Credit Card Debt

Did you know that every three minutes another person falls behind on credit card debt. It is no wonder, since every major credit card company has nearly doubled the minimum monthly payment on consumer's bills. I found out that Federal regulators forced the change because of their concern about the growing mountain of consumer debt, which stands at $2.17 million. Many consumers can only pay the minimum payment which can take up to 30 years to pay off.

But now, relief is in sight for millions of Americans. CreditGUARD of America, a non-profit licensed debt management service provider, is making a new program available to lower debt payments and become free of all credit card debt in only three to five years. Consumers need only $4000 or more in total credit card debt and at least 30 days behind on any account, to cut their payment by 35% to 50% and reduce or eliminate interest charges altogether. You just can't beat a deal like that.

Over 200,000 failies, all through the U.S. have regained fnancial independence with CreditGUARD's licensed, bonded and insured service. There is no charge for Debt relief Consultations when you call 1-800-880-6433. Calculate your interest rate savings instantly online when you visit their website at www.creditguard.org. Sounds like a super solution for a great many people, don't you think?

Medical Equipment

This is a well rounded company that has something for everyone. If you are in need of any type of medical equipment or medical supplies, this is an excellent source. Just check into this online website medical equipment and do all your shopping there. They even have a special that ends at Midnight on Monday where you can get $10 off an order of $100 or more but hurry while it lasts.

They have it all broken down for you so that you can shop by medical condition, such as high blood pressure, knee replacement, and diabetes are some examples. You can also shop by category such as crutches and canes and much more. If you are looking for a specific brand, they also have that category so you can shop by brand. They also have news you can read about such as arthritis, cancer, stress and stress relief. Check them out for a lot more information.

School will Have to Improve Dropout Rates

Did you know that the nation's dismal dropout rate in high schools if one in four students. I was really surprised to learn that it was that high. If you don't have a diploma and at least a year of college these days, it is really hard to get a job. The Federal Government is putting pressure on high schools to improve this dropout rate.

From now on schools and states now must track and lift the graduation rates for all students, including minorities and students with disabilities. This is under rules issued Tuesday by education Secretary Margaret Spellings. A school might have a high graduation rate but still have a low rate for black or Hispanic students or for kids with disabilities. Making schools responsible for progress in every group of students puts pressure on schools to improve. I think there is room for improvement in all schools, starting with the colleges that turn out the teachers.

Whirlpool to Cut 5,000 Jobs

Whirlpool Corp. said Tuesday that it is eliminating about 5,000 jobs this year and next. This is due to large part in the long downturn in the U.S. housing market. They are the nation's largest home appliance maker and they also reported that their earnings fell 7 percent during the third quarter on lower global unit volumes and higher material costs.

Additionally, Whirlpool lowered its earnings outlook for the year and announced price increases. They said the global credit crisis has had a profound negative impact on what was already a weakening and very fragile global economy. Because of declining home values, rising unemployment and very low consumer confidence levels, it will likely prolong a negative demand environment at least through the middle of 2009. Also with gas prices and grocery prices taking a big chunk out of what paycheck is left, if you don't need a new appliance, you are going to put off getting one. You have to get your priorities in order and food and a roof over your head are your main concern these days.

Medical Equipment

It is always a good idea to lay in a good supply of first aid items. There are always those little knuckle buster jobs, we call them, that my husband ends up bleeding somewhere. I know that I can always have plenty of everything I might need on hand by going to this online website medical equipment and ordering wound supplies. But that isn't all they carry. They also have other good medical equipment that it is good to have at home such as a blood pressure monitor. And if you are diabetic, you can get your diabetic supplies from them. They have over a million customers so you know they are doing something right and they have been around since l996. Not only that but they have grown to carry more supplies for babies and mothers. Check them out and see their huge inventory of medical equipment too.

