Zach Thornton's: Option B: An Educator's Story

Zach Thornton's: Option B: An Educator's Story: "'Dr. Luck' and Dr. Luck on Black History Hero Day During Black History Month this year, Dr. Phillip Luck invited his stu..."

WE ALL NEED EXTRA MONEY!!

Hi, there, all!! Long time, no write, huh? Sorry, but, my life has been hectic. But, then again isn't everyone's? However, Bill, my sister, Marcy, and I volunteer at The Benefit Bank and that took up a bit of extra time around Christmas. It's great helping out, though, and I love it. Bill and I, also, now take care of the Resale Shop that our church runs. The money raised is used to help the needy in the parish and surrounding communities. We get great donations of anything and everything and sell it all at a very, very reasonable price. However, those that are in need don't have to pay for anything.

But, I digress. I wanted to mention that we went to FL to visit our daughter, Jackee, and her two kids over the holiday. She turned us on to this great company, MPB Today, that she is involved in and we joined. I posted her blog info and all the info on the company can be found there. Also, the link to our web page is listed with this post. Take a look and see if it is for you and make some money. My favorite income from it is the $200 WalMart gift card that you can get over and over again! I think everywhere I have traveled just about, I have visited a WalMart there. Anyhow, do yourself a favor and check it out. This might be what you are looking for. Our website is www.mpbtoday.com/billandjackie.

Now I am going to clean the kitchen and get ready to watch NCIS and then go to bed. Tomorrow morning is one of the days we volunteer at the Benefit Bank. Have a great, peaceful sleep tonight. God bless.

AN AWARD WINNING CHILI RECIPE

This recipe I just came across today in my "recipe" drawer while I was looking for another recipe. It is one that was in the local newspaper last year or the year before. It was entered in a chili cook-off by two culinary arts students at one of our local high schools. Their first names are Preston and Malcolm and won second place in the contest. This is a great recipe that I am going to make when a bunch of the family comes over. Probably when we have our "picture party" which I'll talk about in another posting. Anyhow, here is Malcolm and Preston's great chili recipe. The name of the recipe is their idea. I'm just posting what was in the paper. I can't wait to make it myself! And, yes, it is hot here, but, I can eat chili anytime of the year no matter the temperature.

===========================================================

JUST CHILI

3 lbs ground beef

3 lbs Italian sausage (mild, hot or both)

1/2 lb pork tenderloin (cut in small pieces)

1/2 large onion or 1 small onion (yellow sweet onion)

3 tbsp paprika

3 tbsp chocolate (cocoa powder or semisweet chocolate morsels)

1 cup brown sugar

2 24 oz. cans of beer (requires supervision of an adult 21 or older)

3 cans white kidney beans

3 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup chili powder

3 tsp oregano

3 tsp garlic powder

6 cans chopped tomatoes

3 tsp cumin

1. Cook all meats together in a big saucepan with half of the beer.

2. Once boiling, add all ingredients and let simmer on low.

3. Add remaining beer.

4. Do not drain any liquids from kidney beans and tomatoes (Add in pot).

5. Use a hand-held potato masher to mash all ingredients together about every half hour.

6. Let simmer 3 to 4 hours.

============================================================

Now that I've posted this I am going to get ready for bed. Bill and I went to a potluck supper at the Knights of Columbus tonight and I brought the Seafood Pasta Casserole that I posted awhile ago. There was a lot of good food there tonight and I am stuffed. Great food with great company is always nice. Afterwards some of the Knights put on a presentation for us about the flag from it's inception until today. It was really very interesting and I'm glad I went. Some of the info I had never heard or read about in school. They do the presentation for school kids, too, and get a good reception I understand.

I'll be back in my "recipe drawer" to find something to make to take to the Ladies Auxiliary picnic on Saturday. So I might be back soon with another recipe that I've cut out, put away and forgot about. Now I'm off to bed. Sweet dreams!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCY

Today was my sister Marcy's birthday. I cooked a dinner for her just as she cooked one for me on my birthday. Annie and Ricky came over and we all had a good time. Her son, Demetrius, came with her and, of course, Bill was here. I really enjoy being with my family. That is one of life's true blessings in life which we should all enjoy while we can.

Bill is still dealing with the pain from his surgery. I will be so glad when this pain goes away because we can't travel anywhere until it does. He can't sleep in a bed or sit still long enough for a plane ride. If we go on a car trip, we would have to stop innumerable times which really isn't so bad. Anyhow, I am ready to go on a trip somewhere. It sure looks like our Arizona trip next month is out. Oh well, we have to be thankful that we are here, period! And able to get around at all.

It's been a long day and now I am going to bed so goodnight all and have a blessed weekend.

