Biscuit Update!

Third time's a charm! The bicuits continue to get better and this morning's breakfast included some tall and fluffy ones.

Lessons from the Toy Box

My little granddaughter wants something for Christmas "weely, weely, weely" bad. Unfortunately, her momma doesn't think it is an appropriate gift even though "every other little girl in the "who-e wuld" has at least one. Her mamma thinks it is inappropriate because I wouldn't let her have one for the same reason. I did it because my mother wouldn't let me have one for the same reason and my mother was VERY wise!

Whether or not the toy is bad is not the reason for this entry, however. After Listening to her share the unpleasantness of having to help her child to accept this I began to recall the days we went through the times of teaching our children to swim against the current. This is a lesson few parents even consider teaching their children. It is a huge lesson with lifetime benefits! How fortunate my granddaughter has parents who will hold the line and help her to learn it at a young age. It will make increasingly more profound choices in life be easier to make.

I was disgusted, but not surprised at an article on today's MSN Business Today: "Parents Desperate Plea, No more toy ads!" telling how a huge group of parents are trying to pressure toy makers not to advertise to their children. (here is an absurd portion:)

"Parents have trouble saying no," said Allison Pugh, a University of
Virginia sociology professor. She says parents often buy toys to avoid guilt and
ensure their children feel in sync with school classmates. "Even under
circumstances of dire financial straits, that's the last thing parents give up,"
said Pugh. "They'll contain their own buying for themselves before they'll make
their child feel different at school." Amanda Almodovar says she encounters
such families in her work as an elementary school social worker in Alamance
County, N.C., where homelessness and unemployment are rising. "I had one
parent who said she'd prostitute herself to get what her child wants," Almodovar
said. "It's heartbreaking. They feel inadequate as parents."

Children need to learn to accept the fact they can't have EVERYTHING they want and parents are morally responsible to teach them that lesson. That's why our nation is in the condition it is in. My mother could have told you that was going to happen! Another life lesson hangs in the balance here, too. My daughter discussed the difficulty in not knowing how to explain to her child why she couldn't have the toy; an explanation way beyond her readiness to understand. She realizes she is going to have to expect the child to accept a "No" that doesn't make sense to her. Isn't that what God asks us adults to do? I am ever so convinced many, MANY of life's lessons and trials can be taught early by good parents and tragedies and heartaches in later life could be avoided. There's a poster that "All I Needed to Learn In Life, I Learned in Kindergarten" well, I think it can and should be taught by parents. In looking back on our parenting, there is NO doubt we made many mistakes, but I think this might have been one we did right! I think the kids became really good "upstream swimmers!"

Rebellyun!

"One move, Buster, and I'll staple yer hide to the playhouse!"

Hey, Mom! I noticed you chose a MAGNUM STAPLEMASTER 2000 in stainless rather than the traditional blued steel model that so many older, I mean "more mature" women are packing these days. I'm also impressed that you chose the 17 mm high capacity magazine in full size grip configuration with the Tritium sights and polymer accessory rail. Very classy!! So, what's the ballistics on that thing anyway? Pat

(Side note: The photos taken in New Mexico were taken while the photos (of Jacque) from Alaska were being posted; within the same hour. No prior planning or knowledge!! Other weapons: Smith & Wesson .38 Special; Smith & Wesson 9mm; Smith & Wesson AR15.)

Black Friday

This morning I had my first experience at early morning shopping on Black Friday! I was interested in purchasing a laptop computer at Radio Shack so I decided last night IF I WOKE UP in time (that would be five o'clock) and IF I felt like it, I'd try my luck. I didn't set my alarm because I nearly always wake up by then and frequently get up. Sure enough, I woke up at 4:55 a.m. The weather man predicted very cold weather which didn't make it too appealing but after downing a bowl of oatmeal topped with sliced almonds, I headed into town.

When I drove up to the mall and saw all the cars I told myself I was sure this would be my last time to do this! I got to Radio Shack five minutes before opening and got in line behind about twenty people. "This was a waste!" I mumbled. Had I of known they only had four of the the marked down notebooks (one being the display model) I REALLY would have been disgusted I suckered into the early morning expedition!! But very soon I had the Gateway notebook under my arm and a few other very nice bargains!

