this is what I wanted."

Mom  upest with him asked "what am I going to feed the kids"?

Dad just looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

Mom looked into her meager supplies to see what on earth she could manage to feed their hungry kids.

All she had was some bacon grease and some cornmeal..

Mom (one of the best cooks I ever knew, by the way) made what else, cornmeal gravy. 

Mom dished it up for the hungry kids. 

She didn't put out a plate for Dad , telling him,in no uncertain terms.. "you HAVE what you want". 

While the kids were enjoying their meal,  and Dad his,the family living in the tent next to them, came over to their outdoor  wood plank  table ,saying "man that smells good ,what is it?"

Dad ,to annoy Mom ,said "it's cornmeal gravy,come on over and have some".

Mom glaring at Dad,made another batch of cornmeal gravy. 

The "guest" said "this is great "  yelling to others in the camp,"you  all  gotta come and try this".

Before poor .tired Mom knew what was happening half of people in the camp(about 40-50 people) had  lined up for some of her cornmeal gravy.

Lesson...keep the communication lines open and make sure what you want or need is made  clear (clarity)

Take stock of what you have, don't get frustrated,  just be creative ,using what resources you have.

Be  ready and open for  something new...and then stand by for resluts and unexpected results (growth)

Then take what you make or create ,giving  value and  sharing  with others
(I'll be politically un -correct and say if you want to eat, then WORK for your supper.
Don't expect others to take care of you..by this I am not saying don't accept help if your really need it, I've recieved government food and it sure was a blessing at the time..but here is the deal...use what God gave you to use..for that matter if you are "stuck"  right now deal with it,(make cornmeal gravy) move on and become the best..
my favorite chinese proverb, he who aims for the moon and stars may hit a tree, but he who aims at a tree,never gets off the ground..ok I"m off my nanny state soapbox :-)

Below is an almost unbelievable video showing how even animals can learn new things

and how they also share what they learn with others.The good book says learn from the animals..maybe that's why farm funnies mom has so many critters,she knows she has lots to learn :-)
  >>>>>> if you skip to the link be sure to hit your back arrow to return here and finish reading<<<<

I am so thankful for those who have shared so much with me.

My first thanks goes to my moms mom, my wonderful patient, praying ,sharing ,giving Grandmother.

I shudder to think where our family would have been without her, I like to think her prayers are still

surrounding us with her pleas for our protection .

Next would be my own mom, she was and still is amazing, few would believe what she has endured

for her faith in God, what an example of God's love in the midst of earthly hell.

I can't begin to think of how thankful I am for my husband and friend of over 40 years,through thick and thin.

Many thanks to our health and weight loss coach. Lisa Castro.

 Dr.Wayne Anderson Dan Bell,Brian Drollinger and Nancy and Terri Pettit, I can't imagine what life would be like without  them paving the way for success in so many areas of our lives.

Here is a link to a booklet with some of their testimonies  (hubby and myself are in it too)

http://www.2takecontrol.com/FamilyFriendsBooklet_Castro.pdf

Of course thanks to all of my  great new Ren Pro friends ...

Ann Sieg look what you started., my goodness I can hardly believe this myself.

Because of you I met Alicia Bausley and her wonderful husband Ben ,her partner Lisa and husband Peter. Next I was blessed to be able to meet Mike Kligler, my coaching cognition coach
Barbara Silvia,which  led to  meeting more friends , 3 wonderful peer coaches to work with ,

then wonders never cease..I have help available, in a step by step format,  to  assist me with  continued growth in this once terrifying world...COMPUTORS...YIKES...sigh "hug"...
( hugs only after I bonk it a few times when it 'eats" another post...)

I will soon be swimming  like these dolphins in my new  on-line world..

Then before you know it I'll learn to make  those" rings" , running circles around  others with the best of them..  FUN...  http://youtube.com/watch?v=wuVgXJ55G6Y

January is National OATMEAL month: Apple Cinnamon Oatbran Muffin (no sugar)

                                                                         

The hens went to bed early,

they all needed their rest...

mom had out her cookbook ,

oatmeal was her glorious, heart warming quest

somewhere she had a recipie, handwritten ,within

for meatloaf and cookies that always brought a grin

She was planning to share them with others today

 hopefully them too they clucked ,early risers,in nests made of hay

sure mom would find their gifts and expand her recipie project

baking those  cookies , hopefully "creating" some  she would  reject

the hens all agreed the rejects were absolutely divine

their tastes perhaps, they declared ,weren't so sublime

so what if the bottoms are a bit charred

it just makes them more crunchy,not totally marred

bruawkked !!! I did it !!!  the first hen  did declair

my egg is the first of the day, the first cookie is mine

it's only fair !