Detroit's ex-Mayor Kilpatrick Jailed

A judge sentenced former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to four months in jail on Tuesday for a sex-and-text scandal, calling him "arrogant and defiant" and questioning the sincerity of a guilty plea that ended his career at City Hall. Kilpatrick declined to speak in court but his lawyers urged the judge to look at his entire career, not just the crimes that threw local government into disarray for months.

The punishment was part of a plea agreement worked out last month. Wayne County Circuit Judge, David Groner, followed that deal but said Kilpatrick would not get time off for good behavior, potentially up to 20 days in this case. Kilpatrick, a Democrat, admitted lying while testifying last year in a civil lawsuit filed by former police officers who accused him of illegally demoting or firing them.

Oil Falls Below $63

The oil has really been coming down. The oil prices fell again Tuesday. That was the day before the government was to release its weekly crude inventory report. That report recently has shown in stark numbers how much Americans are cutting back on energy costs. Well, no kidding. You have to cut back on your driving or quit eating. You can't afford both.

Our little town gas stations have finally gotten down to $2.199 a gallon and in a bigger city just 20 miles from us, it is below $2 a gallon. Analysts say they expect the prices to continue falling, perhaps as low as $50 a barrel before they hit bottom. I sure hope they are right. Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell 49 cents to settle at $62.73 a barrel, the lowest closing price since May 15, 2007.

Online Degree

Capella University is a fully accredited online university where you can get your online degree. Just check out their website and you will discover that over 100 corporations support their employee's participation in getting their degrees. It is so easy to work with your employer and be able to get your degree, most of the time with their financial help. This online university has just recently put out a podcast in regard to reading and literacy. If this is something you are interested in, you can check this out online. They serve 23,400 students in 50 states and 45 countries. I think that says a great deal about what a fine online university they are.

This post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Weather is Beautiful

We are having some beautiful Fall weather again. The farmers are just starting to get back in the fields. We saw several last night chopping stalks. Many bean stalks have been baled. One farmer was telling us that the fields where his corn is are pretty wet yet.

The sun is shining now and some wind that should help it to dry. It is supposed to be in the 60's for about 5 days so that will be great after such cold and even snowy days. Too early here to be having snow yet. Tomorrow night is Halloween and we are staying home to see the kids come Trick and Treating. We usually go to the fish fry but going to make our own fish at home tomorrow night. Just love pollock dipped in beaten egg and rolled in crushed cracker crumbs. I cut the fillets in about inch pieces or so and make my own tartar sauce and it is better than at the fish fry - really.

Rachet is in His New Home

Rachet, the dog rescued in Iraq by a Minnesota soldier, arrived safely in Minnesota on Wednesday and promptly took a nap. That is a dog's job anyway - to sleep, eat and love you unconditionally. It was quite a long exhausting trip for Rachet who is 6 months old and he quickly went to sleep in the baggage claim area of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

Rachet left Baghdad on Sunday and flew from a Washington airport to Minneapolis on Wednesday. His new owner, Army Spc. Gwen Beberg, had been trying to get him home for weeks. She and another soldier rescued the dog from a burning pile of trash in May as a little puppy.

The military bars troops from caring for pets on duty or from taking them home. But Beberg had said she couldn't have made it through her 13-month deployment without the puppy. She is due to go back to Iraq next month, but Rachet will have a safe warm home in Minnesota while she is gone. Heartwarming story isn't it?

British Sex Education for Kindergarteners?

Good grief. What will be next? This is a very controversial idea (no kidding) in a land know for prudishness about sex. Now they are planning on teaching kids as young as 5 about sex. Britain has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe so they are bringing sex education to all schools in England, including kindergartens. Frankly I think they are all goofy.

Even France, Holland and China already require sex education, but few places there demand that it be introduced at such a young age. I think they have it backward. When there was no sex education at all and they let people grow up and learn naturally, there was a whole lot less pregnancies and promiscuous sex than there is now. Now the younger they teach them, the sooner they choose to experiment, causing younger and younger pregnancies.

