Volunteerism

Hello World!

Giving of ourselves to help others, animals, our environment, etc. makes our world a better place and is an admirable pursuit. As a native Tennessean, volunteering is in my blood; after all, Tennessee is known as the Volunteer state.

Back Porch of The Hermitage
Photo by Jimmy Johnson

This weekend, the HH is engaging in his most recent volunteer occupation as a greeter at The Hermitage, the historical home of our 7th president Andrew Jackson.  Old Hickory, as he was known, was the kind of guy you either liked or didn’t like, but he was one interesting historical figure in both our state and country.  Since the HH is a people person and a history buff, this type of volunteer work suits him well. Today, he is working the back porch area of Jackson’s home.

Our family has also volunteered as a foster family for animals rescued from kill shelters. We cared for dogs, acclimating them to family life, while waiting for a suitable family to adopt them.  Here are three of the dogs we grew to know and love during their time with us.  I’ve lost track of how many dogs we fostered, but these three were with us the longest; it was hard to let each go.

Ms. Peggy (Piggy)
Photo by livingandlovinglifeafter50

Teddy
Photo by livingandlovinglifeafter50

Bo (Bocephus)
Photo by livingandlovinglifeafter50

What other types of volunteer work have we done.  To give a few more examples, the HH has also volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank here in Nashville, and I spent two years doing volunteer work for a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity as their bookkeeper.  Our youngest daughter is extremely involved in volunteering.

Daughter with friend and car completely full of school supplies

Last month, she and a couple of her friends organized a back-to-school bazaar and collected school supplies for students whose families might otherwise have a difficult time providing all of the items needed for their children. We are proud of her work for others.

Newspaper article to encourage support of back-to-school bazaar

Do you volunteer?  If so, in what ways do you help others, animals/wildlife, or our environment?

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

What Have We Learned or Failed to Learn Since 9/11/01?

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Like many people, I remember where I was and what I was doing when I learned of the horrible events that occurred on the day to which we now refer as 9/11. The idea of our civilian population being attacked by foreign terrorists was something we as a people thought could not truly happen to us, at least not with any success, but it did happen. While there are stark differences between that day and the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii December 7, 1941, this is the event to which my mind makes a connection.

Obviously, the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese pulled the United States fully into the Second World War, one we tried in vain to avoid.  Once we as a country were committed, everyone rolled up his or her sleeves and did what had to be done. I’m not here to debate that all of the things our country did during this time period of war were morally or ethically correct, but decisions were made and acted upon during a time of hard choices.   Four years later, the war was over and our country not only got back to business as usual, but Americans also got about the business of becoming the most powerful country in the world. The men and women in the generation who led us through this time period have become known as “The Greatest Generation,” and in my opinion, that name is a perfect fit for those Americans.

Now, 12 years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, how have we changed as a country?  What lessons have we learned?  What lessons did we have the opportunity to learn and failed to do so?  For a brief moment, brief in terms of a twelve-year span, I saw Americans pulling together and showing love and concern for each other better than anytime that I can remember. I was proud to be an American.  All too quickly, we as a country returned to business as usual – not the business of becoming better and greater as did our post-WW II predecessors, but we returned to the politics of self-interest rather than the good of the people, to the quest for money without care for ethics, to the lifestyle of entitlement rather than fair work for a fair wage, and I could go on.

In the events of the last week, I think we and the world see that the direction our country has taken post 9/11; it has gone quite the opposite direction of what happened in America post WW II.  Instead of strong leaders who set good examples, we have weak, selfish, and self-centered leaders lacking commitment and integrity from all political parties. In years to come, we may come to be known as “The Weakest Generation” or “The Most Selfish Generation?”

Because of lessons not learned by this generation, what is the future of our country?  Is this the end of the America I have known and loved, or is it not too late to adjust our course?  It is my suggestion that we pull back and clean our own house, repair our own structure, and take care of our own people rather than trying to take care of the world.  We are of no use to the world if we cannot heal ourselves first.

