Whether you pick strawberries from your own garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Be careful that your feet and knees don't damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of a row.
Remember that heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the berries.
Only pick the berries that are fully red. Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries.
Remove berries that show rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and destroy them.
Pick berries for immediate use any time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day bruise easily and will not keep well.
Keep picked berries in the shade and cool them as soon as possible after picking. Berries that have been handled carefully will keep up to three days in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Parking Lot Protection
If you leave work, feeling nervous because the parking garage is dark and empty. Here are some tips on what you can do to protect yourself....
Change from your work shoes into sneakers before leaving the office. You’ll be happy to be wearing the sneakers, in case there’s a need for a sudden sprint.
At night, don't go into a parking structure or lot alone. Ask a co-worker, a building security guard, a janitor or even the police to escort you to your car.
Carry your car ignition key pointed out between your index and middle fingers. In case of trouble in close quarters, it can double as a jabbing weapon.
Watch the parking structure or lot, especially the area right around your vehicle, for any suspicious activity. If anything feels funny, stay away until it goes away or call the cops.
Scan the interior of your vehicle, especially the back seat, before getting in.
Keep your doors and windows locked at all times.
Change from your work shoes into sneakers before leaving the office. You’ll be happy to be wearing the sneakers, in case there’s a need for a sudden sprint.
At night, don't go into a parking structure or lot alone. Ask a co-worker, a building security guard, a janitor or even the police to escort you to your car.
Carry your car ignition key pointed out between your index and middle fingers. In case of trouble in close quarters, it can double as a jabbing weapon.
Watch the parking structure or lot, especially the area right around your vehicle, for any suspicious activity. If anything feels funny, stay away until it goes away or call the cops.
Scan the interior of your vehicle, especially the back seat, before getting in.
Keep your doors and windows locked at all times.
Yummy Showers
I love this tip and a guy or a girl can do it. If you have a sweetheart like mine who
In the morning,wakes up and heads straight for the shower. Try this to sweeten their day. At night while your sweetie is asleep, tie a few Hershey's Kisses with curling ribbon, and hang them from your ceiling in the shower. Along with it attach a note that reads, "Shower yourself with my kisses!" they will absolutely love it.
You can also leave a little coupon next to the towel they use to dry off, that says "1 shower with (your name)" That they can cash in anytime :)
In the morning,wakes up and heads straight for the shower. Try this to sweeten their day. At night while your sweetie is asleep, tie a few Hershey's Kisses with curling ribbon, and hang them from your ceiling in the shower. Along with it attach a note that reads, "Shower yourself with my kisses!" they will absolutely love it.
You can also leave a little coupon next to the towel they use to dry off, that says "1 shower with (your name)" That they can cash in anytime :)
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Getting Ready for the Heat!
I’ve removed the snow tires, changed the oil, and had the salt underneath my car washed off. Do I need to do anything else to get my car ready for the warm weather?
Quite a bit, actually. Let’s start with your wipers. They slogged back and forth more dependably than snowplows, clearing the grime and brightening your vision. They sacrificed their little lives for your safety, so give them a decent burial in the proper refuse can, and install some new vision vigilantes.
Then, clean up. Lift up the wiper arms to purge all the twigs, dead leaves, weathered parking lot stubs and other debris. Clean off the air and radiator intakes.
Next, pop the hood and have your cooling system checked. If the mechanic says you need new antifreeze, but the color is still bright green or blue, you need a new mechanic. But if it's dull or obviously dirty, change it. In the interest of keeping cool (for both you and your car), have the thermostat checked. They’re cheap; so don’t be shy about replacing it. While the hood is up, check the belts and hoses.
Are your brakes grinding, squealing, screeching or chattering? Give yourself and everybody else on the road a break by going, non-stop if possible, to the best local brake specialist.
Finally, don't get the cold shoulder from too-busy air conditioning shops during their busiest season. Have your AC checked ASAP!
