I may just be naive about keeping away from the flu bug, but a shot or a snort of flu meds are not the way to prevent the flu. The main message, instead of "get a flu shot" should be to just build your immune system so that you don't get the flu. Other methods to prevent it are keeping the bug at bay. Below are a few practical suggestions that have kept me healthy for years without ever contracting flu.
1. The basics: eat healthy (min 5 fruits and veggies daily + protein), exercise and get enough rest.
2. Drink plenty of water - at least 64 oz. daily
3. Wash your hands consistently throughout the day - especially after grocery shopping, being around kids (at school???!!!), after handshaking and after pumping gas.
4. Replace washcloths and hand towels in bathroom and kitchen daily.
5. Wash pillowcases 1-3x per week.
6. Drink decaf green tea nightly.
7. During "the season" take a multivitamin or at least vitamins C, E and D.
8. Use common sense and when you're feeling run down and get in an afternoon nap, go on that brisk 20 minute walk, wash your hands and towels and take that extra supplement.
This is very simplistic, but has kept me in flu avoidance for years. Take care of yourself and don't get sick!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
County Road
I think I've come upon a title for my book - County Road. Because the setting is going to be a small Texas town, I think it's only appropriate to give the address of where in Texas it is located. For myself, before I lived on CR 414 I never knew what the CR represented if I ever saw an address as such.
I thought I heard the words as I listened to a rap/hiphop song on the radio with my daughter on the way to school at 5:40 am today, but then realized that I had misinterpreted. The words, and tune, if you can call it that, would not leave my brain and I considered it a message to name my book. While I have a basic story idea in my head at this time, I have not yet figured out how to work in all the characters and do not yet have an ending.
My writing lately has been consuming me - although it is not going to be nearly as interesting as County Road. Travel on the internet, most recently to Miami (looks like fun), Modesto (slow town), Minneapolis (can't wait to go again), and Mobile, Alabama. I've been reviewing parks and posting the info for apartmenthomeliving.com. I suppose it could be worse and I would be writing about WICKER again (30 articles for $30 this summer - pathetic). One weekend, possibly this one, I will try to get the snowflake framework of the road story together, describe characters and figure out the action and endings.
It's back to the writing board for me now.
I thought I heard the words as I listened to a rap/hiphop song on the radio with my daughter on the way to school at 5:40 am today, but then realized that I had misinterpreted. The words, and tune, if you can call it that, would not leave my brain and I considered it a message to name my book. While I have a basic story idea in my head at this time, I have not yet figured out how to work in all the characters and do not yet have an ending.
My writing lately has been consuming me - although it is not going to be nearly as interesting as County Road. Travel on the internet, most recently to Miami (looks like fun), Modesto (slow town), Minneapolis (can't wait to go again), and Mobile, Alabama. I've been reviewing parks and posting the info for apartmenthomeliving.com. I suppose it could be worse and I would be writing about WICKER again (30 articles for $30 this summer - pathetic). One weekend, possibly this one, I will try to get the snowflake framework of the road story together, describe characters and figure out the action and endings.
It's back to the writing board for me now.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
House Sitting
To Realtors of Empty Home Listings and Builder Spec Homes:
It's the season of sitting. For houses that is.
Once Labor Day and the start of public school sessions have started, and prior to the holiday season, houses for sale typically sit on the market because people are too busy to shop for a new home. There are the occasional lookers, however, and so the house for sale must be kept air conditioned or heated, the lawn mowed, and the house dusted and appealing.
So instead of managing these details yourself, how about having a reliable, referenced house sitter pay the electricity bill, mow the lawn, and keep the home warm and inviting? It will pay off to have a resident, as a lived in home is much more attractive than a cold, empty space. With the capacity to move in and out quickly, this should be an excellent solution to those homeowners who are getting eaten alive by monthly second home bills.
Please comment or email me if you're interested in finding a trustworthy tenant in the Spicewood or Marble Falls area.
It's the season of sitting. For houses that is.
Once Labor Day and the start of public school sessions have started, and prior to the holiday season, houses for sale typically sit on the market because people are too busy to shop for a new home. There are the occasional lookers, however, and so the house for sale must be kept air conditioned or heated, the lawn mowed, and the house dusted and appealing.
So instead of managing these details yourself, how about having a reliable, referenced house sitter pay the electricity bill, mow the lawn, and keep the home warm and inviting? It will pay off to have a resident, as a lived in home is much more attractive than a cold, empty space. With the capacity to move in and out quickly, this should be an excellent solution to those homeowners who are getting eaten alive by monthly second home bills.
