The Suburban Jungle

A book summary of Marvin Harris' Good To Eat - an anthropology of food and why we eat what we do

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 18:29:00 +0000

Have you ever opened a book and loved it from beginning to end? That's happened to me many times. Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason" and "Rights of Man" come to mind, but also every book by Marvin Harris.

I first encountered Marvin Harris' writing as I read through the book pages on Derek Siver's site. The first, was Cows, pigs, wars and witches and I highly recommend you check that out.

But Harris has an entire anthology of books - all centered on human anthropology. He does a fantastic job of putting our history together in a readable, concise, but thoughtful summary.

They are very similar, but predate, Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse, but they are also more complete, more accurate, and less biased.

Marvin Harris was an excellent journalist. He would occasionally insert his opinion, but would also preface it with the fact that he had no data to back up this presupposition. He provided data for everything else and presented his theories as unbiased as any human could.

I have owned many of Harris' books for a few years, mostly on pdf kindle formats. I just prefer real books, so when I had the chance to scoop a few of the books up at a recent estate sale, I went for it.

The first to be read:

Good to Eat

Oh my gosh. I can't even begin with this book. It was fantastic from beginning to end. It did seem as if some of the material was recycled from a few of his other books (namely; cows, pigs, wars and witches) but there was so much more in this book.

Many years ago I struggled with eating meat. The cruelty, the suffering, the viciousness of it all. Reading omnivore's dilemma finally gave me the words to explain what I was feeling and an honest rationalization of why I should eat meat. It ended a destructive 2 year stint of veganism and started me on my continual journey of selecting healthy food.

Since then, I have visited feed lots, bought from local farmers, interviewed people that work in pig facilities, and watched cows be killed and slaughtered. I have also killed an animal with my own two hands for the first time. It was something I will never forget.

But understanding why we do things, as individuals and as societies, is extremely important. If nothing else, it makes your actions conscious.

Good to Eat does all of this. It goes over the history of human consumption. Why do we eat meat at all? Is it better if we don't? Why do we eat some animals and not others? Why do Hindu people shun beef and in fact religiously venerate cattle? Why do Jewish and Muslim people shun the pig? Why do American's not eat horses, dogs, cats, insects? These are all important questions and they are all answered in this book.

Harris does an amazing job of laying out the history. If you found history to be boring when you were in school, you were right. But that is only because our system forces us to remember dates and people. Marvin Harris lays out the story. And the story is amazing. In all of his books, he goes over the human story (aka anthropology) and he has fantastic tales to weave.

A sacred sebu cow roaming India

Good to Eat got a little hairy when the author started to talk about cholesterol and eggs, somewhere in the first third of the book. I was scared. This book was written in 1985 and science is always evolving. But to Harris' credit, he handled the issue swimmingly. He did not claim that the information from his day was the truth or even accurate. He just laid out the data. He discussed what was known in the past, what was presumed now, and gave information from clinical studies to back up his assertions. Even better, he picked apart the issues in the data. Once again, leaving us with the history of what was done, what was "known" and what we can safely know now. He did a great job.

Like any older books that address food and health, it is clear the answers have always been known. My daughter once asked me why there isn't there a solution to human health. Oh but there is. It's quite simple actually. Eat a balance diet, mostly plants. Move everyday. Get adequate sunlight. Be nice to other people. And find a purpose.

It really is that easy, yet oh so hard. It goes against the status quo, the media giants, the large corporate interests that want us to feel unhappy so we buy and buy again. Everyone has a vested interest in keeping this sick mill going. The rat race (The best description of the rat race can be found in the beginning chapters of the Rats of NIHM. If you get a chance to read it, take the time to share it with a child. It's a great tale of love, adventure, hope, and triumph.)

This is a book I would whole heartedly recommend to anyone interested in food - why we eat what we do, why we forgo other edible goods, and what has changed in the human story.

In addition, I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few of his other great books. Equally interesting and well researched.

Our Kind, who we are , where we came from, where we are going

Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches

I have read all of these, except for America Now. It is on my shelf awaiting it's turn......

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The Stranger by Albert Camus - my review, analysis and overall summary

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 19:24:00 +0000

In keeping with my plan to write up a review for every book I read, the most recent book in my bookshelf is The Stranger, by Albert Camus.

This is a short story, written in 1942. The year is important. In fact, it may be the only important part of this book. There is no reason to beat around the bush, I did not like The Stranger. It's only saving grace was it's brevity. It felt great to finish an entire book while waiting at the doctor's office. One book - one waiting period. Excellent. But that is where my praise for the book ends.

If you were to visit goodreads.com or even Amazon, you would find nearly all 4 and 5 star reviews. Most people regard this book as a classic.

And every once in a while you will find a 1 star review, similar to what I am about to write. Basically, this story is boring. It is boring, boring, boring. Almost nothing happens. Yes, there is a murder. But the murder is boring. The trial is boring.

People are generally enthralled with the main character (Meursault, the stranger.) Why? He was drier than toast. They are usually interested in him because he had no feelings or emotions. That is rare in humans, it's supposedly the essence of French existentialism. On the one hand, Meursault lives in the moment, day by day, with not regard for the past or the present. That's a healthy approach to life. But he does it so boringly. A woman offers to sleep with him.... okay, why not. She asks him to marry her... okay, why not. She asks if he loves her...he replies no. He watches his neighbor beat a woman. He does nothing. The neighbor then asks him to testify to the police on his behalf...okay why not. Spoiler alert....that neighbor brings him in on a murder, because....why not. So stupid. And he is the same way in the trial. He offers no defense. Just as he offered to tears or feelings when his mother died. It was just blah. Grey, and boring, and blah.

But it was short. And if you were going to be forced to do a literary analysis for school, then it's fantastic to be assigned a short book. But that is one of it's only benefits.

My short summary of this story is that it is boring - from beginning to ending. Boring.

I did mention that it was published in 1942 and for me, that is the only thing that makes me glad to have read this book. I prefer to read older books - sometimes for the information and the story, but more generally for a glimpse into the life of the past. I slogged through Crime and Punishment (it took me TWO plane trips to Europe to finally finish it, and I left it on the plane when I was done) but I valued that book for it's look into the life of ordinary people in 1800s Russia. The same can be said for Anna Karenina - except looking more at the elite lifestyle.

1942 was not that long ago, yet it was nearly 80 years - or 3 generations. At various points in my life, I have found myself romanticizing the past. For it's cleanliness, it's moral high ground, it's grit and it's valor. Reading has helped me realize that as far back as I have read (140AD, but more so in the 1700s), people have always been the same. They have been the exact same. Sure, there have been different laws, cultural mores, and technology. But people have been the same. They want the same things. They think the same way. They do much of the same activities.

And that was what I appreciated about The Stranger. Maybe it's because my son has recently become enamored with the 1920s - declaring their style, their morals, their lives to be superior to our own time. Or maybe it's just part of my own historical journey, but the people in this story were just as promiscuous, lazy, wasteful, creative, busy, involved, disinterested, tender and brutal as any other people at any other time. The book was boring. But it did reinforce to me that throughout time, people are the same. Wherever we go, there we are.

If you find yourself tempted to read The Stranger, take heart in the fact that it is a short read. If you find yourself a few pages in, wondering if it will ever get to a point.....it won't. It will be the same from start to finish. The guy will never have an interest in anything and he will just flit from here to there. Things will happen to him. He will see things. He will never ponder the things he sees or experiences. He will just be there. And by the end, maybe you will be amazed at the unfeelingness of it all. Or maybe you will just be glad it's over. If you end up loving the book, leave a comment below. I'd like to understand what I am missing.

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How to remove yellow red foxing stains brown spots from books and paper

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 14:12:00 +0000

Old books hold useful knowledge, but they also hold mold, stains, and dust. As we have been building our own library, it's been very exciting to add books from hundreds of years ago. Unfortunately, many of these books come with issues.

In general, I always smell any book I plan to purchase. Unless it is exceedingly special or rare, I will not buy a moldy book. Damaged covers can be removed and replaced. Moldy pages....ugh

In the last 2 years, thousands of books have come in and out of my home. In that time, I have learned to do a little maintenance on old books. Not a lot, and I am by no means an expert, but I have been able to improve the quality, at home, and for very little cost.

How to deodorize books and remove cigarette smoke odor

Stinky books are such a tragedy. Most of the book odors are from being left in basements or humid environments. Books need to be stored in temperature and humidity controlled environments out of direct sun. A typical bedroom, office, or living room should be fine. A basement, attic, or garage are not.

Books should also be moved on occasion - taken from the bookshelf (ideally read!) and put back in a different position (lying versus upright) to maintain the structural integrity of the binding and the cover.

But what happens when you find a book that was stored in a garage or in a smoky house?

This is what I have done and it has worked "marginally" well.

I take this type of book and put it into a lidded rubbermaid container. The bottom of this container is filled with charcoal (the type used for terrariums). I have 2 open baking soda containers inside this bin, and then place the book on top of the charcoal (with a thin layer of newspaper under the book.) I then, seal this container and leave it for months - or until the book sells.

I have done this with 2 extremely smoke laden antique catalogs and 1 mildewed book. The smoked out catalogs lost 80% of the odor from being inside the bin. One of them sold after 3 months, the other was taken outside and left in a covered porch during winter for 1 week. Minnesota winters are bitterly cold and dry. The book was never allowed to get wet or snow exposure. But I do believe the fresh air circulation helped remove a further 5% of odor (and this is incidentally, the method I used to remove smoke odors from hard objects and some textiles)

The mildewed book was less offensive after spending time in the bin, but it was not drastically improved.

How to clean old books from mold and mildew

As mentioned above, deodorizing had only a mild effect on the moldy book. I have found freezing in my garage and then a short time in the fresh air of our covered porch (in winter) to be helpful. This does not remove staining or any dust or spores. But it may kill any active growth and does freshen the odor.

Books that have been neglected or that have been in storage for a long time are a challenge. And unfortunately, it's not just cosmetic. Mold is toxic to humans and pets. It is a long term health hazard and should not be taken lightly.

Professional book restoration involves many weeks of labor and harsh chemicals. Alcohol (Ethyl alcohol -the type we can drink) is often used but it can make ink run and damage paper pages. Use it carefully, and only if the book is worth preserving.

Bleach can be used, but I have found it to be very damaging to books. I have had much better luck with hydrogen peroxide, but even that softens the pages in an odd way.

Sunlight is great for killing mold, but can also damage and fade old books. Use it carefully.

Vacuums can be helpful in removing dust and spores - just be sure the vacuum isn't blowing it right back into your house.

Removing foxing and brown rust spots

Book Foxing Spots treated by sanding and hydrogen peroxide

Spotting is another major issue with old books. This spotting is called "foxing." It involves spotting and staining. The stains are generally yellow, red, and brown. In the photo above, you can see a book that I purchased with reddish brown spots all along the edges. This photo is a "before and after." The top image is how the book arrived to me. The middle is after a sanding block treatment. The bottom is after hydrogen peroxide.

Sanding book edges is fairly simple. You just grab the book pages and hold them together - then rub a sanding block across the top. I started with a fine grain sanding sponge and found it to do nothing, so I moved up to a coarser block and bits of the pages began to file away. You can remove too much of the page edge, so go slowly. You will need to blow away book dust, so it may be best to do this outside and if your book is particularly old and moldy, wear a face mask.

The second photo shows the result. It did a "good" job but not a great job. Additional sanding provided no extra result.

So I moved on to hydrogen peroxide. I used a q-tip and dabbed hydrogen peroxide (the 3% type you can get at any drugstore) on the spots. Then I let it sit for a while. There was considerable improvement but also some damage. The areas that I dabbed (and I did not use enough to "wet" the book) look smooshy by comparison to the other areas of the book. They are softened and less crisp. But the results were much more impressive than the sanding. I repeated the treatment again to see if I could get additional results and there was no extra improvement. So just one dab with a q-tip will get all the results that are available with hydrogen peroxide. Bleach is also an option, but tends to cause even more page damage.

The book I tested was a modern book - 1990s dating. It is not moldy but the foxing was off putting. Oddly, the foxing was only on the page edges and not on the interior pages. It seemed a great book to practice on.

The foxing was not entirely removed but is less unseemly.

Other tools that may be beneficial are erasers (easy low tech option for marks and dirty spots - erasers do a great job on covers) and the Absorene book cleaner. This is better than an eraser, but of course costs more and has it's own set of issues.

If you have any advice for restoring and removing odors and harmful organisms from old books, please leave a comment.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Howard Gardner: Theory on Multiple Intelligences & Book Summary

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 13:36:00 +0000

As promised before, I am outlining all of the books I am reading on this site as a way to keep notes and share the information with the world at large. I just finished reading Gardner's Multiple Intelligences.

It took having children for me to understand that people think differently than I do. And it took having multiple children for me to realize that much of those differences are part of the person's innate structure - coming with them from the beginning. Perhaps, I am just a slow learner - more likely, I lacked interpersonal intelligence.

In 1983, Howard Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligences. In essence, he surmised that IQ was not the only intelligence. IQ just so happens to be one of the best predictors of economic success in our current culture, but there is more than one way to play this game of life.

This is a book I started and stopped multiple times. The underlining premise is good. I like the information he gives, but the entire book (in my opinion) could have been one chapter. I didn't need to hear long explanations for why he chose some intelligences over others - its seemed self explanatory.

So - to summarize the entire book in one sentence: he proposes 8 types of intelligence. These are visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, musical-rhythmic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and bodily.

For most of my life, I only had the logical-mathematical (and mostly just the math). Ha!

Most of these intelligences are innate gifts. You either have them or you don't. Some can be trained or at least dabbled into, creating a more well-rounded existence. But they are mostly inborn talents that one can not take credit for, nor shame others for missing.

An important aspect of this theory is to understand how different people view and operate in the world. To find the areas you are most naturally inclined and to nurture your natural gifts. But also, as mentioned above, to build on the areas foreign to you.

I was able to find one multiple intelligences quiz or test. This site also defined each of the intelligences nicely so I will link you to the page (Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Test) rather than recreate the wheel.

In summary, this book was quite long winded but did have a useful supposition. I will not be adding it to my permanent bookshelf, as I think the concepts are well enough remembered to not require reference. This may not be the case for someone in education or psychology, who may want more nuance. I have donated the book so others can find it and gain from it's wisdom.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

A lesson from Derek Sivers - and why I will now summarize every book I read

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 23:14:00 +0000

When I was a young adult, I moved quite frequently. After the second or third move, I decided to never own another book. Yes, I would buy them and read them - and then be rid of them. Moving books is a heavy operation, and I stupidly packed them all in one large box, making it extra unbearable.

This went on for years. I read at least 30 books a year and as I read them, I take notes. I have been filling notebooks with illegible scribbles from various books, then losing them along the way. It's been a bad cycle.

Then I heard Derek Sivers talking on a podcast (I think with Tim Ferris) and was in awe. This guy sounded so full of life. And he had such a "just go with it attitude" that I liked. So I decided to look him up. He can be found here: https://sive.rs/

I read his intro page and what he was up to - but then I discovered his book reviews. OH....MY....GOD. At the time of my discovery, he had about 200 book summaries on this site. Basically, he read a great book, rated it, and wrote out a summary. It was like manna.

I spent a long time on this book page - all through the flights from Minnesota to Scotland, and back. And many nights on the sofa. It was amazing. There were all sorts of books that I had been meaning to read, and some that were new. I kept some of the notes. And I ended up reading a fair amount of the books (even after reading the whole summary!)

Some of my favorite recommendations from his list were: Sum, Cows, pigs, wars & Witches, and The Lessons of History. If you read any of those, you will be enriched - but I highly recommend Sum. It was probably the most creative, interesting, thought provoking, yet also somewhat humorous book I've ever read. Cows, Pigs, Wars & Witches sent me down a rabbit hole of Marvin Harris' other equally interesting books. They are similar to Guns, Germs, and Steel but maybe less politically correct and probably more true. The Lessons of History provided me an appreciation of humanity that I wouldn't have found anywhere else and led to a whole bookshelf of Durant's Story of Civilization books. Holy smokes. When you find someone who excels at their craft, you have to drink it in.

I mentioned earlier that I never kept any books. Now I do. It started with a chance encounter at a garage sale. The couple was moving out of state and were just about to close down their sale when I noticed a beautiful copy of the Count of Monte Cristo. I asked how much and she responded, "we have hundreds of books like that downstairs, are you interested?" Um....yes. But how much are they. She said, "I guess it depends on how many you buy."

I wound up buying all of them. 187 heavy leather bound books. My car was bursting at the seams. She had all the great classics, all leather bound and in beautifully kept condition. I started reading them, and then selling them off. But some of them, I chose to keep. And that's how my book collection began.

Most of my collection are older books: classics and rare glimpses of the past that can't be found anywhere else. I have a few dozen modern books, but I generally take notes on them and move them on after I'm done reading them. And in the spirit of Derek Sivers, I plan to put my notes online for others to find (and for my own reference.)

I tend to read multiple books at the same time so it takes me a few months to finish any individual book - but I intend to put my notes up when they are still fresh in my mind. So they will trickle out here over time, one by one. A random mix of psychology, history, agriculture, philosophy, human stories, and other random finds. I hope it is helpful to someone.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Women of the world - What is it like to be "treated like a lady?"

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 15:12:00 +0000

What do you know about other couples? Are they happy? Do they feel like their significant other is a true partner to them? Facebook and Instagram would have us believe that everyone is living the dream: in their jobs, their travels, their relationships. But it's not true.

My closest friends are all very open and honest people. I know all the things they don't put on Facebook - and some of their stories are heartbreakingly tragic. But the reverse is also true. If I were to ask my neighbors, acquaintances and some relatives, they would tell me they are happily married. HAPPILY married, yet I have seen so much evidence to the contrary.

One particular woman has been abusing her husband for the past 45 years. She claims they have a happy marriage. SHE has a happy dictatorship. Though she's not really happy. She is on mega doses of antidepressants. Such a high dose that she has tremors and other side effects. And even on the meds, she claims to be suicidal. Sounds like happiness to me though. Some people just can not tell the truth.

But that leads me to the point of this article - What is it like to be treated like a lady? Like a woman. And what does that even mean?

For years, I have felt bad for the little old ladies that get dropped off by the door as their husband goes to park the car. "Won't be long until she's too weak to even walk," I'd think to myself. But the man is most likely doing it to take care of her. What is that like?

What is it like when a man treats you gently? When he does all the dirty work? When he carries the heavy things and looks out for you so you can just be in the world. I imagine it's a true gift. I wonder if those women appreciate it. I wonder if they understand. Or how did they get into this situation?

You can probably guess by my line of questioning, that I don't know what this feels like. In my longest relationship (going on 24 years now,) I have not felt like a woman in the relationship. I have fixed all the appliances. I have carried an equal or heavier load, depending on the situation. I have not felt feminine, protected, or cared for.

There are so many examples I could cite, but the one I am going to share sums up my entire relationship in one event. I first told someone about this a few years ago, and she was speechless. She stared at me with the saddest face and just shook her head. She couldn't find the words. She was a true friend and telling her about some of the things that happen in my life was painful. But here - I share the story with the world.

I was a stay at home mom with two young children. My husband was traveling for work. As is common in Minnesota, we had a snow storm. Snow was falling hard and my husband called to tell me he would be home in 4 hours, and he wanted the driveway clear when he got home. He had checked the news and realized we would be getting feet of snow. I looked out the window and saw that we already had 10-12 inches. It was heavy, wet snow and the plows had already come through once.

I took my little kids out with me and started shoveling. It continued to snow. As I was shoveling, the plows came through again and the bottom of the driveway was piled at least 3 feet high. Packed hard and heavy. It's extremely heavy work but all the more difficult with little kids running around. You can't just leave them unattended. It took me the whole day. And I had just finished the last pass when he drove up.

He drove into the garage and put his things into the house. No hello. No thank you. Nothing. He came right back out and grabbed his hat and gloves. He grabbed the snowblower and said "I need to go do Stephanie's driveway before she gets home from work. I don't want her to have to deal with this."

Stephanie was our next door neighbor. She worked full time and so did her husband.

He went over to their house and plowed their driveway. When it was done, he came home and went into this office to work on his computer or play on his phone.

A few things I should clarify - yes, I shoveled instead of using the snowblower. I didn't know how to use it and I even when I tried to figure it out, I could not pull the cord to get it started. I once pulled it continuously for 30 minutes without success. So I have always used the shovel.

Also - I liked Stephanie. She and I were and are still friends. My husband was not in a relationship with her or anything of that sort. But he considered her a woman. Someone who would need help and he would need to help her. Not me. I was a servant. I was barked at to get the driveway done before he got home and he didn't even acknowledge that I had spent hours doing it.

He just went off to rescue the princess. Imagine if she had to deal with heavy snow. Oh....My....God.... No!

And this is how it is for me. I carried the elliptical machine (that he wanted) into the house on my own and he yelled that the box was taking the entire recycling bin. I have carried everyone's luggage and food through every vacation, every theme park, every outing. I have carried heavy bags of mulch, tons and tons of stone, dug trenches for sprinkler pipes, and on and on. I fix all the appliances because he can't be bothered. When someone says something mean to me, he doubles down and makes me feel worse.

He played on his phone and complained of being bored while I gave birth to our children. Then after he sent out pictures to everyone, he pretty much forgot we had children.

As my dad was dying, I waited for my kids to get home from school so we could make the drive to say goodbye. He insisted that he come along....so he could attack me and make sure I was already ruined before I had to watch one of the worst things of my life. My son held me after he died. My husband was playing on his phone.

He has been at work or playing on his phone while I had to be mom and dad. I just wanted to be the mom. I never wanted to be the man in the relationship.

Ugh. I said I was just going to give one story.

What is it like to be the woman in a relationship? To be treated like a woman? Does your husband build things for you? Does he fix things when they go wrong? Does he stay vigilant so you can walk down the street, a free spirit in this world? Does he get dirty so you don't have to? If he does, say thank you to him. Appreciate it and enjoy what it's like to be in a relationship with a man that cares for you.