Quite a bit, actually. Let’s start with your wipers. They slogged back and forth more dependably than snowplows, clearing the grime and brightening your vision. They sacrificed their little lives for your safety, so give them a decent burial in the proper refuse can, and install some new vision vigilantes.
Then, clean up. Lift up the wiper arms to purge all the twigs, dead leaves, weathered parking lot stubs and other debris. Clean off the air and radiator intakes.
Next, pop the hood and have your cooling system checked. If the mechanic says you need new antifreeze, but the color is still bright green or blue, you need a new mechanic. But if it's dull or obviously dirty, change it. In the interest of keeping cool (for both you and your car), have the thermostat checked. They’re cheap; so don’t be shy about replacing it. While the hood is up, check the belts and hoses.
Are your brakes grinding, squealing, screeching or chattering? Give yourself and everybody else on the road a break by going, non-stop if possible, to the best local brake specialist.
Finally, don't get the cold shoulder from too-busy air conditioning shops during their busiest season. Have your AC checked ASAP!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Plants,Crops & Dishwashers
Coffee for your Plants
After your morning coffee, remove the filter and grounds and set them aside to dry. When the grounds are thoroughly dried, scatter them around the garden as an organic plant food. Don’t use too much in one area because coffee grounds tend to raise the acidity of the soil. Use the filter to line the bottom of flowerpots to keep the soil from falling through drainage holes
Squeaky Clean Dishwasher
For a quick and simple way to remove odors from your dishwasher, just add 2 tablespoons of white vineager to your next wash. Your dishwasher will smell fresh and clean
Get More from your Potato Crop
As your potato plants begin to grow, pull the soil up around them to encourage more tuber formation. You can cover all but the top six inches of the plant.
After your morning coffee, remove the filter and grounds and set them aside to dry. When the grounds are thoroughly dried, scatter them around the garden as an organic plant food. Don’t use too much in one area because coffee grounds tend to raise the acidity of the soil. Use the filter to line the bottom of flowerpots to keep the soil from falling through drainage holes
Squeaky Clean Dishwasher
For a quick and simple way to remove odors from your dishwasher, just add 2 tablespoons of white vineager to your next wash. Your dishwasher will smell fresh and clean
Get More from your Potato Crop
As your potato plants begin to grow, pull the soil up around them to encourage more tuber formation. You can cover all but the top six inches of the plant.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Lets Get Super Frugal!!!
Check out these tips to improve the appearance,atmosphere around your home & save $$$ too!
Wash and Save
Use quality dryer sheets and cut them into 6 parts. Put only one strip in per load and you will never know the difference!
Save On Hot Water
Set your hot water heater to be used only at certain times of the day, and always turn it off at night.
Crystal Clean
Place a small amount of bleach in a squirt bottle and fill it to the top with water. Use for spraying in bathtubs to get rid of mildew, cleaning counter-tops, using as a stain remover on clothing (test for color fastness first though!), spot spraying shower curtains, washing off cutting boards, and wiping down bathroom counter and toilet seats.
Spotless Fixtures
Clean bathroom and kitchen fixtures with alcohol, they will be shiny and spot free!
Wash and Save
Use quality dryer sheets and cut them into 6 parts. Put only one strip in per load and you will never know the difference!
Save On Hot Water
Set your hot water heater to be used only at certain times of the day, and always turn it off at night.
Crystal Clean
Place a small amount of bleach in a squirt bottle and fill it to the top with water. Use for spraying in bathtubs to get rid of mildew, cleaning counter-tops, using as a stain remover on clothing (test for color fastness first though!), spot spraying shower curtains, washing off cutting boards, and wiping down bathroom counter and toilet seats.
Spotless Fixtures
Clean bathroom and kitchen fixtures with alcohol, they will be shiny and spot free!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Road Trip!!!
I'm Planning a driving vacation. What should we carry in case of emergencies?
You didn't say where you are going or what you're driving. If it's a new Benz and your plan is to compare pedicures from every spa and resort between Palm Springs and Palm Beach, then the only emergency kit you need is a fistful of no-limit credit cards.
