Sad News Today

Well, Yesterday's Rain gave way to today's Cloudiness and cool Autumn Breezes! I won't dwell on the weather for too long because I just came across some sad news that really rattled my nerves and I will be fighting this to make sure the first product doesn't hit store shelves here in the United States!! Here is a snippet of the article from the Huffington Post Online Edition: 

" Horses could soon be butchered in the U.S. for human consumption after Congress quietly lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, and activists say slaughterhouses could be up and running in as little as a month.

Slaughter opponents pushed a measure cutting off funding for horse meat inspections through Congress in 2006 after other efforts to pass outright bans on horse slaughter failed in previous years. Congress lifted the ban in a spending bill President Barack Obama signed into law Nov. 18 to keep the government afloat until mid-December.

It did not, however, allocate any new money to pay for horse meat inspections, which opponents claim could cost taxpayers $3 million to $5 million a year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would have to find the money in its existing budget, which is expected to see more cuts this year as Congress and the White House aim to trim federal spending.

The USDA issued a statement Tuesday saying there are no slaughterhouses in the U.S. that butcher horses for human consumption now, but if one were to open, it would conduct inspections to make sure federal laws were being followed. USDA spokesman Neil Gaffney declined to answer questions beyond what was in the statement.

The last U.S. slaughterhouse that butchered horses closed in 2007 in Illinois, and animal welfare activists warned of massive public outcry in any town where a slaughterhouse may open."

The Obama Administration is really screwing up by allowing this to happen and reopening the case of having Horse Slaughter facilities to reopen in the United States when they have been closed for several years now! Animal Rights Groups will not tolerate this and I WILL NOT TOLERATE this as well! I will be picketing the grocerey stores if Horse meat is being sold at a grocery store, and may even prevent people from purchasing the horse meat! I will hit them hard in their wallets!! I am such a horse lover and Horses have done so much for mankind...and this is how we treat them-By serving them on a dinner platter? 

Anyway, in other news, Actually their is no other news as far as I am concerned! This is the ONLY NEWS and it will be stopped-Horse Meat for Human Consumption is a No-No!! 

An article on Fox News web site...

" Lawmakers in California and Illinois have banned the slaughter of horses for human consumption, and more than a dozen states tightly regulate the sale of horse meat.

Federal lawmakers' lifting of the ban on funding for horse meat inspections came about in part because of the recession, which struck just as slaughtering stopped. A federal report issued in June found that local animal welfare organizations reported a spike in investigations for horse neglect and abandonment since 2007. In Colorado, for example, data showed that investigations for horse neglect and abuse increased more than 60 percent -- from 975 in 2005 to almost 1,600 in 2009.

The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office also determined that about 138,000 horses were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter in 2010, nearly the same number that were killed in the U.S. before the ban took effect in 2007. The U.S. has an estimated 9 million horses."

And, An article in Boston Globe Online edition says the same thing about Horse Meat for Human consumption.  " Horses could soon be butchered in the U.S. for human consumption after Congress quietly lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, and activists say slaughterhouses could be up and running in as little as a month.

     Slaughter opponents pushed a measure cutting off funding for horse meat inspections through Congress in 2006 after other efforts to pass outright bans on horse slaughter failed in previous years. Congress lifted the ban in a spending bill President Barack Obama signed into law Nov. 18 to keep the government afloat until mid-December."

I am sure the Animal Rights, PETA and all other animal welfare organizations-including myself-will see that this is stopped before the first Horse Meat product is sold on store shelves!! 

Nicole Scherzinger - Right There ft. 50 Cent

A Heavenly Autumn day

 Oh What a beautiful day it was today! And, I am glad that I was able to get outside to enjoy this wonderful day by going horseback riding thru the countryside. It was so much FUN and EXCITING! I created the graphic page above from my visit to the Horse pasture/Barn.

I read an interesting article on the CNN web site regarding "Brown Babies search for family and Identity" A little clip of the article reads " Cardwell was a “brown baby” – one of thousands of children born to African-American GIs and white German women in the years after World War II. Inter-racial relationships still weren't common or accepted among most in the United States or Germany, and they weren't supported by the military brass, either."


Another article on CNN web site, Informs of the possible extinction of Rhinos.." Africa's western black rhino is now officially extinct, according to a review of animals and plants published last week in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species."