==================================================

Oatmeal

moma said eat your oatmeal it's so good for you

my  horses all agree..just look at us: we're healthy ,big and strong..

Apple Cinnamon Oatbran muffin...

I love this recipie, it is a   heavy ,moist and  dense. It tastes, oh ..so good..it keeps well too

pre heat oven to 400 degrees

2 1/2 cups of oatbran(you can buy this in bulk in stores that have bulk food bins)

you could even trade this  out with old fashioned oatmeal and adjust your liguids a bit         

1 1/4th tsp of cinnamon,( Sometimes I like to add more as well a a bit of ground ginger

I love these two spices)

1 Tbsp of baking powder, 1/4-1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts ,1/4-1/2 cup of raisins

           1/2 cup of skim milk                                                                                                             

3/4 cup of undiluted (not reconstituded) froz apple juice                                           

                 2 eggs (this makes my hens happy and hopeful) ,pinch of salt                                                  

               you can add 1 med apple grated( if I do I grate skin and all )                                               

spray muffin tins(12 reg size) or line with muffin cups

bake 15 -17 min (watch should brown lightly)

these muffins do not rise very much, so I fill the tins to the top

pour a glass of milk (soy or  almond milk, for my casein free fans )

cook up an egg maybe two ,any way that you choose (  eat more eggs :-)I need to keep my hens employed)

set out some orange and apple slices (there is proof in how an apple a day,helps keep your Dr. away)

actually eating an apple before each meal is a good thing to help with weight loss, as well as giving you great health benefits.  I suggest finding a good source for local apples whenever you can...

I have a theory that home grown products , have some intinsic benefits , 

besides I love to support our local farmers...

Heins famous blueberries anyone?

hey...I could have had a V8 :-)... I need to try adding  some  blueberries to my muffins , in place of the raisins.

Now that your family has warm full tummies, and your oven is still hot, why not bake some heart healthy cookies for an afternoon snack

stay "tuned" for farm funnies favorite oatmeal cookie recipie ,I'll be sharing   in my next post:

after morning critter care is finished , that is, see you later..ya 'all come back now ya hear :-)

(still can't locate new spell checker, sorry)

                               

Digging..do you have the right tools for success?

Yesterday I had a shovel in hand, I needed to do some digging.

A shovel was what I needed until I hit a large root, then an axe or gubbing hoe would have allowed me to overcome that obstacle ..I stopped.

I may have stopped digging yesterday ,but I will return, I know what is needed to complete this work.

And I know the work will be finished because there is a clarity of my need.

Clarity of your need is needed for success, no matter what it is you want to accomplish

There are many kinds of success.

A shovel,pick axe or grubbing hoe would most definitely not be helpful in my home business.

The tools I have available for my business,thanks to Ann Sieg,Mike Klingler,Alicia Bausley and Lisa Hanfileti  would not be helpful moving that pile of dirt.

The coaching tools I am learning with Barbara Silva wouldn't move one shovel full of my outside dirt either.

So here I am I have all of these tools available to me, what do I do?

I look at the need, and I choose the correct tool...

If I use the grubbing hoe for digging I certaily could dig that hole,but it sure would take a lot longer. 

Without using a pick axe I will find digging nearly impossible , but I do need it,at least until that obstacle is removed. 

I also need to know how to use these tools.

If someone had not shown me how to use them , perhaps I could have figured out how to use them on my own, but it would have taken longer,

Think about it, unless you know to step on the shovel, the actually do it, your work is definitly harder.

Look at what you need to do to day, see if you have the right tools. 

Don't be afraid to ask someone to at least tell you where you can get them

( shovels are not generally  found in a grocery store, in case you hadn't noticed)

Don't be embarresssed to ask for a bit of help, even if it costs a little money for advice.

If you can't afford help, be creative, maybe you can do some swapping of some kind.