But if you're simply going to tour our fruited plains and amber waves of grain, from Seattle to shining Sea Island, Georgia, don't leave home without a car phone, along with a bag packed with these potentially life-saving goodies:
Flares
Flashlight with warning beacon or red lens
Jumper cables
First aid kit; the big, semi-industrial one
Towels or clean rags
Bottle/can opener
Thermal blanket
Bungee cords or rope
Tire inflator and pressure gauge
Bottled water
Protein bars
Tool kit: Multi-tool knife, pliers, large and small Phillips and slot head screwdrivers, large and small adjustable wrenches, heavy duty tape, extra fuses and light bulbs.
Disposable camera
You didn't say where you are going or what you're driving. If it's a new Benz and your plan is to compare pedicures from every spa and resort between Palm Springs and Palm Beach, then the only emergency kit you need is a fistful of no-limit credit cards.
But if you're simply going to tour our fruited plains and amber waves of grain, from Seattle to shining Sea Island, Georgia, don't leave home without a car phone, along with a bag packed with these potentially life-saving goodies:
Flares
Flashlight with warning beacon or red lens
Jumper cables
First aid kit; the big, semi-industrial one
Towels or clean rags
Bottle/can opener
Thermal blanket
Bungee cords or rope
Tire inflator and pressure gauge
Bottled water
Protein bars
Tool kit: Multi-tool knife, pliers, large and small Phillips and slot head screwdrivers, large and small adjustable wrenches, heavy duty tape, extra fuses and light bulbs.
Disposable camera
Thursday, April 3, 2008
20 Things You Should Know About Suicide
I found these signs about suicide and I want to share them with all of you
suicides are in early spring and early autumn. In the US, suicides for both men and women peak in April and May, while suicides in women alone show a rise in September and October.
2. One suicide can trigger other suicides. Like the flu, suicide can be contagious, encouraging copy cats.
3. More suicides occur between 4 AM and 7 AM, when depression is often at its worst.
4. More suicides occur on Monday.
5. Persons who experience mixed states—fluctuating between depression and mania or hypomania—are most at risk for suicide. (Again, because they have the energy, while a severely depressed person is too lethargic to end his life.)
6. Official statistics show that 30,000 Americans take their lives each year, but that number could be considerably higher since suicide often goes unreported; suicide takes more lives than traffic accidents, lung disease, or AIDS.
7. Worldwide there are more deaths due to suicide than to accidents, homicides, and war combined.
8. About 19 percent of young people (high school and college students) contemplate or attempt suicide each year. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in college students ages 20 to 24, and is the third-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24.
9. Approximately 6 percent of all people with major depression and about 15 percent of those treated for severe depression take their own lives.
10. The suicide rate among those with bipolar disorder may be highest among all psychiatric conditions, with one in 10 persons ending their lives, and as high as one in five for those persons with bipolar disorder who have experienced depression severe enough to require hospitalization.
11. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the second-leading cause of death worldwide among females ages 15 to 44, and the fourth-leading cause of death among males ages 15 to 44, after traffic accidents, TB, and violence.
12. Every day, approximately 80 Americans take their own lives, and 1,500 more attempt to do so. A person dies by suicide every 18 minutes in the U.S. An attempt is estimated to be made once every minute.
13. There are more than four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females as males attempt suicide.
14. Firearms are the most frequent method of suicide among adults in the US.
15. Women most often overdose on pills to end their lives.
16. About two-thirds of the people who take their own lives suffer from major depression or bipolar disorder. Almost everyone else has depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a delusional illness like schizophrenia.
17. Alcoholism is a factor in about 30 percent of all suicide deaths.
18. Between 20 and 50 percent of people who kill themselves had previously attempted suicide. Although the majority of people who die by suicides have not made a pervious attempt, a serious suicide attempt is a clear risk factor for suicide death.
19. In the year 2005 alone, at least 6,256 veterans committed suicide. According to a Veterans Affairs study published in October 2007 in the "American Journal of Public Health," veterans took their lives at a rate of nearly 90 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2004.
20. Suicidal individuals often talk about suicide directly or indirectly using statements like, “My family would be better off with out me.” Sometimes they talk as if they are saying goodbye or going away, and may arrange to put their affairs in order. Other signs of contemplating suicide include giving away articles they value, paying off debts or changing a will.
suicides are in early spring and early autumn. In the US, suicides for both men and women peak in April and May, while suicides in women alone show a rise in September and October.
2. One suicide can trigger other suicides. Like the flu, suicide can be contagious, encouraging copy cats.
3. More suicides occur between 4 AM and 7 AM, when depression is often at its worst.
4. More suicides occur on Monday.
5. Persons who experience mixed states—fluctuating between depression and mania or hypomania—are most at risk for suicide. (Again, because they have the energy, while a severely depressed person is too lethargic to end his life.)
6. Official statistics show that 30,000 Americans take their lives each year, but that number could be considerably higher since suicide often goes unreported; suicide takes more lives than traffic accidents, lung disease, or AIDS.
7. Worldwide there are more deaths due to suicide than to accidents, homicides, and war combined.
8. About 19 percent of young people (high school and college students) contemplate or attempt suicide each year. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in college students ages 20 to 24, and is the third-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24.
9. Approximately 6 percent of all people with major depression and about 15 percent of those treated for severe depression take their own lives.
10. The suicide rate among those with bipolar disorder may be highest among all psychiatric conditions, with one in 10 persons ending their lives, and as high as one in five for those persons with bipolar disorder who have experienced depression severe enough to require hospitalization.
11. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the second-leading cause of death worldwide among females ages 15 to 44, and the fourth-leading cause of death among males ages 15 to 44, after traffic accidents, TB, and violence.
12. Every day, approximately 80 Americans take their own lives, and 1,500 more attempt to do so. A person dies by suicide every 18 minutes in the U.S. An attempt is estimated to be made once every minute.
13. There are more than four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females as males attempt suicide.
14. Firearms are the most frequent method of suicide among adults in the US.
15. Women most often overdose on pills to end their lives.
16. About two-thirds of the people who take their own lives suffer from major depression or bipolar disorder. Almost everyone else has depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a delusional illness like schizophrenia.
17. Alcoholism is a factor in about 30 percent of all suicide deaths.
18. Between 20 and 50 percent of people who kill themselves had previously attempted suicide. Although the majority of people who die by suicides have not made a pervious attempt, a serious suicide attempt is a clear risk factor for suicide death.
19. In the year 2005 alone, at least 6,256 veterans committed suicide. According to a Veterans Affairs study published in October 2007 in the "American Journal of Public Health," veterans took their lives at a rate of nearly 90 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2004.
20. Suicidal individuals often talk about suicide directly or indirectly using statements like, “My family would be better off with out me.” Sometimes they talk as if they are saying goodbye or going away, and may arrange to put their affairs in order. Other signs of contemplating suicide include giving away articles they value, paying off debts or changing a will.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Rush Hour Plan + Kit
What can I do to avoid gridlock?
Traffic standstill is like the great white shark in Jaws. As soon as you pull into the line at the on-ramp, you can hear the eerie soundtrack. It’s out there, it’s coming, and our best minds can’t seem to stop it.
The best way to avoid it, of course, is not to be there when it happens. So plan ahead. Check the radio for alerts and warnings. Read the newspaper in the morning to find out what’s going on in your community and when it’s happening. Then do what your department of transportation should have done for you years ago: work out perimeter routes. You’ll cover more distance, but in the long run, they’ll save you extra hours of anger, frustration, and a possible angioplasty.
Even with the most carefully planned escape routes, though, you can still get stuck. So be prepared. Depending upon where we live in this nation, we motorists carry a variety of disaster caches in the trunks of our cars. We’re ready for blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods -- you name it. However, we never seem to be prepared for the hours of grinding, infuriating, despair caused by gridlock and traffic jams, which are increasingly a simple fact of life.
