Simply Southern~The Way It Was and Is ~Hunting Paradise in God,GrandKids,Fireflys and Whipporwills: economy ,christmas =giveaways around the blog...

Good morning readers.
Hope your weekend is looking good.We missed the snow and ice here in south central alabama,i for one am glad.If it were just the beautiful snow i would love it,but here we do not see it often and when it happens it means busted pumps,water lines and people get very sick.So for all of those reasons i don't wish it here.I am sure in this state of economy we have there are lots of people as well that can not afford the heating cost either.In a lot of states there is a high deposit on gas ,elec. etc already but down here it has always been low.I heard the other day that a girl paid 550.oo to turn on her families power (not bad credit either) and greg,a friend of ours,just turned on his gas and cost 450.00!That may not be high elsewhere but here that is 2 weeks of working check!A friend was joking about the economy the other day and saying glad they lived here ,they could not tell any difference.Everything did cost a little less here ,but the money is far less than elsewhere.I suppose that too must change.To all of you out there struggling in this i am sorry.I truely feel this all will pass(if not time for the lord) if so it will get far worse for 7 years...otherwise i know we can survive this intact,we just must use commonsense.If you can not pay for it with cash,DONT BUY IT! That is all it comes down too.We have turned into a greedy nation and we must quit this mindset is we dont want to loose all.
A lot of folks worry about christmas.Think outside the box.There are tons of ideas online for you to do this year for your loved ones and friends that are free or very inexpensive.Just look around ,you will see.Lot of folks ,including me,have found wonderful gift items at thrift stores,christian centers,goodwill,etc..try these places out.Better to shop that way than die of stress come spring because you are in bankruptsy or worse!!!! I shop these places often,have volunteered in 3 of them over th years when i had time..Really nice and sometimes new items for pennies on the dime.Make some handcrafted items..And a way i make a little extra money is with surveys.You just must be very careful the sites you sign up with that are legit.Email me and i will be glad to post all the sites i am signed on and have been paid with.I also love dong contest and have won at times.To these bloggers offering the contest for us i thank you.Some of you never know the help and blessings you are...
have a great weekend and good luck ..contest below....

God Bless Us All and Merry Christmas!!!

Betty R.~Simply Southern
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A Wonderful Sight

December 12 — The Full Cold Moon
Sky watchers will be dazzled by an exceptionally high, bright, and large Moon. In fact, this Moon is 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full Moons this year. Why? The Moon is both in its full phase and at a point in its orbit that is nearest Earth, called its perigee. When these events occur together, the Moon is closer to Earth than usual. The effect? The Full Cold Moon will appear especially large near the horizon as the Sun sets.

The Moon is also high at this time of year; when it's overhead (near midnight), it will light up the landscape. Take a magical stroll and see your world at night. You won't need a flashlight!
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here is a neat little tool i found .It measures how long it takes your blog to open..Check it out...

Stopwatch

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frugalmommyof2girls-wood shop giveaway-enter now
Contest will end December 18, 2008 9:00 PM EST.
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frugalmommyof2girls-So one lucky reader is going to win ~ 160GB Portable Backup Drive - HD801!
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And here is the gift i am trying over and over for and who else but an island review has it up for grabs now!One of my favorite blogs.I so much want to win ths for my little kolby!He just loves power rangers,tommy and bryant are his favs.This is what we do at bedtime is i start a made up story of power rangers and himand he completes it..And boy can he complete it,They have adventures from fighting the bears to him picking then up in his truck and swimming at the lake.He is only 3!!!!I wanna win this... make sure you get over there and enter in! islandreview/entertainment/power-rangers-feel-the-fury
contest ends Dec 19th
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also make sure you head too bandai.com! . Power Rangers Feel the Fury Sweepstakes! From now until Dec 12th, you can enter to win one of three ultra-cool prize packs:

* 1 Grand Prize Winner to receive a 2 minute toy aisle shopping spree worth $1,000
* 2 Winners to a 2 minute toy aisle shopping spree worth $250
* 10 Winners will each receive a Power Rangers Jungle Fury Mega Mission Helmet signed by the Red Ranger
i entered trying t win for my little kolby,age 3...hurry and enter!!!ends today!!!!
check out island reviews other contest by clicking on button!

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thesassysoutherner--win A Warm Mouse -contest ends Dec 15/US) contest ends dec 15th!
she also has these contest running as well..
Zebra Mix for little Chef's

**Every Daughter Wants to be a Princess

**Just Simply 4 Girls

**Imagine a box full of goodies
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Amanda is giving away one copy of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian on DVD. today!