FRESH SMELLS

I thought it was time to put a hint on our blog. It has been a long time again since I have contributed to this site.

In a spray bottle combine 1 table spoon liquid fabric softener, 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water. Shake until mixed completely. Spray where needed. This is a quick solution and less money than the sprays on the market. It worked for me and smells good to because of the fabric softener.

Hope you days are bright and safe always!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the world. I had a nice quiet day. Yesterday Jackee and Dominique surprised me when they came to wish me Happy Mother's Day a day early. It was such a nice surprise! Marcy and Demetrius came over so he could do our yard for us. So they got to visit with them, also. We really appreciate Demetrius coming over and helping us without us even asking him to. A little after they all left Roxy came over for a couple of hours. So I had a lot of family time yesterday, which I always love. Today Marcy went to Mass with Bill and I where we met Chris. We took Marcy home afterwards and we went home to a relaxing quiet day.

On Friday I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my baby brother, Andy, addressed to the Matriarch. I am the oldest of 8 siblings, 3 which are now sadly deceased. We lost our father in 1988 and our mother in 2008. My siblings and I have been quite prolific so our part of our family tree has plenty of branches. Being the eldest, I am now the matriarch by default. I have a fantastic family and will gladly accept the title.

Bill is still not able to sleep in the bed yet since his surgery for the implant. He is still having pain from this. We will be so happy when the pain is gone and he can get back to doing things he did before. We were planning on going to Phoenix in June to visit Andy, Genelle and their daughters, but, it looks like he won't be ready for a plane ride by then. I am so disappointed, but, I am happy for what we do have.

Well, I am going to finish watching Drop Dead Diva and then Army Wives and go to sleep. Have a blessed week!

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, CHRIS

Sorry I didn't post this on her birthday, but, my life is still one hectic mess it seems like. Anyhow, happy, happy birthday, Chris!! I am glad you are back home, too. Even though we are getting older we still giggle and laugh like teenagers, a lot! That's what keeps us so young, too. And we will keep on doing it.

BILL HAS HAD SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR IMPLANTED

Bill had the SCS implanted 2 weeks ago. He has an incision down his back with 13 staples in it and one on the right side of his very lower back with 11 staples in it. He is healing well but still has pain from that surgery and the staples are growing more uncomfortable as he heals. So he is still in pain, for now. He gets the staples out on 4/16 and can't wait. He is not having any of his old pain, though, thanks to the SCS. I will be glad when his misery is over and he can begin to return to a life without that miserable back pain.

Once again I am going to give a John Edward saying: "Give them the roses when they can still smell them." That might not be the exact quote, but, close. What made me think of that is something I overheard in my doctor's office yesterday. One of the ladies who worked there was explaining to someone why another lady was not in. She had lost her husband the day before. He had gone to the Master's that day and when he came home he was telling her what a good time he had and about seeing Tiger Woods. A little later she went out to finish some yard work and he went to shower. When she came in and went upstairs she found him dead in the shower. At least their last moments together were pleasant. The moral is we never know when we might lose someone we love or care about. Try to always make every moment together like it is your last. I'm just saying!

Our granddaughter, Dominique, has moved to be with her mom and, boy, do we miss her and her smiling face. We are glad for her and Jackee because they should be together, but, that doesn't help the pang in our hearts for her. Her and Jackee are so happy, though, that makes us happy. I'll be glad when Bill can travel again so we can go visit.

Have a blessed day. I'm still trying to get to write here more, but, as you can see haven't yet succeeded. I'll keep trying, though.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JASMINE!

Our gorgeous great-granddaughter was 3 years old on Saturday. It was such a great idea for our grandson, Quentin, to bring her and Q. Jr. to spend time with us since Bill can't travel yet. Sue, Otis and Tamisha came, too, and I loved it. Roxy and Jaritte came Friday night because Roxy was planning a surprise dinner for Rikki whose birthday was yesterday. Tamika and her family came to stay with Roxy for the weekend. They all got together and spent Saturday afternoon at a Fun Park and I am glad Bill went and had a good time. Roxy and I stayed home. It was a great weekend because I always love having family over. Roxy and Jaritte just left and now I am resting. Have a great day!

SPRING FEVER

LONG TIME................. Plant some herbs in a pot for some early gratification. The indoor smell and the green of the plant will bring some much needed hope for spring. Plus they will make any meal great for tasting or just garnish. Yes, Dennis (my husband) does all the cooking and thinks presentation makes the food taste better. He is a great cook and loves to do it. Go figure, when I was cooking for 35 plus years, I hated most of the time. Now he is retired again for now, so he cooks and I clean. Sometimes I think I get the raw deal because he uses a lot of stuff.

