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Has your house lost power? Did you fridge break overnight? Are you worried about the food you had in the freezer?

When that happens you just need to follow a few simple guidelines to insure food saftey, so don’t fret.

If the food has warmed at all, whether thawed completely or just to room temperature, discard it immediately. If your food has been setting out for more than a couple of hours, it needs to be thrown out.

If the food is mostly thawed, but still cold, cook it immediately. Once cooked, food can be refrigerated for later or eaten right away.

If the food still has ice crystals on it, you may refreeze it. If you do not have a freezer available, throw it in a cooler and add dry ice. You will have to cook these food right away because you won’t have the longevity that you will find with a normal freezer.

Once food starts to show off the markings of freezer burn they need to be thrown out immediately.

It’s not possible to prevent the occurrence of unexpected power interruptions due to weather or accidents, but it is possible to react properly in such cases.
If your current refrigerator or freezer isn’t working like it should, your best bet is to purchase a new one. If you have the space, you should certainly consider a large American Style fridge freezer. This can make a dramatic change to any kitchen. This site contains a wide range of American made fridges and freezers, aiming to serve you better.

While unusual present giving has run its course, every now and then it’s Its pleasant to give something that is uncommon. Unusual presents can be just the opening you are looking for to be unique. Unusual Presents can switch or catapult the ordinary into the stratosphere. Obvious are the best chance to give unusual presents.

Unusual presentssometimes are rare, singular, or even odd. I’m sure by now you might
be thinking about many strange and outlandish unusual presents. Though remember at some point you need to come down to earth and make unusual present acquisitions. Get alone with paper and pen and dream up it.

Commom conformity today, sometimes it’s fun to do something different. Sometimes, giving unusual presents at the right time can be fun also. It takes an occasional deliberation to outshine yourself on the matching thing over and over again. Therefore providing unusual presents might break the type and make for advanced and original presents. Giving unique presents can not only be fun, it might be the departure from all the other presents people receive.

Subsequent to comprehension, in all probably you by now have some extra thoughts for unusual presents that might advance on these.
Discover Presents Unusual here.

THE NATIONAL FAT QUIZ

Question Number One. You are fat because:

a. You eat too much

b. You don’t have the strength of character to push yourself away from the table

c. Your unmet emotional needs force you to find solace in comfort foods

d. You are a lazy slob who doesn’t exercise enough

e. None of the above

The answer is “e.”

Think about it. How could it be any of those other things? Obesity is a national plague. What happened? Did suddenly everyone turn into losers? Did everyone all at once develop these characteristics and that is why eight out of ten of us are overweight?

No. It’s none of these. You — and most other people Americans today — carry too much adipose tissue because our national diet is an unnatural diet.

It has nothing to do with you and has everything to do with the “foods” we eat today.

Want to make one dietary change that would get rid of your fat forever?

Eat nothing that comes in a box.

That’s it. Instead, make the bulk of your diet fresh vegetables and fruit. Stay away from the middle of the grocery store. Instead buy most of your foods in the produce section and the dairy section.

Following that one simple rule will have you living at least 80% of the natural life style that you were meant to live. Following that one simple rule will mean inevitably that the surplus fat on your body will melt away and disappear.

Now then, if you have room for not one but two simple suggestions, and you want to speed up fat loss, make sure to add a soy-based protein powder to your diet, something along the line of Natural Life Protein Plus. Including this in your diet boosts the level of growth hormone in your system and this hormone is probably the most powerful fat burner in existence.

About the Author:

Dr. Mark Draper phd, is the author of “The Book of Life: an operating manual for the human body” He is a respected expert in the fields of diet, nutrition and longevity. He has helped thousands of individuals succeed in their quest for a longer, happier, and healthier life.
Visit his site to find out how you can get change your life today at http://www.Natuarl-Life.com or mailto:webmaster@Natural-Life.com

About the Author:

Dr. Mark Draper phd, is the author of “The Book of Life: an operating manual for the human body” He is a respected expert in the fields of diet, nutrition and longevity. He has helped thousands of individuals succeed in their quest for a longer, happier, and healthier life.
Visit his site to find out how you can get change your life today at http://www.Natuarl-Life.com or mailto:webmaster@Natural-Life.com

Mama Dies

This is story #33 out of 50 from my book, “My Walk With the
Lord”. This story is dedicated in memory of my mother, Mary Ruth
Winn Rozier, October 22, 1929 thru January 7, 2001.

