HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the reasons that is most popular for surrendering a pet to a pound is the inability to find living accommodations where the pet is accepted. If you can afford to pay rent, but find apartments that accept larger dogs or multiple cats dwindling, what about purchasing a small home or condo? Sometimes the mortgage is equal or less than paying monthly rent. Homeowners also receive tax credits for mortgage interest paid. Now is a good time to call your own shots with the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits that are available.

• First time homebuyers can receive a tax credit of up to $8,000. To qualify, you must not have owned a home in the past three years.
• A credit if up to $6,500 if you are purchasing a home, and have lived in your current home five of the last eight years.
• Income limits are $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married couples.

Paperwork must be drawn up and a binding sales cntract must be present by April 30th.  Home must transfer ownership by June 30, 2010.

Home ownership not only saves the lives of pets through the owner being allowed to keep their pets, but stimulates the local economy. A home owner purchases lawn equipment or employs a service, spends money at the hardware and home improvement store to customize their home and to make repairs, and outlays money to decorate.  In addition, neighborhoods with occupied versus vacant homes deter crime.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

Unlike the quaint 1980s and early 90s life that went on when I was a kid, there is just no “appointment viewing” today.  All of your friends didn’t just see the same thing on television last night.  You didn’t get your homework out of the way to watch it, or run around outside until it was on.   If we don’t see our favorite show, we can usually wait until the next viewing.  It is not always that easy sometimes.   I guess I really don’t mind if I miss something.  In fact, I hardly watch tv at all sometimes, but sometimes I wish I could sit and watch a show that was on earlier because I am ready now.  Not before.

On the weekends, My Favorite Guy and I get so busy. It is good that we don’t base out lives around television, but on occasion, someone I know in the non profit sector or in animal rescue ends up on television. I usually miss the show entirely, or waste so much time “checking my local listings” that I get it wrong. The other factor is that when I actually do get to watch it, I tell someone how great it was, and wished I taped it but I didn’t.  One show I would like to see is the documentary Fifteen Legs, which documents a rescue transport.  I would be remiss if I also wanted to catch the British Antiques Roadshow because it amuses me how the British way is so much more reserved.  An American may jump up and down to hear their knickknack is worth $10,o00, but on the British version, they may have a poker face.

I have been reading up about Charter on Demand and it seems to be for people like me who are too busy to watch television, but darn it, there is stuff that I need to see. There is a very lengthy list of shows and movies you can order up whenever you want.  It is not like PayPerView where you pay for every viewing, but an upgraded service.  You can learn more at charter.net/ondemand. The drawback is that you will have to be a Charter customer, or supply a valid zipcode to see what programming is available, as it may vary by region. Luckily, you can get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page if you don’t want that kind of a commitment.

What do you think of this or similar “On Demand” services.  Are they convenient, or do they merely feed into our desire for instant gratification in a good or bad way?

You may remember me mentioning my hesitation about stainless steel kitchen sinks.  I had one a years back, and remember the water spots and scratches. I was recently informed that by using the newer cleaners, and opting out of a mirror finish, maintenance is easy. Of course, unless I owned Boomer, possibly the World’s Largest Dog.

My interest in the etymology of words and the origin of different sayings has never waned, especially if it involves animals. I know, I am a total dork. Yesterday, I got thinking of the old nursery rhyme involving a rodent and grandfather clocks. However, it could have been a grandmother clock as well.

Hickory dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory dickory dock

This was first published in 1744. The “hickory dickory” part is meant to mimic the sound of a clock and if you think about the individual words it is really just that and nonsensical. Dock is a weed that has medicinal properties. Hickory, of course, is the hickory tree, shortened from “pohikory,” the tree’s name up through at least the late 1600s. The name came from the liquor pawcohiccora, which was a native american word for a beverage that was derived from pounding hickory nuts.

Why the mouse? Could this have to do with the image of the counterweight going up and down? Or is this nonsense also? Maybe it was just an indication of the living conditions. There were just mice everywhere!

I think the 18th century mouse that was the star of the show would have been VERY confused if he/she saw this. It is one of the howard miller clocks. It is indeed a Grandfather clock, believe it or not. I wonder what would happen when the clock struck one with this one, however. Does it bob up and down? I think this one would be a test of balance for the mouse. It would be:

Hickory dickory plop
The mouse fell off the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse downed some liquor for his/her aching head
Hickory dickory plop

For me, I think that a mantel clock would be less likely to be barreled into by overzealous canines. However, how would the nursery rhyme have gone with a mantel clock?

