The best kind of companion

Since my husband isn't currently around, one of the things I wanted to do for the new year was to get a companion. We currently have two dogs but one is my oldest son's and follows him around constantly. The other has behavior issues if kept inside too long, so she is an outside dog that comes in a couple of times a day to eat and get some attention. I no longer have a constant companion by my side, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and get one who will give me unconditional love. Above is my new companion, Zoe. That picture was taken when she was at the pound. She was so sweet and beautiful, they decided to make her one of the few they keep for adoption instead of putting down. She looks so scared in that picture, doesn't she?

 This is Zoe now. I have had her for four days. She is a bit skittish but is quickly coming out of her shell. She sleeps on a blanket beside my bed and is always, without fail, happy to see me when I come home. She growls at "intruders" and doesn't run away when off leash outside. In fact, twice I have put her in the fence with my outdoor dog so she could potty. She would jump the fence, come up to the porch, and wait until someone let her in. She already knows where "her people" live and she is happy here.

Zoe is a Catahoula Leopard Dog. The breed originated in Louisiana and was traditionally used to hunt wild boar. Today people use them either for hunting or for herding cows or pigs. People around these parts call these "cow dogs."

I discovered that her unique look is one that people either love or hate. I get two responses when people she her. Either, "Man, that is an ugly dog" or "She's beautiful!" Personally, I think she is beautiful.

The person who dropped her at the pound said she was housebroken, but she has had a couple of accidents. We are working on it and I think she is learning pretty well. She is working out just fine with the kids and I. I think she will make a great companion and, when God blesses us with own place again, a great asset to our homestead.

What about socialization?

Radiation alert - don't sit too close!

It was pointed out to me the other day (by my friend's 13-year-old son) that computers give off radiation. Of course, I had to look into it and found that, to my surprise, he was correct! A lot of you may have already been aware of this - I can't believe I didn't know.

It turns out the cathode ray tube in televisions and computers emit radiation. The FDA regulates how much radiation is allowed to be emitted... but let's face it. Ever since I realized that the FDA is in bed with Monsanto (the giant company that produces genetically modified seeds and ends up suing small farmers who don't use those seeds), my distrust in them has been solidified. So I began doing more research and found, to my relief, that today's flat panel monitors (like the one my son is using above) and televisions don't have CRTs, and therefore, do not emit radiation. If you have a older model, though, beware!

The following is an excerpt from the Web site of the Environmental Protection Agency.


"Some television sets and computer screens contain a cathode ray tube (CRT), which bounces electrons off the screen to create an image. The interaction between the electrons and the screen can potentially create low-level x-rays. CRT displays using vacuum tube high voltage rectifiers or regulators also generate x-rays. Because flat screen televisions and computer screens do not use CRTs, they do not produce x-rays.

Scientists work from the premise that no amount of radiation is safe. Even though most TV sets and computer screens have not been found to give off any measurable level of radiation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health carefully sets radiation emission standards for electronic products with CRT tubes.

There are two simple steps you can take if you are concerned about being exposed to radiation from television or computer screens.

1. Time: Limit the time spent around your TV or computer screen;
2. Distance: Increase the distance between you and the radiation source. FDA advises sitting a distance of at least two to three feet from the screen to limit exposure."

Sounds like mom was right - we shouldn't sit too close to the t.v.! 

Christmas movies, a holiday tradition

We still have VHS tapes of all the old "clay-mation" Christmas movies, like "Rudolph" and "The Little Drummer Boy." We've had the tapes since my 15-year-old was a toddler but since they are packed up with the Christmas decorations every year and only come out for about a month, they have stayed in good shape.

At the start of every holiday season, we pop one in and watch it as we go about our business. It's nice to know that the boys, even the teenager, will still come meandering in and sit down to watch them every year. I watched them on television with my brothers when we were children, and I hope to one day be watching them with my grandchildren. There's something to be said for holiday traditions, isn't there?

How to make bacteria explode

Last week I had some oral surgery in my mouth (did I mention I accidentally ripped my stitches out five days after they went in? Sigh). I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that my instructions for caring for the incision included rinsing with salt water every few hours.