Proverbs 31:31 “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her
own works praise her in the gates.”

Mama was tired, her body was frail, and her spirit was broken.
She had fought a good fight, but the battle scars were too many.
She was 71 years old and weighed 71 pounds. As I briefly touch
on some of the events in her life, you will understand her
desires to go home to rest.

Mama and her twin sister were born October 22, 1929. Her
parents, Archie and Ruth Gill Winn, named them Mary and Mildred.
Aunt Mildred was tall and thin, and Mama was shorter and had
more meat on her bones. They grew up in South Georgia with six
other siblings. Uncle Jasper was killed in World War II so I
never knew him. Her two other brothers and three other sisters
were all kind and humble people. One thing about Mama’s family
was the love they had one for the other. Materially they were
not rich, but the good Lord had richly blessed them in the
things that money can’t buy. As I write this, I can remember
growing up as a child and later during my adulthood of being
around all those aunts, uncles, cousins and of course grandpa
and granny. Mama passed on this value of family to me and my
four sisters.

Grandpa Winn died on November 17, 1963 just a few days before
President Kennedy was killed. Granny died May 20, 1986. One by
one their children followed them in death. As I write this
today, May 25, 2003, only Mama’s twin, Aunt Mildred, and her
baby sister, Aunt Ida Mae Walker, are still living.

Mama and Daddy married young. Daddy had served in the Pacific in
the later part of World War II and as most young men of those
days was happy to get back home and marry his sweetheart. My
oldest sister was born in 1948, followed by next sister in 1949,
then me in 1952, my next sister in 1953, and then my baby sister
in 1956. I believe they wanted a brother for me, but it didn’t
happen. I wouldn’t take all the money in the world for my
sisters! They are all smart, wonderful mothers, super good
cooks, and very compassionate and loving. Their names (in order
are): Shirley, Evelyn, Linda and Joanne. I always remember Daddy
saying, “God has surely given me beautiful girls!”

Mama and Daddy struggled financially at first. The small 2
bedroom frame home couldn’t hold all of us. This house didn’t
have an indoor bathroom (we had a chamber pot and an outhouse).
I remember Mama heating water on the stove so us children could
bathe in a number two washtub (a galvanized tub about three feet
diameter). Daddy sold furniture and picked up odd jobs to make
ends meet. Then one day something wonderful happened to him. He
was born again!

Once a man becomes a new creature in Jesus Christ, he begins to
pray for his family. A few years after his salvation, the Lord
called Daddy to preach and he was ordained as a minister.

Daddy’s prayers for a better paying job were answered and we
moved from Patterson to Blackshear. I was seven years old when
we moved to a rented house with an indoor bathroom. The girls
and Mama were happy!

Well, Daddy continued to pray. He wanted us to have our own
place. God answered this prayer and in 1962 we moved to a 15
acre pecan orchard. We had a house, barn, chickens, hogs, cows,
ducks and a good garden spot.

Daddy was pleased. He was a pastor of a neighborhood church and
continued to sell and deliver furniture.

Mama was 37 when the Lord called Daddy home. There were four of
us left at home. For the next ten years, Mama was a single
parent. She made many personal sacrifices for us. She also
trusted God and He helped her to raise us.

In 1976, she remarried a good man, Euell Deal. He only lived
about two and one half years after she remarried. At 49 years of
age, Mama had lost two husbands yet by God’s grace and comfort,
she continued on.

In 1980, she remarried. This time, the man was not so good. At
first he was; he went to church, took Mama places, and was
pretty good to her. Mama was reasonably happy and content with
her life.

Then the false Christian reared his ugly head. First, he started
with mental abuse, then physical, and sexual abuse. Over the
years, this stress took a toil on Mama. She wouldn’t talk much
about it, she would say, “You just don’t know.” You see, she was
unequally yoked. Here she was a lamb, and she was plowing with a
jackass.

