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January 13, 2012

Repent

Do not guilt me with my own beliefs
Even G-d requires a contrite heart
Full confession is the place to start
Before your soul will find release

Your choices aren't mine under any condition
Do not lay them at my feet
The cross is where guilt and the Savior meet

If you truly desire the fruit of contrition

To say that killing yourself either now or later
Does not make up for perverted whims
Suicide doesn't pay the cost of sins
When you stand before your Creator

For what has mattered from the start
Does not lie in the cost of what you did
But in your acceptance to no longer keep it hid
Confess it all with a broken heart

Do not seek to run from the past
For it is already behind you
Accepting it is what you must do
For forgiveness that counts and will last.

© 2012 Gina Locke

Guilty

The vile wind has stopped in place
Silvery raindrops hang unfallen
Your confession remains unspoken
And your silence fills this space

A space that time has left untouched
Unlike your once innocent victims
Their childhood broken at your hand
The pain of it now unhushed

How many wander through each hour
Gingerly dodging the frozen rain
Listening for the words you lack
Waiting release from your power

A power abused for too many years
To shroud your fiendish wants
Silenced by means of cunning force
By preying on childish fears

It is time to admit what you've done
To let the rain fall where it may
To cool the wounds of those you harmed
And give a fresh start to everyone.

© 2012  Gina Locke

January 11, 2012

Today's Glory (poetry)

The time to love is now
To cherish without regret
Allowing honesty to flow
Now, because things are hopeless
And disappointments prevail.

So let the intangible remain
Because hopeless without love becomes hatred
Regrets of that cherished brings pain
And disappointment lacking honesty untrue.

So give to this moment true glory
Color it bright that tomorrow's reflection
Of yesterday's glory remains.

©2011 Gina Locke

November 25, 2011

An American Thanksgiving Day Meal

For those who do not live in the United States, you may wonder what a typical, American meal is like for our Thanksgiving holiday. This year, I made a pretty traditional meal and decided to share it so others can see what it is like. Of course, Thanksgiving is a holiday that really focuses on food and being thankful for what we have, so it's usually the biggest, most grand meal of the year. In my family, there is enough food leftover to last for a few days. There are seven people in my home.

First, here is a photograph that labels what each food is. The cranberry sauce is not pictured. Underneath the photo, I will explain each food.  You can click on the picture to see it much bigger and be able to to read all the labels.


Turkey: Let's start with the turkey.A turkey is a type of large bird. You can see what live turkeys look like at this link: http://www.self-catering-breaks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/turkey.jpg  Some places in the United States raise turkeys in ways that don't seem very nice and sometimes they feed them stuff I don't think is good for them, so I bought my turkey from a place called Organic Prairie. Organic means that the turkey was not given hormones to help make it grow and not given antibiotics. The turkey was fed good food, stuff turkeys like and that wasn't grown with pesticides and such.
I roasted my turkey in an oven. Before I did that, I soaked it in water for almost 24 hours. I put salt, ginger, garlic, and a couple other spices in the water. Before I put it in the oven, I made a glaze. I did this by boiling together maple syrup, ginger, molasses, a bit of water, orange juice, and a few other tasty things, then spread it all over the turkey. The turkey was around 13 pounds, so it took about four hours to bake at 300 degrees. However, I turned the over to 350 degrees for the last 45 minutes.

Stuffing: Some people fill the inside of a turkey with stuffing. That way they both cook at the same time. I don't like to do that, so I make the stuffing separate. There are many different types of stuffing. Some use corn, some use rice, some use bread, some add oysters...the list goes on and on. Last year, I made a stuffing with wild rice, almonds, and fruits. This year, the one you see in the picture is made with bread. I made it by drying out pieces of bread and cutting them into small squares. After that, I sauteed the bread with melted butter. Butter is made from the cream found in cow's milk. Some people in the United States use margarine, which contains more oil and water, so it has less fat than butter. However, I try to use butter since it is more pure and I think it tasted better, especially on a holiday! Now back to the stuffing. As I sauteed the bread, I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a spice called sage. Then I took another pan and sauteed mushrooms, celery, and leeks. Leeks are like onions, but they have a more mild flavor. They look like this:CLICK HERE  I mixed the bread, mushrooms, celery and leeks together in a baking dish, then poured some broth over it and stirred it just a bit, then baked it in the oven.

Sweet Potatoes: These are very easy to make! Sweet potatoes are just what they sound like: potatoes that are sweet. Some are more white inside, but I like the ones that are orange inside because they are a little more sweet and they are very creamy and smooth. All you have to do is bake them. A lot of people call orange sweet potatoes "yams," but that is the wrong word. A yam is very different and many people in the United States have never seen one since they are usually only sold in specialty markets. However, lots of stores make the mistake of labeling orange sweet potatoes as yams, so a lot of people make that mistake. So when you hear that lots of Americans eat yams on Thanksgiving or Christmas, the truth is that most of them are eating sweet potatoes. I simply bake my sweet potatoes and people can add what they want to give them some flavoring, but a lot of Americans either cut them up into squares or mash them after cooking them, then they add brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows and bake them a little longer. I've done that before, but that makes them very sweet and hides that good potato flavor so I don't do it much anymore.

Mashed potatoes: I made these too since not everyone in the family likes sweet potatoes. I used regular white potatoes, which are small and not sweet at all. They're also easy to make. You cut them up, boil them in water, then drain the water out. Then you use a potato masher to crush them up until they get smooth. I like to keep some chunks still in there so they have a nice texture. I add butter and cream to them and a bit of salt and some fresh ground black pepper. I only use cream in mashed potatoes during the holidays. At other times of the year, I add water or milk to make them less dry.



Green Bean Casserole: I don't know who first started making this, but it's very popular during the holidays. I don't think it's that wonderful, but most other people do and I want them to be happy, so I make it anyhow. You just take green beans and ruin them. HA HA HA! Okay, so here's how you REALLY do it: You buy condensed mushroom soup in a can. You then mix a can of that soup with some milk and add black pepper and mix it up. Then you add canned green beans and mix it up. Then you add dry, fried onions that are also sold in cans. Then you bake it. See? That's why I don't like it. Everything comes out of a can and you don't really do any work, and I feel like part of the holidays is working hard at making the food that will feed your family. It is a special time of year, so if a person is healthy and able to work, it's a great time to show people how much you care by putting extra time and effort into feeding them. A lot of Americans get pretty lazy in how they cook now because you can buy almost everything already prepared or partially prepared. That is nice for times when a person is busy, but unfortunately, it's becoming very normal for people to do this all the time and it means that it's getting harder and harder to find people who really know how to cook real food by themselves.

Bread rolls: I'm pretty sure everyone knows what bread is! These are simply little loaves of bread. They have rosemary in them. Rosemary is an herb. I grow it in my herb garden. It looks like this: PICTURE OF ROSEMARY

Apple Pie: This is a popular dessert in America. I like making it and my husband loves eating it. I make pastry crust and put it in the bottom of a pie pan, then slice up the apples. I add cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and a little bit of vanilla to the apples, then put them in the pie pan. Then I cover it with another pastry crust and put holes in the top so the heat can escape as it bakes. A lot of people like to eat apple pie while it is still warm. Some people like to put ice cream on top. I don't see it a lot, but sometimes people will put a slice of yellow cheese on top and eat it that way. I think putting cheese on a piece of apple pie would taste yucky!

Pumpkin Pie: Most Americans can't imagine a Thanksgiving dinner without a pumpkin pie! Pumpkins are ready for harvest shortly before Thanksgiving, so it's the perfect time to use them. Pumpkin soup, baked pumpkin, mashed pumpkin...there's a lot of ways to make it, but everyone knows that if it is Thanksgiving, you use it to make a pie! The pumpkin is baked or boiled and then made smooth. It is mixed with the spices a person likes. Usually that includes spices like cloves, nutmeg, and powdered ginger. There is no top crust on a pumpkin pie, just a bottom one. Before it is baked, the pumpkin mixture is pretty liquid. After it cooks, it firms up and gets more firm as it cools. Pumpkin pie is best when it is served cold. Some people put a topping on it that is made out of cream. Most people buy the topping in the store, but I like to make mine. It is very easy to make. I simply buy heavy cream, add a bit of sugar and vanilla, then whip it, then whip it some more, and keep whipping it with an electric beater until it gets thick enough to serve with a spoon.

Pickles: Pickles are small cucumbers that put into pickling juices to preserve them. They are crunchy and sour. My oldest daughter and I like to use the rolls, turkey, and pickles to make turkey and pickle sandwiches.

Olives: We like both black and green olives, but this year we just had black olives. I think everyone knows what olives are, but if you don't, here is a website that talks about them: ALL ABOUT OLIVES

I think everyone knows what the rest of the stuff is, but feel free to ask me about anything you don't know about or about anything I've already written.

I hope you enjoyed this little insight into American culture. I'd love to hear from you if you live in another country and want to share what a meal is like for you on one of your country's major holidays!

© 2011 by Gina Locke

August 11, 2011

Abercrombie and Fitch: Apple MacBook Air Contest/Update

Three of my children shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch at the mall the other week. They received cards to enter a drawing for an Apple MacBook Air and one of them won! This is perfect timing - she is an honors student and our computer is quite old, so it slows her down while doing schoolwork. We're sending in the proper paperwork and they'll ship her this awesome new product!

As her mother, I'm very grateful to this store for holding this contest. This is something I couldn't have done for her on my own and it will help her immensely in her studies.

Abercrombie and Fitch, thank you! My daughter is thrilled and this prize will really help her out with her studies for a while to come.

The computer arrived in perfect condition. The quality is simply amazing and it came fully loaded. We were all really surprised that such a small little thing is so powerful! Other than that, I can't tell you much as we rarely see it! She's very happy to have something so special all to herself. This computer is a DREAM for a school student. Fast, light, stylish, and has everything she needs to do her research, save her stuff, and type out assignments. Shoot, it would be a dream for ME!

Sure the free factor is great, but now that I've seen it at home and in action, I can and will honestly say that I think it's an impressive piece of machinery and I'd love to have one of my own some day. Although I write for pay, I'd not have looked twice at it as my impression of it prior to actually holding and seeing it at home was that it was more faddish and something to show off and just play on rather than functional. (I NEED functional!) Now it's my goal to actually get one of my own. I have some vision problems and expected to have some trouble seeing the screen, but it is bright and crystal clear to me. Two thumbs up!

July 27, 2011

OKC Zoo - Baby Elephant Video

I put this as an i-Report and they put it on CNN.

The video is of Maylee, a newborn elephant at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Pictures of some other animals, along with some other photos that go along with the story about our heat wave, follow the video. The story is underneath the video and photos.

I'm still smiling over the experience of getting to watch this super adorable baby elephant splash in her pool! I don't know if I've ever had so much fun doing a story. While all we had to record with was an i-Phone, the quality of a video taken on a phone surprised me. I expected less.


ENJOY!  Copy and paste the link below into your browser if it isn't clickable.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-640605

BTW, don't forget there's a PayPal donation button on this page. I'd love to get a video-cam and a decent camera as my poor camera is showing her age and it's tough to get a decent shot anymore. However, I recognize these things are extras in life now that I'm not working for pay for my photography, (although that would be nice, but jobs out here in that area are non-existent, especially for a newcomer) so extra money goes towards the kiddos and household. If donations come in towards the equipment I'll be more than happy, if not, such is life. Do as you feel led.

July 20, 2011

American Idol Visits Tinker AFB, Oklahoma

 *photos follow story*

Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma hosted an American Idol LIVE! Tour 2011 meet and greet today for members of the Armed Forces and their families.  Fans quickly filled the Exchange Store, waiting for a chance to meet and obtain autographs from popular Idol performers.  While some fans expressed disappointment with the extremely short amount of time allowed per person and restrictions such as not allowing one young girl to have her violin case signed, most were thrilled to simply catch a glimpse of their favorite Idol and exchange a quick hello or grab a signature.

Despite tight security, the always-exuberant Casey Abrams suddenly hopped out of his seat to meet the embrace of a starry-eyed teen who stepped up to him with unbridled enthusiasm, creating what undoubtedly became an instantly treasured memory for the young fan.  Lauren Alaina bounced and bopped her way through the session, while Thea Megia graced fans with her effervescent smile as she expressed humble appreciation for each of her fans. Naima Adedapo brought her own unique sense of style and flair to the scene, right down to a pair of exceptional, beautifully designed earrings that perfectly complimented every part of who and what Naima is.

Despite the excitement, Jacob Lusk kept his cool and appeared to simply drink in the moment while seated at the end of the signing table.  Stefano Langone sat at the opposite end, matching Jacob's calmness while still managing to exude the charming personality, occasionally flashing the quick smile that quickly gained him high status in the hearts of people across the nation during his time on American Idol.

Season winner Scotty McCreery  got plenty of love from his followers.  With a casual outfit and baseball cap pulled low on his face, he sat in the middle of his fellow Idol singers and signed off his autographs with a cool, calm and collected attitude.

Kudos to American Idol and their sponsors for giving their time to our service men, service women and their families. Tinker Air Force Base deserves many thanks for hosting this event, giving members of the military a rare chance to meet American Idol contestants for no charge. The look on the faces of the fans who crowded into the main base Exchange expressed just how much this moment meant to them and their families and will not be forgotten anytime soon.

 © 2011 by Gina Locke

Jacob Lusk
Lauren Alaina
Stefano Langone
Paul McDonald
Naima Adedapo
Pia Toscano
Fans Eagerly Greet American Idols
Showing Scotty Some Love!