They feel that it is vital that this information doesn't come from playground rumor or the mixed messages from the media about sex. Schools Minister Jim Knight announced that sex education would be added to the national curriculum. If every movie you see didn't have the couple meet, and in less than 5 minutes they are in bed, perhaps that would have cut down on younger and younger sex. Not only that but Hollywood and other movie makers make it so glamourous that the kids want to try it and you have to be an acrobat or contortionist to perform some of the sex acts you see on PG TV. Who is kidding who? But it is too little too late, in my opinion. The world is obsessed with sex.

Strictly Health

I have tried more ways to lose weight with Diet Pills:Quick Weight Loss than I can count. I just discovered this quick weight loss website http://www.weightlossguide.com and it was started by just one woman. She takes a holistic approach to weight loss and on this site you can gain a great deal of information about not only losing weight but why you gained it in the first place. It is a very informative website that I know you will enjoy.

We Missed Church

Yes, we missed church today. We made a decision to stay off the roads because this area was issued a high wind warning. I bet some semi trucks were blown over or off the road today. It was 35+ miles per hour and it gusted so hard it shook the house a couple of times.

It was kind of a good thing we stayed home because I looked out the window just in time to see the wind blow a tree down. The problem was that the tree fell on two hot live wires and broke off another one. It was really not that big a tree, more of a tall skinny one and not too old.

It started arcing fire on the branches and then the tree began to burn. I had to call the electric company right away, the minute I saw the tree was sparking against the wires. It took an hour for the truck to come and shut off the electricity so they could cut the tree down and loose from the wires and fix the wires. It could have caused a real bad fire in the strong wind and could have caught onto the house close by.

HIV Scare at High School

At a suburban St. Louis high school, students headed to the gym for HIV testing this week. This was due to an infected person telling health officials that as many as 50 teenagers might have been exposed to the virus that causes AIDS.

Officials refused to give out details on who the person was or how the students at Normandy High School might have been exposed. The district is consulting with national AIDS organizations to try to minimize the fallout and prevent the infection and misinformation, also, from spreading.

The board wants to be sure all children are fully educated as there is a potential for stigma for all students regardless of whether they test positive or negative. Isn't it a shame that it has gone so far that high schools have to test their students for HIV? Like my husband said, "what's next? grade school?"

Flu Season

It is that time of year again. It is all over the news. Get in and get your flu shot now as the season starts soon when people start coming down with the flu. They have plenty on hand this year and are going to give it to more people of different ages, rather than just the very young or very old.

My husband had a doctor appointment today for his shoulder and we had made appointments to have our flu shots on Monday. But the doctor asked if we would like to have them today. Of course, we said yes, and both got our flu shots. Now we don't have to make another trip on Monday to get a flu shot. That will free up more time on Monday for someone else to get their shot. If you haven't had yours yet, don't wait till it is too late. Do it now while they have many clinics all over giving the shots.

Danze Faucets

Isn't it about time you modernized your bathrooms? I know ours could sure use it and I found this website that has Danze faucets. They are very modern in design and look like a work of art. If you are looking for durability, these faucets are just the ones and they are so stylish. All your friends will want to know where you got them. They also have accessories to go along with the Danze faucets. I think you will agree they are beautiful.

World Series

Are you a World Series fan? It seems like the only time I really get interested in the World Series is when it gets down to those last games. The Philadelphia Phillies already have one under their belt, having beat the Tampa Bay Rays last night. Tonight they are trying for their second game in a row, but will they pull it out? I guess we will see.

Brett Myers is pitching against James Shields in Game 2. The Phillies have a pretty good past record, having won the Series 63 times out of 103. I think that is very good. We always had a "pool" at work and it was fun to join in it and see who won the money. I was always very lucky in those and it gave me even more incentive to keep up with how the games were going.

Carpet Cleaning

Now this is a real job. Our carpets really need cleaning. They haven't been cleaned since we moved in and they were brand new at that time. They are good sturdy berber carpet so they don't wear but we know they could use a good cleaning. We have rented carpet cleaning machines of various types from various stores over the years and not one of them was easy. My Kirby vacuum cleaner came with a great attachment for cleaning carpets but it wore out years ago.