Her health begin to deteriorate. One thing right after another.
She fell and broke her pelvis in four places. She experienced
anxiety attacks. Her nerves were all to pieces.

Finally, in 1998, she went to live at Baptist Village, a
retirement home in Waycross. Several years earlier, Mama had
worked there, and she liked the place. She refused to be
divorced from this “man” so she was still married. This move got
her away from him. She was improving but other problems popped
up and she gradually went down hill.

On January 5, 2001, I received a telephone call from Baptist
Village. Mama took a turn for the worse. I went over there and
just sat. It was just the two of us. I sure did hate to see her
suffer so. Her breathing was labored and as I looked at her, I
thought soon her labors will be over.

Around 12:30 PM, the next day, our family began to gather in her
room. We would talk to her and smooth her fevered face with a
cool rag. One of the staff stated, “She probably won’t last two
hours.” Little did they know about the inner strength my Mama
possessed. As her children, grandchildren, sisters, other
relatives, and friends would come and have short visits, I knew
Mama recognized the voices of the ones she loved. Later that
Saturday night, around 11:30 PM, I bent over and whispered in
Mama’s ear, “Mama, it’s all right to go ahead and rest. We will
be fine. Tell Daddy I said hello when you get home.”

Mama hung on until her granddaughter, Erin, arrived after
midnight. Her breathing became more and more labored and her
fever rose. About 1:25 AM, I felt the presence of the Holy Ghost
as the words of a song came to my mind. The words were: “It hurt
us so to see Mama go, to be gone forever more. But before she
closed her eyes in death, I heard a knocking on the door. A band
of angels just walked in to take her home to glory.”

I felt a slight breeze and at 1:32 AM, January 7, 2001, Mama was
carried by the angels to her new home. O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Sunday morning, I went to preach at the nursing home, and that
evening we gathered at the funeral home to make arrangements.
Several years earlier, Mama had wanted me to go there with her
and look at coffins and make some preliminary funeral
arrangements. She liked Mitchell Bowen who was part owner of the
funeral home. She thought Mitchell would do (later, Mitchell ran
for and won the county commissioner race. When he asked me to
vote for him, I said, “Mitchell, you got my vote. Mama thought
highly of you and that’s good enough for me.”). Well, I didn’t
know that the funeral home had changed ownership. Blake Smith
had bought it and Mama’s was to be his first funeral. Blake is a
young man who is ideally suited for this profession. His genuine
concern, professionalism, and support are rare in this day and
age.

At the funeral wake, over 700 people came by to pay their last
respects to my Mama. She had touched many lives with her quiet,
humble, gentle ways. She was now reaping what she had sowed over
the years.

The chapel was overflowing at Mama’s funeral service. The
flowers were so bountiful and so beautiful. Mama did love
flowers. I had the special honor of speaking a few words during
the funeral service. I quoted this scripture: Matthew 25, verses
34-36: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungred, and ye
gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was
sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
This scripture described Mama to a tee.

The Lord anointed the two preachers, he anointed the singing,
and sent us comfort for our loss. It was a sweet service for a
sweet Mama. Thank you Lord that you care for your “Little
children”.

Mama still lives in our hearts and memories. Most importantly,
things were okay between her and her Lord. I’ll see her again
one day, never to be separated again.

Luke 2.19: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in
her heart.”

Copyright 2003 Irvin L. Rozier

FOOTNOTE; In late November, 2003, I was interviewed by our local
paper, THE BLACKSHEAR TIMES, about the publication of my book.
Before we started, the reporter, Jason Deal, said, “I want to
show you something”. He handed me a graduation card my Mama had
sent him about ten years earlier. It was Mama’s handwriting that
said congratulations upon your accomplishment. This had a double
meaning to me…showed one of the people my Mama touched and it
was like her saying to me, “Congrats on writing and publishing
your book.”

A retirement plan is a well thought out plan that determines how to save enough money to save enough money to be able to earn steady income during retirement. Everyone dreams of having a nice long retirement. Retirement plans can be setup by employers, insurance companies, and the government or by some other third party company. Your retirement plan is an essential part of your financial security in the future. There are a number of different things you should consider when planning your retirement. The first step of planning a retirement plan is understanding the different types of retirement plans available.