My dear friend Jeanne Warren will sometimes swap some of her work for something

she swapped me a lovely print of her paint foal painting for one of my singing canary babies.
We were both happy campers with our swap, her kids were not, man could that baby canary sing
and he did..loud and long :-)...
Jeanne's kids finally convinced her to swap him with somone for something else.
I wonder where my baby is now..I still have his joyous and proud papa.

Q. How long and how much sweat do you really want to put into digging into whatever ?

Q. How much beauty (success)can you enjoy if you "swap" or get help, or will you miss if you don't?

I'm glad I can start  work outside today knowing I need to carry an axe with me to remove a root so I can finish the work that is needed.

I'm also glad I can continue to work on my business  later, because I have some great tools to assist me,

umm lesson to self...we often learn truths when we share them don't we :-) ? ...so-o-o BETTY

stop being embarrassed about my technical obstacles and get some help to show me how to implement those tools...( I'm sure I will laugh myself silly when I see how I kept trying to use a "pick axe" in place of a "shovel" in certain  business areas ..)

Now that wasn't so very hard was it? 

Start  digging for your success..you will  undoubtably unearth great treasures  along the way.

p.s.Make sure you can trust anyone giving advice, you sure don't want to be whacked by a shovel ..
also even if you trust this person,perhaps they aren't the right "one" at this time..it happens
(check out my death of a texas donut 6/5/08 post..some people simply won't help you even though they have the goods)

pp.s. I'm sure this post has some spelling errors, my apologies, I still haven't been able to find that elusive spell checker in theis great new blogging post format.

Climbing high..hidden dangers of success & trainings for success

Are you a go getter? A risktaker? Looking for the truths of how to grow and succeed?

Reading,following, learning,growing, all such wonderful things to do.

I am doing the same myself.... I KNOW there is more potential inside of me.

I'm sure you KNOW this for yourself  too...

I believe we were designed to do,be,live,conquer,be better.

All good things,I encourage you in your similar quest for such

However ,BEWARE of the hidden dangers of success...

I am so very thankful that I have some good iron in my life.

Iron sharpons iron..it will scrape off the dirt,rust & corrosion

Even better it will hone those dull edges,making a good thing BETTER

we all want better and best don't we?

My best friend always brings something to my attention when I start going

gung ho on something even when it's  "good"

wow am I blessed.

He will either drop something across my path,or even whallop me with something

                     to get my attention,if needed. .I am grateful because I know my best friend,

                                             loves me and has my best interests at heart .

I want to share a couple of video's my friend recently shared with me. .

Here I was  doing "good", I am excited , doing,growing and WHACK...

                        "ummm here take a look at this,  do you realize you were so intent on the "good" stuff you missed the hidden danger ?."

I won't explain anymore

I'm sure each of you can draw your own conclusions after watching this same video

                           I will plead with you , if you have children or work with children to please realize the dangers in  even the "good" things : music and video's especially.

I remember reading in some "how to change a nation" article, that music is  one of the key tools.

And guess who the target is...youth...

(akka the "cute" kiddies cartoon at the end)

to follow your heart, passions & dreams  are  fine ...IF you have it grounded on real truth...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F83XhHZPHnc

there are several books which share similar truths about dangers

the hidden dangers of the rainbow

the beautiful side of evil

closing of the american mind

the child abuse industry

problems? not a problem, Bizzie Lizzie the solution provider

Do problems get you down or  frustrate you? Do you feel like crying in your "milk"?

Why not do like Bizzie Lizzie, use your problem/s to find a comfy solution.

This morning while I was doing basic critter care, I noticed something very unusual.

Bizzie Lizzie is getting to be a big girl, and her mommie Vonetta is rather short.

Problem...breakfast was apparently  a bit too low to the ground.

Or perhaps Bizzie Lizzie just wanted to be a "couch"alpaca potato .

Whatever the reason, I only wish I had  had my camera with me..

Bizzie Lizzie was all comfy ,curled up in cozy cush position right under mommie.

Guess what..lil' miss Bizzie was having her breakfast in bed...

I wish someone could explain why I can go for days carrying my camera in my pocket

and nothing cute or unusual happens...

