Newsletter

The Bobberthon – How to catch a fish

Now through Saturday, September 11th

In conjunction with your local public fishing areas, the Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Tourism Division are hosting a two month bream tournament. The Grand Bobberthon tournament will be held on September 25, 2010, tentatively scheduled to occur at Dodge County Public Fishing Area (PFA). Up to 200 bream will be tagged in the Dodge County PFA, Flat Creek PFA, and Ocmulgee PFA. Anglers will register at community vendors in order to participate in the tournament. If an angler catches a tagged fish, they will return the tag to the vendor at which they registered. All anglers that catch a tagged fish are guaranteed a prize and will be registered for the Grand Tournament.

411 with Google is free!

Here is something you will want to have and use! Put this number in your cell and home phones!

Now for information simply dial Google:

1-800-goog411 (1-800-466-4411)

Guten Appetit! Good Appetite!

My son and his friend finished high school and they’ll start their “new college life” mid August at “Georgia Southern” in Statesboro/GA. Many friends and family attended good bye party and we talked about Germany and German food because we moved from Germany to the US 11 years ago. The same day a work mate and I talked about her Germany trip earlier this year and about the food over there. Everybody was asking me about the “famous” Kaesespaetzle so I decided to add some German recipes to our newsletter from time to time.

Guten Appetit! Good Appetite!

KAESESPAETZLE

“A tasty homemade pasta tossed with onion and Emmentaler cheese. A German version of macaroni and cheese.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 eggs
• 3/8 cup 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Emmentaler cheese

Directions

1.  Sift together flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Alternately mix in milk and the flour mixture until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes.

2.   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Press batter through a Spaetzle press into the water. You may also use a potato ricer, colander, or a cheese grater. When the Spaetzle has floated to the top of the water, remove it to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Mix in 1 cup of the cheese.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until golden. Stir in Spaetzle and remaining cheese until well blended. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

7 fixes to boost your home’s value

By Investopedia

It’s time to tackle home-improvement tasks you put off during the cold winter weather. There are lots of relatively simple and affordable things you can do to give your home a face lift. Your house will look better and your family will feel happier in it. As a bonus, you will also boost your home’s value.

1.  Add the perfect touch with paint

“A fresh coat of light paint on the interior walls can work wonders,” says Kelly O’Ryan of Coldwell Banker in Lexington, Mass. “Paint will always clean up dirty walls and give a room a better image.”

Although dark colors can be stylish, O’Ryan advises going for lighter shades to brighten things up in warmer seasons. Karol Nickell, editor-in-chief of Fresh Home magazine, offers this advice: “Smart color selections can make a small or cramped room appear dramatically larger. In the foyer, make a good first impression with similar tones mixed at different strengths. In the living room, a bold color paired with a white ceiling makes the room seem taller than it really is.”

2. Focus on the flooring

Good, well-maintained flooring can set a positive tone for the entire interior of your home.

“Like paint, flooring can help create an impression of spaciousness and airiness,” Nickell says. “Whether it’s a floating laminate floor, tile or a natural ‘green’ alternative, lighter-tone flooring can make formerly drab areas appear modern and streamlined.”

3. Lighten up the accents

“Spring (or summer) is a great time to change your window treatments and area rugs,” O’Ryan says. “Once again, dark colors are associated with winter months; a lighter, airy curtain will give any room a brighter and more pleasant appearance. If your floors are in great shape, you may want to remove the area rugs and leave the floors bare. Eliminating the rugs will open up the room and make it appear larger.”

4. Update the windows

Old windows aren’t just ugly — they can also let your heat and air conditioning escape, costing you big bucks.

“While window treatments are typically a focus in many home makeovers, the actual windows themselves are often overlooked,” says Victor Gonzales Maertens, an energy efficiency expert with Lennox Industries. “However, upgrading old single-pane windows with new Energy Star-qualified windows can save an average of between $126 and $465 per year on energy bills, and some new windows qualify for the federal tax credit.”

5. Weed out bad landscaping

Neglected bushes and overgrown lawns can kill a home’s curb appeal. Don’t worry – you don’t need a green thumb to spruce up your yard.

“Clean up the site by removing any dead or dying plants, branches and flowers,” suggests Jennifer Hoxsie, landscape designer with Greenhaven Landscapes in Lake Bluff, Ill. “Prune overgrown shrubs along the home’s foundation so they are below the windowsills and off walkways and driveways. Fill empty holes with site-appropriate plants. Have all the planting beds weeded, edged and mulched for a clean, crisp look. Finally, weed and fertilize the lawn and provide supplemental watering if necessary to maintain a lush green carpet.”

6. Add decorative touches to the yard

We’re not talking about plastic pink flamingos or creepy garden gnomes. Taylor Graves of CertainTeed building products says, “Adding benches, steppingstones, fountains or other garden accents could go a long way in making your outdoors a visually appealing and welcoming environment.”

7. A few final exterior touches

While you’re outside, a few other quick moves can make a big difference.

“Add color with paint to outdoor features such as window frames, decorative beams and porches,” says Kurt Gleeson, national vice president of sales for RealEstate.com. Stick with calm colors that complement the home’s exterior color scheme, avoiding shocking shades and drastic contrasts.

“Clean external brickwork or concrete slabs with a liquid masonry cleaner to make them look new and neat. Power washing can give external stonework, walkways and front stoops a quick makeover.”

Spruce things up
By investing a few bucks and some elbow grease, you can boost your home’s image – and value – quickly this spring.

churlish
Pronunciation: /churl-ISH/
adj : rude or bad tempered
“He attributed his churlish attitude to the headache he was suffering.

Quote of the Day
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”
- Vince Lombardi