The 401 k plans are the most commonly use type of retirement plan. The plan allows employees to take a percentage of their paycheck and deposit it into their plan. This plan allows employers to help contribute to each and every employees plan if they wish. Sometimes employees will match every dollar deposited with fifty cents. Businesses of all sizes can use the 401 k conventional plan. 401 k conventional plans can be funded by the employee as well as the employer. Employers can exclude certain employees most notably union employees. The employer has the ability to set less restrictive eligibility standards.

Are your children active? Inactivity among children is becoming
an epidemic. Motivating your children to be active not only
improves their health now, but it will also benefit them later
in life.

Here are some facts:

* Lack of exercise is a major reason for the growing rate of
obesity among children. Rather than letting your child watch TV
all day, encourage him to spend time each day in play that
requires him to be physically active.

* Exercise can strengthen children’s bones, something they will
benefit from as adults. Children who participate in
weight-bearing impact sports such as running, gymnastics,
tumbling, and dance have higher bone density than children whose
major activity is a non-weight-bearing exercise such as swimming.

* Active children may increase their chance of becoming healthy
adults. Children who enjoy being active are more likely to
develop the lifelong, healthy habit of being physically active.
Physical activity decreases the risk of obesity, cancer,
diabetes, high blood pressure, stoke, and heart disease later in
life. Simply put, people who are active on a regular basis tend
to live longer than inactive individuals.

If you think getting your child to be more active is impossible,
you just need to think “fun”. Encourage your child to ride a
bike, swim, or play ball with friends. Get your child involved
in school organized sports and physical education classes. Most
importantly, become a role model. If your child sees you laying
around or always sitting in front of the television or computer,
it will be hard for him to know any better. Get the whole family
involved in games, bicycling, or other active play. If you get
involved, your child will, too.

Today, blackjack seems to be one of the most popular card games.
This is because playing blackjack is so easy to learn and play.
Unlike poker, blackjack does not have any combinations to
remember.

In blackjack, the object of the game is to get the sum of the
two cards close to 21. When a person gets cards that are over
21, he or she loses the game.

Normally, a player receives two cards. After the players see
their cards, they have to decide whether they would hit or
stand. When a person says “stand,” this means the player thinks
he or she is closer to 21 already. When a player says “hit,”
this means that he or she still needs additional cards just to
get close to 21.

Players can draw as many cards as they want until they feel they
are close to 21 already. A player who is nearer to 21 wins.

However, there are people who have devised some tips and
strategies to get an edge over the other players. There are
times that these tips really can help some people win.

Here’s a list of some tips that players may choose to use them
so as to win the game.

1. If a player gets 17 or higher, it is always better to stand,
and if the player has any number from 13 to 16 and the dealer’s
card is 6 or lower, it would be better to stand. But if the
dealer has 7 or more, it would be better for a player to hit.

The theory here is that, if the dealer is showing a card of six
or lower, the dealer may take a card, assuming that the dealer’s
card facing down is a ten. The players, then, assume that the
dealer is banking on a bust hand, so the other players have the
tendency to maintain a lower card number.

The rule of thumb: players should always assume that the
dealer’s down cards is 10.

2. If a player has aces or 8’s, it would be better to split them
regardless of the dealer’s showing card.

3. A player should remember not to split 10’s. Chances are, they
might end up getting busted.

4. If the dealer is showing 4, 5, or 6, it would be better for a
player to stand on hard 12, or hit hard if the dealer is showing
2, 3, 7, or higher.

5. In order to win, players should always remember not to split
fours, face cards, and fives.

Indeed, gambling is a game of chance, but with keen observation,
winning is possible.

Caring for Quilts By: Joyce Moseley Pierce

For many years my mother worked in sales and lived out of a
suitcase as she traveled the country, but that didn’t stop her
from doing some of the most beautiful needlepoint and
cross-stitch work I’ve ever seen. When she retired, she quickly
filled up the walls of her home and kept the local frame shop in
business. After she had given favorites to her children and
filled every white space in her home, she decided to start
making quilts, but instead of just sewing the pieces of fabric
together, she cross-stitched or needlepointed squares that would
be sewn together by the town’s quilting expert.

