Best Ways to Ward off H1N1:

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications)..

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc/bioflavonoids to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

7.  Get at least 7-1/2 hours of sleep a night.

All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.

(Don't go to urgent care unless you have a fever.  If you have difficulty breathing, call an ambulance)

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

 Here's an email I got from my daughter telling a story about what Lincoln, her son (my grandson) has been saying recently ( he's 3 years and 3 months old):

A car pulled out in front of Kyle and Lincoln asked, “Daddy, is that man a douche?”  Kyle said “no” and Lincoln asked, “does he know how to drive?”  Later, Kyle passed a Porsche that had an ugly paint job and was mocking the owner of the vehicle when Lincoln asked, “Is that man a douche?” 

A few days later, we were in Utah and Kyle was complaining that he hates Utah drivers. Lincoln asked again, “dad, are they a douche? Do they not know how to drive?”

Because Kyle is the one to blame for our 3-year-old calling drivers douches/ douche bags, I got back at him.   Kyle went over a curb and the car bounced violently from the impact. He apologized for throwing us all around and I asked Lincoln, “does daddy know how to drive?” to which he replied, “No, he’s a douche bag!”  I laughed for an hour!

I call and raise you one...

Now these guys are die hard poker players! (This is my mom’s idea of “storing” Jennifer’s Halloween skeletons for her. She set this up in her driveway so her visitors would have a good laugh. I told you “tacky” is an inherited trait. She’s over 80 and still has an awesome sense of humor).

Click on the photo to get a good look at all the details.
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Computer Geek

This scares me because it could be me someday!

Halloween is coming!

At my age, I don't have to worry about what to wear for Halloween. I don't go anywhere. But I like to dress up, so I look for excuses to look ridiculous. The last two years I went to my daughter's house to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters in her neighborhood. I was a witch.
Why is it that when we are young, we want to be something glamorous (a Princess, a French maid, etc.), but as we age, we don't care. (That's a rhetorical question - don't e-mail me with the obvious answer - I don't want to hear it ). I think I'll be Snow White this year.
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Good luck on your search for the perfect costume.

KISS

I was having lunch with my two daughters (who have both been married for over five years now) and the youngest one (who has no children yet) said, "Wouldn't it be fun to have four kids and dress them up for Halloween like KISS?"
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(Was she serious?)
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Helping Others

I know - you'd love to help other people, but you have No time and No money.

Do you have a "desire" to serve?  That's all you need.  If you do, I promise you that you will find something on this website that you are able and willing to do. You can donate as little as $2 and make a difference. If you can drive to the post office, you can make a difference. If you have 15 minutes, you can make a difference.  If you can install a toolbar, you can make a difference.  You can play an online game, and make a difference.  You can just be a good example, and make a difference.  Check it out.

Youngmothersservingothers.blogspot.com   is not just for young mothers.  It is for anyone who wants to help others, and/or just make the world a little better.

Cafe Rio Style Pork

to serve 6 people:

3 lb. pork shoulder roast (or boneless tenderloin pork roast)
1 cup Pace Picante sauce (medium hot)
2 cups brown sugar

Place in a crock pot and cook 6 to 8 hours (until pork can be "shredded" with two forks.)
(If you like a thicker sauce, don't add the Pace Picante and brown sugar in the beginning. Just cook the roast for about 3 hours, drain off the liquid and THEN add the Pace Picante sauce and brown sugar  - OR, take lid off crock pot and let sauce reduce)

We use this for burritos (Put pork, rice, beans and cheese on a flour torilla and wrap) Yum!

"Happy Turtle Day!"

I love anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays.  Makes you wish every day was a day to celebrate.  My 3 year old grandson has the right idea.  Every day is a holiday to him.  Every time he leaves our house he says, "Happy Turtle Day."  It all started last Thanksgiving when everyone left, they said, "Happy Turkey Day" and he thought that was great.  He said it for a week or two then one day decided to change Turkey to Turtle.  It's been Turtle ever since.

