Bathrooms........

 Have  you ever gone into a bathroom that was dark, and you couldn't see too well?  I don't like that, because I have to wear glasses as it is, and it just makes it harder for me to see.  I don't like a bunch of dark rooms, anyway, because I have plants that need light to grow.  Good bathroom lighting  is needed when you are grooming yourself.  I'm glad that there is a good fixture over the sink, so that I can see how I putting on my make up.

2010...........

As we start another year we look at the family we still have and wonder if they'll be with us this time next year.

New Year's Help.......

I'm not sure about this particular company, but many offer New Year's Eve assistance to driver's who've had one too many, during celebration.  It's great to get roadside assistance  when  you are broke down and out in the middle of nowhere. Being a long ways from home makes things even more difficult when stranded on a long stretch of highway.  Roadside assistance is hard to find out in those areas.

Fat Reduction........

 I need to find this kind of pill.  You know, the one that does the job?  It's almost necessary every year at this time.  Getting the correct slimming pills  takes shopping around to find the one that's going to work with your body system.  I've seen several reviews about different pills, and wonder just how well they might work.  The money involved in buying some of the pills, is out of my price range.  Heck, I could just push back from the table more often....

Aprons.........

Maybe we should bring aprons back…

"Aprons" (truly a sweet story)

                    Remember making an apron in Home Ec?  
 
Read below:


The History of  'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only had a few,it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for  removing  hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,  bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. 

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the menfolks k new it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.  Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill 

to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.  

Christmas..........

This is my sister in her new home, getting the food ready.......

This is Mom in the background and my step-dad in the forground........This is a closer up pic of Mom.............

Sis likes to eat just like I do......
This is her new hubby, and a nice asset to the family.......

It was a small family Christmas this year........

Food For Homeless and Needy

A girl helps to feed a baby during New York's largest Christmas Day Celebration for New Yorkers in need at the YMCA in Brooklyn, New York December 25, 2009.

A volunteer serves plates of hot food at New York's largest Christmas Day Celebration for New Yorkers in need at the YMCA in Brooklyn, New York December 25, 2009. 

Merry Christmas To All...........

Italian Food..........

 I love to eat at Italian restaurants, especially when out on a date.  It seems to add to the romance of the dinner.  I don't live up in Syracuse, and considering the snow, I am glad I don't.  If you live up in the local area, then you will enjoy an evening out at this Syracuse italian restaurant  during the holidays.  Make it a festive time, with family and friends while enjoying great spaghette, with hot bread and the rest of the amenities.

More Memories

As a small child I lived with my grandma, uncle, grandpa, and at night........we went up and stayed at my Great grandma's........so, she wouldn't be alone........she was in her latter years.....
Then Christmas time would come around, I knew we didn't have a fireplace, and the front door was always locked at night.  I asked how he would manage to get in, in order to leave a gift for us?  The answer was..........oh don't worry, he has magic, he'll make it in somehow.........well, he did and this small girl would get most of what she had told Grandma, that she wanted Santa to bring her.......

Insurance

 There's always a time to research new insurance quotes.  I realize that we get in ruts and don't look at different policies, if we already have some form of insurance.  Getting a better deal at a lower rate, is worth the efforts of looking around.  I'm sure if you shop around you can find insurance rates that fit your budget.  Why not compare rates here  at this link and notice the difference?

Medicare Gap........

A shopper walks toward the pharmacy at a Little Rock, Ark., Wal-Mart store. It's an annual ordeal for many seniors living on a budget. Medicare's coverage gap for prescription drugs, $3,610 next year, has steadily gotten bigger since the benefit's inception. But if Democrats have their way on health care overhaul, the dreaded 'doughnut hole' will shrink by $500 right away and go away altogether by 2019.

Memories.....

I can remember back during my childhood years, doing things that today are not done.  I remember my family living the way they were financially able to live.  We were considered to be poor people, back in those days.   I didn't realize it, because that way of life, was all I knew.

We had a cast iron stove in the front room, with a flue that went up into the ceiling and out the roof of the house.  Once every six months or so a load of coal would be delivered, which my family bought to use to burn in the stove.  It was our way of heating and cooking in those days.  I learned very early that a stove burned, by testing it for myself.  The smell of the coal burning wasn't great, and if you turned the flue the wrong way the house would fill with smoke.

Sometimes, when I felt wicked, I would go outside and climb around on the pile of coal.  This would get me as well as my clothes jet black.  Naturally, my grandmother wouldn't be too happy about that.  It was very hard to wash out of clothes and off your skin.  My grandmother, washed clothes in a big galvanized tub of water, with a rub board and her hands.  Then she would rinse them in another large tub of water, wring each piece out with her hands.  After that she would carry the clothes out and hang them on a clothes line to dry.  So, I guess you could say, seeing me with black face, hands and clothes didn't make her day at all.

