Now even attorneys love these types of tortes. 

Gold Bars from the Swiss Gnomes to you! 

Chocolate roses for Valentines-A Rose by any other name is still chocolate! 

Chocolate and More Chocolate

Chocolate

The Swiss have taken over the world. The tools of their take-over are not guns or arms-but chocolate. For a link to Nestle go to www.nestle.com.

The Swiss gnomes are not in the banks but are hidden in the Board rooms of the Swiss Chocolate Companies staying up late at night in order to maintain world dominance of the Chocolate cartel. They are hidden away in mahogany lined board rooms in Lausanne and Zurich.

Inside Chocolate is the hidden ingredient that once you taste it makes you a chocolate addict. Little children take their school money and instead of spending it on turnips and spinach as they should are seen sneaking off paying their hard earned pennies and nickels to buy things like chocolate milk.

Their mothers are as addicted to chocolate as their daughters believing that chocolate is one of the seven major food groups. The husbands and fathers are expected to bring gifts of chocolate for every male offense, and believe me there are plenty of offensives. There is no female forgiveness without chocolate being somehow involved.

The chocolate cartel has spent years infiltrating the world’s religious and cultural systems with the chocolate schemes. There is chocolate in every stocking and chocolate Santa Claus’s galore.

Then there is Valentines. What is Valentines without flowers and chocolate.

Next comes Easter. There are chocolate rabbits, and chocolate eggs. The eggs have chocolate in the inside and sometimes chocolate on the outside.

Then there is Halloween. No Halloween is complete with a bag full of chocolate.

During the winter months we stay warm with cocoa and hot chocolate.

During the summer months it is time for chocolate ice cream.

For our birthday the perennial there is the chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake.

Then there is chocolate for our anniversaries and those special occasions such as eating out.

There is chocolate mousse, chocolate tortes, chocolate cheese cake and death by chocolate.

Chocolate comes in gold wrappers, silver wrappers in candy bars it comes in M&M’s etc. etc.

It is the perfect food. It cures cancer, helps your digestion, brings peace to the stressed life and generally serves as the comfort food of choice.

For those of us who like alcohol, you can even purchased chocolate that is impregnated with delicious liquors. The best of all worlds. Alcohol and chocolate.

There are chocolate rabbits, chocolate chickens, chocolate cars and chocolate hearts. Chocolate can take the shape of almost anything we desire.

Movies are made about chocolate and books are written about it.

There are chocolate candies, chocolate cookies, chocolate chips and chocolate ice cream.

The world overflows with chocolate-but we still can not get enough.

Chocolate may be the solution to the world’s ills. If we give enough the each person it is suspected that we may be able to achieve world peace and satisfaction.

So here is to Chocolate-the perfect food. Some call it the food of the gods.




Some chocolate links:

Hershey

Hershey’s Chocolate world
Godiva
Lindt
Toblerone-
Cadbury
Virtual Chocolate
The Sweet Science of Chocolate
Ghiradelli
M&Ms-

You will note that Harbow's real name is on the Certificate. Puleese---keep it very confidential! 

Harbow walks across the stage. This is one of HarleyDad's best pictures. You will notice how beautiful the Harbow is ! 

Itinerary

It was a busy weekend. On Friday evening we went to Branson. On Saturday we went to Harrisonville, Ark. then down Scenic 7 to Russelville, Ark. Princessbelle had a Karate Tournament. There were competitors there from Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas and Texas.

Instead of tropheys, the awards were Chinese eggs. Princessbelle got second in Kumite but she did well in both Kata and Kumite. As is often the case, Princessbelle was the only girl in her group and had to beat out some boys. Way to go, Princessbelle!! Then I had to explain to her why boys get so upset when they get beat.

On Sunday, we headed to Outer Ozarklandia High School of Learning to see the granddaughter get inducted into the Honor Society.

Now after umpteen years and four kids I can now get either a Bumper Sticker that brags "My Prize Pig is an Honor Student at Ozarklandia High School" or "Don't you wish you had a granddaugher that is beautiful and smart as mine". Hmm, which one shall I choose! And until now I did not even like bumper stickers.

Also I have selected a couple of the great pictures I took. I hope you like them! Mr. Monarch has a new camera (He shoots like a butterfly but his pictures sting like a bee). It takes 6 megapixel pictures and has a strobe that allows him to shoot in the dark from across the auditiorium. I admitted that I had camera envy. On the other hand it is so large that I would have to add a trailer behind my Harley in order to carry it.

On Wednesday we head for Big D, then Brokerbelle and Princess go to Bearland, then off to see the Grand Patriarch and Grand Matriarch. We also expect to see Sprarky and Bride and get the latest secrets on 99 ways to do a souffle while offing a terrorist by telling redneck jokes. Sparky has promised to show Princessbelle a few ways to deal with terrorists, karate competitors or parents, the military way. I am not too sure I am going to like this!

