History of Country Living

Here in the twenty-first century, I now live on a lake for the second time in my life.

There were many years of city living between the first and second period of country living but that is another story for another time.

The first time we lived on a lake, my family of husband, four daughters and baby son lived in a cabin so close to the lake that my daughter Dianne could fish out of our living room window.

She once caught a turtle which caused no small amount of excitement in our home that day.

Aside from that, the girls loved to walk out the front door at Bell’s Lake in their swim suits and jump in the lake to swim. We didn’t have a dock but were able to walk in from a shallow area near the shore. The water wasn’t very deep so all the girls learned to swim and enjoyed their summer’s there.

My husband even enjoyed the winters there until the day he fell through the ice. We were afraid he wouldn’t find his way back up through the hole in the ice but he did and we were all thankful that he was able to sit by the stove to warm up after his ordeal.

The home on the lake where I live now was probably a cottage at one time, however since my son in law is a talented carpenter it is a most beautiful home among many others around this lovely lake.

Chalk Lake is quite close to the city of Pickering, a small city just outside the larger city of Toronto. We can drive to either one in less than forty-five minutes to be surrounded by shopping plazas and malls where we can shop for all of our needs and more.

There are more than one hundred lakes in this province spanning several hundred miles. Wikipedia lists all of their names; however there are a few private lakes that are not listed there including Chalk Lake and Bell’s Lake.

The beauty of the countryside can be seen almost everywhere you go here in Ontario. In autumn, people come from other countries to visit just for the pleasure of viewing our amazing fall colors.

Each and every day I wake up with thankfulness in my heart for the country and province that I live in and of course for my family, all grown up now and extended with grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren. I have showers of blessings from all directions.

Fly Me to the Moon Mummy!

There were plenty of miserable days this summer but the weather didn’t affect our lunar adventure. Our children are 5 and 2 and they loved this! Hours (and subsequently days/weeks) of entertainment for everyone for the cost of a roll of tin foil (approx 50p).

Earlier that day we went to our local discount supermarket to buy “moon snax” (aka lunch) and some foil. While we were there we picked up a huge crisp box, 2 small wine boxes and another random box (for spare cardboard).

The Rocket

After covering the floor in old newspaper and the kids in painting smocks, we set the children to work painting the large box to transform it into a space rocket. Daddy evicted the eggs and painted their box to make a ‘control panel’, Mummy made signs and decoration for the outside of the box – cut out stars, a name for it (I believe they went for MOON 5 2) etc. The inner tube of the foil with a cardboard circle on top made a steering wheel and we attached some sparkly pipe cleaners between the control panel and the steering wheel to look like wires.

The Outfits

We covered the smaller boxes in foil and used these as space helmets and put their initials on the back from scrumpled (snake style) foil. To this they added their school backpacks (one of them is Buzz Lightyear!) and Wellies!

Setting the Scene

We cut lots of moons, planets and stars out of silver card and stuck these everywhere in the children’s room (aka outer space!). We also hung some of the stars from the ceiling. They have a dark blackout blind which we made a space scene on. We blew up some balloons and covered them with foil and hung these from the ceiling too for planets. We made some space signage including direction arrow signs for various planets, “next services 2.5million light years” etc. The children drew some pictures of aliens which we cut up and stuck round the room and we found some spacemen, alien etc colouring pictures from the internet. We added some twinkly stars to the room by putting the old Christmas lights up and tacking them to the ceiling. And we have a light up Naughty Alien (from Toy Story) who was ready to greet them.

Final Preparation

As any good space ranger knows you have to be prepared before you embark on inter-galactic travel and my two astronauts made sure they did that. They packed their backpacks with their essentials (on closer inspection this turned out to be breadsticks, cartons of apple juice, pants and a couple of toys from what I remember). We then read some suitable books, “The Way Back Home”, “Aliens love underpants” etc. They put these books in the rocket (as reference material once up in space?!) and Mummy & Daddy donated the silver foil emergency blanket from the car to keep them warm on their adventure. Then we kissed them goodbye, took some photos to remember them by, walked them up the gangway (stairs) to the launchpad (bedroom), sat them in the rocket, did the countdown and left them to it.

And while they were busy exploring new galaxies and making alien friends, mummy and daddy sat down for a well earned cup of Ground-Control-Coffee!