 And, The Ravens beat out the Bengals-Love that Purple Pride! Go Ravens Go!! According to an article in the Baltimore Sun Online Edition, " There were some anxious moments late but the Ravens held on to their 17-point fourth-quarter lead to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-24, in front of announced 71,320 at M&T Bank Stadium."


And, On the ESPN web site,  " Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards, and Baltimore moved into first place in the AFC North with a nerve-racking 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday."


I am so Happy the Ravens won today's game-Hooray for that Purple Pride! 





I was perusing Craigslist when I found this beautiful house For Sale in Hawaii. The asking price is only $519,000! Hmm, I guess for now this house will remain a dream of mine...But I really fell in love with the house! More photos of the house below.


   

In closing, I would like to leave you with a delightful story. I enjoyed reading this story and it has a good lesson to the story. The title is " The Elephant's Nose" Enjoy and have a Blessed Day!

                                                          The Elephant's Nose

There was a time, when the elephant's nose was no bigger than a boot that he could wriggle from side to side. But an elephant's child changed all that.

He was a curious fellow who asked ever so many questions.

He asked the ostrich why her tail feathers grew just so.

He asked the giraffe what made his skin spotty.

He asked the hippo why his eyes were red, and the baboonwhy melons tasted as they did.

"What does a crocodile have for dinner?" he asked one day.

"Shushh" said all the animals in a scared voice.

But he would not shushh.

By and by he met the Kolokolo bird. She told him where he could find an answer.

"Go to the grey, green, greasy Limpopo river," said she.

So off he went, carrying a load of bananas and sugarcane and melons. He'd be hungry on the way, you see.

After a week of trudging and budging he reached where he had to reach.

At the edge of the river he stepped on what he thought was a log of wood. It winked one eye.

"Excuse me, but have you seen a crocodile in these parts?" asked the elephant's child politely.

The creature winked the other eye and half lifted his tail out of the mud.

"I am the crocodile," he said.

The elephant's child grew excited and kneeled down.

"I have been looking for you all these days," he said. "Will you please tell me what you have for dinner."

SPLATH! Went the crocodile's tail back into the oozy mud.

"Come nearer little one, come nearer and I'll whisper," said the crocodile.

The elephant's child put his head down close to the crocodile's musky tusky mouth.

And the crocodile caught him by his little nose.

The elephant's child knew he was in BIG trouble. He sat back on his haunches. And he pulled and pulled.

The crocodile splashed in the water and pulled and pulled.

They both pulled and pulled. And the elephant's nose kept stretching and stretching. At last the crocodile let go.

Bfuddudd!! Fell the elephant, right on his big broad back.

He looked at his nose. He could not see where it ended! It was loooong! So long, he could swish it around. But it hurt him awfully.

So he wrapped the nose in cool banana leaves and waited for it to shrink.

He waited and waited. But nothing happened. He could still swish it all around.

And so it remains to this day.

LooooooonG!

Kenny Rogers - In Our Old Age

A Beautiful song " In Our Old Age" by Kenny Rogers. I Love this song..

Happy Friday

It's FRIDAY and that can mean only one thing..The Weekend is almost upon us! I love Fridays...

The weather had improved from yesterday..It was a bright sunny day with a brisk cold air blowing in the wind. A great day to take a walk and enjoy the beauty of Nature! And, That is exactly what I did when I decided to take the dog out for the walk around the yard. For some reason, The cold, brisk air felt good blowing against my skin-I don't know why because I hate the cold and prefer the warmer temps. But today, The air felt  fresh and clean!

Anyway, onto other things, I managed to get most of my work done today..and the rest I will save for Monday. It is time to get my Weekend On!  I have so much to do this weekend, such as preparing for next week's feast, shopping for gifts for the kids and than I have to take the dog to the Vet for monthly check-up. Whew, I wish I had a clone of myself on most days...but Oh well, It is good when life keeps one busy! Life is not about sitting on the sidelines but rather being a participant...

Today, I didn't feel like reading the News. Rather, I enjoyed most of the day outside walking around the lawn and admiring Nature-Color of the leaves, brown grass and how Autumn changes Nature as it prepares for Winter. It kind of reminded me of an old Folk Tale titled " How The Rainbow was Made."  A beautiful parable that I loved reading and I will now share so you can enjoy! Have a Blessed Day and a Wonderful Weekend!!



How the Rainbow Was Made
retold by
S. E. Schlosser

One day when the earth was new, Nanbozho looked out the window of his house beside the wide waterfall and realized that all of the flowers in his meadow were exactly the same off-white color. How boring! He decided to make a change, so he gathered up his paints and his paintbrushes and went out to the meadow.
    Nanbozho sat down in the tall grass and arranged his red and orange and yellow and green and blue and violet paint pots next to him. Then he began to paint the flowers in his meadow in many different colors. He painted the violets dark blue and the tiger lilies orange with brown dots. He made the roses red and pink and purple. He painted the pansies in every color combination he could think of. Then he painted every single daffodil bright yellow. Nanbozho hummed happily to himself as he worked in the brilliant daylight provided by Brother Sun.
    Overhead, two little bluebirds were playing games with each other. The first little bluebird would chase his friend across the meadow one way. Then they would turn around and the second bluebird would chase him back the other way. Zippity-zip went the first bluebird as he raced across the sky. Zappity-zing went the second bluebird as he chased him in the brilliant sunshine.
     Occasionally, Nanbozho would shade his eyes and look up…up into the endless blue sky to watch the two little birds playing. Then he went back to work, painting yellow centers in the white daisies. Above him, the two birds decided to see how fast they could dive down to the green fields below them. The first bluebird sailed down and down, and then pulled himself up sharply just before he touched the ground. As he soared passed Nanbozho, his right wing dipped into the red paint pot. When the second bluebird dove toward the grass, his left wing grazed the orange paint pot.
     Nanbozho scolded the two birds, but they kept up their game, diving down toward the grass where he sat painting and then flying back up into the sky. Soon their feet and feathers were covered with paint of all colors. Finally Nanbozho stood up and waved his arms to shoo the birds away.
     Reluctantly, the bluebirds flew away from Nanbozho and his paint pots, looking for another game to play. They started chasing each other again, sailing this way and that over top of the giant waterfall that stood next to Nanbozho's house. Zippity-zip, the first bluebird flew through the misty spray of the waterfall. The first bluebird left a long red paint streak against the sky. Zappity-zing, the second bluebird chased his friend through the mist, leaving an orange paint streak. Then the birds turned to go back the other way. This time, the first bluebird left a yellow paint streak and the second left a pretty blue-violet paint streak. As they raced back and forth, the colors grew more vivid. When Brother Sun shone on the colors, they sparkled radiantly through the mist of the waterfall.

Below them, Nanbozho looked up in delight when the brilliant colors spilled over his meadow. A gorgeous arch of red and orange and yellow and green and blue and violet shimmered in the sky above the waterfall. Nanbozho smiled at the funny little bluebirds and said: "You have made a rainbow!"

     Nanbozho was so pleased that he left the rainbow permanently floating above his waterfall, its colors shimmering in the sunshine and the misting water. From that day to this, whenever Brother Sun shines his light on the rain or the mist, a beautiful rainbow forms. It is a reflection of the mighty rainbow that still stands over the waterfall at Nanbozho's house.

Gloomy kind of Day

A gloomy kind of day...and the perfect day to just sleep. But I had to wake up and perform errands during the day, as well as, work. I am starting to feel like that Calgon commercial " Take Me Away."

 Anyway, I managed to get a lot accomplished today considering the clouds dominated the day keeping the sun at bay for the whole day. And, I came across an interesting article on the Care2 web site which list the top pets for children. One of the pets considered were mice...Eweee! I hate Mice but I guess some people love them and think they are cute.  Here is a snippet of the article " Allowing your children to have pets starting at an early age is a great way to teach them how to handle responsibility. More than that, children who grow up taking care of at least one pet tend to adopt a more caring attitude towards animals and other people. It is easy to see why having pets around is an important part of raising children."


And, In other news, according to an article in USA Today Online Editon, NASA is preparing to launch a rocket to Mars to see whether life exists on the planet. Hmm, Interesting! Imagine life existing in Outer Space on another Planet..I wonder what they would think of our life on Planet Earth?
" The space agency's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory "Curiosity" rover will reignite the search for signs that Red Planet could have harbored, or still could harbor, life forms, mission scientists say."


Well, I really don't feel much like writing on the Blog today...My Psyche is kind of like the gloomy weather of today. But I will leave you with a story. :-) Today's story is of a "Talking Mule" Enjoy!