Perhaps I would have to add this to my bargain hunting "repertoire" after all", I thought to myself as I waited in line to check out. It is a pretty great feeling to save a couple hundred dollars. I have always loved a bargain and like many bargain hunters I have a "history". The Boss says I can make a dollar go farther than anyone he had ever seen. He says that when he wants to complement me. When I don't go along when he wants to splurge he has another not so complementary remark for me. It has something to do with being tighter than the south end of a north facing buffalo during fly season! I got my bargain hunting prowess from my mother. Her claim to fame was Christmas shopping in January. Back in those days NOTHING went on sale until after Christmas. She would find huge bargains and put things away for the following year. I've tried that but I get worried that the items will be out of style or outgrown by then. (I'm bad enough at picking presents! And I stress about it incessantly!)

I guess MY version of bargains - other than clearance racks began with garage sales, something that didn't exist before say, the seventies. I could feel my juices running as I hit the road. Trouble is, I'd often find GREAT buys on quality items I just didn't need and would buy anyway!

My next purchasing phase was refunding. Boy, I was just sure I was going to save my family thousands. That was in the late seventies. Then I got pregnant and just the thought of a refund coupon and I would gag!

A few decades later and eBay came along. Oh, I could have gotten addicted at that! I made some good purchases and some stupid ones, too. Mostly good I'd say.

A non-shopper would say getting excited about shopping and finding a bargain has no sense at all. I think it is similar to a man getting excited about hunting and bringing home game. There is the practical side and there is the satisfaction and enjoyment of the "hunt" and "kill!"




So I have a lovely notebook. It is really beautiful - red - the same red that my purse, wallet and cellphone are. That has to be a sign! What a bargain! It was worth getting out of the warm bed, scraping frost off my windshield AS I DROVE in the 36 degree cold and standing in line....... THEN I got home. I went online to get a bit more information about its value and compare it with a Dell. I discovered I could have bought it online for the same price!! Well, not exactly...I could have saved $7.00 because the tax wouldn't been as much, even considering the shipping!! AND I could have ordered it in my PJ's!!!

Oh, and one last thing...... It had a rebate for $100.00. Cool, huh? I've used rebates enough to know the pitfalls and loop holes! Read them VERY carefully, following the ridiculous rules to a "T", like "print your name in all caps". I make a copy of everything and carefully watch to make sure I receive the rebate. But NOW they have a NEW twist to the refundle bundle of schemes the store thinks up to keep their money. Here it is: Well, it's not REALLY a REBATE (a check I can cash)....It's a prepaid Mastercard which can "only be used between certain dates". So it expires, must be SPENT, not deposited and "may not be valid in all market." Surprise! Surprise!


I still really LOVE the notebook! I got a great deal and I'm glad I tried out the Black Friday. I think it might become part of my repertoire afterall but I'm for sure not going to be like those people who line up outside around a building and stand there all night! That's just insane!

"Just My Size" ........Out of the Mouth of Babes!

Recently, my grandson described the bathroom at the church where he attends Awana's (Cubbies) as SWEET!!! The whole dialogue was hilarious and I have repeated it to my friends for another great laugh numerous times. (www.tawtieanddobie.blogspot.com; November 19th, "Hud's So Funny") On Sunday I was sitting in my pew and observing children all around coming into the sanctuary when the Lord gave me a revalation concerning Hud's comment. I don't know if I can effectively describe it but I will try. Sometimes "words from the Lord" speak to you in a way you can't articulate.

Anyway, I will be forever perplexed by the fact that the "church" in general doesn't "get it", that the most effective evangelism (by a landslide) is to children. Yes, we say we "get it" but we don't. Philip Morris gets it. McDonalds gets it. Everyone gets it but the church. Perhaps churchs are "getting it" more than they did when I was a child. Back then, with the exception of a Sunday school class, church catered to adults in every way, the music, the sermons, everyway. And woe to a child who didn't perservieve quietly. Children's church was unheard of in those days. We were given a pad and pencil and something to entertain ourselves until it was over. Granted, despite the inappropriate way it was dished out to us, we STILL got a lot out of it. I think it was in the shere power of the fact that our parents were so intently engaged.

Our Sunday school classes were nearly always painted beige or "mushroom" and decorated with an old picture of Jesus knocking at the door or "Jesus and the Children." That was about it. There was a chest of drawers or bookshelf in the corner (usually pretty dilapated) where are Sunday school material were stacked. Below was stacks and stacks of unused take home papers. Oh, yes, we always had a cigar box full of old OLD broken crayons and dull kid sissors.