In-Home Dementia Care Shows Love For An Aging Loved One

A lot of people have a flawed vision of in-home caregivers, particularly the kind that provide dementia care, as essentially wardens enforcing house arrest on their patients. That view is supported by the media, where such people are inevitably evil or at least mean. The reality, however, is that the kind of people who commit themselves to dementia or Alzheimer’s care are a special breed.

You don’t ever want a fresh-faced tenderfoot taking care of your aging parents — they might not understand what they’re getting into. But if you can find an even halfway experienced nurse who has performed long-term dementia care before, you can be sure you’ve found an angel. Alzheimer’s care is one of the most difficult and grueling things you can ask another human being to do; if someone comes back for more after they’ve tried it once, it’s because they love their patients.

It goes without saying that an in-home caregiver is the best option for Alzheimer’s care. Nursing homes are awful places that regard their patients as burdens best left anesthetized and ignored, and caring for them yourself is punishing for both of you.

The surprising thing about in-home care is that, if you leave it to the experts, it never seems to get in the way. Like an old-school English maidservant, the in-home caregiver exists in the background, taking care of the cooking, cleaning, and opening pickle jars. Even patients that need Alzheimer’s care still have things they love doing — it might be crossword puzzles, soap operas, or Wii Bowling, but everyone enjoys the opportunity to do the things they love most. An in-home caregiver allows them to do just that by silently handling the details (and their dementia care) in the background.

Even if they decide they want to participate, a good caregiver will happily accept a bit of help drying dishes or sweeping the bathroom. If the chores get done early, he or she might just join your aging parent for a round of Wii Bowling!

To get a better understanding of the chief difference between in-home care and a nursing home, imagine these two scenarios. In the first, you are woken up by an alarm clock, and you have to get dressed and get to the cafeteria because breakfast stops at 10AM and lunch doesn’t start until noon. Then you have to go back to your room and find something to do because the yard is off-limits until the afternoon — but when the afternoon comes, someone insists you have to go outside for your health. Also pills. Lots of pills.

In the second, you wake up when you’re done sleeping, and you inform your caretaker of what you’d like for breakfast. You go out and sit on the swing on your porch while she cooks, eat in bed while you watch Jeopardy reruns, and then decide to take a nap. There’s less pills because you’re under less stress and the in-home caregiver isn’t particularly focused on keeping you sedated and quiet.

Making Your Family Time Really Great

You hear a lot these days about “family time” and how important it is to invest in “quality time” with your whole family. Some folks are under the impression that in order to make your family times really fun you need to set up big planned functions. Although structured events are certainly unique and can be a nice way to spend time together, it is also crucial to keep in mind that unplanned events and casual activities can be the source of treasured family stories. Here are some tips you can utilize to help make the most of the family time you get to spend together, even if you do not often have time to plan special events.

Family-Oriented Road Trips

Years ago, it was common for families to take car rides together, simply to delight in the scenery, drop by to see relatives, or participate in some other inexpensive and yet enjoyable activity. As times get busier this family-focused activity is not seen as frequently. Relive the past by simply taking a little trip together with your family, perhaps once a month or even once a week. You can either plan an outing ahead of time, or just jump in the car and see just the road takes you. Flea markets, lovely parks, neighborhood events and festivals, and interesting galleries and museums can all be excellent points of interest and are often free of charge. Pack a picnic lunch in a cooler and take off for a day of great family fun. Make sure you pack your camera also to record the lovely sights you see, and also snap some shots of your family having fun. Exhibit a few of these photos in vintage picture frames once you return home to remind you of your trip.

Family Fun And Games

Getting your family together to play a game is also a great way to enjoy yourself at no cost. In fact, some families schedule a weekly game night, allowing a different member of the family to select the game that will be played each week. You can even throw together a few cost-effective treats, and perhaps make some yummy hot cocoa or some cold lemonade, and then simply have fun with your time spent together with your whole family. Make sure that the games you play are fun for everyone so that no-one will miss out on the fun. And if your children are several different ages, you might plan on having fun with two different games, one for all of the “big kids”, and game for the little children.

Get Out In Nature As A Family

Investing time outdoors is a great way to combine exercise and quality family time. A stroll through a park, a day of rock hunting, or even bird watching in your very own backyard can be a lot of fun. If you take your camera along with you then you’re sure to get some great shots of the scenery as well as your family having fun with each other, then when you get home you can make them look just right in wood picture frames that you hang on your walls. You will really enjoy spending time as a family, without the demand for a lot of preparation or expense.