"Talking Mule"

S. E. Schlosser

A farmer owned a mule which he used for work all week. But being a Church-going man, he let the mule rest on Sunday.

One Sunday, the farmer had to go to a funeral. So he sent his son to saddle the mule.

"Since when do I have to work on Sunday?" asked the mule.

The boy dropped the saddle and ran to the house.

"Paw, the mule talked!" he shouted.

"Can't you even saddle the mule?" asked the farmer.

"But Paw, the mule don't want to work on Sunday," the boy protested.

The farmer sent the boy to his room for talking crazy and went out to saddle the mule.

"Move over," he said to the mule.

"Where's my supper?" asked the mule.

The farmer dropped the saddle in the same spot as his boy and ran out of the barn, followed by the dog.

"I ain't never heard a mule talk before," he gasped.

"Me neither," said the dog.

The man bolted for the house and slammed the door.

"The mule talked!" he told his wife.

"What!" said his wife.

"And when I exclaimed: 'I ain't never heard a mule talk before', the dog said: 'Me neither'."

"That's crazy," said his wife.

"What's so crazy about that?" asked the cat. "Haven't you ever heard of a talking mule?"

Kelly Rowland - Stole

Nelly - Gone ft. Kelly Rowland

Dare to dream

We begin life asleep, our eyes closed, drifting in and out of slumberous wonders. Then, we Rush through our lives, climbing the ladder of age, in a tunnel of percieved time, and the light at the end? Thats the climax of our dream. That is where we realise we've been sleeping all along, and there we finally realise that we haven't buit our dreams, but we are the result of our dreams.

Yanni Hrisomallis ,romantic music and images

the world in high quality

Beautiful Pictures of Nature with Relaxing Music

A little 11-11-11 Luck

Happy 11-11-11 and may the day bring lots of Good Luck!! Also, Happy Veterans Day and let's not forget to honor our Veterans-Past, Present and Future Veterans for everything they do preserve the Freedoms that we enjoy and sometimes take for granted! Three Cheers to the Veterans!!

The weather is beautiful if you like wind gusts! But, The sun is shining in the blue skies and it is a wonderful day to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air and somewhat warm rays.

Today, I managed to create a Brand New Digikit titled " Skatefest" and it contains lovely papers, materials and embellishments! I really love the papers in this Kit, and I hope you enjoy it as well? Here is the link to download " Skatefest Digikit "

And, In other news today, " Obama: 'Our troops are coming home' according to an article in USA Today Online Edition.  " President Obama hailed the nation's veterans today as part of "an unbroken chain of men and women who have served this nation with distinction." He said his administration will help the newest links adjust to civilian life as they return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home," Obama said during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, later saying, "After a decade of war, the nation we now need to build is our own."

And, If you are looking for a little Luck on 11/11/11 and plan to travel, According to an article in USA Today Online Edition, This is a great day to start planning for a trip since Hotels, Airlines and Car Rentals have special discounts to take advantage of this Holiday Season.  " Starting at 11:00 a.m. EDT on 11/11/11, travelers can book Sunday night-stays for $111.11 at Affinia Hotels in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C. The deal is valid for travel Jan. 2, 2012 – March 31, 2012, and the booking window closes at 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday. To book, use promo code ELEVEN."

 In celebration of Veterans Day, Most people stroll the grounds of Arlington Cemetery located in Virginia. As an article in the Washington Post Online edition,  " In Arlington National Cemetery’s Section 60, where those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan lie, the graves aren’t just markers of remembrance; they are canvases decorated with stones, shiny balloons and handwritten notes. In this corner of the nation’s most sacrosanct military burial ground, all manner of ornamentation abounds — one headstone is covered in lipstick kisses — bringing a colorful poignancy to an otherwise monochromatic place of mourning."

 On this Veterans Day, It is about saluting Hero's or people who have made a difference in someone else's life. " A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself". Joseph Campbell   I read an interesting article on Examiner.com web site. 

"No, he wasn’t a war veteran. Kim was a veteran of a different sort. A very different sort. A world-famous savant, my oldest brother Kim fought to have people accept him and all people - no matter their weaknesses, their color, their politics, their religion. It was a battle he fought with a huge heart, a wonderful sense of humor, and an incredible mind."