Hickory dickory dock
The mouse jumped over the clock
The clock one
The mouse hid behind it
Hickory dickory dock

No, not nearly as neat and tidy, is it? I am sure that one wouldn’t have caught on, but a mantel clock is infinitely easier to move. You don’t have to bring someone in to adjust the counterweights.

Someone near and dear to me is looking at sinks for the kitchen and the bathroom. Last time I looked for and installed sinks, I remember that the bead of caulk that was around the rim kept pealing off and there was always that tiny space between the porcelain and the back splash that would fill up with water. I didn’t think about undermount sinks. They look very clean to the eye, as the sink rim doesn’t come over the counter, but mounts underneath. I think the water is less likely to splash the counter that way. Maybe its just my imagination.

In the past, I have had stainless steel. One would think that would be more sanitary as far as washing dogs in the household sink. However, the water spots drove me crazy. Granite sinks deliver the durability and ease of cleaning that I was hoping for. In fact, they are treated with bacteria killing silver ions that eradicate 99% of bacteria. Since granite pieces are ground up and used, it is also very environmentally friendly.

I am going to make a suggestion to my friends to consider one of these sinks.  It will surely fit the needs of a dog, kid and cooking family.

One would have to live under a rock to not know that Christmas, Hannukkah, and other heavy duty gift giving occasions.  Some folks choose to buy jewelry for someone special.  Some gift givers want to purchase from someone local to support a local business or want to purchase something that is sustainable.  They do not want jewelry that is being made for pennies or don’t want to be in danger of purchasing blood diamonds.

One jeweler maker that is also easy to purchase from is John Hardy.  An example of cufflinks using lava rock, pictured at left. His work is accessible on sites such as JR Dunn Jewelers.  In the late 90s, John and his wife/business partner Cynthia purchased land in Bali.  They fell in love with the island and to learned the silversmithing techniques of the area.  Since the land they purchased had produced rice, they were concerned about the taking land that was used for food production.

In response, the Hardys did two things.  Their workshop and design studio, as well as additional buildings, are constructed using the local materials.  The river rock, bamboo and mud for adobe bricks all come from Bali.  The company also sits on an organic farm that they developed.  Cows and goats are humanely raised.  Sugar cane, Bali rice and more are grown to provide healthy lunches to the more than 700 employees that work at John Hardy. It sure beats the vending machines and the cold sandwiches at places I have worked over the years.

If you are looking to support a company that cares about the health and well being of their employees, supplies an area with a significant number of jobs, you can feel good about purchasing gifts from John Hardy.

A gong gives such a timelessness to an archway or home.  In fact, the first reference found of  gongs dates to 500 A.D. Documents indicate that they were originated from somewhere in between Tibet and Burma, and migrated across the area.  At the time, it was referred to as the Hsi Yu region.

Some of the grand gardens I have visited have had a water feature or a gong.  I found that the carefully edited, spare, but impressive gardens tended to favor a gong rather than water.  Perhaps the uncluttered surroundings implied that it was meant as a meditation gong. The meditative part of the gong is not necessarily the initial clang, but the reverberating sounds that follow. In other words, they aren’t meant to be played like a drum. The last garden I was in that featured one, of course, my friend couldn’t resist commenting on a witticism I made and “gonged” me.  I absolutely deserved it, so don’t worry about my pride.  It is still intact.

What I wondered is if the gongs would go unheard if they were in a quiet corner of the garden.  Of course, that probably brings to mind all sorts of analogies of trees falling in the woods and bears….well, you know the old joke.

I found that there are gongs that actually share some attributes with wind chimes, such as the one at left. I happened to see this one on Outdora.com. As the wind blows, or it is disturbed by passing wildlife or people, the clapper hits the bronze. The sound varies with the intensity of the strike. You will hear the sound pleasantly carried over the garden.   It is very visually interesting, too.   The sound is a sharp contrast to a small tinkling chime and it is not only soothing, but makes ears take notice.   I notice when there is a lot of commotion in the air from the wind, and tree limbs thrashing about, a noise that has a lower resonance to it carries farther and the higher and more delicate tones get lost.

Have you ever purchased a gong as a decorative element in your home, or have you considered one for the garden?  If so, I am curious as what drew you to a particular one, or what the overall decor of your place is.  Are your tastes eclectic, and it meshes right in, or is it a conversation piece among overstuffed chairs?

