Pennies make dimes, and dimes make dollars

There was a recent article online about concern by health professionals that as the economy worsens, the people in the US will grow fatter. The concern is that those who have been trying to eat healthy with whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies will not be able to continue to afford them and will opt for foods with lots of carbs and empty calories. I can see this happening. However, I can also see that those who are health conscious will still find ways to serve nutritious meals without lots of the stuff that is harmful to our bodies. Processed foods are oft times more expensive than those you normally cook from scratch yourself. However, if coupons are continue to be available and if stores continue to have coupon doubling and special sales that can be matched with coupons, some processed foods will be virtually free. For example: Hamburger Helper.

However, some shoppers will surely still choose to maintain as healthy a food plan for themselves and their families as possible. How they will do this frugally will be a challenge unless, of course, they have the opportunity to grow some of their own food or have access to reasonably priced fresh produce, etc. During WWII (no I don't remember all this first hand 'cause I was too young), even people who lived with tiny patches of yards managed to grow a "Victory Garden." So you may need to plant cabbages and tomatoes, etc., between the bushes in front of your house and in other little spots of dirt you have. Each plant you can harvest is something you don't have to pay full price for, and it is good for you. Do I know how to do this? No, and it's a bit late in life to learn and be able to do, but it is a possibility for most people.

So formulate for yourself a plan to further your methods of frugal living and saving pennies.

Pennies make dimes, and dimes make dollars, and dollars put food on the table and pay the electric bill.

Ladies Skin in Winter

We are in Winter. Clearly, January is Winter! And when you are somewhat in the Winter of your life, then you had better take heed to what you do to your skin. When you're young, you can ride the crest of the wave and ignore it somewhat as I, out of necessity, did. However, you would do well to heed the advice of dermatologists and cosmetologists and apply a bit of cream and ultraviolet blocking screener.

I have found that ANY cream at ANY price is better than NO cream! So ladies, take heed and get some cream on your face, your hands, your neck, your legs, your feet. You will be glad you did for not only will they look better now and in the FUTURE, but they will most certainly feel better right now and in the future.

You can purchase a pretty good line of creams and skin care items from Yves Rocher online. I have used them for several years. I love Lancome products and use them whenever I can. I particularly like a Lancome creamy lotion (it is white) to cleanse the face and also a Lancome hydrating toner (it is pink). These are wonderful, but they are pricey. I do use Lancome foundation regularly, and it has a good sun screen in it. I always purchase my Lancome items when they offer their "gift" packages. You get wonderful freebies this way.

The Yves Rocher line is a good one to watch as they have really tremendous sales where the items are half price. They also offer some free item/s whenever you make a purchase.

Fantastic buys at www.Christianbook.com

ChristianBook.com - awesome selection of stuff 90% off! There are some incredible deals on things at Christianbook.com today!! Some really neat looking Christian novels, DVDs, CDs, cookbooks, crafty books, lots of Christmas type stuff... There are items .49 to .99!

There is a code for free shipping on orders over $50 - 275405. Have a "second christmas."

At least 90% off - Christianbook.com Search

At least 80% off - Christianbook.com Search

NEW CODES UNTIL 1/2/09: 10% off everything in your order: 289652; OR - Free shipping on orders of $25 or more: 289655

(Note: I have no connection with ChristianBook.com and receive no kickback from them. This is simply a good deal I wanted to share.)

Where is He who is born King of the Jews?

Like folks today, the people living in Bethlehem and throughout the World didn't have a clue that their Saviour was being born as a lowly babe in a manger. If they had know or realized, there would have been rejoicing in the streets by some, but also the forces of Satan would also have been at work to thwart the plan of God to redeem the World.

So Christ was born quietly, without mid-wife, doctor, or assistance other than that of Joseph. The babe had no sterile environment in which to be laid. Yet he was more pure than anything ever to be placed in this world.

True there were Jewish scholars who studied the Torah and knew that God's anointed Messiah was to be born. But either their were oblivious to the clues or they were blinded by the eyes of Satan to expect Christ at that time and at that place. It was only when questioned by Herod that his scholars opened their eyes to the fact that a King of the Jews was to be born. And this only when Wise Men from the East came to Herod and asked where the King was for they had "seen his star."

They still await.
They still have not seen.
They are still oblivious.

Remembering a Church Christmas Program

I remember a church Christmas program a few years back (my kids were already grown). The kids 3 years and up to about 16 were giving a re-enactment of the Birth of the Christ Child.

The program was progressing nicely. And then when the kindergarten aged kiddies were lined up and singing their shepherd song, or an angel song - who remembers at this point? - the action began!

Shepherd #1, who was a pretty good size fellow for his age, for some reason decides that he is being crowded or needs more room or whatever. So he gives Shepherd #2 a shove.

Shepherd #2 is a smaller li'l fellow - whose family was in the States on student visa while Dad was in grad school and they were from a country very much South of the US - about as far South as you can go without being off the globe. Well, Shepherd #2 decides he's not going to be shoved around by the big guy. So he shoves back.

Then Shepherd #1 decides that the li'l Shepherd isn't going to shove him around! So he jabs Shepherd #2. What do you think Shepherd #2 does? He literally lights into Shepherd #1!

Pandemonium ensues.

Music stops.

Singing stops.

Moms fly.

And Shepherds no longer were watching their flocks by night!

So what are your memories of Christmas pagents at church or school? Have you a good tale to tell? Have you a precious memory of when you were a shepherd, angel, wiseman? Have you a story to tell of when you as a harried leader were trying to garner the talents of all the wee ones so they could present the ever-wonderful story of the birth of the Christ child? Sit back and reflect on Christmas past in your own life and see where it takes you.

Upside Down

This is a particularly intriguing video. Please view it in it's entirety.

Upside Down from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

Traditional Christmas Dinner

Growing up my mother always did a lot of baking. Fruit cakes (even candied some of the fruit that went into it), black walnut cake, pound cake, Japanese Fruit Cake. So we had these for goodies.

For Christmas dinner she had regular ham (pink) and corned ham. For those who are not familiar with corned ham: It is fresh ham that has been salted for a couple weeks. Usually the butcher (yes, a little corner butcher) did this for Mom, but I do recall a time or so she had to do it herself when she couldn't get the one from the butcher. With the 2 hams, Mom made her famous potato salad, fresh collard greens (for those in the North, these are only good if grown in someone's back yard and not on a big farm , they are cooked and seasoned just right and yummy), green beans, rice/gravy, homemade rolls, homemade cranberry sauce (Mom even branched out and started making one with ground up oranges - can't find her recipe for it, though), candied sweet potatoes (made with fresh sweet potatoes that are peeled and sliced length wise, placed in a baking dish with sugar, cinnamon, butter, touch of water and vanilla).

Of course, we were too full of candy to really enjoy the meal to it's fullest (pun intended), but we did a lot of damage. Anyway, we were definitely too full for dessert so that waited a little while. When dessert came, we had Mom's cakes and they were so good. Mom actually made and sold these cakes to a select few in town. I don't know if she made any money on them, but people wanted them so Mom made them. I do know that for the family, she had very large tins (she could stack about 4 cakes atop each other in them) in which she would put her cakes and keep stored in a cold bedroom (no heat in them). She would carefully wrap the cakes and place them in the tins. They would mellow and were so good.

Oh the memories are so good!