How to Peel a Potato

My friend Holly sent me this YouTube video... a GREAT tip!!  Plus it's fun watching the old Gilligan Island Lady peel a potato. 



Thanks Holly.  I'm going to use this tip next time I need to peel a potato.

Foor for Fines Day

Monday January 18, 2010
Food For Fines Day
Patrons may bring in non-perishable food in good condition to pay off library fines. Each food item = $1.00.


This coincides with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  They are collecting food for the food pantry in town - doing a service on two ends.  The national Martin Luther King Day of Service was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of Dr. King.1


So -- our library even has an electronic card catalog that we can look at from home.  We can put books on hold, check for availability, RENEW THEM on-line.  My goodness... I should never have an excuse for any overdue books.  Yet Monday I'll be taking in a flat of canned goods to eliminate my fines again this year.  

Woe is me!!

How do YOU organize your library books at home and keep from being late or overdue?

I need all the help I can get here friends.  

1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Knoxville Wrestling Club Tournament

Mansel wrestled today.

First match was over before I could get my camera ready.  Mansel sure is good at getting pinned fast.

2nd match -- Mansel was pinned again. This time he cried.  I told him to "turn up his man dial".  LOL  Then later I found out he got beat by an 80 pound 8th grader.  WHAT? Manse is only a 4th grader... that other guy was a runt... that's not fair.  LOL  So -- anyway.  It was fair... probably not fair of me to scold Mansel for crying. 

Match #3.  MANSEL WON!!!  (the other team forfeited that weight).  Well -- a win is a win!!

Match #4!!!  MANSEL WON FOR REAL!!  Here is the proof.

Mansel at Knoxville Tourney from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.

Long day -- but worth it after that one.  I'm a horrible video person.  I'd starve before I could make any money taking video.  LOL  Oh well -- we enjoyed watching Mansel wrestle today.  Thanks to the Knoxville Wrestling Club for giving him the chance to wrestle.

Share a Blog!

OK my 27 followers... I'm blogging today.  Can you believe it?



AND -- it's a goodie.


I've got a friend Melissa who is hosting a blog challenge.  It's an easy one, anyone can play.  But it will be a goodie... you'll get great information from this challenge.

  

Here are the rules...

to click on a blog in your blogroll and choose a new blog to check out.  Then post about that blog. And after you post about the blog, come back here and share the link below.  Not your blog link, but the link to the post about the new blog you’ve discovered.

So - the blog I posted on her blogroll is Antique Mommy.   She is sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, but always real. She is an older mom with one kid.  The stories she tells.  I LOVE reading her blog.

So -- click on the links... follow the rules... play the game.

HAVE FUN!

Mediacom users??

Hey -- I hear that Mediacom users might be a bit disappointed this BOWL SEASON.  Especially if you live in Iowa.  Mediacom is not going to show the Iowa nor the Iowa State bowl games this year. 

Ouch!

So -- if you are thinking of switching to anything other than Mediacom... We think you should switch to DirecTV.  Ü  BECAUSE...

Right now when you activate DIRECTV(R) service, with the CHOICE(TM) package or higher, we'll both get $100 in bill credits, and you'll get one of DIRECTV's best offers ever.

 
OUR ACCOUNT # is 17353232

Here is how it works...

We refer you our friends to DIRECTV and give you our DIRECTV account number. 17353232

We will receive $100 in bill credits for each friend who activates DIRECTV service.

You our friends also receive $100 in bill credits.

Woo Hoo!!  Sounds like a great deal to me.  LOL  And you?  Ü

Wayne 2009 Christmas Program Song

Oh... I love watching Kids.  You could watch this over and over and see something new every time. 

Enjoy Grandmas!!


Christmas 2009, Wayne's Program Songs from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.

12 Days of Home School

My friend Annette shared this with me... I agree -- FUNNY!

Joe Cocker (With a Little Help from my Friends)... and subtitles

VERY funny....



and a great lessons to my little what a brain on drugs looks like. Crazy!

CrazySheep!!

I found a great deal for you.

CRAZY SHEEP is having a 15% off for the rest of your life deal.  What kind of coupon is THAT?  You'd better go check it out for yourself.

Crazy Sheep is just starting off and they are wanting to spread the word... that's what kind of a deal it is.  My kids LOVE these DVD's.  They are made by their uncle... but they are funny too.  And they get your mind to think.  That's the kind of DVD's I like.  °Ü°

So -- do you need a sample?  OK -- here is a sample

Another Sample?  You want another sample?  You sound like my kids at COSTCO... ok -- push the cart down the aisle and then back again and you can have another sample.  ::giggle::  I won't tell.

