December, 2011 - Bettina Network's Blog

Archive for December, 2011

A Wonderful Concord Christmas Story

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

copyright Bettina Network, inc. for Barbara Marden 2011

A few days before Christmas I was giving a friend’s out of town visitor a tour of the house.  My friends six year old son David was with us and did he get excited when I showed him  a secret place to store treasures.  It was in our main bed and breakfast bedroom above the fireplace mantelpiece. Our “restoration” carpenter from New Hampshire created that little cavern when he tore down the wall above the mantelpiece and put shelves in the recess. David was less impressed by my description of what we found when the wall was torn. The major items were a ladies button boot, a breast pump, and some letters, each offering consolation for the death of a child.  Losing a child was apparently a common event for families from the time our house was built in the early 1700s through even later times.

 

One of the letters, three pages long, and now in the Concord library, showed beautiful handwriting similar to our forefathers’ writing of our Constitution. It was a letter from Cyrus Barrett to his sister Sally, who had married into the Wood family living in our house. The Barrett family house is now being restored as part of Concord’s historical park.  The Minutemen had ammunition hidden in the Barrett’s cornfield the day of the shot heard round the world. Written in New Orleans in 1819, Cyrus first offered condolences over a son’s death  and continued by describing a familiar theme, an economic downturn. I have not corrected the spelling in the following quotes:

 

“I was much affected by the maloncholly intelligence contained in your letter of the sudden death of your affectionate and much loved little John.  I recollect him perfectly and have often been amused by his innocent playfulness.  I am not surprised that his death should occasion the deepest sorrow in you, yet at the same time you are left with the comfortable assurance that he is happier than your fondest wishes and care could have made him.”

 

“New Orleans has for some time past been suffering under a heavy weight of commercial embarrasement.  Many of her most enterprising Merchants have failed and those who continue in business are constantly complaining of heavy taxes.  The Produce of the country is extremely low. Cotton which formerly sold for 30 cents now sells for 16 cts and other articles have suffered the same depression in values, but notwithstanding the times look so gloomy we are looking forward for a change.”

 

Thinking about the letters makes me glad to be alive today.  In spite of all the economic and political problems, we are saved the grief of losing so many children.

And of course so many of our tasks are much easier, for instance baking these Russian tea cakes I gave my friend to take home.  They make excellent cookies for any occasion.

 

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS FOR BAKING RUSSIAN TEACAKES:

 

1 cup butter                           1 teaspoon vanilla (or brandy)

½ cup confectioners sugar        ¾ cup chopped pecans

2and ¼ cup sifted flour             1 cup confectioners sugar

 

Cream shortening and sugar. Stir in vanilla.  Add flour and then nuts.  Form 1” balls and bake 14 to 17 minutes in 325 oven. While still hot roll carefully in confectioners sugar.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Alabama’s first licensed black female pilot dies at 90

Friday, December 30th, 2011

Published: Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 12:16 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 12:35 PM

The Associated Press By The Associated Press 
mildred.JPG
Mildred Carter, pictured here in 2003, shows her pilot’s
license from 1941. (The Birmingham News/ file photo)

TUSKEGEE, Alabama — Mildred Carter, who was Alabama’s first licensed black female pilot, has died. She was 90.

Funeral services for Carter will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Tuskegee’s St. Andrews Episcopal Church with The Rev. Liston Garfield officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery.

Her husband Herbert was a Tuskegee Airman.

In an interview with The Montgomery Advertiser he recalled how they had flown in a two-plane formation high over Alabama. He remembers how they laughed and exchanged silent “I love you” signals over their engine noise 3,000 feet above Lake Martin.

“We didn’t have radio contact, so we made up for it with hand signals and blew kisses at each other,” the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel said Tuesday. “It was a lot of fun.”

Herbert Carter, who compiled a distinguished flying record during World War II and, later, in peacetime, recalled those unauthorized rendezvous flights over the lake.

“I was a maintenance officer as well as a combat pilot and one of my jobs was to take planes up for a test flight after we worked on them,” he said. “That’s when we came up with the idea of flying over the lake. Nobody ever said anything to me about what we did.”

Both had to overcome racial prejudices and discriminatory practices when they learned to fly, but they persevered. As the years passed, they became the “first family” of the Tuskegee Airmen organization and represented the group at functions around the world.

She is survived by her husband, three children, a sister, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

© 2011 al.com. All rights reserved.

