Memorial Day Angel Food Cake Tropical Pineapple Strawberry Parfait Dessert

This Memorial Day Unite for the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m today.
Wherever you are take time to remember those who died in service for our freedom and pray for the families who have loved ones serving and fallen.

Visit http://www.magiesplacecookbook.info for hundreds of family favorite recipes.

Why I am a Happy eBay Seller

There are so many wonderful reasons for selling online especially eBay.  I think the reason I enjoy selling postcards, cabinet cards and other ephemera is the interesting buyers I meet.  I sold a postcard to a lady in Helena Montana where I have relatives.  She happened to know my cousin quite well and wrote a nice note to me.  Another lady wrote to tell me that she purchased  a postcard from me because her Grandfather built the building that was featured on the front of the postcard.  Some buyers like to tell me that "Wow I remember that motel  pictured on postcard.  I stayed there as a little kid.  I just had to buy it. "

Other happy buyers are authors who need old pictures of certain cities, museums who like to add to their collections of local history.  I also meet people who I have a connection with, that has nothing to do with the item they won on auction.  I just had several sales to a ham radio operator in Florida who bought old photographs from me.  I knew he was a ham because his ebay ID was his call sign.  Now when we communicate I ask him  how the big ham radio convention in Dayton was since I could not attend.

Today was really a good day to appreciate Ebay.  I went to a church rummage sale.   I got great deals, good quality quilt fabric and a first edition book which I will read then list.  They have one of these books on amazon for 62 bucks.  Now I may not get that much but.......

Are you thinking out of the "BOX"

Wow, these are really challenging times financially. There are ways to overcome, if you think out of the box!! Remember that birthday money you got in your birthday card? What did you do with it? Spend it on something small that you really did not need or want!

I have to laugh at a specific bank commercial I often hear on the radio. A husband and wife are out on their Saturday morning shopping errands. He gets an alert from his bank that his checking account is low after they purchased something. No problem he will just transfer money from his savings account to his checking account so they can go over to the bakery across the street to buy those cupcakes he loves. Oh my gosh, take your money from savings to buy "CUPCAKES"!!!!

Let me share with you something my Sis said the other day. She knows how to give me a really "expensive" birthday gift. She will give me, let's say $25, and knows that I can turn that into well over $100!!!! That way I can get something really cool, that she did not have the money to buy for me.

I search the thrift stores and garage sales for things I can sell on eBay and Craig's List, that is where I spend my money. Amazing what a few dollars can do for your "financial portfolio". Let me share this find with you.

I was out "garage selling" and ran across a Starbucks lighted store sign. You know the one with the mermaid that is in the window of most Starbucks. Well I thought heck why not ask what they want for it. It was $1.00, sure I can afford that, I am sure I can get $10 at least!! Long story short it sold for $180 to a man in Japan.

Or how about this one.

So last week, I stop off at a thrift store after teaching my art class in Los Altos. 17 kiddos learning to draw, you would think I would have been exhausted, but never to tired to drop in and see what I can do with the little bit of money I had in my wallet.

I am searching around and this lady was by my side and had this awesome looking canister or cookie jar in her hand. It was sooooo cool, I said wish I had seen that first. Did not know what it was but it look adorable.

Anyway I picked up a couple of items, went up to the counter and this lady was in front paying for her items. She had put the cookie jar behind the counter with some of the other things she wanted to buy. People like to take breakable or heavy items up to the counter and have them hold them till they are done shopping. Don't want to break anything!!!!

When she was done paying the cashier she realized that they had not included the cookie jar. She got a little irritated and walked out of the store. I watched as she got into her car, was not sure if she was coming back to get the cookie jar. Well she was gone out of there. Maybe a little mad about the whole deal or something, so I ask to see the cookie jar, it was signed on the bottom Penzo, did not know a thing about that name, but for $4.00 I said heck why not, what do I have to lose.

Got it home did some research and low and behold, she is a famous artist that does beautiful ceramic work out of Zimbabwe, Africa. Her things are unique and each artist that paints on them signs them. So UP on eBay it went, within 1 hour I had a bid on it and I sold it for $75. WOW you never know what is waiting for you. Do you think that this was meant for me, what are the coincidence that I was right behind her at the checkout counter??????Hmmmmm Thank you God.

You see I do not have a world of knowledge on these thing, never ever heard of the name on that cookie jar, I just took a chance. That is what true entrepreneurship is all about, taking the risk!

So next time you are tempted to buy CUPCAKES, think how much ROI you could have to help that financial crunch.

