Have you seen?

Have you seen the darling giveaway at A Gathering of Thoughts?  Check out the lovely cards, tea bags, gift tags, etc. in the Vintage Pink Rose Dress Form design.  Hurry, though.  The contest ends soon.

Enjoy!

September decorating...

By all these lovely tokens, September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And autumn's best of cheer.

Helen Hunt Jackson

 

This year, the first day of fall is on September 22nd.  Here in Nashville, it still feels like summer and it still looks like summer, which is all right with this spring/summer loving girl. (I love fall, too:))  But, the days are noticeably shorter now, and they are milder, too.   It's only 83 degrees outside right now!

Some years, I like to hang on to every last bit of summer goodness.  Some years, I like to think ahead to the beautiful bounty of autumn. But, I'm always grateful that the seasons change in God's perfect timing! 

This year is a special September.  My daughter's due date was yesterday, and our whole family and her husband's are counting down the moments until her baby daughter (my first grandchild!) decides to arrive.  If I don't finish this post, you'll know I got that phone call!  LOL. 

Anyhow, I've always marked the start of fall decorating season by the beginning of the school year, rather than by the weather.  Here's my start to fall decorating this year. (Sorry the photo isn't clearer.)  You can see my "Pinterest" beans in the bowl in the middle, on top of the wooden cake stand.  If I had to do it over again, I would do them in a taller container.  I may end up swapping them out with the rocks in the holder with the scarecrow.

The wooden stand is part of a two stand set that my father brought back from Bermuda.  He was stationed there during WWII, and he brought back several wooden things that local craftsmen made.

I was on my way home from a Dollar Store run today when I thought to myself that I wish I had a bird's nest.  I am crazy about birds, and I like to decorate with bird themes.  I had bought a package of raffia to tie around things.  When I opened it, it plopped out on the table in a nest shape.  Well, there was my "bird's nest"!  I placed in it a ceramic dove?  partridge?  that I've had for quite a while.  

The painting that is reflected in the mirror was done by my talented father-in-law.  The one in the picture below (It hangs by the side of the dresser, as you can see in the photo) was purchased by my mother back in the late 70's or early 80's.  It is of a place in North Georgia, and the artist mixed local clays to use as the paints.  I leave it up all year round, but the literally earthy tones blend in with a fall theme.   It looks warped in the photo, but it's really not. 

What are you doing for fall this year?  I need some ideas so share the wealth. 

Enjoy!

Just beginning fall decorating...

So far, I have a glass bowl of what I call my Pinterest beans with a candle in it.  If you're into Pinning, I'm sure you've seen all the hurricane glasses and other containers filled with layers of colored beans used as candle holders. (Some of the cutest are cocoa beans with vanilla candles.) The picture above is just an example.  The various containers of beans and candles all look so lovely in all the Pinterest photos.  I'm wondering, though, if people look at mine and wonder why that crazy woman stuck a candle in a bowl of beans.  :)  The beans do remind me of harvest time, though.  I'm sure as I decorate more the harvest theme will come together.  

Mine are sitting on a marble topped dresser in my entryway.

This year, my chickens will all be returning to the coop for Thanksgiving.  The children alternate Christmas with us and Thanksgiving with their in-laws one year and vice versa for the next, though we usually manage to work in extra holiday visits as well.  My daughter's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, and neither she nor my son want me to decorate for Christmas early and call Thanksgiving weekend our Christmas time.  They want to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday as Thanksgiving.  It is such a lovely holiday, and it's a shame it so often gets overlooked in favor of Christmas.  So, I'm wanting to do some warm autumn themed decor this year.  Any suggestions?

I'm ready to bust out singing, "Over the river and through the woods," which I always thought was a Thanksgiving song and just found out is actually about Christmas.  I'm expecting the birth of my first grandchild any day now.  This will be the first year that my house will be "Grandma's house", so, of course, I am thrilled.

I'm putting together a fall playlist.  I'm taking a page out of Aunt Ruthie's book and am including some selections from the movie "Little Women" -- the 90's version.  I love that movie but never thought how warm and fall sounding some of the theme music is.
 
What about you?  How will you be celebrating this fall?

Enjoy!

   

A Great Romance: The Perfume of Happiness...

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself...

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Doc Brilliant and I are coming up on 32 years of a happy marriage.  One thing that binds my heart to his is the way he sacrifices for my happiness and welfare.  A great lesson I've learned is that I'm happiest when I'm giving toward him and unhappiest when I'm being selfish.  Happiness really is a perfume that you can't pour on your spouse without getting some on yourself.

I think that's part of what Jesus is teaching us when he says, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:33.  This is so opposite of what our worldly selves think. We think that we must ensure our own happiness by grabbing for it and holding on tight.  This insecure grasping is ingrained in our hearts, and it's subtly interwoven in so many messages that we receive from the world.  It's easy to slip into that mindset when we're not focused on Christ.  Yet, grasping and grasping only leaves us feeling empty.  We can't grasp enough of the world to satisfy the hole in the center of our self.  We can't do, be, or have enough to bridge the chasms our sin has dug between us and God, or between us and other people.  Only the love and grace of God is sufficient to fill us with peace and joy to the point that our joy can overflow into the lives of others.   

Simply put, the ability to love unselfishly comes from God.  

I John 4:10  says "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

He lost his life for us, pouring his life into us, and now we love.

I John 4:10.  We love because he first loved us.

The losing of Christ's life was followed by his resurrection, and, thus, his resurrection gives us eternal life, as well.  Daily, we live a crucified life -- a life of dying to sin and selfishness -- and, daily, we live a resurrected life -- becoming more like Jesus.  

In the 32 years Doc Brilliant and I have been married, the reflection in my mirror has changed quite a bit.  Sometimes, a glance surprises me.  How did that old lady get into my mirror?  Slowly, day by day.  I'm so grateful for this promise in 2 Corinthians:  "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  

Maybe, you are young, and you don't have a clue what I'm talking about.  Maybe, you are my peer, and you smile with me.  Maybe, you are ahead of me in life and think I don't yet have a clue. No matter.

There is an everlasting perfume sitting on all of our spiritual dressing tables: the fragrance of Christ.  We can't drink in Christ's love and lavish it on others, especially on our spouse, without receiving back a harvest of joy.

I love the accounts of when Jesus was anointed by Mary.  Out of love for Christ and out of gratitude for his mercy, she broken open her vial of costly perfume.  The book of John tells us that the fragrance filled the whole house.  I want to have the kind of heart she had.  Don't you?  And, I want to love my husband in a way that demonstrates my gratitude for the Lord.

Happy love which concerns itself with our husbands' welfare becomes a fragrance that fills our hearts and our homes.  Let us love lavishly, because we are lavishly loved.  

Enjoy!
   



 

Day 14 -- 14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home...

Hi Y'all...

How's it going in keeping your homes sneeze free -- or at least cleaning in a way that helps any allergy sufferers in your home?  In my area, pollen levels are high today, especially for ragweed and grasses.  We'll get a break tomorrow, though, when cooler weather moves in for a day.

Let's close out this series by reviewing a few facts about allergies:

1)  Allergies are produced when your immune system over reacts to harmless substances.
2)  Breastfeeding a baby for at least 4 to 6 months will reduce the chance that the baby will go on to suffer allergies later on.  The mother's diet while breastfeeding doesn't seem to factor one way or the other in whether a child will have allergies.
3)  Changing formulas or changing a young child's diet does not seem to have much effect on a child's allergies, unless they are directly food allergies.  It doesn't hurt to try changes, however, to see if anything might work for you or your child. 
4)Very few people have allergic reactions to bouquets of flowers form the florist's or in groceries or other shops, though some do.  There's usually not much pollen on such flowers, at least not in one bunch.  If working in the garden has you sneezing, try enjoying flowers inside by arranging bought bouquets.  
5)    Computers, printers, and other home office machines collect dust.  Keep these clean, both for the sake of allergy relief and to extend the working life of the equipment.
6)  Eating well, sleeping well, and relieving stress might lessen the severity of allergic reactions and also allow you to deal with allergy symptoms.
7)  If your allergy symptoms do not quickly clear up with over the counter medications, visit your doctor to have them evaluated.  There are conditions, such as thyroid issues and being exposed to irritating fumes, that can mimic allergies, but are not allergic reactions per se. These are treated somewhat differently than allergies.  You may also need help in identifying your specific allergies.  Additionally, you may have developed chronic sinusitis and you may need help for that.
8)  Don't overlook the role that treating allergic symptoms plays in your overall health.  If you experience only a week or so of sneezing in the spring or fall, you likely recover quickly.  However, chronic allergies can take a big toll on your well-being.  Sometimes, people live with a run-down feeling and other allergy-related issues without realizing just how much their allergies are dragging them down.  The proper treatment, however, can make huge improvements in a person's well-being.
9)  Remember that antibiotics don't cure allergy related problems unless a secondary infection has resulted. Don't be surprised if a trip to the doctor doesn't result in a prescription for antibiotics.  It's best that we all not over-use these medicines so that bacteria don't grow use to them and so that the medicines will remain effective in cases where they are really needed.
10)  If you are working with garden mulch and are sensitive to molds, use precautions such as a mask, gloves, and washing up afterwards.

Enjoy!
  

14 days to a sneeze free home- Day 13

Achoo!  The weed pollen count is high in my area today, and I can tell it.

Did you know that when you first begin to tackle an allergy-producing home keeping problem that you are most likely to stir up the very allergen that you are trying to clean away?  This is true for dust, pollen, and molds.  Yet, there is no way to get effective relief unless you do the clean-up. So, take proper precautions as you go.  As we've talked about, using masks, wearing gloves, insuring proper ventilation while you are cleaning and choosing cleaning products that don't irritate your respiratory system can help you tackle allergens without succumbing to them.

When cleaning a bathroom, you can close the door to separate it from the rest of the house, cover the vents,  and open a window.  This will help keep from spreading stirred up mold into other rooms.  Be sure, though, to keep adequate ventilation for yourself as you clean.

A box of baking soda placed in a closet can help absorb extra moisture and unpleasant smells.  This will help your closet stay smelling fresh.  Some people use sticks of chalk for the same reason.  You can keep it in an open container or tie it up in cheesecloth and hang it, much as you would hang a sachet.  Below, you can see how Martha Stewart has tied chalk in a bundle and hung it by a simple ribbon.

The holidays are coming.  Most of us will be digging out treasured decorating items, holiday china, ornaments, and the like.  This means we will be opening containers in which dust and other allergens have collected and also that we may be tracking to and from dusty storage areas.  Here's where getting to the dust quickly will keep us from getting sick. Who wants to go through the holidays sneezing and wheezing?  Start now, in September, to give the storage areas you will be working in a thorough dusting and sweeping.  Be prepared as you open boxes to wipe items and to clean out the tubs they are in.

Be prepared to do some extra dusting and vacuuming during September and October.  A little extra elbow grease while pollen counts are high might be paid off in feeling well.  Plus, your house will be in good shape for the holidays.

It's unrealistic to think that you will ever achieve a totally allergen free residence.  Even if you cleaned 24/7, you wouldn't be able to eradicate every spore, every grain of pollen, or every dust mite from the air.  (Neither would you be able to eliminate every germ.)  These things are a part of life.  We need to cultivate good health in the hope that our bodies will learn to deal with allergens.  However, we can help our immune systems by cleaning away the excess, thus reducing our exposure.  Cleanliness, not fanatic avoidance, is what we're after.  For those of us with allergies, we may need to pay more attention to cleanliness than people who are not bothered by such.  However, obsessing will only stress our bodies and make things worse in the long run.  Balance!        

Enjoy!
Elizabeth  

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- Day 12

The English translation of this painting's name:

Wanderer Above the Fog.  It would have made a good photo to go with my last post about dealing with brain fog.  :)

At this time of year, you may be going off to college or sending off a son or daughter.  Or, you might be a young single or couple moving into a first apartment.  As fun as these beginning are, it's important to put in a little effort to keep a dorm room or first apartment sneeze free.

Dorm rooms and first apartments often are in older buildings.  They are full of young and active people who are in and out all day and who can track in pollens.  They are occupied by people in a time of life when cleaning is, understandably, lower on the priority scale than a number of other things.  They have a high turnover of occupancy and are often being painted, sprayed, or remodeled.  These are the very things that make our first homes away from home so charming.  Yet, the effect of these things can make those with allergies suffer.

Two allergens that love dorms and small apartments are molds and dust.   Here are some ways to keep these allergens down:

1) Do your laundry frequently.
2)  Sweep and dust out closets before unpacking for the first time and then several times during the year.
3)  Use a well-ventilated laundry hamper.
4)  If you have a bath in your room, keep it clean and well-ventilated.
5)  Consider protective allergy covers for a previously used dorm mattress.   
6)  Consider a HEPA allergy filter but know that it won't take the place of elbow grease in keeping your space sneeze free.
7)  Request a smoke free room.
8)  Wash your towels frequently.  Don't let wet towels build up.
9)  Keep sports clothing and equipment dry and clean.
10)  Know what allergy/asthma meds you need, as well as when and how to use them, and store them in a safe, easy to get to space.
11)  If you can, avoid storing things that you don't immediately need in your dorm room, such as off season clothes and shoes or big boxes of keepsakes.  Keep what you do store as dust and mold free as possible.  If you go to school far away from home, you may need to store more things. 
12) Don't feel weird about keeping your spaces clean.  You may have to pay more attention to this than most students/young professionals.  But, a little time spent in preventative measures can save you time in the infirmary.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth 

A Sneeze Free Home

The irony:  If you have allergies, then cleaning your home, keeping your car clean, and keeping whatever work spaces you have -- in or out of the home -- tidy will help you feel better.   Yet, if you have allergies, you are likely to have low energy, foggy brain or allergy medicine fog, and just a general malaise.  Thus, you can get in a cycle of not feeling well enough to clean just at the time you need to clean most. 

So, what's an allergy sufferer to do? One first step is to confront the brain fog or medicine brain.  The brain fog can occur with any chronic illness.  Likewise, many people find that antihistamines and the like cause a spacey feeling.  In either case, the allergy picture can leave a woman feeling less than her best. In some ways, the brain fog of allergy is like a low level headache, and you may even feel that it "hurts" to think.  The following are some ways that might help in coping with that all too familiar dull or spacey feeling. 

1)  See a doctor to assess causes of brain fog.  Don't entirely self-diagnose.  There are many causes for this feeling, and you don't want to assume it's just your allergies when it might be due to some other treatable cause.  Once you have a diagnosis in hand, don't keep worrying about your brain fog and don't keep analyzing it.   Focusing on it too much can make it worse.    

2)  On the other hand, be aware of what triggers brain fog for you and keep track of the timing. 

3)  A tip from a Lupus support group :  When running errands, use your cell phone to take a video of where your car is in the parking lot.  Be sure to use a landmark in the photo, such as a particular lamp post, a shot of the shop or mall in the background, etc.  Refer to the pictures to find your car easily.

4)  Find your personal balance between accepting that you might not be able to do all that you would like to do when your allergies are acting up and yet realizing that you can accomplish some things. 

5)  Keep a list of household chores that can be done in short segments.  Break larger chores down into smaller steps and list these smaller steps, as well.  Set a timer and do the first on your list.  Then, tackle the second, etc.  Take breaks when you need to.  

6)  Watch your thinking.  It's easy to let our thinking slip into the negative on days when we don't feel well.  It's also easy to over think or brood when we are not as physically active as usual. Likewise, we can become frustrated with ourselves and also project our frustrations outward to others.  A downward spiral of thinking can sap what energy you do have.  Faithful thinking and focusing on your blessings can increase your stores of energy, even when you are otherwise ill.

7)  Make rest time productive.  Keep a list of quiet activities that you don't normally have time to enjoy (again broken into short, doable steps), and pick something to do when you don't feel up to your regular schedule.  Even if you can't do heavy activity, you might be able to sew, read, listen to soothing music, write a letter, paint, read uplifting blogs, watch a movie or show you've been wanting to, etc.  Catch up on a little sleep or just rest quietly.  Have some extra prayer time.  Now, is not the time to mindlessly surf the web, mindlessly watch TV, etc.  If you just fritter your rest time, you might find yourself feeling more anxious and more foggy than if you actively select an activity that will refresh you.

9)  Take a few minutes of extra planning.  When you are feeling your best, you may be able to instantly decide what the highest priorities for your day are.  When you are feeling a dull, allergy induced headache, you may be more indecisive.  You may not feel like checking your calendar or to do list, but this is just the time when these tools can be the most valuable.  Choose something and stick with it until it's done or until you've accomplished whatever intermediary steps you've established.  Then go on to something else. Having routines in place can help you when you don't have the focus to decide on the spot.

10) Unless you are so ill that you do need to rest in bed, try to accomplish a few things.  It's so much more pleasant to reach the end of the day and to be able to think that some things got done than to have wasted a whole day.  Even small investments in making your home pleasant, clean, and sneeze free will pay off later on. 

11)  Taking a walk in fresh air might help, or, if your allergies are forcing you to stay inside, doing little bits of exercise throughout the day can boost your mental and physical well-being.  Stretch from time to time or take some deep breaths.  If you're not up to your normal exercise routine, try taking a few minutes here and there to move about and get your oxygen going.

12)  One days when you are the most ill, you will likely lack as much motivation as you usually have.  Even things you enjoy doing might seem daunting.  Sometimes, you may need to take a "just do it" attitude.  Once you dig in to a chore, you might find that you have more motivation and more momentum.  Likewise, if you are feeling too tired to exercise, you might find that your energy flows more freely once you get started.  Even if you don't ramp up to full speed, you will probably find the strength and the will to accomplish more than you thought possible. If you get your day started well and you still can't find any "oomph", that could be a sign that you do need more rest.

13) As best as you can, keep your personal spaces -- bedroom and bathroom -- and your kitchen tidy and your appearance fresh and neat.  These things can give you more energy to branch out to other tasks.   

14)  Pray for strength and clarity.  Pray for the wisdom to know when to push through and get things done and when to step back and rest. 

15)  Do what you can to support your health on a daily basis.  Often, we think about this when our body is weak, and it cries out for a healthy diet, rest, and exercise.  For optimum health and mental clarity, however, we have to work on our health consistently. 

16)  On a really bad day, set just three important goals.  If you get them done, set three more.  Don't overwhelm yourself with a long, long to-do list.   If you're having trouble deciding which three to do, just do your best.  Sometimes, these three goals will present themselves:  Perhaps, your children are at a class, and you must pick them up.  You can even set goals by the hour.  In the next hour, I will accomplish this________.  If I finish and have more time, I will do this:  _________,  Be thankful for everything that you do get done. 

 

Enjoy! 

        

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- Day 10

Hidden Allergies....

Vitamins and your Pantry...

I have a feeling that food allergies are over-diagnosed these days and are wrongly made out to be the culprit for a lot of ailments.  On the other hand, some people truly do have very serious allergies to certain foods.  Besides, if avoiding a food works for you, who am I to say differently?

Some may also have other health reasons than an allergy for avoiding certain foods.  For example, I have a disease that attacks my thyroid.  Soy is thought to have a harmful effect on the thyroid.  So, to be on the safe side, I avoid soy when I can.  I also try to avoid MSG as both my parents have had a reaction to MSG.   I may hit the genetic jackpot on that one, but why take chances? 

Since I am no expert on food allergies, the focus of my series  "14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home" has been more slanted toward dust, pollen, dander, mold, and things that we can "clean" away.  However, I did learn something about a food concern recently that I thought was worth mentioning.

In researching my autoimmune disease, I came across something I had not even considered:  Most multivitamin/multimineral tablets and another of other nutritional supplements have enough soy in them that many suffers of thyroid disease avoid them. That led me on a quest for soy-free vitamins, which turned out to be hard to find. (I happen to have a bottle of Women's Your Life Multi 45 plus in my pantry, and they seem to be soy-free.  They contain more ingredients than I personally would like to take, but I've decided to use them up for now.  If you know of another soy-free vitamin/mineral, let me know!)  Apparently, some vitamins are often extracted from soy.  Since soy is thought to have many health benefits, soy is even added to some vitamins, especially those for heart health and for perimenopause/menopause.

(Note:  I had the wrong vitamin listed as being no soy.  It's Women's Your Life Multi by Nature's Bounty.  
If you know of other soy free vitamin/minerals, please comment!)

In my research, I found that many people also search for supplements that are gluten free and dairy free, which are somewhat easier to find than those which are soy-free.  The bottom line is that if you are avoiding a particular foodstuff for health reasons, check to make sure that you are not inadvertently consuming it through supplements.

Likewise, don't assume that supplements or teas which contain herbs are allergy free. Be especially thoughtful when it comes to formulas which combine many herbs.  A friend of mine took a multivitamin/multimineral supplement with many herbs in it and had a serious allergic reaction to something in it, though I don't think she ever knew exactly what was the cause.

 
There are many other ways that certain food substances can slip into our pantries unaware.   MSG and soy, for example, both are used in many forms and appear on many labels under various names.  If you are trying to eliminate MSG, for example, you must also avoid hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and hydrolyzed pea protein.  We're all aware by now how many foods contain added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, even those that are not sweet to the taste.      

If you or someone in your family has an acutely dangerous food allergy, you're probably already alert to the many ways that certain substances can be hidden in processed foods, cosmetics and toiletries, and nutritional supplements. If you've never had a serious problem but do have a health reason for avoiding a substance, it's worth a little research to find foods and supplements that are safe for you.

Enjoy!

Pattypan Squash on the Grill

I've cooked patty pan squash many times, but I don't ever remember doing it on the grill.  However, Doc Brilliant and I spent a fun afternoon at the Farmer's Market on Saturday afternoon, and we came home with some wonderful summer bounty.  We decided to have just a veggie meal, and we wondered if we might be able to grill the squash as we have done with other squashes, like zucchini.  Sure enough, one of the Internet recipe sites had many recipes for grilled patty pan squash.

So, I poured a little olive oil into a bowl and added salt.  The Doc brushed the oil onto the squash and grilled it.  When it came off the grill, we threw some shredded cheese on top.  We took the picture before the cheese had time to melt from the heat of the freshly cooked squash, but when it did melt, it looked lovely.  It tasted wonderful, as well.

I'm sorry the plate was hanging off the edge of the table in the picture, but it had to share with a number of other dishes.  It all went well with the Amish cracked wheat bread that we also bought at the Market.

Yummy!

14 days to a sneeze free home -- Day 9

Here's an allergy taming tip that I need to try:  When pets come in from the outdoors, give them a quick rub with a baby wipe to trap dust and pollens.  Corduroy, the ferocious 10 pound poodle in charge of animal hospitality at the Merry Rose, managed to find some leaves to roll in, and these stuck to his hair -- which badly needs grooming.  Wouldn't you know, he got inside before I could get the leaves of him, and they are now in crumbles on my floor.  Time to vacuum. 

Last summer, I had my first ever case of poison ivy.  I had been in contact with the stuff before, of course, but had never been allergic to it.  However, my dermatologist said that as our hormones change, the things that trigger our allergies can change, as well.  One of the first questions she asked was if I had a dog.  Dogs can contact poison ivy and give it to you if the irritant is still on their fur.  So, again, it's a good idea to wipe dogs or cats when they come inside and also to get rid of any poison ivy or the like that might be in your yard.

I don't know about where you live, but we are having some brutal heat here in Tennessee.  Naturally, we have daily air quality alert warnings.   Right now, we are in code orange, which affects only those who might be sensitive, such as people with asthma, the elderly, and children.

Here are the code levels and what they mean:

• Good" AQI is 0 - 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
• "Moderate" AQI is 51 - 100. Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.
• "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" AQI is 101 - 150. Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air. .
  
• "Unhealthy" AQI is 151 - 200. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects. .
• "Very Unhealthy" AQI is 201 - 300. This would trigger a health alert signifying that everyone may experience more serious health effects.
• "Hazardous" AQI greater than 300. This would trigger a health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. 

Enjoy!
  
  



  

14 days to a sneeze free home -- Day 8

Do you wake up with a sore throat, a stuffy nose, and even a worsening of asthma?  Check out not only allergies as a source, but also the possibility that you might suffer from acid reflux.  Even babies can suffer from this, so ask your doctor if this is a possible source of these symptoms in children, as well.

Acid reflux can be caused or made worse by the following:

1)  A hiatal hernia where the esophagus meets the stomach.
2)  Being overweight and/or out of shape.
3)  Trigger foods, such as spicy dishes, peppermint and peppermint tea, soft drinks. caffeine, tomatoes, etc.  Your trigger food may be different from another's trigger food, so it takes a bit of experimentation to find out.
4)  Congenital problems of the esophagus.
5)  H. Pylori bacteria.

Some people suffer temporary bouts of acid reflux.  These are usually brought on by irritation of the esophagus or some specific trigger.  Other people suffer chronic, low level problems with acid reflux. 

Acid flowing up from the stomach can irritate the tissues in the lungs, nose, and throat.  Thus, they can compound regular nasal and respiratory allergies or even cause them. Our stomachs usually release acid at a specific time in the early morning hours.  Since people are sleeping, they are usually both flat and not eating, which means that the stomach acid can flow unopposed into the esophagus.  When  a person's valves work well, this is not a problem.  However, if one of the above triggers is interfering with the valve, then acid does flow up and cause symptoms.   

Your doctor is the one who can best tell you how to treat your reflux.  In addition to your doctor's specific advice, hare are a few domestic methods to try:

1)  Elevate the head of your bead.  This can be done with risers underneath the legs at the head of the bed or by special foam wedges that you can tuck underneath your mattress.  In this way, you use gravity to help stomach acids stay in place.
2)  Avoid eating within a few hours of bedtime.
3)  Learn to cook with foods that do not trigger your or a member's acid reflux.  Sometimes, finding healthy and cost-friendly recipes that don't involve trigger foods can be a challenge.   However, the challenge isn't insurmountable, as we have so many food choices nowadays, as well as lots of information about cooking and diet on the Internet and in cookbooks.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth
  

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- Day 7

5 Tips to Fight Allergies

1)  According to an article from Reader's Digest, make sure that your welcome mats and mats placed inside doors are of synthetic fiber and not natural fibers.  Natural fibers break down and become part of the problem.  Synthetic mats trap dirt and pollen that might be tracked inside and, thus, keep them from being spread all over your house.  Clean mats weekly.
2)  Reader's Digest also recommends that you set your thermostat above 65 degrees in the winter in order to keep mold from developing in moister air.  As the central air heats the air to above 65 degrees, it removes some of the moisture.
3)  How is your vitamin C level?  Some studies suggest that deficiencies in Vitamin C are associated with increased allergies.  If you already get enough Vitamin C, taking more won't help.  If your diet is low on Vitamin C, however, you might try adding  foods that provide Vitamin C.
4) The Boston Public Health service recommends that allergy sufferers keep records of their symptoms so that they and their doctors might be able to identify possible triggers.  Take note of good days as well as days that are harder.  Keeping a diary for one year might help you identify seasonal patterns. 
5)  How clean are your light fixtures, lamp shades, etc?   Dust and debris underneath glass shades can contribute to allergies. 

Enjoy!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Tree Firmly Planted

by Elizabeth A. Mundie

Giveaway ends July 01, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- Day 6

You've probably noticed that this is not 14 consecutive days!  Here's post 5 in our 14 part series about creating a sneeze free home.

Many times, those of us who are allergy sufferers will have to give up some home comfort in order to breathe well.  If this is the case, try to substitute one comfort for another. 

If you are allergic to fresh flowers, for example, try silk ones or shells or figurines or something else to brighten up your home.  Use paintings of flowers.  Keep potted flowers by your door or on your patio or deck so that you can see them from inside.  Note that you will need to keep even silk flowers well dusted.

If you cannot have carpet and you like carpet, you might be able to use a flat rug (not plush) on a hardwood or tile floor.

If you react badly to potted plants, try one that grows on air or water.

If you are allergic to one type of pet, be flexible.  You might be able to have another type.  Or, you might be able to have an outdoor pet if you give it proper shelter.

If book dust bothers you, there's always Kindle or NookBook.

Yes, I know that the substitutes aren't as fun as the originals, but they can help make up for the loss of a home comfort.  

I'd love to hear any substitutes you have found.



Today's tip...Check dresser scarves and other coverings that might sit for some time on tables.  These are big dust catchers, and they also hide dust underneath them.  They should be washed frequently.  Likewise, check kitchen throw rugs and outdoor welcome mats.

    An extra incentive to cut down on dust inside your home -- In her book on skin care, Chizu Saeki says that dust can dull the skin.  She is speaking of removing dust on the skin through proper skin care, but it couldn't hurt to keep the overall dust count of the house down as well.




Remember, when it comes to dust and allergies, it's not the dust itself that usually irritates our nasal passages and causes respiratory allergies.   It's more often the dust mites that feed on dust that bother us.  Practically, though, removing dust cuts down on the mite's food supply and makes it harder for them to live and multiply in our homes.

If you are highly allergic to house dust and there is no one else in the family who can dust and vacuum for you, you might find someone who would like to earn a little extra by doing a thorough dusting and vacuuming for you once a month.  If you can find someone, perhaps a student, to help out periodically, you might be better able to handle daily dustings.  Likewise, see if a friend will help you when it's time to dust books, clean out the attic, etc., or pay someone.  Again, if you seek help for big projects, you might be able to handle smaller ones.   When making a family chore chart, assign non-allergic family members to the dustier chores.

Enjoy!   

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home

Five ways to clean away allergens:

1)  You don't need a steam cleaner to keep your home allergen free.  But, if you already own one or would like to buy one, try it to clean
a)  clothes
b) floors
c) carpets
d) windows.

2)  If you find that potted plants bother your allergies, you might do well with plants that grow in air or water.  These are neater and easier to grow anyway.
3)  If you store items like bird food, pet foods, potting soil, lawn soils, etc., don't let them sit so long that they become stale and moldy.
4)  When cleaning, especially in the bedroom of an allergy sufferer, give attention to windowsills and baseboards.  These are big dust catchers in a home.
5)  Remember that mildew grows in soap scum.  That's all the more reason to keep kitchens and bathrooms sparkling clean.

Do children with allergies ever outgrow allergies?  How about outgrowing asthma?  You may find that your allergies do wax and wane with time or that the things that trigger an allergic reaction may change.  Talk with your doctor to be sure.   

Visit the Cleaning Institute for more ideas about keeping your home free of allergens.

Enjoy!

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- continued

Yay! We now have a clean garage!

Ironically, one of the things that can trigger allergies when you are cleaning your house to prevent allergies is the cleaning products and tools used.  I have a friend who was hospitalized for some days before the doctors finally diagnosed her problems as lung irritation being related to cleaning products.  She had to undergo a number of tests before this diagnosis was made.

In general, trial and error can help you determine what bothers you and/or another family member.  Cleaning products can cause respiratory allergies and possibly skin allergies, too.  Try different clothing detergents and different cleaning products.  Products that are more likely to be irritating will have strong fumes or odors.  Products that are delivered by some type of spray also may be irritating.  Products marked as hypoallergenic might be a better choice, but, again, you will have to determine whether or not it is safe for you. Green products may or may not be less caustic and less likely to trigger allergies. 

Good old fashioned cleaners like baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice are not as likely as commercial cleaners to trigger allergies, but make sure that you know how to use them.  

You may need to wear a mask while cleaning.  Also, use dusters that trap dust rather than just stir it into the air.  Be careful how you empty your vacuum's chamber or change vacuum bags.  Borax is a good old fashioned cleaner, but it can cause severe reactions, especially if you are exposed to too much borax dust.

Enjoy! 

Attack the allergens! 14 days to a sneeze free home.

Well, I wrote about pests such as mice and roaches while I was away from home..  Then, I came home to bees, bees, bees!  A swarm has settled in to an area on the outside of our home that neither local bee keepers or exterminators want to touch. I'm still working on a friendly and safe way to urge our visitors to depart.  In the meantime, we should have lovely flowers and tomatoes this year!

***

If you are in the battle, as I am, against allergy triggers in your home, you'll want to give your entryway and other door areas a thorough cleaning.  Naturally, as people and, for some of us, animals pass in and out of the doorways of our home, they track in dust, pollen, and other allergy triggers.

One simple way to trap many of these things is to have good quality mats or rugs both outside the door and inside the door.   Vacuum and otherwise clean these mats thoroughly.   This will not only help cut down on allergens in your home, it will help cut down on the amount of sweeping, mopping, vaccuming, and spot cleaning that you have to do in other areas of your home.  Trap the dirt quickly, at the door, before it spreads further into the house.

Otherwise, door areas need the same kind of cleaning that other areas do.  There is a need to dust the walls, ceiling, and doors.

Doorknobs often trap germs, so it's a good idea to give them frequent cleanings as well.

