There is so much going on this coming weekend (it's only Monday at 9:27 a.m. and already I am dreaming of the weekend!)...downtown development tours, art gallery crawl, Love Drums concert, and much, much more...
And one of the coolest events IMO, is the Fishing Rodeo at Centennial Park on Saturday.
Alas...I am now too old to participate but when I was a young 'un growing up in Memphis, TN, there were few things I enjoyed more than the annual fishing rodeo at Audubon Park. I don't remember ever winning any prizes but I sure did have a great time!
Did you ever participate in a fishing rodeo as a kid? Do you still love fishing?
Here's the scoop on this weekend's Nashville event, taken from www.tennesseegreen.com:
Cumberland River Compact and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency presents the Sixth Annual Catfish Rodeo. This family festival is about connecting children to local waters. The day involves 2,000 pounds of catfish stocked in Lake Watauga, two flights of fishing, educational booths and activities for children to enjoy with their parents. For ages 5-16. Each child must register before the event. For more information and to register visit www.cumberlandrivercompact.org/events_catfishrodeo.shtml
Monday, June 2, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Green Detergent
The Wal-Mart brand is great!
I swear, I think the clothes were cleaner, and they did not have a "perfumey" smell...when I lay down on the newly changed sheets and pillowcases, they were soft and had a nice fresh feel...almost like I had tried them on the line.
Speaking of which, one of these days I am going to start drying clothes on the line! My mother always does...I love to come home in the evenings and see sheets, pillowcases, and old-fashioned housedresses fluttering on the line!
I swear, I think the clothes were cleaner, and they did not have a "perfumey" smell...when I lay down on the newly changed sheets and pillowcases, they were soft and had a nice fresh feel...almost like I had tried them on the line.
Speaking of which, one of these days I am going to start drying clothes on the line! My mother always does...I love to come home in the evenings and see sheets, pillowcases, and old-fashioned housedresses fluttering on the line!
Vinegar as a Natural Weed Killer
Woohoo!
I haven't been using chemicals in my yard for years, and as a result have suffered with pesky weeds. This is especially the case now with our gravel driveway and a flowerbed outside the breakfast nook that the previous owner filled with pebbles.
I doubly don't want to use chemicals because of the outdoor kitties, Bubba and Bitsy, but am sooo tired of looking at weeds while eating breakfast!
So I was excited to get the following info in my email this morning from about.com. (www.about.com) It's about using vinegar as a natural weedkiller.
I'll let you know how it goes...
What about you? Have you ever tried vinegar? Would you?
by David Beaulieu
For organic gardening, vinegar can function as a handy natural weed killer. It's the acetic acid in vinegar that gives it the power to kill weeds. The higher the percentage of acetic acid in the vinegar, the better it will operate as a natural weed killer, technically speaking. Vinegar used for culinary purposes is relatively low (5%) in acetic acid, so repeated applications will be necessary when using it as a natural weed killer.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: Limitations
If you're battling lawn weeds, take care to apply the vinegar directly onto the weeds themselves, not letting it come into contact with your grass. Why? Because the fact that vinegar is a natural weed killer doesn't mean it can't be harmful if misused. Vinegar is non-selective, and this natural weed killer can harm your grass!
To avoid damage to grass, consider "painting" the vinegar directly onto weeds with a brush. If you do spray with vinegar, don't pull the trigger until you're right up close to the targeted weed. Don't spray on a windy day, as the wind could carry your vinegar spray where you don't want it to go -- on your grass.
Because of this limitation, I don't think of vinegar as being an especially effective natural weed killer for lawn areas. It makes more sense to use vinegar in areas where lawn grass and other landscaping plants won't be in the way, such as on patios or walkways (where you have weeds pushing up through cracks).
But if you're already in the process of digging a dandelion out of the lawn, it wouldn't hurt to supplement your efforts with vinegar. After you've removed as much of the taproot as possible, carefully pour some vinegar into the hole. The vinegar will seep down into the soil, killing any portions of taproot you may have missed. Afterwards, shovel soil into the hole and sow grass seed on top, lest any opportunistic weed seeds should fill the vacuum.
There's another limitation in using vinegar as a natural weed killer, but this limitation extends to chemical weed killers, as well: namely, that you'll probably have to re-apply the vinegar to get the job done, as weeds often refuse to go quietly. This is especially true of established perennial weeds, toughened by years of coping with environmental challenges; vinegar will be more effective on younger weeds.
But considering that vinegar is safe and relatively inexpensive, this objection is hardly a telling argument against the use of vinegar as a natural weed killer. If your goal is to use a natural weed killer, one assumes that you'll be motivated to make repeated applications, as necessary.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: When to Apply
When practicing natural weed control, take to heart the dictum, Know thine enemy! Study up on the weeds you're battling before you use the vinegar on them. Target annual weeds with your vinegar natural weed killer before they set seed, to prevent them from spawning a new generation to give you headaches next year.
By contrast, early fall is the best time to use this natural weed killer on perennial weeds. Early fall is when you'll want to apply vinegar to dandelions (but snap off the flowers whenever they appear, to prevent them from going to seed in the meantime). Dandelions, although their leaves die back in winter, do live on through their roots. So preventing them from going to seed isn't enough.
Fortunately, knowing a little botany can help you considerably in your battle with perennial weeds like dandelions. You see, in early fall, nutrients are transferred from the dandelion leaves down to the roots. This transfer, which continues until the first killing frost, presents you with an opportunity to hit dandelions where it really hurts! Vinegar natural weed killer applied during this time is absorbed by the leaves and passed on to the roots, following the same path down as the nutrients. The plants are killed -- naturally. Repeated applications may be necessary.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: How to Apply
Listen to your local forecast, and find out when your region will be experiencing a few continuous days of sunshine. At the beginning of this period, spray or paint the vinegar onto the weeds you wish to kill.
Why is a sunny period required? Two reasons:
You need to saturate the weeds' leaves with the vinegar, and rain would wash too much of the vinegar off the foliage.
The real damage to the sprayed weeds begins the next couple of days after the application, when the sun hits the leaves.
Some people who use vinegar as a natural weed killer like to boil the vinegar, prior to application. Through such boiling, you may actually be able to gain a concentrate higher in acetic acid, although I haven't yet experimented with this option in any scientific way. But it certainly can't hurt to boil the vinegar; in fact, many folks report success killing weeds by simply pouring scalding water on weeds! So I suppose the use of boiled vinegar allows you to attack weeds on an additional front.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: The Stronger Stuff
It is possible to buy products with a higher acetic acid content than that found in ordinary vinegar. Such products can be purchased at farmer's stores or from restaurant supply businesses. But the potency of these acetic acid products can render them less safe to use than household vinegar. To me, that puts them at odds with the whole concept of using "natural weed killers." Besides, you have to go out of your way to find these products, and the idea behind the present article was to introduce a handy natural weed killer, something you can just pull off a kitchen shelf and experiment with.
Other Uses for Vinegar
Those of you who have held an ongoing grudge against vinegar for its ability to make your mouth pucker may finally be able to grant vinegar forgiveness. For that same sourness makes vinegar the natural weed killer of choice for organic gardening. Vinegar can also be used for cleaning purposes around the home, as an alternative to chemical cleaners.
So if you rarely open that vinegar jug for purposes of seasoning your food, don't despair: The uses for vinegar extend well beyond the culinary.
I haven't been using chemicals in my yard for years, and as a result have suffered with pesky weeds. This is especially the case now with our gravel driveway and a flowerbed outside the breakfast nook that the previous owner filled with pebbles.
I doubly don't want to use chemicals because of the outdoor kitties, Bubba and Bitsy, but am sooo tired of looking at weeds while eating breakfast!
So I was excited to get the following info in my email this morning from about.com. (www.about.com) It's about using vinegar as a natural weedkiller.
I'll let you know how it goes...
What about you? Have you ever tried vinegar? Would you?
by David Beaulieu
For organic gardening, vinegar can function as a handy natural weed killer. It's the acetic acid in vinegar that gives it the power to kill weeds. The higher the percentage of acetic acid in the vinegar, the better it will operate as a natural weed killer, technically speaking. Vinegar used for culinary purposes is relatively low (5%) in acetic acid, so repeated applications will be necessary when using it as a natural weed killer.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: Limitations
If you're battling lawn weeds, take care to apply the vinegar directly onto the weeds themselves, not letting it come into contact with your grass. Why? Because the fact that vinegar is a natural weed killer doesn't mean it can't be harmful if misused. Vinegar is non-selective, and this natural weed killer can harm your grass!
To avoid damage to grass, consider "painting" the vinegar directly onto weeds with a brush. If you do spray with vinegar, don't pull the trigger until you're right up close to the targeted weed. Don't spray on a windy day, as the wind could carry your vinegar spray where you don't want it to go -- on your grass.
Because of this limitation, I don't think of vinegar as being an especially effective natural weed killer for lawn areas. It makes more sense to use vinegar in areas where lawn grass and other landscaping plants won't be in the way, such as on patios or walkways (where you have weeds pushing up through cracks).
But if you're already in the process of digging a dandelion out of the lawn, it wouldn't hurt to supplement your efforts with vinegar. After you've removed as much of the taproot as possible, carefully pour some vinegar into the hole. The vinegar will seep down into the soil, killing any portions of taproot you may have missed. Afterwards, shovel soil into the hole and sow grass seed on top, lest any opportunistic weed seeds should fill the vacuum.
There's another limitation in using vinegar as a natural weed killer, but this limitation extends to chemical weed killers, as well: namely, that you'll probably have to re-apply the vinegar to get the job done, as weeds often refuse to go quietly. This is especially true of established perennial weeds, toughened by years of coping with environmental challenges; vinegar will be more effective on younger weeds.
But considering that vinegar is safe and relatively inexpensive, this objection is hardly a telling argument against the use of vinegar as a natural weed killer. If your goal is to use a natural weed killer, one assumes that you'll be motivated to make repeated applications, as necessary.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: When to Apply
When practicing natural weed control, take to heart the dictum, Know thine enemy! Study up on the weeds you're battling before you use the vinegar on them. Target annual weeds with your vinegar natural weed killer before they set seed, to prevent them from spawning a new generation to give you headaches next year.
By contrast, early fall is the best time to use this natural weed killer on perennial weeds. Early fall is when you'll want to apply vinegar to dandelions (but snap off the flowers whenever they appear, to prevent them from going to seed in the meantime). Dandelions, although their leaves die back in winter, do live on through their roots. So preventing them from going to seed isn't enough.
Fortunately, knowing a little botany can help you considerably in your battle with perennial weeds like dandelions. You see, in early fall, nutrients are transferred from the dandelion leaves down to the roots. This transfer, which continues until the first killing frost, presents you with an opportunity to hit dandelions where it really hurts! Vinegar natural weed killer applied during this time is absorbed by the leaves and passed on to the roots, following the same path down as the nutrients. The plants are killed -- naturally. Repeated applications may be necessary.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: How to Apply
Listen to your local forecast, and find out when your region will be experiencing a few continuous days of sunshine. At the beginning of this period, spray or paint the vinegar onto the weeds you wish to kill.
Why is a sunny period required? Two reasons:
You need to saturate the weeds' leaves with the vinegar, and rain would wash too much of the vinegar off the foliage.
The real damage to the sprayed weeds begins the next couple of days after the application, when the sun hits the leaves.
Some people who use vinegar as a natural weed killer like to boil the vinegar, prior to application. Through such boiling, you may actually be able to gain a concentrate higher in acetic acid, although I haven't yet experimented with this option in any scientific way. But it certainly can't hurt to boil the vinegar; in fact, many folks report success killing weeds by simply pouring scalding water on weeds! So I suppose the use of boiled vinegar allows you to attack weeds on an additional front.
Vinegar As Natural Weed Killer: The Stronger Stuff
It is possible to buy products with a higher acetic acid content than that found in ordinary vinegar. Such products can be purchased at farmer's stores or from restaurant supply businesses. But the potency of these acetic acid products can render them less safe to use than household vinegar. To me, that puts them at odds with the whole concept of using "natural weed killers." Besides, you have to go out of your way to find these products, and the idea behind the present article was to introduce a handy natural weed killer, something you can just pull off a kitchen shelf and experiment with.
Other Uses for Vinegar
Those of you who have held an ongoing grudge against vinegar for its ability to make your mouth pucker may finally be able to grant vinegar forgiveness. For that same sourness makes vinegar the natural weed killer of choice for organic gardening. Vinegar can also be used for cleaning purposes around the home, as an alternative to chemical cleaners.
So if you rarely open that vinegar jug for purposes of seasoning your food, don't despair: The uses for vinegar extend well beyond the culinary.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Tide Better Get on the Stick!
During my growing-up years, my mother never used any laundry detergent other than Tide. www.tide.com.
When I got out on my own, I experimented with different detergents when I had a coupon or store special, but I always came back to Tide because I believed it was the best.
However, the other day I was in Wal-Mart and saw that they had an environmental friendly laundry detergent (herbally scented, no les!) under their Great Value label.
Hmmmm.....Now that I have become more environmentally conscious, I started wondering about Tide.
Sure enough, I checked their website and I don't see anything on there that indicates an environmentally friendly detergent.
They do have Tide Coldwater, but...the thought of washing undies and towels in cold water doesn't cut it with me. Ugh!
So...I'm about to head out to Wal-Mart to do the weekly shopping. Laundry detergent is on my list, so I am going to give the Great Value brand a whirl. I know there are other brands (not "name" but new ones that have sprung up the past few years, like Myers) but they are a bit more expensive and I want to stick to my budget.
I'll have a report later this week on how the Great Value brand worked! I usually don't like Wal-Mart's house brand products but hopefully this will be different.
How about you? Are you using a green-friendly laundry detergent? If so, what are the results?
When I got out on my own, I experimented with different detergents when I had a coupon or store special, but I always came back to Tide because I believed it was the best.
However, the other day I was in Wal-Mart and saw that they had an environmental friendly laundry detergent (herbally scented, no les!) under their Great Value label.
Hmmmm.....Now that I have become more environmentally conscious, I started wondering about Tide.
Sure enough, I checked their website and I don't see anything on there that indicates an environmentally friendly detergent.
They do have Tide Coldwater, but...the thought of washing undies and towels in cold water doesn't cut it with me. Ugh!
So...I'm about to head out to Wal-Mart to do the weekly shopping. Laundry detergent is on my list, so I am going to give the Great Value brand a whirl. I know there are other brands (not "name" but new ones that have sprung up the past few years, like Myers) but they are a bit more expensive and I want to stick to my budget.
I'll have a report later this week on how the Great Value brand worked! I usually don't like Wal-Mart's house brand products but hopefully this will be different.
How about you? Are you using a green-friendly laundry detergent? If so, what are the results?
Tax Incentives--A Good Way to Promote Green Building?
The following article is from www.hgtvpro.com.
What are your thoughts? It all makes sense to me...
WASHINGTON -- Calling green building "the next evolution in residential construction," the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress last week that the best way to help small home builders promote residential energy efficiency and sustainability technology in home construction is by extending tax incentives for new energy-efficient homes.
Testifying before the House Small Business Committee, Michael Hodgson, president of the Stockton, Calif.-based energy consulting firm ConSol, said these incentives dovetail with the normal supply and demand for home construction. "A tax credit program leaves important production decisions in the hands of builders, buyers and home owners and does not require expensive administrative oversight that is usually associated with a mandate," he said.
Under current law, builders who construct a home certified to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy use are eligible to receive a $2,000 tax credit. That credit is set to expire at the end of this year, and although pending legislation in the House and Senate would extend it, there is still no agreement between the two chambers over the appropriate budgetary offsets.
"Unless Congress can end the political debate and extend this credit soon - with or without offsets - it will be a tremendous loss for my business and will eliminate the only federal incentive for efficiency in new homes," said Hodgson.
He also urged Congress to increase the dollar amount of the credit, because achieving the 50 percent threshold required by statute is costly, especially for small builders.
Hodgson said that the housing industry is committed to the advancement of green building techniques that reduce energy consumption, improve indoor and outdoor air quality and conserve water and natural resources in both new and existing homes - all hallmarks of the NAHB National Green Building Program.
"NAHB members are leaders in the green building movement and were active on this effort long before the recent media interest in climate change and global warming," he said. "In fact, NAHB will be hosting its 10th annual National Green Building Conference in New Orleans next month and has consistently been ahead of the curve in promoting and developing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction techniques for the mainstream home builder."
NAHB and the International Code Council are awaiting final approval by the American National Standards Institute for the National Green Building Standard. The goal is to offer local jurisdictions an "off-the-shelf" green building program for all new homes and remodeling projects that is consensus-based and truly green, but flexible, said Hodgson.
"Green building means making intentional decisions that positively impact energy efficiency, resource conservation and indoor environmental quality throughout the entire design and construction process," said Hodgson. "Green means doing the right thing for the builder, the home owner, and, most importantly, the environment."
With the economy teetering on the edge of recession, Hodgson also called on Congress to move quickly to enact a housing stimulus package that will jump-start housing, save jobs and restore consumer confidence.
Specifically, NAHB urges Congress to include the following tax initiatives in the bill:
--A temporary home buyer tax credit. Hodgson noted that a provision in House bill H.R. 5720 could shore up home prices by stimulating sales and reducing excess inventory in housing markets.
--A net operating loss deduction carryback expansion. Allowing companies to carry back net operating losses beyond the current two years would help all hard-hit businesses -- including financial institutions and manufacturers -- to weather the economic storm, make their payrolls and emerge from this downturn in a position to grow.
--Expansion of the mortgage revenue bond program. This would help struggling home owners seeking to refinance their loans and would be especially useful for communities trying to avoid a wave of foreclosures or an extreme excess of inventory.
What are your thoughts? It all makes sense to me...
WASHINGTON -- Calling green building "the next evolution in residential construction," the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress last week that the best way to help small home builders promote residential energy efficiency and sustainability technology in home construction is by extending tax incentives for new energy-efficient homes.
Testifying before the House Small Business Committee, Michael Hodgson, president of the Stockton, Calif.-based energy consulting firm ConSol, said these incentives dovetail with the normal supply and demand for home construction. "A tax credit program leaves important production decisions in the hands of builders, buyers and home owners and does not require expensive administrative oversight that is usually associated with a mandate," he said.
Under current law, builders who construct a home certified to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy use are eligible to receive a $2,000 tax credit. That credit is set to expire at the end of this year, and although pending legislation in the House and Senate would extend it, there is still no agreement between the two chambers over the appropriate budgetary offsets.
"Unless Congress can end the political debate and extend this credit soon - with or without offsets - it will be a tremendous loss for my business and will eliminate the only federal incentive for efficiency in new homes," said Hodgson.
He also urged Congress to increase the dollar amount of the credit, because achieving the 50 percent threshold required by statute is costly, especially for small builders.
Hodgson said that the housing industry is committed to the advancement of green building techniques that reduce energy consumption, improve indoor and outdoor air quality and conserve water and natural resources in both new and existing homes - all hallmarks of the NAHB National Green Building Program.
"NAHB members are leaders in the green building movement and were active on this effort long before the recent media interest in climate change and global warming," he said. "In fact, NAHB will be hosting its 10th annual National Green Building Conference in New Orleans next month and has consistently been ahead of the curve in promoting and developing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction techniques for the mainstream home builder."
NAHB and the International Code Council are awaiting final approval by the American National Standards Institute for the National Green Building Standard. The goal is to offer local jurisdictions an "off-the-shelf" green building program for all new homes and remodeling projects that is consensus-based and truly green, but flexible, said Hodgson.
"Green building means making intentional decisions that positively impact energy efficiency, resource conservation and indoor environmental quality throughout the entire design and construction process," said Hodgson. "Green means doing the right thing for the builder, the home owner, and, most importantly, the environment."
With the economy teetering on the edge of recession, Hodgson also called on Congress to move quickly to enact a housing stimulus package that will jump-start housing, save jobs and restore consumer confidence.
Specifically, NAHB urges Congress to include the following tax initiatives in the bill:
--A temporary home buyer tax credit. Hodgson noted that a provision in House bill H.R. 5720 could shore up home prices by stimulating sales and reducing excess inventory in housing markets.
--A net operating loss deduction carryback expansion. Allowing companies to carry back net operating losses beyond the current two years would help all hard-hit businesses -- including financial institutions and manufacturers -- to weather the economic storm, make their payrolls and emerge from this downturn in a position to grow.
--Expansion of the mortgage revenue bond program. This would help struggling home owners seeking to refinance their loans and would be especially useful for communities trying to avoid a wave of foreclosures or an extreme excess of inventory.
Friday, May 16, 2008
7 Great Prayers for An Abundand & Blessed Life
Several years ago I attended a Unity church in Memphis http://www.unityonline.com and received a copy of 7 Great Prayers for an Abundant and Blessed Life.
These prayers really helped me feel more peaceful, and more joyful so I wanted to share them here:
I Love You, God
Thank You, God
God, You Are Inside Me
God, I attract Your Blessings
God, I see You Everywhere
God, Bless .....
God, Help me To Help You
These prayers really helped me feel more peaceful, and more joyful so I wanted to share them here:
I Love You, God
Thank You, God
God, You Are Inside Me
God, I attract Your Blessings
God, I see You Everywhere
God, Bless .....
God, Help me To Help You
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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