I am just a crook!!

I am sorry....I had to steal this from "Ina in Alaska"! It is great poem! I just loved it when I read it on her Blog!! So her it is....in all it`s stolen glory!!! I AM A RAVEN I am a raven Freer than a breeze Beholding to no one Doing what I please I am a raven Watch me fly Aeries are for eagles Not me! Don't ask me why I am a raven Eating what I please Sleep anywhere I want Have no one to appease I am a raven You'd better let me by I'm a bit combative Might pluck out an eye I am a raven Better left alone Unless inclined to marry Have ravens of mine own I am a raven Feathers black as coal Robbery my stock in trade So stay clear Or I may steal your soul Ray Lucero Thanks Ina, I hope you will forgive me. I just could not help myself! In other news...All is well here. We have been just killing time playing The Skyrim game. And waiting for the cable company to come hook our new cable TV channels....SNY!! Yay!!! It has been a year without my Mets Baseball games! I am going nutz it was one our favorite things to watch!! Angel and I spent many a good time at the games or watching the games on TV!! It was also a family event most times. With Erin and Adam along to see the game. We even went to The Long Island Ducks games. That was fun!! There would be Erin, Adam, Katie, Bonnie, her Adam and Angel along with myself, we cheered the Ducks!! But, The Mets....now that was something Awesome!!! And now we will at least have the games on TV!! Next week can not get here soon enough for me! It is worth every cent to me!

The Moon!!

CURRENT MOON

lunar phases

Check this out!!!!

Go read this link!!

A add on I thought would be good....

This also a item my Angel found for me!! 37 Things You Should Hoard... Dear Fellow Patriot, This will be short and to the point (You need to read this message and I want to get you this information as fast as possible). FEMA has ordered 420 million survival meals. Why would they need a 7000% increase of survival meals? >>>Click here to learn the 37 food items that FEMA should be buying<<< Disasters have been pummeling the world over the past couple of months. Maybe it's the X-class solar flare that knocked out all of China's communication back in February ("X" is NASA's highest solar flare classification). Or the reality that our fragile food supply chain could be knocked by just the threat of a disaster (even if it was just a false alarm)... Whatever the reason, it's about time the Government woke up and started paying attention! As your fellow American, I'm hoping you won't put your faith in a system that is bound to fail, but that's your choice. Really there are 37 critical items that you can buy from the grocery store that can be the difference between life and death: Click here to discover the 37 critical items you need to stay alive and healthy (you won't be able to buy these later!) Sincerely, Damian Campbell P.S. Not trying to sound like a fear monger, but do you have enough food to get through a crisis? Ask yourself if you'd be eating in a week if your food ran out today. Check out these cheap 37 critical items now... So sorry the links do not work!! I will try to find them. And add them to this site later on!!

I am so humbled.....