Another sample??? Go find your own.  LOL  They have more on their Web-Site.  Really -- you should check it out. 

ENJOY!!

Singing Sophia

I had such a fun time listening to Sophia sing.  I thought I'd share it with you.

FUN.NY!


Jesus Loves Me sung by Sophia from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.

more singing


Sophia Singing Row Row Row Your Boat from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.

CUTE!!!


Sophia singing Zacheus from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.


Later -- her sister sings too... CAN'T YOU HARDLY WAIT!!??!! 

My Niece -- she can sing

I'm an aunt -- doesn't that mean I can exploit the nieces and nephews?  Oh my word... I have a niece Sophia who loves, loves, loves to sing.  But only when she wants to.  So her other Aunt -- Aunt Karen tried the Candy Corn route... apparently -- it was only worth 1/2 the song.  She should have grabbed a bigger hand full.  LOL


Sophia Singing for Candy Corn from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.


Oh we laughed and laughed this past week.  Oklahoma is too far away... wouldn't you agree Becky?

Didn't Blog

I didn't blog much over thanksgiving. 

I had company instead --

Posts will be coming... pictures are loaded.

YEAH!!  I love Thanksgiving... it's when my family gathers at my house each year.  Only 361 more days until Thanksgiving. 

Knoxville Wrestling Club Fund Raiser

Milo and Mansel are participating in a fundraiser for the Knoxville Wrestling Club.

They will be selling Baker Jo's cookie dough.  The funds are used to purchase uniforms, mat upgrades, and year end prizes for state participants, and entries to team events.

APPARENTLY this cookie dough is really good. °Ü° They skipped this fund raiser last year and the coaches got calls asking when they would be around selling cookies.  The customers looked forward to it every year.  Just... so ya know.  LOL  Each tub sells for $10 and makes 96 cookies. 

Will you let me know if it's OK to bring the boys over... you wouldn't have to buy from both... we'll take turns taking orders.  (Yikes... hazard of having several kids close in age.)

In the past this fundraiser has purchased a new mat, state wrestling clothing, assisted in travel, supplied medical supplies for the club, purchased uniforms and warm ups.  Who cares... but I always like to know what the money is used for. 

Thank You,

~*~ Jennifer ~*~

641.943.2350

flavors:  chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia, sugar, snickerdoodle, peanut butter with chocolate chunks, M&M candies, peanut butter, heath english toffee, oatmeal raisen, triple chocolate, and last but not least, monster.

Fresh Hair Cut and Color

 

BEFORE

I took a self portrait before I went to Exsalonce Image Design today.  Long, just washed and rinsed... not styled at all.

AFTER

This is at home after Leann worked her magic.  Fresh cut and 2 colors.  Highlighted and a temporary color called cinnamon.  Yummy.  Ü

I can hardly wait to straighten it... I've worn it curly for the last several week... due to root growthage.  LOL  If you have curly hair, apparently the roots aren't as obvious.  At least that is what I've been telling myself.  Today -- NO ROOTS!  Yippee...

I knew that a cut and color takes a while -- so I stopped at the library to pick up my newest read, Wednesday Letters,  before I went. Leann said she heard it was a good book.  I heard is was sad.  So glad I didn't cry at the salon.   Oh I had FUN!  I got to sit and be pampered, Leann brought me an ice tea, while reading a good book undisturbed for a long long time. Now I should be good for another 8 weeks. 

Hand Sanitizer anyone?

I've created a monster... Mansel carries his hand sanitizer in his pocket. From the time we got from in the house to out by the tree to take some pictures... he felt the need to share his sanitizer with us. ha ha haaa!!! He's a funny guy... good clean fun.

Knoxville Public Library

Can I say... that our small town KNOXVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY is really fairly decent??

It is!!

I often read blogs.  I have a cousin who recommends good books on her blog... she lives in a big city.  Well - really more often then not our little library has the books she is recommending.  Like Three Cups of Tea, they have it.  Zookeeper's Wife, it's there. 

And NOW -- on my favorite message board ever, someone recommends Wednesday Letters.  I have not read it -- BUT I SOON WILL BE -- because it's on hold for me at the Knoxville Public Library.  How COOL IS THAT!!??!!  Speaking of being on hold.  Did you know you can go to their web-site... find a book, place it on hold, they will find it for you, call you and you can come pick it up after you check it out.  AND... if you are a slow reader... or life starts going in fast forward and you haven't even read the books you checked out two weeks ago, you can RE-NEW them on-line.  There should be no reason for library fines.  LOL  I keep telling myself that as I pay my library fines.  I'm a loon. It's a fantastic service, if you ask me.
Thank you Roslin Thompson, Director, and all your fellow booky friends at the Knoxville Public Library... you are doing a great job!  Keep up the good work.


