Ring in the New Year with Pork -N- Sauerkraut

SAUERKRAUT
2 - 16oz cans sauerkraut (jar variety best)
3 - tablespoons shortening
1/2 - cup white whine
1-1/2 - cups water
1 - medium onion diced (frozen shredded onion best)
1 - apple grated (in a pinch, unsweetened applesauce works great)
1 - medium potato grated (sometimes leave this out)
1 - bay leaf
3 - whole cloves
dash salt, pepper, sugar to taste

(For all this you'll need a LARGE fry pan to fit everything) Saute onion in shortening until Golden. Drain sauerkraut and add to onion. Saute another 5 minutes. Pour 1-1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup white wine over it. Add the apple, bay leaf and cloves and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the potato and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of sugar.

PORK
Pickup a pork roast and throw it in the crockpot for at least 6 hours. Cover it with sometype of sweet liquid (ginger ale, beer or whatever you've got in the fridge). Throw in some garlic, cloves and allspice. Then top it off with some cut apples. Will be like shredded pulled pork consistency, MMMmmmm!!!

The Only Eagle Scout to become US President, The Honorable Gerald R. Ford

IN MEMORIAM
Gerald R. Ford
38th President of the United States
July 14, 1913 - December 26, 2006

The Boy Scouts of America joins the Ford family and our country in mourning the loss of President Gerald R. Ford. His presidential term coincided with a very difficult time in American history, but he served with grace and dignity. President Ford achieved Eagle Scout, Scouting's highest rank, which is accomplished by only about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts. By dedicating himself to serving the youth and families of his country throughout his life, he left each of us with a shining example of duty, honor, and character.

Indiana Jones 4 in 2007

Lucas: Filming `Indiana Jones 4' in 2007

By ALICIA CHANG

The Associated Press
Friday, December 29, 2006; 5:10 PM

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- George Lucas said Friday that filming of the long-awaited "Indiana Jones" movie will begin next year.

Harrison Ford, who appeared in the three earlier flicks, the last one coming in 1989, is set to star again.

Lucas said he and Steven Spielberg recently finalized the script for the film.

"It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be the best one yet," the 62-year-old filmmaker said during a break from preparing for his duties as grand marshal of Monday's Rose Parade.

Exact film locations have not been decided yet, but Lucas said part of the movie will be shot in Los Angeles.

The fourth chapter of the "Indiana Jones" saga, which will hit theaters in May 2008, has been in development for over a decade with several screenwriters taking a crack at the script, but it only recently gained momentum.

Lucas kept mum about the plot, but said that the latest action flick will be a "character piece" that will include "very interesting mysteries."

"I think it's going to be really cool," Lucas said.

At the inaugural Rome Film Festival in October, the 64-year-old Ford said he was excited to team up with Lucas and Spielberg again for the fourth "Indiana Jones" installment. Ford said he was "fit to continue" to play the title role despite his age.

Ford played Indiana Jones in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1984's "Temple of Doom" and 1989's "The Last Crusade."

Lucas praised Ford for breathing life into his character.

"Mostly it's the charm of Harrison that makes it work," he said.

___

On the Net:

Lucasfilm Ltd: http://www.lucasfilm.com

Tournament of Roses: http://www.tournamentofroses.com

Ohio Baby Shower a Blast

check out the pics from the shower by clicking HERE

Katie had a wonderful time, thanks to everyone who had a hand in putting it together!!!the end of February is just around the corner, and thanks to everyones help in getting us prepared for our first bundle of joy...

Mele Kalikimaka

Mele Kalikimaka

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say,
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day,
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway,
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright,
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night,
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."


Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say,
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day,
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway,
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright,
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night,
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say, "Merry Christmas,
A very Merry Christmas to you."

Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey

Listen to Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)
Santa's got a little friend,
His name is Dominick.
The cutest little donkey,
You never see him kick.
When Santa visits his paisons,
With Dominick he'll be.
Because the reindeer cannot,
Climb the hills of Italy.

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Jingle bells around his feet,
And presents on the sled.
Hey! Look at the mayor's derby,
On top of Dominick's head.
A pair of shoes for Louie,
And a dress for Josephine.
The labels on the inside says,
They're made in Brooklyn.

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Children sing, and clap their hands,
And Dominick starts to dance.
They talk Italian to him,
And he even understands.

Cumpare sing,
Cumpare su,
And dance 'sta tarantel.
When jusamagora comes to town,
And brings du ciuccianello.

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Hey! Dominick! Buon Natale!
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
(hee-haw, hee-haw)

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

 
 
About half the size of the last two trees we've had, but at least we can see the tv from the dining room table and be able to walk around the great room. 

Christmas Tree Time

 
 
  

2007 Passport Requirement

As of January 23, 2007, all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air to Canada, Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean will be required to present a valid passport to re-enter the country. A valid driver's license will no longer suffice for re-entry documentation.

