If anyone has Celiac Disease and has GOOD bread recipes or a web site for such a bread, drop me a line. Nothing in the health food stores works for sandwiches and I am reluctant to spend money ordering a bread that may not suit as the costs are obviously higher when you add in shipping and handling.

For those of you who are not familiar with the disease and would like to know more, search the name on the internet. The Mayo Clinic has a very good overview at www.mayoclinic.com.  Celiac disease involves an immune reaction to gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Some individuals are also sensitive to oat gluten. Individuals who don't manage their disease increase damage to their small intestines, furthering decreased absorbtion of nutrients.  Bloating, peripheral neuropathy, mouth sores, weight loss, indigestion and many other symptoms, including dementia. From experience I know that doctors tend to test for many other causes before they say, "Oh, lets schedule an endoscopy and look at your colon."

I may have fibromyalgia and celiac disease, but I may just have celiac disease. That's how varied the symptoms are.

Corn oil is made from . . . corn.

Vegetable oil is made from . . . vegetables.

Soy oil is made from . . . soy beans.

Peanut oil is made from . . . peanuts.

Olive oil is made from . . . olives.

Sesame seed oil is made from . . . sesame seeds.

Canola oil is made from . . . canolas????  I don't think so . . . . I could be wrong. If anyone knows what a canola is, please let me know.

From what I have learned, the word canola is a mixture of the words Canada and oil.  What is in the OIL? Also from what I have heard, part - if not all - of the oil is from the rape seed.  Sarin (a very toxic substance used by some terrorists) also comes from rape seed.  On general principles, why use Canola oil when the US has plenty of corn, vegetables, soy beans and peanuts?

In an opinion piece on FoxNews.com on March 31, 2008 titled Hollywood A-Listers Prove Ignorance in Supporting Hugo ChavezThor Halvorssen, founder of the Human Rights Foundation, said that the following Hollywood denizens support the communist dictator of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez:
                Sean Penn
                Danny Glover ( I like him and hate to think about boycotting his movies, but . . . )
                Kevin Spacey
                Harry Belafonte
                Naomi Campbell
                Oliver Stone (well, he never represents the facts anyway . . . )
                Cindy Sheehan (hadn't heard about her for awhile . . . ) and
                Princeton University Professor Cornel West

Read Halvorssen's article for yourself by going to http://foxnews.com and scroll down to the opinion section.

I have always subscribed to the maxim "Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out." Is it too late for the eight individuals listed above?

Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus were caught with their seat belts down!!! Maybe it's just me, but in the scheme of "bad role models" that does not rate up there with celebrity teens being pregnant, celebrities doing drugs, celebrities driving while drunk . . . you get the idea.

Besides, Miley and Billy Ray APOLOGIZED (and they probably meant it!).

Maybe it's just me, but although I am pleased that certain shows that are not for children are aired late in the evening, I do not think that the shows' promotional ads should be shown during prime time or earlier.

Ah, maybe it's just me.

Here I go - thinking again . . .

Doesn't the idea of a republic go something like this: The people elect representatives to do our government's business, and if the people are diligent in their duties they closely watch the elected officials and boot them out of office if they misuse their powers.

Both Hillary and Obama tell the people "WE can . . . " The idea, I think, is "WE put you in office to do it - so YOU do it."

Please, please, please . . . if you have to chew gum, especially if you are someone who deals with the public . . . chew with your mouth closed. Check yourself out in a mirror sometime; hopefully you will notice how unappealing the sight is. And maybe how uneducated it makes you look.

A person could have one of the highest IQs in the world; if he/she chews gum with his/her mouth open, you'd never even think about the IQ.

Good manners overall is a civil idea. However, as last week I spent 6 hours at a craft show across from a vendor who chewed open mouthed all day, gum is currently a sticking point (pun intended) with me.

So many things to give thanks for, and some times, so little time. Go to www.michellemalkin.com and look for the column "Stop Before You Gripe," if you don't believe me.

There is always someone worse off than you are.

Something to give thanks for: The ability to forgive. The concept may not seem to fit with the "social" idea of Thanksgiving. Many families hold hands and tell what they are thankful for. The lists include "the dog, my iPod, my family, our new car . . . " and etc.

Forgiving and being forgiven releases heavy weights upon our souls.

So far, I've been fairly secular in this particular blog. Stop here if you are offending by "religious writing."

The following is the text from the hymn  "Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive" (text by Rosamond E. Herklots, 1905-87; tune Detroit, The Sacred Harp, Philadelphia, 1844. As far as I know, this song is in the public domain. If not, I sincerely apologize).

    "Forgive our sins as we forgive,"
    You taught us Lord, to pray;
    But You alone can grant us peace
    To live the words we say.

    How can Your pardon reach and bless
    The unforgiving heart
    That broods on wrongs and will not let
    Old bitterness depart?

    In blazing light Your cross reveals
    The truth we dimly knew:
    How trifling others' debts to us;
    How great our debt to you!

    Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
    And bid resentment cease;
    Then, by Your mercy reconciled,
    Our lives will spread Your peace.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday - count your blessings, one of which is the ability to forgive, IF you can let go of the debt you think you are owed.

"From goo to you by way of the zoo" . . . ?

I think not.

(quote by Frank Perreti)

If, in the course of discussing a contested subject, you attack the character of your opponent instead of attacking the issue, you are engaging in an "ad hominem" argument. Those type of arguments don't go much to solve the initial disagreement. Of course, the disagreement may never be solved but at least you will have stuck to the issue.

I think that "venting" can be a helpful way to "blow off steam," with some caveats. Don't blow off the steam to the person you are at odds with. You may think the steamee can handle it, or you might not care.  But words can hurt. If you happen to subscribe to morals (or maybe even the Bible) you know you shouldn't hurt anyone.  

Vent to an third party. Vent to God. He can take it. Write a letter to the ventee then reread, edit it, the edit it again until it is as succinct as you can make it. Then, decide if you really need to send it. If you do send it, I guarantee it may even do some good in mending the relationship.

You can't make people anything they are not. You can't change people. By really thinking about what is bothering you might come to conclusions about the person, the event, or the preceding circumstances that you hadn't thought about before. Putting the issue on paper is a very clarifying process.

Don't forget, if you are in a relationship with God, to pray for His love, will, and guidance. (He already gives you these, but wants you to ask.) He is the ultimate Father and will never fail you, as will mortal relatives, friends, and whatever heroes you may have.

This is a good reminder of His love:  http://www.godtube.com/view_video?viewkey=6e9d0cb6a7c2e98874d4, which is also a good think to forward.

God's Blessings on this "mini-Easter" and did you set your clock back?

October 31 is All Hallows Eve, meaning the night before All Saints Day - well, in the Christian calendar, anyway. In the secular world, Halloween means, among other things, 1) cute kids in cute costumes and lots of candy 2) big kids in goofy and sometimes scary costumes who don't need to treat or treat for the cute kids' candy and who are sometimes dumb enough to visit the same house twice and 3) people who let their children trick or treat but keep their own house dark.

The paragraph above may sound like I am complaining about Halloween's secular aspects, but I am not. My husband and I enjoy seeing the little ones in their costumes, are on to the big kids' attempts at double-dipping, and have bigger neighbor problems than whether or not they give out candy, such as them not feeding and watering their dogs in a timely manner. Putting the best construction as I can on that, I figure that if they can't afford the dog food, they can't afford the candy.

I enjoy Halloween in the Midwest more than I did in California, where we got a lot more teenagers and a lot bloodier costumes than in our small town (pop. 550) here. In the buildup to Halloween, main stream media reported that candy givers were going to see a lot of  "pop star diva Brittany Spears blooper" (if you know what I mean, and I think you do) costumes. We didn't see one! Lots of prom queens and princesses, but no inappropriately dressed little girls. Thank you, moms and dads for your restraint.

Thank you, moms and dads, for making this year's Halloween enjoyable for 2 old fogies.

As happy as I am to be in Missouri, I was transplanted to this spot. My origins are in California, the San Fernando Valley to be exact. Yes, I am a Valley Girl! Having lived in various cities in California, I consider the whole state to be my former home.

