Graziella Bruner

Let’s always remember and never forget those who have served for Our Freedom.

We send a special pray to those who have served and to those who are now serving for our rights of freedom on a daily basis. Freedom isn’t FREE, someone paid the price.

DON’T FORGET

Daylight Savings Time is next Saturday,

November 6, 2011

Set your clocks back one hour.

Quick Fall Tips to Save Stress and Energy

1. Pipe Up – Be sure to close outside spigots, detach sprinklers and hoses, and check for leaks before winter’s first freeze.

2. Window Watch – Check the caulk around your windowsills. It should be spongy to the touch. If hardened, remove with caulk remover and apply new caulk.

3. Carbon Monoxide Monitor – Winter months and close-up homes can conceal hidden dangers. Check your carbon monoxide detector once a week. If you don’t have one, consider the investment. The cost is nominal, but the protection is priceless. You can also check with your local Fire Department, this time of the year, they will normally give them out.

4. Light Bright – Before holiday guests arrive, run your glass light globes through the dishwasher for a fast, simple sparkle.

5. Fireplace Odor Eater – To eliminate soot odor, place a large dish of baking soda in your fireplace overnight.

Falling for those Autumn Leaves!

It’s that time of year again, raking leaves and preparing for winter may not sound like much fun, but adding a little “green” initiative to your winterizing workout might just add the environmental benefits you need to motivate your mulching!

Why rake? Silly questions maybe, but one many people ask! Leaving a lawn littered with leaves can smother the grass below. Many choose to use a blower rather than a rake, but in the end a combination of the two is preferred. However, BEFORE you rake, consider what you want to do with the leaves – so you don’t make more work for yourself.

Now what? What do you want to do with all those leaves once they’re piled up? JUMP!! All right, that was for the kid in all of us, but there are a couple of options to consider:

A. Composting – to create that rich, organic hums for next year’s garden and flower beds, a lot has to take place between now and then. First of all, leaves will decompose and become compost more quickly when they are shredded before being placed in a compost bin. A mulching lawn mower can make quick work of that BEFORE you rake, then your shredded leaves can be added to your bin. There are commercial bins available that make turning and mixing your compost – which can include MANY different organic materials such as leaves and grass clippings; garden waste, such as spent plants (healthy ones) and straw mulch; organic materials, such as newspaper and paper towels; and kitchen scraps, such as vegetable peelings and eggshells. You should never put grease, bones, meat, or fish in the compost pile. There are widely variety of online resources to teach you how to create a healthy balance between “greens and browns” in your compost, as well as great selections on handy, easy to use composting bins! Composting is a terrific way to reduce landfill refuses, create healthier gardens for you and your family and can be a wonderful learning experience for your children.

B. Mulching – To the untrained eye, compost and mulch may seem like the same thing, probably because EVENTUALLY mulch will break down and become compost, but the two really do serve different functions. Mulch is usually used as a weed resistant agent and to protect your soil from the elements such as heat, cold and wind. Many landscapers chose then to keep two “bins” for their lawn refuse – one for shredded leaves and organic material for composting and another bin with shredded leaves (easier to mulch with and help pack down better in a bin) that can be used right away in gardens to protect plants and soil.

With our ever-changing ecological state, more and more consumers are making the decision to do their part to help better care for our planet. These “green” ideas are just another way to do just that while also best caring for your little patch of the earth.

So, go enjoy these autumn days, and after you get all those leaves raked up, go ahead and jump in them! I promise Not to tell!!