Gayle Crabtree.com

Teas to relax by

2013-05-16T22:47:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to enjoy a hot cup of tea and listen to Pandora yesterday and it was really great. Finding time to relax has been extremely challenging lately. The time out was just what I needed. Tea has traditionally been used for many different reasons. Chamomile is what I use to relax with, oolong is said to help you lose weight and green tea is supposed to be packed with antioxidants.

The uses of tea and the properties of different varieties fascinates me. Who would think that a few dry leaves could do so much for you? There are tons of different types in the grocery store but internet options are rapidly expanding what is available.

It's important to check with your doctor before drinking some teas on a regular basis. Like anything else, some varieties may interact with medications or have adverse benefits. Several types of tea may actually have health benefits. It's always worth a check with the doc to get the right information.

Here are a couple of teas that I enjoy and how I use them. What are your favorites?

Chamomile
I always drink this when it's warm. The light flavor gets lost when consumed as iced tea. It's great for relaxation. You can either drink it as a beverage or warm the bags and place them on your eyes. Boil water and let the bags steep for one minute. When they are very cool to the touch, lay back in your favorite chair and place one on each eye. It's a nice stress break (although one that I don't get to use often enough.)

Oolong
This is a staple in Chinese restaurants but you can also get it from OolongSlimmingTea.com online. I have not ordered from them and am sharing the link as a potential resource. It can be hard to find in the grocery store but, if the oolong tea diet catches on, then it may be more widely available.

Fruit teas
Some restaurants are adding syrups to flavor teas and the flavors seem to be popular. However; there are lots of fruit flavored teas that don't need a boost to be flavorful. I enjoy relaxing with berry tea, orange and spice and lemon are among my favorites.

Making tea is a snap. Place a teabag in your favorite mug. Put a small pot of water on to boil. Pour water over the teabag when the water comes to a boil. (Be very careful not to spill the boiling water.) Let the teabag sit for five minutes and remove with tongs.

I add a teaspoon full of local honey as a sweetener. It's light flavor goes with almost any tea and is perfect for relaxing. Come to think of it, I think that I'll head into the kitchen and brew some now.

Mother's Day sermon based on John 19:26-27

2013-05-11T20:00:00.002-04:00

Mother's Day is the one day of the year that we recognize and give thanks for the mothers among us who make our lives what they are. Today we celebrate the mothers who have loved us, nurtured us and cared for us, whether they are our biological mothers, adopted or acted as surrogate mothers in the place of our own. As we celebrate the mothers that we are or will be.

Me and my girls

This passage of John 19:26-27 speaks about mothers on very different levels. The first and most obvious is that in this passage, Jesus is taking care of the physical, earthly needs of his own mother. He is also giving John a mother to love and care for. From this point on, he is to be Mary's son and she is to be John's mother. It is task that John accepts for the rest of Mary's life.

This speaks to me because it speaks of a mother – child relationship on several levels. Some of us grew up with mothers that we love and would want to see cared for as Jesus did with Mary. Those with nurturing, loving mothers have much to be grateful for. They are are gifts to be treasured.

These are women who carried us home from the hospital and loved us despite our 3:00 a.m. hunger pangs, homework and were there for us through the heartbreak of our first young relationship. We are grateful for moms who taught us life skills and who loved us enough to discipline us. These are mothers to be cherished.

However; not all of us are so fortunate. Some of us grew up with mothers who were absent either in presence or emotionally. During this time period it was expected that a son would care for and provide for his mother in her old age. It is interesting that we don't hear anything about John's mother mentioned in the Gospels.

We do not know if she died an early age or if she had a relationship with John at all. What we do know is that she is not mentioned as the other women who were there. This may indicate a mother who was either emotionally or physically distant from her child or one who passed away. It is a passage that gives encouragement to those who had unhealthy relationship. John's life is an example that through God you can be blessed and a blessing to others.

The relationship between John and Mary is also an adoptive relationship. Jesus called upon John to take care of Mary, to adopt her into his home. He accepted and Mary did as well. We know this because John took her into his home for the rest of her life.

The love between adopted children and parents is often as strong (and sometimes stronger) than that of biological families. This too, is a gift to be celebrated.

This passage also speaks of women who do not have their own children. By living in John's home, Mary was agreeing to nurture any children that he may have. This is no small thing.

How many times have we been influenced by women chose to nurture and care for us in the place of their own children? I know many who have taught school, led Sunday School classes and worked in advocacy centers because they care about the lives of children. Surrogate mothers like these are to be celebrated.

This passage from John also speaks to women who have suffered a loss. Indeed, this was the case for Mary after Jesus perished on the cross. Nothing can replace the loss of a child. However; we know that through Jesus we have the hope of seeing our child again in the heavenly beyond.

Previous post: Jones Chapel Ladies Conference.

Becoming a Woman of Courage ladies conference

2013-04-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

I'll be speaking at the Jones Chapel United Methodist Church Ladies Conference this Saturday, May 4, 2013. They asked me to do it almost two years ago and it's a honor to be there. Registrations are still being accepted. Email me if you'd like to attend. I'll get the directions and contact information to you.

