Two Little Boys

I read this and thought others would enjoy it!

Two Little Boys

After a hardy rainstorm filled all the potholes in the streets and alleys, a young mother watched her two little boys playing in the puddles through her kitchen window. The older of the two, a five year old lad, grabbed his sibling by the back of his head and shoved his face into the water hole.

As the boy recovered and stood laughing and dripping, the mother ran to the yard in a panic. "Why on earth did you do that to your little brother?!"
she asked as she shook the older boy in anger.

"We were just playing 'church' mommy,"
he said.
"I was just baptizing him.....in the name of the Father,
the Son and in...the hole-he-goes. "

Something to remember at Christmas

Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be cautious about.

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots) Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Lowes to close down some stores
Dillard's to close some stores

Marines Coming Home

I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for everyone to hurry and stow their carry-ons and grab a seat so we could start what I was sure to be a long, uneventful flight home.

With the huge capacity and slow moving people taking their time to stuff luggage far too big for the overhead and never paying much attention to holding up the growing line behind them, I simply shook my head knowing that this flight was not starting out very well. I was anxious to get home to see my loved ones so I was focused on my issues and just felt like standing up and yelling for some of these clowns to get their act together.
I knew I couldn't say a word so I just thumbed thru the 'Sky Mall' magazine from the seat pocket in front of me. You know it's really getting rough when you resort to the over priced, useless sky mall crap to break the monotony. With everyone finally seated, we just sat there with the cabin door open and no one in any hurry to get us going although we were well past the scheduled take off time. No wonder the airline industry is in trouble I told myself.
Just then, the attendant came on the intercom to inform us all that we were being delayed.
The entire plane let out a collective groan. She resumed speaking to say 'We are holding the aircraft for some very special people who are on their way to the plane and the delay shouldn't be more than 5 minutes.
The word came after waiting six times as long as we were promised that I was finally going to be on my way home. Why the hoopla over 'these' folks?
I was expecting some celebrity or sport figure to be the reason for the hold up
Just get their butts in a seat and let's hit the gas I thought.
The attendant came back on the speaker to announce in a loud andexcited voice that we were being joined by several U.S. Marines returning home from Iraq !
Just as they walked on board, the entire plane erupted into applause.
The men were a bit taken by surprise by the 340 people cheering for them as they searched for their seats.

They were having their hands shook and touched by almost everyone who was within an arm's distance of them as they passed down the aisle. One elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the Marines as he passed by her.

The applause, whistles and cheering didn't stop for a long time.

When we were finally airborne, I was not the only civilian checking his conscience as to the delays in 'me' getting home, finding my easy chair, a cold beverage and the remote in my hand.
These men had done for all of us and I had been complaining silently about 'me' and 'my' issues I took for granted the everyday freedoms I enjoy and the conveniences of the American way of life.

I took for granted that others had paid the price for my ability to moan and complain about a few minutes delay to 'me' while those Heroes were going home to their loved ones.

I attempted to get my selfish outlook back in order and minutes before we landed, I suggested to the attendant that she announce over the speaker a request for everyone to remain in their seats until our heroes were allowed to gather their things and be first off the plane.
The cheers and applause continued until the last Marine stepped off and we all rose to go about our too often taken for granted everyday freedoms.
I felt proud of them.
I felt it an honor and a privilege to be among the first to welcome them home and say 'Thank You for a job well done.' I vowed that I will never forget that flight nor the lesson learned. I can't say it enough, THANK YOU to those Veterans and active servicemen and women who may read this and a prayer for those who cannot because they are no longer with us.

I received this in an email today and I had to share it with everyone! I don't know if it really happened or not, but it is how we should be treating out troops. They are the reason we are able to do the things we do. Most of my family has been in the military along with me and my husband and the military holds a special place in my heart.

Do-it-yourself Yule gift ideas

Every year Christmas was always a big deal in our house. We would decorate the tree together as a family and make the annual Christmas cookies from the secret fudge recipe to simple sugar cookies. One of the other things we always did was to make something for the holidays. It wasn’t required but it was encouraged. We were encouraged to use our imagination to come up with unique ideas so we could out do our brothers and sisters. Here are a few of the ideas that we came up with over the years and how to create them for your and your family.

FAMILY COOKBOOK
This is one of the easiest gifts to make and its loved by almost everyone because the entire family contributes to it. You get with each member of your family and have them contribute their favorite recipe or recipes depending on how large you want to make the cookbook. Then your job is to compile it all whether on recipe cards and put them into individual recipe card holders or blank cookbooks or you can compile them on the computer and create elaborate designs complete with pictures of the items. This will be a gift that will keep on giving for the entire year and beyond and you can always update it every couple of years.

GIFT BAGS
When you think of gift bags you think of the simple paper ones that you can buy at the store, but the ones I am illustrating here are the ones made out of cloth. The easiest way I have found to create them is to buy quilt panels at a craft or fabric store. Two panels side by side can easily turn into one gift bag and they don’t take that long to make. You can use cord or binding tape for the handle or anything that takes your fancy. You take the two panels that are still connected and sew up the side and bottom of the bag, then you fold the top of the bag over to make a hem and sew it down and while you are sewing it down you attach the handles. You will also want to sew an edge stitch across the top of the bag as this will help secure the handle and not pull up the sides. Then you can add anything to the bag or just give the bag as a gift. I normally add a small gift to the bag, i.e. if someone likes crafts, I put some craft kits into the bag and then they already have a place to put them.

NAME PLAQUES
Name plaques can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them. You can create them with paint or decals or even wood burning. If you go to a craft store and buy simple pieces of wood, then you can choose the design you want to put on them along with the phrase “The XXXX’s”. It is a great personalized gift that will touch the hearts of most people.