If you are like the woman mentioned above - who has a "happy marriage" though she abuses her husband and chokes downs medication, do not reply. But if your husband truly treats you as a woman - takes on the dirty work, carries a heavier load, protects you and defends you - please comment below and let me know how you got in that sort of relationship. What did I do wrong? What does it feel like to be cherished and cared for? What does it feel like to be the woman in the relationship?

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Getting free from an abusive relationship, red flags to look for and books to help

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 27 May 2021 01:09:00 +0000

It's hard to understand how an otherwise intelligent woman finds herself in an abusive relationship. Even more puzzling is why she chooses to stay - often for years. If you haven't been in an abusive partnership, then you can't be expected to understand the nuance involved in the abuser/victim dynamic or the strings that keep the victim in place.

But there are highly qualified psychologists that have put it into words that even the non-abused can understand.

Dr. Lundy Bankroft is the authority on partner abuse. He wrote the book "Why does he do that?" and it is extremely helpful for those who have been abused and those that want to understand. Yes, it says HE. Most abusers are men, but not all. I have witnessed many female abusers, and they are just as bad as the men.

But you eventually have to pick a pronoun and move forward if you want to write something cohesive. The book, Why does he do that? is extremely informative. It gives a comprehensive summary of the main types of abusers.

Leo Tolstoy said , “Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way“ Abusers are much the same. There are types of abusers and it's helpful to have someone spell out the beast you are dealing with. When you know what you are working with, you have a chance to see the truth and possibly prevent the abuse. And maybe you can structure a plan to leave....safely.

Most importantly though, Dr. Bankroft explains WHY HE ABUSES. It's not because he was abused as a child. It's not because he's stressed out or he's scared of losing you or any other excuse you make for him. It's because he feels he is entitled to it.

He is justified in the way he treats you because you have failed to live up to his expectations or ideals in some way. He sees nothing wrong with his behavior and this should be alarming to you. Read the book to get a better summary. Fortunately, this answer comes very quickly in the first half of the book.

Some of the examples in the book are bone chilling, and hit way too close to home. Why would someone choose to harm the ones they supposedly love. This is a tough question. This is discussed in the book and anecdotally I believe it is learned. Abuse runs in families. But it doesn't have to and it's possible you may be dealing with a sociopath or a psychopath.

For this, I direct you to The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout. This book was equally riveting. Surprisingly, 4% of our population are sociopaths or psychopaths. What's the difference? It's complicated but the general gist is that psychopaths are more manipulative and charming, they often blend in well in our society and do not always get caught for their crimes. Sociopaths are more impulsive and there's something "off" about them that doesn't always allow for them to go unnoticed. They both have no conscience or empathy. Both are fully capable of committing atrocities or even petty crimes without guilt or remorse.

They make up a fair amount of our prison population and about 25% of violet murders. But so many go undetected.

If you are dealing with a sociopathic or psychopathic abuser, they can not be rehabilitated and they will not change. In fact, no abuser will change...unless he wants to. And he will not want to unless the cost outweighs the benefits. And he benefits handedly from the abuse. If he didn't, he wouldn't do it.

Is there anyway to uncover an abuser before you are locked into the relationship?

Yes! But you won't be able to do it alone. You will need the help of your family and friends. You will need to have your eyes wide open and be willing to look at this from an objective perspective.

Here are a few steps that can help you:

1. Never engage in a serious (engagement, moving in, or marriage) until: you are over the age of 25 and you have dated the person for at least 18-24 months. You need a fully functioning prefrontal cortex (hence the age of 25) and for the love chemicals to wane so you can see the person for who they really are and not only what you love about them. We are all different but it generally take a 1-2 years for the love chemicals to wane, so do not make hasty choices. Know the person for at least 18-24 months before you commit to anything long term.

2. Look very carefully at their family dynamic. If his mother is abusive to his father - know that he will likely copy that dynamic. Watch how the family interacts. Watch how family members are treated. Notice if there is a "boss" of the family. Watch it all. AND DO NOT FALL FOR THE LIE THAT YOU ARE MARRYING THE MAN, NOT THE FAMILY. His family is coming with the marriage. Even if he never speaks to them again, they programmed his unconscious mind for the first 7 years of his life and set his habits for his entire childhood. When he is stressed or angry or "busy" he will revert to his subconscious programming and his parents will be there in your house, in your arguments, in your marriage. So watch them carefully. If your husband prefers his narcissistic mother and the family shows irrational deference to her, this could be your future. Do not think you will be able to fight your narcissist mother in law, especially if she is a covert narcissist. Your husband and all the other family members will join in as flying monkeys to make your life a living hell. You can set all the boundaries you like, but it's better to avoid this type of family all together. Grab some books, listen to some podcasts, and go in with your eyes open. Do not discount what your own ears hear and your eyes see.

3. Know your value and set hard boundaries to protect yourself. If your partner crosses the line once, consider the circumstances. But twice, you need to leave the relationship. This is another reason to wait until you are in your mid twenties before embarking on a serious relationship. You will have gained some experience in the world and may have a better sense of who you are and what you want. And what you deserve.

4. Listen to your friends and family members. If they have misgivings about the person you are with, listen.

5. Get into some stressful situations with your partner. Build something together, drive in rush hour traffic, get stuck in the airport for a few days after a long vacation. These are the times when you will see the shadow emerge. You will get an idea of how they are under pressure - will they be your teammate or will they bully you into fixing everything for them? Do they blame others when things go wrong? Do they panic and amplify a stressful situation?

How do they treat service people? How did they speak to the airline ticket taker? How do they speak to the cable companies customer service people? Are they kind or do they treat them as subordinates? Beneath them? Someday, they may come to see you as beneath them and will treat you the same. Be aware!

6. Share with them your joyful moments. How do they react? Do they show happiness for you and share in your excitement? Or do they get jealous and tear you down? Do they stop listening or change the subject. Do they make it all about them? Do they suck the joy out of your moments. These are things that you may think "you can handle." But you shouldn't have to, and after years and years, it's too much.

If you can not share your joy or your pain. If you are not appreciated for who you truly are. If you are always having to prove your worth or cater to their needs....keep looking. At best, they may just suck the joy out of your life. At worst, they could abuse you and suck everything out of your life. Keeping you trapped and wondering how this became your life.

Don't let it happen to you. If you are in an abusive relationship - get Dr. Bankroft's book and start reading it now. Emotional, mental, and physical abuse are all covered in his book. Life is too short to spend it with someone who doesn't treat you as a true partner.

Good luck!

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Concentration: The Secret of Success by Dr. Julia Seton and calling into question the history of women's rights

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 17 May 2021 14:39:00 +0000

History is not dead. In fact, it repeats and recycles itself many times over. I didn't discover this fact until I started reading old books. The way history was taught to us (American children of the 80s and 90s) was almost guaranteed to keep us as far away from history books as possible. And that's a shame.

Old books hold old wisdom. And old books connect us to the "strangers" of the past who, invariably, were exactly as we are now. History is not just names and dates and major events. Shame on the educators who dumb us down in this way.

I encourage you to look up old books on interesting topics. You may be surprised at the people you meet in those stories. You may find something old that is now new.

Today, we are going to discuss a very old book - Concentration: The Secret of Success by Dr. Julia Seton. First published in 1909, it is rare to find this book in original hardcover. I was fortunate to find it at a garage sale and set straight into reading it. The book was quite small - less than 80 pages, and it had me thinking the entire time.

The premise of the book is very much in line with the books The Secret and Think and Grow Rich. The book discusses proper breathing and thinking exercises to garner a successful life. It's also full of interesting observations.

It was written in America in 1909. Dr. Seton discusses various "types" of people in her book and these types still exist. Basically the poor and the wealthy. And interestingly enough, they are still the same.

Poverty is no joke. If you have not lived through poverty, I don't know that you can truly understand the totality of what it means to BE poor. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said: "How can you expect a man who's warm to understand one who's cold?" You can't. You just can't. That doesn't make poverty a virtue or wealth unattainable. It makes it unknown. I grew up in abject poverty, and my ancestors were poorer still. There are genuine reasons why the poor do not escape from poverty. Some of them are structural, but the majority are cultural. How THEY think. Not just individually but as a collective. The group WILL pull you back if you try to improve or escape. This is true in the colored communities as well. Throughout my years on this Earth, I have had the privilege of discussing this topic with people of all races and nationalities. Their stories are the same.

And Dr. Seton's analysis comes closest to a potential solution. But not an easy one. It's not as easy as just thinking your way rich. And by rich, I mean wealthy - not bathing in money. Safe, healthy, secure, all of your basic needs met so you can grow and develop mentally and spiritually.

The book is worth the read. It does seem a lot like "The Secret" and somewhat like "Think and Grow Rich." But I will tell you the secret in "Think and Grow Rich" is people. You must cultivate relationships and have people you can call on to help you in various aspects of your climb to the top. You need people. People have skills and information. People can lift you up or tear you down. The Secret and Concentration are more focused on your own internal dialogue and actions - the secret law of attraction. Both are important.

This book also opened up a whole series of questions about women in history. Again, this book was written in 1909 by Dr. Julia Seton. Dr. Seton was a woman. A woman with a medical degree. In 1909.

She did not mention "her husband" in the book. She did not defer to others. She did not have a ghost writer or any other such nonsense. In fact, she made it very clear that the book was filled with her own observations that she made as a free and autonomous human being moving through the world.

This struck me hard and I did some follow up on Dr. Julia Seton - there is a wiki page dedicated to the "church" she founded. Unfortunately, all "gurus" seem to end up making their money and vast fortunes by creating followers and creating "churches." The early 1900s were no different (in fact, if you want to read a really great book on how to make money hand over fist - check out the book by P T. Barnum - The Art of Money Getting - it is very short and very insightful)

Dr Julia seton wound up with a lot of money and property. She founded schools and an entire movement. She did what she said she was possible in her book. And she was a woman.

I just have to make that clear. These days, there is so much polarizing information on the internet. Everybody wants to be a victim. Women have been victims for millennia. Yes and no.

Yes, women did not always have the right to vote. Neither did men who were not property owners. Women have been abused by various unscrupulous men throughout history. And they have been propped up, respected, and rescued by the others. Women have been trapped in the home. Yes. But they have also held jobs and positions of authority. Maybe it's more accurate to say that poor men and poor women have struggled throughout history. And many of them have been abused by their fellow human beings.

A quick glance through my family tree and I found that a large proportion of my female ancestors had jobs. They were cooks, maids, teachers, farmers, nurses and mothers. I come from a long line of generational poverty so it is not surprising that there are no recorded CEOs, trailblazers, or famous people. But they were trailblazers in their own right. Some may have been abused or trapped, but their sacrifices have led to the place we are today.

And that is better than it has ever been. Having grown up in the 80s-90s, and female, I NEVER felt that I was less than because I was female. I was both encouraged, jeered, and ignored by teachers and adults. The same as anyone else. I went to college, never worrying that I wouldn't make it because I was a girl. I majored in a male dominated STEM field. Nobody every questioned my abilities because of my sex.

I went into the corporate world following graduation and had many female colleagues and supervisors. This was the first place a saw a difference in treatment. My female coworkers rallied together and lifted each other up. They did not do the same for our male coworkers. They despised many of the them and actively worked toward their demise. They preferentially promoted female employees and included them in "out of work hours" activities that cemented their preferences.