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

Beta Readers Wanted: Would You Turn the Page?

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What I share below has been read by only two people other than myself: my husband and daughter.  Now that I have their feedback, I am looking for the feedback of others, so comments would be appreciated.  If you read what I have written below, would you want to turn the page?  If yes, why?  If not, why not? Thanks for your help in advance. Please do not re-print this posting or any part of it.

__________________________________________

Shifting one foot to the other and pulling her coat collar close to her chin, Jasmine scanned the terminal, her eyes darting here and there. The thump, thump of her heart was so loud in her ears that she almost missed hearing the phone. Trembling, she switched it off.

It was him.

The line moved forward. She walked through the gate and boarded the plane, taking the first vacant window seat.  Hands still shaking, she fumbled with the seat belt until it was fastened. Then, pulling the shade down over the window, she lowered her head and leaned against the inside wall of the aircraft.

From under the veil of her eyelashes, Jasmine watched as people boarded, careful not to make eye contact. She offered a silent prayer of thanks when it was two ladies, apparently traveling together and engrossed in their own conversation, who took the two seats beside her.

Only after the flight attendants had closed the doors and she could feel the plane backing away did Jasmine let out the breath she had unknowingly been holding, quickly followed by a huge sigh of relief.

She had done it! After months of careful planning, she had escaped!

It was the bump of the landing gear hitting the runway followed by the jerk backwards at the reverse thrust of the engines that woke Jasmine.  Briefly disoriented, for the first couple of seconds she could not remember where she was or why.  Slowly it all came back to her.

Choosing Good over Evil in Our World

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While people who do evil have existed as long as humanity has existed, are things worse now than they have been in the past, or do the media make it seem that way because of a desire to sell the news? Is it a combination of both things?

It does not seem to matter which form of news one chooses, the sensational stories geared toward the tragic and the depravity of humankind is always at the forefront.  Scanning news stories today, I have read about a couple who adopted a child from Ethiopia only to allegedly starve and freeze the child to death (story here); I’ve read another story about a newlywed couple where the wife allegedly murdered her new husband by pushing him off a cliff (story here), and there is the story that was, as the expression goes, “the icing on the cake” for my decision to write about this issue.  Two fifteen-year-old girls in Maine put an 8-week-old kitten in a microwave and turned it on, and I have not used the word alleged here because evidently there is a video to prove it (story here).

These are stories about every day people and family life, not stories of atrocities occurring in war-time settings.  What is wrong with us?  Why do we not only allow but encourage media to sensationalize the bad rather than looking for and sharing the good and discouraging wrong doing?

I am not willing to go so far as to say that humanity is more evil today than it has ever been, but I do believe that we are much less than we should be; many have given in to a depraved nature.  I believe that our moral and ethical downfall is in part due to a breakdown in the family unit.  As a teacher, I know that children must be taught to do well, and too many parents set bad examples and/or do not take time to educate their children on how to be good, moral, ethical people who do good rather than evil.  I also believe that one of the reasons humanity is lacking is due to a falling away from the good teachings of our world religions. Instead, there is an over abundance of focus on the negative, and some people choose to latch onto a perversion of what is taught.

It is my hope that humanity will change and seek to do well and search for good while abhorring wickedness in a quest to overcome evil to make our world a better place to live.  It is my hope that the media will look for the uplifting, inspiring, and happy stories to report, replacing some of the decadent and sensational stories of malevolence that seem to be almost the only thing we hear or read.

Have a happy and blessed day!

Angela

Zucchini & Bacon Casserole OR My Cooking Experiment

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I embarked upon a personal cooking experiment. With two zucchinis in the frig, I wanted a new recipe to try for dinner.  I made up my own recipe with hopes that it would be one that would suit me.  Here is the result.

Zucchini & Bacon Casserole
Photo by LivingAndLovingLifeAfter50

Here is what I mixed together.

• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium red potato, grated
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 6 to 8 slices turkey (or regular) bacon, sliced in 1/2′ strips
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Dash of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs beaten
• 2/3 cup self-rising flour
• 1/3 cup oil

Mix all ingredients well and pour into an 9 x 13 glass pan and bake in a pre-heated over at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned.

Let me know if you give it a try.

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

USDA Approves Sending Dead U.S. Chickens to China for Processing and Returning to U. S. to Sell? CRAZY!

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Man, oh, man!  Have the people running this country lost their minds?  In an article found on Yahoo, it is reported that the USDA has approved sending chickens raised and slaughtered in the U. S. to China to be processed and returned to the U. S. to be sold for food.  Click HERE to read the article.

Just what part of this sounds like a good idea?  First, how can shipping dead chickens half way around the world to be “processed” and then shipped again half way around the world to be sold BEFORE being cooked be safe or healthy? How does the USDA justify agriculture-related jobs such as meat processing being supported in China rather than in the United States?

This idea is totally ludicrous!  I’m thankful that I know of local farmers from whom I can buy my meat and poultry; their livestock and poultry are raised naturally and processed locally once slaughtered. That does not give me any peace of mind, though,  should I wish to order chicken in restaurants.  I find this revelation to be very troubling to me.

Does anyone else find this article extremely upsetting?

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

Recommendation of Oasis Eco-Water Pitcher System

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My family and I have tried several water filter systems such as Brita, Pur, etc. over the last 8 or 10 years.  We’ve used the types that connect to the kitchen faucet as well as pitchers with filters that are filled and put into the refrigerator. I have to say that I am most satisfied in terms of ease of use, performance, and cost with the Oasis Eco-Water Pitcher System.

The water in our new home smells and tastes strongly of chlorine, but once the water is filtered using this pitcher, I cannot detect the smell or taste of chlorine at all. This seems to support the company’s claim that this product will do the following:

The Oasis Filter removes the following from tap water:

• 98% of chlorine taste and odor
• Up to 90.8% of copper
• Up to 87.9% of mercury
• Up to 97.4% of cadmium

One of the unique aspects of this system is that the entire cartridge does not have to be replaced; it is only the filtering elements inside, making the unit more eco-friendly and cost effective.  The replacement filters cost much less that replacement filters for other systems.  Also, according to the company’s web site, the Oasis cartridges can be used with other pitcher systems made by companies such as Brita and Pur.  I’ve not tested this, but if this is so, you do not need to buy a new pitcher system to make use of the cartridges and take advantage of the benefits provided by them.  It is my opinion that the over all design of the Oasis pitcher is better than that of the Brita and Pur pitchers I have used, so I actually own two of the Oasis pitcher systems.

Oasis Eco-Water Pitcher System
Photo by LivingAndLovingLifeAfter50

The two down sides to using this product seem to be

1. One must allow the water to filter slowly as the pitcher is filled, or you will be unable to fill to capacity before placing in the refrigerator.  Since the counter on the lid is activated by opening and closing the fill opening, failure to fill completely each time may lead to a miscalculation of when the filter element needs changing.
2. I have been unsuccessful in placing an order for the filter element replacement packets online, and I was advised by customer service to order by phone, especially if I wanted to take advantage of the free replacement package offer that came with my unit.  Hopefully, the company’s online product ordering page will be more user friendly soon.

As far as cost for the initial unit, it is competitive with other brands; actually, I spent less on the Oasis Pitcher System than the others I have used over the years. If you order from the web site linked in this article, you will see that the initial pitcher system is $19.99 USD (as of the writing of this article), but I purchased my system from Amazon on sale a few months ago for $12.99 USD.

If you are in the market for a good water filtration system to improve the quality of the water you drink, save money, and help the environment, this is my recommendation.