Our topic is "Becoming a Woman of Courage". From abuse issues to seeing a child go off to school (or college) the first time, every woman has had obstacles and difficult moments to overcome. We're going to talk about how to do that.

Since this is a Christian conference, we'll be looking to the Bible for inspiration. It is filled with stories of women who displayed courage against formidable odds.

Who would tie a red ribbon in her window and stay steadfast with an advancing army approaching? Who dared to approach a King under fear of death for doing so? How about a woman who fought her way through the crowd for a healing touch? Then, what about a woman who was so outcast that she avoided others and felt rejected by her community?

Come find out. The ladies conference begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. See you then.

Quick foot drop health update

2013-04-03T11:18:00.004-04:00

Everyone wants to know how my problem with foot drop is progressing so here's a quick health update. The leg/foot/back are progressing as a fast as a three legged turtle going uphill. And healing is, an uphill climb.

I never dreamed that it would take this long to recover! Six weeks after having c-sections I was back to my normal self. It took less than that after appendicitis and even less after having the gallbladder removed. When we first discussed the back surgery it sounded like a relatively easy recovery period.

Then the foot drop developed and my world turned inside out.

The emergency surgery was done on New Year's Eve by a top notch team. I'm still in physical therapy and don't have a graduation date. We live in the boondocks and although I was cleared to drive, I have some limitations.

Doctors and other pros tell me that it can take up to a year or more to fully heal. The pros also say that most of my function should be regained by about six to eight months after surgery. We don't know what that will look like yet. Right now, I'm still on a cane and am unsteady. Uneven ground is not my friend. I can't pick things up off of the floor and shopping has to be done with a shopping cart. (The carts are essentially walkers with bigger wheels.)

Everything else is still rocky but progressing. I like to travel and am taking a few more photos from outside the car. The superzoom camera takes up a lot of the slack there! By leaning on the cane, I'm able to stand up for about 1/3 of the church service now on most days.

My foot drop recovery progress is subtle and slow but I'm getting there. My plan is to win the turtle race as quickly as possible and get back into the rat race. So watch out world, I'm still coming through and will see you across the finish line.

How to find stolen photos and online articles

2013-03-13T16:15:00.003-04:00

I have learned how to find stolen photos and online articles out of necessity.You may think that placing a photo of mine onto your blog or reposing an article is a compliment. It's not. Stolen work takes money out of my pocket that I need to pay bills. There are several sites that I use to find stolen photos and online articles.

My copyright policy makes it very plain. You can be billed when caught using my work. By posting my work without permission you are automatically agreeing to the copyright policy. Be smart. Don't use my photos or online articles without asking first.

Here are a few sites that I use to find stolen photos and online articles.

With TinEye.com you can easily find stolen photos and duplicate, derivative or modified photos. A simple browser plug-in lets me find pictures in a snap.

Google Images needs only a few clicks to locate images in any file format. It reaches into almost every corner of the web, works fast and can be done without a browser extension. Search results include images that are similar in color or style.

Who Stole My Pictures is one of my favorites. With it, I can find stolen photos with one click. It can search three different search engines, the extension is a quick download and is very easy to use.

Yandex.ru searches images in a few countries that don't speak English. Running the page through a translation program helps you decipher the search results.

How to find stolen articles

Copyscape is my favorite tool. The premium service charges a very reasonable fee. It sniffs out stolen articles even if the words are rearranged. You type a url or portion of text into a search box. Results include urls with highlighted portions of text.

With Google, you can search a few sentence of text to find stolen articles. It searches text, Adobe or Doc file appears. Easy controls help you request a DMCA takedown.

Plagium is similar to Copyscape. You can search by url or text. The system searches news articles, throughout the web and on social media sites.

Additional tools to find stolen photos and online articles can be found through any internet search. If you're thinking about using my work (or anyone else's) without permission, don't. Many writers and photographers will work with you if you ask ahead of time.

It's too easy to find stolen photos and articles online. "Forgetting" to ask is theft. Be smart. Don't do it.

Hunters giveth venison. Louisiana health officials taketh away.

2013-02-27T23:23:00.005-05:00

After hunters donated venison to feed the homeless, Louisiana health officials stepped in and ordered the donation to be destroyed. It wasn't enough to order all 1,600 pounds of venison to be thrown away. Citing food safety concerns, the Louisiana health officials opened each package of venison that the hunters donated. Then they doused it all down with bleach so neither humans nor animals could eat it.

Deer grazing in Cades Cove

This sounds like a bad after-Christmas remake of Scrooge to me. Forget about all the times you've seen homeless people digging through trash cans. Apparently literally eating garbage is better than dining on commercially processed deer meet. That's the message that I'm getting anyway.

The Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission who was to receive the donation estimated that at least 3,200 meals were lost. The meat was processed in a facility that is approved to process commercial meat. A request by the mission director to return the venison to the processing facility (and presumably back to the hunters) was also denied by Louisiana officials.

Keep in mind that hunters can serve this same venison to their children. They just can't feed the homeless, serve it in a restaurant or give it to a mission. Never mind that the mission serves 200,000 meals a year without government help or that they depend on donations to feed the homeless.

