Right after the furnace died the other day, we found out that our oven has decided to not work as well. On top of that, after the snowfall Tuesday night, we woke up to the main wire to the house hanging almost to the ground.
At about 3 a.m., the alarm on the computers kept going off, but the lights were not blinking. The alarm is very sensitive, and will go off even when a thunderstorm is miles away. For some reason, I immediately knew the wire came off the house, but then told myself I worry too much. Michael turned off the alarms and we went back to bed. (more…)

Michael went down to the root cellar to check on the squashes. Not only had most of them rotted, we also found out the furnace had some issues. We called the furnace repair man, and he got here in about an hour. He didn’t have good news for us either. We have a choice of replacing the furnace for $4000 or so, or fixing the one we have for about $1000. (more…)

We are proud to announce the adoption of Queen of Effingham, Effie for short.
Effie was adopted from Conway Humane Society.

Effie is a 5 year old Cocker Spaniel Mix (mixed with what…not sure). She was transferred to us from Shelby, Alabama.
She has been settling in well, and her brothers are showing her the ropes.
For more on Effie, you can read her thoughts and feelings here.

Fresh is always best. Fresh fruits, veggies and other foods have more nutrients than their canned counterparts. They also have much more taste, and are juicier.
If you are a meat eater, choose a store or butcher shop where you know the food is from organic sources.

Prepared soups have all sorts of salt and preservatives in them.
Why not make your own fresh soups. The key is to try to use food that is in season in your area for  the best quality of freshness.
Choosing to make your own soup takes a bit more time, but, you will be healthier. You can add herbs for flavor instead of salt. Herbs such as turmeric, garlic and olive oil also have cholesterol lowering powers as well. You can contribute to better health by cooking fresh.

Did you know that tin cans last for years in our landfills? If you bury a can today, it will be still be there years from now. You could bury a tin can on your 10th birthday, and dig it up during your retirement party, and it will still be in tact.
Wild huh?

It is not hard, and it doesn’t take that much of your time. By making your own bread, you will know that the bread is health.
Now, I know what you are saying…I buy whole grain bread…that’s healthy. Well, sort of. Whole grain is healthier, but it still has all sorts of preservatives in it so it can have a longer shelf life. You may be getting plenty of fiber, but by adding the preservatives cancels the healthy right out of the fiber.
Take the time to make you and your family a healthy bread.

Ah, they are convenient, but they are healthy.
No, not really. If you read the labels on most prepackaged food, you will find high amounts of salt, fat, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives or other unhealthy ingredients. One may be low fat, but it is loaded with salt. That is not healthy either.
If you choose wisely, you can shop healthy. You just have to read labels, and choose carefully. It can cost you a bit more in time, and sometimes money, but in the long run, you and your family will be healthier for it.

If you own a Swiffer, you have fallen prey to the all might advertising dollar.
I know everyone has one. Your neighbor tells you how wonderful they are. We don’t, and never will.
Why do you have to have a special mop for each floor in your house? One for tile, one for wood. Ridiculous! Why can’t you just use a mop and bucket. Sorry, but a mop and bucket cleans any floor better than Swiffer does. Oh, yes, I have used one. When I was cleaning houses for a living, one of my customers insisted that I use her Swiffer. I went through a dozen just trying to get the floor clean. It was ridiculous. Such waste. Next time I used a mop and bucket, and the floor was cleaner than it had been in a long time. She was convinced.

Think of how many Swiffer pads are cluttering up our landfills. It is a shame that our society has such a toss away state of mind.

Yesterday, we went produce shopping. I was amazed at the fact that organic produce has to be wrapped in plastic. In order to be a certified organic store, this is one rule that has to be followed. I guess the organic produce can not come in contact with anything else, so they wrap it in plastic. This just isn’t organic in our mind. Plastic wrap, with a Styrofoam tray is NOT organic in the least. I am not sure who came up with this rule, but it seems to defeat the purpose of the produce being organic in the first place. Organic food should be wrapped in something organic….like paper. (more…)