I think another thing to effect the taste of coffee is the water. Many places will use filtered water.   -tracy   p.s. we use Maxwell House or Folgers. I really can't tell the difference. 

Mary,    I hear you have another Clipper coming! It is brutal this year.   -tracy --- On Sat, 1/17/09, Mary wrote: I don't like this Alberta Clipper.I wish I could send it back to Canada!!! Hugs, Mary

Linnea,    How wonderful to hear the girls are thriving! I bet they are as cute as buttons! Congratulations to you, Grandma, and continued health to the Alexis and Chloe! :o)   -tracy --- On Sat, 1/17/09, Linnea wrote: At 2 lbs 7 oz and 14-3/4 ins "Baby A", Alexis Kathleen, was born and at 2 lbs 1 oz and 14 ins "Baby B", Chloe Linnea, was born. Both appear to be thriving. Alexis is now over 3 lbs! They are not identical and I can still tell the difference between them, but I think that will soon change as Chloe catches up to her sister's weight. Just wanted to share our exciting news with my friends on this list.

Yesterday we had -12° at 5 a.m. That was a natural reading. By 2 p.m. (the warmest time of the day) it had only reached 11° without the wind chill. This morning at 10, it was still reading -10°. By noon, it had finally reached 5°. Thank God the wind is only stirring today. I have not shut the furnace down to below 70° in over a week. I don't like this Alberta Clipper. I wish I could send it back to Canada!!! Hugs, Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Lynn Vondran Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 10:09 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [PD-LIFE] Freezing Ohioans!!!! WOW!!!!!! You people in OHIO be very careful IF you go out!!! We just got an email from Mike's one aunt saying that they had -14 natural degrees this morning with a wind chill factor of -33. The dogs paws freeze when they go out, and aren't even out for more than a potty break. That's cold!!!! They are expecting a high of zero today. Take care all you Ohioans! Hope you are hunkering down for the day! or two, or three???? for the winter? Warm hugs from Columbia_no, it's not warm here, but a lot warmer than you are. :o) Lynn PS Mary be very careful today, in your traveling! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I love Dunkin' Donuts coffee. But it never tastes the same when I brew it at home. I finally gave up trying. As far as Starbucks goes........ You can have my share. I've tried it several times, including brewing it at home. I think it is pretty nasty tasting stuff. I'll drink water first, thank you very much. Hugs, Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Don Churchfield Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 10:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] let`s have coffee Speaking of coffee, they put a Starbucks in the grocery store where we shop. Every time I go in I have to stop and get a double Espresso! Don in AZ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Well, Well, Well, Linnea!!!! Congratulations to the happy parents, grandparents and family!!! What a joy! Hugs for all from Columbia! Lynn Linnea announced the birth of her twin grandbabies!!!!!

Cathy, I usually get my arrowroot from the health food store where they sell it in bulk, or from the Amish stores where they also sell it in bulk. I love the stuff. It is a little frustrating to get used to at first, but now I hate to use flour. It actually acts a lot like cornstarch. I haven't tried ordering it on line. I'll have to check that out. Potato starch is another thickening agent. My mom used to make gravy on any kind of drippings. Some times, to stretch it, she would add a little bit of lard to the drippings, heat it up, then add either her flour or cornstarch (usually flour) mixture to it, constantly stirring it while it thickened. You can still buy lard in the stores. Ours came from processing our beef or pork. Mom spent hours cooking down what we call suet - the fat we got from slaughtering. When she figured she had enough lard processed, she would take the remaining suet and mix it with bird seed and hang it out in onion sacks for the birds. Hugs, Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Cathy And donald w raber Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:44 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] Thickening stuff May I've never heard of the arrowroot as a thickening agent. That's interesting, but have for flour & cornstarch. It's interesting that all do the same job though. Does it come like they do at the store, or do you order it through the mail? I was wondering along these lines, does anyone know about making a hamburger gravy with cornstarch> If so please post it. Or perhaps I'll talk to my mother about it soon. She used to make this & we would boil potatoes & eat vegies with it, when I grew up & reading about these emails brought up the memory, I guess! Later, Cathy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Sayman" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:19:27 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] Thickening stuff I also use arrow root. It works like cornstarch and flour, but it usually takes less of it. It also assumes the taste of whatever you are thickening so you never get that 'taste' you get with the other two. You need to mix it with cool water before adding it to what you are thickening. It will set up really quickly when you add the water (like Lynn said, you can eat it with a fork if you aren't quick), but a few drops more make it into a nice smooth mixture. I use a touch of sour crème (sometimes with chives) in my mashed potatoes. There are times when I don't even have to add any butter (or margarine - I personally use Land 'O Lakes 'Fresh Buttery Taste' because it tastes like butter, is very healthy for me, and was recommended by my nutritionist) to them. I also use a touch of sour crème in my tuna fish salad instead of using so much mayonnaise. For a real treat, add some celery, garlic, and onion powders to your tuna. That's after you add freshly chopped onion and some sweet relish. YUM!! Ok, dag nab it.... now you guys have got me talking about food, and I'm starting to drool!!!! LOL Hugs, Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Lynn Vondran Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:33 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: [PD-LIFE] Thickening stuff Hi Tracy, Things I use to thicken_flour, cornstarch, sour cream, cream, cream cheese_depending on what you are making_but flour, cream cheese, and cream mostly. I just used cornstarch to thicken my hot chili pepper sauce the other night, and it got good, but you have to be careful how much you use, because it is a sneaky sort of thickener_before you know it, it can be cut with a fork and chewed, instead of slurped from a spoon :o) Lynn ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