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Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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White House to Become a Bed & Breakfast!

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

What follows is a spoof!  We found this on the web site www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i102940 and thought you might enjoy the thought!  Wouldn’t that be a great addition to the Bettina Network! – well, maybe not – we would probably get too much written about us with such controversy and vitriol we might not be able to survive!  Although, it would give Congress something to add to their complaints about the Obama’s – we are certain they would not find anything about which to compliment. They could check in to check on the sheets, breakfast, the courtesy and welcoming nature of the host family, and for some Congressmen – the rear end of the women who run the enterprise!

The spoof says the President hired the Marriott Corporation to manage the White House Bed & Breakfast!  We knew it was a spoof when we read that because the Marriott’s connections to the Mormon Church pointing to – you know who – would never be something the President would do with a presidential election looming and ‘you know who’ seeming to pull ahead of the Republican presidential hopefuls pact.  Who knows what would be transacted in this new bed & breakfast.  We rather think he would have hired Bettina Network, inc.  with its y’all come elegant lifestyle to keep a neutral business image.

 

Saturday, 24 December 2011

image for White House to Become a Bed and Breakfast
New Conveniently Located 5 Star B&B

Washington DC: White House Press Secretary Carney announced that President Obama and the First Lady will be converting the White House to a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) formillionaires in 2012.

President Obama had hoped to tax US millionaires to raise $70 billion per year in revenue to offset some of his proposed $3.7 trillion budget spending for 2012. Since the Republicans in Congress will never pass such a tax increase the president said “We can’t wait!” The First Lady indicated that she and the president are never home, always on vacation or campaigning and we can live aboard Air Force One.

The White House B&B could become a travel destination for astute millionaires. Both Democrats and Republicans would be welcome to come and stay and enjoy presidential cuisine. The White House residence has 16 rooms consisting of various sitting, living, dining,conference rooms and five bedrooms plus six bathrooms. Assuming full occupancy of each bedroom at $100,000 per night, with the Lincoln bedroom going for $250,000 per night US taxpayers would save $240 million per year. (Secret Service guided limousine tours of Washington DC historic sites are extra.)

Vice President Biden had been designated to manage the B&B, but after his failed attempt at administering the $850 billion stimulus the president agreed to hire Marriott Corporation. Each week a new concierge, such as former Presidents George W Bush, or William Jefferson Clinton will be available 24 hours per day.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Happy Holidays to One and All!!!

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2011

We wish for everyone celebrating this winter holiday season a joyous; memory filled; warm celebration, surrounded by friends-family-extended family; and those added to the family for the holidays who would otherwise be alone.

We wish for you gratitude, humility, a fulfillment of at least one dream during the holidays along with the re-appearance in your life of one dear to you who has been missing when you-your friends-and-family gathered for holidays and other celebrations.

We wish you ENOUGH!  Enough light, laughter, understanding, knowledge, growth, and the supreme feeling of a life which has enough of everything.

We wish you the knowledge of who you are, from whence you have come and where you are going.

We wish for you to know that of which you are made.  I am made of STARDUST!  Because of many, many bed & breakfast guests, I have finally come to realize the meaning of  “from dust you are to dust you shall return” .  I always thought that meant “dirt”.  The kind we dig up in the spring to plant new flowers.  But today I know that I am made of the dust from the Universe – the Galaxy and I am proud.  I am one whose core and middle and outside is composed of STARDUST!  I am a particular person, but I am also one with the Universe.  My oneness with the Universe is in my being – that of which I am composed.  The very core of my being comes from the Universe and when I die that is where it shall return.  What an incredible knowing!

We wish you the knowledge of your being and that of which you are made!

We wish you the drive to become a greater person – one who re-discovers their passion and uses it to successfully re-create their life.

We wish for you the strength to jettison that which is mundane in your life to take that turn deeper into that about which you are passionate.

We wish for you the life force to be active, beautiful, creative until the moment of your death.

We wish for you internal fortitude to withstand and endure whatever life brings, which initially seems difficult and sometimes overwhelming, but becomes the means by which wisdom, love and understanding  grow in you.

We wish for you the time and circumstances to be able to share that wisdom with your friends and family.

We wish for you the ability to deal with your children and your parents, no matter, how difficult that seems to be – to share with them that difficulty and to help to bring them into a more fulfilled  life because you are their parents or their child.

We wish for you the internalization of the graciousness of God!