Top Cities to Live In

In today’s economy, it is not always easy to determine where you and your family should live. There are factors that should be considered. Population, crime, unemployment rate, and future projections of the city are all important things to consider. Whether you are looking for a change or you are struggling trying to make a work move decision, we have put a list together of the top cities to live in. Hopefully, a few of these places will be just what you are looking for.

1. Louisville, Colorado. If you love mountains and are looking for a quiet, safe environment, then this city is perfect for you. CNN money ranked this city as the number 1 best city to live in for 2011. It has the lowest crime rate for all of Colorado and an unemployment rate of 6.3%. Jobs availability range from aerospace to healthcare. Mortgage rates have also stayed constant since 2005.

2. Milton, Massachusetts. Moving across to the East Coast you can find this suburb of Boston. With home prices also not changing from 2005 and a below the national average unemployment rate, this city is a remarkable find. The school system is rated one of the best and job seekers can enjoy nearby Boston to open the playing field.

3. Leesburg, Virginia. Traveling further down we find this town nestled close to the Maryland border. For those looking to work in Washington DC but not wanting to live in the city, this town is perfect. The unemployment rate is the best so far on our list coming in at a 4.1%.

4. Hanover, New Hampshire. Keeping with the low unemployment rates, this small town is home to the prestigious Dartmouth College. If working for the college or in the medical center sounds like what you would like to do, then this city is for you. The trade off however, is that the mortgage rates tend to be on the higher end for this town.

5. Farmington, Utah. Traveling back across the country sits this town. Located near Salt Lake City, job seekers can search the big city jobs while residing in a smaller town. This city boasts having some of the best mortgage rates and lowest taxes of some of the cities on our list.

There are plenty of places to live in the United States, but only you can choose what city is best for you. When looking for your next city, make sure to account for the mortgage rates, crime statistics, and even the education system. Have a list of non negotiables in place and you will be one step closer to finding you next dream location.

How To Clean Dolls And Doll Clothing

In the following you will discover hints for cleaning doll clothes and dolls. With just a little effort, one can maintain the dollies and their clothes appearing brand new, in spite of how old they are. Some of our featured ideas concern antiques. What may seem frightening at first isn’t so frightening after all.

Non-collectible dollies, like those your kids pack everywhere, could be cleansed using water. A bit of dish detergent can help to remove grime and oils. Harsher cleansers are not recommended because they could fade out the flesh tone and painted facial features.

Clothing for most newer dolls are water washable. If you have several garments to clean, one could pop them in a lingerie bag and set the machine on the gentle cycle. Don’t use bleach or laundry detergents containing chlorine. The chemical slowly destroys the cloth and causes whitening. One should always hang dry fabric dolls and clothes. Dryers cause fading and shrinkage. Most clothes can be pressed on low utilizing only the tip of the iron. But a few items of clothing have plastic parts or fibers that melt. So, take a close, careful look at any article before you start.

Porcelain doll cleaning ways are close to those used in cleaning other pieces of porcelain. Check an unnoticeable section with a Q Tip saturated with water before starting. If paint comes off onto the Q Tip, do not clean. Take the item to a specialist. A porcelain doll’s hands and face can usually be cleaned with a damp cloth, a small amount of toothpaste or a little baking soda. A mixture of equal parts flour, vinegar, and salt could be used to clean brass buttons on shoes or other accents. Just apply the mixture evenly and wipe it away. Antique plastic or vinyl doll cleaning begins with cleaning your own hands with dish soap to remove oils that can eventually stain the fabric. The Liquid Glass found in auto parts businesses could be used to clean composition type dolls.

A gentle, bleach-free spray cleaner can be used to clean most other kinds. Be sure to not forget to test an unnoticeable area first to be positive the skin tone does not rub off. It works best to spray the cleanser on a paper towel to start with and then rub with the towel, rather than spraying the cleanser directly on the dolls.

In order to test antique clothing to see if it could be washed with water, dip a Q Tip in vinegar and touch an inner seam allowance of the clothing. If the vinegar causes a discoloration, you can’t use a water-based cleanser. You could utilize a foam carpet cleaner to brighten the colors and help remove dust.