I also saw the lives of the women in executive roles. Not the sales people or the managers. The directors and vice presidents. Their lives sucked. Yes, they were "important" at work, but they sacrificed so much to be there. And they were usually moms. They were always on planes or living in separate cities from their family during the week and flying home on the weekend. They were always harried and stressed.

Even at the lower levels, the moms were harried. They couldn't make it to last minute meetings, or they would get calls from schools and have to leave. Someone broke an arm. Someone left their lunch on the bus. Someone was sneaking out at night and they had to get home to talk to them. It was a lot. Because I was single during most of my working life, I was a rockstar. And my husband, with someone at home taking care of EVERYTHING ELSE, was an even brighter star. Imagine what it's like to go to work and ONLY have to worry about work. No matter what happens in the outside world, you can just go about your day. A customer wants you to fly to Indiana tonight, you just get on the plane and go. You have to work late to finish something really "important," just do it.

It doesn't matter that your son fell and split his head open during the day. Your wife got him to the urgent care and everything is okay. The dishwasher has been leaking all over the floor, she got it fixed. Your kids have been fighting all day? Not your problem. Everyone has the flu? Ok.

The pets are fed. The kids are safe. The house is functioning. And when you get home from your long 3 day trip, you will come home to food in the refrigerator and clean clothes in your closet. The garbage has been taken out, the snow has been shoveled, the 4 year old just learned to read and the 2 year old is fully potty trained. None of it has ever phased you.

It is not the same for working women. And that is a truism that will always be there for us. But it is not necessarily because of oppression. Its because we have a biological directive to have a family - and we have a very strict timeline to follow.

But Julia Seton was as free as any of us to build the life we want. She was one of the trailblazing women in history that existed without fanfare. I would like to suggest that the women that cooked, cleaned, and took care of their families also contributed greatly to the advancement of civilization.

I wonder if the stories we were told about women's rights and the history of women are accurate. It is a luxury to have a stay at home wife. It's a luxury most poverty stricken families didn't have. It is also a luxury to do meaningful work. Having a job is not a luxury. It's an obligation. And a job does not necessarily equate to meaningful work. Having a job while holding down a household leads to a stressed out family. It doesn't always lead to greater income. (A great discussion on the subject is The Two Income Trap and Who cooked the last supper?)

Having the privilege to focus on your work and create something great is a luxury. All the men who went out to conquer the world, and the women that made sure they could, were all part of our advancement.

If you want more for your life, I recommend looking into this book "Concentration" but also "The Secret" and "Think and Grow rich." They are a good start to understanding your role in building the life you desire.

Best of luck!

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Does sitting really kill you? A review of "Sitting Kills, Moving Heals."

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 16:08:00 +0000

Sitting is killing you!!! That's what the book "Sitting Kills, Moving Heals" would like you to believe. But is it true?

As someone who values reading above almost all activities, it struck at my soul when I heard author Joan Vernikos discuss the dangers of sitting on a STEM TALK podcast. Actually, the podcast was about the effect of gravity on human health - but Dr. Vernikos has taken her experience with gravity and extrapolated that to human health here on Earth.

The podcast was quite interesting and lead me to get her book on the topic: "Sitting Kills, Moving Heals"

I went into this book with very high hopes. Human health is one of my major interests, so I love to find little nuggets that fit into that puzzle. I was hoping to take away 1 or 2 little things that would add up over time.

It wasn't news to me that sitting was considered unhealthy. We've all seen the headlines:

Sitting is the New Smoking!

But was it really as dangerous as smoking. I SAT DOWN to read this book and will give you a very quick overview of my opinions.

1. The book is very long. Not War & Peace long, but Crime & Punishment long. Meaning it's verbose. The main point of the book can be summed up in just the title - Sitting is bad for you. Or more precisely, continuous sitting without any interruption, is bad for you.

But in the author's defense, she has a lot of interesting and useful background information to share. She gives interesting tidbits from her time at NASA and she does back up most of her claims with published data. This is all good stuff, but I personally would have appreciated if the book were outlined as such: This is what we know and what you should do, then here are all the rest of the chapters containing anecdotes and the data to back up the claims.

Of course, this means most people would only read the first chapter, but it also means people would get the most important information up front.

2. I disagree with her findings. Here's why:

a. Most of the data that says sitting is dangerous comes from epidemiological data based on people's "recall" of their behavior. There are so many levels of wrong in this type of study. People's recall is garbage. None of the studies were prospective and none of them can prove causality. In addition, the biggest studies with the best data show marginal effect at best. They show relative risk adjustments. Ugh.

One of the studies cited claimed a 24% increase in colon cancer associated with sitting. The average risk of colon cancer over a lifetime is 4.2% (you can see lifetime cancer stats here) so a 24% risk increase means that instead of a 4.2% lifetime risk, you MAY have a 5.2% risk of colon cancer. Because we can not assign causality and because the data is inherently full of error 5.2% and 4.2% are essentially the same.

There were more statistics, but so much goes along with a sedentary lifestyle and the nature of the data makes it essentially useless.

b. Sitting is natural. Animals sit. We sit. Chairs have been around for centuries (a quick wiki search on the history of chairs pulls up chairs from 200 BCE.) The author claims they were shorter in the past. No, they weren't. I spent way more time that I would like to admit looking at historical chair designs and they were essentially the same. They fell about knee height. If any chairs WERE shorter, they likely corresponded with human leg height and shorter humans. But they required the same effort to get in and out of.

The author points out that the opposite of sitting is standing. And that standing is not inherently healthy!

c. The author argues that gravity is more intensive when we stand. Yes, that seems about right. We are constantly adjusting to gravity in all directions when we stand. Standing and moving take muscles, fascia, tendon, bone and neurological input. She claimed that sitting caused less gravitational input because our heads were in a position closer to the ground (we were shorter.) But..... epidemiological data clearly shows a longevity benefit to shorter versus taller people. And....statistically speaking, the distance from standing to sitting is negligible when computing the forces of gravity. So this argument is bunk.

Did these two die from sitting too much?

d. Anecdotally - I have found that being "active" does not necessarily mean healthy. My father had a very active job. He walked all day long and got up/down, bent, lifted, pulled, pushed. He never sat down. He worked every day of his life. He was an hourly employee and did not get vacation days. He was an apartment maintenance worker. He never stopped moving. He got Alzheimer's at age 55. He had a litany of other risk factors - but if he had an office job, is she proposing he would have developed Alzheimer's at 35????? In his case, it does not appear that being active was in any way protective.

Does this mean that being active is not important? Absolutely not. And she is correct that once people stop walking or become bed bound, it's over. They pretty much never get up again. It's just not the biggest piece of the puzzle. It's a piece, for sure, but not THE piece and certainly not THE thing that is killing us off or decreasing our overall healthspan.

3. Some of the research she discovered regarding growth hormone levels following bedrest and the effects on blood pressure from standing versus moving are interesting. I don't think they are conclusive, but they do open up doors to further questions.

How much sitting is too much?

Sitting without any other movement. Locking yourself indoors all day. Not moving your body at all. Staring at a screen all day. None of these are healthy. But sitting down to enjoy a good book, sitting around with friends, or enjoying a movie now and then are not deadly sins.

Be active - go out and live your life. But you don't need a standing desk. A treadmill desk (OH MY GOD!!!) or any other contraptions to get yourself moving. You don't need to throw out your bed or your chairs. When it comes to human health, there are much bigger fish to fry.

If you want to read Dr. Vernikos' book - do it. She advocates being more active - nothing wrong with that. But don't read it for the dangers of sitting. Read it for the interesting tidbits from her life and experience. Read between the lines to see what Dr. Vernikos actually believes - she mentions watching women get together to walk outside her office - a great healthy activity - and she notices their terrible posture. Bingo. She drops these hints throughout the book.

Do not lie in bed all day. Do not glue yourself to a chair. But dig deeper if you want the truth about what is causing your disease and suffering.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

How to carry money and travel documents while travelling - hidden pocket passport scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 15:18:00 +0000

One of the hardest things about travel is keeping yourself organized. You will need to carry everything with you at all times - but then how can you take pictures, eat, touch things? Do you want to carry a heavy bag everywhere? That gets exhausting!!! And not to mention how easy it is to lose that bag - through pick pockets or getting distracted for a moment.

We have been all over the US and all over the world. I found it best to travel with money and personal documents close to my body - and with me at all times. You never know when you will need your ID. Unexpected things happen! We were held hostage by the POLICE in Mexico - just because we were tourists. They demanded $1000. We only had $520. They held us with assault rifles in our faces. Why??? Because we were driving a rental car - obvious tourists. When they saw that $520 was all we had, they took it and let us go.

For the rest of the trip, we had no cash. We were limited to places and activities that would accept credit card. Thank God we still had options.

My backpack was unzipped at a train station in Italy. Our room safe was "opened" at a hotel in South Dakota. Things happen!

In our family, I generally hold everything. No one else seems to think about all the moving parts - what we might need and how to make it as easy as possible.

For years, I carried a heavy backpack filled with our documents, emergency aids, water, snacks, all sorts of things. It was great for the family but not so much for me. And of course, after the bag was opened in Italy, I realized it just wasn't safe.

I still carry a backpack - but it no longer contains any valuables.

Those I keep in a scarf around my neck.

It looks like the photo above. Discreet gray - it goes with almost every outfit. It's light weight so it is not overwhelming in the summer. And it looks fashionable. No one assumes it holds our passports or money. The pockets are completely hidden - SECRET.

The travel scarf with pocket looks and feels like any other scarf. But it has securely zipped pockets that hold money, phones, passports. It's not great for my iphone - too heavy! But it is amazing for small items. It's very easy for YOU to access your items. And NOBODY ELSE.

You can wear it like a travel wrap, scarf, or even put it around your head. It is an infinity scarf with pocket sewn into the sides. The fabric is a light knit. You can find many other colors on amazon - here is a link to a variety of great scarves in fantastic colors - maybe even a cashmere travel wrap.

HOW DO YOU WEAR THIS TRAVEL WRAP??

Easy! Just like any other scarf or wrap. Wrap around your shoulders like a shawl. Twist it into a looped scarf or let it hang in a loop.

You don't have to wear this scarf only when you travel. Take it to yoga, when you run errands, anywhere. I have stopped using a purse all together. I just keep my ID and credit card in this scarf when I run errands. It is such a life saver. My hands are free. No purses are falling off my shoulder, making me unbalanced.

One of the best uses is going to estate sales or garage sales. No purse means I have hands to look through things. No money sticking out of my pockets. I even put my key inside the secret pocket. My hands are free, I am able to focus. It just makes life easier.

I meant to do a review of this particular scarf on this blog so people get an in depth idea of why I chose this one over another, but the truth is, they are all great. This particular scarf has two pockets and looks a little nicer. I do have a light weigh chevron hidden pocket scarf that I prefer in the hottest months - because it is lighter and looks more "like summer" but that one only has one pocket and isn't as useful for travel. They are inexpensive, so it's okay to have multiples. Since I no longer use a purse, I like having a variety of scarves to accessorize and hold my stuff.

The two pocket scarf does work better as a passport scarf - because you can have one pocket dedicated to the passport and not risk it falling out when you open the pocket to grab a few dollars.