In my area, at least, it seems that foreclosures are slowing down.  That is a good sign, being that most of the time foreclosure means that pets lose their homes, too. I can’t help but think, however, that some situations could be avoided if people only lived a little less than within their means.  I know some families who aren’t spending frivolously and just to have a tiny house or apartment is stretching themselves.  On the other hand, I have gone to several estate sales this year where there was no death.  It was just about people who walked away or were being foreclosed on.  Some of the homes were quite opulent.   What puzzled me is that they are gigantic, yet only had two or three bedrooms.  It was not as if they had a large home because they had a large family.   I just couldn’t help but feel if they had an average sized house and saved money that they would have stayed in their house.

Some people turn to credit counseling just before or just after they get to that point. Of course, there are some negotiations you can make without this. If you have paid on time all along, you can often negotiate a better rate with your credit card company. Do it before you have to tell them you will be in arrears. Unfortunately, some people believe that a credit counselors are going to teach them how to manage money. Not all of them do. For the most part, you pay a fee for them to negotiate with your creditors. Sometimes they can provide a useful tidbit of information about recent laws that keep people in their homes that you may not know, like what is available with the Federal Government’s Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan.

I think the bottom line is that nothing replaces a healthy relationship with money. We may not always have a lot of money, but if we save the surplus when the sun is shining, and spend it when the storm comes, maybe it will help.

A few days ago, I was musing over Thanksgiving cooking injuries. In fact, I was also chatting about it with My Favorite Guy. He had his share of non-holiday related BBQ grill stories to tell. Most of the stories involved friends and coworkers and the accidents mostly occurring when the incorrect equipment axis and the second guessing oneself syndrome kicked in a the same time. For example, lifting open barbecue grills to try and hear the crackle of the fire trying to catch is a common eyebrow stripper.

The moral of the story for some people may be to avoid propane altogether and go with something a little more traditional. With an open BBQ grill, you can see if the flame is lit. You also do not have to sit and listen for “the noise,” similar to trying to listen to determine if the pilot light is lit on a conventional oven. I can imagine sitting outside and having a romantic evening by the fire, and making sure dinner didn’t burn, all rolled into one.

The other thing I like about the grill, at left, is that it could double as a fire pit when you were finished cooking.  The idea of marshmallows in the fall and winter just seems like such an anachronism, but I love it.  There is a Fire and Ice festival here in the winter where you can do just that, but being able to do so at home is much more appealing.

When you are finished, you can break it down into five pieces. Since it is made of cast iron, there is some weight to it, so being able to disassemble it will make your backs and knees thank you. This way, when the weather is at its worst, it won’t be exposed to the elements. Even though it is cast iron wears well, I still like the idea of putting things away when they are not used. It can be put away until the spring, or you can clear an area in the snow and cook any time.

Have you roasted marshmallows or roasted chicken in the snow?  If so, I would be curious to hear your stories.

I don’t really know why a fall holiday with potential for winter weather inspires so many people to want to cook outside.  Maybe it is that warm snap we sometimes get in November.  Even though it may be only fifty degrees, in comparison to thirty degrees, it feels like spring.  Teenagers wear their shorts to the bus stop, but of course, regret it later in the evening.

Little did I know that Thanksgiving was such a big day for the Fire Department.  I had always assumed that summer with drunk picnickers, or Christmas with faulty electrical systems, would top it.  Apparently, there are many folks throughout the United States that attempt to deep fry their turkeys outdoors.  People that have hardly cooked in their life buy a turkey fryer and have at it.  Little do they know that the oil is incredibly hot and tipping it over around the wrong combustibles can cause a fire, or worse, severe burn injuries. The other common call is from people leaving the house for hours while the turkey cooks.

Do you enjoy a fried turkey or tofurky every year, but are afraid that Uncle Larry will again burn off his eyebrows? Viking Grills seems to have a more logical and much safer solution. They have an outdoor cooker that will slow cook a bird. It will give the adventurous a chance to try another flavor aside from the usual oven roasting style.   Above all, it is very safe.  The lining is ceramic.  The cooker is meant to go along with an ensemble of Viking Grill equipment, or can be used solo. Of course, you will need to purchase a stand. That just goes without saying.

If you are looking forward to the last hurrah for outdoor cooking, or you are looking around for your equipment for next summer, I found that Viking Grills also has other components that make outdoor cooking safer. The trend seems to lean towards using equipment that looks like the safe indoor models, yet equipped for the outdoors, rather than a makeshift pit.

