How Many Calories Do You Need?

At this website you can enter your weight, height, and age to assess your daily caloric requirements, and you'll also get right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats you should be eating. Your results will be shown with a brief explanation of how they are calculated. There are also notes on what to do in order to maintain, gain, or lose weight at the very bottom of the chart.

http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutrition_calculators.html

"One Little Chore at a Time . . . "

"You will achieve grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day -- not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won't have to drag today's undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal -- to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished."

Og Mandino
1923-1996, American Motivational Author, Speaker

Looks like the lids came out ahead,

but then there are some bottoms without tops . . . ??

Hmmm . . .hey, is this like the socks and the dryer thing? LOL : )

Helen's Yellow Lap Quilt

This is a lap quilt my friend Helen made using 1930's reproduction fabric.

It's tied together with silk ribbon and has a decorative stitch-in-the-ditch.

The Story of a Sign

This reached me in "down under" New Zealand, I think the whole world needs to see it.


Love 'the farm". Thanks for all messgages.
Best wishes,
Meryl Zohrab
Watch this and see if you look at things a little differently for the rest of the day....
This is a beautiful little 5 minute video which has won numerous awards
around the globe. It won the Best Short Film at Cannes Film Festival 2008.
(Thank you so much Meryl for send this along for others to see.)



The Story of a Sign




Here's some additional information that was sent along by a Hodgepodge reader.

Dear Debbie,

WOW! I've just learned that Mexico's Alonso Alvarez Barreda, director of "Historia De Un Letrero", has been accused of plagiarizing a 2006 Spanish prize-winning short short entry in the Notodofilmfest, entitled "Una Limosna, Por Favor" ("Alms, Please"), written and directed by Francisco Cuenca Alcaraz.

Here is a clip of Alcaraz's original short short, "Una Limosna, Por Favor" (only 30 seconds, in Spanish, w/ subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANWMZT0z_0k&feature=related

And in the following clip, Barreda defends himself in a TV interview against the charge, despite nearly identical similarities between the two films (in Spanish, w/o subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOpbc17hbZE&feature=related

Finally, here is a parody of Barreda's film, in light of the scandal (in Spanish w/ subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I37qGLYpKbU

This scandal takes nothing away from the beauty of Barreda's short film, but it's a shame that he did not give credit where credit is due (that is, to Alcaraz).

Blessings,
Andréa

Making Sure Your Money is FDIC Insured

The following link is to a YouTube video of an FDIC commercial released yesterday where Suze Orman tells people how to check that their money is insured using a new FDIC website and a calculator called EDIE.
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/09/22/suze-orman-in-fdic-campaign/

If you visit the website www.myFDICinsurance.gov you can look at the Tutorials to see more how it actually works.

Thanks to Carol Stone for passing this along and check out her Ways of the World column here on the Farm for these most recent articles and check back with her on updates on this topic.
http://ways-of-the-world.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 08, 2008 - The Takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Monday, September 15, 2008 - Wall Street Was Too Busy To Watch Football on Sunday
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 - Facing the Financial Crisis
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 - Prayers during Current Financial Turmoil

In Florence, Barbara Crafton Instituted as St. James' Interim Rector

September 7th, 2008

Bishop Pierre Whalon - Bishop for Europe

Lotus Flowers and Water Garden

This is my first attempt in making a

slideshow. Put your sound on as it is set to music.

Chincoteaque

Sculpture of "Misty of Chincoteaque" from the children's book and some scenes from the National Park at Chincoteaque.

Before You Know It . . .

. . . you could be learning a new language! Check it out at: http://www.byki.com
This is free and even for a $50 upgrade it's much cheaper than Rosetta Stone and a good place to start learning. Find out more at: http://www.byki.com/byki_descr.html
I'm working on my Italian!

(Thanks Helen for telling me about this!)

Smilebox

Smilebox is a free easy service that connects you with family and friends using your photos and videos. You can create animated scrapbooks, photobooks, slideshows, postcards, and ecards for any occasion, and email them to anyone with Smilebox.
By buying a premium design or subscribing to Club Smilebox you can print your keepsakes and do more.
Check it out here at: http://www.smilebox.com/

(Thanks Diane for introducing me to Smilebox and for the cool slideshow you sent me.)

Information On Those Unknown Calls

Here's a website where you can find out, and/or you can leave, information about those annoying sales calls. Yes, you can register for the national Do Not Call list, but we all know that calls still get through and this may give you an answer as to who is calling without you taking the call. If you do get one you can leave information to alert others.

http://800notes.com/

P.S. - For those still worried about a mouse in the house. The area under the door has been filled in where the little fellow appeared and many years ago we put those ultrasonic pest repellents in the outlets and we haven't had a mouse since then. Hopefully no deaf mice will decide to take up residence!