Mead Johnson, Maker of Enfamil, Loses Multi-Million Dollar False Advertising Case Against Store-Bran

This is a sponsored guest post written by a Press Release on behalf of PBM Products. Post powered by Sponzai.

GORDONSVILLE, VA., December  2 , 2009—PBM Products, LLC, a leading infant formula company that supplies store-brand infant formulas to Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, Kroger, Walgreens, and other retailers, has received a favorable jury verdict and a $13.5 million damages award in its false advertising lawsuit against Mead Johnson & Co., the operating subsidiary of   Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (NYSE: MJN) (“Mead Johnson”), the makers of the national-brand Enfamil® LIPIL® Infant Formula.  Mead Johnson is 83 percent-owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

PBM’s lawsuit claimed that Mead Johnson engaged in false and misleading campaigns against PBM’s competing store-brand of infant formulas, suggesting they do not provide the same nutrition as Mead Johnson’s brands.  PBM’s store-brand infant formulas cost up to 50 percent less than Enfamil® LIPIL®.  The $13.5 million in damages awarded by the jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of the largest damages awards ever for a false advertising case.

“This decision by a jury of the people confirms that Mead Johnson’s ads have been false in suggesting that there is a nutritional difference between our store-brand formula products and their products, when in fact the only major difference is price,” said PBM CEO Paul B. Manning.  “Despite Mead Johnson’s scare tactics, parents are assured that PBM’s formula products are as high quality and nutritious as Mead Johnson’s.”

U.S. District Court Judge James R. Spencer issued his written rulings yesterday following the November 10^th jury verdict. Judge Spencer’s written rulings permanently enjoined Mead Johnson from making any false statements concerning PBM's infant formula, including the claims Mead Johnson previously made in Enfamil advertising that "It may be tempting to try a less expensive store brand, but only Enfamil LIPIL is clinically proven to improve brain and eye development," and "there are plenty of other ways to save on baby expenses without cutting back on nutrition."  The Court also ordered Mead Johnson to retrieve from the public domain all advertising or promotional materials containing these or any other false claims about PBM's store brand infant formula.  

The details of the decision and the complaint are posted online in full at:

·      http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/Order_Laches.pdf

·      http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/PBM_Complaint_MJ_III_LIPIL.pdf

The nutritional supplements under examination in the case are two fats, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), which Mead Johnson calls “LIPIL®” solely for marketing purposes and touts as promoting infant brain and eye development. PBM’s claim focused on Mead Johnson’s direct mailing to more than 1.6 million parents of an alarming blurry picture of a child’s cartoon duck next to a clear picture of the same image which suggested that anything other than the Enfamil LIPIL® blend of ingredients is inferior and will result in poor eye and brain development.  Other parts of the false advertising campaign consist of statements that only Enfamil LIPIL has been proven to confer visual and mental benefits on infants, and store-brand formulas are a “cut-back in nutrition” compared to Enfamil. 

PBM successfully argued that these advertisements were false and misleading especially since PBM store- brand infant formulas have the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil.  PBM infant formulas are formulated to contain DHA and ARA, and are sourced from the same supplier in amounts which equal or exceed the DHA and ARA in Mead Johnson’s Enfamil LIPIL®. 

This decision marks the third time PBM Products has sued Mead Johnson for false advertising claims. On the prior occasions Mead Johnson admitted that it made false claims about PBM’s products.  It is also the first false advertising case to focus on the issue of DHA and ARA nutritional ingredients in formula, which were introduced into the market in 2003 and have become a staple in recent years by many brands as key components for infant development.

“This jury verdict should send a significant and clear message to Mead Johnson about the way it conducts marketing and advertising for its brands,” said Manning.  “This lawsuit also demonstrates our complete commitment to defending our products and the valuable brands of our retail partners.”

“As a parent and supporter of children’s medical research, I take a personal responsibility in assuring our customers that the products we produce are healthy and nutritionally equivalent to brand names like Enfamil® LIPIL®.  It is important, especially now, for parents to know that there are lower priced yet highly nutritious store-brand formulas that will provide the same benefit to their children as any national brand name formula product,” Manning added.   

The U.S. infant formula market is estimated at $3.4 billion and the global market is estimated at $7.9 billion.

All of PBM’s formulas, and for that matter all of U.S. infant formulas, are subject to the exacting standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pursuant to the Infant Formula Act of 1980.  This legislation vested FDA with the authority to ensure that all infant formula products sold in the United States provide the necessary levels of identified nutrients required for the growth of healthy babies. For more information, visit this FDA link.

