Ahhh... It's Saturday Blog Hop

Ahhh.... It's Saturday Blog Hop

There's nothing better than a Saturday morning and knowing you don't have to jump out of bed before the sun comes up to rush around like crazy, making breakfast, helping the little ones get ready for school and making sure nobody forgets to brush their teeth before rushing out the door to school. 

So, sit back and enjoy a blog hop with your morning cup of coffee making new friends along the way.

Enjoy your Saturday! 

High Five Friday Blog Hop

Today is High Five Friday. Stop over at the Blog Hop Page and join in the fun. Enter any link you wish and start passing out the high fives. 

Enjoy your Friday! 

A Unusual Year Ahead

The year 2012 has already has already kicked off to an unusual start. The weather is definitely warmer than usual all across the country. Fifty degree weather in Michigan during the month of January, I will take it. My daughter pointed out something unusual today, there are three Friday the 13ths during the year 2012. An all out war has broke out in Iraq already.  Hopefully they won't be sending our men and women back over there to straighten things out over there again.

I don't really believe this will be the year the world will end. But, it may be the beginning of a new world. It is completely possible, it may be the beginning of a different world. Through out history the world has evolved and changed. The generation experiencing the change never believes the changes that are going to occur. 80 years ago they never would have believed you if you said in the future people will be able to sit on their couches  using a computer accessing the entire world or we would be able to walk around talking on telephones that you could take anywhere with you. They would have thought you were crazy.

Every generation experiences a major change in society. This just may be our generation and our children's generation experiencing the change. Our generation has watched technology grow and flourish. There is always a price to pay for increasing technology. It is a catch 22. The more technology that is created, the less jobs people are needed for to perform. People are being replaced with technology. Our environment has a price to pay for all the new technology. Therefore, we may experience global warming to a certain extent, more volcanoes, earthquakes and more environmental disasters.

I think we are looking at a different way of life. Technology has soared into the future, while it feels like people are falling back into the past. Our generation will have to be the generation that will have to learn how to embrace the changes that are happening and find new innovative ways to work. But, there are going to be those who fall between the cracks of change.

I don't really think we are looking at one catastrophic event happening and poof our world is going to be different. At least I hope that's not what we are looking at happening. It is possible to have several catastrophic events through out an extended time for all the chemicals we pump into the air and water to innovate all of our new technology. Eventually, it will catch up with us.

We have seen the Y2K and the 11/11/11 come and go. I think we will see the 12/21/2012 come and go along with the rest of the predictions. But, I think the year 2012 will be remembered as the year the United States has changed as a society. Our way of life will be changed forever. This economic recession we are suffering from will be the beginning of a new society and a new way of life.

Just as the Hoover was blamed for the Great Depression in the history books. Obama will be in the history books as taking down Osama Bin Laden and the Great Recession of 2012. Even though the recession began before he came into office, he will be blamed for the economic fall of our country.

I think we will be looking a  larger class division between the wealthy and the poor, the middle class is fading out. People have achieved the "American Dream" and are watching it slip right through their fingers. The cost of living is increasing making it more difficult for the ones who have managed to keep their jobs to maintain the way of life they are used to.

As more and more people lose their jobs, they become more desperate looking for ways to survive and the crime rate is increasing. Just as it has increased through out history.

What it all boils down to is, history always repeats itself. I don't think we will be living in this dark world where half our population will be wiped out during one big catastrophic event. We are looking at a different way of life that will be harder to achieve success and a lot of people will struggle and fall between the cracks. Our way of life will change and demand the need for more technology to be created. Our children or our children's children will be living in a different society than we knew of as we were achieving the "American Dream" and the path of change will not be a glorious path of change for our generation.

Swing By Thursday Blog Hop

Enter your link in the Linky below.

Swing by say hello and follow as many as you like on the list.

Enjoy your Thursday!

Knock Off Olive Oil

Did you ever think you had to worry about buying knock off olive oil? I never thought I would be. I knew there was a difference in the quality, but manufacturers are making knock off olive oil where the olive oil is being substituted for cheaper oils and chemicals to make a cheaper olive oil to sell. I guess that goes to say you can't walk into a store and buy anything anymore without reading the labels.

According to the California Olive Oil Council, the best way to tell a fake from the real thing?


Consumers spend $720 million per year on olive oil, according to the California Olive Oil Council. But, not all olive oil is created equally.

Follow these tips from COOC to be sure you know what you're buying on your next shopping trip:

Bottle color matters. True olive oil should be kept cool so bottles will be darker in color to extend shelf life.

Check the label. States like California place quality control labels from the COOC on all bottles of oil produced in the state. To earn a seal, a taste panel puts it through a vigorous chemical test.

Where you shop matters. Olive oil is definitely one of those products you never want to buy generic. Not all retailers keep a close eye on where they're sourcing their oils, so look for higher quality oils at specialty markets. When in doubt, check the label yourself to see its origin.

And don't believe everything you read. The FDA can't catch every bottle that hits the shelves claiming to be "Extra virgin" or "cold pressed," Mueller warns. If all else fails, try taking a whiff. True EVOO should smell a little fruity.

Two Teens Charged With Racial Intimidation

Four families in Spring Hill had a terrifying start to the New Year after two teens vandalized their homes with racial slurs New Year's Eve.



Authorities say the two teens spray-painted racial slurs and swastikas on the homes and hung a noose at some of the houses. The teens vandalized four homes New Year's Eve at a subdivision off Mason Lane in Spring Hill.

The two Spring Hill teens, Dakota Calderhead, 19, and his friend Kristian Mathis, 18 are facing charges including vandalism and racial intimidation for defacing four homes with disturbing messages of hate. The teens are also looking at being faced with federal charges once the FBI finishes their investigation.

Some parents just do not understand what they are doing to their own children and others by not teaching their children diversity and compassion for others. Teaching a child hate can destroy their lives. Now, because they failed to teach their children compassion and the understanding of diversity, they will pay the price for the rest of their lives. College is most likely out for these two teens, difficulty finding jobs and federal convictions hanging over their heads for the rest of their lives.

This crime will live with the children and their families whose homes were vandalized for the rest of their lives. I am sure they will never forget what happened to their home that night. Why? Because a couple of parents failed to do their job as parents. Now the state of Tennessee and the tax payers is left to finish raising the two teens.

My New Year's Hope

Well, 2012 is finally here. The year the world is supposed come to an end according Nostradamus. We had a nice little celebration at home this year celebrating with my family and friends. The kids had a great time drinking the sparkling white grape juice and blowing the horns. The way they were blowing their horns, you would have thought there were twenty people in the room. But that is the fun part,  knowing your making memories for your children that will last a lifetime. They had so much fun, they didn't want to seem to let the night go. They enjoyed playing with our friends kids so much they didn't want to go to bed at 5:00 am.

With all the fun, I'm still having trouble getting excited about the new year. I guess I never really did get the hype about a new year, it's just another year to me. That's probably why I never make a New Year's resolution that I know I will most likely break.

Instead of making a resolution, I am just hoping things will start to turn around for the United States and hope the economy will improve, people will start going back to work to something other than low paying jobs and people will stop losing their homes. I am just hoping 2012 will be better than 2011 for a lot people and our faith in our government to make the United States a better place to live will be restored.

Happy New Year!