We wish for you  the faith and prayers and good works to bring you into God’s Kingdom.

We wish for you eternal life.

Amen!  and Amen!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

A CALL TO ACTION

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

copyright 2011 Bettina Network, inc.

There are larger and larger pockets of people, organizations, families who are interested in their health – outside the so-called healthcare industry – and who are very disenchanted with the way the health of the average world citizen is being negatively affected by the joining forces of  the technology industry, the food processing industry and big Pharma along with other medical research groups  working together in their research labs looking for ‘greater’ discoveries for their mutual benefit while being blind, deaf and dumb to the health and well being of the rest of the world (including themselves and their progeny).  There is no attention within these groups as to what affect their developments and research will have on the rest of us.  We are interconnected in this world and it is time for these research groups to develop a model which acknowledges that and moves away from the model which allows their research scientists to wear blinders when developing their products and new breakthroughs.

There are drugs, protoccols, research going on to “treat” diseases which were non-existent just a generation ago.

I have talked with many people around the breakfast table about these issues – different serendipitously convened people with much the same conversation.  This breakfast was special because it ended with a call to action.  Hopefully, you will begin to hear from those who were around that table, their friends, relatives and all who they can enlist in this small attempt by one breakfast group to bring about change.

The breakfast ended – after much discussion about “organics,” “drug”, “genetic research”, “medical marijuana”, “acetominophen” and on and on – with a challenge to the few of us around that table to spread the word.  We would like to see at least 25% of the monies spent on medical research – drug research, genetic research, new product research of any kind, all of it – spent on prevention and an understanding of how the results of all research will affect human beings – humanity – the animals, plants and humans who live on this planet.

Research to go into what is causing this huge disease epidemic in the world today.  One which is spreading and will soon affect everyone in every country.  Research on what is the best way to live avoiding the degeneration happening in our society from the processed foods, the poor environment, the new technologies which have serious health implications for all of us without our knowledge and more.

How are we going to put this into affect?  We don’t know!  We didn’t leave the breakfast table with a plan other than we would use our lives, work, friends, family, acquaintances, to spread that word and for each of us to do what we could where we were.  My first action is to send you this blog from breakfast,  hope you publish it and hope it strikes a nerve worldwide to start this movement.

NO COMPANY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO ANY HEALTH or MEDICAL or DISEASE or NEW PRODUCT RESEARCH UNLESS TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE MONIES AND RESOURCES THEY SPEND ON THAT RESEARCH GOES INTO RESEARCH WHICH WILL KNOW HOW WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING WILL HELP TO PREVENT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE HUMAN RACE  AS WE MOVE FASTER INTO A DISEASE RIDDEN SOCIETY.

Our conclusion was that we don’t need more drugs developed or more protoccols or more supposed responses to a ‘genetic’ deficiency causing bad health, new technology or other new products until we know their affect on the planet and it is positive with no side-affect.  We need much more prevention research.  Prevention, which will reach into all parts of the world to stop whatever is causing this incredible epidemic from which we all suffer.

Soon, the older people who lived and grew up in a society where the diseases and degenerative health we suffer from today as a general society was rare.  People lived longer and healthier lives – goodness, scientific heresy – we were also tired of statistics being taken out of context to attempt to smooth over and cast in a different more acceptable light the reality of where we are all headed and that is not into a gloruous world of longer lived people who are happy and disease free.  We are moving into a world where people live shorter lives, are miserable most of the time and don’t know why there are such growing numbers of people who can’t sleep, etc.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

 

How is Your Muffin Top?

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2011

“Muffin top” is a fairly new word in the lexicon of things wrong with a woman’s body and a fairly new concept in what needs to be worked on and “fixed”.  A new word/phrase coined by those who are in the business of making money by increasing women’s consciousness of some part of the anatomy which  is declared defective, ugly and which needs to be made perfect.  We  should hate our muffin tops – they are caused by fat and they and/or their company has the way to make it go away for a substantial amount of money.

One never knows what the conversation will be at breakfast in any of our homes.  This morning’s choice of “muffin tops” at first seemed frivolous to me, but as it went on I realized this was something becoming very important to many women and men.  I would be on the verge of uncovering a bit of knowledge new to me that I could add to my health and beauty routine.   The conversation started in that direction because the youngest woman at the table was fretting over her ‘muffin top’.

