A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....Hall of Fame #18

A Few of FR's Finest archives | January 9, 2007 | Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, GodBlessUSA, Aquamarine ~

Thank you to all our Hall of Famers and to all of you who have become part of our Finest Family ... as regular contributors and supporters who drop in every day to say hello.  We wouldn't be here without you. : )

It's been FOUR AND A HALF YEARS and we're still having fun. Hope you are. As promised, for your information and perusal, here is our 18th "Hall of Fame" - a list of all our threads from the very beginning ... from Monday, June 24, 2002, through the New Year's Weekend, January 01, 2007.

"Getting to Know You"

Previous Hall of Fame Threads

09-23-02 .................................. HALL OF FAME #1
12-31-02 .................................. HALL OF FAME #2
03-24-03 .................................. HALL OF FAME #3
06-25-03 .................................. HALL OF FAME #4
09-30-03 .................................. HALL OF FAME #5
12-30-03 .................................. HALL OF FAME #6
03-23-04 .................................. HALL OF FAME #7
06-29-04 .................................. HALL OF FAME #8
09-28-04 .................................. HALL OF FAME #9
12-29-04 .................................. HALL OF FAME #10
03-29-05 .................................. HALL OF FAME #11
06-28-05 .................................. HALL OF FAME #12
09-27-05 .................................. HALL OF FAME #13
12-28-05 .................................. HALL OF FAME #14
03-28-06 .................................. HALL OF FAME #15
07-01-06 .................................. HALL OF FAME #16
10-01-06 .................................. HALL OF FAME #17

October 2006

10-02-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
10-03-06 ............................................................OKTOBERFEST
10-04-06.........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
10-05-06 ...................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY
10-06,07,08-06 ........................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
10-09-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
10-10-06......................DOGGIE TAILS -WHY DOGS BITE (reprise)
10-11-06..........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
10-12-06 ....................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY
10-13,14,15-06 ......................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
10-16-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
10-17-06............................................................AUTUMN BIRDS
10-18-06.........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
10-19-06 ...................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY
10-20,21,22-06 ........................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
10-23-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
10-24-06 ..................................................AUTUMN SPLENDOR
10-25-06 .......................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
10-26-06 ... ................................................CAT TAILS - LIGERS
10-27,28,29-06........................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
10-30-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
10-31-06 .....................PUMPKIN PARADE: HALLOWEEN 2006

November 2006

11-01-06.........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
11-02-06.....................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY
11-03,04,05-06 ........................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
11-06-06 .......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
11-07-06................................................I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
11-08-06.........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
11-09-06....................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY
11-10,11,12-06................................VETERAN'S DAY WEEKEND
11-13-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
11-14-06.....................................HOLLYWOOD'S FINEST DAYS
11-15-06.........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
11-16--06....................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY.
11-17,18,19-06........................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
11-20-06 .....................................................MILITARY MONDAY
11-21-06 .......................................THANKFUL TO BE THANKFUL
11-22-06 ........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
11-23,24,25,26-06...............................................THANKSGIVING
11-27-06 ......................................................MILITARY MONDAY
11-28-06.......................................................MILITARY TRIBUTE
11-29-06.........................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
11-30-06...................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY

December 2006

12-01,02,03-06......................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
12-04-06.....................................................MILITARY MONDAY
12-05-06...........................................DECK THE HALLS, YA'LL
12-06-06.......................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
12-07-06.................................................JOHN HUANG ESSAY
12-08,09,10-06.......................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
12-11-06............,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,..MILITARY MONDAY
12-12-06................................................CHRISTMAS MUSIC
12-13-06.......................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
12-14-06...................................................JOHNHUANG ESSAY
12-15,16,17-06 ......................................T.G.I.F. AT THE FINEST
12-18-06........ .............................................MILITARY MONDAY
12-19-06 ..............FINEST CHRISTMAS POETRY & POTPOURRI
12-20-06 ......................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
12-21-06 ...................................................LET US ADORN YOU
12-22,23,24,25-06 .....POLAR EXPRESS - CHRISTMAS WKEND
12-26-06 ..............................MILITARY MONDAY ON TUESDAY
12-27-06 ......................................WARM FUZZY WEDNESDAY
12-28-06 ............................................PET DAY AT THE FINEST
12-29-06 THRU 01-01-07 .....A FINEST NEW YEARS WEEKEND

We're Here Because of You.

