Okay, so it IS the most wonderful time of the year.

I remember the days when we lived on the farm; Mom and Dad didn't have an extra cent to spare, but we had the best Christmases and a whole lot of fun.  We'd eagerly get up Christmas morning to open our gifts, which were new socks and underwear.  Now, that may not sound like a big deal, but it was for me because I wore the boys' hand-me-downs.  Seriously - we were that poor.

Cue Music - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Actually, it's the most stressful time of the year.  Yes, this is one of my rants.  It's only fair to warn you.

I'm extremely introverted and don't like shopping to begin with.  Add to that shopping for people I don't even like amongst crowds that accost you with every vile and foul odor known to mankind.  Really, it's okay to shower at least once a week whether you need it or not. 

Preparing for the Oxen Poo Storm

As much as it sounds like something I would write, this isn't an original work of mine.  It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

"And Groundhog poked his head up out of his hole and told them this parable. "There once were two men who prepped. One man put his faith in God and did what he could. He gathered up stores of fine prep gear and food for his family. One day the oxen poo was scattered into the wind and all the people were in dire straits. A crowd gathered at this mans camp and he shared with them. The Lord blessed his efforts and extended his stores, even causing game animals to fling themselves head long into his hunters spears. And thus, they were provided for during the poo storm.

Last call - Get your life in order.

This is a “last call” to get our lives “in order”. The world as we know it is getting ready to shift. I’ve posted about this elsewhere and spoke of getting our lives in order but focused on the financial aspect a little more at that time (it is still important to have finances in order – please, please don’t spend recklessly). What exactly does it mean to get our lives in order?

Debt, debt, and more debt

Over the past decade, there have been nuggets God has given me that I really didn't piece together until fairly recently.   Maybe I'm dense, or maybe that's what God planned.  If it's what He planned, it seems a little late, but who am I to question?

So I've been hearing a lot about debt for about the last 7 years.  Until the "2008 debt crisis", I didn't really realize what a huge problem it is in our country.  And the sad part is, there's not only all this debt, but there is so much greed, and it's on both sides of the isle.  Doesn't matter if it's the rich or the poor, the left or the right, the republican or the democrat - they all have their own flavor of greed.  Take from someone else.  Coveting what someone else has.

Yes, times are changing.

The good news: the world won't end on December 21, 2012, so there ya go. No worries. Life will go on, and you won't die, at least not because of 2012. You might die of cancer, old age or because a mac truck hit you, but most likely you'll live.

But the riots won't end. They'll keep going. In your lifetime (unless you get hit by the mac truck) you'll see martial law declared in several (more than three) major U.S. cities. I don't know a time frame. Yes, prices on stuff, a lot of stuff, but not all stuff will go haywire, then prices on stuff, the kind of stuff people really need will go way up.

Miss Sarah K's Turkey Brine

Brine your turkey.  Always.  Especially during the holidays.  That way it will cook evenly, taste great, and stay moist even if you screw it up.

So here's how you do it.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

So breakfast/lunch/dinner today is Turkey Pot Pie using Thanksgiving leftovers. It turned out pretty good, so I'm sharing it. I don't measure ingredients, so use your eyeballs. That's what I do. If that doesn't work for you, you might try crying to your mommy - that's what I do in an emergency or when things don't go my way. Mommy's kisses still make everything better.
So let's get started.