It definitely solves the problem of where to keep your passport when traveling. And where to keep your money. And keys. And chapstick. Beyond this - it starts to get too heavy.

Carefee - hands FREE - travel!

If you have found another use for these great travel scarves, leave a comment below

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Way over 40 and the most fit of my life - Who would have thought??

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 03:53:00 +0000

This weekend, I went skiing for the first time in 21 years. Is skiing like riding a bike? Can you take years off and go back to it with no problem? According to my younger sister, the answer is yes. But she has always been athletic and is a good skier.

I was apprehensive because it had been so long and, truth be told, I was never good at skiing. I used to ski every winter as a child but I spent the whole time trying not to die. It was always a scary and out of control experience for me.

I went for the last time when I was 22 and I remember going down on my butt for most of the hills. Not impressive.

So when my sister came into town and said she wanted to go skiing - I was nervous. I was going again after all these years and we were bringing along 4 kids who had never skied before. How was I going to manage it all?

Swimmingly - it turns out.

Because a lot has changed in 21 years.

I went down sort of wild the first time, but not too bad.

Then I breezed down the hills like a champ. I enjoyed it. I was having fun. I could focus and look around and contemplate my life. It was everything great about being outside on a brisk winter day. I watched other people do amazing tricks. I saw the kids learn a new skill and the joy that comes with mastery.

And I never once felt like I was going to die. Or even wipe out. Why was I so good at skiing all of a sudden?

It's because I am in fantastic shape....for my age......for my life. If you've looked through any of of my old fitness posts you will come to find that I was in REALLY good shape a 8-10 years ago. I had extremely low body fat and impressive athletic abilities (especially for my history). But I was really too thin. And not really as strong as I could be.

I've put on 10-15 pounds since then. And it has made my life better. I am stronger. I never get sick. (I put the weight on 8 years ago and have kept this new weight ever since. For the last 8 years, I have not been sick a single day.)

And I could ski like a champ.

I could ski so well because I was strong. And healthy. And more emotionally and mentally stable.

Life was good that day. And there was no anxious "dying" feelings of any sort.

The reason I chose to write this article is because I just finished reading a post on Mark's daily apple about women over 40 going Keto to lose weight and it really pissed me off.

The overarching theme of the article is that once you hit your forties, it's all over. You instantly get fat. You become "boxy" and square. You get a gut. Nothing you do makes any difference.

I've heard the same thing from my friends and neighbors. I've seen it in people as they age. But it's not inevitable.

Fortunately, the world is a big place and there are many examples of women who look fantastic in their 40s,50s, 60s and 70s. And by fantastic, I mean healthy. Not fat. Not weak. Not sick.

And not skinny. Skinny is.... It's not optimal. I spent the first 35 years of my life "skinny." And I wish I could go back and be strong instead. But late is better than never. And 40 is not too late.

The article was mostly focused on losing weight. Being thin...

In general, I like Marks Daily Apple and the main theme of his message is health. The article just rubbed me the wrong way because people give up at 40 and that's a shame. I am stronger than I have ever been. I am intellectually, mentally, emotionally, and physically better.

Am I the best I could be? Of course not. But I plan to keep working on it. How amazing would it be if I was 50 and the most fit of my life? Wow!

Why not keep trying?

Life is a weird sort of game. You can't stand still. You either go forward or you go backward. You grow or you die. So I say, live. Get out there and make your life better. And for heavens sake, if you haven't skied or skated or rode bike or whatever other thing you used to like in 21 years, get your butt out there and do it. And if you suck, get better.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Vintage Weird Stuff For Sale - a list of cool and funny things to buy on ebay, amazon and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 17:40:00 +0000

Weird Wild Stuff To Buy Online - all the things you never new existed and you didn't know you wanted

Every so often, we will put up a list of the craziest oddities, the wild, weird, creepy things you can find online. These are things you may never see in real life. They are rare and unique. Sometimes stupid. Sometimes surprisingly useful. We find them for you - you laugh and gasp and maybe buy some of them! Hurrah! Let's dive in to some of the weird and wild stuff for sale this month.

#1.Vagina Underwear

How else can you describe this. These are underwear that look like you aren't wearing any. They look like the female anatomy - exposed! Yowza. Who is buying these? Or who can you buy them for and have a roiling laugh!??

#2.Paper Christmas Carolers

Not quite as wild as the last entry, but still quite odd. Do you want paper people on your mantel? Apparently you do, at the time of this article this item had 8 watchers

#3.Real Human Teeth

We are back to the crazy and creepy stuff. You can buy real human teeth on ebay. Someone tell me why??

#4.An animal made entirely out of beads

Is this a giraffe? It's all beads. Kind of cool. Definitely unique. Probably one of a kind. Sort of weird.

#5.A bilingual pooping doll

This doll speaks english or spanish. She eats. She poops. What can I say?

Okay - this was just a sampling of the weird and wild stuff out there. We will continue to bring more. There is crazy stuff out there - just waiting to be bought!

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Using the RotoShovel for planting bulbs, trees, flowers, and garden vegetables - a review and opinion

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 16:54:00 +0000

We have been digging in the dirt for over 4 decades. Through clay, sand, frozen ground, rocky gravel, and wet muck. It never gets easier, but the right tool can make the job so much more enjoyable.

We have been gardening in clay for the last few years, and only recently bought a farm in the sand plains. It is so much easier to dig in the sand, but after the 100th tree or 1000th bulb, it still gets tiring. And the sand can be surprisingly difficult when roots, lawn, grass, and compaction get involved.

Shovels and a hand trowel garden tool made up our tool kit for a long time. Then we discovered the a bulb planter. We have a short and long handled bulb planter. As stupid as they look (and so simple!!) that tool was a game changer. The right tool can make such a difference.

We recently discovered the rotoshovel - an electric auger and shovel all in one! A power spade shovel! It just may be the BEST BULB PLANTER. We were super excited to give this automatic electric shovel a try - then winter hit Minnesota - in early October. The temps dropped to the 20s and our sand plains froze up quickly. The ground is virtually undiggable.

We put the rotoshovel to the test and it can certainly penetrate the ground under these conditions, but it's not ideal. We have broken shovels trying to dig once the ground has frozen and we didn't want to push it. (On a side note, we had to prepare and wrap our honey bees for a cold northern winter, a full 50 days too early. That's a long winter for bees to go without food or bathroom breaks!)

From our limited time with the RotoShovel - let us offer our quick review. We have plans to put in action in early spring and will update this article to include those results.

RotoShovel Review - Automatic handheld shovel with auger

The rotoshovel is easy to use. It's intuitive and you can start working with it minutes after opening the box. It's a good size for digging reasonable holes but not too large to be held for long stretches of time.

It operates much like a drill - you charge the battery, push a button, and it goes. It's a lot like a garden bulb auger attachment for a power drill except that it is much larger/longer and comes with the built in shovel. You can still "shovel" with the rotoshovel, but the auger bit takes most of the "work" out of the project.

We used it for some of our wild hyacinth bulb planting (yes, we were late and had to dig in the ice cold ground.) We only had 20 to plant this year. The hole size is about perfect for bulbs and you can control the depth. The ground was too cold for us to experiment with tree size holes, but I have the feeling it will make the whole process easier for larger trees and make saplings/seedlings a breeze to plant. It would be an amazing plug planter tool. It had no problem with the grass layer that we usually struggle through - making this a great tool for planting bulbs into a lawn or other grassy area.

We plan to use the rotoshovel when we plant our tomato garden next year. We will dig all the holes first, then go through and plant the seedlings. This tool makes it easier to dig a larger hole - especially in the clay so you can amend the hole and properly cover your plants. We also plan to use it for planting 500+ bareroot trees. It's a job we were dreading but with this tool, it should go much smoother. And of course, all the crocus and tulip bulbs will be a breeze with this tool on hand.

Can it be used to dig post holes?

This question will be answered next spring. It was the first thing my husband wanted to try but we will have to wait for warmer weather. And will keep you updated.

The RotoShovel makes a great gift!

This shovel is a great gift for mother's day, Christmas, or a birthday - especially if you have a plant lover in your family. It's only 5 pounds!

Definitely give it a shot. This mechanical shovel makes life easier and make gardening/growing more enjoyable.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich Analysis & Quotes - Why everyone should read this short story by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 19:54:00 +0000

How can you expect a man who's warm to understand a man who's cold?

This is the key essence of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's book "One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich," and one of the main issues facing our world today. As I write this, we are just days away from a very passionate and utterly ridiculous election in the United States of America. As usual, we have been presented two unacceptable candidates and are forced to "choose" between two crooked and unforgivable creatures.

But are we expecting too much from our goverment officials? Are they not equivalent to the royalty of old? Kings and queens who gave kingdoms, property, knighthoods, and other positions of power to their offspring and delinquent relatives are no different than the crony system operating today. How can we expect them to understand the plight of the average American when they have never experienced an average life? How can we expect a man who's warm to understand a man who's cold? The truth is, we can't. Maybe that's okay, but I suspect it's not.

The question - what can be done about it?

The answer - the only thing one person can ever do about it. Go out and be the change you want to see. Perhaps your behavior will inspire change in others. Perhaps you will make a big enough splash and find yourself in a position to change things from the top down.

Part of acting out the change is understanding the problems. You can not understand what it's like to be cold (poor, sick, mentally ill, abused....) when you have always been warm. That is not to say, you should run out looking for abuse or starve yourself in the cold. We are all playing with the hands are are dealt. But, it does mean you should learn from those that have gone through experiences different than yours, especially the tough ones.

As I write this, there are millions of young people convinced that socialism is the way forward.

I understand the draw. In theory, socialism sounds like the perfect solution. A utopia even. But history has shown, time and time again, that human beings can not thrive in a socialist environment.

And that is where we encounter Ivan Denisovich. (To get a good idea of the argument FOR socialism, I suggest the book: The conquest of bread and even The Rights of Man. These are fundamental ideas for the care and understanding of human needs.)

Who was Ivan Denisovich?

He was nobody. And everybody. He was real and he was imagined. He is a composite of an average gulag prisoner during the years surrounding the great world wars. One of the biggest travesties of the American school system is that the majority of American's do not know about the gulags. They have no concept of the suffering in communist Russia and have no emotions toward Joseph Stalin. But if you mention Hitler....

They are misguided about WWII - why did it happen, who was involved and who suffered from it? Clearly there were 6 million Jewish casualties. Does the average American know that 20 million Chinese people suffered and died as a result of WWII? Do they know 27 million Russian's lost their lives? Do they know that both Hitler and Stalin were named Time Person of the Year? Do they know what Joseph Stalin did to his own people? No, they don't.

Why not? Because history is taught as a boring memorization of facts. What date, Who, When? Not as the exciting and informative story that it really was!!! And not anything outside of the "accepted story." Meaning, the average American never hears about what happened in Nanking, China. They never hear about the soviet death camps or the real reasons why WWII even started. Ask an average American citizen about the reparations Germany was forced to pay after WWI and the sentiment and struggles that lead to the acceptance of all that happened in WWII. Ask them about the land grabs across Europe, Africa and the Middle east that were the real reason for WWI - ask them to dig into how most of the middle eastern countries came to be and how they got their princes and kings.