HarleyDad

Ah, Arbol del Amor, the Tree of Love! 

Local Red Buds lording it over a non-productive telephone pole. "Don't you wish you could bloom where you are planted!! " A good case of "Red Bud envy."

Red Bud across the street from Harley Dad 

The Red bud makes its appearance at Faith and New Hope Church 

The Dogwood at Faith and New Hope next to the cross. 

The Dogwood is in bloom. 

Red Bud vs. Dogwood

Red Bud

The Red Bud tree has a bad rap. It is known as Cercis Canadensis. The Greek Word "kerkis" means "tree." So it is the "Canadian Tree" but it does not really favor Canada but instead we find the beautiful red bud in the Southern U.S.

Interestingly, the Red Bud tree is also known as the Judas Tree. The legend is that Judas Iscariot hung himself from a branch of the European species called Cercis siliquastrum. The latin word "siliquastrum" refers to the pods or fruits (siliquia) of the tree. In France, the tree is known as the "Tree from Judea (l'arbre de Judee). The belief is that the buds of the red bud were once white but after Judas hung himself from the tree, the buds have been bright red.

The tree buds in April often during or just after the Easter season.

I think being called the Judas tree is a bad rap for the tree. It is like naming your kid Benedict Arnold. (Bad in the U.S. but probably OK in England.)

The Red Bud is a beautiful tree and is in bloom as I write this. Some pictures are posted above.

The Red Bud is like many of us. Much of our lives we appear ordinary. When you see the Red Bud during 50 weeks of the year it is an ordinary tree. But God makes up for its ordinariness. Its wood is not even able to be used for many purposes because it is small and twisty. But for two weeks a year God crowns this tree with astounding glory. In April, the Red Bud goes center stage and becomes the most beautiful of trees.

Many of our lives reflect the red bud. A time comes that God brings out the glory even in us ordinary people and we have our moment of glory and those moments are memorable. Despite the fact that this tree is ordinary 50 weeks of the year, it is probably one of the most favorite trees for planting due to the beauty it has for two short weeks.

I like the other name for the Red Bud. It is called the Arbol del Amor. The tree of Love. It is not surprising that it has this name.

Judas tree or not. I love the Arbol del Amor. God made it. And I find it beautiful.

Dogwood.

The flowering dogwood is formally known as Cornus florida. It is a deciduous tree from the dogwood family or cornaceae. Despite having the Florida name it is found through the eastern U.S. It is the state flower of North Carolina.

It is best known for its beautiful white and pinkish blossoms during the Easter season but it also has red fruits and crimson folliage during Autumn.

The legend is that the dogwood was the size of an oak tree at the time of the crucifixion and was selected to be the wood to be used by the cross. Because of the tree's sorrow and pity for the sufferings of Christ, Jesus promised tht it would never grow large enough again to be an instrument of suffering. Further the blossoms would be in the form of a cross with two long and two short petals. At the outer edge of each petal would be a nail print and in the center would be a crown of thorns.

There is a Poem that goes with the legend.

The Legend of the Dogwood

In Jesus time, the dogwood grew

To a stately size and a lovely hue.

'Twas strong and firm it's branches interwoven

For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.

Seeing the distress at this use of their wood

Christ made a promise that still holds good:

"Never again shall the dogwood grow

Large enough to be used so

Slender and twisted, it shall be

With blossoms like the cross for all to see.

As blood stains the petals marked in brown

The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.

All who see it will remember me

Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.

Cherished and protected this tree shall be

A reminder to all of my agony.

-author unknown-

Two great trees. I still like the Red Bud best.

Credo

Credo

I believe that God exists
And I believe that He is loving and good.
I believe that I can receive God’s love
And love others like I should.

I believe that men and women can repent
And can a new way even learn
And I believe that we can forgive
Because we have been forgiven in turn.

I believe that people can give their word
And keep it to their detriment and harm
And I believe that men and women
Can speak the truth and do so without alarm.

I believe that change is possible
And that God can help us love our brother.
And in us God puts His own gifts and abilities
Allowing us to help one another.

And I believe that faith is better than doubt
And hope is better than despair
And I believe that things will balance out
If not here, then later somewhere.

And I believe in Jesus Christ
And that He died for you and me.
And I believe in eternal life
And that life is more than just what we see.

And I believe in a band of brothers and sisters
That to Jesus have taken a vow.
And I believe in God’s Holy Church
And that you and I are a part of it somehow.

And I believe in heaven and earth
And to both we should show some care
Yet heaven of the two is the better place
And someday I hope to see you there.

H.D.

The iron gate has been transformed to silver. 

The wrought iron gate catches the evening sun 

The Dogwood begin to bloom 

The Redbuds bathe in the evening sun 

The Clouds lift.