An extended hiatus

Grrrrrls is officially on an extended vacation.
I've started a business and my time for blogging grrrrrls is nil.
I'm happy to say business is off to a good start.

Summer is almost upon us and the Mink Island Blog will become more active. I'll be posting to my new business blog Smart Move Design Blog
and to my Photo Blog whenever I can.

Please stop by to any of the blogs above and say hello.
I will also try to visit my blogging pals more frequently, I miss you all!

Oil Gone

Many dishwashing detergents contain petroleum products, an unnecessary use of oil. A vegetable-based dish soap is a greener alternative widely available in natural food stores and even many supermarkets.

do your part: If every American household replaced just one 28-ounce bottle of petroleum-based dishwashing liquid with a vegetable-based product, the savings would amount to 82,000 barrels of oil.

Seventh Generation Products has one, learn more about it here

Do the test!

5 fun (Irish) facts for Friday

Here are a few trivia facts related to the Irish. Make your best guess then scroll down to the bottom of the page and see how you did.

1. What is the major difference between Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whiskey?

2. What state has a higher proportion of residents of Irish descent than any other state?

3. How many cities/towns are named Shamrock in the US?

4.In what year did Irish Government allow it's first-ever divorce?

5. What is the claim to fame of Montgomery Street in Dublin?

Whiskey and Bread Pudding

I went to an Irish whiskey and bread pudding tasting recently.
Five of us grrrrrls went and only one of us was a whiskey lover.
I personally just don't like it unless it is mixed with something.
BUT, we all did our little tasting quite nicely.
It consisted of Jamesons, Tullemore Dew, and Michael Collins.
Each of them served straight up and then again in mixed drinks.

Here is a little of what I learned about Irish Whiskey:

Whiskey is the anglicization of the ancient Gaelic term "visce beatha" translated as "water of life". Irish whiskey is believed to be one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe, starting around the 12th century. The old Bushmills distillery is the oldest licensed distillery. It was licensed by James I in 1608.

There is a new Irish Whiskey out! I want to try it just so I can ask for it. Feckin Irish Whiskey -as the ad says -a whiskey for the rogue in all of us

Bread pudding recipe coming later this week. Mmm mmm good.

Keepin it Green Thursday

This St. Patrick's day, resist the impulse to open the oven door and sneak a look—and then another—at how your corned beef and cabbage is doing. Every peek causes a 25- to 50-degree drop in temperature, which wastes energy as the oven struggles to regain its setting.





Walking into the bar, Mike said to Charlie the bartender, "Pour me a stiff one - just had another fight with the little woman."
"Oh yeah?" said Charlie, "And how did this one end?"
"When it was over," Mike replied, "She came to me on her hands and knees.
"Really," said Charles, "Now that's a switch! What did she say?"
She said, "Come out from under the bed, you little chicken."

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Cead Mile Failte!

This month is always a favorite in our family. Lots of wearing of the green, eating of the corned beef and celebrating the Irish traditions with family and friends. And the fact that spring arrives this month only makes it that much better. So in honor of our favorite month I'll be posting Irish jokes and tidbits until St. Patrick's Day.

Enjoy....

Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, "Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!"
Miraculously, a parking place appeared.
Paddy looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one."

5 fun facts for friday

How well do you know your alcohol trivia? Give it your best shot then scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how you scored.

1. Adding a miniature onion to a martini turns it into what?

2. What is the official spirit of the united states, by act of congress?

3. What non-alcoholic beverage can give a person a .02 BAC on a breathalyzer test?

4.What do Sandra Bullock, Tom Arnold, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, Kris Kristofferesen and Bruc Willis all have in common?

5. What does it mean if a young Tiriki man offers beer to a woman and she spits some of it into his mouth?

Uncorked!

Yemm & Hart, a company that finds innovative uses for recycled products, is soliciting wine bottle corks for a unique initiative. When the company has amassed six tons, they’ll begin converting the corks into coasters, clipboards, and flooring. Contributors will be eligible for discounts on the finished products.

you can do your part: Mail wine and champagne corks to Wine Cork Recycling, Yemm & Hart Ltd., 610 S. Chamber Drive, Fredericktown, MO 63645

Blogging Break

It's time for a blogging break.

I will still visit all my blogging buddies but am taking a hiatus from posting for an unknown length of time.

Happy blogging and see you soon!

"Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can,- there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did"

Five fun facts for Friday

Test your knowledge of the color blue

Give it your best shot then scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.

1. In Australia someone with this color hair is often called blue. What color hair is it?

2. What does blue funk mean?

3. What country do Blue Mountain coffee beans come from?

4. Who composed the classical piece Blue Danube?

5. What makes blue cheese blue?

Did you know?

Coffee was once grown mostly in shaded areas; today many growers are producing higher-yielding “sun coffee.” This practice requires extra pesticides and herbicides, can promote soil erosion, and reduces the habitat available to migratory songbirds including wood thrushes, tanagers, flycatchers, and Honduras orioles.

do your part: To support growers who use sound farming and harvesting practices, look for the USDA Organic and Bird Friendly symbols on the coffee package, or for a clear statement that the coffee is shade-grown.

Interested in more info? click here

P.S. Coffee is the second largest U.S. import after oil. Coffee drinkers have the potential to make a huge impact on the environment and economies of coffee growing nations.

An accident waiting to happen....

are what these signs are!
what we have here is the stop sign symbol placed on a white flag.
then these flags are placed every 20 feet or so in a local strip mall parking lot.
I counted 4 in front of one store.
These flags are a good foot taller than the standard stop sign.
do you know how many cars I observed slamming on their brakes as they realized too late what they were? or those who didn't notice them at all?
somebody's going to get hurt.