After all, why eat venison that was donated by hunters when you could have a peanut butter sandwich? How about a big leafy spinach salad to go with that? Add a few slices of cantaloupe and you're in for a nice healthy meal.

But, don't you dare touch the venison donated by hunters and don't give it to the homeless. According to the State of Louisiana and their health officials there are better choices available. Ha! Thankfully plans are being worked out to prevent this from happening again. I just wish that had been thought of before the food was destroyed. How about you?

How I use a coupon binder to save money

2013-02-21T13:15:00.001-05:00

We have been talking about coupons for the past few days so I am going to post here about the coupon binder that I have made. It did not cost an arm and leg to create. Instead, I paid less than $15 for the whole thing. The savings that it has netted my family has been much more than that.

I know what you're thinking. You're probably asking yourself why I am posting this kind of stuff here instead of my other blog www.myoutofdebtjourney. One of the big reasons is that I am being asked to do it from several different sources.

Questions are coming frequently from victims of domestic violence. Victims have a real need to cut corners where ever possible. Some have never held a job that pays a living wage. Financial savviness is required to get out of a shelter and back into life. I believe that any woman of any income level can benefit from a coupon binder and from discounts from places like couponila.com.

The coupon binder is inexpensive enough to fit in anyone's budget. You don't have to use all new items. Repurposing and using used items will work for the most part. The “big” expenses are a 3 inch, 3 ring binder, a 3 hole punch and dividers. I slide the binder into a reusable tote bag that I got for free. You can make your own or pick one up from Wal-Mart for .50 cents.

Making the binder begins with deciding what types of coupons your family uses. I collected coupons for a couple of weeks and then spread them out onto a table. A pattern formed in just a few minutes. Dairy, general grocery items (canned goods, mac and cheese etc.) household items (toilet paper, paper towels) and personal care items were the bulk of the coupons.

These piles essentially told me what sections I needed in the binder. From here it was a matter of cutting the sheets, labeling the dividers and putting everything in place. I then added a clear zip style baggie at the end of each section for any loose coupons.

Using whole sheets of coupons and then cutting at the store works for me. Some people cut coupons individually and use baseball card sheets. This is great but it's not my style and cost more than I wanted to spend.

Scissors, a pen and calculator to be helpful. These were picked up from the dollar store. My big score from was a large purple 3 hole punch. I also picked up a small pouch to put them in. It fits neatly into the front of the coupon binder.

A section labeled “miscellaneous” is in the back of the binder. This is where deals from sites like www.couponila.com go. I also use it for restaurant coupons, clothes, oil changes and any other type of discount that doesn't come around everyday.

Going through the binder weekly helps keep it up to date. Combing the discounts with sales helps you save the most money. We tracked it for a couple of months and found that our grocery bill was reduced by an average of 30% - 50%. That's enough to make it worth the effort for my family. How about yours?

Surgery recovery and physical therapy

2013-02-19T00:16:00.000-05:00

By now you know that we are working to overcome medical bills and our general debt load. I found another money saving site that you may be interested in. Writing articles like this on this particular blog isn't my norm but I hope that you will stick with me awhile longer.

Writing from home has been a godsend. Being able to cover people who have overcome issues like homeless, poverty, sexual assault and other society ills is the purpose of the blog. From time to time, I also get to write about upcoming speaking engagements, my sermons and so forth.

The problem is working writing in with my physical therapy schedule. The doc has me going three times and week and walking every other day. Switching my dressier clothing out for exercise wear is interesting. Finding a onehanesplace coupon should help. I haven't delved deeply into the site yet but it looks like it might be helpful.

Hanes products haven't let me down yet and this site has lots of promo codes for them. It's perfect since I need exercise clothes for working out. It's time to trade church clothes for work clothes. Working out more often for PT requires more clothing and I am looking forward to getting back to the gym.

My gym time was my time and I enjoyed it. Having to put it on hold because of the back surgery is a disappointment. A 24 hour fitness coupon for my favorite gym would be nice. It always helps to save money on things that you do regularly. That seems to be one of the secrets to getting out (and staying out) of the financial hole.

Physical therapy and walking are challenging to fit into the schedule. Guess what. It's helping. Today I was able to fix a light dinner and load the dishwasher. They weren't done well but they did get done. It's not much but it's an improvement. I plan on being back at the gym as soon as I can. Want to race me to the stepper machine?

Dealing with spine surgery

2013-02-18T22:30:00.002-05:00

I have been dealing with spine surgery for seven months now. This isn't my first experience with surgery but it is my first experience with back surgery. Regaining functioning after drop foot is taking much longer than I dreamed.

Compared to this, the abdominal surgeries of a few years ago were a walk in the park. It took about four to six weeks to fully recover (not counting the post-op pneumonia that happened twice). Recovering from foot drop is taking longer. I'm making progress but it's not fast enough.

My physical therapy group is wonderful. They're mean at times (Just kidding guys!) but they want me to get the job done.

