“For in this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely
for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means
for controlling peace. Naval officers must therefore understand
not only how to fight a war, but how to use the tremendous power
which they operate to sustain a world of liberty and justice,
without unleashing the powerful instruments of destruction
and chaos that they have at their command.”

- Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, CNO, Change of command address
at the U. S. Naval Academy, 01 August 1961
(19 Oct 1901 - 01 Jan 1996)

   Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Doug! Isn't it amazing and comforting how music permeates every aspect of our lives?

Water Pistols

My young son was overjoyed to receive a water pistol from his Grandma for his birthday. He rushed to the kitchen to fill it.

"Mother, you surprise me. Do you not remember how Timmy and I drove you crazy with those water pistols when we were kids?"

"Ohhhh yes, I remember, darling," she said with a huge smile on her face!

_______

The old farmer had a large pond in the back, fixed up nicely with picnic tables, a barbecue pit, horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees. The pond was properly shaped and fixed up for swimming when it was built.

One evening, the old guy decided to go down to the pond and look it over. He hadn't been there for a while. He grabbed a five gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.

As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny dipping in his pond. As he approached, he made the women aware of his presence.

At once, they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave."

The old man frowned, "I did not come down here to watch you young ladies swim naked, or to make you get out of the pond naked. Holding up the bucket, he said, "I'm here to feed the alligator."

_______

*-- Q and A Quickies --* (Daily Groaner)


Q: What kind of car does a ghost drive?

A: A Boo-ick.



Q: Why do witches fly around on broomsticks?

A: Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy!


Q: What do you call a fat vampire slayer?

A: Puffy!



Q: How does a girl vampire flirt?

A: She bats her eyes.


Q: What do you get when you cross Bambi with a ghost?

A: Bamboo.



Q: What do you call two witches who share a broom?

A: Broom mates.


Q: What happens when a ghost haunts a theatre?

A: The actors get stage fright.


_________________________________________________

Hint 1:

To help make your shoes stay smelling fresh between wears, take an old pair of socks you no longer need, fill the toe of each with some baking sods, and tie them off to secure. Then just leave the 'sock sachets' inside your shoes overnight to absorb odors.

_________________________________________________

Hint 2:

If your dryer seems to take longer to dry the clothes then it used to, remove the screen filter and scrub both sides with a soft brush in warm soapy water (an old toothbrush works well). Then rinse thoroughly and dry, before putting back in dryer. This will also help your heating element last longer. Repeat as necessary.

_________________________________________________

Learning from failure

"You've failed many times, although you don't remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim. . . . Don't worry about failure. . . . Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."

-- Sherman Finesilver, US District Court Judge
_________________________________________________

RANDOM TIDBITS

Almost all U.S. bats, and 70 percent of the bat species worldwide, feed almost exclusively on insects and are thus extremely beneficial. One bat can eat between 600 and 1,000 mosquitoes and other insect pests in just one hour.

Although they can't see color, bats can see better than we do at night. And, many bats can also "see" in the dark by using echolocation.

Bats are the only true flying mammals. Bats belong to the mammalian order Chiroptera, which means "hand-wing." The bones in a bat's wing are the same as those of the human arm and hand, but bat finger bones are greatly elongated and connected by a double membrane of skin to form the wing.

Most female bats produce only one offspring per year, although some species give birth to three or four babies at a time. The gestation period lasts only a few weeks.

Insect-eating bats may either capture flying insects in their mouths or scoop them into their tail or wing membranes. They then reach down and take the insect into their mouth. This results in the erratic flight most people are familiar with when they observe bats flying around in the late evening or around lights at night.

Several bat species hibernate in dense clusters on cave walls or ceilings. Clusters may consist of hundreds of bats per square foot. Most U.S. cave bats spend winter hibernating in caves (or mines) and move to trees or buildings during summer.

(www.infoplease.com)

_________________________________________________

I Don't Regret A Mile

I've dreamed many dreams that never came true.
I've seen them vanish at dawn.
But I've realized enough of my dreams, thank God,
To make me want to dream on.

I've prayed many prayers, when no answers came,
Though I waited patient and long,
But answers came to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.

I've trusted many a friend that failed
And left me to weep alone,
But I've found enough of my friends true blue
To make me keep trusting on.

I've sown many seeds that fell by the way
For the birds to feed upon,
But I have held enough golden sheaves in my hands
To make me keep sowing on.

I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain
And gone many days without song,
But I've sipped enough nectar from the roses of life
To make me want to live on.


~by Howard Goodman (gospel singer)~
Excerpt from his song
 

http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Amigurumi/Hello-Kitty-Witch# - Armina's Hello Kitty Witch - "For those of you who like Hello Kitty and all the products then you'll love this Hello Kitty crocheted witch. It's great to make for Halloween, just add it to your collection of decorations."

http://whiskersandwool.blogspot.com/2010/09/boo-coasters-free-pattern.html - Boo Coasters - "You can never have too many crocheted coasters, especially during the holidays. Make these festive Boo! Coasters to use during the Halloween season. This is one free crochet pattern that the whole family is sure to enjoy. They're great for parties, too."