Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

samara \SAM-uh-ruh\ ~ noun

DEFINITION: a dry indehiscent usually one-seeded winged fruit (as of an ash or elm tree)

EXAMPLES: Pairs of samaras grew along the maple tree's branches.

"The samara looks much like a tiny green round ravioli, or those dots of explosive caps for toy guns of the past. These are the fruit of the elm tree, with the seed forming a reddish bump in the middle." -- From an article by Marilyn Sallee, posted February 22nd, 2011, on the Native Plant Society of Texas web site

DID YOU KNOW? Not familiar with the term "samara" referring to the winged fruit of the elm, ash, maple, and sycamore, among other trees? Then how about "key," "whirlybird," "helicopter," "whirligig," or "spinning jenny"? Those nicknames are all excellent descriptors of a samara. A samara resembles a key and when it falls its unique shape enables it to spin like a helicopter's rotor and drift away from its tree. Botanists began using the term "samara" in the late 16th century. In Latin, it means literally "seed of the elm."

~THE REBATE~

Its grilling season and from now until December 31, 2012 if you purchase a Blue Rhino propane tank, either with our without an exchange you can get $3.00 back.  To recieve the rebate just print out the form and mail it together with your original recipet and the original proof of purchase.  There is only one rebate allowed per household per calander year.

I hope you are all having a nice week so far.

C.Q.

Friday's Freebie...

Memorial weekend is finally here and its time to get out the Barbecue. Today's first freebie comes from Star Ranch Angus. While supplies last you can get a free sample of their Real American Steak Rub, just fill in the on line request form and they will have it on the way to you in no time. 

SC Johnson Right at Home is offering a free Summer Prep Gift Pack to the first 3,000.  The gift pack includes a full size canister of Deep Woods Off! and one pack of Shout Wipes, both great for all your summer barbecues.  Just fill in the on line form, gift packs will be mailed July 15th.

Have a great Friday and a safe weekend!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

funambulism  \fyoo-NAM-buh-liz-um\ ~ noun

DEFINITIONS:
1: tightrope walking
2: a show especially of mental agility

EXAMPLES: As a game-show contestant Brenda amazed us all with her funambulism, answering every question correctly to win the $10,000 first prize.

"I have some personal experience with funambulism, as both a performer and an instructor. When new students step onto the rope or cable (depending upon the particular rigging), they almost always begin with the same flawed game plan. They stare down at the wire to make sure that they have the proper footing. And so they fall." -- From Dan Thurmon's 2010 book Off Balance on Purpose: Embrace Uncertainty and Create a Life You Love

DID YOU KNOW? Back in ancient Rome, tightrope walking was a popular spectacle at public gatherings. The Latin word for "tightrope walker" is "funambulus," from the Latin "funis," meaning "rope," plus "ambulare," meaning "to walk." It doesn't take any funambulism on our part to see how the word for an impressive act of physical skill and agility came to mean an impressive act of mental skill or agility. That extended sense of the word has been around since at least 1886, when British academic and writer Augustus Jessopp described the act of diagramming sentences as "horrible lessons of ghastly grammar and dreary funambulism."


~THE REBATE~

We love chicken at our house so this was a perfect rebate for us.  Gold'n Plump is offering a free thermometer fork with the purchase of three Gold'n Plump whole chickens.  These are wonderful to use with your grilling outside.  Just fill in the rebate form on your computer then print it off and mail it in with your three UPC codes and the original cash register receipt with the prices circled.  All rebates must be post marked no later than February 28, 2011.  Only one rebate per household, allow 6 to 8 weeks for them to process your request.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

C.Q.

Happy 4th of July...

Its the first major holiday of the summer season and things are in full swing for 4th of July celebrations everywhere. Because its on a Sunday this year it seems like a lot of folks are planning on a two day celebration, and why not? It is, after all our nations birthday, and who doesn't like birthday parties? Whether you're planning on having an outdoor picnic or BBQ, going to a parade or just watching the fireworks this weekend, I have tried to put together some fun ideas.

Planning and outdoor family gathering? If you hare having young kids you can print off some cute pages for them to color in, if you hare having kids who are a little older here are some 4th of July word searches, you could even offer a small prize for the first one to finish theirs. 4th of July, signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the original 13 colonies. There are printing instructions near the bottom of the page for each puzzle.

Wow your guests with a great looking red white and blue Patriotic Drink, a fresh fruit flag, or Uncle Sam ice cream cones. For a new twist on your main course you could Mix up the tried and true BBQ chicken or burgers with Barbecue-Glazed Salmon or Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin.

If you are planning on going out to see the fireworks consider taking your camera with you. Kodak has some great advice on how to get the most from your fireworks photography.

If you are planning on staying home this weekend why not dress up your computer a little with free wallpaper or screen savers and check out some of the great sales being offered.

If you are sharing your 4th of July with a family pet remember that most animals will try to get away from loud noises. Trying to escape can mean broken windows, torn fences, chewed doors or dog crates, and result in lacerations, foot pad injuries, teeth and mouth injuries or worse as they try to run from the disturbingly loud noises. It doesn't matter if the fears are "rational" or not. It should be noted that scolding a frightened animal is not effective will only intensify the fears. It's best to keep your pet in a "safe room" like a basement or room with covered or no windows and some items to help ease the anxiety. Its important to note too that loud noises to us are deafening to your pet and can cause permanent hearing loss for them. Here are some steps to help your furry friend through the evening.

Here is a fun fact to share with your friends and family; On 4th of July 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed only by two people, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Have a fun and safe weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Memorible Memorial...

Memorial weekend is almost here, time to get the family and friends together and have a little backyard fun to kick off the Summer. I thought I would put together some great deals for backyard stuff that may be on your wish list for this year so it won't break the bank and you will have a little extra left over for the deluxe potato salad.

Bed Bath and Beyond has Woodstock Adirondack Chairs and Ottomans in blue on sale while supplies last. The chair is only $49.99 and the matching ottoman is $39.99. If you do not receive their email it may be worth signing up for as first time subscribers receive 20% off one item in-store certificate.

If its time for a new BBQ check out the new and improved Weber Gold Kettle Grill from The One-Touch Series. Its the original model with a little extra improvements like a hinged cooking grate and a high-capacity ash catcher so indirect grilling and clean up are easier. You can find the grill at Appliance Best Buys for $111.00, when I checked they had 11 of them left in stock.

If you looking for some backyard fun for your weekend here are a couple of fun things, Horseshoes is a great game that will keep everyone entertained for a long time and is easy to set up, you can find a nice set at Dick's Sporting Goods that includes 4 shoes, 2 poles, a case and rule book for only $24.98. For the football enthusiasts Dick's has a Wild Sales Football Bean Bag Set on sale for $24.99, marked way down from the list price $79.99. There is also the traditional Croquet set available for $39.98 and includes 6 mallets and balls, 9 steel wickets, 2 stakes, instructions and a case. There are a few other great deals available at Dick's so its worth surfing the site some. If you find some things you like they are offering free shipping on all orders over $69.00, in addition if you are a first time shopper with them you can enter coupon code WELCOME15 to take an additional 15% off your order, if you are not a first timer you can still get $5.00 off an order of $75.00 using coupon code DSP5OFF75.

I hope you all have a fun and safe Memorial weekend, I will be out of town so the Saturday article will be put on hold until the following week. Thank you to my readers for following my blog.

C.Q.