Be Blessed and Prosper

Rare Perfume In Cracked Bottles

Rare Perfume In Cracked Bottles
The Positive Side Of Chronic Pain



You may be doing a double take at that but please hear me out. I have quite a few friends who are disabled in varying degrees and from them I have learned many lessons. The best one is allowing my own disabilities to be turned into positive tools to help others. It seems that the more one of these folks is suffering the more they have to give. It's a phenomena that does not make sense. Hurting people who in the midst of their most severe trials can offer such jewels of hope and encouragement to other people. I have found that reaching out to others in love does indeed make the burden easier to bear. When I am concerned about someone else then I am not so focused on my own struggles.

I know that there are a lot of folks out there who suffer with a lot of different aches and pains and that is a part of everyday life, but that is not what I am talking about here. What I am talking here is more than that. I am talking about people with chronic, debilitating conditions that affect every moment of every day and they know that it will never change. Still they don't give up. They look up instead, and find the silver lining in the darkest cloud. Most of what these people go through is tough, let me tell ya, and there are days that just positively get them down and I know there are a fair share of tears shed along the way. Usually the majority of what they experience is experienced alone and they are often misunderstood by the people around them. They know about the night. The regular activities of life become thought out calculated moves that take more time and effort than for that of the average person. Things like getting dressed or putting ones shoes on is mostly forgotten after childhood but for those with the chronic pain brought on by disabilities this is not so.

The poor souls with walking disabilities are often the most forgotten because no one wants to see. In public every day we encounter them. At McDonald's, cleaning your motel room, in construction, at the dry cleaners, you name it. If its hard, hot,long or dangerous then you can bet a person who should be disabled out of the system is having to work like a slave in it. Look next time you are out. Find the kindest, gentlest, sweetest loving souls and you will find the humble, broken, hurting people who have to struggle in some way just to make it. Some are broken so that they can't even make it out at all anymore. You don't see them either but they are there too. How do they make it? Yet still they give themselves away in love.

So I implore you to please open up and open out. Instead of looking away, look inside and become an advocate for the humble broken souls that make all of our lives shine a little brighter. Rub shoulders with the wounded (gently) and break bread with the humble. You well may be in the presence of the Royalty of future worlds. In them lies the rarest, most costly perfume that is in existence. So rare that the richest treasures on earth combined could not begin to be enough to pay it's price.

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Inspiration from Joel Osteen

When you wake up in the morning, do you expect the goodness of God in your life? Do you set the tone of the day for success, favor and blessing?

It doesn't matter what happened yesterday, last week, last month or last year; today is a new day. This moment, you have the power to make a change in your life. Things may be bad all around you. People may be negative, complaining and discouraged, but don't let that spirit rub off on you. Instead, choose to bless the Lord at all times. Let His praise continually be in your mouth. Remember, the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn shining brighter and brighter until the full day.

Stay determined to set the tone for each new day by speaking words of faith over your future. As you do, you'll enlarge your vision and make room for God to do amazing things in every area of your life!

Joel Osteen

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This beautiful message was sent to me today from a lovely friend on Facebook.
Feel free to visit him at: DeWayne Drumgole aka: Positive Black Man

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I personally listen to Joel Osteen's CD's for my own inspiration.
Visit his website: JoelOsteen.com
You can also find great deals on his items on eBay -->
Joel Osteen on eBay

Garden of Life #2

As part of my continued journey to "stop and smell the roses" (See, Garden of Life #1), I sat on my patio, in my favorite chair, and sipped from a glass of rich, merlot wine. It was a lovely, balmy Florida evening as the sun began to dip toward the horizon behind the oak trees. I marveled at the vast array of colors -- pink, lavender, violet, coral, gold, turquoise, jade -- spreading across the sky. The vivid and subtle hues were more breathtaking than any human artist could ever lay on canvas.

As I watched the changing sky I thought, "How many beautiful sunsets have I missed during my life because I was rushing from here to there? How many more opportunities do I have left to watch Mother Nature create her fleeting, artistic masterpieces in the heavens above?"

How many more chances do YOU have?

Slow down and catch the next sunset. . .or sunrise. . .and as you watch the miracle unfold, count the simple blessings in your life. Like colors in the sky, they are infinite and meant to be treasured.

Until next time. . .remember the roses!

Beams of Sunshine

Do an act of kindness,Gladden someone's day;
Give a smile to someone
Passing by your way.
Share a thought with someone,
It could mean so much
Little beams of sunshine
Brightening lives you touch!

By Beverly J.Anderson


Think of how much joy you would have in your lives if only everyone did this!