The response to her fretting was the information that muffin tops come as you age and your frame shrinks.  The extra skin goes someplace and neither exercise nor cosmetics is going to get rid of it.  Dieting may make it thinner with less fat under the skin, but it will not make it go away and neither will exercise – unless someone out there knows how to eat and/or exercise to shrink skin.

Women of past generations wore girdles – even thin women.  Because this current generation has mostly lost touch with their mothers and grandmother’s, who they consider not as wise nor knowledgeable as their peers, they have lost touch with why women of past generations wore girdles.  Those older generations had to do something to make their garments look smooth and to hide that skin flap – which we now call muffin tops. The old becomes new again.  If only we could go back to having conversations with our relatives who are of an older generation we would be so wise!  You either know history or you are doomed to repeat it – someone actually said that in some history book!!

It became urgent in the discussion to explore muffin tops, because women and girls are now wearing jeans which sit on the hip – right under and emphasizing the muffin top.  Is it because emphasizing such a “problem” area can increase the money spent by women to hide it – eliminate it -mutilate it?  Not even plastic surgeons can rid you of your muffin tops.  You can get a scar around your body to cut out the extra skin, but it won’t last because as your frame continues to shrink your muffin top will return.

What to do?  No one had an answer.  One woman wore control top panty hose because that was the least intrusive way to keep her outer garments smooth.  Another wore a girdle because she wanted to make sure she had everything hidden.  The young woman, who started the conversation with an almost passing comment about feeling uncomfortable with her ‘muffin top’ showing, was the youngest woman around the table.  She was also the only woman around the table who wore those hip hugging jeans.  Aren’t they what started the movement in ghetto’s across the U. S. among African American young boys wearing pants which bag and hang down almost and sometimes definitely below the crack in …………?  Is that where designers’ got their inspiration for those hip hugging jeans?  Is that the direction in which those hip huggers for women are going?

She wore those instead of the jeans which went to her natural waistline – which is what she used to wear – because the advertisements are all equating those who wear those waist-high jeans as wearing ‘grandmother’ jeans and she didn’t want to look old.  (She was probably about 30 years old).  No one had any sympathy for her.  Everyone told her to get rid of those hip huggers and wear normal clothes for normal body shapes and she wouldn’t have to worry about a muffin top since ‘normal’ or ‘grandmother’ jeans hide your muffin top and give you a much nicer, softer shape.  Somehow, I don’t think she was listening – she was looking, instead at the picture of Jane Fonda in pants which are tightly fitted around the legs.  Since she looked as though she had short legs I wonder where trying to wear those tight-legged jeans will lead her?  Sleeping in a leg stretcher?

The woman at the table who impressed was the one who picked up our blog about liquid vitamin C.  She was using every kind of lotion on her thighs and her body from the waist down to get rid of the rapidly increasing look of fat breaking up under the skin – not wrinkles exactly, but a not so great look which only promised to worsen as time went on.  She waxed eloquent about liquid vitamin C.  It took a little while of constant use, which for her was every other day with a liquid Vitamin C overall massage after her shower, but the results were startling.

She did tell us the first two times she used the liquid C she had a bit of a problem with ‘peeing” – her word, not ours – but she just adjusted her water intake – drank a lot more water during the day – and by the third liquid Vitamin C massage she was fine.  She did not offer to show us the results, we had to take her word for the fact that the skin from her waistline down to her knees had dramatically improved – smoothed out and she was now happy about wearing shorts.  She could even look good wearing a swim suit without parts of her body being reminiscent of having cottage cheese under the skin.  That was important to her because she spent the winters in resort areas where looking good in a swim suit was important.

She put a little of her liquid Vitamin C in our saucers and we all tried it.  I must say the results of just one trial were impressive.  The liquid Vitamin C became sticky after a while so we had to rinse it off – one woman asked for olive oil and put the olive oil on her face after she had the liquid C on for several minutes.  She had a grand facial massage tapping all around her face for quite some time – until someone else got a bit irritated at having to watch and she left the table.  When she came back, her face looked fabulous.  She had rinsed off the liquid Vitamin C and olive oil with cold water and just patted her skin dry.  So very quietly I resolved to make that a bi-weekly regimen.