How'd you know that, Pat? Do I know you from there? or around here? Lynn Pat wrote: Kinderhook is just off Rt. 30 near Columbia in Lancaster County, PA.

Yes, up the hill from me :o) Why ? :o) Lynn Jim wrote: > Does anyone know where Kinderhook PA is?

Hello, List. I want to tell everyone that my computer guy told me he was testing a BETA version of a new program that Microsoft is looking at to replace Vista in a couple of years. Then I heard that they made some changes to Vista and it is more 'compatible' with everything, which they are also advertising on TV. Hugs, Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of linda sterner Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:42 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] let`s have coffee Hi everyone!!! Yes, I did have a surge protector, but I did hear on tv some time ago that they don`t always work. Then, when I bought my new computer, the guy told me that there are different "powers" (or what ever you call it) of them. He suggested that I pick out a middle range one. Who knows just what I had that didn`t work. Hopefully, both of my printers are okay. I haven`t been able to try them out yet....however, they both turn on which is more than what my computer did. I was able to put in some programs that I loved in my windows xp, but they work different in Vista. I will get used to using it, before long I will forget how much I liked my XP.....(maybe if I tell myself and everyone else that....I will actually believe it too!!!!) Seriously though, it isn`t nearly as bad as I though it would be. I bought myself one of those Kuerig coffee makers. They are wonderful !!! I have to have only decaf. It makes a great cup of coffee!!! It is very cold here in south central PA....exspecially in an older house....where it is only 62 in the house when I get up....thankfully, we have a ceramic heater and also turn on the oven to get it a bit warmer in here. Lots of blankets on my bed and of course it helps to have cats that like to sleep with me and help keep me warm too!!! I will give someone else a chance to talk now....how bout passing some pie over to me now??? ~~~Linda~~~ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynn Vondran" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:17 PM Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] let`s have coffee > Hi Linda, > Wish we would have thought to order my laptop with XP, instead of Vista. > With what I do, I don't like it, but, after a while, I'm sure it will be > okay. It's just a pain when you go to do something that worked so well in > XP, and gives such a problem in Vista. > Did you have your computer on a surge protector? Glad someone knows how > to > extract all your old info from the burned out computer. Hope it works for > you. Yes, I have an external hard drive to back up all my stuff. > Wouldn't > be without it. But, Mike has to do something to my files, so that I can > do > a clean backup. Don't know what happens, but it certainly is a pain to > back > up all my stuff. He always has to take over the operation and I want to > be > able to do it myself, instead of having to ask him so many questions, and > eventually taking over, because the backup isn't running smoothly. > I love to play my new game, that my sister-in-law bought for my > birthday_it's Mahjong Quest III. Mike told me that he knew I could load > it > myself, but NOOOOO, it didn't work the first or second time with this new > computer_though it was Vista compatible. He had to take over that also, > and > play with the thing, not having very nice things to say regarding Bill > Gates, while doing it. > So, glad yho like your Vista_you're the first person I actually heard say > that :o) > Hugs and a cup of coffee from Columbia_though I am a Harris Green Tea > drinker, here :o) I will have a cup or two of coffee with Mike now and > then, especially if I make it in our coffee maker :o) > Lynn > > Linda wrote: > I like the idea of all of us sitting down and having a cup of coffee > together!! Guess I better get up and make a cup before I continue on > here!!! > My computer got a power surge. So....after work yesterday I stopped by > Staples and came home with a new computer. I hated the idea of having to > get Vista. I just loved my Windows XP...but, you know what....it isn`t > bad > at all....so far!!!! On saturday, I have someone coming to take the hard > drive out of my old one and plug it into my new one...hopefully, I will be > able to get my pictures and anything else out of it!!!! Thousands and > thousands of my pictures that I never took the time to back up!!! > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