Please comment or email me if you're interested in finding a trustworthy tenant in the Spicewood or Marble Falls area.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Back On
How pathetic that my last blog was in February, and an advertisement nonetheless!
The difficulty is finding "unpaid" writing time. When I googled my name recently, because of the many articles that I've written for ApartmentHomeLiving.com, I had hundreds of hits. That is paid work. Writing brochures, emails and editing a website for my mom the Realtor, Judy Wickham, is paid. And my latest job of writing for Sally Ride Science - activities for the some of the books, is exciting and rewarding in more ways than just the publishing of my name.
I have wonderful ideas of what would be a great topic when I take a morning walk in the crisp, delightful air, when I observe happy children at play, and when I consume a delicious meal, but those written thoughts will have to come later. I hope to write at least once a month this summer!
The difficulty is finding "unpaid" writing time. When I googled my name recently, because of the many articles that I've written for ApartmentHomeLiving.com, I had hundreds of hits. That is paid work. Writing brochures, emails and editing a website for my mom the Realtor, Judy Wickham, is paid. And my latest job of writing for Sally Ride Science - activities for the some of the books, is exciting and rewarding in more ways than just the publishing of my name.
I have wonderful ideas of what would be a great topic when I take a morning walk in the crisp, delightful air, when I observe happy children at play, and when I consume a delicious meal, but those written thoughts will have to come later. I hope to write at least once a month this summer!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Austin Real Estate
Blessings and Good Fortune are the best ways to describe the current real estate situation in Austin, Texas. Yes, real estate has taken a back seat in buyers and sellers minds in the current economy, but of many MSAs in the country, Austin has not felt it so badly. If you are a homeowner looking to move, it may be especially tough to get back what you put into your home plus a bit on top, but at least your market value hasn't dropped over 30% as it has in some other metropolitan areas.
And when you want the best advice on either buying or selling in this Austin Real Estate market, look to the website to follow, www.judywickham.com, for the most professional sellers agent or buyers agent. Judy not only helped us find a home when we moved to Austin, but assisted us sell it six years later, at a much increased value. Her professionalism in contacting us, updating us about the market, staging expertise and carrying through with the closing gave her five stars out of five in customer service.
If you're thinking of selling or buying a home in the Austin area, you deserve to treat yourself to Judy Wickham at 512-589-4150.
And when you want the best advice on either buying or selling in this Austin Real Estate market, look to the website to follow, www.judywickham.com, for the most professional sellers agent or buyers agent. Judy not only helped us find a home when we moved to Austin, but assisted us sell it six years later, at a much increased value. Her professionalism in contacting us, updating us about the market, staging expertise and carrying through with the closing gave her five stars out of five in customer service.
If you're thinking of selling or buying a home in the Austin area, you deserve to treat yourself to Judy Wickham at 512-589-4150.
The Color of Darkness
We measure light and brightness and the colors that the rays create, but has there ever been a measure, or color frequency of darkness? By darkness, I'm referring to the absence of light, as opposed to a reference to the "dark side" of our nature, for that requires an entirely separate blog.
This topic has been bearing down upon my mind since I observed the true sense of darkness in the sky about a month or so ago. It was an extremely foggy night, after a day of consistent fog. I stepped out my back door to take out the trash, and as I neared the can, and carried out my usual awe of the beautiful Texas hill country sky, was almost stopped in my tracks when I looked east to where the city lights of Austin usually light up the sky. The sky was blacker than I'd ever seen it. The interesting thing about it was that there were other areas of brightness, much nearer and to the north and south, but Austin was DARK. It was incredible to see the sky that looked as if a dark cloak was placed where my usual landmark lies.
How could it be so dark? I wondered. I had never seen it to that degree, and was trying to figure out how it could be so dark, with the reflection of the city lights onto the low-lying clouds. I've not quite reached my conclusion yet, even though we had the same circumstanced the next night. I've been so perplexed that I've been observing the color of darkness since then.
How dark is my house? How dark is a moonless night? An early morning ride to school?
Since that night, I check every night to make sure I wasn't imagining things that dark night, and am usually reassured by the glow of the city.