We went on to note that Dr Oz has finally caught up to Bettina Network’s blog.  One of his recent shows talked about not using soap – ever.  I went back and searched the blog and found we had talked about that months and months ago.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Herman Cain follow-up

Monday, December 5th, 2011

We saw the article about Herman Cain with Marceline’s comments and a quote from the Bettina Network’s blog and it provided our little breakfast table group with a hilarious morning.  I thought I needed to write a blog about this notice taken of our little blog.  If you are interested in reading Marceline’s publicity go to The Daily Beast – an online publication – and look for their December 2nd article entitled: “Herman Cain Used the Affirmative Action He Decries to Advance.”  See http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/02/herman-cain-used-the-affirmative-action-he-decries-to-advance.html

We loved seeing ‘Our Leader ‘in print – although I don’t think she is happy about the publicity or about my calling her “Our Leader”, but then we do have free speech and I hope that doesn’t get this blog thrown into the garbage rather than on the blog page.

What we conjectured, which started a very civilized, quiet conversation among people who barely knew one another, into an unbelievably loud and raucous breakfast, was the question asked by one of our table mates  – who will Herman Cain endorse.

We had several, different answers to that question until someone said he will endorse New Gingrich and gave their reasons for saying so!  That disrupted breakfast  and the quiet conversation took a really hysterically funny turn.

It was about Herman Cain looking around for someone who could carry his banner into the election and possibly into the White House.  What was the banner – how was it shaped – what were the priorities Herman was looking for in someone he endorsed?  Answering those questions was what caused the hysteria.  Why Newt Gingrich?  Because Newt and Cain share sexual ‘greatness’ together.  Who else among the candidates has so strayed away from their marriages – and who else has so disrespected their wives?  Newt and Herman – unlikely bed partners, however take another look – they really do share a lot.  Neither one have moved beyond 15 years of age in their emotional development.  Do you think they share early morning conversations when everyone else is asleep about their possible new conquests?  Their techniques?  Which women at which political stops were easy prey?  Who fell across the desk in their campaign headquarters for them?

Newt, however, has taken his philandering a step further than Herman.  Newt left his wife dying of cancer for his girl friend – who he then divorced for another younger girl friend, etc.  Herman hasn’t yet reached that level, but he is well on his way.  His wife has not died from a terminal illness, but she is clearly supporting and a co-dependent in his sexual sickness as we saw by her standing by her man.

When are women going to realize they can live alone and that half of that wealth belongs to you?  You can enjoy it – do whatever you would like to with your life and eliminate having to endure the public humiliation that we saw Herman Cain’s wife just go through!  It will happen again!

Herman’s denial of what several unrelated women have said about him gives us a picture of Herman’s ethics even clearer than does the picture of Herman sexually pressuring women. If elected president those are the ethics he would bring into the White House.  We suspect he would have made Clinton and Monica look like kindergarden kids who were tentatively exploring the great world of illicit sexuality.  At least Clinton didn’t give out a bald-faced lie – he was better at half-truths.  So the Universe sends Clinton to purgatory and Cain to hell!  Wonder where all those people are going who are supporting Herman Cain?  They are making clear statements about their ethics – and aren’t many of them making strong claims to being Conservative Christians?  Is this the ethics coming out of that CC commitment? Hmmm – that provided our group with lots of talk!

Who else shares those ethics in the Republican political presidential hopeful lineup?  Hey, Newt – Herman is looking your way as a proper replacement for himself!  You contain all of what he respects in a man – your history assures him that you will carry his banner with great aplomb into the White House and you give Herman hope of a comeback after a few years when the rest of the world has either forgotten or their ethics have plunged lower to make them want to and able to support a man like you!  We came to the conclusion that endorsing you would provide hope for the future to Herman Cain!

Newt’s current ‘wife’ looks like a bad reincarnation of Jackie Kennedy, right down to the hair and the way she carries herself.  What continued the hilarity was a description of how Newt is getting his comeuppance.  His dead wife – out where people who’ve died are ‘living’ – must be having the time of her life as she sees Newt having to give up early morning campaign appearances because this wife can’t be ready until later in the morning because it takes that long to get curly hair straight.  Wait until they start campaigning in earnest in the deep south.  They must be hoping for a very cold and dry winter all over their geographical campaign area.

No one could write a novel casting those two characters – Herman and Newt – in the same political campaign season – describing them and their common characteristics and then have one endorse the other after he has to drop out of his campaign for the womanizing ways they both share.  It is an unbelievable scenario and says about the United States Republican Party (Sorry Marceline) – how the mighty have fallen!