I have to get ready to run errands. In closing, I'd like to leave you with a beautiful poem in honor of our Veteran's Day Heroes! Happy Veterans Day and also Happy 11-11-11!!

Heroes

By Jared Jenkins

 In war, there are lives risked and lives taken

Men and women giving their best to defend what they love

They defend their country

Their honor

Their people

Some call them soldiers

Others call them heroes

Our veterans have risked their lives for us

They have lived through hell and fought with honor

Many have killed

And regret doing so

For every life, there is a soul

For every soul, there is a life

For those who have died, we show great appreciation and remembrance

For those who live, along with them live the horrific memories of battle

Some, memories of defeat

Some, memories of victory

Our veterans were more than soldiers

They were, and still are heroes

Vignette of The Norbertine Life at St. Michael's Abbey

Winter is knocking at Season's Door

  

A cold and blustery day today with the winds picking up a bit. It is starting to feel like Old Man Winter is trying to push himself into  the season's door.

First, I have some Good News to tell..I will be posting a Brand New Digikit Titled, " Skatefest" on the Blog-Yip, Yip Hooray! And, It is really a lovely kit with some very creative papers, materials and Embellishments! I hope you enjoy tomorrows kit?

Second, I have a New Puppy, or rather, a friend of mine has a New Puppy! I am just so excited that I think the puppy is mine. And, Now I need a name for him. I am a lost for a name< Unfortunately?  I will post a photo of  the  New Puppy soon-He is so adorable and cute! :-)

So, Are you guys ready for the Holiday Season? I am completely not ready but I am ready for all the shopping  sales, Black Friday; Cyber-Monday etc.!!! I don't have much money that is why I am looking forward to all the sales, bargains and discounts!!

Also, I purchased the cutest digikit titled "Sunday Morning" on the Twilight Scrap web site!   If you would like to preview, or purchase the Kit, Please click the web site name.I just fell in love with this Digikit and all of the contents, as well as, the papers!! I hope you like!

And, I found an interesting article on the 7 stages of Alzheimer's disease. " The National Alzheimer’s Association has developed a very useful tool, or “staging system,” to use as a frame of reference when coping with Alzheimer’s disease." to read the article, go to Care2 or click this link.


Today, I didn't bother to read the news..So, I won't post any news stories today on the Blog. But, I will post a story on the Blog that I found to be quite interesting and Fun to Read! The title " Allison's Alligator" and is somewhat of a tongue twister story, and very fun to read! Enjoy, and have a Blessed Day!

Allison's Alligator

by  S. E. Schlosser

Alex alligator arrived at Allison Arthur's apple farm in April, when the apple trees were covered with blossoms.

"Whatever am I to do with an alligator?" Allison asked.

Inside the box, Alex yawned. Alex stuck his legs through the holes at the bottom of the box and ambled into the house in search of dinner.

"Oh no you don't!" cried Allison. "You cannot live in the house. You are to stay in the stream behind the apple orchard."

Allison put Alex in the small stream. Then Allison put a strong fence around the stream so Alex did not try to eat Mrs. Chory's chickens.

Alex liked the stream and his pen. He especially liked the steaks Allison gave him every morning and evening.

One day in August a red apple fell off a tree and rolled under the fence and into Alex's pen. Alex sniffed it a bit and then took a bite.

It was the most delicious thing Alex had ever eaten. Alex slipped under the fence and ambled into the apple orchard. Alex found a line of baskets sitting under a tree. Alex ate all the apples in the baskets. Then he wandered under another tree and ate all the apples in the baskets he found there. He was very happy. And very full. He went back into his cage.

Allison came by later with his steak. Alex sniffed at it, but he was not very hungry.

"Do you know what someone did Alex?" asked Allison. Alex yawned. "Someone stole all my apples. They knocked over the baskets and stole the apples. If it happens again, I'm calling the police."

That night, Alex had a very pleasant dream about apples. After his steak the next morning, Alex slipped under the fence and out into the orchard. There were a bunch of people climbing up and down ladders with baskets. Alex watched for a few moments. Then he realized that when the people came down the ladders, their baskets were full of apples.

Alex wandered over to the closest ladder. A small girl descended with a basket full of apples. Alex grinned at her. The little girl screamed and dropped the basket. She ran away, yelling for her mother. Alex stuck his head in the basket and began eating apples. He heard voices coming towards him.