There is an incentive to make WWII all about the Jewish suffering. And why? That would take a lot more in depth analysis and we are here to discuss Ivan Denisovich. I urge the reader to dig and dig and dig and uncover the truth of history for themselves. Individually, we have the power to change where we are headed or at least to understand it and weather the storm with dignity and wisdom.

Yes, the holocaust was awful. The diary of a Anne Frank is a nice start, but it is just one side of the coin. Dig deeper. Read the rape of nanking, Hellstorm, When Money Dies, Victor Frankl's Man's search for meaning, and even Mein Kampf for more in this direction. But let's get back to Ivan.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was Ivan Denisovich and he wasn't. Solzenitsyn spent 8 years in a soviet labor camp and was later exiled. He had wrote something against the soviet leadership in a private letter to a "friend" and that friend turned him in to the authorities. That theme is prevalent in "one day in the life" but unlike Ivan, Solzhenitsyn was an educated man and held many roles in the upper echelons of society. Ivan was just an average peasant, soldier. He did things to survive that maybe you wouldn't in his shoes. Or maybe you would? It's hard to stay, but it's worth thinking about.

If you want to hear Solzenitsyn's true account of HIS time in the gulag - read the Gulag Archipelego.

I found "One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich" to be very much like Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning." The level of trauma and suffering were similar. The writing styles, alike. By that I mean, they were easy to read. The characters were relatable. You could imagine being there. There was no pushy agenda that "you should see or believe something" from the text. They just conveyed the facts - what they saw. What their lives were like. There was no whining or victimhood - though both books cover much suffering and actual victimization.

Both are thin, easy reads that require moments of pause and reflection.

Maybe I take these books for granted because we have had such amazing access to all information in the last 20+ years, but it's hard to understand the level of censorship the Russian people endured such that this little book started off the cascade that took down the USSR. This book gave people and commanders the courage to speak up and see the truth. Truth they were not allowed and didn't dare utter.

But seeing the truth behind the walls, it's clear that a great majority of the American public is quickly leading us in the same direction. There are things one can not say in public - lest they be called a racist or be fired and "canceled" (such egregious things as, I might vote for President Trump or only 37 people people of color were killed by police last year so maybe, although policing practices should definitely be improved, it may not be a good enough excuse to riot, burn our cities, and cause untold deaths and traumas in the process....)

I don't think these beliefs are actually a majority opinion, but the silence from those that fear for their jobs or their social standing, allows the suppressing voice is louder than it should be. And it is gaining legislative and judicial support. The screaming voice is reaching congress. Or maybe its the other way around and the voice of the congress (the elite rulers) is being pushed on the people.

One only needs to think back to 1984 or Brave New World to see similarities in what we are currently encountering. And for fun...because this book is great and really does belie the problems with socialism - it's actually a really fun book - be sure to read Animal Farm if you never have. Or if you were forced to read it in school, read it again with fresh eyes. It's a thin, quick book.

Long Story Short - Why should everyone read "One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich?"

You should read Ivan Denisovich because you are warm and it is one the of ways you can come close to understanding a man that is cold. Because you are warm, you should also stop to think about how you got where you are? You are warm because the people that came before us were cold. They were cold and hungry. They worked and they suffered and they invented and they endured. And they created the very world that allows you to criticize the structures they built from behind a computer with rights and freedoms and protection. It's good to be warm. But do not forget the people that froze throughout their lives so that we could enjoy this.

A side note - I read "One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich" in three stretches. Yes, it is a thin book! I may or may not be a slow reader, but I ponder and think when I read. I read this book in the bath tub. Once with bubbles. Once after a cold day working at our farm. And once while eating cabbage stew. All of this in the tub. If you have never read in the tub, you are missing out.

The irony of the my warmth and luxury was not lost. I read about the scant meals in the labor camp while I ate a warm bowl of stew. I felt the cold feet and numb hands as they trudged through the snow, worked 11 hour days and froze under a thin blanket while the warm water penetrated my bones. And I think it made me feel it even more. I think it made me even more grateful that my ancestors kept going even though they starved through many winters. I'm grateful that Solzhenitsyn and all other SLAVES of history went through these struggles and built the world we enjoy. And I'm so very glad that people like Solzhenitsyn wrote about these experiences so some of the slavery could end.

No, it has not ended.

My brother recently spent 3 years in a North Carolina prison and he worked 10-12 hour days in that prison for 10c an hour. He did the laundry for the area hospitals (private companies profit handily from all of this slave labor,) he built he new North Carolina police academy, and he built thousands upon thousands of wood pallets by hand that the average person treats like trash. For pennies. While his wife and 3 children had to survive without him. Slavery is still here. I had access to the truth because my brother went to prison. He wasn't alone in that prison. This is happening all over America. We ought to both be grateful for the men and women that work and slave to build our lives - but also actively working to expose it, speak up and work for true equality. Not virtue signaling and acting "woke." Take action, read about the history of our world. And be better.

Ivan Denisovich is a good first step. Read it while you are warm and begin to understand the cold.

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Are Vintage Christmas ornaments worth money?

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:25:00 +0000

Are Vintage Christmas Ornaments Worth Money?

The short answer is YES. There is a market for almost everything these days. Thanks to the internet, most of the 7 + billion people on this planet can reach each other in one form or another. There are a zillion platforms for reaching your potential buyer, and with the right search words, the person that wants your homemade reindeer ornaments from the 1980s can be found!

Having said that - there are a few types of ornaments that are more popular than others.

Really old ornaments

If you can prove your ornaments are really old, say early 1900s or even 1800s, then there is definitely a market that would be interested. These are most often handmade or produced in short quantity so having them would be rare indeed.

1950-2000s

Most of us are likely to come across more recent "vintage" ornaments. The 1980s are really hot right now, especially the brassy mid-century modern retro decor that flooded the 80s. Recognizable characters like the peanuts or new kids on the block are sure to find an audience. Heavy metal bands - big gaudy ball ornaments and handmade decoupage are all classics.

Here are a few examples of top sellers on ebay:

Blown glass is always popular - but be careful, they break easily

Do you remember mercury glass ornaments?

Classic ball ornaments - great sellers.

How about these crazy reindeer?

There are so many other fun vintage ornaments out there. Lots of handmade options - like cross stitch, hand sewn, hand painted, beaded candy canes and more. If you are in doubt - run a search on ebay and you are sure to find what you're looking for.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

How to find, identify and buy Vintage Costume Jewelry Online

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:08:00 +0000

Remember the good old days, when you had to visit flea markets and estate sales in the hopes of finding vintage jewelry and other treasures? Those days are gone or rather, they have been enhanced. If you like the thrill of the hunt, you can still stop by the sales and hope to find something amid the fray.

But thanks to the internet, you no longer have to trudge through the huge bulk of goods or rely on luck to find "that one piece."

Now there is ruby lane, etsy, facebook, craigslist, mercari and so many others. Like check out these gorgeous KJL clip on vintage earrings.

I found these quickly - just by searching on ebay. I wanted clip on earrings for my mom - turquoise and rhinestones. She's a fan of KJL. A few clicks and they were found.

Vintage jewelry can be worth a lot of money. Most people don't know what they have in their jewelry drawer. Oh, that's just some old junk. No, it's not. It's worth something - maybe a lot, especially to collectors.

Here are a few tricks to determine whether your junk drawer jewelry has value.

First - is it gold, silver or platinum? You can tell this by looking for markings on the jewerly. Sterling, 925 or STG for silver. 800 and 500 silver is still valuable, just not as much.

Gold will be marked with a karat weight: 24k, 18k, 14k, 12k, 10k. The smaller the number, the less gold it has. If you see 1/20 or 1/10 that means it's gold plated or gold filled. You will likely also see gp or gpf. Those are much less valuable, but not worthless. They have very little "metal" value but they can still be vintage collected pieces - especially if they are particularly unique or beautiful or if they are signed.

What is signed jewelry?

Signed jewelry is jewelry stamped with a designer or brand name. In vintage pieces, it could be a wide variety of names (like our KJL piece above). If you find a name on your jewelry, look it up. You may be surprised.

What if there is no name or the jewelry is "unsigned?" Does that mean it's worthless? Maybe. If it's really cool, try to sell it anyway. Someone may just love the piece. It may also be precious metal or stones, but unmarked. That's annoying but it does happen. In that case, you would have to test it - either with a metal testing kit or taking it to a jeweler or pawn shop to have them test it out. If the piece looks expensive - has really tight or unique clasps, feels/looks like gold/silver, then take it in and find out. Don't toss it.

Worst case scenario - you sell all your pieces in a lot to someone who collects it. They will go through the work of parting it out and selling it for top dollar. And you get the quick payout, no stress, and the satisfaction knowing it was rescued from the trash heap and on to someone who will enjoy it.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Gorgeous - Vintage 2003 - Nativity Snow Globe

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 01:46:00 +0000

Check out this beautiful Nativity Snow Globe. Traditional styling. Small enough to fit on a shelf but large enough to make a statement. Find it on ebay. Comes in original box and features the Holy family plus the 3 wisemen (the three kings.)

Nativity snowglobe

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The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Easton Press Books 100 Greatest Books Ever Written List - Where, How, and Why to Buy Them

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:01:00 +0000

Why do we read books? The short answer is because we find them interesting, either for pure entertainment or to learn something. The long answer is more complicated. We are very fortunate that our ancestors developed tools for writing and saving information. Every generation builds on the next and we very much stand on the shoulders of giants when we take the time to learn from those that came before us.

If you are just delving into historical books and wondering where to start, the Easton Press 100 Greatest Books Ever Written list is a great place to begin. This is a compendium of fiction and nonfiction writings and contains some of the world's best literature. All are part of their limited collector's editions. You will get a well rounded look at history, life, psychology, and philosophy.

Which Books of the Easton Press Books are in the 100 Greatest Books Ever Written List?