These are the fundamentals of cleaning dolls and doll clothing. You see? It is not so complicated.

Why Choose A Hospice Care Program

When you are out of options it is time to consider choosing palliative treatment vs. continuing a no longer effective curative treatment plan, which may in fact compromise quality of life and time spent with family. The focus can then transition to making the patient feel as comfortable as possible. This is when hospice services offer patients, families and caregivers choices for symptom management. Patients and families can now establish a new goal which is to achieve the best possible quality of life. Hospice provides care in the patient’s own home, a nursing home, assisted living and Alzheimer’s facilities.

In the past, hospices were associated with only providing care for cancer patients. This is no longer the case and hospice care also serves patients in the final stages of lung, heart or liver disease, dementia, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and AIDS. The service is available to anyone with a life-limiting illness.

A Hospice care program accepts Medicare and Medicaid as 100% coverage for its care. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for the patient or the patients family. Most other insurance providers also pay for hospice services. If someone does not have insurance, they are still able to receive hospice care in most cases.

There are four levels of care hospice can provide, depending on the patient’s current needs. Routine (at home) care; continuous care for acute symptom management (to prevent patient from unnecessary hospitalization); respite care (to provide family/caregivers relief) and in-patient care (in designated hospice unit) for uncontrolled symptom management that cannot be provided at home. All levels of care are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Hospice care is a family-centered approach that includes a team of professionals: the patient’s physician, hospice medical director, RNs, social workers, chaplains, a dietitian, counselors, therapists, home health aides and hospice-trained volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a hospice volunteer, complete training programs are available to help fulfill your calling to this rewarding mission. The team works together by focusing on the patient’s and their family’s needs, including physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects, as well as providing needed medications, medical equipment and supplies.

There also is a year of continued support available for the family following the patient’s death. Grief counselors evaluate the family’s coping skills to determine what level of bereavement support is needed in that first year after their loss.

Vertical Blinds – Not Just For The Office

Vertical blinds? Vertical blind! Vertical. Yes, vertical, I say, because old fashioned horizontal Venetian blinds lack the contemporary spark that brings any room to life. Not many people realize that Venetian blinds were de rigeur two hundred years ago. Indeed, the earliest patents for Venetian blinds date to the 1760′s, and they were in use a hundred years before. But the vertical blind didn’t develop commercially until well into the 20th century. But then something happened: people began to associate vertical blinds with an office setting. Not only that, but to so many people, these blinds began to look dated. Old fashioned! Boring!

Edward Bopp

How did this completely upside down attitude come to pass? In its origin, the vertical window treatment seemed radical and hypermodern. Thank Edward Bopp for the modern vertical blind. An inventor living in Kansas City, Kansas, he patented the vertical in the 1950′s. Imagine the impact on contemporary design! The advantage of the vertical blind was especially noticed on sliding doors and large, vertical oriented windows. Also, they proved to be easy to operate, and provided a vertical lift to any room.

Controlling Light

For any person who may think verticals are dull and only belong in offices, consider how well they do at controlling light. As the day passes on, a vertical blind can be adjusted to the sun as it crosses the room on the horizontal axis. A horizontal blind can only be adjusted as the sun rises and sets, but the sun does not always cooperate, does it? There is nothing of the office in that.

Decorating Versatility

Verticals also come in a wide range of materials, and a wide variety of sizes. In other words, if you want to soften the room, use colourful verticals made of cloth. If you want an organic effect, use wide slatted wooden verticals. Hyper-modern? Narrow verticals in alabaster or ivory coloured aluminium. Anyone who thought verticals were only for the office would have to think again, wouldn’t he?

Sliding Doors

Sliding doors cry out for vertical blinds. You can open them halfway, controlling light while still allowing egress and ingress. Verticals have all the advantages of drapes while still providing a sense of modernity and practicality and are far more modern than drapes.

Awkward Openings

Wide windows have always required drapes, because there is no way to manage a super-long horizontal blind. Verticals, in any height, are the perfect solution to those awkwardly sized windows. They adapt equally well to formal settings, and to family settings, like enclosed patios and playrooms. There is nothing of the office in the need to solve a decorating conundrum.

Controlling Heat

On a hot summer day, the sun can raise your air conditioning bills with just a few hours of beating down. This is where verticals work their magic. They can be set to keep the sunshine out, while allowing cool breezes to filter through. Sun rooms, conservatories, and large formal rooms benefit most from the heat control afforded by vertical window treatments.