Seems like most of the men he retired with do the majority of the cooking after all these years. I hope everyone is hanging in there with all the world problems. Be safe and watch out for your family and neighbors. Together we can make this world a better place. I will step off the soap box now, enjoy your day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAMISHA!

Today is our beautiful, first-born granddaughter's birthday. She has always been a doll. Honey, I love you and I am so proud of the young lady you have always been. I know I speak for your grandfather, too. Have a great day and an even greater year!

UPDATE ON BILL'S NEUROMODULATION THERAPY

Bill is still getting used to the sensation that the stimulation uses to replace his pain. We have had to meet with the company's rep a couple of times to readjust the settings. He gave us his cell phone number and said to call him whenever we needed to. He is great because he responds right away. This has made Bill very comfortable. The wire will be taken out tomorrow and the permanent one will be implanted in a week or so. Diabetics can only have the test one in for a few days and it's probably because of the opening in their back for the cable and transmitter. When the permanent one is put in the transmitter will be implanted. The doctor that will do the implant is out of the office this week and needs to have a pre-op meeting with Bill before scheduling the surgery. Hopefully, he can see him next week and schedule surgery shortly thereafter. All in all, this has made quite a difference in Bill's quality of life. For one thing, he has not had to take the Lyrica (300 mg in a.m. & 300 mg in p.m.) for his diabetic neuropathy so he doesn't sleep as much during the day or as groggy. Again I would recommend this for anyone who has chronic pain to look into this therapy and see if it is for them. I had never heard of this until now, but, understand it has been around for awhile.

Have a blessed day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKEE AND MARC

Today is my 2nd daughter Jackee's birthday. Marc is my handsome grandson who was born on her birthday when she was 10. She has always claimed him as her birthday present from Sue and Otis. I won't see either one today but wish them the best day and year ever.

When I delivered Jackee the delivery pains would send me into epileptic seizures since I have epilepsy from a fall down steps and hitting my head. Medicine given to me to stop the seizures, also, stopped the contractions so I had to have a C-section. I am very proud of the woman she has become and every pain was worth it. She has given us 2 beautiful grandchildren. I am, also, proud of the young man that Marc has become. I love both of you madly! I am so blessed to have a great family.

So far, so good with Bill's SCS test. I am so happy about this and naturally so is he. I will keep you informed.

Have a blessed night and sweet dreams!

HEALTH-CARE ASSOCIATED INFECTION

I received a comment on one of my blogs from a lady named Barbara. She evidently is trying to get the information and prevention out about Health-Care Associated Infection. She gave me permission to copy info from the website. However, instead of just cutting and pasting a little here, I am going to give the web address. The site is very informative and I want to thank Barbara.

It's ironic that I read it today because today Bill had a Spinal Cord Stimulation procedure done. Chris took us in their truck because our little car is not comfortable for Bill to ride in. She and Dennis are always there for us if we need them. The procedure he had done is a test run to see if it will help with his chronic pain. We have talked to so many people about it that we are sure it is going to work.It's a lot technical for me to explain here but they threaded a wire up by his spine. There is a cord attached to a "pacemaker" like box that is on the outside. He has a remote control to use with it. After a few days it will be removed. He will then have a permanent one put in and the box will be implanted in his lower area. This isn't very technical so if anyone is interested in finding more info for themselves or someone else in chronic pain I'll give the websites. Bill had a Medronic one put in. It is called Neurostimulation Therapy. The website is

TameThePain.com

Another is from St. Jude medical and their site

poweroveryourpain.com

I will for sure be back to give you the results!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUE!

Today is my oldest daughter's, Sue, birthday. -- years ago today at this time I was on the way to the hospital to deliver her. She has been worth every labor pain I experienced and I would not trade it for anything in this world. I love you, honey, and am so proud of the strong woman and great mother you are. Thank you for such great beautiful grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Well, I guess I shoul thank Otis, too, for his part in your lovely offspring. Have a fantastic day and even greater year. Love you!

DELAYED ROCKETTES REVIEW

I just realized that I promised to tell how the show was and I didn't. I am so very sorry for that. It was a beautiful show which I loved seeing. The settings and costumes were great. And, of course, the dancing was spectacular. If you ever have a chance to see them, do not miss it! Thank you, Chris, for the ticket. Another very good friend of ours, Debbie, drove and we all had a great time.