Come on Knoxville Friends -- give them a friendly shout out!  °Ü°  Let's hear it for the K.P.L.!

Mrs. Sullivan and her 5 sons

Have you heard of the story of Mrs. Sullivan and her 5 sons?  All her boys were on the ship Juneau.  She heard a rumor that her boys were all killed.  You can read the story here.   

There are songs written about this story, and movies made too. I think I'll netflix that movie.  

While were at the memorial service Wednesday someone read Mrs. Sullivan's letter and the presidents response to her. 

On the way home I talked with the kids about Mrs. Sullivan and why there is now a law that states that all boys of one family can no longer serve in the military. Isn't that interesting?

Well -- if you followed any of the links to the bottom of the pages.. in the small fine print it says... Reference to a "Sullivan Act" in connection with family members serving in the same ship/unit is a popular misconception. The Sullivan Law of 29 May 1911 is a New York State Law dealing with firearms. Although proposed after the death of the five Sullivan Brothers, no "Sullivan Act" was ever enacted by Congress related to family members serving together. Similarly, no President has ever issued any executive order forbidding assignment of family members to the same ship/unit.

WAIT... say it ain't so.  

I left a comment on his blog saying, "Too bad there wasn't as snope.com around when I had my Iowa history handed down to me."  

So -- I went and check snopes.  Good news... there IS TO such a law a rule rather... not really a law... perhaps I should re-word that.  Snopes says, you are except from military service of your siblings or your parents have died in military service.  You do not have to be a sole remaining son, it applies to all remaining sons in the qualified families.  BUT -- this exemption is not in effect during wartime.  Um... that sort of negates the benefits of this rule.

So -- do some reading.  This is an interesting subject. Don't you think?

Knoxville Wrestling Club

The Knoxville Wrestling Club has officially taken over our lives for the next 5 months. Wrestling is a looooong season, if you ask me.

So -- starting 11/11/09... the boys in our house will go to wrestling practice from 6:00 - 8:00 pm 2 nights a week. That may help keep our bathrooms a little cleaner. One should always give thanks in all things, yes?

Wrestling Widow... it's hard to say...

It's a good think I like wrestling. ;)

2009 Veterans Day in Knoxville

The Knoxville Community and Senior Center hosted a Veterans Day service at 10:30 a.m. today. I decided that since we hadn't ever done anything to observe Veterans Day in the past... today would be a good day to start. I'm glad I did.  I hope it will be a visual that my kiddos will remember for years to come.

The program consisted of the Knoxville High School Chamber Choir performing, as well as readings by Cheryl Theil and Annie Leonard from The Next Chapter. The KHS Choir sang 3 songs, 2 of which I sang with my choir in COLLEGE! That was fun to hear. I remembered them pretty well. Annie Leonard read the letter Mrs. Sullivan wrote to the president when she heard the rumor that her 5 sons were killed war. As well as the reply written to Mrs. Sullivan by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

There were four veterans who went on the recent Honor Flights to Washington D.C. that discussed their trips.  One of the veterans we know from church.  Mr. De Zwarte said he hasn't had so much honor for being a veteran then since he went on a trip to Washington DC to visit the WWII memorial.  Hy-Vee and Casey's have sent veterans to the memorial this past year on their honor flights.  There were photographs to look at when the service was over. 

Members from the American Legion and VFW also presented taps at the end of the event.  I did ok through this whole service until I witnessed the old veterans crying.  That did me in. 

Refreshments and cookies were provided and they were delicious!  

Thank You American Veterans.  We give you honor today for your service and your sacrifice.

Mr. De Zwarte said this, "I wouldn't give up my experience in the war for a million dollars, but I wouldn't take a million dollars to do it again."  (I'm paraphrasing). War shaped their character, I'm sure.  

17 DAYS UNTIL THANKSGIVING!! Remembering Past Thanksgivings

I tried post 4 pictures... only 1 shows up. Grr... I try again -- there are 4 listed there still... Oh where oh where have my photographs gone? Oh where oh where can they beeeee????

Anyway... we are looking forward to having company here again for thanksgiving. I love family! Can hardly wait... better go clean my house. LOL