Conclusion

Go vertical and set yourself free from the old Venetian habit. And, as you enjoy the variety of decorating options with your vertical window treatments, you will not at any time feel like you are in a boring old office, but in a brilliant, modern home.

Memories on a Rug

As a very busy mom of two kids I am learning to enjoy and appreciate the sweet moments that life brings in the midst of a full and crazy schedule; lately I have found myself enjoying many of those moments at our living-room floor, down on our comfy rug since my little one is learning to crawl and her big sister gets down to play with her toys. Is making me think back, when we moved in and decorated our house and each room we did it thinking about a beautiful and comfortable place that we will enjoy for years to come, and as we are welcomed into our living area now, we realize how our rug has added not only a touch of design but also a sense of warmth with a soft and cozy feel. Most important, it has become one of our family’s favorite spots where memories are being made as we enjoy each other (I never thought that kids on a rug is all it takes to make my heart smile). Regardless of the style or color, pattern or shape, size and texture; a rug then becomes the perfect example of an object turning into much more than a pretty decorating must, and becomes a magical piece where memories live, (no wonder why Aladdin used his to fly around).

Remember when you were a kid and the things around you? What comes to mind when you think about grandma’s house or auntie’s house? Are there things that you relate to loved ones and having good times and fond memories? and, how is it that now many years later as we grow older we see an object that looks like grandma’s rug and suddenly we picture ourselves down in her dinning room on a thanksgiving day?

Isn’t funny how those things sometimes can influence even how we choose to decorate our homes? And if you are one of the lucky ones who got grandma’s heirloom at your house you may even want your decor to fit such piece. So, now look around you when you are at home and visiting good friends and family, take a mental picture, have a good time, but most important; realize how the simple things on a regular day can become your legacy, a life time of memories for years to come and make time in your busy day to share them.

How To Make Your Own Curtain Poles

Curtain poles can be store bought or homemade. Though prefabricated poles come in many shapes, lengths and diameters, finding the right curtain rod might prove difficult. With a bit of creativity and a few materials, you can make your own curtain poles, right in the comfort of your home.

Advantages:

The advantages to making your own curtain poles are cost, customization and pride. Making these poles is inexpensive compared to the cost of buying them new. It also allows you to make them to your specifications. You can make them of wood, plastic, metal or whatever you’d like. It is up to you entirely. Making your own poles also gives your ego a boost. When company asks about them, you can tell them with a smile they’re your creation.

Materials and Tools:

* Wood, vinyl or other material
* Tape measure
* Saw
* Brackets/hangers
* Marker or pencil
* Drill
* Sandpaper
* Tack cloth
* Paint
* Paintbrush
* Polyurethane
* Screws
* Screwdriver

Select a material you would like to use. Most commonly, poles are made of wood. You can use bamboo, cherry, oak, pine or any other type of wood. The wood you choose should be durable.

Next, measure the width of your window. Decide if you want to the curtains to overlap the sides of the window or just cover the pane. Use a tape measure to find the right width.

Cut your poles to the right length using a saw. Then, place two brackets or hangers at the ends of your pole. Space them about 30.5 cm from the ends.

Mark the holes in the brackets or hangers onto your poles with a marker or pencil. This will be where you will attach the brackets to the poles in order to hang your curtains.

Drill holes into each pole where you made the marks. Use a bit that is the same diameter as the screws you will use to attach the brackets or hangers.

Sand your poles smooth with sandpaper. Leave no splinters on the poles or the curtains may catch and tear.

Wipe each pole thoroughly with a tack cloth, removing all sawdust from sanding.

Paint your poles any colour you like. Choose a colour that either blends with the curtains or contrasts them. Use a paintbrush to apply the paint, going in the same direction as the wood grain. Let the paint dry between three and four hours.

Apply a second coat of paint, if necessary. Paint can dry lighter in colour. Brush on a second coat if the paint is not dark enough.

Apply a coat of polyurethane over the dried paint. Use a clean paintbrush and go in the direction of the wood grain for best results. Let the polyurethane dry about four hours or as long as directed by the manufacturer.

Place your curtains on the poles and attach the brackets. Use screws and a screwdriver to affix the bracket or hangers to the poles.

That’s it! You now have custom made poles to hang your curtains over the window.