Whatever you do this Thanksgiving, give the fire department a break. Use your head, and not just your flipping hand when you cook.

I was watching a design show awhile back. I don’t remember which one. There was a composting toilet featured. It was in either a public place, or in a home where other random people were allowed to use it. I expected some people to say they thought it was weird, and some people say they appreciated the idea. I thought the interviewees were a little extreme, talking about how they felt so connected to the earth by using it or that their life was changed. At any rate, it got me wondering if this was even a practical idea. After all, the one on the show was built into a semi-outdoor bathroom that looked more like a natural habitat for something.

I have learned that there are two different concepts for composting toilets. The first, shown at left, features a central composting system. The toilet itself acts as a standard toilet, and then the waste water goes into this system. The second is a self contained toilet, shown below.

Both systems turn waste into compost, mainly oxidized salts.  The compost is very clean.  If I installed a  composting toilet, I most likely would not use compost on vegetables.  There is some literature that leads me to believe that human and canine waste is not the best or safest fertilizer.  The best fertilizer is still manure from herbivorous animals.  I might use it on the lawn, or more so, perhaps still toss it in the trash bin.  Some people might say that it sort of defeats the purpose if I was throwing it away.  On the contrary, it will still greatly reduce the water I use.  Some of the toilets use as little as one pint of water, and prevent the toilet from creating a strain on the public sewage system. The compost will take up a very negligible amount of space at the dump, and will just return to the soil.

Have you heard of these toilets?  If so, what do you think?

My neighbors are very concerned about recycling. Not only is there recycle bin full at the end of the week, but they are always looking for ways to reuse some of those bottles and papers a few times before they hit the bin. I have found that many people are in the neighborhood are the same way. I am far from radical, but what I notice the neighbors overlook is a few old fashioned ways to trim a few dollars off of the utility bills, such as conserving water. I am not talking about brushing your teeth dry, but water use for gardening and the kiddie pool.

Rain barrels are something that never crossed my mind until I lived somewhere that did not have running water for several days. The well was on an an electric pump, and when the power went out in the area, water was lost, too. I had filled the bathtub with water days prior to flush the toilet with, and there was still a water bottle or two at the store. Even so, just the suggestion of being without makes one thirsty. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge penned: “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.” The whole situation made me wonder how I could use a rain barrel to somehow benefit a bit more from the rainy season.

While rain barrel wouldn’t provide me with delicately filtered water to serve in champagne flutes, it has many important uses. I could water the lawn and garden with water I saved. Those tasks involve many gallons at time, so catching rain water would cut my water bill during the spring and summer. During a storm, I could use the water to flush the toilets. Washing the boys is something else I could use the water for.  The dogs usually are bathed in the stationary tub.  I could fill up a container from the rain barrel and use it to rinse them.  Of course, they are spoiled and like warm water, but I am sure they wouldn’t mind a tepid rinse, as long as they were compensated with being wrapped in a fluffy towel and held awhile.

Have you considered using a rain barrel?  Do you already use one?  Tell me what you think!

I saw a nativity scene in the store last week. It was not on the shelf, but it was close. It was on the shelf way up high, presumably ready to descend upon us as soon as the pumpkins were cleared out. I am not ready for Christmas to happen. The year has zipped by so fast, I can hardly believe it is happening in just a few months.

In my old neighborhood, one of the small community churches really took the nativity scene concept seriously. While some churches had an outdoor manger scene with plywood cut outs or illuminated figures, theirs was life sized. In fact, all the figures waved at you. Church members volunteered in shifts, threw a cloak, veil, or crown over long underwear and waved at passersby. Not all of the animals were real, but a few of them were, depending on what shift it was. You know, Heavenly Hosts, and Oxen and Lambs who keep time need their hay and water break too.

Upon inspection, I found that there are nativity sets that are indeed life sized and do not require farm animals with union contracts.  In fact, some of the figures who are standing upright are even 6 feet tall!  Looks like Rev. Jim and Mr. Marple don’t have to figure out how to hide their hunting caps under crowns again this year.   They are all made of fiberglass.  The figures, not Rev. Jim and Mr. Marple.  Yes, if they found some generous benefactors to purchase their stand ins, they can spend more time volunteering at the soup kitchen and getting their rest after shoveling the new fallen snow.