Pumpkin-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip-Raisin-Nut Cookies

I wanted an unusual cookie and I wanted it to have pumpkin and oatmeal in it. First, I tried the Internet then I went to my never-failing source of recipes -- The 1 Million Recipes CD. This has been my faithful friend since it was first produced years ago. I wish they'd make a second million recipes CD. This is a treasure.

One-Minute Movie

Watching our neighbor's exuberant puppy, I was inspired to make a one-minute movie about the difference between cats and dogs.

Hurricane Katrina

Our hopes and best wishes go out to everyone in the path. We are just out of the worst of it so we only expect wind and rain. May everyone ride this out in safety.

Speaking of hurricanes, a friend said these should just have numbers, not names. He felt sorry for anyone who had to go around with the same name as a damaging hurricane.

I told him it was no problem. Children seem to be proud when their name is on TV for whatever reason. Or maybe we could name them after animals. I think my cat would have no problem with Hurricane Muddy. It would be literally accurate.

Digital Scrapbooking

It may not be as satisfying as making a real scrapbook, but it is a lot less expensive and the pages can be put online or printed. I'm using Nova Scrapbook Factory. As far as I know, it is the best of the scrapbooking-specific programs out there. (If there is anything better, please tell me!)

It does not run as perfectly smooth as other art programs and I've been a tad bit frustrated (I am spoiled with Photoshop), but for the most part, this is fun. I like having the different layouts already made with elements that can be added, rearranged, etc. Once I learn the quirks of the program, it will be okay.

I am doing the monthly bulletin boards this year for some youth classes. Printing a bunch of these might make a nice theme for an upcoming month.

P.S. Good luck to everyone in Hurricane Katrina's path. Maybe you be kept safe. (As for us, we are 400 miles from the nearest ocean. It usually just means a heavy rainfall here.)

"Grr! Any Ornaments"

Try AnagramGenius.com. Type in your full name or anyone's full name and see what anagram might come from it. This is the one that came from my name. The deeper meaning eludes me.

White Wheat Bread & French Toast Recipe

I like wheat bread, but I also like white bread. French toast just does not work with wheat bread. Yesterday, I discovered Nature's Own Whitewheat Bread (whitewheat is all one word) on the Wal-Mart shelves. I know its been out a long time, but I live in oblivion sometimes.

This bread looks, tastes and feels like regular white bread, but it has more fiber and nutrition than wheat bread. At least in the nutritional labeling, this has the same or more, item for item. I am sure this "white wheat" is probably missing some obscure healthy thing only found in whole wheat bread, but it sure sounds and tastes good - and it made a great French toast.

The best French Toast is made with real French bread and baked in the oven, but if you want it at the last minute, this is what we do.

My husband likes French toast dipped in an egg and milk batter with a touch of flour, then fried or baked, and finally buttered and salted to eat. I have an opposite taste. I make the egg, milk and flour batter, add a generous dollop of pure vanilla and a good spoonful of cinnamon.

Next, I get out the cream cheese and spread a thin layer on a slice of bread, top it with another slice of bread, dip it all in the batter and fry it on both sides. I eat it with a touch of confectioner's sugar and butter or butter substitute. Yum!

New Market Police Bored or What?

I was driving in a school zone. I slowed down to the proper speed of 25 miles an hour. I was going down a hill and I was the only car in that section of the road at the time, but I still went 25 miles an hour.

A policeman in New Market, getting ready to direct school traffic, stopped me and told me to slow down. I did not want to offend him so I apologized and went below 25 miles an hour. I think it was kind of an optical illusion, I was going down a hill. Nobody was in front of me and it appeared that I was going faster, but I wasn't. Still, I did not want to offend anyone in authority.

On another occasion, I was near New Market again, waiting for someone who wanted to dash into Krogers at the corner of Winchester and Moore's Mill Road. I sat in the car, engine running, ready to pull out as soon as possible, but waiting in the emergency lane near the front of the store. I figured that would be okay since I was sitting at the wheel and could pull out immediately, if needed.

Again, a sheriff drove up and told me to move. Are law officers getting bored around there or do they just love acting bossy? None of these things have ever happened to me in Huntsville. I think the policemen have much better things to do there.

Genealogy Podcasts

As a podcast fan, I was surprised to discover there were no genealogy podcasts available on iTunes (which lists them for free). I already subscribe to so many podcasts and XM that I never tune in local radio anymore.

Hey folks! The genealogy podcast field is WIDE OPEN! This would be the perfect time for DearMyrtle or Dick Eastman to start a podcast. (A podcast is just an mp3 file which can be downloaded and played later on a computer or any music device like an iPod or Zen, etc. It can even be converted to a CD and played in most any CD player. The thing that makes it an "official podcast" is that it can be subscribed to through iPodder or iTunes and automatically downloaded with those or similar programs.)

I love to play an mp3 file while walking. A good talk show gets all of my attention due to the lack of distractions besides, I never fall asleep while walking (at least not so far). I even hook my iPod up to the car stereo.