Hudson's comment reminded me just how profound "making a place for children" has the potential of influencing them and in such basic ways. I would have never thought of anything so basic. I am usually way too practical about stuff. I remember years ago when directing a VBS mentioning to Phil I didn't even want to mess with crafts. What spiritual significance do they really have, anyway?" I asked. "And the cost and fuss.." Phil's response hit me between the eyes, "That's what I remember and liked the most at VBS!" translated:"How mean can you be?"

Hudson's remark reminded me of how we should be "seeing things through the eyes of a child" if we truly want to be effective in evangelism. If the church would "wake up" and "get it", they would be catering to children all over the place. They would be spending less of all the stuff that caters to grown ups.

(photo is not a recent one)

The BEST Way to Make Biscuits!!!

Mom, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, when it comes to making biscuits, here's my favorite way:
First you get some Kingsford charcoal burning good and hot, 30 usually does the trick, it doesn't take a lot. Then you need to figure out just how flour you'll need, how many hungry cowboys does your outfit plan to feed?
Give or take a hat mouth or two this recipe feeds 12, but when you go to count'in hats, don't forget yourself!!
Mix soda, salt, and powder in a bowl with regular flour and don't waste time those cowboys need to eat within the hour.
Next you need to cut in two thirds cup of shortening, then add your yeast and buttermilk you aint left out a thing!
Now wash your hands and work it on a floured table top, and when it's rolled out to an inch that's when you know to stop.
Find a coffee cup or can or whatever can be found, it doesn't matter what you cut them with as long as it's round and place them edges touchin' in a greased up 12 inch dutch and put some charcoal underneath but careful, not too much! Too much coal will burn them 5 or 6 will do the trick, to spread those coals out evenly I use a wooden stick.
But put as many as can fit on the oven lid, and don't forget to check your watch, you'll be glad you did. Let them cook for half an hour until they're golden brown then pull that cast iron lid away and let them things cool down.
Make these biscuits up according to the warden's wishes and if any cowboy doesn't like them, he can do the dishes!! Pat Teakell

Posted by Meli n Pat to Something to Blog About..... at 7:24 PM

Back to Basics

When I was a young mother and lived in Idaho I did a lot of traditional cooking. I canned, made pickles, made my pie crusts from scratch and occasionally baked bread - the hard way. I remember in the fall when after water bathing (and that doesn't mean I took a bath) all day my windows were covered with condensation but my table was covered with lovely quart jars of tomatoes, peaches and even fruit cocktail. Then I got either lazy or smart! I discovered that store bought pie crust tasted better than the crust I worked so hard on, you couldn't beat a box of Stovetop Stuffing and a bread maker was worth it's weight in gold! There were also a lot of things I took so much time to preserve that were very cheap in the store and my time was worth more than the effort it took to do the homemade stuff. And there were flops like limp pickles and "not to bueno salsa" that ended up wasting time and money.

I'm regressing, however. Times are probably going to change significantly and so I am once again changing my mindset. I'm definitely NOT giving up my bread maker or my boxes of Stovetop but I'm going to replace those canning jars I gave away because they were just taking up space, AND I'm going to get back to the old fashioned way of making pie crust and biscuits from scratch.

I've decided to learn how to make Buttermilk biscuits from scratch more or less for the "hobby" of it. I got online to gather some hints for making good biscuits. (Isn't the internet just wonderful?) I found one blog which had some good ideas so I decided to just print it out. I hit "print" and walked away. Not a good idea!!! It printed out 32 pages of instructions and comments from the forum!

I DID learn something I have wondered about and never knew: the difference in flours. ( I don't get enough of Alton John, I guess. ) I have included that below.

After studying her instructions, purchasing a pastry cutter, replacing my old baking powder with fresh, (Did I bring that baking powder box with my from Idaho in '82???)as well as my baking soda, buying some cake flour and buttermilk, I followed the recipe to a "t". The biscuits were O.K. but didn't taste any better than if I had mixed some water with some Bisquick! However, I read several times in all those 32 pages - yes I read all of them - that the key is to practice and don't give up! One of several key suggestions which was mentioned several times was "don't twist when cutting." I need my son to teach me good biscuit making techniques!


