It’s hard to believe that July is already passing us by…..where has the time gone….???

July was a beautiful month this year; not too hot and not too cold.  Perfect weather for blooming flowers.

Here are my blooms from July:

Moondrop Coreopsis, Hosta, Pink Phlox

Hosta                                                           Moondrop Coreopsis

Hot Pink Phlox plant and flowers

Hot Poker Plant and flowers

Rose of Sharan bush and flower

I think I am still considered a “newbie” to Delaware, or at least I feel like one,  especially after reading a post about the adventures of  “Kalmar Nickel”, on one of my favorite blogs which I follow regularly, http://www.mysuzyhomemaker.com/2009/07/kalmar-nyckelweekend-of-food-and-fun.html.  Here is a short insert from her post, to get you started:

In 1986 a group of citizens in Wilmington, Delaware established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, whose primary source of funding comes from the taxpayers of the State of Delaware along with donations from corporations and individuals to design, to build and launch a re-creation of the Kalmar Nyckel. The ship was built at a shipyard in Wilmington on the Christina river near the original 1638 Swedish settler’s landing site at Fort Christina. It was launched on September 28, 1997 and commissioned on May 9, 1998. The re-creation measures 93 feet overall with a 25 foot beam, a 12 foot draft, and displaces 300 tons.

Please click on the above link, to read the whole post and view a series of very interesting photos.

photo credit: TheGirlsNY

This is a very memorable year in many different ways, and there is no need for me to make a list, since everyone is glued to the daily news, thus well aware of it all.

I wanted to add some humor to lighten things up a little, so here are some pictures of  the latest

SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS:

This is Barbie’s 50th Birthday!!!!

Tweety Bird’s 60th Birthday!!!!

This one speaks for itself!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL!!!!!!

It’s time for some fun….Lets reminisce about the wonderful movie “The Sound of Music”, and the star actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews.  A friend of mine sent me this email, and ever since I read it, I can’t get the song out of my mind, so I am passing it on to you all, to try the new lyrics.

To commemorate her birthday , actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at
Manhattan ’s Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.
One of the musical numbers she performed was ‘My Favorite Things’  from the legendary
movie ‘Sound Of Music’.   Here are the lyrics she used:
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > >
(Sing It!)  – If you sing it, its especially hysterical!!!

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and  handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair tha! t is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I’ve had,

And then I don’t feel so bad.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >

photo credit: TheTruthAbout

In my previous post I shared some credit card information regarding fraudulent phishing email tricks scammers play on credit card users. Now I found some tips on various myths people have about credit cards, and the reality of it.

These are very valid points and worth your while reading and passing them on to your family and friends.

Don’t Believe These 7 Credit Card Myths

by John Morell

Myth No. 1: Writing ‘See ID’ on the signature line on the back of your cards will stop a credit card thief cold and absolve you of any liability if a thief uses it.

The Reality: An unsigned credit card is invalid, technically, according to the agreements that card issuers have with retailers. Moreover, many clerks don’t even check for signatures at all, meaning that they’re unlikely to see “See ID” on the back of your card, even if it is there.

Myth No. 2: There’s no credit limit on your American Express card, so you can buy anything.

The Reality: AmEx has changed; it no longer issues only charge cards — the type that allow you to rack up a lot of debt, as long as you pay off the entire debt every month. They issue credit cards, too, which allow you to carry a balance you want.

“There is no preset spending limit. It’s dynamic. It can change based on your financial situation and how you use the card,” says Mona Hamouly, a spokeswoman for American Express. “We have customers who make extremely large purchases with their cards, but that may be part of their profile.”

Myth No. 3: You need one of each of the big cards — Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover — in your wallet because you may be stuck someplace that accepts one and not the others.

The Reality: “If you have two of the big four, you’re not likely to have any problems,” says Linda Sherry, national priorities director for Consumer Action in Washington, D.C., “and millions of people just get by with one. It’s much simpler.”

“Remember: All those cards with your name on it don’t make you rich and powerful, and in the end, you could become poor because of them.”

Myth No. 4: You can give your credit score a boost by paying more than you owe.

The Reality: “Even though you may be below zero on an account, it’s assumed that’s a temporary situation,” says Roslyn Whitehurst, a spokesperson with the credit bureau Experian. “Whether you’ve got a credit of $100 or $1,000, it still shows as a zero balance for scoring purposes.

