Hey folks! You thought I forgot about you, didn't you? I have neglected my blog and podcast for a while, but I promise I haven't forgotten about them. I got a new microphone a while back, and it sounds awesome--it will enable me to pre-record a better-quality podcast, so there will be less rambling and more content. I may be changing hosts from blogtalkradio to somewhere else, so subscribe to this blog to stay updated on the switch.
Also, we're looking at purchasing a piece of property, which means lots of work fun projects for me to blog about and podcast about! We're looking at a 5 acre and a 10 acre parcel. They're a long drive from my husband's job, but one of the parcels already has water, power, and septic, which would be handy. The other is closer to the city, but has no improvements...so if we chose that one, you'll get lots of handy blog posts and videos about being off-grid!
We'll be moving for the next month, but check back, because after that, things will get more interesting around here! In the meantime, here is a pic of a piece of property, with a rough sketch of some things I'd like to do to it:
Yes, it's been a long lonely time since I posted here or did a podcast on Real Health Revolution. Worse--the last episode didn't record correctly, so I have to re-do it. Oh yeah, and I didn't write down most of my notes for that episode. *sigh* So I have to re-record a three month old episode about "my revelation" and hope I remember all of the revelation.
The good news is, I have a lot of information to share. Some of it will be a little different from what I've shared before. I also will be announcing possible plans to make changes to the show, including the possibility of leaving Blogtalkradio. They severely limit my time there, their lowest priced premium level is $40 a month, which is a lot for someone like me who, last time I checked, isn't making any money at all off the show. Plus, they did a bunch of funky things while I've been away, like setting me up to receive updates from a bunch of radio shows so that I had 250 reminder emails in my email box, and somehow deleting my intro music which I know have to scrounge up an old copy of from my old computer and re-upload.
I'm considering options, such as using 100mikes.com or just recording the podcast myself and editing and uploading it. I'd love to have the ability to edit my podcasts, but I'm afraid it will never get done, and so never be uploaded.
So tonight I'll be asking--no BEGGING--my 2000+ lurking listeners to pipe up and share some feedback, so I know how they feel about the changes I'm contemplating.
I hope you join me for my "revelation" and other fun stuff tonight! Check out the blogtalkradio box in the sidebar to listen to old shows or subscribe to the podcast.
This weekend I was looking at a display in my local supplement store that carried relaxing music. I was able to listen to "Crystal Bowl Meditation" (see link at the bottom of the post) that had Tibetan Singing Bowl music. If you've never heard a Tibetan Singing Bowl, it's really unusual. If done well, it has a very relaxing effect.
The singing bowls are like a musical instrument. They are played by striking or rubbing the bowls with a striker. They are used for meditation, clearing, chakra alignment, feng shui, spiritual workshops, and healing.
It is said that the tones of the bowls can be both heard and felt. When you listen to a good recording with good headphones, it seems to be true. Some tones make me feel uncomfortable, and others are very pleasant. It seems like the bowls can really "speak" to you on a physical level, and a lot of research has been done on soundwaves and healing, so it wouldn't surprise me if the singing bowls actually can somehow help in healing.
The bowls can be made of metal or other materials, but a lot of New Agers really like the crystal bowls because they like the energy of the crystals. I just think the crystal bowl tones sound nicer. ;-)
On soundtracks, the sounds of the bowls are usually accompanied by other instruments to create music, especially with woodwind instruments.
Normally I don't care for most singing bowl CD's, because often the musician feels the need to put in distracting or startling sounds. For me, I'm mostly using this music to relax, so annoying percussion music or other distracting noises only serve to irritate me. But this wasn't the case with this CD. The Crystal Bowl Meditation music was much more enjoyable and relaxing. There were two tracks that I didn't care as much for, because it featured someone blowing into a woodwind instrument without making a tone...it sounded like someone blowing into a bottle as the bottle was being filled with water. I found that irritating. But other than that, the music was really nice.
There was something about the tones that I found really relaxing and yet...somehow...I don't know...interesting? Hard to explain, but I can see how someone would find this music perfect for meditation.
Here are a couple of links: one to a beautiful (and pricey--eek!) set of bowls, and another link for the Crystal Bowl Meditation CD. I'll have to settle for the CD, myself! :-p
This post was written in July 2010, but never made it onto the blog due to the craziness of moving. And of life, LOL. Oh well, better late than never! When you are dealing with a short growing season, a cooler climate, or an unseasonably cool or short summer, a greenhouse can be a real lifesaver. But what if you are temporarily cashless, or living in a condo, or are a renter with a landlord who won't allow you to build a regular greenhouse? Enter the mini greenhouse!
This is a picture of a makeshift greenhouse that I have set up outside my front door. It is about 3 feet wide, 6 feet tall, and 2 feet deep. It was extremely easy to assemble. I bought it at Home Depot for around $60. It breaks down easily for moving, and although it is fairly lightweight when the shelves are empty, I've found it to be very sturdy for a plastic shelf.
If you wanted to make it more moveable, you could buy the heavy-duty metal shelving units on wheels that I've seen at Sam's Club. That way, if you're using it for seedlings in early spring, and there's a forecast for a hard frost, you can wheel it into your garage.
Make sure the wheels can be locked, and that the shelves can hold a LOT of weight, in case you end up doing heavier potted plants in the future.
The plastic cover is a thin mattress protector bag meant to protect your mattresses when you are moving. I'm not sure what size it is, but it has to be either a king size or a twin...I'm thinking it's the twin. It just barely fits over the shelves. Ideally, if you could get ahold of greenhouse sheeting, that would be the longest lasting and most efficient...and also the priciest. I had planned on using 6 or 8 mil plastic sheeting from Home Depot's paint department, until I came across the mattress cover.
If you use a roll of plastic sheeting, you'll need some way to attach it to the "greenhouse". You could use some kind of clamps, or duct tape. The way I have it configured, the top shelf can't be used, but if you could come up with some way to raise the plastic off the top shelf, it could be used. The total cost for this greenhouse was about $60, the cost of the shelves. If you buy the plastic sheeting, it will cost about $10-20 extra, depending on how small a roll your store sells, and what their prices run. If you have the plastic already and can scrounge up some cheap used shelves, it could be as little as $5-10. Or free, if you use free wooden pallets and build your own shelves!
Eventually I'm going to build a greenhouse in a panelized fashion, so it can be easily disassembled and moved. In the meantime, this seems to be working very well. Check out the video for more details, and how my seedlings are doing in the greenhouse.
If you enjoyed the video, please leave a comment, and feel free to let me know what subjects you'd like to see covered in any future videos!
This unit is similar to mine:
Remember, you want heavy duty shelves that hold a lot of weight, even if you're not using it to capacity.
Here are some choices for plastic covering:
Here is a complete mini-greenhouse, but it's not sturdy, so I wouldn't recommend it except maybe for a sheltered porch or balcony, out of the wind:
Here are some clips to keep the plastic wrapped around the shelves:
But it's better if you can scrounge these components for free, from what you already have. Good luck!
Yep. It's that time of year. The horrendous ice-packed country driveway has now given way to a six-inch deep mud pit. It's spring!
Well, almost. Where I live, we're still at risk for having snow dumped on us at any second. Our frost date isn't until at least the end of May. (Fortunately for us, we should be moved out of here by then, and have an earlier last frost date of mid-May...tee hee!)
Speaking of which, please pray for us, send positive thoughts, etc. that we find a good place to live. We've applied for a FABULOUS place that we found, that is perfect for us. Not on acreage, but other than that it's great (nothing good on acreage is available right now that isn't in the boonies). I hope we get it, because it will be a great place to shoot all my garden videos. And we'll actually be able to get into our own driveway without getting covered in mud, stuck in the snow, etc. What a concept!
I really hope we get it, because I can't wait to show you how cool it is. Plus, I've started my seedlings, so I need a place to plant them!
He states: "This Halloween she’ll be 17 months old, so logically she should have a pumpkin 200 times her weight that can only be moved by a forklift she can’t drive and that can only be carved with an ax she won’t be allowed to handle."
But since he only owns a 1/5th of an acre residential home, I doubt he has a forklift to transport his freakish pumpkin gift. And why leave such a glorious pumpkin in the backyard garden? I commented that he should grow it where he wants it to be displayed, and as it gets a little big, he should build a level, solid wood platform that he thinks (hopes) will hold an 800+ pound pumpkin. Then he should set it in the center. That way it will grow a nice flat bottom and be ready to carve and display at Halloween, right where it sits.
Click for image credit
He could surround it with hay bales with normal size pumpkins and stuffed scarecrows, all with painted-on faces gazing up at the monstrous pumpkins with horror! LOL that would be a sight. That sends a message to grass-worshipping nosy neighbors: "Screw your lawns--I grew my kid an 800 pound pumpkin! YEAH!!!"
Try to out-do that!
But I'm left with just one question...
What do you do with an 800+ pound pumpkin once Halloween is over?
I just finished watching an excellent You Tube video of Marjory Wildcraft giving a talk about the expected rise of food costs in 2011. It is a four part series, and it is a must-see. Here is the first part:
She gives examples of how our food reserves are depleted, how we as a country are importing more food than we are exporting, and how we are consuming more than we are producing.
She talks about how we are 12 meals away from anarchy, and that most US stores have only about 4 days worth of food reserves. And of course we all know how fast those shelves clear off in an emergency, such as an expected severe storm.
Over 30 countries now have bans on exporting food, because of their own food crises. Global food prices have risen 26% in the last six months, and extreme weather around the world has dramatically impacted food supply. Oil prices are projected to go as high as $5 a gallon, which will greatly affect food prices. You may have noticed that the prices at the pumps are already outrageous.
But Wildcraft doesn't just preach the perils of our precarious food supply situation--she gives solutions, with basic information on how to get started. Naturally, the first solution is to grow your own food.
There are so many reasons to grow your own food. Saving money, eating healthier, and knowing where your food comes from and what's in it are just the tip of the iceberg. It also provides for much security. If you know how to grow food, and you have the supplies needed and the seeds saved, you will be better off in precarious socio-economic situations than 99% of the country.
I will be covering more and more topics in the near future as the growing season gets going, both in blog posts here and YouTube videos. If you tune in to my Real Health Revolution podcast, I'll be covering it there as well. Because one of the best things you can do for your health is to eat more organically grown fruits and vegetables, especially if they are raw. And nothing tastes like homegrown.
(BTW, I've included some links for seeds below. Always get heirloom, non-GMO, untreated seeds and avoid big seed companies that usually get seeds from Monsanto or one of Monsanto's subsidiaries. If you can afford it, get organic. The can rotators below are nice for organization, but not necessary for storing food. Better to spend more on food, than on buying gadgets. The germination station is handy, and it's a good deal--my set-up cost a lot more. That Gardman greenhouse is a cheap greenhouse solution, but isn't heavy duty, so use in a sheltered spot, out of the wind, and don't try to use it year-round.)