I guess the easiest way would be to look up Stanley Steamers or a professional company and have them come to the house and clean the carpets. The hard part always is moving the furniture. What a job that is. And the older we get the harder it is. Guess we will have to decide what to do pretty soon.

Nebraska Injury Accident Attorney

If you have ever been rear ended by another car, then you know what injuries you can suffer. Often times the injuries do not really show up right away. You feel fine but then your neck begins to ache and your back hurts. By then, you go to the doctor and he tells you that you have whiplash but it wasn't evident at the time of the accident.

Often insurance companies will push you to sign off quickly that you were not hurt and then you are stuck for a great many doctor bills. Now you can go to this online website, if you live in Nebraska, and contact a Nebraska Injury Accident Attorney that is experienced in just such matters. They will go to bat for you and see that you are reimbursed appropriately for your injuries.

Get online and fill out the easy form you will find there plus a description of your case and they will advise you accordingly.

No Cooking For Me Tonight

There will be no cooking for me tonight. We are going out to our favorite Mexican restaurant and I can hardly wait. We will be leaving in less than an hour so I better get ready. I just love their chicken fajitas and also chicken enchiladas. They make the best taco salads too in two sizes, small (which is pretty big) and large (which is humongous). If you leave there hungry, it is your own fault. They have all the tacos, beans and really good rice. Chips and salsa goes along with your meal really well and nachos with everything on them are very good, too. Sometimes, it is hard to decide what you want to eat, because there are so many good choices.

Bar Stools

Now that we have finished remodeling several rooms in the house, we thought it would be a great idea to set up a bar area in the lower level of the house. We found a beautiful table but now we need some good looking and comfortable bar stools. This online website has just the ones that we have been looking for. They have padded seats and the wood matches the table perfectly. They are so fashionable, all our friends are going to be envious when we have them over to our home.

Pizza Night Out

Hurray! It is Pizza night out. No cooking tonight. All the various kinds of pizzas you can eat and if they don't have your favorite, all you have to do is ask and they will make it for you. Often a good taco pizza isn't there so we ask for one and they are so very good. Their broasted chicken, mashed potatoes and real chicken gravy is just delicious too, along with a good vegetable. They change them so they don't get boring. They also have great chicken fingers and I love to dip them in Ranch dressing. Best of all we order a special apple or peach cactus bread for dessert. I can hardly wait.

How About a Nap?

Did you know that taking a short nap after lunch is good for you? It gives your body extra time to restore itself. These days they talk a great deal about Power Naps. If you can fall asleep for just 10 minutes, you will wake refreshed and ready to face the rest of your day. Companies are even encouraging power naps now in some places. When an employee works long hours in an office without a break, they become tired, have a headache and they just don't do the best job they could. With a quick power nap, they are much more industrious and clear headed.

Acne Treatment

If you have acne and are wondering what is the best treatment, then the best way to find an acne treatment is to check out this online website. They have done all the work for you. They have listed the top 5 treatments for acne. For sure, you want to know what side effects can happen and whether the acne treatment is safe. But besides that you want to get the best value for your money. It is very discouraging to keep trying various treatments and spending your hard earned money only to find out they don't work. Check them out today.

Iraqi Puppy on Way to U.S.

At long last Rachet, the Iraqi puppy is headed to the U.S. An animal rescue group flew into Baghdad on Sunday and picked up the dog . Rachet has been adopted by Army Spe. Gwen Beberg of Minneapolis. It is against military rules for troops to care for pets while in Iraq.

Pets are what keep many troops going through tough times of war. After the third try by Operation Baghdad Pups to get Rachet out of the country, they finally made it. Both Beberg and Rachet are happy now.

Titanic Survivor Sells Her Mementos

Now this is a SAD story. Millvina Dean was only 2 months old when the Titanic went down. She was wrapped in a sack and lowered into a lifeboat. Now she is 96, the last survivor of the tragedy and she is having to sell mementos to help pay her nursing home fees.