The main reason anyone would want XP installed today would be if they are using business computers tied into a system that won't work with VISTA. I'd seriously caution anyone from installing an operating system that is fast becoming obsolete and that newer peripherals are not likely to function with. VISTA most definitely can open a Word document provided of course you have software installed that handles Word files! That is no different than with XP. Word is a program and Word docs are in a format that can only be opened within Word or another word processor program (such as Open Office which is free) that can read .doc files. Also, new versions of Word automatically open the older Word docs in their older format. If I had to hazard a guess as to why labels prepared in Word can't be opened on another computer I'd guess it might have to do with a difference in the installed printers and printer drivers on the two computers. Labels format based upon the capability of your printer -- and this wouldn't be a VISTA issue--just a printer formatting issue. Joan In a message dated 1/17/2009 12:58:45 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Linda, You don't have to have Vista. You can still purchase XP Pro and install it yourself, or have your computer man install it. I hate Vista. My cousin has it, and it doesn't work like XP. I did up some labels for her and Vista couldn't handle the format - at least she couldn't open the document which was created in Word. Mary

Linda, You don't have to have Vista. You can still purchase XP Pro and install it yourself, or have your computer man install it. I hate Vista. My cousin has it, and it doesn't work like XP. I did up some labels for her and Vista couldn't handle the format - at least she couldn't open the document which was created in Word. Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of linda sterner Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 9:25 PM To: pa dutch list Subject: [PD-LIFE] let`s have coffee I like the idea of all of us sitting down and having a cup of coffee together!! Guess I better get up and make a cup before I continue on here!!! My computer got a power surge. So....after work yesterday I stopped by Staples and came home with a new computer. I hated the idea of having to get Vista. I just loved my Windows XP...but, you know what....it isn`t bad at all....so far!!!! On saturday, I have someone coming to take the hard drive out of my old one and plug it into my new one...hopefully, I will be able to get my pictures and anything else out of it!!!! Thousands and thousands of my pictures that I never took the time to back up!!! ~~~Linda~~~ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Does anyone know where Kinderhook PA is? Jim in Dover **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027)

Hi All and Happy New Year! I just wanted to share an exciting update in our family! On December 19th my daughter-in-law presented us with twin girls! They're preemies, born at 30 weeks, but both are doing superbly! They'll stay in the NICU probably for another month [around their due date] but neither have had any significant issues since birth. It's so nice for them to have names, too - the "Baby A" and "Baby B" was getting old - LOL. "Baby B" was the "runt" and wasn't growing as well as her sister. For some reason, the doctors felt they would do better outside of Mom back on Dec 19th - and I think they were correct. At 2 lbs 7 oz and 14-3/4 ins "Baby A", Alexis Kathleen, was born and at 2 lbs 1 oz and 14 ins "Baby B", Chloe Linnea, was born. Both appear to be thriving. Alexis is now over 3 lbs! They are not identical and I can still tell the difference between them, but I think that will soon change as Chloe catches up to her sister's weight. Just wanted to share our exciting news with my friends on this list. Linnea

Nope, no papers explaining that with my Dell. Oh well, guess I missed out on that piece of info. Don't have a cell phone, so I wouldn't know about that, either. I'm so glad I have my dear friends on this list to turn to :o) Thanks again :o) Better get moving here. Have a great day everyone!!! :o) Lynn Don wrote: Your laptop uses either a NICAD battery or a NIMH battery. It is a good idea to run the battery down now and then and then recharge it. That will not hurt it at all. It is the same type battery as your cell phone has, just higher voltage and of course, a larger size. Your papers that came with your laptop should explain that. >From time to time I use my laptop on battery, and have been doing that at least once a week for the last year and a half, and it has not hurt it.