Maxine tells it like it is

She's obviously been married 50 years - see previous post

(Did Grampa call it or what.)

Thanks kids

It's so great to have thoughtful children.  Amy and Kyle sent flowers, Adam and Jen sent candy. Both arrived on our anniversary.  I've been enjoying both :)

Our 39th Wedding Anniversary

My grandfather used to say that when a man and woman gets married, she has 50 angels on her shoulders and he has 50 devils on his shoulders. For every year they are married, he gets one of her angels and she gets one of his devils. So by the time they are married 50 years, she has all the devils and he has all the angels. (That explains why women get so crabby in their old age and why old men are so sweet).

In our early married years Alan used to keep telling me not to let people walk all over me. He kept saying things like, "you need to learn to stand up to people" and "you need to learn how to say 'No' once in a while." Now he complains when I stand up to him. So I remind him that he's the one who always said that I should speak my mind. But he answers, "Yeah, but not to ME." I guess I've just gotten way too many devils on my shoulders. Maybe after 50 years we'll start trading back again ...you think?

New Weight Loss Tip:

Self-Check your way to saving money and losing weight! Use the self-checkout line at the super-market. Your impulse buys will drop by 17 to 32 percent. (Not incidentally, this translates to an annual weight loss of 3.1 pounds for men and 4.1 pounds for women.) --Source: Consumer Reports

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Who knew? (If I cut MY impulse buying, I'd lose 4.1 pounds a MONTH!)

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Never Forget

Remember all who were affected by September 11th - those who died, and those who live.

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The people who say that the U.S. Government is behind this attack, in any way, are just as crazy as the skinheads who say the holocaust is a hoax. There are people who just like to jump onto "conspiracy" theories. Just recently there was a newspaper article quoting a Neil Armstrong interview saying that the moon landing was a hoax. The paper apologized for running the story without checking the facts. there was no such interview and Neil Armstrong was very upset to see his name attached to such a ridiculous claim.

If anyone out there is wondering where God was during this attack, read this!

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Are you Fabulous?

Bazaar Magazine is currently running a contest and is asking women to write in and tell them, in 50 words or less, how “Fabulous” they are. They are going to pick someone in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and do an article on them (the winners also get $5,000 each and some prizes).
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I thought to myself, “Hey, I’m pretty fabulous” so I started writing. Ha! There is NO WAY anyone can tell someone how fabulous they are in 50 words or less. Come on – try it. I double dog dare you.
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All I could say was, “I’ve been married 40 years to a man who thinks I’m fabulous. I have two married daughters who say I’m their best friend. And my two grandchildren run through my front door saying, ‘hey, hey, hey Gramma’ and jump in my arms. That’s pretty fabulous.” - I win.

(Now my husband thinks I'm obnoxious - but I say, "Hey, if I don't like me, who else will??")

Sham Wow!

"I never thought I'd see the day when an infomercial could sell a product with the word SHAM in it and still be a huge success. I mean, wow!" Jennifer Zuffinetti (my daughter - she gets it from me.)

Definitions:

(Definitions form Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)

Marxism: the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by Marx; especially : a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society

Socialism: 1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

Communism: a: a theory advocating elimination of private property b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed

As I read these definitions, one name came to mind...Obama.

Is Obama a Marxist? A Socialist? A Communist?

I must admit that I was concerned about Obama even before he was elected. But since January those concerns have been proven to be warranted. As more people are delving into his associations, there is more reason to be concerned. Here's what we know so far:

Obama's mother was a Marxist (as was his biological father). Obama was a member of the Democratic Socialists Party.

You can tell a lot about a person by the friends he has. Who are Obama's friends?

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Frank Marshal Davis, a communist, was his childhood mentor.

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Jeremiah Wright was Obama's pastor for 20 years. You remember him. He's the one who said blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but rather "God Damn America." Obama's comment was, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial."

Bill Ayers, the founder of the Weathermen Terrorists group is a Marxist: And he held a fundraiser for Obama at his (Ayers) home.

Carol Browner, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is a Marxist. She recently was heard praising Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

Hilda Solis, Obama's Labor Secretary is not only a Marxist, she has ties to the Communist Party.

Henry Louis Gates teaches African American Studies at Harvard and is Director of the W.E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. So, what's wrong with that? 1) Du Bois was an avowed Communist and a Socialist sympathizer. 2) Henry Louis Gates has recruited radical black activists to his university department.

Anthony Van Jones was Obama's pick to make sure the $30 Billion from the stimulus earmarked for green-jobs funding attached to it gets "doled out appropriately." Who is Van Jones? He is a self-professed Communist who dreamed of a multicultural "Socialist Utopia."

Both Anita Dunn (Communications Czar) and Ron Bloom (Manufacturing Czar) praised Mao Zedong in public speeches in the last 17 months for fighting his own war and going against public policy.  Are you serious?  Mao Zedong? Leader of the Chinese Communist party from 1935 until his death in 1976.  Known as the greatest mass murderer in history? (70 million Chinese, and countless others).  That's like admiring Hitler for his "determination."

It is not just the above appointments that disturb me.  Obama consistently appoints people who have no business running the departments to which they’ve been assigned  - Kevin Jennings for example: Kevin Jennings as the Safe School Czar?  Are you kidding me?  That’s putting the fox in charge of guarding the chicken coop.  A sixteen year old boy goes to him  and admits to having sex with  a 30 year old man  and Jennings response is, “I hope you’re using a condom.”  What?  He should be reporting the abuser.  Jennings hangs with members of NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association), he wrote the foreword  to a book about moving homosexuality into the schools Queering Elementary Education: Advancing the Dialogue about Sexualities and Schooling ,Curriculum, Cultures, and (Homo)Sexualities, and Obama appoints him to be the Czar of keeping schools safe?

And - Oh yeah, what about Obama's comment during an address to ACORN, "You will have a seat at my table during my administration."

Some critics have warned that "with friends like these, you not only don’t need enemies, you might actually be one."
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Are we really going to just sit back and let Obama turn our Democracy over to Communists, Marxists, and Socialists? His health care plan is just the first step. If he gets his way, what will be next? He is single handedly bankrupting America. . We’ve allowed our government to borrow $80,000 per household, a debt our children will inherit when they become adults. My grandson is 3. At the rate we are going, by the time he enters the workforce, the government debt per household will probably be two or three times what it is now. He shouldn't have to clean up our mess.
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As for me, I don't buy it when Joe Biden tells Americans that the debt we are creating is what will save America from going bankrupt - Does he really believe we are that dumb?
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Two quotes from Benjamin Franklin leap to mind: "You have a republic, madam, if you can keep it"; and, "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."

(p.s. If you do a Google search on "Obama's communist ties" you'll get 807,000 results)

 I liked "Northshore's" comment so much I decided to put it out here for all to read:
Harold B. Lee's Quote on America:
"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. ... Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)

Okay, in light of this quote, I'll back up just a little bit. I don't want to preach pessimism. The good news is that this is a free country and we are each entitled to our personal beliefs (including Obama). The other good news is that he can't do anything without OUR approval. The only way for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. There are a lot of good men shining bright lights on and around Obama.

Is America on its way to becoming a Communist nation?

Here is just a sampling of the 45 "Current Communist Goals" which were included in the Congressional Record on January 10, 1963 in the House of Representatives under unanimous consent. (They were identified as an excerpt from "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen) As your jaw drops, consider how many of these goals have been achieved:
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“Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.”
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“Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces.”
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“Do away with all loyalty oaths.”
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“Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.”
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“Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum.”
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“Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.”
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“Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.”
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“Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.””
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“Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis."

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"Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV."

"Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

If you want to read all 45, go to: uhu.com/nwo/communisim/comgoals.htm

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933

"…This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ...

…Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. …

…More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return…

…Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men….

. ..Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers….

…The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men. …

…Our greatest primary task is to put people to work….

…in our progress toward a resumption of work we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order; there must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments; there must be an end to speculation with other people’s money, and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency…."

Sounds eerily like today doesn't it???   Read the whole address at: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/

Big Tractor Night

What is "Big Tractor Night"? Big Tractor is a publishing company owned by the Senior VP of Warner Records. Every so often they put on a showcase to show off their songwriters. My daughter Jennifer is one of their songwriters and this was her night to shine.

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I flew out to Nashville just for this performance - and I was glad I did. You Rock Baby!
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You can hear and download (for free) her music at myspace.com/zuffinetti

Barack Obama - Exposed!

We've Figured Him Out
By Ben Stein on 7.24.09 @ 9:45AM

"Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East, way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future.

The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.

Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.

The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is a myth, a promise of something that never was and never will be -- a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society. Either the costs go up or the free society goes away.

These are perilous times. Mrs. Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, has given Iran the go-ahead to have nuclear weapons, an unqualified betrayal of the nation. Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud if believed to be caused by man.

Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms.

There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America."

Say "Thank You" to the Military

Have you ever wanted to say thanks when you saw a service man, but didn't - then you wished you had? Watch this video to see the easy way to express your gratitude for their service:

Chick Flicks

There is nothing good to watch on TV in August so that's when I usually break out the old movies. I love chick flicks (especially mindless, ridiculous, silly, sappy, and fun ones). Here is a list of my favorites (in alphabetical order)

1. An Affair to Remember
2. Big
3. Bridget Jones Diary
4. Can’t Buy Me Love
5. Casablanca
6. Clueless
7. Confessions of a Shopoholic
8. Cutting Edge
9. Dance with Me
10. Dirty Dancing
11. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
12. Father of the Bride (I & II)
13. Ferris Bueller’s Day off
14. Four Weddings and a Funeral
15. Gidget (& Gidget goes Hawaiian)
16. Grease
17. High Society
18. Legally Blonde
19. Meet the Parents
20. Miss Congeniality
21. My Best Friend’s Wedding
22. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (LOVED it!)
23. Much Ado About Nothing
24. Overboard
25. Pillow Talk (a classic!)
26. Pretty Woman
27. Pride and Prejudice (also: An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Ernest)
28. Roman Holiday
29. Romy & Michele’s High School reunion
30. Runaway Bride
31. Sabrina (both the 1954 & 1995 versions )
32. Sleepless in Seattle
33. Some Like it Hot
34. Something’s Gotta Give
35. Strictly Ballroom
36. The American President (I LOVE this movie!)
37. The Devil Wears Prada
38. The Holiday (my all time favorite)
39. While You Were Sleeping
40. You’ve Got Mail

Live Your Dream

I have always loved fairy tales. They always ended the same way: "...and they lived happily ever after." One of the problems in life is that we are told over and over again that this happy ending is not possible in real life. But I say, "Why not?" Why can't we expect to live happily ever after. Why can't that be our goal? Just because we run into some bumps in the road, the road can still take us where we want to go. The bumps just slow us down a little. The only thing we have to worry about is making sure we are on the right road.

The Power of One

In the book called, “The Power of One” it demonstrates how one person can influence and change the lives of others. I found a quote by Catherine Oxenberg (the actress) in her review of that book that I’d like to share with you. After reading the book, she identified a person in her life who had and continued to influence her, but he was no longer there:
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“…Whom could I turn to? As soon as I asked that question, I knew the answer; I had to honor myself as my own best guide. I thought again of Peekay, who ultimately learned that ‘the power of one’ is the power to believe in yourself so deeply that you can prevail against any opposition. I saw that I had to access my own wisdom..., and connect to a higher source within to take my life to the next stage.”
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Sometimes we forget that we have the power to change our lives. We need to quit blaming our lot in life on our upbringing, or lack of education, or bad karma. We need to take control – make a plan, and start moving in a different direction. We are not victims of circumstance. Circumstances are often just consequences of the choices we have made. (But what if they are not. What if something terrible happens that was totally out of our control? - We still have to suck it up and deal with it. It is not what happens to us in life that counts - it is how we deal with what happens to us that we will be held accountable for).