That April l912 night, she and her 2 year old brother and mother were taken to New York with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They were given a small wicker suitcase of donated clothing. This was a gift from New Yorkers to help them rebuild their lives. Now she is selling the suitcase and other Titanic mementos to help pay her nursing home fees. They are expected to bring $5,200 at an auction of Titanic memorabilia tomorrow in western England.

Some of the items are rare prints of the Titanic and letters from the Titanic relief Fund offering her mother one pound, seven shillings and sixpense a week in compensation. I don't know how much that is in American money, but it doesn't sound like much. She broke her hip two years ago and couldn't live in her own home anymore. Rooms at the nursing home cost between $1000 and $1550 a week depending on the level of care a resident needs.

Maritime Lawyers

Maritime injuries do not always fall into the same categories as other factory on-the-job injuries. That is why it is important to find a lawyer who is experienced in maritime injuries. All workers do not fall under the same laws and regulations so filing a claim can be quite different. Often times there is a time element involves, as well. The injured worker may find they have less time to file for compensation than other workers. If you have a maritime injury, it is important that you get a good maritime lawyer and if you will check into this online website, you can get a free consultation with experienced lawyers who can handle your case for you. They can see to it that you receive the fastest reimbursement for your injuries. That is important if and when you find yourself without a job and no pay coming in.

Mammograms and Breast Cancer Month

If you do not know already, October is the month when they encourage women to have their annual mammogram taken. It is a very important way to prevent breast cancer or find breast cancer in its early stages. Our niece died this summer of breast cancer at the age of 46 and she caught it when she was 42 and went through all kinds of chemo, radiation and it still didn't stop it. However, she found it herself accidently and true or not, I have always heard that by the time you find it, it is too far advanced.

Now I understand they also have ultrasound tests, as well as, the regular machine mammograms. I thought they said on the news that they are finding more tumors with this new method. They used to say that you should be 50 to start yearly tests but now they are lowering the age because more women in their 30's and 40's are getting breast cancer. It often seems like the younger ones do not live to be cured, which is really sad as they so often leave behind a grieving husband and children of an age that really need their mother.

I am having my test this month, how about you? Should you be making an appointment. Many hospitals even give you a break on the charge for the mammogram in the month of October to encourage more women to come in and have their tests done. It is a very good thing to do. Don't put it off until it is too late.

Proud Aunt and Niece

Family is so important. Here you see Aunt Sandy with her first little niece, Kaelyn. Kaelyn will be a year old November 1 and I think she will be walking soon. Sandy had a fun visit with her as they live quite a few hours apart. It is great when family get together this way. It takes extra effort to make the drive sometimes but it is well worth it. The little ones change so fast that Sandy will be surprised at how much she has changed the next time she sees her. Hopefully, we will all be able to get together for Christmas, weather permitting and see all the grandchildren, nieces, nephews and relatives.

Canon Camera

We had been thinking of getting a new camera and several people were giving us suggestions about what was the best kind to buy. Knowing little about the latest in cameras, I began searching the Internet. I had heard that you could not beat a good Canon camera so I checked out this website. We wanted to get one that would produce high quality digital photos and this website has them. So if you are looking for a good camera, search them out and see for yourself.

Flu Shots

Do you get a flu shot every year? We have gotten them every year now for quite a few years. So far, we have avoided getting the flu also. So I think they work for us. Some people just can't take the shot due to other medical reasons but I feel it is a good thing to have available. Especially for people in nursing homes, who have run down conditions to begin with. Once it gets started in nursing homes and hospitals, it seems hard to stop. Our local County Health Nursing Service always has a couple of days in October or November when they give the flu shots. Last year we got both flu and pneumonia shots from our doctor at the clinic during a regular checkup. There was a terrible shortage of flu shots last year but this year they say it is so plentiful, they may end up throwing some away. I think last year, there was such a shortage that by the time they got enough for everyone, a great many people just let it go. I heard they had to destroy many of the vaccines and that was an awful waste.