I'm always happy to hear a surgeon prescribe a "natural" remedy but was curious as to how it worked. So I asked.

"It makes the bacteria explode," the surgeon said. "Sometimes the old ways are the best ways."

The "essential" oils for our home

This is my little basket of essential oils. There aren't many right now because money is short, but these are the "essential" essential oils for my family.

 As you can see, I use different brands of various prices based on their itendend use. The two oils above were purchased from a hobby shop in the section where they sell soap making supplies. I wouldn't ingest these in any way, but they work well for homemade cleaning products.

 Above, you'll see more of a very inexpensive brand. These are purchased from a discount store in their candle section and are used in my home for aromatherapy purposes. In other words, I burn the oil to make the house smell good!

The one above was purchased from a herbal medicine store. It is the most costly. This tiny bottle was purchased for $13, whereas the other bigger bottles were anywhere from $3 to $6. This one is suitable to actually use for medicine, though. It is a higher quality oil.

My must have essentials oils include lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus. There are other great oils that work wonders but these are the ones I stick to during hard times when I can't afford any more. I have so say... lavender is my all around favorite. It does everything from help make the house smell great to stopping the itch from bug bites!

My herbal healing arsenal

I haven't had health insurance for the past four years. And although it's not optimal, in a way I think it has had its benefits. Not being able to go to the doctor has forced me to find ways to treat myself.

During those years, I spent as much time as possible learning about herbs and natural healing. I started taking vitamins on a daily basis and using various herbs and teas at the first signs of illness. And the truth is... I hardly ever get sick anymore. I usually get about one bad cold-type sickness per year (this year's came and went at the beginning of November). As long as the cough doesn't hang on, I get over it pretty quickly.

Even though I have spent time reading books, growing my own herbs, and trying to use them, I still have only a very basic knowledge of natural healing. There is so much to learn - I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg.
 
In spite of that, I thought I would share some of my arsenal of preventative "natural" medicines. One of the best things to keep is hot herbals teas. There are all kinds of different herbal teas that can help, but the one I use the most is echinacea tea. Echinacea helps boosts the immune system and should be taken at the first sign of illness. Adding a liberal amount of honey to the tea can go a long way toward helping coughs, as well.

Not everybody likes hot tea but echinacea, like most herbs, is also available in a pill format. Although I am not as sure of their effectiveness, I keep vitamin C pills on hand as well. And this year, I began taking St. John's wort. It helps keeps depression at bay. That's never been a problem for me before but 2010 will definitely go down in my book as the worst year ever, and the St. John's wort helps lift my mood.

My three "cannot do without" medications actually come from a company called Beeyoutiful. I love this family run company and their products. And no, I'm not getting any kind of kick back from them for saying this. In fact, their products are more expensive than you will find them in many stores, but Beeyoutiful is socially responsible about what goes in their medications and, as I said, they are family run. I think it is especially important with our failing economy to support those types of businesses. I believe the ingredients they use to be superior to the ingredients you find in drugs stores and the like, as well. With that said, I must also say that if I don't have the money to buy from them, I just don't - and I'll try to get it from somewhere else.

One product I get from them that I can't find anywhere else is Supermom vitamins. These are a little different from your typical multivitamins. They have everything a regular multivitamins has, but they have added ingredients like certain B vitamins, barely grass, alfalfa juice, and spirulina. I won't go into the benefits of all these right now, but you can read about the vitamins on their Web site here. What I will say is that thanks to these vitamins, I have more energy than ever before.

The other two bottles in the above photo are from the same company. One is basically just bee pollen, which is great for the immune system. And the other, Tummy Tune-up, is basically probiotics. I take these whenever I have a tummy ache or intestional cramping and they work wonders. Especially if you don't like yogurt, probitoics are the way to go.

This post is getting a little long, so I'll wait until tomorrow to tell you about the essential oils I use and why. One of the best ways to find herbs, oils and other natural medicines that work is to read the blogs of people who follow this type of lifestyle. If I find time this weekend, I'll try to post some links to some blogs I read that are written by other moms who are into natural healing.