Kinderhook is just off Rt. 30 near Columbia in Lancaster County, PA. Pat --- On Sat, 1/17/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > From: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Subject: [PD-LIFE] Kinderhook > To: [email protected] > Date: Saturday, January 17, 2009, 10:16 AM > Does anyone know where Kinderhook PA is? > > Jim in Dover > **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage > from the nation's > capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

Thanks, Don and Everyone, Yes, I always turn the surge protector on before plugging in the little black box, and then I plug in my laptop. Then, when I start unplugging, I unplug my laptop first, and then turn off the surge protector, or USP, depending on where I am working with my computer, then unplug the little black box.from the surge protector or USP. I let the battery run down last night_well, this morning I should say. UGH!!! I was working until 3:30AM. I really need to stop that. I'll have my days and nights mixed up :o) It took Mike longer to do what he had to do for work, last night, so he is finishing up his project this morning. He said it will probably take hiim most of the morning. With him on our Internet access, I don't know if it will be today, or tomorrow that I send THE MANUAL to those who requested it again. Still need to hear back from Tia Reinhold? Did you want to be included in the emailing? And, did the rest, who were having problems opening THE MANUAL sections, finally get them opened? The only thing I can think of, that would cause you not to be able to open them, is you don't have Microsoft Word, in which case, Brenda sent that URL to go to so that you can download that free version of Word. The only other reason might be that it got corrupted in the sending, and I will just have to send it again to you :o) Just let me know. As I said, I don't mind sending it again and again. And, if that special URL didn't come through to you, let me know and I'll send that again. Once again, Brenda, thank you so much for letting us know about that place where you can download that free version of Microsoft Word. Mike just peeked in from the kitchen, and told me about that place Brenda sent. We have Word 2003, so it should work with the version they have at that place. You might have to wait a few seconds for it to open, but it does open eventually. Anyway, anyone needing it sent, just let me know, and I'll email it to you. I have Barb and Pam on my list so far for this sending. Hope I didn't miss anyone who requested it. For those of you who did already get it, before printing it out, you might want to check the spacing. When I went in to check on a recipe, this morning, I noticed the recipes had shifted a little in the spacing between each recipe, making some spaces between the recipes, bigger, or none at all. Whenever I have to print out something, I always check the spacing first. And, even then, it shifts at times, after I have checked to make sure the spacing is perfect. Wonder why it does that at times? Oh well, it does, and there is nothing you can do about it, except check it and hope for it not to shift, when you hit that print button :o) It's 3 degrees here, but I have gotten so many reports of lots of folks in the midwest being at a natural way below zero, and never reaching zero for a few days. It's very weird, but this old house is warmer now that it is colder, than it is when it is closer to the freezing mark. Mike said it's probably because the heat stays on with it being this cold, instead of cycling off and on, all day. He also said that we need to get a thermometer that sits farther away from the house, because he thinks our house lets the heat escape where we have ours near the window. It is registering single digits, but not as cold as it really is outside. We're sure this old house is leaking heat, even if we only have it set at 60 downstairs, and 62 upstairs. At least the wind isn't blowing through the big 24 pane window, right next to me, over the little double doors, where they use to bring the caskets in and out of these old house, for viewings. Wish I could remember what those little double doors were called back in the 1800s. I can't wait until we can start working on the inside of the house_once we have the outside all sealed up, as much as you CAN seal up a big old house. Then maybe the air won't come pouring through as much. Well, better get moving here. Mike will want the Internet connection soon. Have a great rest of the weekend. I'll be checking one more time before I start sending THE MANUAL, after Mike is finished working. Take care and stay warm! Hugs from Columbia, Lynn PS And thanks once again for being so patient in explaining some of thesee things to me, regarding the computer and battery. I have learned something new. It figures, Kath got a manual with her Toshiba laptop, but I didn't get any with my Dell_go figure. Had to go out and buy a VISTA book, but there are things not in there, that I wish were. Don in AZ wrote: When you unplug your laptop from the wall and the little box with the computer turned off that normally does not run the battery down. If you are using it running on battery and the battery gets low and needs charging, the computer will beep or tell you some other way that it needs to be charged. You can then plug it in and it will charge. It is best to plug it into the wall outlet first and then the computer, as the transformer in the little box will absorb the surge instead of your computer getting the surge applied to it.