Fashion Jewelry Sets

Now is a great time to begin your Christmas shopping. I know you have many women and girls on your list if you are like me, and you wonder what they would like. Well, everyone know, women love jewelry, so I got on the Internet and searched out some websites. I found this website that has the most beautiful jewelry at fashion jewelry sets and it is so beautifully crafted that you would think it is a great deal more expensive than it is. The prices are low also and they have gifts as low as under $50 and gifts for men and women alike. Check out the free shipping on orders over $85 also to save even more money. Your one stop shopping center for jewelry.

Family

Family is really important and we have a wonderful family. This is our grandson, his wife and great grandson, Emry. He is growing up so fast and because he lives in Texas, we keep up with his growth on the Internet. He is always smiling and good natured and I hear that he just loves everyone he meets. I think he takes after both his parents that way because they are outgoing people too.

And of course we think he gets his good looks from his parents as well. Someone once said, if you follow a good looking child home, there you will find good looking parents and I am sure they are right about that. Perhaps one of these days, they will move back to our State and we will get to see them all in person but for now, it is really neat to have the Internet to keep up with them.

Football Trophies

Football is coming close to the end of the season and if you are planning on giving your team some sport trophies, then this would be a good website to check out for football trophies. They do very fine work and will ship your order to you in a speedy manner so that you will have them in plenty of time. Check out the customer feedback if you have doubts about them. They have an easy form to fill out online and your order will be processed quickly and be on its way to you.

Local Current events

What is the matter with so many young people today? There are so many good kids but then there are those that turn on their parents and you just don't understand it. We have a young women in the next nearby town that tried to kill her mother by beating her over the head with a heavy skillet or frying pan. The mother was baking cookies for her and had done all kinds of good things for her and then she did this. She was convicted this week to 40 years in prison, 10 years for each time she hit her mother over the head with the heavy pan, yelling "die", "die". It seems like almost every day you see where someone has killed their whole family and then committed suicide also. And for a while it was one pregnant mother a week that was found dead. It is turning into a very violent world.

Health and Exercise

We have our second Tony Little Gazelle. We bought the first one about 15 years ago. At first my husband thought it wasn't much of an exercise machine because he had a treadmill and he thought that walking on that gave him much better exercise. Then he started walking uptown, 2 miles a day, until it started getting icy and snowy. That was when he decided he would try the Gazelle, because I had been walking on it for years. He soon found that the muscles of his legs got more exercise than they did when he walked uptown and outside.

The doctor suggested that both me and my husband walk a total of 30 minutes a day for our health. We made sure that we walked that long each day and even longer sometimes. We wore out the old Gazelle and ordered a new one. It is a little lighter weight but it also takes up a bit less room. We have it right in front of the television set so you can keep up with your programs and the news and you don't get bored. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is exercise. Some people run at the gym, others workout at the YMCA or swim. It doesn't matter what kind of exercise you choose as long as you are consistent and exercise daily. You will feel like a new person if you have been a couch potato.

Shopping for Groceries

My oh my, have the groceries gone up! It seems like I can barely get out of the store with the bare necessities of life without spending at least $40+ . They are even giving us a 10 cents rebate now if we bring in our own "green" bags or reuse the nice handle paper bags the grocery store uses. Someone sent me a little shopping bag in the mail the other day and I put it in the back seat of the car. I didn't know if I would remember to use it, but now I take it in with me every time I shop for groceries. I ran to the store a bit ago to get milk and you guessed it, I came out with lunch meat, washing soap, butter and a few more things and sure enough it was just over $40. Oh yes, they had pop on sale and I always buy it then as it is so much cheaper in the 12 packs of Pepsi when it is on sale. I try to buy a box of breakfast food too when they are on sale and I see the bread we use has almost doubled in price. I should never go to the store when I have enough time to look around as I see stuff I didn't think about buying when I left home.

