Patriot Guard Riders

Have you heard about the Patriot Guard Riders? They perform a tremendous service for the families of our fallen military heroes. Most recently, they escorted the body of Spc. Joshua Tomlinson Thursday, from the airport to Minden Louisiana. Then once again yesterday, the day of his funeral.

THANK YOU!

Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement

The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.

We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you’re from or what your income is; you don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.

Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives:

1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.
2. Shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.

We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.

To those of you who are currently serving and fighting for the freedoms of others, at home and abroad, please know that we are backing you. We honor and support you with every mission we carry out, and we are praying for a safe return home for all.

http://www.patriotguard.org/

Shame on YOU!

How dare you! How dare you add to the grief of those parents, family, and friends of our fallen heroes.

HOW DARE YOU! Sit in judgment on our brave men and women.

HOW DARE YOU! Accuse God of murdering our members of the military.

Westboro Baptist Church HOW DARE YOU set yourselves above God.

But the joke is on YOU! The Baptist church in Minden planned to turn your presence against YOU...by taking donations for Spc. Joshua Tomlinson's family based on how long you were there.

Is that the reason you decided not to show up and insult Spc. Tomlinson and his family?

Humphf. Just goes to show that you do not truly believe what you spout or nothing would've kept you from standing up for YOUR version of God's truth.

Full Circle...

This is where I work now. The entire section of the building in the photo below belongs to the Chamber. My office is in the red brick section with the two windows...and the functioning door. See the two doors that have been boarded up on the far right? It once was a separate business...now an interior door connects the two spaces (that one is rented to a government agency helping people pay bills). Some time before they were converted into one space, several businesses were housed there at one time or another...including...are you ready for this? My grandfather, Pa Bill, ran a taxi service out of that space on the far right! How coincidental is that?

(The City has received a grant to redo the sidewalks. Can hardly wait for the improvement!)

I fought the vacuum...

...and the vacuum WON! OH MY GOODNESS! That thing. Yes. I finally got it turned on...thank you very much. It is not self propelled! I will be vacuuming once every six months. Anybody got a 'stick' vac they don't want? LOL These gorgeous beauties are across the road from my house. And take a look at this! How cute is it? A "pup" tent. LOL Yes, Jonathan, it's for Pogo.

Grooving, Baking, Sewing

Yep. I did it all this week! Three of us drove all the way to Omaha to hear Lady Chazz and the Tramps. Drove maybe 15 miles. ;o) http://www.myspace.com/ladychazzandthetramps Hmmm...didn't get a photo of the bass player. The whole band is GOOD! Richard (lead singer and keyboard) graduated high school with me. It's not easy taking photos in a dark nightclub.

Here's the sewing...isn't it just too cute?!

Saturday morning, I picked up Mama and a friend of mine, Earlene the librarian aka one of the cruise companions. We went to Longview for a Wahoo tournament to visit with some of Mama's cousins. (It's a yearly event.) The three of us got beat right off the bat, but Earlene's sister, Beckle aka another cruise companion, went to round two...but no further. Beckle did win the trophy three years ago! Her first time to attend and play!!

I made a quiche to take to that gathering and another on Sunday. While I was busy with my family, Sam rode his Harley to Bay City to attend his sister's birthday/retirement party. He came back reddish brown from the sun. I can not believe he wore short sleeves as hot as that sun is out there! He walked into the house just as I was taking the cake out of the oven. Then I popped in a loaf of artisan bread. THEN the second quiche of the weekend went into the oven for our supper.

Elton called to let us know that they were going to Don Juans in Hughes Springs to eat, but since I already had the quiche in the oven (and personally preferred the quiche), Sam invited them for dessert. LOL, it was so fresh that it cut jagged. How does this look? YES! Yummy!!

Deane's Quiche

2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is best)
1/2 pound diced ham (or chicken or whatever meat you like)
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt (Be careful if you use ham!)
pepper
Anything else you might like to throw in (small green peas, mushrooms, etc.). I chose mushrooms

Whisk eggs, mayonnaise, and milk until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into prepared pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until center is set.

I've posted about my pie pastry many times. Click here: My Recipe Here

Banana Honey Cake

1 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the honey into a saucepan and bring to a boil Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and pour over oats in a bowl. Stir and cover. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend in eggs. Add the oat mixture and bananas and beat until well blended.