I was the recipient of one of these beautiful quilts but because
my children were small, I didn’t want to leave it out on a bed
where it might get smeared with peanut butter and jelly, or even
worse, colored with crayons or a permanent marker. Instead, I
folded it up and put it in my closet inside a plastic zippered
bag that my bedspread had come in.

Well, when Mom came to visit the next time, she went looking for
that quilt. I assured her that it was packed away and that
nothing could harm it. After all, it was sealed in plastic.
Nothing could get to it. Boy, was I wrong!

I learned a lesson from Mom about how to store quilts:

1. Don’t ever store them in plastic of any kind! It doesn’t
matter that your bedspread came in it. It’s not the same.

2. Don’t store them in humid or hot climates. If the temperature
feels good to you, then it’s okay for your quilt. If you live in
Houston you shouldn’t even own a quilt!

3. Don’t store quilts in attics or garages. It makes a comfy bed
for rodents and insects.

Instead, you should:

1. Store your quilt in a pillowcase or sheet, or roll it onto a
muslin-covered tube.

2. Place a piece of fabric between the pillowcase or sheet and
your quilt to protect it from the acids in the wood.

3. Twice a year, when the humidity is low and the air is
blowing, air your quilt outside, out of direct sunlight.

4. Mark your calendar to refold your quilt every 3-4 months so
you won’t make a permanent crease in it. Crumple up some
acid-free tissue paper to help eliminate fold lines.

If you feel comfortable in displaying or actually using your
quilts (and isn’t that why we make them?), you’ll want to follow
these guidelines to make your quilt last longer and help retain
its beauty.

1. Keep your quilts away from direct light. The sun will make
them fade and will age the fabric.

2. If you notice any tears, repair them as soon as possible.
Remember that “a stitch in time saves nine,” and will help
lengthen the life of your quilt.

3. Clean up any accidents immediately. Washable quilts can be
cleaned with cold water. My quilt, with the delicate
cross-stitching fabric and thread, would need to be dry cleaned
by an expert.

4. Before you wash, test the fabric to see if the colors are
going to run. Use a white towel and cold water to test each
color.

5. Do not put quilts in the dryer or hang them over a
clothesline. They should lay flat between two sheets placed on
the grass in the shade.

When I was a young, married woman I discovered a box of fabric
in my grandmother’s closet along with the pattern for a quilt
that had been published by the Kansas City Star in the 1920s.
Grandma told me she had bought the fabric when my dad was born
and had just never made the quilt. She told me if I wanted to
make it, she would pay to have it quilted for me. I accepted the
challenge, and without knowing anything about quilts (or
anything else!), I cut and assembled all of the pieces. It was
beautiful, and I remember the pride I felt in knowing that I had
sewn every stitch, but even as I laid it across my daughter’s
twin-sized bed, I could see how thin and worn the fabric had
become. I wish now I would have used the pattern and bought
newer, more sturdy fabric, that would have lengthened the life
of the quilt, but that was just one of life’s lessons I had to
learn.

Going through the process of piecing that quilt helped me to
have a deep appreciation for all of the time and love that goes
into each stitch. As I worked on it, I tried to imagine my
grandmother as a young mother and wondered what life was like
for her. Was motherhood as challenging for her as it was for me?
Did she ever imagine that she would have a granddaughter who
would treasure this old fabric and the bond it gave to both of
them?

Buying a bedspread is fast and fairly inexpensive because they
are mass produced, but you can’t expect it to give you you the
same warm feeling as when you run your hands over the stitches
of a quilt that was made by you or someone you love. When your
hands caress the fabric and stitches of the quilt you have
painstakingly created, the memories of the past are guaranteed
to rush into your heart. If that quilt was made by someone who
loved you, you will feel a connection that seems oblivious to
time.

Copyright 2002 Joyce Moseley Pierce
http://www.emersonpublications.com Joyce is a freelance writer
and owner of Emerson Publications.She is the creator of “All
They’ll Need to Know,” a workbook to help families record
personal and financial information. She is also the editor of
The Family First Newsletter, an ezine for families with young
children.