PBM Products was represented by the law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP.  Partners from the firm’s advertising practice, Harold P. Weinberger and Jonathan M. Wagner in New York, led the team.  

About PBM

PBM is privately owned and based in Gordonsville, VA.  PBM companies specialize in manufacturing, distributing, and marketing consumer food, nutritional, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit www.pbmproducts.com.

Enfamil® LIPIL® are registered trademarks of Mead Johnson & Co.

Less Fortunate..........

As we write this post, we tend to think about the one's who are less fortunate than us, who will be without these holiday's.  I do hope that in some form or fashion, you and I can be one of the people who try in some way to help them.  Even though I know my Christmas won't be as nice as some people's, I know that there are still a few people out there, who love me and care for me.  Many people, who are alone in Nursing Homes and shelters, won't have a good family Christmas.  Please......won't you try to help in some way............even if it's just a visit........which they need so badly.

Heart Will

The internet world has opened up so many different lines of communication and fields around our world.  I imagine that this way of handling one's own personal memories, is another way the internet world is making life more simple for us.  

I went to this website and looked at all the different features they offer when making a personal digital photo album for your family and friends. It was wonderful to see all the different things I could do, and have them saved for members of my family to view later.  This gives us a way to let them know who we were, how we felt, acted and experience our daily lives.  Saving these memories gives us an advantage we never had before.  We can have a way of  living on  after we have departed this world.  Our family members can hear our voice, see our smile and hear our famous quotes.  This website has a great way of interacting with the Flickr software and can save you plenty of time, with their services.

Don't leave all those pictures, and memories on a shelve.  Make a living memory and leave it for a member of your family to care for.  It's your legacy to them.

FAMILY

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.

He said, 'Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you.'

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

'While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.'

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.

'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'
He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'

I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'
He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway.'

I said, 'Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.'

FAMILY
F A M I L Y

'OAre you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.

toDo you know what the word FAMILY means?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

Too Much Food......

Wow with all the good food we had this year........it was impossible for me to control my eating.......but, since I've had the miserable cold the last week, it's been hard to have an appetite and so it wasn't hard to not be very hungry. I cooked most of the food, so by the time I had finished, I was tired of looking at food anyway. Still I managed to get a large amount of it into my mouth.......which I hear many other people did.......
Come on......now be honest.........how many of you actually controlled your intake, this Thanksgiving?

Do You Prepay......

 I remember when I was using a certain phone service, and got tired of all the different charges they would hit me with monthly.  It seem a never ending battle, of calling and trying to find out why or what all the charges were about.  My cell phone has become an integral part of my life as it has numerous of people's.  I wonder what we could have done, should technology have advanced itself back then, like it has today?  Do you realize the things that we as teenagers could have done, during the 50's and 60's?  It would have been more convenient to get around with this type of service available.  Somehow, the world of technology missed my teenage generation and enlisted the generations of my children and grandchildren.  I too am involved in the technology, but not to the extent that they are.  I only recently tried to text someone, and felt I had accomplished another feat in my life.
The need to control the use of cell phone, has really come into focus, with all the texting the teens are doing these days.  I found that using Prepaid Phone Cards  can control my cell phone spending and give me more control over my usage and bills.  I'm sure if parents made their teens use some of their allowances' to pay for their cell phone's things would get more controlled.  The teens are having it much easier, with getting things than we did and it seems these devices, are an area that needs censure.

What Will 2010 Bring.....

Looking to 2010........and wondering........


Mom, is 84 and as you can tell........she's very over weight. She says the doctor's tell her that she's doing fine..........from the looks of her face, she's getting weaker.......her eyes tell the story.........who knows .......she may out live us all.......








Henry, my step-dad, is 88 years old and hasn't been in very good health in the last few years. Yet, he said the doctor's told him everything was ok, except for the arthritis.........what else can you expect at that age........

 This is a great way to earn extra cash, and see videos at the same time.........

Swing Sets........

Just in time for Christmas, is this great 50% off sale on all swing sets with a 100% lifetime guarantee on all the redwood used to make up these sets. They are ready to be customized and sent to your home as soon as your order is complete. I'm sure you have been looking for just the right place to order one of these swing sets and here they are. I saw many different shapes and sizes, that any child would love to have in their play area. You can feel good about the safety of the products from this company. They make sure all the parts a durable, strong and built with safety in mind.
Should you want to install it yourself, then they will ship all the parts and swing set accessories to your home and give you assistance, should you have a problem, setting it up. I'm a lazy person, so I would need to have one of their local dealers, come and install one for me.
The prices' are comparable to other companies, and with all the different styles to choose from, I don't see how you can go wrong. This is a gift that will still be around for your grand children, if taken care of properly.