Myth No. 5: Using your debit card wisely can help your credit score.

The Reality: “Having a bank account with a debit card and maintaining it properly shows that you’re a responsible consumer,” says Sherry. “But it is not taken into account” in credit scores, she says.

Myth No. 6: Retailers can set a minimum amount you can charge on a credit card when you buy something from them.

The Reality: Retailers who set minimum charges are breaking their agreements with the card companies.
If you need to use a card for a small transaction that’s against store policy, you can object, although you may be invited to take your business elsewhere.

The other thing to do is contact the credit card company. “We want to know about retailers who do this,” says Matt Towson, a spokesman for Discover Financial Services. “It violates our contract with them.”

Myth No. 7: If you go over your credit limit and pay it back before the due date, you’ll be fine.

The Reality: It’s true that credit card companies don’t want to decline your purchase when you go over your limit. And if you’re buying something that puts you a few dollars or more over the top, there’s a good chance they’ll give you the green light. But remember, every time you pass that credit limit, even for a short period, you could give the issuer a reason to boost your interest rate to penalty rate levels — sometimes more than 30 percent.

You’ve also triggered one of those nasty fees that can eat up your account. Taken over time, those fees can add up and hinder your ability to draw down your debt. “It just makes sense for the company,” says Sherry. “They know you don’t want to have the card declined, so they quietly penalize you the $30 or $40 over-limit fee.”

To avoid it, try calling before your purchase to see if they can give you at least a little bump in your credit line.

photo credit: Andres Rueda

If you live the ”American Dream”, like the rest of us, you are a frequent  user of credit cards for everyday purchases , and especially while traveling.

Credit cards are a very convenient way of payment for purchases, since you do not need to worry about having enough cash on you, or losing a cash receipt, etc.   However, there is also a down side to having and using credit cards, and that is a credit card fraud, stolen cards, and scams such as phishing emails.

I have experienced stolen credit cards, and unintentional duplicate charges, but this time I came across, and almost fallen for, a phishing email.  For those of you who are not familiar with this term, it basically is an email which is a scam, but if you do not pay attention, you will not realize it is fraudulent, since it looks so real, convincing, and with almost an exact logo of your favorite credit card company.

The email text usually asks you to verify information about your credit card, to update your account to prevent it from any type of fraudulent activity on your current account, or as an alert due to a possible fraudulent activity which might have occurred on your account.   Of course the first thing you want to do is to comply and prevent your account from such fraud, but once you do follow these instructions and provide the requested information, the scammer has a way of receiving this information (through a hidden email in one of the links) and hacking into your account, even though it looks like your credit card company will be the recipient of your update.

Here are a few very important tips, from one of the credit card companies, which one should follow before offering any personal information as a response to such email, or a phone call, even if is looks or sounds very authentic:

• Unlike phishing emails, we will never ask you to verify personal information in response to an email
• Most fake communications convey a sense of urgency by threatening discontinued service
• Many fraudulent emails contain misspellings, incorrect grammar, and poor punctuation
• Links within the fake email may appear valid, but deliver you to a fraudulent site
• Phishing emails often use generic salutations like “Dear Customer,” or “Dear account holder” instead of your name
• The address from which the email was sent is often not one from the company it claims to be

Please make a note of the above tips, pass them on to your friends and family, and remember to be very cautious, if you encounter any of the above.  Before you respond with any information to such emails or phone calls, contact your credit card company’s customer service and ask to verify these alerts, and notify them of such activity.

Credit card companies have a special fraud unit which keeps track of these activities and constantly tries to come up with new ways of protecting their customers from such fraudulent activities.

There are many different recipes for potato salad, but one of my favorite ones is the Suburban Potato Salad.   I love the added color and texture created by the fruit and vegetables.  It makes a very nice addition to other party foods, as well as a side dish for lunch, dinner, picnic, or barbecue.  This recipe makes about 6 cups of salad.