The life lessons from this fill me with gratitude for the life that I have. Overall my health has been good, my husband and kids are great and the dog that adopted us is a real sweetheart. Our churches are fabulous, one of my jobs is worked from home and I am very grateful.

But as much as I'm grateful I am in awe of the people who have dealt with challenges for a lot longer than I have (or will). Courage, inspiration and hope are everywhere if you look for them.

The internet is filled with success stories from people who are beating the odds. My husband's church had a fundraising dinner for Relay for Life the other night. I got word today that a missing teenager has been located. A homeless man gave a ring back and seemingly shocked the world. I read a book about a young woman who lost both of her legs, another one about a college student who stepped on a landmine and one about a young woman who was horrifically abused as a child.

You know what? All of the people that I mentioned above are real. Each one has survived and gone on to help others.

The world has a lot of darkness in it but health challenges isn't it. They are inconveniences that can make us better appreciate what we have - if we let them. Some days are maddening. They're frustrating and they're just plain hard! But, many people are much worse off.

If you have your health, be glad.
If you have family and friends who love you, be happy.
If you can look at someone else with compassion, rejoice.
If you can make someone's day, be honored.

Thank you for walking this road with me.
Gayle

Homeless man returns diamond ring; lesson for us all

2013-02-18T00:11:00.001-05:00

A homeless man returns a diamond ring and it's a lesson for us all. How many times have you seen a homeless person begging on the street and walked past? Maybe you've dropped some change or a dollar into a cup but how many times have you ever stopped for conversation? If you have, then maybe it doesn't surprise you that a homeless man returned a lost ring.

I have. In fact, I have had many conversations with many people who have lived on the streets or in shelters. Knowing that the homeless man returned a diamond ring doesn't surprise me all that much. What does surprise me is that the act is making headlines.

People who are homeless are just like everyone else. Some are honest and some aren't. Rich people aren't better because they're better off. They may have morals but it's because someone instilled those values in them.

On the flip side, those who are poor or in poverty aren't automatically thieves or cheaters. Just like the man in the story, homeless people can have values and character too. Being on the streets or in a shelter only means that the person needs more skills to maintain a place to live than he or she has.

The homeless man who returned the diamond ring has a lesson for us all. The next time you see someone with a hand out try not to judge them any differently than you do anyone else. I think that's a lesson that we can all walk away with.

Ode to the internet past

2013-02-16T19:33:00.001-05:00

It's amazing to think that I have been online since 1995. The internet is a totally different world now that it was back then. The glimmer of education and understanding was just beginning to catch on. Dial-up was the word of the day. You could pick up an installation disk at any grocery store. Cable modems and T-1 connections came later.

As a late teenager, my family had a VIC-20 and a Commodore 64 computer. My first computer was a used 386 that was inherited from my mother. This was a big bulky machine that covered an entire desk. I had zero interest in the computer, looked at it as one more thing that took up space and really didn't want it.

Then my husband picked up a floppy disk from the store and showed me how to work a 14.4 K-baud modem. It's hum and beeping soon became music to my ears. My Geocities account was opened a few months later. We had basic editing software but the page was was pretty much written by hand. (This was before the days of mytechcoupons.com where you couldn't go out and just buy webpage design software.)

In fact, the first web design program that I remember came with Netscape and then Front Page. The Netscape Navigator came bundled with software from another company. Although simple, the program made it a breeze to create a website.

Buying a computer today is much more challenging. Coupon sites like www.mytechcoupons.com can help you get a good price. You can shop through stores like Best Buy and compare specs on products like HP, Sony, Logitech and others.

This is another change from the earlier days of the internet. There really wasn't much in the way of online stores in 1996. Purchasing electronics meant hitting the local retail store and hoping that the sales representative had more knowledge that you did. It wasn't always the best bet but it was what we had to work with.

I sometimes miss the earlier, simpler times of the internet. One thing that I don't miss is the 14.4 K-baud modem. It just wouldn't work with my smart phone.

A chance conversation at the store

2013-02-15T12:32:00.002-05:00

I have been getting out more since surgery last month. Yesterday, I had a chance conversation with a woman at the store yesterday. We were standing in what seemed to be the longest checkout line in the world. Pretty soon she was telling me her story. I won't share the details on the blog but I will say that hers is a story all too familiar to me.

Her's is a story of how she overcame abuse, health issues and raised children by herself. It was very encouraging.

Ironically, the conversation began over a coupon binder (and yes, I have the oddest conversations!) I created mine to hold coupons, a 6pm coupon code that I need to keep up with, a pen and other items. Hers is also homemade.

The difference is that she used baseball card holders to organize the individually clipped coupons. We spent a few minutes comparing our folders and our lives. It was almost as shame when Hubby came to help me check out. She has this url and my email address. Hopefully, we'll talk again soon. (If you are her, don't hesitate to email me. It was beautiful talking with you yesterday. :)

Another of my recent trips out was pretty routine. My physical therapist suggested specific tennis shoes that might help my leg and foot work better. She was right. My shoes are Reebok Zigs and they've helped some.