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God Bless America!

18,000 men were used to create this "Human Statue of Liberty" at Camp Dodge, Iowa - 1918

Click on photo for a larger view

Email Warning!

If you get an email titled "nude photos of Nancy Pelosi," Don't open it! It could contain nude photos of Nancy Pelosi.

When you've got to "go" - Go somewhere else!

If I walked into someone's bathroom and they had this mural painted on the floor, I'd have to leave immediately and find somewhere else to go. (Maybe that's the idea. This is their way of keeping their guest's visits short).

Proof of Global Warming

Happy Father's Day!

We love you Daddy! You're the man!

- - -

This was my father.

He died April 6, 1998. He was 77 years old (He died of lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker all his life). He was a bomber pilot during WWII and spent the last months of the war in a prisoner of war camp at Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany. He was awarded a Silver Star, Presidential Citation, Victory Medal, European Medal with one Silver Star, and an American Theatre Medal. I'm still very proud of my dad and I miss him.

David Archuleta

Jerry (one of the fan club organizers), me, my youngest sis, my middle sis
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David performed at the Fair tonight - and I went! (I also went to the fan club luncheon at Milton's before the concert - I know, I'm a geek) I've been a fan of David's since I saw him on Star Search when he was twelve years old. (I just want to deedle his cheeks.)

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I'm not a concert goer (I haven't been to a concert for forty years - last one was Elton John way back when... even before he "came out") but my two sisters are HUGE fans and drove down from Las Vegas just to go to his concert. I must say, Archelta fans are a great group of people. I go to the fair three times every year and this was the friendliest fair I've ever been to. Tons of people were wearing Archuleta tee shirts and everyone was asking if we were going to the concert and saying, "we'll see you there." It was like going to a family reunion.

This is a photo we took at the concert

(we won the drawing at the fan club luncheon for 3rd row seats - see, it pays to be a fan).

Press Release for Jennifer:

Big Tractor Music has signed songwriter Jennifer Zuffinetti. (L-R): ASCAP's
Chad Green, Zuffinetti, Big Tractor Music General Manager Jason Krupek and Big
Tractor Music Creative Dir. Cynthia Anderson. Photo: Anna Maki


June 15, 2009 / Nashville , TN – Big Tractor Music , an affiliate of Warner Bros. Records, proudly announces today the signing of songwriter Jennifer Zuffinetti (Locals remember her as Jennifer Johnson). Jennifer was raised in Rancho Santa Fe, went to the Ranch school, and graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1997. After graduating from BYU as a business major, she returned to the Ranch School for two years as a teacher’s aide,

Jennifer started performing when she was ten years old under the tutelage of Susan Magee in an Andrews Sisters-type teen trio called “THREE-D” where she could be found performing at charity events, county fairs, entertaining troops and even opening for the Drifters and Rita Coolidge. THREE-D performed 40's, 50's & 60's music. When she turned fourteen she developed an interest in country music and the group changed its name to “Most Wanted.” When she turned eighteen, she started performing solo.

"I started writing songs because my parents forced me to play piano and after 8 years I was still playing everything by ear and not reading the music. So when I had to practice, I would ignore all the classical songs that were so easy for me and started tinkering around with my own melodies. By the age of thirteen I was putting lyrics to my music and songwriting became my passion."