The Low –down on flour:

less protein = better for quick breads
more protein = better for yeast breads
Not all flours are created equal. Southern bleached all-purpose flours are made from the soft winter wheat that grows well in the warmer southern climate while northern all-purpose flours are made from the hard spring wheats that grow in the colder climate. Strains of soft winter wheat have less protein than the hard spring wheat and therefore southern all-purpose flours are better-suited for quick breads such as biscuits, cakes and muffins.
Here’s a quick rundown of some flours and their protein contents, taken from the book Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher
Cake flours (Swans Down, Softasilk):
7.5 to 8.5% protein

Bleached southern all-purpose (White Lily, Martha White, Gladiola, Red Band):
7.5 to 9.5% protein
National brand self-rising (Gold Medal, Pillsbury): 9 to 10% protein
National brand bleached all-purpose (Gold Medal, Pillsbury): 10 to 12% protein
Northern all-purpose (Robin Hood, Hecker’s): 11 to 12% protein
Northern unbleached all-purpose (King Arthur): 11.7% protein
Bread Flour: 11.5 to 12.5% protein

So, keeping in mind that less protein equals light and tender cakes and quick breads, the flours from the top of this list are going to give you the best results for those types of baked goods. And since more protein equals higher rising yeast breads, the flours from the bottom of the list will be best for those.

A Mi-Wu-Kul!

One of the many things I admire about my husband is the joy he gets in helping others. Here's a neat example:

As stated earlier, he has been cutting wood at the old cemetary. It is a good idea when using a chainsaw to have someone with you in case of an injury, thus I tag along, help as womanly possible and sit in the truck a lot. Saturday we went back to the site and a man in his seventies was by himself trying to load some very sizable chunks of wood. When we parked beside him I'm sure he thought we were going to infring on his claim but to his appreciation, Phil helped him get his truck bed full of wood. The man was only 6 weeks post surgery, too. Go figure!

What was more amazing was that a few days prior Phil had picked up his chainsaw from the shop and was told by the shop keeper the graveyard crew had just done some more cutting. He decided to swing by and investigate. He only had his newly serviced saw and 1/2 tank of gas. Those of us who don't know anything about chainsaws need to know that they have small tanks and use a lot of gas. That info is important for the rest of this story.

Phil noticed an elderly Hispanic man picking up small, kindling size pieces of wood and putting them in his pick-up which had a trailer attached. He guessed the man was in his eighties. He pulled up beside him and remarked, "Boy, you sure are going to have a lot of kindling!" The man responded by telling him his chainsaw was in the shop and he didn't have enough money to get it out. He figured if he would pick up enough of the small sticks, they would help keep them warm.

Phil pulled his chainsaw out of his pick-up and told the man he didn't have much gas but he'd cut him a few big chunks until he ran out. The saw cut and cut until the grateful old man had a pick-up load and a trailer load! There was still gas in the tank, enough to cut some chuncks for our neighbor! As Hannah would say, "It's a mi -wa- kul!!"

There are Some Weeks One Just Wishes They'd Stayed In Bed!

.....last week was one of them!

Sunday dinner with old friends!

My week started out quite nice! Sunday we entertained some old friends who just moved back to the Lower 48 from Alaska, along with the Directors of Matt 25 and Phil's mom. Phil made up his wonderful Garlic-Mint marinate and roasted three small hens on the "Q". Yummmmmmmm!! The meal also included from our garden, green beans and Butternut Squash with Ginger - Pecan Butter, also roasted on the grill. This recipe was out of our Weber's Art of the Grill cookbook and "Chef Phil" put it together. Oriental cabbage salad and garlic bread was included and chocolate zucchini cake was the dessert! We had a delightful time visiting with Hope and John and catching up on old times.

A Dark Day for Curry County, A Dark Day for America!

The week went down hill from there. I began fasting and praying until elections and had hopes for a miracle! Our election day began early (6:30 a.m.) as I drove the truck while Phil put out American flags at businesses all over town. We ate breakfast out and as we read the morning paper we discovered that once again our County commissioners were pulling a stunt and once again voting to sell liquor at our new event center THAT MORNING. We had no warning. We scramble to get whomever would show up with 30 minutes notice and went to "fight city hall" so to speak. After waiting for two hours and giving a passionate plea we lost by one vote. It was a sad day for Curry County!

The Good News, The Bad News and the Reality of a Deprived World:

On the way to the Courthouse, however we got a call......