10-01-06 ~ Hall of Fame #17

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 01-08-07 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Billie]

[Billie]

[Anne of DC]

Two words

RAVENS RULE!

[DollyCali]

Happy Birthday to US!

thanks for doing all this work to keep us organized Billie!

great pledge & each time see it I comment how much i like the corduroy looking background in table.

snow falling here..terrible loss for the Buckeyes last night. The Gators clearly outplayed us & with a lot of class.

[sageb1]

A nice way to start the morning. You do such a beautiful job on the graphics!

[NicknamedBob]

They used to see my freckles when they looked at me,
And waves of curly hair upon my head.
My eyes would just be squinting out, below my knitted brows,
Some even thought my hair a shade of red.

Sun-bleached, I guess it was, because later it turned muddy brown,
And no one called me “carrot top” again.
I liked to think about the way things worked.
Deducing that I had a furnace in my skin.

It was right there in my belly, it rumbled so sometimes,
And its warmth was quite apparent, I can say.
However cold my hands became, my belly was still warmer,
Thanks to all the fuel I sent its way.

My mother always swore that I could grow potatoes,
In darkened furrows when I held my skinny elbows out..
I liked potatoes, but they never quite took root,
Erosion from the frequent storms of baths, no doubt.

I don’t know about the other boys, but dirt was my companion,
My plaything for the little cars and men.
I built the roads they traveled on, and tunnels,
Road-building was less time-consuming then.

I still have marbles that I played with, then,
I haven’t lost them all quite yet.
And hopscotch was another thing I did,
And I could probably beat you at it, I bet!

You’ll notice I defined low maintenance,
Except for quantities of food and soap,
For clothing that I got from here and there,
And a corner where I hid to dream and hope.

I remember ice-cream that we worked to make,
And fevers that I sweated out at night,
My Dad’s rough hands that rubbed my itchy back,
And always knowing things would be alright.

These things that I remember comfort me,
They gather round my thoughts at end of day,
But just like then I am not ready for my bed,
I’m still alive inside here, come and play!

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . September 19, 2006

They used to see my freckles when they looked at me,
And waves of curly hair upon my head.
My eyes would just be squinting out, below my knitted brows,
Some even thought my hair a shade of red.

Sun-bleached, I guess it was, because later it turned muddy brown,
And no one called me “carrot top” again.
I liked to think about the way things worked.
Deducing that I had a furnace in my skin.

It was right there in my belly, it rumbled so sometimes,
And its warmth was quite apparent, I can say.
However cold my hands became, my belly was still warmer,
Thanks to all the fuel I sent its way.

My mother always swore that I could grow potatoes,
In darkened furrows when I held my skinny elbows out..
I liked potatoes, but they never quite took root,
Erosion from the frequent storms of baths, no doubt.

I don’t know about the other boys, but dirt was my companion,
My plaything for the little cars and men.
I built the roads they traveled on, and tunnels,
Road-building was less time-consuming then.

I still have marbles that I played with, then,
I haven’t lost them all quite yet.
And hopscotch was another thing I did,
And I could probably beat you at it, I bet!

You’ll notice I defined low maintenance,
Except for quantities of food and soap,
For clothing that I got from here and there,
And a corner where I hid to dream and hope.

I remember ice-cream that we worked to make,
And fevers that I sweated out at night,
My Dad’s rough hands that rubbed my itchy back,
And always knowing things would be alright.

These things that I remember comfort me,
They gather round my thoughts at end of day,
But just like then I am not ready for my bed,
I’m still alive inside here, come and play!