Gifts you make yourself are a great and inexpensive way to create a unique gift that no one else will give them. You will make them feel special because you took your time to create them something instead of just running to the store or in today’s age, buying something online. If you have a large family, you are going to want to think of a gift idea early in the year to give yourself enough time to complete your project, but most of all have fun and enjoy the pleasure of giving a homemade gift from your heart.

How to Impress your In-Laws

Your goal in your marriage shouldn’t be to impress your in-laws because then you will feel like they are looking at you as if you only entered into the marriage to impress them when in actuality you entered into the marriage because of the feelings you have for their child. If you actually focus on your marriage and don’t worry about the way your in-laws feel about you it will help you relax and enjoy your marriage. This will help your in-law to see you for like you are and come to enjoy being around you. They will get to know the real you and not the image you think they want to see. Here are a few tips to help you impress your in-laws:

1. Be yourself – this is the most important tip because if you don’t then they will think you are someone else and not get to know you. This will be difficult for all of you and can go on to cause tension between you and your spouse also.

2. Treat them with Respect – if you force yourself to treat them with respect then you will find that they might actually enjoy spending time with you and won’t interfere as much in your relationship with your spouse.

3. Create Boundaries – this is important because once they know the boundaries then they won’t frustrate you as much without even realizing it. It would be smart to talk over the boundaries with your spouse to ensure they don’t have a problem with them. An example of a boundary is that unless there is an emergency, there aren’t any phone calls after a certain time at night, or something can’t be given to the children with discussing it with you first. My mother-in-law and I have an agreement. If there is something that normally falls into a age limit, i.e. makeup, then it is discussed first before the child is taken out to shop for makeup or whatever the item may be. This eliminates the frustration you can have and stops the hard feelings they can have.

4. Be Honest – if you don’t like the way something is handled, then be honest with them. Let them politely know how you feel and discuss alternatives to what happened. This will stop it from happening again.

If all else fails and you have a difficult time getting along with your in-laws then discuss it with your spouse and see if you can find out some ideas that will help you handle them in a dignified and respectful manner, because even if you don’t care for them, they are still your spouse’s parents and he/she has to get along with all of you. So try and make it easier on your spouse and quit trying to impress them and be yourself.

How to Rent a Container for Home Remodeling Demolition

You have decided to renovate your home and as you start to plan out the steps you need to take you realize you will need to get a container to remove the parts of the room that you are going to remodel. There is a simple method to find a container to rent, look through your yellow pages or online for any local trash pickup companies. They will rent containers for construction trash. You will need to make sure you let them know what you are using it for because construction debris uses a different container than if you were just cleaning excess items out of your house. There is a fee for this service, but they will drop off the container and schedule a time with you to pick it up. Normally you can rent it for a couple of days to a week. If you need to go longer than this they will work with you on an individual basis, but the costs can become expensive.

You also might want to do some research on what size container you will need because they do come in different sizes and you don’t want one that is too small because you are allowed to fill it past a certain spot. You also don’t want one that is too large as it is wasted money.

Another thing you will want to research is the pricing for the different companies. Don’t just stay with the company that picks up your trash, but call around and find out the pricing for different companies, you might find one that is cheaper and easier to use.

The company will very likely want you to sign a contract agreeing to pay the price and for the duration of the use of the container. This is standard procedure, but make sure you look through the contract before signing it. Some companies add large fines into their contracts if you go over a certain weight or need it for a longer period of time.

As with anything, you need to do your research and find the company that will fit your needs the best. Renting a container is relatively simple; the hard part will come when you have to start your remodeling project.

Tips for Masking a Room before Painting

Before giving any tips on masking a room, first you need to know what masking means. It means to tape off the edges of the room to keep them from getting paint where you don’t want it. Masking a room before painting is relatively easy, but time consuming. It is still essential to do it, because it will end up saving you time in the end.

The first step to masking a room is to clear the room out as much as possible. If you don’t have room or any place to put the items in the room then you can move them to the center of the room and cover them with a tarp or blankets.

Then you need to remove the items from the walls, i.e. pictures, shelves, stickers (children), and posters and then repair any holes you have in the walls. A good product to use is wood putty, but if you don’t have any or can’t afford to buy any plain toothpaste will work. If you are going to use toothpaste then make sure it is the paste kind not the one with gel in it.

After you have filled all the holes, your next step is to wash the walls with a simple solution of soap and water. It doesn’t have to be an in depth cleaning, but enough to remove any grease from the walls. The walls may not look greasy but the oils from your hands can get on the walls and it could hinder how your paint adheres to the walls.

The final step to masking the room is to actually tape it. You will need to make sure you take around the windows, door frames, base boards and remove the light and plug plates and tape round them also. If you are painting the ceiling a different color you will also need to tape the ceiling off so you don’t get any of the wall paint on the ceiling. You will want to use a colored masking tape to mask off the room to help you find it after you paint the wall, to make sure you remove all of it. There are also special taping sets to help you roll the tape on the edge, but I have found these are just messy and are more difficult to use then plain masking tape. A good idea when you are taping off baseboards and frames is to extend the tape over the edge because inevitably you will paint over top of the tape and if you have extended the tape you are less likely to make a mess.

The most important tip of masking a room is to not think of it as the worst part of painting, but something you will do to keep the room from becoming a headache. If you put the work into the front end, the back end will be much easier. The job will actually be quicker than if you don’t mask the room, because you won’t have as much of a cleanup. Enjoy painting, it can be fun.