The wildfires devastating the state devastate me as well. Because of my circumstances I cannot go and help there.
At least not right now. I want to cry for the displaced, and I want to hurt the arsonists.

Praying will do much better than crying or hurting:  I try to keep that thought foremost. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Human World Relief organization is accepting donations for the California Fires at http://www.lcms.org Click on Ministry Areas and select LCMS World Relief and Human Care if you wish to donate. That is the organization I will donate to. I know they are good stewards of donated funds and will honor my wishes and use the money for fire victims.

Not much more to say. My heart hurts. May God, author and creator of the universe, work His will in this situation, as we realize He has not left the fire victims in their time of need. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus said, " And lo, I am with you always, even til the end of the age." Thank you, Lord, that your crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ, IS with us in our pain and sorrow, leading those who believe in Him through death into everlasting life. In Jesus name, amen.

Can anyone tell me why, once a consumer has reached (or is perceived to have reached) a "certain age" (whatever that is), people in customer-related businesses think calling consumers "hon," "babe," "sweetie," "dear," and other PATRONIZING names is okay?

I hate that, hate that, hate that.

The only way I can think to combat receiving those appellations (or at least make my self feel better while probably just being snide) is to add one of the above to the end of my answering sentence.  Such as, "Would you like anything else, dear?"  "No, hon, I'm fine."

Any thoughts?

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get me."

A lot of people have laughed about that sentence. However, sometimes it's true. Especially about ingestible Chinese goods, including toys.

When I learned, quite some time ago that Chinese corporations (the Chinese government? Who knows) were buying up a lot of U.S. real estate, I figured they were up to something. Since I wasn't hearing a lot of talk about it, I thought perhaps I was being paranoid.

Then came poisoned pet food, poisoned toothpaste, and lead and small "detachable" magnets in toys. I can't say "tainted" because I think that implies an accident. Am I being paranoid in saying poisoned? Time will tell.

The government is being called to "do something." The best "something" they can do is to ban Chinese imports of ingestible goods.

All American vendors of China-made ingestible goods (I include toys because children put them in their mouths) should, of their own accord, check their current stock, and, putting people before profits, cull their inventories of suspicious goods.

Now is not the time to appease ANY terrorists, and being paranoid, I have to include the communist nation of China in that list.

CHAVEZ

During President George W. Bush's recent trip to South America, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez complained that the United States doesn't care about South America's poor and is not doing enough for them..

As Steve Martin said, "Well, EX-CU-U-U-SE me!" With all the oil money Chavez has access to, why isn't HE doing something about poverty in South America????

Blaming America for the ills of the world has got to stop.

DOGS

My little town of 533 (at the 2000 census) has a leash law ordinance vote coming up in the April election.

Citizens will say the city doesn’t need a leash law.

They may have even noticed that some of the most troublesome dogs are no longer in sight. You know, the dogs that formed the pack that roamed the park, among other places; the ones that contained the dog(s) that bit two people?

Now that the "Finnell" pack is gone, how long will it take for another pack to form? Probably not long.

New dog owners will move in, and if owners are not responsible owners, their dogs are in danger of becoming the new problem in town. Dogs are dogs and will behave like dogs.

Of course, then there are the "lone" dogs - you know, the ones that eat cats and garbage? (By the way, cat lovers, the most loving thing you can do for your cat - after getting it spayed and neutered - is to keep it in the house).

I wish a yard law was on the ballot instead of the leash law. If we voted to get dogs kept in the owners yards and that didn’t work, then we could’ve expanded the law to include a leash law. As that didn’t happen, I pray the voters vote for the leash law.

EDUCATION

Our bi-weekly paper had an opinion piece a few issues ago about education that was actually a round-about slam at our nation's congressmen.

At least, that was my take on it: Politicians have all of the decision-making power, money, and power. In addition they are all morally bankrupt. So, instead of educating our children in areas that will improve themselves and their fellow men, teach them how to be politicians. That is where the big money is. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think lawmakers make all that much money.

Let’s concentrate on the children and help them get and use the resources they need to get the private sector jobs can actually make them rich. But, of course, they have to do the work to get the jobs. Maybe that is where the problem is. They need help and mentoring.