Ingredients:

• 13 red skin potatoes (about 4lbs), cooked (aldente)
• 2 Tbs. onions, chopped
• 1 cup green peas, cooked (aldente)
• 1 cup carrots (cubed ¼ inch), cooked (aldente),
• 5 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• ½ green apple, peeled and cubed (¼ inch)
• 2 Tbs. minced Claussen Pickles
• 1 Tbs. chopped dill (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 cup Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise
• ½ cup Light Sour Cream (or Oikos Greek Organic Plain Fat Free Yogurt)
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 2Tbs. Claussen Pickle brine

Directions:

1. Wash the potatoes, leave skin on, cover with cold water, bring to boil and cook until semi-cooked (they should feel firm, when testing the center with a toothpick).
2. Remove potatoes, drain, and cool off with cold water.
3. Peel the potatoes, by scraping the peel off, and removing all the eyes.
4. Cut into small (1/2 inch) cubes.
5. Add onions, green peas, carrots, eggs, pickles, apple, dill, salt and pepper.
6. Fold in gently.
7. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and pickle brine.
8. Pour over potato salad and fold in gently (do not over mix, as not to break down the vegetables).

Tip:  Make sure not to over cook the potatoes, carrots and peas, so that the salad does not become mushy, during mixing time.

Once my garden produces an abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, the time is right to cook Botvinka.  Soups are very popular in Eastern Europe, and are the first course of a lunch of dinner meal, just like tossed salads in the US.

The name for this soup derives from the description of the tops (botvinka (in Polish)- leaves and stalks) of very young red beet plants, which are the major ingredient in this soup.  This dish is full of  goodness of fresh, young, green leafy vegetables, and because they are so tender, they require very short cooking time.

I prepared this recipe in a vegetarian style, but you can use chicken, or beef, broth as the base, if you prefer it that way.

Ingredients:

• 10 cups of water
• 2 Tbs. salt
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 medium potatoes, coarsely grated
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup chives, chopped
• 2/3 cup Dill Weed, chopped
• 1 cup red beet stems, chopped
• 2 cups red beet leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbs. Maggie Seasoning
• 2 Tbs. Tomato Paste
• ¼ cup sweet cream (half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk)
• ¼ cup Sour Cream or Oikos Organic Greek Plain Yogurt
• 3 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a soup pot with 10 cups of water, add salt and bay leave and start cooking.
2. Chop up the onions and sauté for 2 minutes in canola oil.
3. Chop the garlic and add to onions, and sauté another minute.
4. Add onions and garlic to soup stock.
5. Prepare all your vegetables:
6. Rinse and pat dry all vegetables.
7. Remove any damaged leaves and stalks.  Cut off thins roots from any beets attached to stalks.
8. Coarsely shred potatoes and carrots.
9. Chop the red beet leaves (botvinka), chives, dill, and parsley. Set aside.
10. Add potatoes and carrots to soup stock, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes
11. Add all remaining vegetables, and cook another 2 minutes.
12. Mix tomato paste with cream/milk until smooth, and add to the soup.
13. Bring to boil, and cook for 1minute.
14. Add pepper, Maggie Seasoning, and Balsamic Vinegar.
15. Cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
16. Put  sour cream in a cup, and add some  hot soup stock (2 Tbs.) at a time, and keep on mixing it until it looks smooth, not lumpy.
17. Add to the pot of soup.  DO NOT boil again, because the sour cream with curdle.

You can serve with chopped dill, and a spoonful of sour cream as a garnish.

photo credit: gwydionwilliams

I love receiving and saving humorous emails.   I promised you that I will share most of them with you, and this one is quite fitting for publishing on my blog.

I was tearing up from laughing, while reading this for the first time, because I can easily think of few people who fit into this category, and any multi-tasker can attest to this as well, including myself.

A.A.A.D.D. – Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

This is how it manifests itself:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I head towards the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I picked up from the post man earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the recycling box under the table, and notice that the recycling box is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the recycling first.

But then I think, since I’m going to be near the post-box when I take out the recycling paper anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and notice that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the cup of coffee I’d been drinking.

I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the coffee aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over.
The coffee is getting cold, and I decide to make another cup.
As I head toward the kitchen with the cold coffee, a vase of flowers on the worktop catches my eye – the flowers need water.
I put the coffee on the worktop and discover my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers.
I put the glasses back down on the worktop, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote control. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I’ll be looking for the remote, but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back where it belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I put the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
The car isn’t washed,  the bills aren’t paid,  there is a cold cup of coffee sitting on the counter, the flowers don’t have enough water, there is still only 1 check in my check book, I can’t find the remote,

I can’t find my glasses, and I don’t remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all damn day, and I’m really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem, and I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I’ll check my e-mail….

Don’t laugh – if this isn’t you yet, your day is coming!!

I hope you had a good laugh!!!!  I sure did!!!