A MountainWings Moment — The Rented Room‏

Posted: under "LOVE is LOVELY", Inspirationals.
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    The Rented Room
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    Our house was directly across the street from the clinic
    entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived
    downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the
    clinic.

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    One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at
    the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man.

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    “Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old,” I thought as I
    stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing
    was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.

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    Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come
    to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a
    treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no
    bus ’til morning.”

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    He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no
    success, no one seemed to have a room. “I guess it’s my face…
    I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more
    treatments…”

    .

    For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me,
    “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus
    leaves early in the morning.”

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    I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.
    I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready,
    I asked the old man if he would join us. “No thank you.
    I have plenty.”  And he held up a brown paper bag.

    .

    When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk
    with him a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that
    this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body.

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    He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her
    five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from
    a back injury.

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    He didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other
    sentence was prefaced with a thanks to God for a blessing.

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    He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was
    apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him
    the strength to keep going.

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    At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him.
    When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded
    and the little man was out on the porch.

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    He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus,
    haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said,

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    “Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a
    treatment?  I won’t put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a
    chair.”  He paused a moment and then added, “Your children made
    me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children
    don’t seem to mind.”

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    I told him he was welcome to come again.

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    And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the
    morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the
    largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them
    that morning before he left so that they’d be nice and fresh.

    .

    I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m., and I wondered what time he
    had to get up in order to do this for us.

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    In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never
    a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables
    from his garden.

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    Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special
    delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young
    spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed.

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    Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing
    how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

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    When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a


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    Comments (0) Mar 25 2012

Darwin Awards for 2011

Posted: under Funny and Hilarious Jokes, Short Funny Jokes.
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The Darwins are out !!!!  

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Yes … it’s that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are  
  bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us. 

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  Here is the glorious winner: 

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  1. When his 38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim    
  during a hold-up in Long Beach , California  would-be robber James      
  Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the    
  barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.   

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  And now, the honorable mentions:         

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  2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting    
  machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his    
  insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its  
  men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a  
  finger. The chef’s claim was approved.   

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  3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car      
  during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman  
  had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.  

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  4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver  
  found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting    
  from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his            
  incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone  
  waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the      
  mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable 
  and prone to bizarre fantasies.. The deception wasn’t discovered for 3  
  days.      

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  5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head 
  wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the  
  injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close 
  he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

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  6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the        
  counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer,    
  the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which  
  the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and    
  fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he  
  got from the drawer… $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives    
  you money, is a crime committed?]    

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  7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that 
  he’d just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some  
  booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his  

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Comments (0) Feb 06 2012

Healthy Smiles

Posted: under "DID YOU KNOW".
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Classic Comfort Foods Made Healthy

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Here are blue plate specials with nutritious twists―so you can enjoy these beautiful dishes even more, without sacrificing one ounce of good taste. 
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Beef Stroganoff

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Beef Stroganoff With Yogurt and Dill
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Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 25m | Total Time: 25m

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Ingredients
12 ounces multigrain noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced kosher salt and pepper
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
4 shallots, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

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  • Calories 535 Calories From Fat 22%

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Directions

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. In 2 batches, cook the steak until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining oil. Add the mushrooms and shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the beef and accumulated juices to the skillet and cook until

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Comments (0) Jan 12 2012

New Year Jump-Start !!!

Posted: under "DID YOU KNOW".
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5 foods you should be eating….

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Sugary cakes. Glazed hams. Egg nog. That’s all behind you now. Wipe the slate clean and start the new year on a healthy note by focusing on vitamin-rich foods that you can incorporate into every meal going forward.

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The best way to reset your eating habits after the holidays is to stock your fridge with fresh, nutrient-rich foods that give you energy and improve your mood. Here’s a list of the top five:

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Lentils

LENTILS

These beans are filled with high-quality vegetarian protein and fiber, which boost energy and mood. They’re inexpensive and they cook up in 30 minutes or less. Suggests making large pots of lentil soup or lentil chili so you can freeze the leftovers.  

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Brussels Sprouts

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Toss some Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet, add olive oil and salt, and then bake until they’re crispy. We have no doubt they will become your favorite veggie. Added bonus: They’re only 55 calories per cup and they help fight cancer and boost memory.

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Comments (0) Jan 05 2012

EeeZeee Fab-Fudge!

Posted: under "A TASTE of the TROPICS", "DID YOU KNOW".
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Fabulous 5-Minute Fudge Wreath

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Make this easy and delicious fudge wreath this season! It’s the perfect treat to give friends and family during the holidays. Get the kids involved and make a few extra for last-minute gifts.

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SERVINGS: 32

PREP: 5 min + chilling
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INGREDIENTS:
Unsalted butter, softened
One 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One 8-ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping
½ cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)
Candied red and green cherries (optional)

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DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch
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Comments (0) Dec 20 2011

“Lets Move!” with Smiles

Posted: under "DID YOU KNOW".
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Michelle Obama welcomes runners participating in Run Across America at the White House in Washington, May 2, 2011.

First Lady, Michelle Obama welcomes young runners participating in Run Across America health campaign at the South Lawn of the White House…

 

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First lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has become an advocate for healthy eating, veterans and military families, poverty awareness and women’s rights.  Here are some recipes created with Michelle’s veggies in the White House kitchen, and served to the Obama family on a fairly regular basis….

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Enjoy…!

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Grilled Chicken Salad with Herb Sherry Vinaigrette (serves 6)

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2 pounds assorted seasonal garden greens like arugula and and baby spinach

 

6 chicken breasts (6 ounces each)

 

1 tablespoon thyme

 

zest from 1 lemon

 

6 sprigs chives, chopped

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For the Vinaigrette

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Comments (0) Dec 18 2011