HEALTH INSURANCE

I am sorry I haven't been on here for awhile, but, my world has been topsy-turvy as usual. However, I just felt compelled to comment on something that I just heard on Good Morning America. Some health care insurance companies are raising their premiums by quite a percentage. One shown was Anthem Blue Cross and was showing a 39 percent increase. While listening to the report the awful thing that hit me was that healthy people are cancelling their insurance to save money! My greatest tip ever is this - IF YOU CAN AFFORD INSURANCE, HAVE IT!!! You might be healthy now, but, any health problem can hit at anytime. I had a healthy nephew in his 20's who developed an awful case of shingles. Right now I have another healthy nephew whose one lung collapsed last week and had to go to the ER. My point is simply this - you might feel healthy, think you are healthy, but some ugly little thing could be developing in your body. My husband, Bill, was always healthy. Then in 2004 he was hit with strokes and we were lucky we carry insurance. He was in his 60's at the time but friends of ours had a healthy son in his 30's have a stroke the year before and he died. Several of my family members were struck with cancer and they thought they were healthy.

Now for the good side of life. My brother, Andy, came from AZ to visit with us for a couple of weeks because he wanted to spend time with Bill at home and not in a hospital or rehab center. It was a great two weeks that went by too, too fast. He did have to spend an extra 2 days because the airports got snowed in. Down South, of all places. Of course, our brother, Ricky, our sister-in-law, Annie, our sister, Marcy, our nephew, Demetrius & our niece, Rikki, were here as often as they could since we all live in the same town. Our nephew, Phil, and his family came from Atlanta and our niece, Tamika, and her family, our sister, Roxy, her son, Jaritte, and my daughter Sue came from Summerville. It was so great to have us all altogher where it was not us getting together for an illness or death. He met my granddaughter's and our niece's respective boyfriends and gave them his okay after his meeting and surreptiously observing them. They passed and he invited them over for pizza and wings which was fun. He helped a lot of things with Bill and I mentally & physically and he is truly missed. Always check his blog or his Ning Network for some informative and insightful info.

I am so blessed to have some awesome siblings. I attribute it to the fact that we had awesome parents. I had 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Sadly, 2 brothers and 1 sister have passed. Except for Andy, the ones of us left live either in the same town or 2 hours apart. Ricky and Annie live here and are so helpful with Bill. They come over to take him to his therapy which he has twice a week when they can. Then they spend time here to help keep his spirits up. And to get a break from me. LOL. Marcy is a CNA and I can call her anytime for help. Plus she comes over when she can. Demetrius is coming over to do our yardwork. Again I say I am blessed with a wonderful family.

I am going to end now, but, must please ask for prayers for my sister-in-law, Annie, and Rick and her family because I just heard from her that one of her sisters passed.

Have a blessed and wonderful week. Stay warm and keep that health care insurance.

AIRLINE TRAVEL

Here's a tip for those who will be traveling by air and run into problems. This is from my knowledge as a Customer Service Agent for an airline. I am now retired, but, I worked in reservations for several year and my final years were working at the ticket counter and at the gate. Keep in mind that the agent in front of you is not responsible for acts of God or if a plane is delayed or cancelled due to maintenance or some other problem. They hate it when that happens. All they want is to get everyone on the planes and have no hassles. When they give you information on delays or whatever, they are giving you the information that has been given to them. They are not making it up! When they have to handle these inconveniences they do their very best to try to get everyone handled and to their destination. They will be less likely to go that extra mile for someone who is rude and in their face. The best thing to do is keep your anger to yourself and let the agent do their job. It will go much faster and better for you. I have had a passenger throw his credit card at me because he had to pay a fee. When he came to the counter he was late for his flight and the rules were to be rebooked for the fare he was on there was a fee to be paid. There was no standby on that fare. When he came up to the counter he had an attitude. And it definitely wasn't my fault he missed the flight! I could have waived the fee but since he was so rude to me to begin with I told him the fee he had to pay for him and his wife. He tried to get me to waive it and I told him I had to follow the rules. He threw his card at me and I threw it back at him and told him not to be throwing anything at me. He then put the card back on the counter and I charged him the fee. If he would have been nice in the beginning I would have waived the fee. I have traveled both on the airline I worked with and others and have heard the same thing from other agents. If a customer is rude, they don't work as hard to help them as they could. Now this might not be all agents, but, you just might get the agent that this applies to. The thing to do is let the agent help you. Then get the address for the C.E.O. or president of the airline. Send them a certified letter of what problems you encountered and how dissatisfied you were. Do this for anything but an act of God. That they can't help you with. Whenever I have a complaint I never go to the customer service of a company. I send a certified letter to the head of the company. I learned this years ago. I have done it and had great success at getting my issues resolved this way.

Now have a great trip and a great holiday season! All of you in those snow areas, be safe.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I feel I can say those words and not offend anyone. I find that there our others who are looking for trouble in any words a person says.

Please be safe, happy, and good health to all.............ALWAYS!