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . September 19, 2006

[GodBlessUSA]

Good Morning Billie
Thank you :) This is lovely. I'll enjoy revisiting these threads today.

[Anne of DC]

Hello Dolly!

Sorry! couldn't resist!

How can I make my posts show up in purple in honor of those fabulous RAVENS who are going ALL THE WAY to the SUPER BOWL this year!

MARK MY WORDS! LOL!

As I said to Billie earlierRAVENS RULE!

[Anne of DC]

Howdy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[Anne of DC]

Hellow!

Happy New Year

I guess I can still say that :o)

[Anne of DC]

What's with the meerkat at the top?

[NicknamedBob]

Hi, Anne!

We need to get together and initiate the new restaurant that opened down the street from you.

Back later.

[Anne of DC]

Yep!

"seeya"

[DollyCali]

How can I make my posts show up in purple in honor of those fabulous RAVENS who are going ALL THE WAY to the SUPER BOWL this year!

easy.. just do this!

for directions:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/802064/posts

more HTML instruction "links" on my profile page but what you want for COLOR is here at the above link

[DollyCali]

:^)

[The Mayor]

January 9, 2007

Plans And Realities

ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download

READ: Proverbs 16:1-9

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9

When I went to Moody Bible Institute as an 18-year-old, I enrolled in the pastors program. I could picture myself preaching and leading a church just as my home church pastor was doing. Then, after hearing about the five faithful missionaries to the Auca Indians who were tragically killed in Ecuador, I even considered dedicating my life to missions.

But God had a different course laid out for me. Through His clear leading, and in accordance with the gifts He had given me, I became a teacher, editor, and writer.

Most of us have had similar experiences. We think ahead and carefully work out a plan. We picture in our minds with great detail how our future is going to unfold. But things don’t go as planned. Some doors close, while others open. If this happens to you, it may be that God has something completely different in mind.

It’s good to plan and dream and think ahead. But we must always be open to God-appointed changes in direction. “A man’s heart plans his way,” Solomon wrote, “but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9).

God will never mislead us. When we trust Him with all our heart, He will direct our paths (Prov. 3:5-6). His way is always best.

Should mystery enshroud His plan
And our short sight be dim,
We will not try the whole to scan
But leave each thread to Him.  —Murray

Where God’s finger points,  His hand will make the way.

Bible in One Year:   Genesis 23-24; Matthew 7

[Anne of DC]

Thanks!

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Anne
Happy New Year! :) I'm still writing 06 still very new to me ;)

[GodBlessUSA]

Good Morning The Mayor :)

[GodBlessUSA]

Good Morning Dolly :)
Funny weather, You have snow now after a weekend almost like spring. It's much colder here also.

[The Mayor]

Good morning.

[DollyCali]

well, don't feel badly. I stll start out 19__ now & then!

[Temple Owl]

What a nice poem! Thank you.

[GodBlessUSA]

This is perfect. I must read to someone who needs to hear this. My son :)

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning Billie! Great thread. I am starting on a new project at work and I'm at a remote office. Ergo, I do not have access to my regular graphics and will not be able to post much. Hope to talk to you later in the day.

[MEG33]

Two For Tea by Jean Monti

Good Morning To The Finest

[beachn4fun]

How cute!

[DollyCali]

attributed to many including one of the Beatles:

Life is what happens to you while you are busy making "other" plans..

[MEG33]

;)

[DollyCali]

meerkat ? where, I am missing something maybe? all my graphics do NOT show up now & then & there is NO red x.. just blank

[MEG33]

It all looks great to me!

[beachn4fun]

I think you mean the meerkat warming itself with the heat lamp, right Anne? It's put there by the FR fund raiser wienies. It changes periodically.

[MEG33]

I see Uncle Sam!

[DollyCali]

oh yes, I know that one.. from the FReep-s-thon..

[DollyCali]

[beachn4fun]

To FR's Finest

I'd love to come out and play.