New Television Programs

Finally, the new television program season has begun and we can quit watching re-runs or hunting for something else to watch. I have been watching the Terminator since it started and once you get into it, you want to see what is going to happen next. I am glad CSI Miami is back and the main man didn't die like the Grand Finale. I really enjoy him, although others think it is strange the way he always looks and stands kind of side ways and wears dark sunglasses a great deal. We never miss America's Most Wanted on Saturday nights and I still can't believe that they tried to take that program off the air. If it wasn't for them, a great many really bad guys would have never been caught. Some have even turned themselves in because they saw themselves on that program and knew it was useless to hide as someone would recognize them sooner or later. I really like the exciting programs and feel many of the "family" shows are very negative to families and have bad morals to teach young people.

Dermatologists

My husband has itchy skin. At least that is what I call it. No one seems to know what causes it, but if he rubs his body anywhere, it itches so much he can hardly stand it. He has to be careful to pat himself dry after a shower and not really rub the towel over his skin. Lotions do not help at all either. So we have been going to the dermatologist and he is giving him two prescriptions that have really helped. The prescriptions are not very expensive either and that is a big help. The doctor says you can take them indefinitely as they have no side effects whatsoever so that gives you a great deal of peace of mind. We have to be there early in the morning so guess we had better get a good night's sleep. Perhaps we can have breakfast afterwards at Perkins. They always have good food.

Baseball - Let's Play Ball

It is that time of the year again when the teams are hoping to be in the playoffs of the World Series. In the American League the White Sox beat Tampa Bay 5-3 Sunday. Monday is Game 4 in the best of five with Gavin Floyd of Chicago, facing Andy Sonnanstine of Tampa Bay. In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the milwaukee Brewers 6-2. They clinched their first trip to the NLCS since l993. They are really excited and pumped up. Some Phillies fans held up a big banner that read "World Series Here We Come Fightin' Phillies."

Wedding Reception

Today is the big day. Our next door neighbors are getting married today. They are going to have an outdoor wedding in a gazebo. It is very cold this morning but it is sunny and it should be beautiful by the time of the wedding.

They have four children who are all going to have a part in the wedding. The little two year old daughter will be flower girl, and her almost 3 year old cousin is going to be ring bearer. That will be fun to see if the pull that off. They said during rehearsals, the ring bearer kept starting down the aisle and about 3 steps in, he would turn around and come back. The little ones usually can add some comedy relief to an otherwise very serious stressful event.

The reception is being held indoors at a place that specializes in wedding parties and parties of all sorts. We have been there before and they do a beautiful job of decorating. I am anxious to go see how it is done up and to see the bride in her dress. She said it is covered in pearls and the flower girl too so it should be beautiful. Every bride, no matter how plain, is beautiful on her wedding day. Have you ever noticed that?

Halloween Pumpkin

The neighbors decorated early this week with all kinds of Halloween decorations. I don't do decorating outside like that but I do have a big pumpkin. It is made out of some sort of plastic with a cute smile and is about a foot tall. It is flat and and you hang it on one of those plastic suction cups. I put it in the window facing the neighbor's house this year. I usually put it in another window facing out toward the driveway so cars driving around will see it. The neighbor kids will get more enjoyment out of it this year. I figure it must be close to 38 years old and looks just like new. It never fades either. It is just as bright orange as the day I got it with a yellow leaf hat and green leaves at the base of it. It has become sort of a keepsake for me as my son got it for me years ago.

Bedspreads and Blankets

It certainly has gotten a whole lot colder the last 2 days. Just a couple days ago, we were sweating and sleeping on top of the covers. Now we are under them trying to get warm. Now is the time to spruce up your bedroom too with a heavier warm bedspread. That will help keep you toasty warm. New blankets are on the agenda too. When you can almost see through them, I think it is time for them to go, don't you? We like to turn down the thermostat at night and it gets pretty chilly but it is good sleeping and with new blankets and a nice warm bedspread, we will be all set this winter. Let Old Man Winter make his move, we will be ready for him.

Picture taken from CanopyLiving.com