"Growing up my dad made a mixed tape of Ricky Skaggs, Hank Williams, Ann Murray, and Merle Haggard which we listened to every time we took a road trip. That tape had been my only exposure to country music until 1991 when I bought my first country CD: Brooks & Dunn's Brand New Man, and I was hooked. From that point on, everything I wrote was country influenced. Today, my songs range from ultra girly, fun and flirty, chick songs to the gut-wrenching heart breakers."

Jennifer moved to Nashville 2 years ago to pursue a songwriting career. She started networking and her songs landed at Big Tractor.

"I love the opportunity to sign new writers at Big Tractor,” says General Manager Jason Krupek. “With Jennifer's work ethic and unbelievable talent, she was an obvious addition to Big Tractor and will prove herself with many great songs to come. We are very excited to have her as part of our wonderful team."

Out of the 49 songwriters who signed publishing deals this year, only four (including Jennifer) were women – so she’s managed to break in to the “good ol’ boy’s club.”

Big Tractor was formed in 1993 and has had numerous number one hits and an Grammy Award winning song. It is currently owned by Warner Bros. Senior Vice President of A& R, Scott Hendricks and he immediately made Jennifer feel like part of the family.

"Chemistry isn't something that can be manufactured," Jennifer remarked. "Whether at a publishing company or with a co-writer. Either there's magic or there's not. I knew immediately that Big Tractor was the place for me. Our personalities couldn't be more complimentary and the environment couldn't be more positive."

You can hear, and download, Jennifer’s songs (for free) at Myspace.com/Zuffinetti

Happy Birthday Lincoln! (Three Years Old!)

(Lincoln is front row, on the far right)

He had a terrific Jungle Safari theme party (as evidenced by above photos) equipped with a jumping house, face painting, games and a petting zoo! No detail was overlooked, the kid food was renamed goldfish (piranas), raisins (dried ants), etc. Upon walking through the door each child got their "passport" stamped and chose an animal hat to wear. Lincoln's mom is the ultimate party planner.

Gramma J with Little Emmy
Little Miss Emmy missed out on the group photo (it was nap time)

Twilight

I don’t get it. The books were written for teenage girls – but married women are getting so obsessed over “Edward” (the lead character played by Robert Pattinson) that their husbands have forbidden them to see the movie.

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I saw the movie. No big whoop. I promise you guys, there is nothing in the movie that’s going to send your wife over the edge. It is entertaining – that’s all.

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I see Twilight, and the upcoming New Moon, as the Star Trek for women and teens. Trekkies are predominantly obsessed males. Now there is something for the females. I don’t know what the catch phrase will be for the Twilighters (maybe “Vamps” for vampires), but it’s the same thing.

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I also see the Twilight series as the Harry Potter for women and teens – Lucky Stephenie Meyer. She’s on her way to becoming the next J.K. Rowling with more books ready to be movie sequels.

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P. s. I want to share with you all the comment I got on this post:

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Diane said...
Hi Jeri, I read all the books and got caught up in all the hoopla. I'll tell you what was fun was attending the premiere with every single young screaming teenager in Nashville. A friend of mine rented the theater for the night for all of us "older" Twilight fans. When word got out, EVERYONE wanted to come!! I think there were two token guys in the audience, but seriously....when I say screaming...I mean screaming! I'd have to watch the movie again to hear it. Not high budget, definitely made for those who read the book, and WAY fun! My shirt read..."My heart belongs to my husband...My neck belongs to Edward"!
June 12, 2009 2:21 PM

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Self-Worth

I had trouble going to sleep last night because I’ve been working on family histories and I got to thinking about the things that have happened in my life that were life changing. I’d like to share one of them with you.
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I was PTA president and a member of my board came to me mid-semester, with her husband, to tell me that I would have to find a replacement for her because she was going back to work…as a nuclear physicist! I was in awe and her husband said to me, “don’t think what you do is unimportant. My wife looks at you in awe and admires what you do for this school.” And then he said the words that changed my attitude forever: “We are all important in our own sphere of influence.”
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Wow. Thanks. I needed that.

Thought for the Day

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did...'" When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Always remember this.... "The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you."