Because I wanted to use the shoes immediately, I didn't check for a 6pm promo code until later. They have a Reebok promo code that may help on my next pair. There were also codes for New Balance, Dr. Scholl's, Nine West and Skechers.

They also had discounts on clothing by DKNY, Hunter and Calvin Klein. I don't need those items right now but may in the future. Discounts on each of these are a good reason to bookmark the site. The deals looked pretty good. I'll probably check it when these shoes start to wear out.

In the meantime, I'll keep my ears open at the grocery store. You never know who you'll run into or how they'll make your day. I can only hope to have made her smile too.

A cell phone helps me earn income online

2013-02-11T22:02:00.002-05:00

By now, I think that everyone knows about my unexpected surgery last month. It's also generating an unexpected stack of medical bills. My plan to pay off our debt is certainly being challenged! We are cutting back big time to compensate.

One of the things that I did a couple of years ago was change my wireless plan. I went from a traditional plan to a prepaid phone. It just about cut my cell phone cost in half. My husband has not made the switch yet. We are on the lookout for wireless coupons so he can upgrade to a smart phone when he switches over to a prepaid plan.

Coupon sites like mywirelesscoupons.com help you to get the best deals from an array of companies. You can use their exclusive promo codes to save money on a wireless plans. T-Mobile, Sprint and Quantum are just a few of the choices that you can choose from. Ordering with the promo codes and coupons that are on the site only takes a few clicks of the mouse.

Slashing our monthly budget means making hard decisions. We never have been big into cable and dropped it several years ago. Almost all of our news comes from internet sources. It's easy to pull up with local or national websites to keep up the latest news.

Linking my phone to Twitter lets me get breaking news and instant weather updates. Angry thunderstorms don't take me by surprise. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I have weather updates.

Basically, a smart phone is a handy little gadget that helps me update the blogs with relative ease.Tableside and travel blogging has been made easier and faster. Photos that are taken with the phone attach easily to an email. I just type the article in and upload it to my blog.

The need to get the netbook out and search for Wi-Fi is eliminated. Ultimately, the smart phone helps me earn more income that will help me pay the bills a little faster. Getting rid of the stack of new bills make take awhile. Slowly but surely, the pile is shrinking. Who would think that a smart phone and wireless plan would enable me to do that?

Healing from back surgery is harder than I thought

2013-02-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

I am still healing from surgery and am behind in almost everything. This has been a lot tougher than anyone in my family dreamed. John has a church that has been taking care of us. Frankly, I do not know where I would be without them. Restrictions make healing from back surgery awfully hard.

My car calls to me while sitting in the driveway. Driving it is off of the table until the drop foot issue gets better. It needs to be able to function better and regain feeling before that happens. Standing up and lying down don't work well either. However; physical therapy is bringing improvement.

The physical therapy session today was a bit rough but walking is easier overall. I can also stand easier and move my foot a tiny bit more. Everyone that I've talked with tells me that healing from back surgery takes time. It's been a month. Hopefully by next month the foot drop will resolve, my blogs will be caught up and life will resume as normal - or even a little better. That's what I'm planning on anyway.

Please do not treat me differently because I use a walker

2013-01-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that I had surgery earlier this month. This rant has been building for a week already so it's time to let it out. When you see someone who is on a walker or in a wheelchair, please be nice. By nice I mean to please treat the person just as you would anyone else.

For the second time in my life I have to use a walker. The experience has taught me several things about being disabled. My harshest lesson is in how society treats someone who has a health challenge. It's as though I have been relegated to a second class citizen and that's not cool for anyone.

I do want to say that my husband's church has been fabulous. My church has been super. This post doesn't include them. The people who knew me before still treat me the same (except for the meals and cards which are very appreciated).

We're shopping in the same stores as always and going to the same restaurants. The difference is noticeable and not imagined. This rant isn't to ask for anything special. It's just a request to be treated the same as before. That's all.

Need help with that? Here are a couple of suggestions.

Talk to me normally. Believe it or not, even though my legs don't work my hearing does. It isn't necessary to use a loud tone of voice when speaking to me. You don't even have to talk slower. I. can. understand. you. just. fine. if. you. talk. to. me. like. you. normally. would.

If you're an employee in the store and seem me coming towards you, don't turn your back and walk away. You don't have to be afraid of me. I may be about to ask if you have olive oil or what aisle the foil is on. This has happened twice so far.

To the server who waited on us the other day... It's also okay to look at me instead of over me or avoid me. You don't have to ask my husband what I want. You also don't have to look at him and ask about a tea refill. When he's drinking soda and I have iced tea, you're better off asking me than him. He might look at you and say "Yes, the lemonade will be fine." Wouldn't that be confusing?

Hopefully this post has helped clear up some misconceptions. If not, then please ask. Feel free to leave a question in the comment section. After all, I can still type and might just answer you back. :-)

Coupons for Moosejaw and Bass Pro Shops

2013-01-16T22:15:00.000-05:00

One of my husband's favorite places to visit is the Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tennessee. He likes everything about the store. The waterfall, camping supplies, boats, clothing... you name it. The whole place is part museum and part store. Riding the glass elevator provides a great view of the store and reminds me of being a kid at the same time.

