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Hello Sparkypeeps!
It is I, The Incredible Exploding Wombat, welcoming you to the first monthly newsletter produced by the 'new' team. Its not
very likely that we'll get things 100% right straight away, so please bear with us through any teething troubles. If you have
any comments about all this (and I hope you do or its been a bit of a waste of time!), please post them on the 50+FA message
boards, Sparkmail any member of the editorial team, or leave a comment in the guestbook (which you can do from the Newsletter
home page). Also, bear in mind that I'm English, so please forgive the occasional UK spelling (like 'colour' over there in
the birthstone box) or UK word-usage ("Knock me up at six please, vicar"). Oh, and in case you were wondering, the
picture up there to the left is
"March", from the 'Très riches heures du duc de Berry'
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Men's Corner
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What Women Should Learn About Men
Women, learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't
hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
Birthdays, Valentines, and Anniversaries are not considered by us to be opportunities to see if we can find the perfect
present again!
Sometimes we are not thinking about you. Live with it.
Ask for what you want. Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!
We don't remember dates. Ever!!
Most blokes own three pairs of shoes. What makes you think we'd be any good at choosing which pair, out of thirty, would
look good with your dress?
Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.
Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.
If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.
If you think your bum looks big in that, it probably does. Don't ask us. We've been tricked before!!
If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
Let us ogle other women. We are going to look anyway; it's genetic.
You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it,
just do it yourself.
We don't NEED to ask directions. We'll get there eventually.
ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a colour. Fuchsia is
a flower. We have no idea what Mauve is.
If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
We are not mind readers and we never will be. Our lack of mind-reading ability is not proof of how little we care about
you.
If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing", we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but
it is just not worth the hassle.
If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as navel fluff, the 4-3-3 formation,
or Sarah Chalke's legs.
BEER is as exciting for us as handbags are for you.
Thank you for reading this; Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight, but you know, it's like camping.
by Wombat
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March Recipe - it's a Fiesta!
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Baked Chicken Fajitas
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilies, drained (14 1/2 oz can)
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 T canola oil
2 teas chilli powder
2 teas ground cumin
1/4 teas salt
12 flour tortillas (6 inches) warmed
In a 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, combine the chicken, tomatoes, onion and peppers.
Combine the oil, chilli powder, cumin and salt. Drizzle over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees
for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Spoon onto tortillas; fold in sides.
Yields 6 servings of two fajitas.
Two fajitas equals 340 calories, 8g fat (1g sat fat) 44mg cholesterol, 330mg sodium, 41g carbs, 5g fiber, 27g protein.
Peppered Cilantro Rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 finely chopped sweet yellow pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T olive or canola oil
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
3/4 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
2 T minced fresh cilantro or parsley
In a saucepan, sauté the onion, peppers and garlic in oil for 2-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the water, rice,
salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 18-22 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from
the heat. Add cilantro; fluff with a fork.
Yield 6 servings
1 serving (2/3 cup) equals 156 calories, 3g fat (trace sat fat), 0 cholesterol, 295mg sodium, 30g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g
protein.
Make the two recipes together, invite over some friends and you have a "fiesta night"!
by Catherine
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CALENDAR for MARCH
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1
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St. David's Day
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2
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Mother's Day (UK)
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9
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Daylight Savings Time begins (US)
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16
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Palm Sunday
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17
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St. Patrick's Day
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21
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Good Friday; Full Moon
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23
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Easter Day
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24
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Easter Monday (Canada)
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30
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British Summertime Ends (UK)
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Let Them Eat Cake!
March birthdays by Ellen
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2nd
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BETTY925 (Betty)
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5th
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NURSE12 (Barb)
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12th
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EVASUE (EvaSue)
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13th
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NANCY2007 (Nancy)
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14th
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KMARTINS
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15th
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JODY-S (Jody)
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18th
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LAURIEMB1976 (Laurie)
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27th
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SASSY333
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27th
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ARIES2 (Karen)
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28th
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SHE350
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30th
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ALASKAN (Erna)
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Happy Birthday to all !!!
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Landmarks of Life
Anniversaries by Jenna
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First, some we missed in February, and then upcoming ones for March -
Feb 3rd-
-Audrey (YERDUA) 2006 joined SP
Feb 11th-
-Karen (MAAMOU) 2007 joined SP
Feb 14th-
-Janice (FLASUN) 2008 Married 32 years
Feb 22nd-
-Janine (JANINEINSD) 2007 joined SP
Mar 7th-
-GRANKAT, 2007 Joined SP
Why don't you let us know YOUR special anniversaries? What date did you get married, when did you join Spark, when did you
give up drink/smoking, when did you have your first... well, you get the idea. Let us know by posting in the Anniversary thread
on the team forum, or by Sparkmailing Jenna, so that we can congratulate and celebrate with you.
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NEWBIES!
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New Team Members by Rose Marie (with comments by Wombat in brackets)
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A hearty Welcome to the February Newbies - JANNIEWANNIE and JWEBB8 (whom we know nothing about yet). JUSME4NOW, Sharon, is
from Commerce, CA. MAWSHE from Mississippi loves cross-stitch (ooh, so does my daughter!), Law & Order, and collects teapots.
EUNICEMONTERO feels better when at healthy weight. SANDYFEET loves the beach. CISSIE3 is a mother of two, shares her home
with two cats and likes mysteries. DEBHAWKINS (another secretive type, eh?). WAN2BHIKING, Dianne, lives in the high desert
of Southern California, shares home and life with two black labs (hurray for labs, says Ben!), loves travelling, hiking, and
reading. HEALTHYDESIRE, Cindy, is mother of 6 children living at home and her favourite movie is 8 hours long. ADNICUL44,
Lucinda, loves to read, play on the computer, and to swim. She is a grandmother of three. REDHATTER54 (an enigma). MARJORIE55
is from Cranbrook BC Canada. She loves reading and crocheting, mother of two, grandmother of three. CARRIEWILLLOSE is getting
a new start to healthy weight. TOBEGREAT from Minnesota is retired, has a four legged exercise machine called Bosley, mother
of two, Grandmother to four. LBLACK1, Linda, has been married for 31 years, and has 1 stepdaughter and 1 son, age 21 who is
currently in college.
And welcome back to MAAMOU, Karen from Southern Illinois likes Sudoko.
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The March of Time
1794 - Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin.
1807 - Britian abolished slave trade.
1876 - Telephone was patented.
1918 - Daylight savings time was introduced.
1925 - The first transatlantic radio broadcast.
1953 - Stalin died.
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