This topic has been bearing down upon my mind since I observed the true sense of darkness in the sky about a month or so ago. It was an extremely foggy night, after a day of consistent fog. I stepped out my back door to take out the trash, and as I neared the can, and carried out my usual awe of the beautiful Texas hill country sky, was almost stopped in my tracks when I looked east to where the city lights of Austin usually light up the sky. The sky was blacker than I'd ever seen it. The interesting thing about it was that there were other areas of brightness, much nearer and to the north and south, but Austin was DARK. It was incredible to see the sky that looked as if a dark cloak was placed where my usual landmark lies.
How could it be so dark? I wondered. I had never seen it to that degree, and was trying to figure out how it could be so dark, with the reflection of the city lights onto the low-lying clouds. I've not quite reached my conclusion yet, even though we had the same circumstanced the next night. I've been so perplexed that I've been observing the color of darkness since then.
How dark is my house? How dark is a moonless night? An early morning ride to school?
Since that night, I check every night to make sure I wasn't imagining things that dark night, and am usually reassured by the glow of the city.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Scaredy Walk
She breathed in deeply, extending her belly to inhale all the air she could into her diaphram. Her arms swung ahead and behind her to get the most out of her exercise. Ann was feeling good. The peace of the countryside, the bright blue sky and the briskness of the air made it a perfect day to take a walk.
She whisked along the road, eyes roaming around, when a curled mesquite branch reached out and grabbed her hair. At least that's what it felt like, an arm extending into the street, claws outstretched and pointing directly at her eye. An angel, or possibly just a bit of a breeze, cast it out of the way as it approached, and narrowly missed hitting her face.
This interrrupted Ann's exercise concentration, and made her more aware of the side of the road where she walked, both from the trees above and to the side, and the road below. The road was smooth enough, a paved road with a bit of gravel to the side, buffalo grass beyond that, then the mesquite trees against a fence.
With the bit of scare behind her, she fell back into a routine again. Not that she should be scared, why, she had walked this space for at least a year now, and with vigor. She had heard about the mountain lion or other large cat that supposedly lived in the park. The nearby park, and neighborhood for that matter, had plenty of acreage, hiding spaces and water to support an entire litter of wild cats. Coyotes were heard frequently, and foxes, raccoons, armadillos, rattlesnakes and deer in abundance were seen on a regular basis.
Thinking about her former walking partner and dog, Buddy, who had protected her and given her unconditional love, Ann felt a pang of grief for him. He had disappeared about a month before, after suffering several seizures in a row. One night, when he had followed her outside to throw away the paper towels from cleaning up the drooling and pee mess, he would not return inside, so she went to bed. Next morning, he wasn't around. Not worried, she went about her Saturday with no concerns about his late return. There was never any return, however. He was her protector, putting the space between her and potential predators.
The rustle in the grass beside her started her somewhat. She turned to look to her left, saw nothing, and continued on. Probably just a deer or a couple of them.
To be continued ...
She whisked along the road, eyes roaming around, when a curled mesquite branch reached out and grabbed her hair. At least that's what it felt like, an arm extending into the street, claws outstretched and pointing directly at her eye. An angel, or possibly just a bit of a breeze, cast it out of the way as it approached, and narrowly missed hitting her face.
This interrrupted Ann's exercise concentration, and made her more aware of the side of the road where she walked, both from the trees above and to the side, and the road below. The road was smooth enough, a paved road with a bit of gravel to the side, buffalo grass beyond that, then the mesquite trees against a fence.
With the bit of scare behind her, she fell back into a routine again. Not that she should be scared, why, she had walked this space for at least a year now, and with vigor. She had heard about the mountain lion or other large cat that supposedly lived in the park. The nearby park, and neighborhood for that matter, had plenty of acreage, hiding spaces and water to support an entire litter of wild cats. Coyotes were heard frequently, and foxes, raccoons, armadillos, rattlesnakes and deer in abundance were seen on a regular basis.
Thinking about her former walking partner and dog, Buddy, who had protected her and given her unconditional love, Ann felt a pang of grief for him. He had disappeared about a month before, after suffering several seizures in a row. One night, when he had followed her outside to throw away the paper towels from cleaning up the drooling and pee mess, he would not return inside, so she went to bed. Next morning, he wasn't around. Not worried, she went about her Saturday with no concerns about his late return. There was never any return, however. He was her protector, putting the space between her and potential predators.
The rustle in the grass beside her started her somewhat. She turned to look to her left, saw nothing, and continued on. Probably just a deer or a couple of them.
To be continued ...
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