Countering The Negative Spin...Why Bother??? - 11/30/08 11:30 AM
I, like many of you, have watched with hopeful optimism as the news of the Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008 or any number of the bailouts have been approved by Congress to help stimulate the economy. Please understand there is a distinct difference between being optimistic about what is being done in the name of economic stimulation and supporting the method being used. While you may or may not agree with the moves the current administration and Congress have taken, it is important to try to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude with regard to the success of those moves.
You … (11 comments)

The Chefs; Two Of Them Anyway! - 11/28/08 03:39 PM
Last Friday I was quite remiss in my promise to post a blog highlighting some of the great writers I have come across in the greater blogosphere. In honor of all the eating that I hope everyone did yesterday I wanted to highligh a couple of great cooking / recipe blogs that I frequent. Maybe these would have given you some more food ideas for Thanksgiving, but honestly, didn't you eat enough as it was!
These two writers and chefs have some great recipes. I have made several of their dishes and find them to be as tasty as they … (16 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - 11/26/08 12:19 PM

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Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. - 11/24/08 07:32 PM

In addition to the University of Tennessee, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville is home to several animal rescue organizations. In this post, I want to highlight the good work that the volunteers do at the Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. This organization is a 501(c)(3) so all donations, which are the majority of the groups operating budget, are tax deductible.
This dynamic organization found it roots in the heart of two people who were dedicated to rescuing dogs. In the eight years since its inception, the Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. has grown … (13 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - 11/19/08 12:42 PM

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Meme - A Journey Of Poems - 11/18/08 06:00 PM
Today I was tagged by Danny Thornton for a Meme of sorts. While I really enjoy writing, I find Meme's a bit taxing as I prefer to divulge aspects of my personality through metaphor and story. Knowing that, I am happy to say that I have always played along when I am tagged; have you? Needless to say, I rolled my eyes a bit at the thought of writing a Meme; then I read the guidelines and thought, well this is different. I like the twist and while it does divulge aspect's of the writer's personality, it does it through the … (18 comments)

Late Fall Hikes: Be Prepared - 11/17/08 01:46 PM
Here in Knoxville the cold began to set in this weekend. You can smell that familiar smoke of fireplaces coming alive to help take the chill out of the air and warm homes. When the chill comes, you know that the holidays are not far behind. Most of the cold comes overnight with gusting winds chilling faces and ears during the day.
Though the cold has arrived, many people continue to enjoy the outdoors. There is something about the starkness of the trees and the knowledge that the bears and snakes have settled in for the long winter. Another pleasant discovery … (10 comments)

I Got Mine! - 11/17/08 10:18 AM
The last thing that I really want to do on a Saturday or Sunday morning is wake up with the sun. Well this past Saturday that is exactly what I did. I awoke a 6:45 AM!
The dog thought I had lost my mind and refused to get out of bed. Did I mention that Saturday was the first really cold day, ushering in winter and freezing fall. I put on my slippers and shuffled into the kitchen to make coffee. I had about 30 minutes before I piled in the car and headed to the local high school where volunteers … (11 comments)

To Make You Laugh - 11/16/08 08:37 PM
I have been trying to put these out on Friday each week for a month or so now and invariably something happens, like I write 8-10 other posts for various sites and this one somehow isn't at the top of the rotation. I know, I know, it is an outrage that my Active Rain blog isn't always at the top of the stack. 'Tis true, 'tis true and you know what...I'm still working.
Maybe you can tell by the tone of the previous paragraph, wait...What? You can't read tone? Tone deaf??? No? A perfect alto you say. Hmmm...Oh, you mean it … (10 comments)

Paulson, An American King - 11/13/08 01:31 PM
Earlier today I wrote a post entitled Lions and Tigers and Bears, Just Say No! on one of my outside blogs, Rich Talks real Estate. That post was centered on the reports that came out regarding Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson's decision to "redirect" the $350 billion that remains of the $700 billion in rescue funds to help lenders who issue credit cards, auto and student loans. If you read the post I wrote on my outside blog, my anger at this decision will be evident.
I am upset about this "redirect" of the taxpayers' money to help these institutions. … (16 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - 11/12/08 12:43 PM

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A Veterans Day Thank You - 11/11/08 01:14 PM
To me Veterans Day is a celebration of the honorable service that soldiers have given in defense of our great country. From the signers of the Declaration of Independence, who were committing an act of treason against the crowne but ultimately gave birth to the very ideals that endure today, to the soldiers of the Civil War who took up arms against their own countrymen to prevent the tearing apart of the fledgling country which inevitably meant freedom for a whole segment of society that had been considered economic chattel at best, I say thank you. The beliefs of self determination … (6 comments)

Refugees United - 11/10/08 09:45 AM
Today is the second time I will be participating in Bloggers Unite. Bloggers Unite is an online movement that unites the voices of diverse bloggers from all corners of the blogosphere. This is not an intrusive movement, the one reminder that I received about the action was today via e-mail notification from Blog Catalog. Bloggers Unite: Blogging for Hope is a simple way for me to give back; all it takes is my voice being raised with thousands of others for those who don't have a voice. They have a once monthly action day that you can choose to participate in … (13 comments)

Outside Blogs: The Sports' Writers - 11/07/08 04:38 PM





Today being Friday, it is time for my introduction of blogs from the greater blogosphere. If you saw last week's post it was on Halloween related blogs. This week's post is dedicated to those sports lovers out there. You know who you are!
You see these two icons, one to the left and one to the right? You may recognize them as the one on the left is maintained by both Danny Thornton and myself. If you haven't visited, you will be pleasantly surprised by the number of familiar names from Active Rain that contribute there … (15 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - 11/05/08 02:58 PM

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The Garden Goes Dormant - 11/03/08 11:02 AM
Last week we got our first really cold weather, including a couple of frosts. Luckily, I had been harvesting much of the remaining summer veggies. In fact the day of the first frost, I harvested the remaining eggplants and bell peppers. Large or small, they all were harvested as the only other option was to leave them to the succumb to the chill of fall.
I have enjoyed my garden tremendously this summer. It is not time to say goodbye just yet as the cooler weather veggies are doing quite well and enjoying their preferred climate. The cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, leaf … (17 comments)

It's Peanuts - 11/01/08 07:18 PM

A few months back, I took a few raw peanuts, still in the shell and decided to add them where I had grown decorative corn earlier in the season. I had never grown peanuts and I was only investing four or five peanuts to anyway. I figured that if I had grown beans and peas, eggplants and cantaloupes successfully that I should give peanuts a try. Branching out of my comfort zone can be a good thing.
So back in mid to late August, after harvesting the last of the decorative corn, I set to my task. Compared with the … (23 comments)