It has been a real eye opener for me! I have people joining my page, making nice comments about it! I am really impressed. I just am over whelmed!! I can not believe people really like my stuff! Thank you all so very much for your kind words and for joining my page..all are welcomed to come and read my page, joining it if you wish or follow it. I welcome everyone!!! I have been given this wonderful reading page by my Angel, who found it on the web herself..I am impressed, she does not normally do these things...but, she did and I love her for it. So I thought I would share it you...my friends..... Peggy Layton is a writer and all around smart person a bout saving money and the earth!! We need more Ms. Layton`s in the world!!! Please read this and go out and find her books if you are interested in any of these subjects!! Bottle Excess Food To Preserve The Harvest November 28, 2011 by Peggy Layton Bottle Excess Food To Preserve The Harvest SPECIAL You can cut your food bill by canning and preserving your own food. Canning and preserving your own food is a great way to save money and ensure that your family consumes only healthy foods that contain no harmful preservatives, additives or pesticides. Preserving food at home is becoming popular as more and more people are realizing that home-canned food is far superior to that of store-bought. There are several names for food preservation, such as: canning, bottling, preserving, putting up or putting food by. The preserving process involves sugaring or salting and boiling to kill any bacteria that might be in the food, then sealing it by placing jars into boiling water, which seals the lids tight on the jars. Benefits Of Canning Your Own Food Foods that are preserved at home are by far the healthiest you can provide your family. You can cut your food bill and save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year by canning and preserving your own food. The process of canning food is fairly easy; and you can rest assured that the food your family consumes is fresh, healthy and contains no harmful pesticides, chemicals, preservatives or additives. You control the amount of sugar and salt in foods that you preserve at home. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I bottle my harvest. If you really want to get into preserving food, I suggest you purchase one of the great books on the market that explains the process step by step. There are instructions on the Internet as well. To learn how to preserve food, click here. The Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving is a great book to have. Preserving The HarvestCanning Or Bottling Most of our grandmothers knew how to can food. Their pantries were filled with preserved fruits, jams, jellies, vegetables, stews, soups and meats. As the years have gone by, people have become more dependent on grocery stores and fast food restaurants. However, people now are realizing that we must get back to our roots and grow and preserve our own food to be healthy. The canning process is one way we can preserve our harvest. The process stops or slows down spoilage of homegrown foods, preventing the growth of bacteria, yeast, fungi and other microorganisms, as well as slowing the rancidity of fats. Canning provides a typical shelf life of about two to five years if the jars are kept in ideal conditions, which are cool, dark and dry. Sugar Or Sweetener Use sugar to preserve fruits. Make a syrup with sugar and water, then pour the syrup over the fruit. Then seal the jars by using the boiling-water method. When I bottle fruit, I like to use pineapple or apple juice as the sweetener so that I am not adding extra refined sugar to my fruits. Pressure-Canning Foods with low acidity (a pH higher than 4.6) need sterilization with a higher temperature (116-130 degrees Celsius). A pressure canner must be used to reach temperatures above the boiling point. Foods that must be pressure-canned include most vegetables, meats, seafood and dairy products. The only foods that may be safely canned in ordinary boiling water are highly acidic food with a pH lower than 4.6, such as fruits, vegetables or other foods to which lemon juice or vinegar have been added. Preserved FruitEquipment Required For Bottling Or Pressure-Canning: Bottles (better known as canning jars): The most popular sizes are pints and quarts. Lids and rings for the jars: The lids are best if they are new, however the rings can be used over and over. Lids and rings can be purchased from any grocery store, usually during canning season. Wooden spoon with a long handle: This helps pack the fruit into the bottles. Jar-lifting tongs: Tongs keep the hot bottles from burning your hands. Thermometer: For making jams and jellies. Canning pot: This pot can be purchased in any grocery store or kitchen store. This pot must be large enough to hold six or more jars of food and deep enough to cover the jars with water. This method is used for processing some fruits and vegetables. Apple PieApple Pie Filling This recipe came from www.freshpreserving.com. Try this easy recipe and feel the satisfaction of bottling apple pie filling at home, just like our grandmas used to do. You will need: 12 cups sliced peeled cored apples, (about 12 medium apples) treated by soaking them for 15 minutes with ½ cup lemon juice in a large size bowl of water to prevent browning. Drain the water off before proceeding. 2-3/4 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup ClearJel® (cooking starch used for preserving) 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 2-1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice 1-1/4 cups cold water 1/2 cup lemon juice 7 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands Directions: Wash all jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well. Place the jars in a pot of hot water to temper them so they don’t break when they are put in the boiling water. In a separate small pan, heat water and put the metal lids in the hot water until you are ready to use them. You will need a wire rack on which to place the jars inside the pot, so that the jars do not touch the bottom of the pot. If you do not have a wire rack, you can line the bottom of the pot with a kitchen towel folded over so that the bottles do not touch the bottom of the pot. Prepare the apples, using the best-quality produce possible. I like to sort through and use up the apples that are going soft first. Peel the apples and cut them into apple pie-sized slices. Blanch the apple slices (6 cups at a time) in a large pot of boiling water for about one minute. Remove the apples with a slotted spoon and keep them in a bowl. In a separate large, stainless-steel saucepan, combine sugar, ClearJel®, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in apple juice and cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil for one more minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Drain any excess liquid off the apple slices and immediately fold them into the hot mixture. Before canning the apple pie mixture, continue cooking until the apples are heated through. (ClearJel® can be purchased from kitchen or food storage stores that sell canning equipment. Or click here.) Spoon the cooked pie filling into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles by running a butter knife into the mixture in the canning jar. Clean the rim of the jar, center the lid on the jar and apply the band until it is tight. When the jars are ready to process, place them into the pot of simmering water with either a wire rack or folded towel on the bottom. The jars must not touch the bottom of the pot or they will crack and break. Make sure the water comes up over the top of the jars. Usually, seven quart-sized jars will process at once. Cover the pot with the lid and bring the water to a rolling boil. Begin the processing time. Process the jars in boiling water for 25 minutes. Remove the jars and place them on a kitchen towel. Do not touch them for about 12 hours. Check the seals and if the lids are concave and do not bounce back up when pushed down then they are sealed. If the lid does not seal after 24 hours and it can be lifted off the jar easily or if the lid pops up when depressed, it can be processed again. Clean the rim of the jar and check to see if there is a broken piece of glass on the rim. If so, then throw that jar away. In addition to the classic pie, this apple pie filling allows you to quickly make luscious desserts such as apple turnovers, apple crisp or apple dumplings. Food Storage And Self-Sufficiency Products Available If you are interested in any of the seven books I have written, books on preserving food, such as Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook or Cookin’ with Home Storage, water storage tanks, ION water treatment, dehydrated or freeze-dried food storage sealed in gallon-sized cans with a shelf life of 15 years, wheat grinders, Bio-Clean sewage treatment, 72-hour packs or emergency medical supplies, click here and click on Go Shop. Select samples on the left hand column and order them to try before you buy. Just look for Peggy Layton and buy her books!! She writes well and the photos are great too!!