Note:  Some specialists think that one reason why so many of us have allergies today is that we grow up in environments that are so clean that our immune systems don't get needed practice in differentiating between truly harmful germs and substances and things that are not really harmful.  Thus, our systems go to red alert at the wrong times, and gear up to fight harmless pollen.  Still, if you already do have allergies, the best way to cope with them is to avoid the triggers, and that's where extra attention to cleaning comes in handy.

Enjoy!

 

14 days to a sneeze free home...Day 2

Well, travels have taken me out of  the home, so I haven't been there to continue my allergy trigger attack program.  However, I'm still researching so that I can get back on it when I get home.  I have learned one thing:  I can't outrun the pollen/allergy triggers -- at least not if I run only to other Southern states.  I'm also thinking that I need to be more on top of keeping suitcases dust free, lint free, and otherwise clean. 

Today, we'll deal with the yuckies.  These are things no one ever wants in their house, but we sometimes have to tackle them anyway.  Not only are they unpleasant, they can bring in allergy triggers (not to mention germs).  Cutting down your allergy risk factor is just one more reason to get rid of the following:

1)  Moldy or out of date food in the fridge.  (Guilty of leaving cleaning the fridge last on my list of chores!)
2)  Roaches
3)  Mice
4)  Foodstuff left in kitchen can -- take out kitchen trash and garbage daily.  Regularly clean your kitchen garbage can and your other trash cans. 

5)  Mildew in places like showers

Ok, let's get really yucky:  House dust is made up, in large measure, of dead skin cells from people and pets.  This is the stuff on which dust mites thrive.  Dust mites are a known allergy trigger for many people. So, get your dust cloths and dust mops out, wash your bedding, and consider using dust-free liners for pillows and beds! 


Here are two unpleasant carriers of allergy triggers that we are more apt to accumulate when we are older or become empty nesters after having reared children:

1)  Stale or musty air in parts of the house.  Keep the air fresh even in seldom used rooms or closets.    Open the door to these areas from from time to time to let the air circulate.  Use a fan to air areas like these.  Open nearby windows if this does not make your allergies worse.
2)  Old, unused clothing. 

Some say that if you suffer from seasonal allergies that you should keep your windows closed and rely on central air conditioning or heat.  Others say that indoor air is dirtier than the air outside and that allowing fresh air in can help tame your allergies.  I imagine that it all depends on what you are allergic to and where you live.  Talk to your doctor, experiment with open and closed windows and use common sense.   Do you have sneezing attacks when you go outside?  Open windows are probably not a good idea. If you feel better outdoors, they might be.  At some times of the year, airing out the house makes no difference in my allergy level and makes me feel a little better because the air is fresher.  At other times, the breeze brings in pollens that do bother me.

Enjoy!

The Final Summit

In the Final Summit, 74-year-old time traveler, David Ponder, is charged by the angel Gabriel with heading up a summit of history's greatest figures. Mankind is headed for destruction, as well as a judgment from God. To escape this judgment, the summit must come up with an answer that shows God that people can improve things.

I enjoy science fiction, and I also enjoy writers like C. S. Lewis, to whom the author is compared. Thus, I hoped to enjoy the "Final Summit: A Quest to Find One Principle That Will Save Humanity". I did enjoy the first chapter or so, for the author set up some interesting characters and situations. Unfortunately, after a few chapters, I lot interest on two levels: 1) the writing and 2) the "spiritual" principles presented in the book.

As far as the writing goes, it seems to be mainly a vehicle for the author's message. Good fiction, especially good Biblically based fiction, can and should deliver a message. However, we should be able to glean that message from a well crafted plot, well rounded characters, and a story that draws our attention. The Final Summit gave me the feeling of sitting in a business meeting that wasn't going anywhere any time quickly. That surprised me, as the characters, both real and fictional, could have made for more interesting dialogue and action.

Speaking of action, the title leads one to expect a quest. There is a quest, but it is a quest that involves a lot of speaking and very little action. Moral and spiritual quests can be exciting to read about, but, somehow, this one left me snoozing.

As far as the spiritual principles are concerned, I didn't care for the strange mixture of business-culture self-help and Biblical imagery. The book discusses 7 principles for life. The book culminates in a two-word prescription for humankind's plight that is delivered by the summit council. These 7 principles and the one concluding principle are not bad in and of themselves. In fact, in the right context, they could be sound advice. If they were outlined in some other type of quest story, I don't think it would bother me that the author crafted his story around them.

However, the author sets these principles in the framework of an impending judgment from God, similar to that of Noah's day. Despite this, there is no mention of Christ or a savior-figure. The concepts of faith, mercy, obedience, and God's gift of true salvation are also strangely absent. In light of this, the two word answer not only seems lame, it's wrong -- dangerously wrong! It leaves the impression that the destruction of sin can be healed by our own efforts and human wisdom. Following that line of thinking will only lead us into more trouble! True answers are found in Christ and in God's wisdom.