THEN even if just for an hour my camera is left in the house...

get the picture?  good because I didn't :-0

Also can anyone explain why "they" can have breakfast "in" bed and I can't?

well I guess I really know why.  The "reason's "are mostly four footed or feathered :-)

I  also think Bizzie Lizzie  is evedropping  on my  marketingmerge lessons in my back office..

I bet she is messing with my computer too...'cause it sure has been acting "funny"

Sharing the good stuff...freebie links for umm FREEBIES..

Bizzie Lizzie says what did I hear? .... FREE????

Yes ,Bizzie Lizzie you heard  farmfunnies mom right, these are all free...

It's too dark to be outside ,so farmfunnies mom is looking for things to share...

 NO, absouletly not.....you can't have chocolate. 

You stick with mommie Vonetta's yummy milk.

http://www.samplevill.com/   http://www.godiva.com/  www.freakyfreddies.com/food.htm

http://www.lifescript.com/ http://www.all-free-samples.com%3efood/  http://www.chocolatedemos.com/

www.freemania.net/samples/food.htm http://www.littlelifesinhelp.com/

Readers..if freebies interests you ,then google free samples,free chocolates

or other things  and you'll find lots of links for free stuff

I wrote a few links in this post just for fun and to get you started :-)  mind you I've not done this yet

I do know you can walk into the  See's or Hickory Farm stores in our area and get free samples.

have fun

farm funnies food "secrets" akka.."secret" supermarket codes

It's obvious that this goodie laden tray contains pure unadulterated CANDY...
(alias SUGAR and no doubt lots of high fructose corn syrup "ta boot" in them "thar" sweets)

correct?

Things are not always as they appear on the surface or at first glance...(are they?)
ummm can you smell the warm pumpkin and blueberry muffins?

Did you even see them? Now I confess these muffins may have some health advantages over the out and out candy treats, but these muffins were made with a convience mix( I cheated)

The best muffins  are when you make them from "scratch" using  whole grain and healthy sweetners.
( I am currently researching a new  sugar replacement  called whey low (http://www.wheylow.com/  (using whey..the liquid left when you make cheese).
Hmm, I need to buy a product I recently discovered. it's  called squeeky cheese .  I need some for my grown kids..I often made homemade cheese while they were still at home.  Even at it's best  my cheddar cheese was squeeky and when they thought they could get away with it they liked to bounce it.
Had I realized it I could have had a corner on the new  fun squeeky cheese for your kids, gold mine.I could have been famous and wealthy with my cheese. If our kids would have been more supportive why just think of the possibilities..they really did eat my cheese ,but only after tormenting me with their squeeks and bouncing contests held on the kitchen table..then again I am learning from Ann Seig,Mike Klingler and others at our marketingmerge group, problems are good, they can lead you into something good..my cheese making was golden, had I thought positive.. someone else did..waaa...a note to the wise...look at your problems from another angle..you may have something just waiting for "fame and fortune" at its worst we enjoyed very stretchy melted cheese sandwiches.(well... honestly at it's worst my cheese didn't melt, sigh)
Back to natural sweetners
Our bees say save a kingdom..eat more HONEY.
Just  how many chances do you get  nowdays to be a  real hero and save an entire kingdom?
Here is your golden opportunity :-)

It always pays to look beyond the surface, the old adage never judge a book by it's cover...
We  know this is true in most areas of life...correct?

OK ..so this year you are going to eat,cook ,choose...BE healthier...and for that matter ,so IS your family...(especially if you are the chief cook and bottle washer, right ?...go "team...team go)

PROBLEM: Even we are doing "it" right,or at bare minimum "better"  
 incorporating more fruits and veggies into you and your families menu...did you know..

DANGER could be lurking in yhour shopping cart...

Into your basket  goes a nice healthy apple(well ,hopefully you placed it in  a bag or something,not the "bare" basket( I've seen it happen folks) umm  did you ever think about how many germs are simply in /on that shopping cart?  
One of our children bagged groceries when in high school. You would hardly believe the shopping cart "horror" stories ....bleahhhh... 20( or is that 30?) years later I can still get chills down my spine...

