See if paying attention to the nature of…

See if paying attention to the nature of the mind early in the morning makes your mind more alert throughout the day. Your thoughts certainly will be more tranquil. The conceptual mind that runs on thinking of good things, bad things, and so forth will get a rest. A little non-conceptuality can provide a much-needed vacation.

Teacher Keeper isn’t doing well in Math School…

Teacher: Keeper isn’t doing well in Math.
School: Tested her for everything.
Test results: Above Average – Above Superior.
Me: Keeper, why aren’t you finishing your Math work?
Keeper: I’m talking with my friends. It’s Boring.
Schools solution: Give her MORE time to finish work.
My solution: 3 pages of Math per day over the summer!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies Cake ½ cup shortening 1…

Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Cake:
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks, unbeaten
5 Tbs. cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
Beat together shortening, sugar and egg yolks. Set aside. Sift cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to egg mixture then add vanilla and milk. Do not overbeat. Drop by tablespoon on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 -11 minutes at 375F. Transfer to a wire rack and fill while warm.
Filling:
1 cup shortening
1 stick butter softened (I use light butter)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp milk
1 – 7 ½ oz. jar Marshmallow Fluff
3 1/3 cups confectionery sugar
Beat all filling ingredients together and fill cakes and wrap in plastic wrap

Have I put this in Recipes yet PINEAPPLE…

Have I put this in Recipes yet?
PINEAPPLE – CHICKEN
3 lg. chicken breasts, skins & bones removed
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 #2 can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
2 tbsp. peanut oil
SAUCE:
1/2 c. pineapple juice
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Cube chicken and dredge in flour and pepper mixture. Brown chicken in oil and cook for 10 minutes. Add pineapple and cook 5 minutes longer.
Sauce: Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch. Add to chicken-pineapple; simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice if desired.

When did you realize you were an Adult…

When did you realize you were an Adult?
Yeah – I know – right!
The other day, I was talking to Treasure’s therapists, and it struck me “They think of me as an adult!” I don’t even try to fake being an adult.
When I think of an adult, I think of all the adults that were around while I was growing up and …. well …. they were all pretty boring.
It’s never even occurred to me that I’m an adult! A Mom – yes. Wife – yes. Licensed driver – yes. But never an actual adult. I guess I figured one day I’d be boring, drink coffee, watch meat the press, think the latest music was annoying, and then I’d be there – Adulthood.

Bathroom maybe http www lowes com ProductDisplay partNumber=8566-293…

Bathroom – maybe
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=8566-293-FTSTF.1&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3162499&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1#BVRRWidgetID
Kitchen – dry erase
http://www.lowes.com/pd_16605-46498-300_4294807189_4294937087_?productId=3015239&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Wall%2BPanels%2BPlanking%2BWainscotting_4294807189_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&facetInfo=#BVRRWidgetID

Sometimes an answer requires an explanation I was…

Sometimes an answer requires an explanation
I was at Lowes this morning and the conversation went like this:

Me: I need 2 cinderblocks.
Salesmen: What kind?
Me: Dumb look “The generic kind with 2 holes?”
Salesmen: Smiles politely “What are you going to use them for”
Me: Oh! Breaking.
Salesmen: Dumb look
Me: motioned a palm strike
Salesman: Dumb look did not leave his face as he walked backwards in the gated area and picked up a cinderblock.
Me: That’s perfect. I’ll take 2!
It didn’t occur to me until I was loading the blocks into the truck that he probably thought I was going to break the cinderblocks with my palm strike – since he did not know I have 12″X12″ boards at home to put across the blocks to be broken.
In reality I got the cinderblocks to practice my ax kick. In the split second I had to think I figured imitating an ax kick would be more confusing than mimicking a palm strike and in doing so I led the man to believe I was going to break cinderblocks with hands.
The poor man looked very confused as I walked away.

The Pledge of Allegiance. Allegiance, God, ONE Nation

It’s seems unpatriotic to have an issue with the Pledge of Allegiance, but it being Flag Day, I thought I would explain my patriotic issue with our pledge.
Where is your Allegiance?
It’s the first line: I Pledge Allegiance to the ‘Flag’ of the United States of America. Well, I don’t. I Pledge Allegiance to the ‘United States of America‘.
The flag is an object, it may represent our country, but it is not where my Allegiance resides.
May Allegiance is to the United States and to the Republic.
Some may say I take the Pledge to literally. To them I say – Shouldn’t we?
We are Pledging our Allegiance and if we don’t take that pledge literally and seriously then why say it at all?
God.
*According to the web the Pledge originally read:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
In 1923, the words, “the Flag of the United States of America” were added. At this time it read:
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words “under God,” creating the 31-word pledge we say today.
Today it reads:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Our pledge did not mention God until 1954? Really?
We’ve only be a God fearing nation for 57 years?
It is interesting to note, that God was only added to the Pledge of Allegiance out of Fear.
The Time has come where we need a Global Name for God.
I love the Lord MY God and I see no problem with the world God in the Pledge. BUT there is always a BUT.
It would make me very happy if we could all come together, take all our Gods, put them in a big mixing bowl and give him/her/it ONE name and use THAT name for God in any and all pledges, songs, speeches and so on.
If I remember the teachings in chapel correctly, there are over 140 names for GOD in the Bible. If there are more than 140 names for God in one Bible, how is it we can’t get past the fact there may be other holy books which refer to the same God using a different name?
I believe that there is only one God and the people of the world call him by different names and we have come up with different ways to worship and follow him.
This may be a naive way of looking at the problem, but it’s a simple problem with a simple fix.
1) If you don’t believe in God in any form: Please fall back to The 1923 version on the Pledge.
2) If you don’t believe in the United States: you should probably fall back to the original version of the pledge.
3) If you HATE the United States, you should just pack up and leave.
ONE Nation.
Regardless, if you put God in the Pledge, substitute your favorite word for God, or revert back to an earlier version of the Pledge, we should all remember that we are Pledging our Allegiance to The “United States of America” and We are ONE Nation.
In this country we go to war because a dictator or terrorist feels the need to force others to live the way they believe. And here at home we do the same by denying rights to those who are looked upon as different.
How can we be ONE Nation if we deny a Mosque to be built or deny Respect to military officers (and their family’s) as they are laid to rest or deny any person a right or privilege enjoyed by the majority.
I have heard many Christians say that their beliefs are being denied and their arguments are going unheard. Christian beliefs are not being denied, it is that the Rights of All Citizens are starting to be recognized. Because we are ONE Nation.
*http://www.wvsd.uscourts.gov/outreach/Pledge.htm
http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance