So You Think Your Life is Over? You're Past 30, 40, 50? You're Over the Hill? THINK AGAIN.

Last night, I was reading the updated version of Billy Graham's book Storm Warning, and it hit me.  The Reverend is still out there, writing best sellers -- and how old is he again?  And, what about Betty White?  She's on a hit TV show, and she's busy with a new clothing line aimed at helping her beloved animal shelter ....

Billy Graham was born in 1918.  Betty White was born in 1922.

Which means that ....

Billy was 30 in 1948.
Betty was 30 in 1952.

Billy was 40 in 1958.
Betty was 40 in 1962.

Billy was 50 in 1968.
Betty was 50 in 1972. 

Think about this -- and where you were back then (if you were even alive yet).  Compare yourself to where you were in 1968, when Billy turned 50, and where you are today.  Me?  I was in elementary school.

When I look at that -- Billy Graham was already 50 when I was eating out of a lunch box and watching cartoons on Saturday morning -- it makes me realize how much more of Life is ahead of me. 

Did Billy Graham at 50 think he'd have another best seller in 2010?  I dunno.  But it sure is amazing to ponder, isn't it? 

So, yes, Dear Reader -- you've got a lot of living to do!!!! Don't settle!  Don't become passive or scared.  Press on toward that abundant life.  Start today.

Help Families Keep Their Pets After the BP Oil Spill

It's just heartbreaking to think that family pets are being taken to Louisiana shelters because their owners simply can't afford to feed them.  I can't imagine how horrible that must feel, and what those parents experience having to explain this to their kids.

You can help.

The Eastern Louisiana SPCA has organized a special relief effort, just for this situation.  Get the details at their website. 

Bread from the Grocery: How to Tell How Fresh a Loaf of Bread is Before You Buy It

Image via Wikipedia

Buying a loaf of bread at the grocery shouldn't have to include a prayer that the loaf isn't already a week old and ready to start gathering mold the minute you get it home.

That's where those little plastic twistee ties or U-shaped tabs come into play. They are color-coded to help the stores know how old the bread is on their shelves. Know the code, and you know how old the bread is, too.

Yesterday, I picked up a loaf of 12 grain bread at WalMart - out of convenience.  I prefer to buy a specialty bread at another store, but you know how that goes.  Pepperidge Farm.  It looked pretty good, and past the squeeze test.

Came home, and looked up the color coding for the bread ties.  I found this at Snopes.Com: 

Monday = Blue

Tuesday = Green

Wednesday = Red

Thursday = White

Friday = Yellow

I found this same information duplicated at several sites, so it should be the industry standard, right?  Wrong.

I checked my bread loaf, and the twist tab was TAN.  That's right, Dear Reader.  A color that is not on the code list.  Tan.  Was it made on a Saturday? 

So, I surfed more and learned that those tricky manufacturing companies (no, I can't call them bakeries, I just can't) have caught on that we are learning the coding system, so each bread company has adopted its own color code. 

Who knows what the tan code means?  I better hurry and finish this loaf.