This list actually has over 140 books. Over the years, they published many different groups of "100." A majority of the books made the list every year. Here is the complete list of Easton Press 100 Greatest Books Ever Written:

1. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

2. Aeneid by Virgil

3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

4. Ambassadors by Henry James

5. Analects of Confucius

6. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

7. Basic Works of Sigmund Freud

8. Candide by Voltaire

9. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

10. Collected Poems (1909–1962) of T. S. Eliot

11. Comedies of William Shakespeare

12. Confessions of St. Augustine

13. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

14. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

15. Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

16. Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

17. Don Quixote de La Mancha by Cervantes

18. Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

19. Essays of Michel de Montaigne

20. Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson

21. Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

22. Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

23. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

24. Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

25. Favorite Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm

26. Federalist by Hamilton, Madison and Jay

27. Five Comedies of Aristophanes

28. Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire

29. Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais

30. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

31. Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

32. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

33. Histories of William Shakespeare

34. History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

35. Iliad by Homer

36. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

37. Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

38. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

39. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

40. Lyrical Ballads of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

41. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

42. Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

43. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

44. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

45. Nana by Emile Zola

46. Odyssey of Homer

47. Oresteia by Aeschylus

48. Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

49. Paradise Lost by John Milton

50. Pensees by Blaise Pascal

51. Pere Goriot by Honore de Balzac -

52. Philosophical Works of Rene Descartes

53. Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

54. Plays of Anton Chekhov

55. Plays of Bernard Shaw

56. Plays of Euripides

57. Plays of Henrik Ibsen

58. Plays of Moliere

59. Plays of Eugene O’Neill

60. Poems of John Donne

61. Poems of John Keats

62. Poems of William Shakespeare

63. Poetry of Robert Frost

64. Political Writings of Jean Jacques Rousseau

65. Political Writings of John Stuart Mill

66. Political Writings of Thomas Paine

67. Politics by Aristotle

68. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

69. Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

70. Red and the Black by Stendhal

71. Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

72. Republic by Plato

73. Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

74. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

75. Satyricon by Petronius

76. Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

77. Selected Poems of William Butler Yeats

78. Selected Writings of Sir Francis Bacon

79. Six Tragedies of Jean Racine

80. Songs of Innocence and Experience of William Blake

81. Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

82. Stories of Guy de Maupassant

83. Stories of Thomas Mann

84. Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust

85. Tales From The Arabian Nights by Sir Richard F. Burton

86. Tales of Edgar Allan Poe

87. Tales of Henry James

88. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

89. Tragedies of William Shakespeare

90. Tragedies of Sophocles

91. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

92. Trial by Franz Kafka

93. Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne

94. Twelve Illustrious Lives by Plutarch

95. Ulysses by James Joyce

96. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

97. Walden by Henry D. Thoreau

98. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

99. Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence

100. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
101. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
102.  Aesop's Fables
103. Anna Karenina
104.Brave New World
105.The Brothers Karamazov
106.Collected Poems by Robert Browning
108. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
109.Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
110.History of Early Rome by Livy
111. Ivanhow by Walter Scott
112. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
113. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
114. Oedipus the King by Sophocles
115. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
116. The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
117. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
118.  The Portrait of the artist as a young man
119. Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
120.  Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
121.  The Sea Wolf by Jack London
122.  She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
123.  A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
124.  Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
125.  The Talisman by Walter Scott
126. Tess of the d-Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
127. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
128. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
129. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
130. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe
131.  The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
132.  Tales of Alhambra by Washington Irving
133.  Descent of Man by Charles Darwin
134.  Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
135.  A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
136.  Animal Farm by George Orwell
137. Silas Marner by George Eliot
138.  Poems of Emily Dickinson
139. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
140.  Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare
141.  Cyrano de Bergerac

Why Buy Easton Press Leather Bound Books

They are gorgeous. I have to get that out of the way first. They are leather bound in genuine leather in classic colors with gold lettering and gold gilt pages. We have a library full of Easton Press books (at this writing; the 100 greatest books, the library of the presidents, the NRA gun history library, and a few pieces from books that changed the world, the children's classics and a few fun individual books like The Princess Bride (Did you know it was a book? I didn't and the book is BETTER than the movie.)

Beyond the looks though, these books last and age well. We recently sold our 100 year old Thomas Paine collection and bought the Easton replacements. The Easton's were 40 years old but had no "old book" smell, no water marks, no damage. They use archival acid-neutral paper and it shows. Some of our family members have asthma and/or allergies. We appreciate the lack of mold and odors in our book collection. The words inside are the same.

The books are gorgeous for home staging and decoration, but we don't leave our books on the shelf just for their beauty. We read them, and they are great! Personally, I prefer the reading paperbacks - they fit in your hand, you can bend them backwards, they can go in our purse, you can take them in the bath! But there is something special about sitting down to read a big hardcover book. It gives the moment that certain something.

Since we started collecting Easton Press books, we have branched into other books that look like Easton Press. Mostly the Franklin press books and the Gryphon collector series. All seem to be good quality books. There is something about the Easton's that tends to be a little more beautiful, but sometimes the prices are just too much and the Gryphon version is often a good enough substitute.

Beware of the Franklin Library books. Some are bound in full leather like the Easton Press books and are a nice alternative, but there are many 1/4 leather (quarter leather) versions that only have leather on the spine. The rest of the book is hardback and they are not as nice. Still great books, but not the same quality and not as good for long term investment.

How to Buy Easton Press Books

1. You can buy them directly from Easton Press. This is the usually the most expensive way and may entangle you in a contract that will require you to buy more books each month. Some of the books you really want, may no longer be for sale. Some of the most sought after books were printed in limited quantities.

2. Buy them in individually or buy Easton Press books by the lot on ebay or etsy. (We have Easton Press books for sale on our Etsy page)This is usually the best way to get the book you want or a large quantity of quality books for a good price. You may even get lucky and find the complete set for sale!

3. Thrift stores, garage sales, craigslist, used book stores. You will find them at used book stores regularly. The selection will be iffy and prices will be extreme. We recently went to half priced books and they had a shelf of around 20 books. None were less than $40 - most were $80 or more. We have found them at garage sales, but just once, and we have going to garage sales regularly for 30+ years. We also go to thrift stores and have yet to find and Easton Press book at goodwill or our smaller thrifts.

4. You can buy Easton Press books on Amazon. In general, this tends to be the priciest option, but every once in a while you can snag a deal.

Which Easton Press Books to Buy

We can not say enough about the 100 greatest books collection. There is a world of great knowledge stored in these tomes, but branch into the other collections too. The Easton Press deluxe limited editions cover a tremendous number of interests, genres, hobbies, and collections. The books that changes the world are amazing. We are currently on the look out for the Lord of the Rings set. Check out this fun copy of Easton Press Coraline.

You may find your favorite book in an Easton Press bound format, and a lot of them are signed with certificate of authenticity. Signed books (especially of famous authors and celebrities) hold their value well and sell for more than catalog price.

Which Easton Press Books to Avoid?

Most of the Easton Press books are high quality and we wouldn't shy away from owning them. All of them are beautiful, but if we are being completely honest, there are two pitfalls in the Easton Press world. First, the field guides. The guide books themselves are good quality field guides. As plant lovers, we own many of these field guides - but not in the Easton Press version. While they are beautiful, they are not functional. They can not go out into the wild with you and they bindings break easily when read. This is something we have only found in the field guides.

The second pitfall.... buying online can come with unwanted surprises. We stopped buying from Abebooks completely and almost never buy from online thrift accounts. They tend to list their items quickly and inaccurately. We have purchased many "Easton Press" books from Abe and thrift accounts on ebay and have received worn out paperbacks about half the time. It's frustrating and expensive. If they do not show actual product photos, you are taking a gamble. In our experience it works out 50% of the time, and we have generally had to pay to ship back the wrong items (especially on Abebooks) so keep that in mind.

Which Easton Press Books are the Most Valuable and are They a Good Investment

We have been buying and selling books for 20 years. It started as a hobby but branched into something that helps us fund our growing honey bee research and upick orchard farm. Now we actively find treasures for others, and it's been a fun journey. Which books are worth the most money? Off the top of my head, the Dune series comes to mind as one of the most valuable Easton Press sets. In fact, most of the larger "sets" have held their value well. So if the book belongs to a collection, it is likely more valuable than the others. Then again, individual books with low printing runs can also be quite valuable - like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest and some of the science fiction titles.

Signed books CAN be more valuable but that's not always true. Like anything, supply and demand really affects pricing. Review the listings on ebay to get a general idea of the pricing for each title (you can sort by highest or lowest price.)

Have patience if you can not find the title you want. It's free to set up a search alert on most sales sites and they will let you know when your favorite book is in stock.

Are they a good investment? Generally, yes. They will likely hold their value for decades. They are one of the highest quality made leather bound books on the market. Their acid free papers, their attention to detail, and they quality of materials made them books that were both beautiful and functional. Over time, they may appreciate, but that's hard to predict. Over the time we have been collecting and selling, they have increased in value, but not so much that they have become unattainable.

If you want to start a collection, the 100 greatest books ever written are a great entry point. There are many affordable books in this set and they are always in demand.

We are currently on the hunt for some of the classic philosophy books and more from the "Books that Changed the World" set. If you happen to have them for sale, drop us a message.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

The Most LUXE Hiking Gear - Make Your Hike Enjoyable!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 13:52:00 +0000

When you go for a hike, what's in your backpack? Do you pack emergency equipment? Do you pack food and water? Do you pack for camping? HOW DO YOU CARRY IT ALL????

We have put together a list of the most important things to buy for a luxe hiking and camping experience. You will have more fun and be safer if you have the right gear.

Luxe Hiking Gear

#1.Comfortable Hiking Boots

Nothing ruins a hike more than sore feet and BLISTERS! Get quality hiking boots that protect your feet from the elements, give good traction, keep your feet warm and dry, provide support, and look good! These Columbia boots are our favorite.

#2.Wrist Emergency Set

Backpack space is a premium! Maybe you don't have room for a full emergency kit? This bracelet not only uses no backpack space, it can be pulled apart and used as rope in a true emergency. A knife, fire starter, a compass, whistle, and rope. All on your wrist! This is the perfect emergency set for quick hikes in known areas. For longer hikes, it makes sense to designate someone to carry a full emergency kit.

#3.A QUALITY backpack

We LOVE this backpack. If you've never had a pack that wraps around your waist, now is the time. It just makes walking/hiking so much more balanced and comfortable. Built in bladder makes carrying water simple and there are enough little zippers and pockets to adequately separate your gear. Choose from a bunch of great colors. We have this in sky blue.

#4.The only blanket you will want to carry

Lightweight and SOOOooooo warm. 650 down fill packable blanket. This blanket from Wild Breed packs down to less than a 7" square (it folds down to a 4"x7" rectangle.) It's so lightweight and it's absolutely warm. The thinnest warmest blanket! We took it camping. It rocked. The silky outer fabric was cooling on a hot evening and was pleasant to cuddle with while falling asleep. As the night cooled off, it provided all the warmth I needed to stay warm. You can find it for less here.

It's rated to 35 degrees F. Great for cool spring nights or early fall. But perfect anytime. It's the best warm weather camping blanket because of it's lightweight and size. We prefer this blanket to the REI rumpl blanket. It's warmer and better put together, fully machine washable, and the down is evenly distributed. It's light enough to carry but long enough to cover an adult male - just one though. Seriously the best packable outdoor blanket. Everyone should pack their own.

#5.Protect yourself from biting insects

Trust me when I say you need this. You need this BEFORE the hike. Spray your clothes with permethrin and allow them to fully dry. You will have at least 2 months of protection from ticks and mosquitos. You will have some protection from deer and horse flies too. This works great and since you allow it to fully dry you will have minimal risks to yourself or pets.

Discount camping and hiking gear

You want the best quality for the hiking boots, your packable blanket, backpack and emergency gear. But there are some areas where you can get buy on a discount.

You can save quite a bit of money by packing and even dehydrating your own snacks. Any hat - even a cheap old baseball cap - will provide ample sun protection. You probably don't need fancy hiking sticks. Though they are nice, a tree branch works in a pinch (and they are free.)

Be prepared when you head out into the wilderness. Pack the right gear. Read up on the advice of others. Then starts slowly and augment your plans bit by bit until you hit your hiking sweet spot.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Is Bee Balm Invasive?

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 14:21:00 +0000

When it comes to gardening, there's an endless number of questions and possibilities. More recently, people have been debating native versus non-native plants, invasive vs natives. How is a person to know what's okay to plant???