If you are planning on traveling out of the country next year, we recommend applying for a new passport, or checking your current passport to ensure it is still valid. It can take up to six weeks to process a new one, so plan ahead. For more information please visit the U.S. State Department web site at:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

Niece Monet with Hair?!?

  

Turkey Bowl 2006 - Taters vs Gobblers

  

Happy Thanksgiving - Sweet Potato Bake

 
Excerpt from southernfood.about.com 

6mos & Counting

  

TWENTY TWO - TO DO'S

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their
conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't
have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way
to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile
and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great
risk..
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and
responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to
correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your
voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.
TWENTY TWO - Live like there's no tomorrow. For thousands of people around the world, there is none. Do you know when your time is up?

Lost Boating Items???

For more of these fun USA Today facts & tidbits go here: usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm

Chinese Gender Chart

As legend would have it, the Chinese Gender Chart was buried in a royal tomb over 700 years ago. Recently discovered, the chart has been used to predict the gender of an unborn child based on the mother's age and month of conception.

Simply find the age of the mother at the time of conception on the chart below and then follow across to the month the baby was conceived to find the predicted gender. Although this chart is said to have a success rate of over 90 percent, keep in mind that this is solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Excerpt as seen on ivillage.com

Dressing up as Pregnant Ladies?!?

  

Ultrasound Pics of Baby Girl

 
 
 
 Okay, I'm finally getting around to posting some pics of our baby girl, from our ultrasound taken on Sep 27th!!! Still so exciting to see these. 

Google bought a WebSite Creation Company & YouTube

Google acquires JotSpot
USERS CAN USE WIKIS TO SHARE WEB PAGES
By Ryan Blitstein
Mercury News

Google has acquired JotSpot, a Palo Alto company that makes Web-site pages called wikis, for an undisclosed amount, according to separate posts today on both companies' blogs.

Wikis are changeable Web pages whose content can easily be edited by many users, allowing people in different locations to easily collaborate on a page.

The purchase is further evidence of one of the Mountain View search giant's emerging strategies: helping people share information and media online. Earlier this month, Google bought video-sharing site YouTube for $1.65 billion. It also launched Google Docs & Spreadsheets, an online word processing and spreadsheet service that combined internal Google technology with that acquired in the March purchase of Writely.

``Joining Google allows us to plug into the resources that only a company of Google's scale can offer, like a huge audience, access to world-class data centers and a team of incredibly smart people,'' JotSpot co-founder and Chief Executive Joe Kraus wrote in a post on Google's blog.

Kraus and JotSpot Chief Technology Officer Graham Spencer, the co-founders of once high-flying Web portal Excite, created JotSpot in 2004. The company had raised $5.2 million from Redpoint Ventures and Mayfield Fund, two well-known Menlo Park venture capital firms. Its customers include eBay, Symantec and Oxford University Press.
Contact Ryan Blitstein at rblitstein@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5715.

Captain Hook with his Pregnant Tinker Bell

 
  

Halloween Birthday Bash

 Fun time had by all at Northern Acres Saturday night!!! Mmmm, that cake was DELICIOUS!!! But no pics of Captain Hook and Pregnant Tinkerbell, though. Someone please be kind and send us your pics!!! 

Bath for Two

  Not sure who had more fun taking her bath, Brulee or Monet?!?

Combine my Two Favorites - Harpoon & Cabot YUMMM!!!

Man do I love Harpoon IPA and combine it with my favorite Cabot Vermont Cheddar, WOW, look out. That is going to be tasty. Imagine it in soup or on top of Delicious Cheesey Taters, imagine the possibilities!?! And best of all, good 'ole Market Basket carries this new cheese.
more information check out the Harpoon Press release at harpoonbrewery.co

Fall is in the Air, Time to Winterize the Boat, NAHHH!!!!

 
 
  

Words for the Week

Leadership is action, not position. Donald H. McGannon (1920-1984), Business executive

US Open of Waterskiing Archive Video

US Open of Waterskiing Archive Now Up - Click here to watch
Check out the footage from the US Open finals from Downtown Disney.
16th September 2006

Water Skiing Stars Shine at US Open
By Adrienne Brice

The official WebCast-TV replay of the U.S. Open of Waterskiing is now available for free online. Watch all of the highlights, interviews, action skiing, as well as the awards ceremony. Relive all of the action and excitement from Downtown Disney...straight from your computer!

excerpt from waterskimag.com

Welcome Home Rich & Sinead from Hawaii

  

Wakeboarding can be Hazardous to your Health

 Pro wakeboarder Dallas Friday was in Singapore this past week and had a serious injury that resulted in a coma. Cracked her femur right in half, in fact rumour has it that the x-ray looks like a Christmas tree they say. For more information check out Skifly.com 

The Roads of LA

 
 Spent the week in LA visiting customers, but today was certainly the most interesting. Between roadside fires and overturned trucks and beautiful sunsets and Ferraris made the hours spent in stop-go traffic fly by!!!