The black box is the power supply, or at least that's what it is called.  I expect it changes the voltage to work on the laptop from what comes out of the wall - since it also works on a battery, the voltage would have to be changed.  Hope that makes sense.  I am also careful to leave the plug in the laptop and not to unplug that any more often than I need to because the more you do it the more wear you will get on it and it will not fit as well.  Unfortunately, the wear seems to be on the part in the laptop, no in the plug and so you will find, after a few years, that it will switch itself to battery and not be recharging.  Replacing the cord helps a little for awhile, but eventually you have to have the part on the laptop replaced.  At least on my old Dell, this wasn't a simple repair because the idiot that designed it made that thing you plug into a part of the motherboard, so when it went bad, I had to replace the whole motherboard which was a very expensive repair, though not as expensive as buying a new laptop.  If the plug in had been connected to the computer to stableize it, it probably would have been all right, but it was just attached to the motherboard by a very flimsy piece of plastic.  Needless to say, when it died, I didn't get another Dell.  Jane --- On Fri, 1/16/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [PD-LIFE] Battery Life of a Laptop :o) To: [email protected] Date: Friday, January 16, 2009, 11:06 PM Hi, Lynn- Jane gave the instructions for running/using your battery which does extend the battery life. But you can also run the battery down a bit just by having the laptop unplugged when you have it shut down. When you plug it in and reboot you should see the battery status icon in your systray next to the clock. That is the reading you get by hovering the cursor that you mention below. I'm not sure what the "little black box" is that you refer to...perhaps it is a laptop surge suppressor? Joan In a message dated 1/16/2009 9:30:35 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Hi Joan :o) I unplug my laptop every time I turn it off, during the day, and all night it is unplugged, as well as that little box that plugs into the computer and outlet. I'm a little bit confused then. So, letting the battery run down, isn't unplugging it from the little black box it comes with. The little black box unplugged from the outlet is what they mean? Then how do you know if it is run almost completely down? Isn't the little battery w/plug, at the bottom of the screen, what they are talking about. The one that measures the charge of the battery in the laptop? That's what my sister-in-law read in her book she has with hers. I, too, like Connie, work with my laptop plugged in all the time. Most of my friends do, too. They don't know what I am talking about when I asked if they let their battery run down once a month, and if they do, how do they do it. I guess I'm asking how does one do it? I know you all are going to pull your hair out explaining this to me, because I just don't get it. Okay, sooooo, if it's NOT the same as running down the battery, that gives a reading when you hover over the icon on the lower task bar, then what do they mean? I have so much to learn, with this laptop, but I love it, mind you!!!! I hate to ask Mike to explain these things to me, since he is about sick of computers by the time he gets home from work. I probably have you spinning in your chair, right now, too, huh :o( Confused Lynn, in Columbia LOL!!!! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Without advertising a specific company or recommending one over the other, I'll just say that having the entire human genome done used to cost more than $1,000 but recently the cost was reduced to $399 to encourage more people to have it done so that there is a larger database for comparison and also for learning more about what genes control specific traits, etc. Time magazine did a feature article on the company I went with in the November 10, 2008 issue and called it the Invention of the Year. It was also featured on Oprah's show. So the cost is beginning to come down to a price that many people can afford. It is a one-time cost and they provide an account online where you can check out the results and as they learn new things--they are added to your existing account. So the results are not limited to what is currently known--it continues to expand. Joan In a message dated 1/16/2009 11:18:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Hmmmmmm, very interesting!!!!! Being nosey, how much did it cost? Thanks, Lynn

Hmmmmmm, very interesting!!!!! Being nosey, how much did it cost? Thanks, Lynn Joan wrote: > Lynn- > > I don't know. I never actually drink a glass of milk and I can still eat a > cup of yogurt with no problem (but I'm told that yogurt doesn't contain > much > lactose and many intolerant people can eat yogurt). Cheese has always > caused > some digestive upset but I just always thought everyone had that--didn't > attribute it to lactose intolerance. I must have always been intolerant > since I > don't have the gene that controls the processing of lactose. > > It's amazing to have the genome mapped -- genes don't lie and they tell > you > a LOT about yourself and explain things that were previously mysteries. It > tells you about your ancient ancestry (deep origins) and explains your > risk for > various genetic diseases (the ones that are known as of now--and new ones > are > added as they learn about them). They also tell you carrier status for > various genetic diseases and traits: such as your odds of being brown > eyed/green > eyed/blue eyed, etc. > > It's FUN and can be of benefit in health issues both in helping to > explain > them and also to help you possibly avoid getting them if you are high > risk. > (Learning that information isn't for the faint of heart though--some > wouldn't > want to know their genetic risk of getting MS or Parkinson's for > example). > Most diseases have both a genetic and environmental cause--so learning > risks > isn't a diagnosis but still can be very interesting.