Independence Days Challenge

I just learned of this great new way of improving ourselves and being better humans. It is called the Independence Days Challenge. It is for any one who like to teach themselves how to be a better human. Following these simple rules for each and every day, 1. Plant something...in the soil, or in the mind of some one else or you could just plant an ideal within your mind that you intend to follow up on. 2. Harvest something...from a garden, from a book you reading well you get the ideal. 3. Preserve something..save something from being tossed away, it could be used by another some where else. 4. Waste not...We as a group, throw out 75% of things that could be used by others in our towns and cities. Make donations of old shoes, coats and blankets and such. 5. Eat the food...Do not add more food to your plate than you know you will eat, why throw out food you added but did not intend to eat. 6. Donate to a charity or a local food bank or a church that feeds the needy. 7. Skill up...Learn something new every day. Read about some place or some thing that interest you. This is great way to start the new year, to start being a better human being, to find out who you are deep inside yourself. I am going to give this a try. And I will post about it every Friday or Saturday. After a week of trying this, I should be able to say something about it!!

Something from the web!!

Here is just one example of the things I find on the web!!!

Things I find on the web!!

I keep finding all kinds things on the web! As I talk about them, in up coming posts! I will add links to them. I hope they will be of interest to you. Angel has made a wonderful dinner tonight of all her salads, Her mac salad, her chicken salad and her egg salad. With a choice of breads, white, rye and English muffin. So forgive the short post, but, dinner is calling!!

This blog is about me and the life I am living here in Tampa, Florida. It will cover all the events that happen here with me and my family. I am going through some rough times at this point of my life. I have cancer and I am battling with  that. Although, God has blessed me. I am on the liver transplant list. I have great doctors that are working on my case. God reached out and given me a chance to beat this cancer and get my life back. So I can return to taking care of my wonderful family, who has stood by me this whole time with prayers and wishes that I get better! My Angel, has worked tirelessly to take care of me every time I come home from the hospitals, every time I have a set back and lose all my energy to go and do things. Or go places with her,  help with the shopping, be able to help her out around the and just be the man she knows and loves. This cancer keeps you from being yourself. I always run out of energy after being active and out and about, like a normal person. When that happens, I end up stuck in bed for a day or two. Just getting up to have a bite of food with her is all I can do. Although I enjoy learning all about this blogging stuff here on line! As I learn more, the more I will be able to do here. So this page will grow as I learn how to make the most of this site!!

Here is the good news!!