"Now April, you know what I've said about fibbing. There are no alligators in this orchard." said April's mother. Alex pulled his head out of the basket and grinned at April's mother.

"Ahhhh!" she screamed. April and her mother ran away as fast as they could.

Alex walked over to another tree. A man was climbing down the ladder. He stepped on Alex's back. Alex grunted and tried to walk away. The man looked down at Alex and yelped. The man dropped his basket and ran toward the house. Alex ate all the apples in his basket.

Just then, Allison came running into the orchard.

"Alex!" she yelled. Alex took one look at Allison and bolted back into his pen. Allison followed him.

"So you're the one who ate all my apples." she said. "I'd better fix your cage."

Once Alex's cage was fixed, he could no longer go into the apple orchard. Alex stared longingly at the trees full of apples.

At dinner time, Allison brought Alex a steak as usual.

"You are a bad boy, Ales," she said. "But I can't blame you for liking apples. I brought you a surprise."

Allison went outside the cage, and picked up a basket. It was full of apples! Alex ate all the apples before he ate his steak.

Allison laughed. "I'll bring you apples every night Alex," she said. That is exactly what Allison did.

An Autumn Crisp Day

A beautiful Autumn Crisp day! The sun is shining in the blue skies as a mild, breeze blows in the wind. A perfect day to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air.
  Well, The Verdict has been reached in the Conrad Murray trial-The Doctor accused of killing pop singer Michael Jackson. The doctor was found Guilty of Manslaughter by the Jury!! According to an article in USA Today Online edition: " Jackson, 50, died on June 25, 2009, of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, aggravated by effects of the sedative lorazepam. Murray, 58, was charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty."


And, in other news, "  A judge on Monday blocked a U.S. government requirement that would have begun forcing tobacco companies next year to put graphic images including dead and diseased smokers on their cigarette packages." according to an article in USA Today Online Edition.

And, " Justin Bieber plans to take a paternity test when he returns from Europe in two weeks." according to the USA Today Online editions

And, The Ravens beat the Steelers-Marylanders love their " Purple Pride!" According to an article in the Baltimore Sun Online edition: " But how big was the Ravens' 23-20 victory over the Steelers in the boiling cauldron of noise that was Heinz Field on Sunday night? Let's put it this way: According to those who were there, the post-game celebration behind closed doors in the Ravens locker room was loud enough to be heard in Wyoming.And I've never seen John Harbaugh so amped after a game. Same goes for Joe Flacco, who, after most wins, tends to have the demeanor of the BGE guy who's just arrived at your house to check the meter."


And, "  The difference between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens is no longer in the quarterback.
When the game was on the line Sunday night, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco outlasted Pittsburgh quarterback and rival Ben Roethlisberger." according to an article in Baltimore Sun Online Edition.

According to an article in ESPN Online edition: : " Because Sunday night, after quarterback Joe Flacco led the Ravens back from the dead against Pittsburgh, after wide receiver Torrey Smith finally married his fingertips with the pigskin, you would have thought Baltimore had won a championship, not just a regular-season game in early November."

According to an article in the Christian Post Online edition: " The financial news site, The Street, reports, “HarperCollins, the publishing house of News Corp., will buy Bible seller Thomas Nelson at a discount to the $473 million that private equity firm InterMedia paid to take the company private in 2006.”

And, It looks as though Barnes and Noble Book store will be coming out with the New Nook Tablet this holiday season! It will be competing with Amazon'a Kindle Fire Tablet expected to be available for purchase this holiday season as well  I am thinking of purchasing an E-Reader but I don't which one to purchase though? I will be doing some research, and maybe driving to the B&N store to play around with the New Nook Color. I can't play around with the Kindle Fire Tablet though, so I will have to rely on reviews on Youtube web site.

Time to go run some errands..But I will leave you with a story that i found interesting. The title of the story is " The Pig That Went to Church" Enjoy your day and the story...

The Pig That Went to Church

by S.E. Schlosser

" In the nineteen-thirties and early forties, when my grandmother Mildred was a young woman, she settled in New Jersey with her husband Loyd.   They lived in an old green farmhouse surrounded by fields, with few neighbors, and a large white church with a revival-style campground just up the block from their home.