He usually shops at the Bass Pro Shops long enough to wear me out. Fortunately, I can go over to the coffee counter, order and iced tea or coffee and recharge. Sometimes we'll head on over to Uncle Buck's Grill and have lunch.

The one problem that I have with Bass Pro Shops is that it's in Kodak and I'm not. It takes me nearly two hours to get there so going shopping takes all day. The long drive is worth it for a day but impractical when only a few items are needed.

Many of you know that I'm always looking for a better, cheaper way of buying camping gear and outdoor supplies. After digging around online guess what I found? Yes, Bass Pro Shops has an online store but outdoor life gets better than that. I found an online store that has Bass Pro coupons and promo codes. Not only do I get to buy tents, jackets or hiking boots but I can do it at a discount. How's that for cool?

I did some more digging through the link above and found a Moosejaw coupon and some promo codes. They carry the North Face and Patagonia clothing that you need for cold weather. Moosejaw also has everything that you would ever need for camping or hiking.

The difference between the stores is that Moosejaw is geared toward those who take the outdoors seriously. Tents run from about $200 on up to around $1,300. They carry many of the top of the line brands for skiing, hiking and just about all outdoor sports.

Bass Pro Shops seems to be geared more toward families or the more casual outdoors person. They have some heavy-duty brands but they also have recognized household names. Camping gear includes products from Coleman, Lodge and of course, the Bass Pro Shops brand products.

Two great stores with promo codes and coupons for each. Sounds like a shoppers paradise to me.

Pastor's daughter who wrestled gun from dad is a hero

2013-01-16T17:49:00.002-05:00

As the wife of a pastor and advocate, I am closely following media accounts of one very brave young woman. News is everywhere about the pastor who killed his wife. Although injured, the girl was able to wrestle the gun from her father and go for help. Adults don't always have the presence of mind to take such quick action. This girl is only 18 years old and should be applauded. She did everything that she could. To me, that makes Suzanna Greer a hero.

I cannot imagine the pain that she must be going through. Today, the media is reporting that the young woman buried her mother but she essentially lost both parents. Her father is in the hospital due to self-inflicted injuries and is expected to be arrested upon discharge.

News articles are not kind about toward at least one pastor who conducted the funeral. There is something about the media reports that haunts me. Nowhere, in any of the reports does it indicate that anyone walked with this young woman as she followed the casket out of the church. If this is true, then it breaks my heart a little bit more.

Isolation is common in families that are undergoing domestic violence. The journey through the court system is long. I pray that she will be surrounded with positive, uplifting friends and family members now and for the rest of her life. This young woman deserves that at the very least.

Reference
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/01/slain_pastors_wife_lauded_for.html
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Slain-pastor-s-wife-lauded-for-faith-friendship-4199154.php
http://www.decaturdaily.com/stories/Funeral-arrangements-announced-for-former-Decatur-pastors-wife,111001

Coupons and promo codes make webhosting affordable

2013-01-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

Through the years, I have tried different webhosting companies. Let me tell you that the results have not always been pretty. Several years ago Hope for Healing.Org was mentioned in a magazine article. We got a heads up that this was coming and everyone withing our cheap webhosting company assured us that all would be fine.

It wasn't. The server crashed and (if I am remembering right) the site was down for a few days. Having the site mirrored on a stable webhosting company partially saved the day (this was the early days of the internet when you could do that). Even with that, there is no way to know how much traffic was lost.

Things are different today. You can go online, find a hostmonster coupon code and be up and running with a webhosting company in minutes. Remember, that choosing a company isn't all about price. There are a few other considerations to factor in. Here are a few of them.

No matter where I blog, I need uptime.

Cost comparison

There isn't any doubt that cost plays a role. As we found out, cheap hosting can backfire. Many companies offer similar pricing for similar services. Even with a promo code beware, if the price seems to good to be true then it probably is.

Reputation

Search reviews online to find out what others have to say. Is the downtime high or tech support nonexistent? Are customers generally satisfied. Look for honest reviews. A company website with honest reviews will often give the full name or web name of the customer and often an email link. It may be best to go with independent review sites.

Coupons or promo codes

The reputation of the site that you get the codes or coupons matters. Most of the promo sites broker the deals but don't service the hosting. When buying from a webhosting site, look for one like hostmonster coupons that prominently display links to their privacy policy and contact page.

Ask your friends

Bloggers, family and friends who have their own website can be a great source of information. Don't hesitate to ask. They will usually gladly tell you what webhosting company they use and why.

No matter which company you chose, I hope that you have fun. Having a blog or site can be a great way to connect with others and can enrich your life in many ways. It has for me and it probably will for you too.

Spinal stenosis, foot drop and my emergency surgery

2013-01-06T19:56:00.000-05:00

It's 2013 and for me, New Years Eve must have been a kicker. My "buddies" were spinal stenosis and foot drop. I don't remember much about the "party" after about 11:30 pm. That's about the time that I was wheeled into surgery. We can laugh about the timing but believe me, spinal stenosis and foot drop is nothing to laugh about.

