UFOs, monsters--fun to hear about even if we don’t believe the stories. Cryptozoology is defined as searches for and studies regarding unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science.
Like many of you on Sunday, my church joined millions as we prayed for Ukraine. Each day I turn on the news praying that Putin has seen the error of his ways and has ordered the retreat of the Russian army. But instead, I see crying children crossing the borders to find safety. I see thousands fleeing their homeland because a bully has declared that he wants their land and resources. And not surprisingly, I see common folk kneeling in front of tanks to stop their advancement. I see athletes and beauty queens, men and women like you and me taking up arms to save their country. Their country’s leaders are not retreating into safety but rather they are running towards the fight to lead and inspire their fellow country men and women.
In a previous column we discussed the meaning of Financial Freedom. If you recall, we made clear that financial freedom is not defined by a specific dollar amount or lifestyle. Today we will peel back a few more layers on this topic. As much as I enjoy working, I don’t do it for my health. Balancing work and family life are quite stressful, so I try to figure out a way to work as efficiently as possible while maintaining the other roles I play in life, such as husband and father.
My family has always worked elections and was a force in Arkansas and Baxter County politics. I grew up under a table at the election poll. I fondly remember the days of finding the names in the big book and asking them to sign on the line. There was always a sense of homecoming in the room. Families were updated, weather was discussed, recipes were shared and then there was always a time of remembering those who had died since the last election. Of course, everyone had their own beliefs but there was feeling of pride to fulfill your civic duty. People were respectful. I remember when I was old enough to vote, I proudly registered. My first time to vote my Granny Rosie took me and took pictures. She beamed with pride. We were taught to be educated on the issues, always vote for a school millage (because education is key and our buildings, technology and teacher pay are not near adequate), and be respectful of all parties.
In the world of sports, a lowscoring affair that features physical defense and highly intense action is typically referred to as a “rock fight.” In other words, both teams that competed in the contest walk away a little bit battered and bruised, physically and emotionally, no matter if they were on the losing or winning side of the scoreboard. With that premise in mind, to call the Arkansas Razorbacks 58-48 win over Tennessee from this past Saturday a rock fight might be a bit of an understatement. There was happiness, sure. But no court rushing. No shirt removal. With a victory over then-No. 1 Auburn Tigers already a distant memory, the Hogs at-times-violent victory over the No. 16 team in the country felt more like an inevitability than a shock-the-world moment. To stay with the mineral metaphor – it felt like a huge piece of granite slowly and inexorably sliding down a hill, bulldozing over anything and everything in its path. While it may not have qualified as a ripping-off-the shirt win, Eric Musselman was understandably proud of his team after the effort, even ugly as it was at times.
What a beautiful afternoon, the sun is shining and the temperature is not too bad. I was thinking about what recipes I wanted to share with you and decided on a “company” breakfast. I know when we have out of town guest I like to have my plans made ahead for what I could serve them the next morning without having to be in the kitchen too long getting things ready. I thought about something I could make the day before and something made fresh so I hope you will enjoy the recipes below the next time you need a breakfast menu.
A beautiful sunny day and my snowdrops flowers tell Spring is on the way. Other bulb leaves are pushing up through the soil and I’m looking forward to more flowers.
In the Midwest recently, two boys riding fourwheelers found a cat that had sustained three bullet wounds, and because of the extreme winter weather, was nearly frozen to the ground. It is recovering in a nearby veterinary clinic.
About 4:00am I woke Mike up and asked him if we needed to turn on the weather. It sounded really bad. He barely opened his eyes and said “If it was too bad, Ryan Vaughn would let us know on my phone. This is just a thunderstorm.” Well, at least we have a tornado safe plan…
So I Do Not Have Cold or the Flu, but just don’t feel all springy and sparky as I normally do! Just standing there with my vast over the counter pharmacy all lined up, deciding just what combo was I to take, you see Cubert has always called me Granny Clampet. He has also long disliked my most loved and most often chosen remedy that being good old Vicks Salve, and back in the day Cubert had called Vicks the best birth control there was, me I use it quite a lot with a laugh at Cubert, there is a long list of maladies Vicks is good for, guess that’s one thing I got from my Grandpa Brock, many times growing up I was to hear the story of how he used it frequently and he had not one but two jars of the stuff on his bedside table, it was his private stock, for no one else was to use his, he was particular to use one as the rub on saving the other just for the sore throats and colds for he would eat a dab of it and then poke some up his nose, never you mind what the label had said about not using internally it had worked for him and hadn’t killed him either! My favorite thing to use it for was headache rub well on temples, at base of skull, behind ears, rub deeply on shoulders, and end with a dab just under the nose for comfort! Just lately I had read something on Facebook about sliced onions taking impurities out of the body and out of the air. Now just the other evening we had guests at dinner and someone shared that he had seen that too, so there was some discussion on the subject and a few laughs, at the application. A homeopathic healer guy once said for congestion in the lungs a plaster of Castor Oil with heat applied, now mind you not just any Castor Oil but the Hexane-Free, Pure Cold Pressed! Well I always have all of these right here in my own private arsenal, plus so much more! Got the Castor Oil down and rubbed it on my chest LIBERALLY, topped it off with a layer of Saran Wrap and a cloth, just don’t forget the heating pad, as you head to the bed!