No More E-Mails

I am sorry to say that I'm through with E-mails. Things have been a bit tough lately and life is getting shorter and shorter every day, and I want to take time to see this great country of ours. So, I bought a motorcycle, going to quit e-mailing jokes and travel full time with a biker gang to see the country and enjoy life while I still can. Don't worry about me - they all seem like really nice people . It has been nice emailing you all!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Oh, a photo of the gang ...
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and NO - You can't come!

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(Why me? Because I can whip up a tasty pan of biscuits.)

Trust in the Lord

Why doesn't God always answer our prayers?

He DOES always answer our prayers - you just might not be getting the answer you expected. Sometimes the answer is "NO." Sometimes it is "Wait." But we rarely get what we ask for immediately. Usually we have to do OUR part first. There is an old Middle Eastern proverb that says, "Trust in Allah, but tie up your camels."

We have to learn to Trust God. He knows what we want before we even ask for it. He knows all our secret desires. He also knows what is good for us and what is not. He knows that we may not realize what comes with what we are asking for. Sometimes He lets us have it anyway, just so we learn that important principle.

My Grandfather always said, "Be careful what you want, you may get it." (and as I mentioned in one of last year's posts, one of the worst gypsy curses is, "May you get what you want.")

We ask for protection. We'll get it - we may just not realize it.

...When you question God - 'why me?'

....always look at the bigger picture....

(click on photo to enlarge)

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Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

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People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

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Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others."

Pet Names

"Pucci"

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Jennifer is at it again. Today she started talking about how she wants another dog and what she would call it. A few years ago she wanted a hound dog so she could name it Elvis. Now she wants a lap dog that she can “dress up” and call it Pucci. She already has two dogs: Turbo and Junior, but she hates the name Junior. She says it’s just not right that a songwriter, someone who is so good coming up with the perfect words, has a stupid dog name so she tells people Junior is short for Edmund Von Schnauzer Junior. (She was going to call him "Tyson" because the first day they got him, he bit Turbo's ear - but her husband nixed the name).
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For dog number three she is toying with the idea of calling him “good dog” because she thought it would be funny to say “bad, good dog.” Or calling him “Here Boy” and watching him run to everyone in the neighborhood (or park) who’s calling his dog. The pick right now is “Rut Row.”
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I told her she was just daring me to write a blog. She said, “I double dog dare you.” So – here it is.

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Bad to the Bone

Children’s photos (He's not even three yet!) are sure different than they were when I was raising my kids:

I liked this one so much (especially the "MOM" tattoo) that I used it as the CD label for a selection of Jennifer's "Bad Boy" songs (you can listen to them at myspace.com/zuffinetti )
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It's a Man's World

All my life I’ve been grateful that I was a woman. Now that I’m older, and supposedly wiser, I see great advantages to being a man. If you’re a man, you’ve got it pretty dang easy:

“You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
Same work, more pay.
People never stare at your chest when they're talking to you.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades (and your hair cuts are waaaay cheaper than ours)
Your face is good just the way it is (count the number of “must haves” in your wife’s cabinet!)

One wallet (and no handbag to lug around)
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.”
(edited from an e-mail I received lately)

In my next life, I want to be you. No, actually, I’d want to be my daughters. They’ve got it even better than you. I’d trade your stuff for their stuff any day.
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Tacky Grave Site

There ought to be a law against this:
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If anyone in my family does this to my grave, I'll never speak to them again!