I never leave home without my wait-it-out kit. It contains books on tape to take me out of there metaphysically if not physically, energy bars to sustain me and several large containers of my favorite bottled water to hydrate me. A cell phone and a Prozac or two are optional.
One last tip: Turn off your engine after five minutes of idling. If it overheats, when Officer Moses parts the traffic to let everyone through, you’ll be sitting there steaming and may become the cause of another major traffic tie-up.
Traffic standstill is like the great white shark in Jaws. As soon as you pull into the line at the on-ramp, you can hear the eerie soundtrack. It’s out there, it’s coming, and our best minds can’t seem to stop it.
The best way to avoid it, of course, is not to be there when it happens. So plan ahead. Check the radio for alerts and warnings. Read the newspaper in the morning to find out what’s going on in your community and when it’s happening. Then do what your department of transportation should have done for you years ago: work out perimeter routes. You’ll cover more distance, but in the long run, they’ll save you extra hours of anger, frustration, and a possible angioplasty.
Even with the most carefully planned escape routes, though, you can still get stuck. So be prepared. Depending upon where we live in this nation, we motorists carry a variety of disaster caches in the trunks of our cars. We’re ready for blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods -- you name it. However, we never seem to be prepared for the hours of grinding, infuriating, despair caused by gridlock and traffic jams, which are increasingly a simple fact of life.
I never leave home without my wait-it-out kit. It contains books on tape to take me out of there metaphysically if not physically, energy bars to sustain me and several large containers of my favorite bottled water to hydrate me. A cell phone and a Prozac or two are optional.
One last tip: Turn off your engine after five minutes of idling. If it overheats, when Officer Moses parts the traffic to let everyone through, you’ll be sitting there steaming and may become the cause of another major traffic tie-up.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Fruit Tease
Here is something fun to try with your honey to entice your evening into passion filled ectasy....
If you enjoy doing something different for your mate, this is it.
Fill the tub with water and bubbles.
Then, fill the top of the water with slices of lemon, orange, limes and grapes. Light candles around the bath.
Place a small table or stool within easy reach and leave your love's favorite book and cool drink on it. Let your love relax in the fruit scented bath. They will love it! You can also serve this book or drink in a hot outfit or nude- hey you might even be invited to hop into the tub!
If you enjoy doing something different for your mate, this is it.
Fill the tub with water and bubbles.
Then, fill the top of the water with slices of lemon, orange, limes and grapes. Light candles around the bath.
Place a small table or stool within easy reach and leave your love's favorite book and cool drink on it. Let your love relax in the fruit scented bath. They will love it! You can also serve this book or drink in a hot outfit or nude- hey you might even be invited to hop into the tub!
Shade Tree Gardener
Gardening Under Shade Trees
If the soil under the tree is dry and root-clogged to the point where you have difficulty digging a hole, you may have to improve the soil before you can plant. A layer of organic material several inches deep is the best remedy. The tree will provide you with an abundance of organic material in the form of leaves. Chop them to the size of fifty-cent pieces with a bagging lawn mower and spread them under the tree. Sprinkle them with compost activator and keep them moist. Repeat this procedure annually until the leaves have rotted into a deep humus. Earthworms will move in and loosen the subsoil, making it possible to plant the shade garden of your dreams.
If you’re in a hurry to create your shade garden, fill your bed with container plants while you build your soil.
If the soil under the tree is dry and root-clogged to the point where you have difficulty digging a hole, you may have to improve the soil before you can plant. A layer of organic material several inches deep is the best remedy. The tree will provide you with an abundance of organic material in the form of leaves. Chop them to the size of fifty-cent pieces with a bagging lawn mower and spread them under the tree. Sprinkle them with compost activator and keep them moist. Repeat this procedure annually until the leaves have rotted into a deep humus. Earthworms will move in and loosen the subsoil, making it possible to plant the shade garden of your dreams.
If you’re in a hurry to create your shade garden, fill your bed with container plants while you build your soil.
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