Light Turn Out.......

They say there was a light turn out today, in Dallas at the 3 clinics for the H1N1 virus vaccine. Medroc - Bringing the Hospital to you.
There were a few mothers with young kids. Most of the people were older, and for the most part they had never before sought care from the health department. The H1N1 vaccine had been in short supply nationally because of manufacturing problems. Only 17 people were in line at the Dallas County Health Department when it opened at 8 a.m. That's a far cry from the thousands who showed up in early November, when the county got its first 10,000 doses. At the time, vaccines were designated for those considered high-risk.

Ladies, Here's Help............

All you ladies, who are growing older are always looking in the mirror, and wondering what they can do to keep some of their beauty? It's no crime for the men to feel the same way. Using a good wrinkle cream
can help slow down the processes. I have all but given up on my face, because of the years of torture I put it through. My friend, takes good care of her skin, and you can see the difference.

Cars Most Likely........

I wanted one of these........but now.........I'm not so sure.......
The Dodge Charger (only the 2006 and 2007 models are included since it was not available in the 2005 model year). Based on the claims filed, the IIHS also calculates the average loss payment--the amount paid to the consumer by the insurance company--made for each claim filed.

2007 Dodge Charger

Big trucks and SUVs are among the most appealing to car thieves. In the past few years, big, bold SUVs have become almost synonymous with the success of entertainment and sports stars. You make it big, you buy an Escalade. Or a Hummer. Hopefully, there's money left over to hire a full-time driver who can watch over the car, because these two vehicles are among the most likely to be stolen.

New Netbooks

It's the growing trend to have a netbook in your home. Have you noticed how many students, you see with their carrying cases', walking about with their netbooks? There are many new netbooks on the market for this year's gift giving. Christmas, looks to being better this year, and will have plenty of electronic's obtained for gifts. I would love to have one, but my budget can't handle it right now. Maybe, Santa will find his way to my door, with a nice one.

Wisdom.......

THE WISDOM OF DAILY LIFE

1. Watch a sunrise at least once a year.

2. Plant flowers every spring.

3. Look people in the eye.

4. Compliment three people every day.

5. Live beneath your means.

6. Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery.

7. Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.

8. Don't postpone joy.

Feeding My Face.........

It's possible that, if I would just stop stuffing my face with all that good food, then I wouldn't need a fat burner to get rid of those pounds. Sometimes, it's very hard to get them off, once you put them on. Actually, it's much more satisfying putting the pounds on than it is trying to get them to come off. I believe that's what they call "comfort food". They are right, because I find it very comforting to be full of good food.

Too Much Food.......

Thanksgiving and the other holidays' play havoc on our diets and I for one am having the problem. I love to eat and..........you guessed it.........I love to cook. Everyone comes to my house for Thanksgiving.........that is.......everyone that knows I cook. I've tried to discourage some outsiders' but alas, they still manage to make it to the door.
Since I'm the cook of the main items, I know how the food is going to taste.............therefore, I will make a plate which is "man size"and attempt to eat it. My family says that if there's too much on a plate and I can't eat it all..........then that was a big plate! What a horrible thing for them to say about me...... :(
As time would take it's toll on my body, so did the food. Now the once lithe body is just a short dumpy one. Still I do love to eat and figure, that I only live once and need to be able to enjoy myself as much as possible.........That's my story........and I'm sticking to it!

Notebooks........

My investments in computers, hasn't included a laptop as yet. I haven't found one that compatible with my expertise in computer technology. To be honest I have looked at many when my finances were apt enough, but found them too technical for my mind. They are showing several different notebooks and laptops, which include the Acer Aspire on Buy.com. I believe that you will be able to find a good computer for the price. Click on the above link and look around the website.

Loneliness...........

A lonely person will be less trusting of others, essentially "making a mountain out of a molehill. An odd look or phrasing by a friend that wouldn't even be noticed by a chipper person could be seen as an affront to the lonely, triggering a cycle of negative interactions that cause people to loose friends. A lonely person is likely to lose touch with another person, who in turn gets cut off from others, and both end up on the fringes of a social group. It is more of a state such as hunger, which evolved as a cue to motivated our ancestors to go find food.
Over time, lonely individuals become lonelier and transmit such feelings to others before severing ties. "People with few friends are more likely to become lonelier over time, which then makes it less likely that they will attract or try to form new social ties.

Women's Healthcare........

A doctor and a nurse check an elderly patient at a US community hospital. The bitterly divided US Senate on Monday formally launched a historic debate on sweeping legislation to overhaul the US health care system, President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. A bipartisan amendment to increase insurance benefits for women through yearly screenings gets the first Senate vote Tuesday.