Monhegan Island, Maine

Farm

Precious!

May 2010

The awesome thing about Photoshop and fun websites like www.FaceinHole.com is that you can make yourself look GREAT!

The AWFUL thing is that you still have mirrors that bring you right back to reality!

CUTE, right? These sweet babies are living with Mama and Papa Fox about 50 yards from my back door. I'm okay with it as long as they stay to themselves. But if they go after someone I feed on a regular basis, we're gonna have to have a serious talk.

Thousands of pages down to...THIS.

After doing a bit of research, this seems to be what we can expect with the New Health Care reform, Obamacare, whatever you want to call it:

WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT

*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.

*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.

*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.

*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.

*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.

*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.

*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011

*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.

*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.

*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.

*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.

*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.

*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012

*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.

*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.

*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013

*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.

*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.

*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.

*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014

*State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.

*Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.

*Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

*Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.

*Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015

*Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2018

*An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.

3-9-10

There are no calendars in heaven
But here on earth 20 seasons have passed without him.
Five times we have moved around the sun without him.
After 43,829 hours, I guess I should be done counting the time without him.
But I keep thinking he was here just a minute ago.
And then he's gone again. There are no clocks in heaven either.



I miss you, Dad.

Hey, I'M willing to try it. Just glad it's not Lima Beans and Liver!

WHAT IS A TREATMENT FOR HEART DISEASES, ARTHRITIS, BLADDER INFECTIONS, CHOLESTEROL, COLDS, STOMACH UPSETS, FLU, WEIGHT LOSS, BAD BREATH, HEARING LOSS AND CANCER? AND MAY ALSO BE THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?

CINNAMON AND HONEY! (You can google this info if you want to get an expert opinion other than "Kim's mom.")

Cinnamon and Honey. Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada , in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast... It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it.. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ' Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

Little Girl Goes Fishing!

Wow!

Who has the Best Worst Laugh?

It might be tough to beat THIS LADY!

Email Panic!

If you have ever recieved one of those emails with a "Health Warning" that you questioned, you will appreciate this email that Kim's well-meaning Mom sent to her. But BEFORE YOU BELIEVE it, listen to Mix 92.9's Dr. Donnica Thursday Morning to find out if ANY of it is true!

EATING FRUIT ...

What is the correct way of eating fruits?IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

Uh, what?

Nice Housing if you can afford it!

What are the Swankiest places to live in the USA?

Who's that Mixed Up Celebrity?

Do you have your ANAGRAM hat on?

See if you can unscramble these and come up with a celebrity's name!

(Answers below)

• I Amazed Corn
• Shout naked
• My Glee Remarks
• Bursting Presence
• Best PR in years
• Here Silly Maniac
• I coach angels
• I warm billions
• Huge Cold Salami
• His Basketball Cheese
• Not sick, Never
• His Poor Sweetener
• Yes, I’m Curly

(Answers)
I Amazed Corn = Cameron Diaz
Shout naked = Kate Hudson
My Glee Remarks = Kelsey Grammer
Bursting Presence = Bruce Springsteen
Best PR in years = Britney Spears
Here Silly Maniac = Shirley MacLaine
I coach angels = Nicholas Cage
I warm billions = Robin Williams
Huge Cold Salami = Michael Douglas
His Basketball Cheese = Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Not sick, Never = Kevin Costner
His Poor Sweetener = Reese Witherspoon
Yes, I’m Curly = Miley Cyrus

One Personal Story from Murfreesboro

My friend Rocco Cosco is lucky to be alive after a tornado swept through Murfreesboro Friday, killing two and destroying more than 200 homes, including his. Rocco, his wife Cheryl and sons Brandon (19) and Josh (17) are currently staying at a hotel.

Rocco suffered cracked ribs and a concussion; his sons also sustained minor injuries. The sons actually saved their father's life by pulling his unconscious body out from under a collapsed staircase. Cheryl was away from the house at the time of the storm.

The picture above is a view of what is left of the Cosco residence.

The family suffered a total loss, escaping with only the clothes they were wearing. To help with the immediate needs of clothing and shelter, a fund has been established at Regions Bank. Donations can be made at any Middle Tennessee branch in care of the Rocco and Cheryl Cosco Relief Fund. Donations can also be sent to that fund c/o Carrie Burch, Regions Bank Music Row Branch, 1600 Division Street, Suite 100, Nashville, TN 37203, by calling 615-748-2101 or by emailing carrie.burch@regions.com.

A benefit concert is being organized for Thursday night (4/16), 5:30pm at Nashville's Tin Roof. It's $10 to get in, more if you can, and the Tin Roof owners are throwing in 15% of the liquor sales to the cause, as well. Rodney Atkins, Phil Vassar, Lee Brice, David Nail, Jason Michael Carroll and Steve Holy are already confirmed, with more expected.

(Portions reprinted courtesy of CountryAircheck.com)

Happy Easter!

CLICK HERE FOR A HAPPY EASTER!

Turkey Season?

Please don't shoot the ones in my neighborhood!

How beautiful is this? (Sorry the quality is bad. Taken with my cell phone.)

Hmmm

Why is the logo for Hendersonville, Tenn. a huge mutant goose attacking a sailboat with a hula-hoop?

Hard Abs, Soft Heart

You may have heard me tell the story of my friend Brian. His wife is battling Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.
Brian and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for almost 12 years. They have 2 daughters, soon to be 7 year old Madeline, and nearly 2 year old Mackenzie and they are expecting another little girl in July. Brian's wife Jennifer was diagnosed with CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia) in July 2005. Jen continues a CML Clinical Trial at Johns Hopkins to battle her cancer as aggressively as possible.

Here is a note from him:
My big race this year is Ironman Arizona in November, but first I’m doing an Olympic Distance Triathlon with Team in Training this Spring. And I need your help. I NEED YOU to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on my behalf. Click here to find out how you can help.

E*trade Baby Outtakes

(Warning: There is one baddish word bleeped out. Though we have heard it on television before)

Things that may come in handy someday...

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
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Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
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Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets downthe drain, followed by a cup of White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.
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When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

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Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
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For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
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To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
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Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
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Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
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Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened' this way!
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Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! (Now, where to put the body?) LOL
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Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
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Spritz some perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Make sure the light if off and cold when you spray it on.
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Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen in your linen closet too!
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Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
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To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
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To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
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Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
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Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. Left over wine? What's that?
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To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
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Ants, ants, ants everywhere. Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
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Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
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When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
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Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer........
Clean a toilet.
Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.
Clean a vase.
To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
Polish jewelry.
Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
Clean a thermos bottle.
Fill the bottle w/water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

SMILE!!!

WATCH THIS STORY.
I dare you not to smile....or cry with happiness.