The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

This year, the credit card corporations took a blow on Black Friday. Much more shoppers than ever used instant money instead. The proof is here: Shoppers favored instant cash over credit cards on Black Friday Much more individuals are using their own cash than burying themselves in financial debt. There was a 50 percent rise in use of fast cash instead of credit cards on Black Friday.

Hannah Montana is the name of a show on the Disney Channel(I believe). Miley Cyrus is the Hannah Montana character. Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, also plays her father on the show. The Hannah character plays a double life on the show. A normal high school girl and a rock star and no one knows she is the same person. That's about all I know about it.

Mainly, we spent the day relaxing and eating leftovers. Our son still wants to sleep so much and we cannot leave his side. The only reason the dr. let him come home was because we were both here and he knew someone could be with him at all times. My husband actually got him out to the barn and got him measuring and a bit of sawing with a non electric saw making a project he( our son) had dreamed up from some show he saw in the hospital. Myth busters, I think? He wanted to make a crash dummy and they did yesterday! It even has blocks of wood on the neck in something that makes it flex like a spine would. it is made of junk wood just laying around. I think they plan to make a head, hands, and feet in the coming days. My husband and son are into any and every type of art you can think of.

Oddly the only shopping I did was at two Amish stores and that was definitely laid back. Got my month's stash of ham, german bologna, and salami. Oh and they started carrying raw honey at an unbelievably affordable price and I got 4. I also got 2 dresses. All the sisters of this one family sell me dresses for between $6-10 and they are always their Sunday ones with the matching apron and are barely used. Generally, they graduate those to everyday work dresses, but they don't always keep track of the aprons since they wear only white ones for everyday. Anyhow, these dresses are fairly adjustable so I can wear the smaller sister's and the larger ones. Funny thing.... one sister almost never puts on any snaps to close the Sunday dresses on top in front( her other sisters do)and that is because the cape which is only worn on Sunday covers the top of the dress. And the back of the cape by the base of the neck is always pinned in two places rather than sewn. Some use hooks and eyes to keep the apron on, which does not tie, but I have gotten used to pinning it. I am too lazy to pin the cape to the apron and don't unless I am going somewhere. I have gotten better with pins - I stabbed myself alot at first and I could never get the cap pins in. I put my pins in my cap at an angle for a subtle difference.

On Christmas- I am not against celebrating Christ's birth even though it is not His birthday, but we long ago pulled away from the commercialism and pagan ties to some of the stuff. I don't sit in judgment at anyone else, though. I feel we should all work out these things with the Lord and hope that IS what those who say they are followers of Him do. My daughter is a devout Christian and she had her tree up last week. I say nothing and I do not judge. We do have a little nativity set and a few little things we have relented and put out, but we do not buy or accept gifts. We go to dinner at my in laws and later we always read the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. One of the first things we gave up was the tree and lights because we could not find any lights not made in China. At the time we were protesting the slave labor in China.

I have no idea about this Hannah Montana person except we have a neighbor girl of 9 who has decided she IS Hannah Montana and has a tantrum if she is not called by her name. Her real name is Montana, so i expect that has had a bit to do with her obsession. I have mostly heard about the obscene amounts of money people have spent to take their children to see this girl.
Joanie

GOD BLESS YOU

Not for Hannah Montana - do you think it has anything to do with Billy Ray Cyrus? I think I heard he was on a TV show by that name.

LINES - does anyone remember when folks camped out on the lawn and driveway of model homes for a chance to get a number to be able to possibly be able to buy a house? Now look at the situation.

Come January there is no longer a Cincinnati Post which carries
the Amish Cook.  Reading editor Kevin's blog about sending out
invoices to editors in hopes that they pick up the column for another
year makes me wonder if the Cincinnati Enquirer is going to pick up the
Amish cook?  I really enjoy reading it every week

I spent the day doing house work (oh what joy! lol) and put up our Christmas Tree and various decorations. 

I'm wondering if anyone has already put up their Christmas Tree :)

  I did go out shopping for a couple bargains, not at 5:00 a.m. though, and got myself right back home in time for leftovers.  I don't remember my parents shopping for bargains for Christmas.  We didn't get as many gifts as parents give today, or as expensive.  We were always happy with what we got with the emphasis on the meaning of Christmas.

Regading Hannah Montana.  I did see her on Oprah early this week and she is a very pleasant, grounded young lady.  I think if the teenagers are going to have someone to look up to, she would be the one, as opposed to Britney, Partis, Lindsay, etc.  She can sing (not my style) and her parents are genuinely interested and involved in how she conducts her life.

P.S. Kevin, yes we have a Top Foods in the area.  Just off of Interstate 5, south of Tacoma, north of Fort Lewis.  I don't shop there.  I shop closer to my home.

I don't understand this early shopping thing. JCPenny opended at 4 this morning. What is whith that. How would you like to get up at 2 or so in the morning to go to a job that only pays around 8 to 10 an hour.   Also dont understand the popularity of Hanna Montana. She was on the Oprah show I think it was Wendsday and the girls just went wild.  Maybe I'm to old for that. I grew up in the Elvis era and my two sisters thought he was just the thing.   Ron

I don't get it...pictures in todays paper showing people camping on sidewalks since 10:30 yesterday so they can by some new laptop...WHY??

I don't remember this going on during the 50's, 60's or even 70's...

I also don't have a clue to who Hannah Montana is...