Today we are going to answer the question:

Is Bee Balm Invasive?

We have a special place in our heart for bee balms and other native plants. In 2016, we restored over 12 acres of our farm to native prairie. Native plants have a place, but we also believe that non-native plants can be beneficial and even essential. Click on this link to read about our take in the native vs non-native debate.

First things first:

What is an invasive plant?

We always get this image to mind when people start talking about invasives. Invasives are invaders, right? Taking over, ruining the world - leaving us all starving and dying?

An “invasive species” is defined as a species that is: Non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration; and, Whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Under this definition, bee balms are NOT invasive. They are native to the United States. So that automatically rules out "invasive" regardless of their behavior. And that is where the concern lies. Bee balm is not invasive, but it IS aggressive.

Bee balm is Aggressive

Since we grow in the sand plains, we get excited about plants labeled as aggressive. You have to be one hell of a fighter to survive -40F winters, blistering winds, and hot dry sandy summers. We welcome these plants.

Let's break this apart. We grow the native variety of wild bee balm - monarda fisulosa (wild bergamot) in our sand prairie. It is not aggressive enough in our environment. We can only get it to grow in the lowest, wettest areas of our field. That being said, we have visited dozens of other Minnesota prairies and have found bergamot to be a much larger percentage of the wildflower species. We've seen it hold it's own against the much more aggressive native grasses like big bluestem and indian grass. That's a tall order!

And we've seen it grown as cultivars (just varieties selected for color and size.) In a garden setting, bergamot takes up large amounts of space and can get unweildly. They are easily taken down by mowers and edging to limit the spread, so we've never seen them get completely out of control. Definitely not in the alien invasion sense.

If you are planning a small cottage garden, they would be a fantastic addition - but if you have good quality soil, then you will need to corral the bee balm with other plants that can hold their own space - like little bluestem (gorgeous in an urban or rural setting), culvers root, asters, or black eyed susans.

Other varieties of bee balm

Most people are just starting to notice native plants. They are typically the wildflowers of your youth. But there are many types, and even cultivars of wild types that have nicer (more organized features and habits.)

One of our favorites is Spotted Bee Balm. It is easily grown from seed, looks great, and is always reliable. It will compete with other plants, but isn't quite as aggressive as the wild bee balm. It only gets 2 feet tall, is loved by pollinators, and has such a unique look, people will stop to ask you about it.

You can also grow a number of the bee balm cultivars and wild bee balm from seed. As we mentioned earlier, bee balm is not invasive. It can be aggressive, especially in high quality garden soil with ample moisture. But it's not unruly or unmanageable. That said, in a small urban setting, you may be better off growing spotted bee balm or a smaller, less aggressive plant.

Gardening is a journey and you will try many plants until you settle on the ones that suit you best. But you have to try. A few new plants a year and you will find your tribe in no time.

are honey bees invasive?

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Heal Poison Ivy with Hot Water

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 17:30:00 +0000

Suns out, skins out. And when skin is out, so is poison ivy. Just waiting to cause an excruciatingly itchy rash and ruin your summer. Fear not! After decades of suffering with poison ivy, we have come up with the solution!

Treat your Poison Ivy with Hot Water

Pour Hot Water on the Poison Ivy Rash

It really is this simple. Pour hot water on your poison ivy rash - as hot as you can stand. Or take a really hot bath, use a shower sprayer, or even a hair dryer.

Does Hot Water Help Poison Ivy?

Yes. It really does help. It can offer anywhere from 4-8 hours of itch relief. Why does it work? Heat breaks up the histamine under the skin. The intense heat right on the skin is just enough to break down the histamine molecules without causing burns. (Do not leave the heat on until you burn.)

You will feel the heat intensify and relieve the itch at the same time. Then when you remove the heat, the itch will go away. Quickly. And it stays away until your body can build up it's histamines again. It varies by person but I get at last 4 hours of relief and usually can make it all night without itching. A godsend!

After years of ripped open, oozing pus filled skin and trips to the doctor for steroids and antibiotics, I have not successfully managed 8 different poison ivy encounters (one spanning both legs, my neck, both arms and hands, one whole butt cheek and my torso...without succumbing to infection or needing medical attention. A huge win for me!)

Does Hot Water Make Poison Ivy Worse?

Wait a minute. What if hot water makes the poison ivy worse. Does hot water make the poison ivy rash spread? Well, if you have just been exposed to poison ivy, it's best to wash with cold soapy water, and really scrub with a wash cloth. Hot water does open your pores, so immediately after exposure, hot water could spread the urshoil oil. But once you have the rash, it does not spread it.

It really does speed healing. It lowers the inflammatory response, the heat, the swelling, the oozing and THE ITCH.

Final Tricks to Speed the Healing of Poison Ivy

Wash your skin thoroughly whenever you have been in contact with poison ivy - scrub to remove the oils, it sticks to our skin like velcro
Treat your skin kindly and alternately use bacitracin and a quality cold cream on your sore skin. The heat will help relive the itching, you need to focus on preventing infection in any open skin and speeding the actual healing process.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

EOS Lip Balm - Lemon Drop - A gorgeous flavor for spring

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Summer vacation, sunny days by the pool, ice cold lemonade... all this and more is what comes to mind when I'm using my new fave - EOS lemon twist lip balm!EOS Lip Balm - Lemon Drop Review

Like sunshine in a tube. There's not much else to say. We live in Minnesota where it's cold and dreary 9 months of the year, but every time I put on this lip balm, I think of spring. Or vacation. Or sunny days. Or lemonade. It's divine.

It's such a small treat, but it makes a big difference in my day. EOS has always made nice lip balms, but now they also have SPF 15. And did I mention the sweet lemony flavor!

Such an easy addition to a Christmas stocking, tied to a bridal shower gift, or even given just to say "I'm thinking of you." It's a bright spot in my day and I bet it will also be in yours.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Gamehide Switchgrass upland bird hunting vest

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 12:56:00 +0000

12 acres of tall grassland prairie blowing in the wind. That's what we planted to attract pheasants to our property. That is to say...we take hunting seriously.

We hunt deer, turkey, bear, duck, and pheasant. Of the lot, pheasant are the most fun. The dogs, the walking, the quick reaction needed to get a shot off. The hours outside. The quiet. The rustling. The action. We also take our gear seriously.

Gamehide Switchgrass Upland Bird Hunting Vest Review

Every one has their favorite birding gun, but when it comes to your clothing - choose higher quality stuff. You are going to get years of use out of this gear. The Gamehide switchgrass upland bird hunting vest is fantastic. We've had the cheapo vests that do nothing but flash orange. We've had the stiff, uncomfortable vests with shallow pockets. This vest is the best for hunting. Period.

There are ample pockets, great shell storage (tons of 3" 12 gauge shells can fit in these slot!,) and it's comfortable. Buy it like a jacket - so the size you would get in a jacket and wear it over your clothes.

This vest can cross over for deer hunting as well. It's not fully orange, but it's plenty bright and can be an add-on to your other gear. Happy hunting!

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

Vimergy Lemon Balm Extract Review

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 03:36:00 +0000

Lemon balm has quickly become one of my favorite herbs. Look back through this site to see how I've used lemon balm for anxiety, lemon balm for weight loss, and other lemon balm tea benefits.

You can certainly grow your own lemon balm (and I highly recommend it,) but inevitably, I run out of lemon balm in the middle of winter so I decided to look at another option.

Vimergy Lemon balm extract

I searched through amazon to find a pure, highly rated lemon balm extract. I didn't want one with alcohol or any other additives. Luckily, I found Vimergy - a glycerin based extract. The ratings were high, the ingredients were good, and the price was reasonable.

We are growing lemon balm in the backyard. It's gorgeous. I planted it by seed, and it has continued to give plenty of leaves each summer. I dry the leaves and store them for winter. But all the cutting does take it's toll and there is usually about 3 weeks in early April when I run out. Just shy of the first growth in May.

What did I think of Vimergy lemon balm?

It tastes great - like a sweet liquid. Most glycerites seem to taste about the same to me. I mixed in to my morning tea (I drink my tea iced) or just took a dropper by mouth. Since I don't normally sweeten my tea, the added sweetness was a nice treat.
The bottle lasted about a month of daily use. Pretty reasonable, all things considered.
I didn't notice a change in my mood. This is a good thing! When I run out of lemon balm, the darkness usually returns quickly. I'm still working on the psychological aspects, but lemon balm clearly helps me deal with anxiety from a physiological perspective. Not losing my good moods is a good sign.
Shipping was fast and easy.

I will definitely buy this again, and it's a great choice for anyone just starting out with lemon balm extracts. Lemon balm has had a profound impact on my anxiety, has helped my skin tone and is maybe helping with body composition.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.

The most meaningful honey bee necklace - best gifts for beekeepers and gardeners

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 21:36:00 +0000

We are big bee fans! In fact, we planted over 12 acres of wildflowers just for bees. There is something so beautiful about watching a bee enjoy the short lived bloom of a flower. They are busy with their work, doing their part to further the colony and contribute to the world.

Bees embody this quote so eloquently:

The world will not remember I existed, but it has been forever altered because I did

As a beekeeper, nothing makes me happier than flowers. And bees. But this sets up a problem when Mother's day or birthdays come around. When you are a beekeeper, people know you like bees. They can't always buy you plants (or at least they don't want to.) They want to buy you "BEE STUFF."

So here is a collection of some of the best bee items -

THE BEST BEEKEEPER GIFT IDEAS (Besides flowering plants....)

Honey Bee Necklace

This honey bee necklace is gorgeous. It's eloquent, meaningful, and classic. It's made of sterling silver and has all the things to remind them how much you care. There is a lot of really great honey bee jewelry (pendants, charms, bracelets,) so you can find something tailored to your special someone.

Cool Honey Bee Shirt

Cool Honey Bee T shirts are the best. But it's gotta be tailored to the beekeeper. Do not get a your dad a "honey queen" shirt. This bee t-shirt is pretty universal. Great for a guy or a girl. Good for grandpa or your girlfriend. And it's a little mystical. Yes, we whisper to the bees. That's how we can open up a hive with 50,000 stinging insects and smile.

Honey Bee Book

Beekeeper's are always learning, even the seasoned ones. There is never a time when we know it all. And...the bees are so fascinating, that we love to learn more. There is no ONE best book on honey bees but there are a variety of great fiction and nonfiction books out there. And most beekeepers really enjoy the vintage honey bee books. Some of the classics like the Abc and Xyz of Bee Culture and At the Hive Entrance never go out of style.

Then again - plants go a long way for beekeepers. If anyone buys me a flowering perennial - especially a tree or a shrub - or a plant that blooms in our tough periods (early spring and late fall) then they will see real joy spread across my face. And I'll be off to plant it straight away - and I'll smile when I see bees enjoying the blossoms, knowing that together, we had an impact on this wild and crazy world.

How can we help save honey bees?

People always ask: how can we help save honey bees? Short answer - plant more flowers. But click on the link for a much longer (yet still remarkably simple) way to save the bees. And of course, support the beekeepers in your life. Let them know how much you appreciate them and let them talk about bees for awhile. Maybe a long while.

The links in this post may be affiliate links and products are often received for review purposes. Read the full disclosure and the privacy policy.