Sift flour with remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Pour into 2 greased and waxed paper-line 8-inch round cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Icing:
Beat cream cheese in a bowl until fluffy. Add remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually and beat until frosting is of spreading consistency. Spread between layers and over top of cake. Refrigerate. You may garnish with sliced bananas just before serving.

Saturday

The sunset is from a couple of nights ago. I made some origami bags for my grand nieces and nephews. I'm having a family gathering at my house on the 30th. These bags are so cute and so fun to make. Don't you think they'll make nice bags for the little kids?! A jar of bubbles and a small tub of Play Doh in each. I have some glow in the dark bracelets / necklaces for after dark. The boys will have a Hot Wheels. I've got to get the girls something.

This little fellow like-to've made me holler. Okay! I DID holler. We (as in Sam and I) have differing opinions on when to cover the pool. IF the pool is covered for the winter. We also differ on when to uncover the pool in the spring. Well...for all intents and purposes, spring is past. When the temperature rises over 80 degrees...it is no longer spring. I don't care what the calendar says. The pool is still covered. I started a siphoning hose to get rid of the water on top of the pool cover. I dipped out gunk...catkins off the oak trees...that are going through the stinking rotting stage. Then, I heard the above croaker so dipped him out with the net. I was surprised at how large he was. Only problem was...I didn't know that he was a mutant ninja frog! I dumped him on the grass. That put me between him and the pool. He attacked me! Hopped right toward me the whole time loudly voicing his disapproval at being removed from his comfy sludgy wet home...on the top of my pool cover. I started moving backwards quickly realizing that the pool was behind me...pool cover still on. I stopped. He didn't. He hopped on my feet! I screamed. Then I looked around to see if the neighbors heard. ;o)

Speaking of pool cover...I'm going to my C.O.W. status now. See the dog prints? Now...see the holes? See where one foot went in and in trying to gain purchase, the culprit pawed and clawed with another foot (off-side). Does that look plausible to you? Or do the two holes look like stress tears? That magically appeared over night? This happened some time after I left for work Wednesday morning. I leave about 7:40. Just before I left Thursday morning, I saw four of the neighbors' dogs trotting toward the house. I sat and watched. They went up behind the house first. I checked my watch. DANG! Not enough time to stand here with the camera. I stepped outside and ran them off.

This really, REALLY ticks me off. Pool covers...just simple large tarps like we use...are not cheap! The one time I called and asked those people to keep their dogs up for two nights, she refused. Let me catch them tearing up something when I have a camera in my hand!

I'm Just Not THAT Qualified

Yesterday at work, I was going to vacuum. (Office Manager really means Jack of All Trades.) It didn't happen. I couldn't find the 'on' switch for the upright vacuum cleaner. My upright - at home - has the switch on the left of the body. I've seen some on the handle. I couldn't find it! It's a good thing I was alone. I started laughing at myself. I just coiled the electric cord back up, draped it over the handle, and parked the sucker (pun intended) back in its corner in the back room.

Sam visited me later. I laughed and told him about my troubles. We drug the vacuum cleaner out again. He tilted it this way 'n' that. Then pointed and said, "Right there." Sure 'nuff! You step on one corner of the top of the "head" of the thing. LOL See...I can talk technical too. ;o)

Today. I spent the day messing with the computer...doing a disc scan and deleting files. There were only 25,998 files in the recycle bin. There's also an external backup drive that preacher's wife told me her husband had tried to clean up but it didn't work...he couldn't delete the files. He thought. After plugging it back in, I discovered it was empty. I found the whatever file it was and opened the manager and ran the diagnostics only to discover that something's wrong.

I'm going to ask for permission to purchase a 'thumb' drive. They're cheap. And I can carry it with me. What good is a backup left beside the computer if there's a fire, severe lighting strike that fries everything, theft, etc.

I never got around to defragging the computer. That'll be tomorrow.

Goodies

Training went well. I think I can handle it. Preacher's wife made a confession our last day together. After which I thumped her on her arm and said, "I don't like you." After the first of the year, she had updated forms, brochures, etc. with the new year...2010. She DELETED them! So that I would have 'something' to do!! Argghhh. I have never heard of that! Whenever I left a job, I made certain I had everything up to date before leaving so that my replacement could just step in and take over without having to wonder about what I left unfinished. eyeroll

But...I have a plan. She did make the statement that she never empties the recycle bin. Guess what I'm doing first thing Monday morning?!

