For only 75 cents a day...

... less than a cup of coffee, you too can sponsor a child.

Well, actually it's up to $1.00 a day but that's inflation for you. Harry is just being whiny and playing the "I'm pathetic" card in the above photo but there are some other kids that could actually use your help.

Holt Sponsor a Child Site

Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

And now for something completely different...

A recipe to try that's reasonably healthy and quite tasty.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
6 oz baby spinach
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp light cream cheese
16 oz green salsa
8 tortillas
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 sour cream

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and mushrooms; saute 5 min
2. Add spinach and salt; cook 1 min or until spinach wilts
3. Drain; return mushroom mixture to pan
4. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min, stirring frequently; remove and set aside
5. Heat 1 cup salsa over low heat
6. Dredge tortilla through salsa; spoon 1 tbsp mushroom mix in tortilla
7. Fold and place on Foreman Grill; cook until done
8. Top with salsa, cheese, and sour cream

It should look like this.

The New Baby

So we are in the home stretch awaiting the arrival of the second child. We have known for sometime that we are going to be having a baby girl but after the last ultrasound we have a new tidbit of information.

We are going to be having a baby with a 97th percentile head. Of course when I say "we" I really mean Amy. I will just be there marveling at our giant brained daughter and trying to think of something comforting to say to Amy. Perhaps "With this giant brain of hers she will undoubtedly get a full ride to some prestigious school."

Anyway, without further ado I present a 97th percentile baby girl head.


And now I will add a hint for those who wish to guess the name of our top heavy baby. The name appears in The Lord of the Rings. Of course this clue has already been widely disseminated but I have another. What would Samwise Gamgee do in my situation?

Great Great Grandfather's Gun

So I went back another generation and picked up James Hart's shotgun from Jeff. This one is an import from Belgian made by the Neumann Brothers. The Brothers went out of business in 1957 and those World Wars that kept starting in Belgium may explain why no records of these guns exist. What I have been able to determine is that the gun is worth very little and is considered a "Wall Piece." It is basically something you'd find in a T.G.I. Fridays next to a giant moose head and a picture of Marilyn Monroe.

A series of photos follow showing the "before" state of the gun.

A side view of the gun showing the double triggers and the external hammers. Note the markings indicating it was "Machine Made." There were no fallible humans involved in this work of art. The other side says "Neumann Brothers" but I didn't think that was as interesting.













Hammers cocked. The mechanism for this gun is very simple and there are no safeties to get in the way of smooth operation.

















The barrels are not fluid steel like the Remington 1900 but rather laminated steel. The gunsmith wrapped steel wire around a mandrel and then heated the whole thing up until the metal fused. The result is a pleasing banded look that is too weak to withstand modern shotgun shells. Still works as a wall ornament of course.