LEADER ENTERPRISE - May 2010

Our priceless freedom isn't free.Time and time again, it calls for a high price to be paid. As we prepare to honor and remember those who have given their lives for our country, I thought it would be appropriate to share some excerpts from my husband Ron's Memorial Day speech from 2008, when he spoke at both Bryan and Montpelier's cemetery ceremonies.

Ron served 3 tours as a Marine, in Viet Nam, and later retired from the Air Force after 20 years of military service. He is 100% disabled as a result of exposure to Agent Orange, and is the most patriotic person I know. He's also a gifted speaker, and I'm proud to share with you here, what he shared with many 2 years ago.

"Today, our country will pause to remember and honor those faithful and dedicated Americans who have forfeited their lives on the field of battle to secure freedom and liberty for our nation and our allies.

"The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines we pay tribute to this day are not all strangers, though we may know few of them personally.

"We do understand the reality that they are all truly members of our family, the family of America. As each life was given, we all suffered loss. The true potential of our fallen warriors will never be known. I believe that every family represented here today has been touched by the loss of a veteran.

"As we witness the parades and attend these services, please pause to consider how many thousands, and even hundreds of thousands across this great nation, have given their lives in defense of our country. As the solemn meaning of Memorial Day embraces our hearts and minds,we must do what we can to recognize and salute this nation's most valiant citizens.

"It isn't fate or chance that made the United States of America what it is today. God established this nation through the hard work of faithful

"Christians who were seeking a place in this world where they could live, work and worship freely. But it also continues to thrive, in part, because of the tremendous sacrifices of those we honor here today.

"At this time, you and I are far from the battlefield, and we must thank God for that! However, we cannot allow ourselves the luxury of being so busy enjoying our freedom that we forget to count the cost. The following statement was found on a food ration box during the battle for Khe Sahn, during the Viet Nam war. 'For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know. It is not a note of sarcasm, but a simple truth.

"Will our nation ever be conquered by a foreign enemy? Only God knows. But as long as we have courageous citizens who will stand in the gap and fight for liberty and freedom, it is less likely. Our military forces are those courageous citizens. Please continue to support them any way you can ,but especially through prayer.

"On this Memorial Day, let's not forget the fact that concerning our military veterans, 'All gave some, but some gave all.' Support, honor and pray for your nation's warriors for freedom and liberty. Thank you and may God bless America".

If you haven't enjoyed any asparagus yet, I hope you'll consider trying these two favorite recipes of mine. Asparagus is low in calories, high in folic acid, a good source of Vitamins A, B6, C, calcium, potassium, iron and thiamine, and has fiber also.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

2 lbs. fresh asparagus
olive oil-garlic powder-salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Trim and clean asparagus.(If you bend the stalk, it will naturally break where the tough part begins). Dry and lay on a cookie sheet in a single row. Drizzle a little oil over the stalks;toss asparagus until lightly coated. Season with spices and bake until browned and tender, stirring once or twice. I normally bake this 15-20 minutes(total time),depending on the size of the stalks. Try this roasting method with other veggies as well--sweet potatoes,brussel sprouts,carrots,or squash.

ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
4 TB. butter, melted
2-15 oz. cans asparagus spears,drained
1-8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, optional
2-3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 350.Grease 9"X9" baking dish. In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and butter; place half in bottom of prepared dish. Layer asparagus, water chestnuts, and eggs on top of crumbs. In small bowl, mix milk and soup; pour over top. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs over top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

This month marks my first year anniversary writing for this column. Thanks so much for your support and encouragement.

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

ENJOY A BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND...AND DON'T FORGET TO THANK A SOLDIER, SAILOR OR MARINE!



THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM

Potato Peeling video

It's Potato Salad Time!

If you've never seen this one before - WATCH THIS!

LAUNDRY/DRYING CLOTHES

credit: Jagendorf

I do enjoy doing laundry. 

t's a little embarrassing to admit this, but when we were first married, if I didn't have enough dirty clothes for a load, I would pull clean ones out of the drawer to add to the washer. (RED face - I know!)

I DON'T DO THAT ANY MORE!

I wanted to share some easy and helpful hints to help you with the process of drying your laundry.

• Be sure to shake and untwist items before tossing in the dryer.  This not only reduces wrinkling, but allows the clothes to dry a bit faster, and this saves energy.
• I love using liquid softener, but just recently began using it in a different way, after my sis-in-love suggested this idea that works well for me.  In a plastic container with a lid,  I mixed the softener with twice the amount of water, cut a sponge in half and put it in the liquid. When I throw the clothes in the dryer, I lightly wring out one of the sponges and toss it in the dryer. The clothes will not have static, and the product lasts much longer. I think it's a wonderful money-saving tip.
• Cleaning your lint filter before drying every load reduces drying time significantly - another money saving idea.
• Don't overfill the dryer - it will take much longer to dry and things will be more wrinkled.
• Dry loads back to back so the dryer doesn't have time to cool down, then heat up again.
• A general rule for drying: If clothes were washed in hot water, most likely they can be dried on high, but if they were washed on permanent press/cooler water cycle, they should be dried at 'medium' or 'permanent press' setting also.
• I believe one of the most important things to remember when drying clothes, is removing them from the dryer right away so they don't have time to get wrinkled.  Keep clothes hangers handy and don't ball everything into the basket when removing, as that can add a lot of wrinkles too.
• When I don't get right to my dryer when it stops, I turn it on to reheat the clothes a little bit before I remove them.  Makes the task of folding the clothes a little nicer when they are warm.

HAVE A HAPPY LAUNDRY DAY!!

LAUNDRY/HOW TO SAVE BIG BUCKS

OH HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE RIVER TO GET OUR CLOTHES WASHED!


I've honestly been thinking of putting together a post to share these very ideas,
so I was really happy to come across this, which explains it all more thoroughly
than I ever could.  Hope you pick up some useful hints to help you save big $$.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON LAUNDRY DETERGENT

picture credit: hoyasmeg Bob