[Anne of DC]

The meerkat, at least I think it's a meerkat, is at the top of the thread in the post about the freepathon.

[beachn4fun]

I see a "United We Stand" thingamabob.
:)

[Anne of DC]

It's Zaphod!

[Anne of DC]

If anyone is interested in an outsider who is billed as the only true conservative running for President in 2008 John Cox from Illanois) go to , www.cox2008.com, to find out more about him, he sounds fascinating!

[MEG33]

*We'll Play!*

[Texagirl4W]

Just lovely, Billie. Happy New Year, I don't think I spoke to you yet this year,

[Billie]

RAVENS RULE!

Hi, Anne - I guess if you say so. :)

[MEG33]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1763394/posts

Our 1st Quarter '07 FReepathon is now Underway! .. Thread 2
Click here to donate ^ | Jan 6, 2007

[Anne of DC]

Indeed I do! ;o)

[beachn4fun]

Yipeeeee!

[Billie]

I was going to suggest that we do something different today, since the Hall of Fame threads are usually very light threads, participation-wise, but didn't get that posted.

What I thought is for everyone to go and click on one of the links of the threads listed in the opening, grab a graphic from the OPENING POST ONLY (not comments) of that thread, and post it here, with a note about it - date & title of thread. K? Anyone game?

[Diver Dave]

Mornin' Billie. 4 1/2 eh?

Methinks this milestone calls for a pay raise all the FR's Finest Staff. :)

[DollyCali]

JOKES FOR THE OLDER CROWD (ahem)

A distraught senior citizen phoned her doctor's office.
"Is it true," she wanted to know,
"that the medication you prescribed has
to be taken for the rest of my life?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," the doctor told her.
There was a moment of silence before the senior lady replied,
"I'm wondering, then, just how serious is my condition
because this prescription is marked 'NO REFILLS'."

@


An older Jewish gentleman was on the operating table
awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son,
a renowned surgeon, perform the operation.
As he was about to get the anesthesia
he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes, Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, son;
do your best and just remember, if it doesn't go well,
if something happens to me .
your mother is going to come
and live with you and your wife.

.."
@


Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you
stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.


@-


Some people try to turn back their odometers.
Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way.
I've traveled a long way and some of the
roads weren't paved.


@---


When you are dissatisfied and would
like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.


@


You know you are getting old when everything
either dries up or leaks.


@


I don't know how I got over the hill
without getting to the top.


@


One of the many things no one tells you about aging
is that it is such a nice change from being young.


@


Ah, being young is beautiful,
but being old is comfortable.


@


Old age is when former classmates are so gray
and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.


@


If you don't learn to laugh at trouble,
you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.


@


First you forget names, then you
forget faces. Then you forget to pull up your zipper.
It's worse when you forget to pull it down.



@


The famous Olympic skier Picabo Street (pronounced Peek-A-Boo) is not just an athlete....she is now a nurse currently working at the Intensive Care Unit of a large metropolitan hospital. She is not permitted to answer the
hospital telephones. It caused too much confusion when she would answer the phone and say,

Picabo, ICU


@


Two old guys are pushing their carts around Wal-Mart
when they collide. The first old guy says to the
second guy, "Sorry about that. I'm looking for my
wife, and I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I
was going."

The second old guy says, "That's OK, It's a
coincidence. I'm looking for my wife, too. I can't
find her and I'm getting a little desperate."

The first old guy says, "Well, maybe I can help you
find her. What does she look like?"

The second old guy says: "Well, she is 27 yrs old,
tall, with red hair, blue eyes, long legs, big bust,
and is wearing short shorts. What does your wife look
like?"

To which the first old guy says, "Doesn't matter,
--- let's look for yours."



@



When I got home last night,
my wife demanded that I take her out to some place expensive.
So I took her to a gas station!!!!!!!

@

[beachn4fun]

Anne, he sounds ok, but I checked out Duncan Hunter (he's poll is at the bottom of the Ping Page). I like the sound of him better.