(this is the best argument for cremation I've ever seen - I may consider it after all)

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American Idol Finale - Season 8

Okay, I got it wrong. Silly me. I predicted Adam Lambert would win, hands down, no contest. However, I forgot to factor in one important thing: Americans rally around underdogs! At this point, it doesn’t really matter who comes in first and who comes in second. Adam Lambert will leave Kris Allen in his dust when it comes to concert tickets sold and number of records sold. Kris Allen’s support is primarily in the U.S., whereas Adam’s is already world-wide (I know this because I track the number of hits that come to my page looking for Adam Lambert’s photo and they are coming from all over the world – including the Czech Republic, Peru, India, Iceland, and other random countries).
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Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see what past seasons have looked like:
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Season 1: Kelly Clarkson over Justin Guarini (we got it right – but it took Kelly several years to really take off. )
Season 2: Ruben Studdard over Clay Aiken. Both underdogs. But Clay is making more money than Ruben. However neither one could live up to the title “Idol.”
Season 3: Fantasia over Diana DeGarmo. America got it right – or did they? Fantasia’s light is being extinguished by the fourth (or was it fifth?) runner up: Jennifer Hudson (She made $5 million last year. Carrie Underwood is the only one who beat that).
Season 4: Carrie Underwood over Bo Bice. Duh! Carrie has sold 9.6 million albums and made $14 million dollars last year. (Highest paid idol)
Season 5: Taylor Hicks over Katharine McPhee. Talk about an underdog. Taylor’s fans all switched over to the Season 6 contestant - Sanjaya. Taylor has made the least money (only $300,000 last year) Chris Daughtry on the other hand is rockin’ out and living up to the “Idol” name, even though he didn’t make it to the top three.
Season 6: Jordan sparks over Blake Lewis. Eh. That whole season left me cold.
Season 7: David Cook over David Archuleta . They are both currently doing very well. Time will tell.

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Seriously America - Picking Kris over Adam is like picking Pat Boone over Elvis.

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Note: As soon as the show ended, I got a phone call from my oldest daughter, Amy. She said, "I'm glad you don't live in a two story house. I'd be calling to talk you off the ledge. Are you okay with Adam Lambert losing?" I just laughed. Actually, being THE American Idol wouldn't really be a good thing for the kind of Rock Star performer he intends to be. He's better off being the runner up. She said, "What was with the 'wings?' " I told her to get used to it. He's going to shock the H. E. double L. out of his fans with his 9" platforms, flaming stages and such. She said, "Are you okay with that?" I said, "Sure. I'm down with it." Then she laughed to hear her 64 year old mother talk about being "down with" platforms, wings, and flaming stages. Just as long as he doesn't come around wanting to date my daughters...and I'm pretty safe in saying that would never happen. So, Adam. Even though I, personally, won't be going to your concerts or buying your records (rock just isn't my thing), I think you are going to rock the world.

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"I tink I gonna go over to da couch now. Where da couch? "

(Dean Martin)

The Color of America is Changing

I just ran across an article in U.S.A. Today (dated 5/14/09) which pointed out that 43% of Americans younger than 20 are minorities and 47% of children younger than 5 are minorities (with Hispanics having the highest growth rate).

According to the census bureau, the Hispanic population is growing three times faster than the total U.S. population due to high birth rates and continued high immigration.

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Right now, in America, whites are in the majority (65%) -but that is going to change (as early as 2022 - and by 2050, whites will comprise 46% of the population. Again, the fastest growing group among the non-whites is the Hispanic population.


Note to self: In order to protect my own rights as an American in the future, I have to be sure to protect the rights of minorities in general today because it won't be long before I am one!

Money can't buy happiness - BUT...

Money can't buy happiness but LACK of money can bring you sadness (if you can't provide for your family ) and can certainly cause stress in your life (if you can't pay your mortgage or your car payment, etc.). I think we can ALL agree that it is better to have money than not to have it.
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The best way to have money is not to spend all the money you get. Another way to increase what you have is to decrease what you owe. Cut up your credit cards and only pay cash for what you buy. Learn to distinguish between "wants" and "needs." Only borrow money for things you "need." If you don't have enough money to buy groceries, you don't have enough money to buy a lottery ticket (you might as well flush that money down the toilet). Make a budget and stick to it. All this is easier said than done. But you need to do it.

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It's not about having money - it's more about avoiding NOT having it.