And Loyd was an electrical engineer by day and a lay pastor for the Free Methodist Church at night and on weekends.  Mildred was a nurse and a mother who happily juggled her career around the lives of four children and a very active minister.

The family maintained a large kitchen garden, a grape orchard, and some hens and pigs to supplement their food bills.   Much of this work fell to Mildred, who spent many a Saturday washing laundry by hand, ironing, cleaning, and cooking.  She also helped look after the livestock until the children were old enough to take over this chore.

One year, a very small pig joined the family.  It was a cute little female pig – due to be bacon in the fall.  Her engaging personality soon earned her the name Sal, though Mildred came from the old school Pennsylvania Dutch clan that knew however much you enjoyed Sal growing up, her eventual fate was to feed the family during the winter months.

Happily unaware of this future, Sal fell in love with Mildred and started following her around everywhere she went.  The pig learned fairly early how to escape from the pen, and no one was terribly stringent about returning her to her abode.  Sal grazed near the clothesline while Mildred hung the washing, peered inquiringly at the chickens when Mildred took them their mash, lay contentedly in the shade near her feet while she snapped green beans, tried to enter the garden while she weeded (though she was shooed away before she could eat the vegetables) and was heartbroken when she returned into the house.  Sal herself attempted to enter the house a few times, but was promptly evicted, and was forced to wait longingly for her favorite to come out-of-doors again.

The children were delighted by the friendly pig, but none of them captured her heart the way Mildred did.  Worst of all to Sal’s mind were the days when the family dressed up in their finest and marched over the field to the small church at the top of the street, where Loyd ministered weekly to his flock.  She would disconsolately watch this procession from the pen where she had been securely latched in, her snout pressed against the wire until Mildred disappeared from sight into the church.

One day, Sal could bear the Sunday separation no longer.  Expertly unlatching the door to the pig-pen, she trotted across the field and clambered up the cement staircase to the large portal of the church.  After a few experiments with the handle, Sal managed to get the door open, and trotted into the vestibule.

What an amazing place this was, covered with a dark red carpet and filled with pamphlets and other paraphernalia.  But Sal was a pig on a mission, and her nose told her that Mildred was ahead of her, in the big echoing room where Loyd was declaiming his sermon in the best tradition of the evangelist (loud, and when you’ve got an important point, very loud.)

Sal poked her snout through the open doors to the sanctuary and peered inside at the funny long wooden pews facing the altar, and all the people sitting in their fancy garb, their eyes fixed on Loyd.  Then she spotted Mildred in the front pew, gazing piously up at her husband, and she let out a snort of joy.  Heads turned as the pig trotted down the carpeted aisle.  Loyd stopped in mid-declaim, his mouth dropping open in shock.  All around him, the congregation broke out into startled whispers and the children started giggling and pointing.

“It’s Sal,” little David exclaimed to his sisters, as Mildred stared at the rapidly approaching pig in shock and horror.

Sal broke into a lope, grunting happily, her muddy body perfuming the air of the sanctuary with the unforgettable smell of the farmyard.  She slid to a halt right before the altar, thrusting her large head into Mildred’s lap.  Pandemonium broke out all over the church, but the noise was pierced by a shout from the pulpit.  “MILDRED!” roared her evangelist-husband,  “Get that pig out of here!”

“Yes dear,” Mildred said hurriedly, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.   

She tried to shove Sal’s head out of her lap, but the pig refused to be parted from her beloved.  It wasn’t until Mildred rose and tugged on her neck that she deigned to move.  It took a few more shoves from both Mildred and her son David before Sal was removed from the altar.  But when Mildred finally headed for the side door nearest the pulpit, the pig followed her out of the sanctuary and into the hall.

Mildred was tempted to push the pig out the door and slam it in her face, but she knew that Sal would just go around to the front and nose her way back into the vestibule.  With a sigh, she escorted the pig all the way, to the delighted sound of Sal’s grunting.  The pig was downcast to be thrust back into her pen, but Mildred ignored her pleading eyes and found several big boards to wedge across the door, preventing further egress.  By the time she was finished, the first of the congregants was filing out of the church, and were casting their eyes across the field curiously to see what had become of Mildred.  Straightening her hat and shaking out her skirts, Mildred marched across the field to face the music.

The pig pen received a brand-new, pig-proof latch before the end of the day, and Sal never went to church again. "