One of the dumbest things I did was many years ago, I was playing with a kitten in my DR. We were having great fun batting around a golf ball until the ball rolled under the DR hutch. I was on my knees at the time, so without thinking at all, I put my face and shoulders down on the floor and reached with my right arm under the hutch to get the ball...couldn't quite reach so i reached in a little further, a little further, stretched a little more, until I grabbed it. Then I went to pull my arm out and it wouldn't budge. I mean it was really wedged. So here I am, face down on the floor, home alone, DH won't be home for hours with my arm wedged under the hutch and no way to get to a phone or call for help. As I'm laying there trying to assess the situation, I realize my arm is starting to go numb and is starting to swell up. I can't just wait for help. I have to get my arm out before I'm in real trouble. Fortunately at the time, I was young and fairly flexible. So I managed to twist to my side so my knee and shin were up against the front of the hutch for leverage and I pulled...I mean really pulled...and managed to free myself. My arm was all scraped and somewhat bruised, but I was free and I was ok. How scary was that! What to do next? Why keep playing with the kitten and the ball of course. Would you believe, the ball went under there again, and without thinking, the next thing I knew I was reaching under there again? Fortunately the wiser part of my brain started screaming at me, "Idiot! Do you want to get stuck again?!?!" and I stopped myself in time...and got a yardstick to fetch the ball. Man! How dumb can you get!

Linners, you have no idea how strange they really are... Last year when Larry was burning off the leaves under the trees around our place..The guy came along and parked next to Larry while Larry was keeping watch on a stump burning.. and was telling Larry about the "Nut" that started the fire and how he came about coming into the area.. (It was dark, around midnight), Of course Larry egged him on for about 15 minutes.. and finally said " By the way, let me introduce myself to you.. My name is Larry and I am the "Nut" that you are referring to.. and it's nice to know where I stand with the neighbors.. "".. Well I about peed my pants when Larry and the hired hand told me about it.. We laugh about that one for some time.. Never a dull moment in this neck o the woods.... ROTFLMBO Carolyn

OMG..... Lentils double in bulk when sprouted - 1-cup dry equals 2-cups sprouted (but you know that now - LOL - see link below for a sprouting chart :-). DEHYDRATE THEM: I generally dehydrate what I can't use within a day or two. If I sprinkle them with something like Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle or Fiesta Lime Salt-Free Seasoning Blend before dehydrating them, they become an out-of-hand snack food. Dehydrated without adding a seasoning mixture, you can use them to make "instant" cooked lentils (I just rehydrate them in hot water, but you can cook them in water). Dehydrated lentils can be milled or blended into flour and used as a protein supplement added to baked goods or added to a smoothie. REFRIGERATE THEM: I also refrigerate them after they have sprouted 1/8-1/4 inch tails. The sprouts continue to grow even when refrigerated, but they grow a little slower. I store them in "PEAKfresh" fruit and vegetable bags (wash and reuse them) - these bags keep all sprouts fresh longer when refrigerated. I ordered my bags from Amazon.com. FREEZE THEM: They defrost in mere moments. SPROUTED LENTIL-OAT WAFFLES In a blender bowl add: 1 c. water 3/4 c. rolled oats 1/2 c. sprouted lentils Blend well. Add: 1 T. vanilla 1/2 T. oil (I use coconut oil) 1/2 T. agave nectar, coconut nectar or honey 1/4 t. salt 1/4 c. whey protein isolate (or protein powder of choice) (optional: I also add 1 T. white chia seeds) Blend well. I use 1/4 c. batter in my 4-heart waffle maker (makes thin waffles). I use this amount because this size of waffle fit into my toaster to reheat them. Note: I also soak the 3/4-cup oats 12-hours (or overnight) in the blender bowl in the 1 c. water (from the recipe) and add 2 T. kefir (OR whey, yogurt, buttermilk - use 1 T. lemon juice for dairy-free medium) and 1 T. of buckwheat (without blending it) to neutralize a large portion of the phytic acid in the oats, if that's a concern. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Sprouting Chart

Cindyloo123 - What a clever idea to use the valances to lengthen the bedskirt!! I only have 4 valances though and I don't think that is enough fabric to cover the entire perimeter of the queen size bed. Over the past 24 hours I have changed my mind yet again on this color. I was starting to like it and feel good about it, but while laying in bed last night watching television I got that lump in my stomach looking around the room. It truly is a pretty color but I think I am having a problem with it in this particular room. I want my bedroom to be tranquil and this paint seems too dark to me. Combined with the dark furniture and the dark bedding, it just doesn't feel right to me. I am stuck though because I don't know what to do about fixing it or figuring out what the "right" color is. I already have 2 more gallons of this paint which is killing me that I spent money on this stuff that I am already wanting to get rid of! Is it possible to get paint lightened after it is already mixed? I put a sample splotch on the one of the unpainted walls of BM Spanish Olive (I have this color in my laundry room and like it very much). This is a soft sage green that is not dark, not light, just in between but it has a lot of gray in it so unsure as to whether this is the right choice for this room. I know many of you can empathize with the agony of wanting to get a color right but not knowing what to do!!! UGH! Thank you so much for everyone's input!