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

NFL vs. NASCAR

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Tennessee Titans play at LP Field in Nashville, TN
Photo Credit

This week marks the official beginning of the NFL season, and it also marks the end of qualifications for the Sprint Cup race for the championship.  For the next 10 weeks, since there are 10 races left to determine who will reign supreme in NASCAR this year, the war for the television in our house will be a new battle each week.

Though the HH and I have grown to appreciate both sports and find ways to share when the Titans are playing at the same time the Sprint race is running, it becomes more difficult if we find ourselves in the situation of having #48 Jimmie Johnson at the top of the standings for the Sprint Cup while the Titans are having a decent season at the same time.

Lowe’s 48 Car with Driver Jimmie Johnson
Photo Credit

Do you and your family members have any rivalries between sports or between teams?

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

Dating Your Spouse on a Budget

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There is something to be said for dating your spouse; it is lots of fun, especially when one can do it within budget.

The HH and I, both 50+, had let “life happening” hinder our dating of each other, so after getting settled from our move, we have made a concerted effort to date each other again.  He is on the road so much, it has been up to me to make sure that we have had fun activities to share while staying within our budget.  I’m sure it will be no surprise to those of you who have been reading my blog that I have utilized sites such as Groupon, Living Social, and other similar deal sites to add variety and spice to our dates while at the same time saving money.

What have we done?  Here is a list of some of the activities we have enjoyed the last couple of months.

• Lunch & a Movie (Groupon half-priced Asian lunch & Entertainment Book By One Get One (BOGO) movie ticket)
• Bare Naked Ladies Concert at Fontanel (one of the few things we bought full price)
• Dinner Murder Mystery Theater (BOGO free through Living Social)
• HH’s first Indian cuisine experience in a nearby town (Groupon half-price)
• Lunch at Fast Freddy’s Cafe (free dessert) and BOGO firing range package (Groupon)
• Lunch & Hick Chicks Comedy Bus Tour of Nashville (Living Social BOGO tour with 1/2 price entree at Dick’s Last Resort)
• Bowling games with shoe rental included (HalfOffDepot discounted bowling package)
• Riding Music City Star to downtown Nashville to attend the Music City BBQ Competition and Festival with listening to live bands at the festival and along lower Broadway (Discounted train tickets and Living Social BOGO festival tickets)
• Dinner at Bria Bistro Italino (Groupon half-priced meal)
• Dinner at Fulin’s Asian (Groupon half-priced meal)
• Hick Chicks Nashville Pub Crawl (Living Social BOGO)
• Cell-Phone-Guided Scavenger Hunt (Groupon BOGO)
• Laser Tag (Living social BOGO)
• Lower-level tickets to the Titans/Chiefs NFL game (Score Big discount)

Photo Credit

These are some of the things we have done this summer with a few that are planned between now and our trip to Europe next month. My husband and I have had a blast without breaking our budget.  Perhaps you should give it a try, too!

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela

Why Some British Television Shows Are Addictive

Hello World!

Over the past year, I have become addicted to several British television shows, but I am not alone.  My husband is addicted; my daughter is addicted; my mother-in-law is addicted; my circle of female friends are addicted.  Why?

While I’ve not discussed this with my daughter or mother-in-law, I have had this discussion with my husband and some of my girlfriends.  These discussions have been similar in content, so it is my belief that I have hit upon a truth.  Those of us who enjoy British television shows do so because there is a higher level of intellectual involvement by the viewer without having the viewer subjected to excessive and/or unnecessary intense violence, sexuality, and stupidity.  The shows we enjoy from the BBC vary widely from Dr. Who to Downton Abbey to Doc Martin to Sherlock Holmes, yet these shows entertain on a level that is superior, in my opinion, to the majority of current prime-time television shows in the U. S.

If you’ve not given one of these shows “a go,” then you may want to try them out.  There is a variety  of genres from Sci-Fi to historic drama to comedy, and most all of the prior seasons (or entire group of seasons, if no longer an active series) can be found on Netflix, Amazon, and/or Hulu for free.

Give it a go; you may like one or more of these series more than you think you will!

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela