America's Top 10 Beaches - 2008
Dr. Beach has recently published his Best Beaches List for 2008. Vacationers have been relying on Dr. Beach's (Stephen P. Leatherman) Top Beaches List for years, and once again he delivers! The Top 10 Beaches List includes sand beaches in...
Source: feedproxy.google.com
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Spring 2010
Spring 2010
It was a long winter. Outside, heavy snows blanketed trees and bushes as blizzard followed blizzard. Schools and highways closed with only emergency vehicles allowed. Inside, on the worst of the days, our family huddled together. While the winds whipped the willows, within our kitchen’s warmth we sipped [...]
It was a long winter. Outside, heavy snows blanketed trees and bushes as blizzard followed blizzard. Schools and highways closed with only emergency vehicles allowed. Inside, on the worst of the days, our family huddled together. While the winds whipped the willows, within our kitchen’s warmth we sipped [...]
It was a long winter. Outside, heavy snows blanketed trees and bushes as blizzard followed blizzard. Schools and highways closed with only emergency vehicles allowed.
Inside, on the worst of the days, our family huddled together. While the winds whipped the willows, within our kitchen’s warmth we sipped hot tea and savored bowls of chili. Grateful to be safe from the treacherous roads we chatted, cherishing our time together.
Snow days can make for good memories. For those who can stay inside, they are a true gift.
I didn’t accomplish much this winter. I haven’t for a long while. It’s been months since I’ve blogged. Months since I have read. Or written. Months since I’ve done much of anything except life’s bare essentials – my job, laundry, minimal housework (not that housework has ever been a priority 
I’ve only had one major illness in my life. I’m not prone to seek medical advice for myself. But late this winter a lingering infection sent me to the doctor. I’m glad I went. After a series of blood tests, they found the underlying cause of my fatigue.
I believe that a diagnosis, 
For me…my values have re-awakened. Nutrition habits have changed. I’m on meds. Temporarily at least, the doctor’s office is now on my speed dial. I will become healthy again.
I am a winter child. My whole life I have been happiest in winter. This year, as the snow melted and lilac leaf buds burst forth from seemingly dead twigs, I’ve come to see the relationship between winter and spring in a new light. A new road opens ahead.
It has been a long winter for us all, but spring has come. ∞
5 Important Traveling Tips That Every Family Should Know
5 Important Traveling Tips That Every Family Should Know
When it comes to traveling, safety is a must. The perfect combination of common sense mixed in with a touch of technology can help to keep both you and your family safe and sound while on the go.
Perfect packing. When you’re leaving for a trip, it’s important to pack a lot more than just clothes and sunblock. Always make sure to have your cell phone and charger with you at all times, and make sure the battery is fully charged before you leave home. This will give you the ability to stay connected from anywhere.
Money matters. When traveling, it’s never a good idea to carry large amounts of cash. Instead, carrying at least one credit card will help to ensure that you are protected against theft. In the unlikely event that your wallet or purse is stolen, you can report it to the credit card immediately to prevent unauthorized use. For this reason, it’s important that you carry a list of telephone numbers for your credit card issuer(s) so that you can contact them immediately. This information should be kept separate from your wallet so that it will still be in your possession even if your card is not.
Stay in touch. Always make sure to let a friend or family member know where you are going and where you will be staying during your time away from home. It’s a good idea to let your friend or family member know that you will be calling when you arrive at your destination. It’s also a good idea to keep in touch occasionally while you are away, and always leave a telephone number where you can be reached.
Keep important numbers handy. Anytime you travel, it’s important to make a note of local emergency numbers, including hospitals, authorities, taxi services and other businesses that you think may be able to assist you if needed. You can find these numbers online or use a local telephone book upon your arrival.
Do your homework. One of the greatest things about traveling is the ability to see new things and experience new places, but it’s also important to keep safety in mind while exploring. Always have an accurate map of the area, which you can obtain from the local tourism office or chamber of commerce. If possible, call ahead and request that this information be mailed to you several weeks before your actual trip. This will allow you to have the map on hand when you arrive. Always travel in well lit areas and avoid places that seem to be deserted, especially after dark and in locations that you are unfamiliar with.
Now that you know how to protect yourself and your family during your time spent away from home, remember to enjoy all of the wonders that await your next vacation with the ones that you love.
Source: vacationtraveldestinations.blogspot.com
When it comes to traveling, safety is a must. The perfect combination of common sense mixed in with a touch of technology can help to keep both you and your family safe and sound while on the go.
Perfect packing. When you’re leaving for a trip, it’s important to pack a lot more than just clothes and sunblock. Always make sure to have your cell phone and charger with you at all times, and make sure the battery is fully charged before you leave home. This will give you the ability to stay connected from anywhere.
Money matters. When traveling, it’s never a good idea to carry large amounts of cash. Instead, carrying at least one credit card will help to ensure that you are protected against theft. In the unlikely event that your wallet or purse is stolen, you can report it to the credit card immediately to prevent unauthorized use. For this reason, it’s important that you carry a list of telephone numbers for your credit card issuer(s) so that you can contact them immediately. This information should be kept separate from your wallet so that it will still be in your possession even if your card is not.
Stay in touch. Always make sure to let a friend or family member know where you are going and where you will be staying during your time away from home. It’s a good idea to let your friend or family member know that you will be calling when you arrive at your destination. It’s also a good idea to keep in touch occasionally while you are away, and always leave a telephone number where you can be reached.
Keep important numbers handy. Anytime you travel, it’s important to make a note of local emergency numbers, including hospitals, authorities, taxi services and other businesses that you think may be able to assist you if needed. You can find these numbers online or use a local telephone book upon your arrival.
Do your homework. One of the greatest things about traveling is the ability to see new things and experience new places, but it’s also important to keep safety in mind while exploring. Always have an accurate map of the area, which you can obtain from the local tourism office or chamber of commerce. If possible, call ahead and request that this information be mailed to you several weeks before your actual trip. This will allow you to have the map on hand when you arrive. Always travel in well lit areas and avoid places that seem to be deserted, especially after dark and in locations that you are unfamiliar with.
Now that you know how to protect yourself and your family during your time spent away from home, remember to enjoy all of the wonders that await your next vacation with the ones that you love.
Source: vacationtraveldestinations.blogspot.com
Create Your Holidays enjoyment With Key West Tour
Create Your Holidays enjoyment With Key West Tour
Wonderful and attractive one city with best suitable for vacation is Key West city. This is city situated at sea side coast United State of Florida. It contains the adventure and full attractions activities places. This city draws the visitors for many things like nightlife, sightseeing and a lot of accommodation listings. I always have a dream to see this city but I was waiting for the chance to ...
Source: www.tripatlas.com
Wonderful and attractive one city with best suitable for vacation is Key West city. This is city situated at sea side coast United State of Florida. It contains the adventure and full attractions activities places. This city draws the visitors for many things like nightlife, sightseeing and a lot of accommodation listings. I always have a dream to see this city but I was waiting for the chance to ...
Source: www.tripatlas.com
Miss Iggy's Big Fat Greek Dinner
Miss Iggy's Big Fat Greek Dinner
Miss Iggy's been to Greece before, and last September 2009, she went to Chicago's Greektown.
She found herself in Artopolis Bakery and Cafe, located on 306 South Halsted St. "Artos" is Greek for bread and "polis" means town, but they offer so much more than just bread!
Exhibit A: Artopolis' Frutti Di Mare, or the salad which transformed Fortuitous Faery into the "Face That Lunched A Thousand Shrimps." For $11.75, you get this oceanic delight of "Rock Shrimp, Octopus and Calamari, marinated in olive oil-lemon and minced garlic, on a Mediterranean salad."
Apropos for Lent, don't you think? But a bit luxurious, so it defeats the sacrifice.
Miss Iggy's been to Greece before, and last September 2009, she went to Chicago's Greektown.
She found herself in Artopolis Bakery and Cafe, located on 306 South Halsted St. "Artos" is Greek for bread and "polis" means town, but they offer so much more than just bread!
Exhibit A: Artopolis' Frutti Di Mare, or the salad which transformed Fortuitous Faery into the "Face That Lunched A Thousand Shrimps." For $11.75, you get this oceanic delight of "Rock Shrimp, Octopus and Calamari, marinated in olive oil-lemon and minced garlic, on a Mediterranean salad."Apropos for Lent, don't you think? But a bit luxurious, so it defeats the sacrifice.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Kitty Spa Day: Avoid Taking Cats to the Vet
Kitty Spa Day: Avoid Taking Cats to the Vet
A crazy cat lady is another talent to add to my interesting assortment of activities and shenanigans. In addition to relishing in this role with my award winning beast Fee, my vocal sour puss Tela, and my naughty bombing around Bonhan (The Mitch made us get Bonham so he wouldn't just have step-cats), I have also had my share of costly run-ins with the vet and have learned the disheartening lessons of the sometimes shifty business of making money off of the aching hearts of pet owners. So, I thought it was high time I share some of my expertise in the area of cat health management...
Overall Wellness Tips:
1.) Whenever you bring a new kitty into a home or move a kitty from a home, take it immediately to the bathtub and wash it with a high gloss flea bath shampoo. This will do two things:
- Kill off any possible fleas before they can infest your home (no matter where meow meow comes from, this is WAY better than having to deal with an infestation - even if you are told there are no fleas).
- Immediately conditions your cat to want to be clean as it territorializes its new home.
2.) Share bathroom positive time with kitty. Many cats already like running water and allowing them to hang out in the bathroom with you should be considered a bonding experience. This serves a variety of very useful purposes in communicating with your cat:
- Cats respond to bathing and grooming - owner grooming encourages cat grooming. The bathroom is a great place to brush your cat, check kitty over for signs of health issues, and other "spa" activities (see below).
- Water drinking (like sips from the sink) encourages water drinking which is very important for cats, especially with so many prone to urinary tract infections.
- The steam from the shower is great for respiratory infections and cat herpes (when a cat has a cold).
- Water and bathroom noises are good for cats to feel less skittish and being used to the bathroom will help matters greatly for when kitty might need first aid and keep him from being so freaked out.
- And in my experience, the most important reason for consistent and positive bathroom bonding with kitty is when your cat does not feel well, they will go into the bathroom and act weird when you are not in the bathroom. It's their way of telling you they don't feel well and it is time to check them over or actually make a trip to the vet. People say they wish their cats could tell them when they don't feel well and if you engage in bathroom time, they will be able to tell you when.
3.) If you want your cat to be able to travel in a car, it must start as a kitten by bringing them on trips that do not involve going to the vet. It is easy for cats to learn and adapt when given the chance while they are young. Bring them to a friend's house or home for the holidays with a smaller litter pan and food bowls. Set up the items as soon as you enter the visiting house and kitty will love the exploration. Then he will equate traveling in the car with visiting a new home. This will also help your cat be more social with people and less skittish in new environments.
Remedies:
1.) Runny eyes, puss in eyes, aka pink eye - other wise known as conjunctivitis. Before you go to the vet, purchase some basic saline solution with boric acid as an ingredient. Drop one drop in each eye twice a day. Should clear it up!
2.) Sneezy kitty, cat has a cold - most likely this is cat herpes - highly contagious and it seems cats can get it from the human cold - weird. Do a few things:
- Run the shower without the fan on and let kitty have a sauna! If you have been hanging out with your cat in the bathroom like suggested above, this won't freak them out and it will really help clear them out - just think how much better you feel when you breath in lots of steam when you have a cold!
- Give kitty Lysine. Lysine is recommended to help reduce flair ups in human herpes and works for cats too (remember, we have lots of the same diseases at kitty)! Lysine comes in big white pills and cats can't handle the same dosage as humans so what I do is crush it up and make a mixture of one pill and water in a little container where I can extract the liquid with an eye dropper or liquid use syringe. Then I squirt a mouthful or two in my cat's mouth twice a day until well over the cold.