Maggie and the Mouse

Maggie was pawing at the door like crazy on Saturday and I was wondering why. It took a minute for me to see the little mouse as at first it was sitting on the doormat and blended right in. Later when Paul came home it reappeared and he picked it up. He placed it in the garden and it headed right back near the porch and then went straight away to making itself a little nest. It's really tiny and cute. I know I wouldn't have felt the same if it was bigger, or in the house!!!

Life of the Dunes Trail

Remembering 9-11

Day Of Beauty

Day of beauty, crisp and clear. Who could know that death was near?

Who could guess that from the sky, birds would fall and we would cry?

Ten thousand families torn apart. Wrenching pain in every heart.

Until the hour of terror came, most did not know the madman’s name.

Most went about their daily lives, hugging husbands, kissing wives.

Knowing not that 9-11 would be the day that tears would run.


Day of beauty, crisp and clear. No reason for the world to fear.

No reason for long, sweet goodbyes, or gazing into loved ones eyes.

Just get dressed and off you go, to work, but Oh, how could you know,

This day would seal the fate of all, would witness those two towers fall.

And how could anyone have guessed, that some were doomed and others blessed?

That you would never see again your neighbor, brother, sister, friend?



Day of beauty, crisp and clear. Is it truly seven years?

When in daylight, madmen came, and killed us in Our Father’s name.

They moved amongst us with one goal; to try and crush this country’s soul.

Alas, they could not crush this land. We came together hand in hand.

In our country’s time of need, heroes made, but heroes bleed.

And heroes died that fateful day. Now, in Our Father’s arms they lay.



Day of beauty, crisp and clear. Hold your loved ones ever near.

Give thanks for all that you’ve been given, this amazing land you live in.

Don’t let “I love you” go unspoken. Try to mend each fence that’s broken.

Don’t be frightened for a minute. Speak your pledge with God’s name in it.

America, America, God gave His grace to thee,

And crowned thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

Thank-You America, for being strong, for being beautiful,

for being my home.

Copyright ©2002 Carolann Rivera

This poem was sent in by Bobby Hecht.

Life of the Forest Trail

Life of the Marsh Nature Trail

One of the three nature trails at Assateague State Park.

W.O.W.

Barbara and Q's New Little Grandson!

Eating to Excel at School

We all know that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Kids who eat healthy a breakfast can focus, solve problems better, and their hand-eye coordination will be improved.

People who eat breakfast are also more likely to:
Develop life-long healthy eating habits
Miss less school
Score higher on tests
Get better grades
Avoid bad moods
Maintain a healthy weight

Your child's breakfast should have whole grains, low-fat protein, and fruit. This combination of foods will keep them feeling full until lunch time without their energy level crashing right in the mid-morning.

Other tips for right before exam time:

Avoid energy bars. - Many are high in fat and sugar.

Stay cool. - Studies show that people perform better on tests at slightly cooler temperatures.

Stay calm. - Use the time to right before the test to relax and clear your mind.

Sleep tight. - Try to get eight to nine hours of sleep a night.

Hydrate. - Have some water before test-time, but don't over-do it.

Eat a smartbreakfast. - Don't eat too much a heavy breakfast will make you tired and use up all your energy.

Be carb savvy. - Go for the good kind of carbs from whole grains or veggies.

Skip the energy drinks. - You could be jittery from the caffeine and then hit a post-sugar slump before the end of your exam.

Skip the donuts. - Some studies suggest that eating foods with trans fats can deteriorate cognitive function.

Rev up! Nothing relieves stress and clears your mind like exercise. So an hour or two before the test, stretch or go for a jog.

To read more about this from the article it was taken from, go to:
1=31036">http://health.msn.com/nutrition/best-brown-bag-lunches/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100214016>1=31036

Ocean City - Maryland

Here's some sights along the way on the boardwalk at Ocean City

and a few websites if you'd like to find out some more about the area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_City,_Maryland
http://www.oceancity.org/
http://www.ococean.com/

Dumser's Dairyland

These places are all over the Ocean City, MD area. I went online and read mixed reviews of it. We saw a packed parking lot at all different times of the day whenever we passed by the one we were near. I loved my Oreo Crunch ice cream cone I had one night on the boardwalk and even had it a second time as a sundae at a different location. We had a nice breakfast there the day we left the area.
Here's the website and it says the history of the place will be posted on there soon.

http://www.beach-net.com/dumsers/index.html