Surgery was already scheduled for later in the month. Even though it was insanely severe, I didn't think much about it when the pain flared. The docs phoned in a steroid dose pack to help with inflammation and relieve the pain.

I woke up in the wee hours of Sunday morning with the feeling that something was wrong with my leg and foot. It wanted to drag and I couldn't pick it up enough to take a real step. Using a car accelerator was a no-go.

Hubby had to drive me to church. Fortunately, none of the congregation members minded that I preached from a stool! They were/are very helpful and Hubby and I are completely blessed to serve these churches.

Things started going downhill that afternoon and into the night. On Monday morning I phoned the doctor. My thought was that they could suggest an exercise, brace or whatever. Not so. Emergency surgery was needed, a team was assembled and away we went.

It would be hard to tell who was more surprised. My family and I were stunned. Until this happened, my thoughts of emergency surgery were related to strokes, heart attacks maybe appendictis or a bowel obstruction. But, a leg problem? Never.

Foot drop can be a serious symptom of spinal stenosis. What happens in stenosis is that arthritis, bulging discs apply pressure and begin to choke off the spinal column. That causes a nerve(s) to be pinched. This can lead to damage (which may or may not be permanent) and to foot drop. Hence the need for surgery to alleviate further damage to the nerve.

This article from Mayo Clinic explains more about what it is. I just wanted to touch base with everyone to explain my absence. Thanks for everyone's patience as I catch up on emails and life in general. Back and leg problems are scary. Don't make my mistake. If you think that you have a problem, then please get it checked out.

Advent helps us focus during the Christmas season

2013-01-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day is now past and the church that I serve has had a good advent season. Advent, is a time of preparation and celebration; renewal and hope. It is also an anchor of peace in the midst of the commercialism of a chaotic hectic season of stress.

Many families have mourned the ability to provide an elaborate array of Christmas presents for their children. Kids don't understand layoffs, downsizing and economic issues. If we are truly honest with ourselves, many of us don't understand why corporations that make huge profits downside their employees. That it happens during the holidays only adds insult to the injury.

Advent provides a time of hope and a chance to refocus. It reminds us of how the holiday started and why we celebrate Christmas. Even for the non-religious, the recognition of advent can give us the chance to pause and celebrate on what is important.

Jobs, money and health can change at the drop of a dime. Family, friends and relationships can outlast economic difficulties or other stress. Quality spent with one another can be a source of strength in times of trouble. The true meaning of Christmas is the relationships we have with one another and with God. Advent just reminds us of that.

Ramblings about the war on children in the U.S.

2012-12-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

There is a war on children these days. The Sandy Hook shooting is the latest in what I'm concerned is the continued slow erosion of society. Victims of domestic violence often have to flee with children in tow. The lessons they learn lead many of these children to identify as either victims or abusers. Neither is optimal. Only, a few children will emerge from violent households as neither victims or abusers.

Violence isn't the only assault on children. Poverty is taking its toll. In 2010, 22% of children in the United States were living in poverty. This means that almost 1:4 children don't have the resources that they need. Along with this sad statistic is the fact that almost 8 million children are without health insurance. They cannot go to the doctor when sick and know little (if anything) about preventative care.

Then there is the "anything goes" attitude, gun control arguments, violence on video games and in music and movies, child abuse and drug abuse issues. We also need to get to the root cause of teen pregnancy, truancy and affordable childcare. Which are the symptoms and which are the causes are up to debate. Which came first? Was it the chicken or the egg?

How can we fight the war on children? In my opinion, we all need to search out ways to better support families. Health care and mental health care should be made affordable and available to all families. I am not talking about places that charge on a sliding fee scale. Many parents will tell you that the scale rarely slides far enough.

Schools need to have the funding they need to provide these services. Problem solving is a skill that children rarely have the chance to learn. Teachers need to be able to teach without having to worry about "teaching the test".

Personally, I would like to see mental health experts in every school who can provide therapy to at-risk children and families. This may be the only way that children can get the help they need. I also think that parents need to have the education they need to get out of poverty. Whether it is college, tech school or another trade or career, children deserve to have educated parents.

Churches and religious institutions need to stand up and be unafraid to be churches. Youth groups, children's groups, programs for young mothers and fathers can be offered by churches. Many pastors will tell you that their flock is doing the best job that they can (including me). I applaud those efforts but I still think that we can all do more.

Obviously, fighting the war on children is a multifaceted problem. There aren't any good answers and I don't have any to offer. All I know is that children deserve to be loved, to live outside of the bonds of poverty and to be unafraid to go to school.

Is that really too much for a child to ask?

Saving cord blood now may help later

2012-12-04T00:11:00.000-05:00

Some of my blog readers may remember my cousin who had leukemia. Not only was she a wife and mother but she was a truly wonderful person. It was as much a privilege to know her as it was work with at the same job and to go to high school with her. Her passing left a huge gap that can never be filled.

I have also had family members who have had thalassemia and breast cancer. These are tough diseases. A few years ago there weren't any good answers. New technology now seems to be evening the odds through stem cell research, collection and storage of umbilical cords.