Think toddler,think not well potty trained ,think minus diaper,think sitting inside "your" shopping cart basket not on the childs seat...
think again...kid needs to go now... mommie...
Think not too attentive or even "with it  or "there" mom type.
Then  please think and send up some pity/strength  prayers  for the poor baggers who serve you,  no doubt you hardly think of them past perhaps a thank you.. they get  to mop the floor (again)..
The basket? who knows., if you're lucky perhaps it was left outside and got rained on...your salad greens may be resting in it now...

Oh, did I rabbit trail? 
Well ,this is farm funnies after all..
OK ..OK...back to the  secret store codes..

Into your  hopefully, fairly clean cart goes that  good for you healthy looking apple, even mother nature is happy with the appearance of your apple...

Have you done your homework? Or like me miss this  shopping "assignment" 101
DID you  even know to LOOK for  the "secret" code on that apple's  little sticker?

I Thought not, I generally don't pay them much mind either. so I guess I am "guilty" too...

You don't need a  secret decoder ring to decipher this, just remember a couple of numbers...
hey if you have senior moments, or have a multi task mind (most of us do,right? )
then write these numbers on the top of your grocery shopping list.(the back of your hand works too)

The secret "code" any four numbers on your produce means it was grown conventionally,
when that little sticker has five numbers then it was grown one of two ways:

If your healthy yummy /produce begins with the number 8 ummm it was genetically altered

....awwwk ,as for me and mine...we don't "mess" with mother nature, there would be outright mutiny down here on da farm :-)

 If your produce starts with 9, well it would give me and a few of "mine" peace of mind, organic is its "secret" meaning.

Perhaps you would like to try raising your own HEALTHY food...
even if you live in the city home grown fruits and veggies are very doable... there are food co-ops,exchanges,shares,,farmer delivery "baskets" ,farmer markets etc.

Don't know how to put up or put by? Hey just a little "digging" pardon the pun :-) in
your library,dept of agriculture( ask your extension agent) even community collages offer gardening classes.  Even the web has tons of info/  An older neighbor can often offer help there are food  hotlines etc...
rows of jams,jellys,home canned fresshly canned setting on your kitchen table is not only food for your families tummies it is a feast for your eyes...

2010....what do you want for your body? (
I'll "bet" you choose for it to be at the peak of perfection...

as for you and family,you want the very BEST...
I thought so, and hey your body(ies) will thank you NOW and in the years to come...

Remember February is heart health month..plan now for some healthy February meals..
why not skip most of the Valentine candy, learn to savor  a bit of good quality dark chocolate as you plan your garden instead...

Me? planning my garden,ordering mason bee straws, waiting for spring flowers to show their little heads, enjoying my cup of hot chocolate(healthy coronary that is,yum)
(sorry,still can't find that spell checker in this new blogspot posting tool...)

The Blues Brothers...at it again..."singing" the blues

Roo, our rescue ranger..yes he rescued our oldest grandchild when he fell into deep water.
Roo truly is our hero, even if he doesn't have a medal.

Roo loves to "sing" the blues.
However, I think Roo  has recently  decided to join me on my coaching cognition quest, I started in  our marketingmerge group.

Why do I think that, you ask?

It's all about listening.
Evidently Roo  already has  good coaching skills ... he has developed LISTENING skills to a science.. and with evidently very keen ears, I might add...
BECAUSE when Roo hears a siren, our distant neighbors dogs bark or any other chosen reason
he not only  pours out his heart and soul , he has  successfully coached the "gang", hearing whatever they even seem to wonder about  and has  assisted  them in voicing such  thoughts and wonderings.

As we are learning with Barbara in our coaching cognition class, a  good coach will hear what is even softly spoken, or is  even  "tossed" out.

Roo  tonight, hearing  a  "toss away" sniffled .gloomy ,woofly protest from both Kate and Annie ,  proceded to coach them . They are now passionately in touch with their inner selves, and have chosen to adhear to their core values and  let it all out,set to canine "music".
----( I  had locked the canine crew in  the kennel ,  while doing  evening critter care.
One look at a couple of my loyal resident mousers suggested they would feel much better (hey, I think my coaching skills are becoming finer tuned too.)  The cats sensed I didn't have time to keep track of the  canine crew tonight if they  wouldn't "hang' with me. I heard and I assisted my fluffies  in acheiving their goal..dogs locked up.

The blues "brothers"  includes not only Kate and Annie , Roo has successfully "coached" a   pair of our nene's... evidently Roo he has instintively listened to their
inner musical passions too , because he sure has helped bring the musical qualities  out of all of them.