Those who read my blog are probably close enough to us to know we have recently been investing a great deal of time in the life of a man whom God is delivering from a life of bondage. What has been amazing is that because of the direction we were able to head him in, four other men's lives have been touched! Two of whom have gone to the same treatment center on his high recommendation and two of whom he has shared the gospel. The good news for Tuesday was that this man had, within 24 hours been able to share the gospel to two other men and one had accepted the Lord!
That evening, however, we received news that the third man, whom we hold dear to our hearts, and whose children I had been actively involve with, was in terrible shape and referred from the said treatment center to psychiatric help. Obviously, I can't share the details other than to say that this was a shocking blow for me. This situation has shaken my world! "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against "principalities and powers....." The reality is that they are alive and well and existing in the church of today!


After a day of deliberately avoiding the T.V. to hear election coverage, we headed for our Emmaus Community gathering with not only the sobering news just mentioned above but that the course of our nations history had just been dramatically altered.
Wednesday, I spent the afternoon meeting with classes of high school students at Clovis High school but was somewhat in a state of numbness!

Enter the Twilight Zone...

Wednesday night was our first DWI class for the month. This is where my week gets REALLY bizarre!! We began to intake our 16 students for the month. We discovered 5 of the sixteen had July birthdays. Well, that's just a little weird, but no big deal. Then two gals arrived and they were mother and daughter and both our students! Then another lady student came in only to discover her estranged son with whom she hasn't spoken for a couple years was ALSO a student. Then another lady registered who lived on our road. At the end of the class the mother and daughter were calling for a ride home. I asked them if we could help get them home and they replied, "No we live clear south of town". "Oh, no problem," I replied, "So do we." O.K. the dialogue got really funny until we found out they were our neighbors! So, we had three students who lived on our road! What a way to get to know your neighbors! But, hey, I think it will be a positive thing.

Morning in the Graveyard

Thursday morning by 7:30 I was sitting in the middle of an old graveyard; the one on the west side of town. Elm trees had been cut down and the plan was to fill the truck full and take home a load before heading to Albuquerque for a four o'clock meeting. I waited for Phil to get some smaller chunks ready for me to load. It was a beautiful, sunny but cold, crisp and breezy morning as I gazed out over the sea of elaborate tombstones. I marveled at them! Some not only had thick marble markers several feet high but the entire grave area was covered in a 4" thick marble slab. Furthermore, I was most amused by the items left on graves. Of course there was the "lovely" bunches of plastic flowers. There were birthday cards, toys, and what appeared to be letters (no, I didn't touch anything! and just a lot of junk. Now, recall I had just read the book "Driven by Eternity". That book makes the "here after" a very real and conscious event and the passages were fresh in my mind.

I'd like to suggest to anyone who would like an interesting dialogue with the Lord to take their Bible and have their "QUIET TIME" in the middle of a cemetery! It will be amazing the insights that will come to your mind! I listened to morning, religious radio and the speakers seems to have words that just fit the setting to a "tee!"

Here's what impressed me the most: those thick, marble tombstone monuments. I guess the idea is to mark a person's existence or life forever and with something that will last. I suppose marble will last a long time because there is probably nothing more dead! That heavy, dead thing is to continue reminding people that the pile of compost below was once a live person! That, itself is ironical to me. Who really cares about those markers except the family members and those VERY close to that person? And THEIR memories exists in their hearts and minds anyway!

Then on the radio a man was speaking about evangelism and about sowing and reaping the harvest. He told about a missionary to India who preached the gospel for - I don't remember how many years - but it was a long time and when he died he only had ONE convert. However, later someone traced that one convert to 13,000 who had received eternal life due to the missionary. Now, we can rightly suppose those 13,000people have influenced thousands more who are walking this earth as a living, breathing harvest of the seeds sown by that one pioneer missionary! This will go on for eternity!! Who needs a marble slab to mark that man's grave when the memorial of his life goes on forever until Jesus returns!

You would have thought the inspirational thoughts at the graveyard helped me to refocus on the eternal and not be so overtaken by the clear and present challenges. My week was laced with dealing with more than one painful interpersonal experience. Life goes on! Hopefully, better next week

Our trip to Albuquerque was beautiful and we enjoyed a lovely meal at Mac Grill. Yummm!!!

Two Frequent, Sweet Dinner Guests!

Mom and Esther love to come and eat pansit and lumpia with us. We do it as often as we can.

Actually, I don't think this is exactly correct. I think I spend more time eating than sleeping!