- I keep kitties eyes cleaned out with a warm, wet Q-tip. You should clean out your cat's eyes of sleepy seeds daily - it will help prevent eye problems and help your cat be used to you poking around its face for when he really needs it!
- Force feed water - using the eye dropper or liquid syringe, I give cats with colds lots of forced extra water when they have a cold. They need prompting just like we do!
Cat Spa Day:
A proactive way to take care of your pet and to limit vet visits overall is to not simply engage in at home emergency management, but be proactive and keep tabs on kitty. So, every couple of months (I should do it more), I have kitty spa day. It consists of:
- Using an over the counter ear mite solution and cleaner to clean out kitty ears. This doesn't work if your cat has mites - for that you need to go to the vet, but it does help ears from getting infected and more prone to mites. So, I make sure I carefully clean out any gook from the ears.
- Brush their teeth! Yes, they hate it, but it is so good in the long run. I have cat tooth brushes and toothpaste and scrub their little teeth (The Mitch has to help with this). My two older cats have gingivitis and I am trying to avoid the several thousand dollar charges to clean their teeth, so I have been cleaning them. If the gums bleed, I also carefully apply hydrogen peroxide to them to help fight infections. And, I will tell you, Fee's teeth are starting to clear up - it's working! Hydrogen peroxide is also great to use in any open cut or wound - but very very careful in the mouth as it's not meant to be swallowed. I dab with water after and rinse their mouth with the eye dropper/water syringe after brushing and before using the hydrogen peroxide.
- Clip the nails! They have gotten used to this and I am now comfortable with where to cut (BEFORE the pink - that is tissue!).
- Bath them! Ok, Fee is weird and likes the water and a bath, but for the most part, I use cat bath wipes and wipe them all over. Then I brush them which they LOVE! The they are soooooo happy and purr and rub all around and of course I finish with tarter control cat treats.
- The Vet - I am not a vet avoider - just a minimalist since half the time they don't even know what to do or just prescribe stuff to get you to spend money. But, it is important for cats to have their yearly check up and be up to date on all shots - this I definitely do!
I hope this helps some folks and cats who need it!
Source: vermontvibes.blogspot.com
A crazy cat lady is another talent to add to my interesting assortment of activities and shenanigans. In addition to relishing in this role with my award winning beast Fee, my vocal sour puss Tela, and my naughty bombing around Bonhan (The Mitch made us get Bonham so he wouldn't just have step-cats), I have also had my share of costly run-ins with the vet and have learned the disheartening lessons of the sometimes shifty business of making money off of the aching hearts of pet owners. So, I thought it was high time I share some of my expertise in the area of cat health management...Overall Wellness Tips:
1.) Whenever you bring a new kitty into a home or move a kitty from a home, take it immediately to the bathtub and wash it with a high gloss flea bath shampoo. This will do two things:
- Kill off any possible fleas before they can infest your home (no matter where meow meow comes from, this is WAY better than having to deal with an infestation - even if you are told there are no fleas).
- Immediately conditions your cat to want to be clean as it territorializes its new home.
2.) Share bathroom positive time with kitty. Many cats already like running water and allowing them to hang out in the bathroom with you should be considered a bonding experience. This serves a variety of very useful purposes in communicating with your cat:- Cats respond to bathing and grooming - owner grooming encourages cat grooming. The bathroom is a great place to brush your cat, check kitty over for signs of health issues, and other "spa" activities (see below).
- Water drinking (like sips from the sink) encourages water drinking which is very important for cats, especially with so many prone to urinary tract infections.
- The steam from the shower is great for respiratory infections and cat herpes (when a cat has a cold).
- Water and bathroom noises are good for cats to feel less skittish and being used to the bathroom will help matters greatly for when kitty might need first aid and keep him from being so freaked out.
- And in my experience, the most important reason for consistent and positive bathroom bonding with kitty is when your cat does not feel well, they will go into the bathroom and act weird when you are not in the bathroom. It's their way of telling you they don't feel well and it is time to check them over or actually make a trip to the vet. People say they wish their cats could tell them when they don't feel well and if you engage in bathroom time, they will be able to tell you when.
3.) If you want your cat to be able to travel in a car, it must start as a kitten by bringing them on trips that do not involve going to the vet. It is easy for cats to learn and adapt when given the chance while they are young. Bring them to a friend's house or home for the holidays with a smaller litter pan and food bowls. Set up the items as soon as you enter the visiting house and kitty will love the exploration. Then he will equate traveling in the car with visiting a new home. This will also help your cat be more social with people and less skittish in new environments.Remedies:
1.) Runny eyes, puss in eyes, aka pink eye - other wise known as conjunctivitis. Before you go to the vet, purchase some basic saline solution with boric acid as an ingredient. Drop one drop in each eye twice a day. Should clear it up!
2.) Sneezy kitty, cat has a cold - most likely this is cat herpes - highly contagious and it seems cats can get it from the human cold - weird. Do a few things:- Run the shower without the fan on and let kitty have a sauna! If you have been hanging out with your cat in the bathroom like suggested above, this won't freak them out and it will really help clear them out - just think how much better you feel when you breath in lots of steam when you have a cold!
- Give kitty Lysine. Lysine is recommended to help reduce flair ups in human herpes and works for cats too (remember, we have lots of the same diseases at kitty)! Lysine comes in big white pills and cats can't handle the same dosage as humans so what I do is crush it up and make a mixture of one pill and water in a little container where I can extract the liquid with an eye dropper or liquid use syringe. Then I squirt a mouthful or two in my cat's mouth twice a day until well over the cold.
- I keep kitties eyes cleaned out with a warm, wet Q-tip. You should clean out your cat's eyes of sleepy seeds daily - it will help prevent eye problems and help your cat be used to you poking around its face for when he really needs it!
- Force feed water - using the eye dropper or liquid syringe, I give cats with colds lots of forced extra water when they have a cold. They need prompting just like we do!
Cat Spa Day:
A proactive way to take care of your pet and to limit vet visits overall is to not simply engage in at home emergency management, but be proactive and keep tabs on kitty. So, every couple of months (I should do it more), I have kitty spa day. It consists of:- Using an over the counter ear mite solution and cleaner to clean out kitty ears. This doesn't work if your cat has mites - for that you need to go to the vet, but it does help ears from getting infected and more prone to mites. So, I make sure I carefully clean out any gook from the ears.
- Brush their teeth! Yes, they hate it, but it is so good in the long run. I have cat tooth brushes and toothpaste and scrub their little teeth (The Mitch has to help with this). My two older cats have gingivitis and I am trying to avoid the several thousand dollar charges to clean their teeth, so I have been cleaning them. If the gums bleed, I also carefully apply hydrogen peroxide to them to help fight infections. And, I will tell you, Fee's teeth are starting to clear up - it's working! Hydrogen peroxide is also great to use in any open cut or wound - but very very careful in the mouth as it's not meant to be swallowed. I dab with water after and rinse their mouth with the eye dropper/water syringe after brushing and before using the hydrogen peroxide.
- Clip the nails! They have gotten used to this and I am now comfortable with where to cut (BEFORE the pink - that is tissue!).
- Bath them! Ok, Fee is weird and likes the water and a bath, but for the most part, I use cat bath wipes and wipe them all over. Then I brush them which they LOVE! The they are soooooo happy and purr and rub all around and of course I finish with tarter control cat treats.
- The Vet - I am not a vet avoider - just a minimalist since half the time they don't even know what to do or just prescribe stuff to get you to spend money. But, it is important for cats to have their yearly check up and be up to date on all shots - this I definitely do!
I hope this helps some folks and cats who need it!
Source: vermontvibes.blogspot.com
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