Changing gears:
After changing sheets on Mama's bed last week, she said, "Come here." Ever the obedient daughter (PLEASE don't tell her I typed that!), I followed her. She handed me the epergne first. It was one of the goodies she hung on to during her antique buying and selling career. (The metal looks like a tree trunk.) I've stopped asking her if she's sure she wants to part with things. I find that she's generally thought it over, and her mind is made up. See the two thimbles? Those were Daddy's mama's thimbles. The hankies and the red scarf? They belonged to Mama's mama. I looked and looked at that scarf. Something was tugging at me. I opened it up. Examined the hemming. Not very good work. The reason? I hemmed that piece of sheer material and gave it to her! I don't know how old I was, but the hand work isn't that great. I used one stitch part of the way around, swapped to another, back to the first way. LOL It's come full circle! I HAVE to wear it with something...around my neck though, not holding my hair down. LOL

Oh goodie, goodie. GOODIE!!!

Baking

Finally got the apple pie photos downloaded to my computer. I love pie dough. And biscuit dough. A former co-worker yucked me one time when I mentioned tasting dough. There's no raw eggs - I don't lick cake batter off the beaters. THAT is a yuck-o for me. But I do taste dough. That way, I can make certain that I remembered the salt. Yes. I have forgotten before.

I made a double crust recipe of pie pastry. I cut off 1/3 of the dough and set it aside. Then I rolled out the remaining 2/3 in one big sorta circle; placed it in the pie pan. Filled it with sliced Granny Smith apples that had been tossed with sugar and a bit of flour and cinnamon. Almost forgot to sprinkle it with brown sugar! Dotted it with butter. Pulled the dough up over the apples. Occasionally I will make a regular 2-crust fruit pie or a lattice topped pie. That's when I forget to do it this way. With this style "presentation" I have never had the pie juices to leak out. There's no seal to break.

While the pie was baking, I rolled out that remaining 1/3 piece of dough. Buttered it and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Rolled it up like cinnamon rolls, sliced it, and baked it for about 10 minutes. I like baked dough too. ;o) Here's the pie after it has baked on the bottom shelf. Yes, it is as good as it looks! If you want recipes, scroll down the sidebar on the right. Look for apple pie and pie crust.

Remember those gorgeous bluebonnets? There's a downside. You can not mow them down until after they have seeded. Sam barely bears it. ;o) Our neighbor, Dorothy, who owned this property two deeds back likes it even less. LOL She thinks the bluebonnets are gorgeous, but can't stand the seedy/weedy look. I know her. She would have bluebonnets only the first season.

Here's some blooming pretties. Sigh...another pretty. And what about these pretties?! Our cruise photo. Nancy, Beckle, Me, Earlene.

Long Day

Mama had a doctor's appointment in Tyler today. The x-ray was at 11:30. We saw the doctor about 3:30. Not good news. Her back (disc fusing) is not healing properly. The original fusion is just fine. The additional disc added in October...not. He's done all he can do from the backside without serious risk to nerve damage and...and of course I had to ask, "Paralysis?" The answer was yes. If it doesn't look better in three months...Mama is facing another surgery to install a larger "cage" from the front. I just about started crying. I mean. Enough is enough. How much more...

She can't take the 'good' pain killers. My mother would not have made a good addict. She throws up the good stuff. I would type "LOL" except it's not funny when the strongest thing that you can take after surgery is Darvocet. And in case you didn't know...she had triple by-pass in 1997 and a hip replacement in 2002. She's had back surgery in 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2009. Darvocet. That's it. They try the harder stuff and give her something for her stomach...it might work once but don't give her a second dose.

The doctor told her that she was one tough lady. She started chattering and he said, "You're cute." She said, "I used to be when I had lots of dark naturally curly hair." He started laughing and said, "I meant your attitude." Then she talked about me being her only child without naturally curly hair but had the least gray. He looked at me. "Your hair color is natural?" "Yes. I don't have to buy it in a bottle." ;o)

As we left, Mama told him, "You take good care of yourself. If I have to have another surgery, I want you. I don't trust anyone else." He was genuinely pleased and thanked her profusely.

Pray for a miracle! My mama needs one.