I have been losing weight for some time now. I was at 240 lbs. and I started to lose weight. Now I am at 230 lbs. and I have been for this whole week. I have not gained any weight or lost any more weight. So I am kinda happy about my weight now. My doctors are pleased and my blood pressure is at it`s best standing in years. It was at 116 over 85 today and it only goes up or down by a few numbers either way. So I am doing great, these days! I would love for my mom to be doing the same thing. I have changed my diet, I no longer eat red meat or pork. I only eat fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and chicken. I am very careful about the grains I eat too, instead of eating as much as I wanted, I now only have a small portion of rice or pasta. Plus Angel, has been watching over everything I eat or drink. She has been steady as rock, keeping me on track. You gotta love someone who puts that much love and caring, into you every day of the week!! She is my rock! I wish I could make her life as easy as possible. She deserves every wonderful thing that could possibly happen to someone. She should win the lottery!! Or get to go to Scotland on a all expenses paid trip!! At the very least, She should be able to get to see a doctor for her aches and pains. So she and I can go play darts again, that would be a dream come true for me!! We really loved playing darts. We used to be dart captains on a team in New York. We would go out every Thursday night and play with a team of darts nuts until the bars closed. It was great fun, the bars would feed us dinner, gave us cheap drinks. I always drank for free because I did not drink beer or wine. So my sodas were free. We really loved our dart teams. We were on a dart team every year from 2000 to 2008 those were some fun times and we got to meet some great people!! We were dart captains from 2005 to 2007. So during those times of playing darts and being captains on dart teams, we always seem to have some where to be on a Thursday night! We would even meet up with our friends and play darts on the weekends. It was just that much fun!! What other sport is there, where you can go out, have a ton of fun and eat, drink and throw sharp pointy objects in a public place??? Really, where can you do that?? I loved being in New York, it has become my home! I miss being there, I miss the kids there and I even miss the silly cable channels. We had things like the weather channel for Long Island...It showed the weather happening at that moment plus it showed traffic for our area, local streets and the L.I.E. Expressway! When it snowed this was the best channel to watch, They would interview the snow drivers and find out the local street conditions. Then they show just how deep the snow was piling up. And they would all ways try to tell you just how snow was expected..they were not always right with the amounts, but, they would try. It was funny.  We also had channels that were just like every one else, we had FOX News and all the reg. cable channels. We had our Tea Party meetings and rallies to go to. We always seemed to have places to be and people to see or some where to be seen at!! We were never bored until I got this awful cancer, and our lives changed so fast. We  had money problems and medical problems but, Angel never gave up on me. She was always there for me. The whole time we were having cash flow problems, we never would fight about those things, we just handled all we could and the cash ran out we waited till we had more to carry on. Other things I miss about New York, is the food, there we were able to go to a diner and get a decent meal, a roll and butter with a cup of 7-11 coffee. That is living!! A decent bagel. A deli, a New York deli!! Where the meats are done right, and the salads like tuna and chicken salads are so big. That when you get them home, and trim off the extra, you have enough left over to make two more salads later on a bagel or a fresh roll or even just reg. bread. Yes, that is what is like living in New York!! Always having the best of everything right at your fingertips. It will spoil you big time. I know, I am spoiled by New York, in the most excellent way!! Even with everything we have been through, even knowing that if we were to go back to New York we would not be able to afford it. I still miss it!! One day, I hope to be able to return and go back to work again. And make the money I used to make there. Then we could afford anything we wanted. Angel made good money and I made good money there. Together we could make some where around $70,000.00 a year! Now that is good money. Even Obama could not tax us enough to stop our life style. He tries real hard to make working people lives a real mess and keep them from climbing out debt and making something of themselves. In New York, you can earn enough to rise above all that crap, and be your own self made man! I only worked a 20 to 30 hour week. Once in a while I work extra hours and would get paid time and half, even if I had yet worked 40 hours, because as a teamster the rules stated, if I had worked my reg. hours, any thing above that was time and half. So I made real good money that way, being a teamster had it`s perks!! Now you can see why New York is my home, it gave me the chance to become a man with a dream! And best of all, New York gave me Angel and the kids!! My family is wonderful and they are my life. New York will always be a big part of my heart! It is why I am who I am today!