I am not a great writer so I can’t really summarize the breakfast we just had conveying the incredible fun time with all of the unbelievably sharp comments which sent us into hysterical laughter – including the Conservative at the table, but I hope this gives you a little oft the drift of our morning.

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Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Another Secret Exposed!

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2011

The request for my Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is a difficult one to fill.  It is really my grandmother’s and to sit down and even just think about it brings tears to my eyes and many memories of my early youth.

Thanksgiving was a fun day at our house.  My grandmother didn’t invite anyone to dinner – but somehow lots of people came.  I think of where I live now and it would be sacrilege to just show up at someone’s door on any holiday without being invited and expect to be well treated and invited to stay for dinner without a lot of tension in the air and in the person’s voice who opened the door.  How sad for them!

Our Thanksgiving turkey was raised in our back yard – as was our Christmas goose.  My grandmother didn’t like eating meat she didn’t know what it had been fed or who raised it – so we raised our own – in the middle of New Orleans, LA.  It was almost as much fun as watching my grandmother prepare the turtle she used as the center of her courtbouillion – which we pronounced  (euphemistically written) ‘coo bi yon’.

We always had corn bread with breakfast on Thanksgiving morning because we needed the corn bread later for the stuffing.  So make enough corn bread to serve for breakfast with enough left over to stuff the turkey.  PLEASE DO NOT put sugar, maple syrup or any kind of sweetener in your corn bread, it will ruin the dressing.

The turkey dressing recipe follows:

Chop – one onion, one green pepper, two or three stalks celery.  If you want a stronger taste in the stuffing from your vegetables you can use however many onions, etc. that are more to your liking.

Sauté them in a large deep skillet in which you put half olive oil and half butter.

Add seasonings – the same seasonings you are putting on your turkey – thyme, oregano, sage, salt and cayenne pepper.

Stir the vegetables until they are well mixed and the onions begin to soften and you are satisfied that the pot of ingredients are now lightly cooked.

Add about 1/2 pound ground beef (or sometimes sausage), one pound shrimp – cut into small pieces, oysters to taste with their liquor, the insides from the turkey – the liver, gizzard, etc., and mix with the vegetables in the cooking pot until the shrimp turn pink.

Once you feel your dressing is nice and lightly cooked add four to six organic eggs – which have been whipped as though you were going to scramble them, about 1/2 to one cup whole milk or even heavy cream, and mix all of this together.

Turn your corn bread into crumbs along with using your whole wheat bread that you normally use for meals, etc. into crumbs and add these to the stuffing – about half and half, but if you have more of one than the other – no problem.  Add enough to absorb any liquid from the dressing.  You want a nice, almost, but not quite dry stuffing to put in the turkey.  Take into consideration that the juices from the turkey will run through the stuffing as the turkey cooks.

No, Virginia, we don’t cook the dressing outside the turkey.  Never have for several generations and every one is alive, well and lived into their nineties or at least well past their middle eighties.  And no one died nor got sick from my grandmother’s turkey stuffing.

Wait until the turkey cooks and make sure you get a small plate of dressing to taste before you serve the turkey.  You want to act nice and proper and not shock your guests with just how much turkey stuffing you eat over Thanksgiving.  Once you eat your fill in the kitchen, you can eat a small amount at the table and all will be fine.

Hope that is what you wanted!  From your note I can tell you changed my grandmother’s turkey dressing.  How could you?  What have you done to it and is it still memorable?

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Thanksgiving at a Bettina Bed & Breakfast Home

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2011

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I would like to write a blog about it.  Hope you find this up to your standards, kiddo!

We decided to do the “Bettina” thing and invite the guests staying with us to join us for Thanksgiving Dinner.  It happens all over the Bettina Network,but we have not done this before.  Somehow, we were hanging onto our – Thanksgiving is for family – routine.

Truthfully, when my grown daughter comes for Thanksgiving, it is not always a happy time, but we force it and do it again the next year.  Please don’t publish my name – she will never come again.  This year , thanks to the combination of family and Bettina Network guests, we had a super holiday.

We only had two guests – we normally only have two guests so that is nothing strange.

What made this Thanksgiving so special were the guests and your turkey stuffing.  A “New Orleans Creole” turkey stuffing!

I had it at your house a couple years ago and have tasted it in my mouth every since.  I added a bit of a Yankee touch and it was still very good.  I am tempted to include my recipe, but I would prefer your sharing the recipe as you gave it to me.

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