Stem cells are used in the treatment of blood cancers like leukemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, myeloma and lots of other diseases. Stem cells are found in the umbilical cord of your baby and are usually discarded after delivery. These advances are causing parents to use a cord blood bank so the cells will be available if needed later.

As you might imagine, the collection, processing and long-term storage is not inexpensive. Parents should consider storage to be an investment in the future. Gifts from family and friends can help offset the cord blood banking cost. Many times, the gifts can be made directly to the cord blood bank of your choice.

I'm glad that the technology is now available. It might have given my cousin a better chance. This link may answer your questions and help you find the best cord blood bank for your needs.

What I like about Hanes brand products

2012-11-23T01:23:00.002-05:00

One Hanes Places offers some of the best brands in bras, hosiery and casual wear that you can find. We're talking about brands like Hanes, Bali, Playtex, Champion, Legg's and more. The difference is that One Hanes Places offers these brands at discount prices. Even better news is that you can save even more with a one hanes place promo code.

This is good news for me and for you. I use Hanes products and have been consistently happy with them. I can't imagine finding a more comfortable t-shirt than Hanes sells. My kids and I frequently decorated our t-shirts when they were younger. We would paint or tie-dye them according to the occasion. The shirts themselves always held up to repeating washing even when our artwork wasn't up to the challenge.

Another great part of the Hanes family that I like is the Champion brand. This brand carries a full line of athletic clothing products for both women and men. Look to them for sports bras, mens t-shirts and other types of exercise wear. If you need it, then chances are that they have it.

Everyone needs to save money these days. Even though the economy is on the upswing times are still tight for a lot of people. Our family is included in that number. Using coupons and promo codes are making a big difference in our monthly budget. Every dollar that I save in one area can go on a bill or in an eventual savings account.

I'm always on the lookout for coupon sites and felt like I hit the jackpot at Couponila. They offer one hanes place coupons that can really help us save money. Some of the coupons are for a free item with purchase and other coupons offer a percentage off. Discounts vary among products and promotions. Rest assured, this site is worth a look.

What Thanksgiving means to me

2012-11-22T20:57:00.003-05:00

My definition of Thanksgiving has changed over the years. Growing up, it meant that my maternal grandmother's house was a busy place. We spent a day or two cleaning the house and getting everything ready for company. Shopping was done a week ahead of time and we were all pretty stressed by the time the big day rolled around. My definition of what Thanksgiving meant to me during that time of my life was stress and tears. Frankly, I loved seeing family but hated the holiday.

Later on, the definition of what Thanksgiving means to me took on a positive note. The holiday was spent with the extended family coming to my house. My husband and I found an easy way to do the meal and still did the shopping a week ahead of time. Some dust might have remained on a bookcase or upper shelf but I could live with that. Meal preparation was easy. I was dubbed "the Crock-Pot Queen". Turkey and dressing went into the oven. Ham went into one crock-pot and the green beans, potatoes and gravy went in others. I was relaxed. Our daughters, friends and family (and even the dogs) seemed to have a good time.

Now, the definition of what Thanksgiving means to me has changed again. One daughter could not come home and the other brought our great son-in-law and their dog. The day was mostly spent in the kitchen with everyone pitching in. I miss my daughter but am proud of her for what she is accomplishing.

I'm sure that in a few years the definition will change again. Either grandkids or granddogs will come along. The house may get a little nosier and my husband and I will become older.

No matter how the definition changes for me there is one thing that will always be the same. I will always be grateful for what I have and for my family and friends. Without them, my life would be meaningless. When it comes right down to it, isn't that what Thanksgiving is supposed to be?

My experience with GoDaddy

2012-11-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Using the GoDaddy domain registry service has been a solid decicsion on my part. They have been the Number 1 webhosting service for as long as I can remember. In the time that I have used them, no one has reported a browser compatibility issue to me.

Can I say this about other companies? No, I can't. Not only had GoDaddy been reliable but the company is very affordable. Plus, this godaddy coupon code makes it almost impossible to wrong by using them.

Learn from my fail. In the late 1990's, the nonprofit that I worked for suffered a near disaster. A company offered to pay the nonprofit a partial revenue share in exchange for moving the site to their servers. Domain registration would be the next step. I was leery but optimistic. Part of the site was moved but the rest of the site remained put.

The short story is that the site suddenly received a high number of hits after a story broke in another country. Our new url was prominently quoted in the article. That's when we found out that the extra traffic caused a hosting problem. The site was down for a couple of days. The site moved back and isn't leaving.

Now, GoDaddy has taken things a step farther. In addition to domain registration they offer Go Daddy industry leading powerful 256-bit encryption SSL and they still have that great 99% browser recognition.

This is a must for anyone that offers a shopping cart or storefront. An SSL certificate protects you and your customers by encrypting important data. You don't have to worry about passwords, credit card information being snagged by online criminals.

There are other domain registration companies out there and some of them are very, very good. You may want to take a look at this godaddy promo code and compare what they and other companies offer. Bloggers who maintain multiple blogs may choose a different company for each one. It is always a good idea to compare companies so you can make informed decisions.