If we lived MUCH farther away from our neighbors, I might (briefly) find this  evenings blues rendition humerous, or   even the times when the howling  is syncronized melodically with wailing sirens.

However, I am a firm believer in no nonsense barking (or howling) when within hearing distance of others.
I feel it is an imposition to our neighbors who can't really do much about it..especially if they happen to have a headache. Ditto for my "enough already hollers" yikes...

Just for "fun" here is how "singing" the blues went down tonight...ready?

distant woofing as our  neighbor dogs excitedly were chasing balls and frizbees,
Home "barking" MOM,hey something is going on, let us loose, we need to be sure you are ok.
Mom (me) far away yelling, (that's enough, stop it guys).
Neighbors "woof woof,hey this is a great ball" ...
 "BARK BARK"  goe the blues "brothers"we want to have fun too, "BARK" we mean it, "Bark,bark" let us out, we  ummm protest"..and umm LOUDLY...
mom (Stop it! ....now!)
"Bark,bark ", really, not fair, we'll be good... ummm... here kitty kitty(hope mom didn't hear that)
mom (I said enough!)
"HOWL",not fair, nobody(Meaning meanie .. mom) loves us...,
"whine"..it's just plain not fair "whine"
mom "enough, already"
"honk,  honk, honk, honk, honk, honk" nene's telling the whole world.. something is going down...we better tell mom...
"shrieeeek " bobby red tail   taking wing, sails off from his hunting tree limb, shriekings as he soars overhead, hey... this sounds interesting,maybe the blues brothers will  scare up some grub..
 "grackle,grunk,srucnkke greekkk" ,   the biggest blues brother ,grandpa bluesfeather, protesting...how is a fella suppose to settle down for some sleep with all of this going on? as he  disgruntledly  flapps  off departing  from his favorite bedtime roost, in a nearby tree...

critter care is finished,dogs go inside  with mom to eat dinner, before night patrol duties start.
Thankfully they are quiet at night...unless there is a real need.
(read my 9/12/07 post for more about grandpa bluesfeather)

sigh, another quiet night down home on the farm...all is well with the world...
(apologies if there are mispelled words, I just changed my posting  "editor" and I haven't been able to locate a spell checker..better ,is not always better is it?

caring is sharing..20 things good to know

Rob, one of my twitter followers, cared to share 20 things he found of value,
they were good so I am ...
well ...caring to share his 20 things with you :-)
here is his link for the 20 things http://is.gd/4ybDo

me ,my "mouse"..NOW then,what egg is in your house ?

It was all quiet this brand new year morn

I was feeling happy and yet a bit forlorn

I thot how quiet ,all others were still sound asleep

for me , even those "pesky" counting sheep...

so here I am awake early while all is quiet within this house

no creature is stirring but me and my "mouse"

My mouse doth protest this early morning ruse

and "squeaks" vehemently, early a.m. abuse

rest.. rest... it shrillingly declares...

my head agrees with early a.m. pre caffeine bugged eyed glares

yet the caffeine, with ibuprofen to calm the headache "parade"

has kicked in,preventing sleep, and creating weird poem tirades..

alas and alack is their any hope ?

perhaps I'll desist writing and google visit twitter or snopes...

oh dear twitter and snopes must now wait for me

all have awaken, breakfast is "due" is their a.m. plea

eggs(big or small? I ask),sausage,toast and cereal is "for" breakfast, of course

headache still "attached"...sleep I cry inward, but without remorse

because while at times it can be trying, this course , my life

we grow, I discover,under big or small stuff or strife

so head up ,shoulders back, a "wee"tug on those boot straps

a good look at today's & tomorrows "goals" there's no excuse

for even fleeting looks back...

join me , my blogging "friend"...go, win, conquer,subdue

I Know you can do "it" I believe in YOU....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(those eggs are for real. The brown ones are the creative "work' of our

happy Rhode island red hens, those whopping big blue ones?? ... give up?

Why they were "gifts"

from my precious swan "babies"...we have a "pair" which I am thinking is actually two pens

no I didn't make that up. Girl swans are called a pen , the fellas? cobs.What about the babies? signets, of course. Yes the eggs taste good, in fact yummy.