Wireless or Landline, interesting study

Oklahoma Leads in Wireless-Only Households - Wireless-Only Growing On Map

Boy, have I been waiting 10 years for this lovely headline!!! Yes, it is lovely. I tried, as have many Oklahomans, to support the local phone companies. Unfortunately, many in real states don't understand what is happening here. You see, it cost me $25 to have my landline, monthly. Then, if I wanted to use my landline I could either pay another $30 for instate calls, or I could pay by phone call for long distance charges. You wonder what the big deal is? Many people incur long distance charges and don't mind. Well, do you incur long distance charges to call your nearest neighbor? Your child's school? You spouse's workplace? The local hospital? The local WalMart, grocery store, post office, etc? Yes, I am being serious. You can call one exchange for free, and in rural Oklahoma that means absolutely nothing, since the local exchange may or may not contain your emergency services, schools or even post office. I complained. I wrote my representatives, the Corporation Commission, all those people. Their response was always, "Your local telephone company has the lowest base charges in the nation, you should be very proud of them." Oh, yes, I bowed to the phone in worship every time I passed it. I bought a calling card and dialed a zillion numbers every time I made a call, even put the numbers in speed dial, to try to save a few pennies and be able to use that cheap phone.

Finally, one day, when I was more than usually frustrated with having to pay $25 to look at the phone and another $25 a month for internet dial-up because I couldn't call any of the free or cheap internet service numbers for free (long distance charges for any but the local phone company's internet service), it struck me. How about I check into cell service and satellite internet. So, I did. Well, a bit of number crunching led me to realize I could have phones with all of us anywhere for one price, high-speed internet service, and call anyone I want any time, while limiting access to us by those bothersome telemarketers for the SAME price I was paying for slow internet and the right to only look at the phone. YEAH!

So, that is what we did. We became one of the 1 in 4 households in Oklahoma who stopped using a landline, much to the dismay of our local phone company. See, they gave me the idea really. I was just a bit dense. I'd been receiving letters from them for months telling me not to give up my landline for a cell phone and listing all the reasons I shouldn't. You know, all those reasons were from the perspective that the landline was any use at all - that I could use it for that $25 flat fee. I don't know what planet the person writing those letters was from, but they obviously had never had to try to use the local phone service to call anyone or they would have known it cost them per call, just as they said cell phone service would. They talked about not being able to access 911, but our county was one of the first in the state to have cell coverage for 911. They talked about dropped signals, but the company I chose has amazing coverage that never drops a call if you know which phone to buy. They talked about how it would cost me to call long-distance - HUH? Cell phone plans include free long distance. So, they had me convinced. I dropped the landline.

Now, I'm gratified to see all the begging and pleading in the world has not overcome common sense. In our adventure in lifestyle, rural community living, one modern convenience is still heads and shoulders above the old way. So, if I call you from the wood shed, or chicken coop, or while I'm curled up warming myself by the wood cook stove, know that this adventure includes common sense not just hard work.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Wireless Internet

Ah, yes, the three basic tenets of the American faith. No you say? Okay, maybe not, but here in the middle of the woods, with limited access to many of the 21st Century's finer luxuries (like television - digital sucks, and phone service - have to use cells), internet does help keep us connected. And, with a laptop in the house, it is nice to not have to be physically tied to a specific wall. So, I set up a wireless router, and we've been networking for a while. Uh - oh! A new menace has moved into the neighborhood (a term I use lightly)- the unsavory neighbor. He believes that my wireless connection should be his free access to internet - MY internet. He's also a computer geek, because he easily got around my initial security, and my second line of defense. Okay, I admit, I didn't make our connection Fort Knox. No one lives within a quarter mile of us! They would have to have some serious boosting equipment to get our wireless, which barely radiates outside our four walls, and doesn't even make it to all rooms in the house.

So, our knew "Adventure" in lifestyle, is a complete understanding that there is no where to hide from thieves in America. They assume it is their right to steal, even if it means more expense and work than just accessing what they want legally. Whole psych discussion there I won't get into.

So, the week has been an adventure. First, the refrigerator went out on birthday weekend, so lots of leg work to replace that. Then, I found that someone had been using MB on our internet when none of us were online or even plugged into (or wireless on) the network. So, this neighbor who I still haven't identified, was back stealing our internet and threatening to get us throttled. See, the Thief doesn't know that we have limited MB usage. He was doing this 6 months ago, and I shut him down finally. But he's back! Now, I'm trying to figure out how to shut him down again, without having to shut us down also. I've had a few good suggestions from some great guys on tech boards. I've learned about MAC filtering, and started that only to find my neighbor knows how to clone MAC addresses and stole the laptop's. On top of all this, I'd rather be visiting my mom in another state because she isn't feeling well. I just had to give our oldest cat a steroid shot because she has developed allergies and was spasming. Spring is here, and I have seen my crocuses, so would love to be outside.

But, today, I empty the refrigerator so I can move the new one in. Have I ever told you I hate shopping? Well, 2 days this week were spent away from home (remember I live in the middle of nowhere) shopping for a new fridge, only to find most now are too tall! Today, though, that saga is over as the new fridge is on its way.

So, "Adventures in Lifestyle" has been just that this week. Between shipping fiascoes (don't even ask about FedEx. . . grrrrrrrrr) for birthdays, refrigerators, cats, internet and the usual day-to-day keeping up with the fire so we have hot water, feeding the animals, cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc., what a week. It has not been the "Adventure in Lifestyle" I really wanted - unique lifestyle which is more sustainable, peaceful, healthful and economical in a world gone mad. Instead, I feel like I've joined the insane world around me.

Now though, my weekend will start. Ah, the weekend, hubby home 3 days, lots to be done, but a change of pace none-the-less. Maybe next week I can get back to just trying to be different than the world around me. Maybe next week I can find this neighbor and stop them. Maybe next week I will pursue "Life, Liberty and Wireless Internet"

Thanks for reading and caring. I truly appreciate it. Now, my son informs me that though we have been by the feed store at least 3 times this week (just going by, not in) we need feed. Guess what? We are done going by the feed store for this week. . . . . .

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, time for some tea - or a Bloody Mary.

Estrogen Dominance and Homemade Laundry Detergent

One of our current adventures has to do with my own health. For many years, I've been watching over the health of my husband, children and animals, as with most busy moms, and forgetting to really pay much attention to mine. When the signs of estrogen dominance (allopathically known as menopause) started to get beyond the point of annoyance, I had to do something. The first thing was to start avoiding estrogenic compounds both natural and synthetic. Estrogen dominant or not, the great money saving idea I found thanks to it, will help everyone.

My research led me to many good resources including Dr. Lee, author of such books as "What your Doctor May not Tell You About Menopause," "Dr. Lee's Hormone Balance Made Simple," and other relevant books. All of which can be found on this Books For Sale page. More good resources were from Dr. William Eckhart, and the USP Progesterone product "Progestelle" site. There are some other good sources out there, like Yahoo Groups message boards dedicated to the cause, Neways progesterone cream distributors, etc. But, those two are my favorites.

In Dr. Eckhart's reply to my medical form, he mentioned that there really is no good, safe, estrogenic compound free laundry detergent with the exception of one he has found that is just too expensive for my budget. So, I decided to research the option of making my own.

I found a recipe, actually several recipes, on the internet. I took the plunge, bought the three required ingredients and whipped up a batch of my own. (Recipe below along with my notes on preparation) I will say I was very happy with the results. After 4 weeks, I've used about 1/2 of my $3 - $4 laundry detergent. A big savings compared to the $12 laundry detergent I bought at the store. The clothes are clean and fresh smelling, and I'm wondering why I didn't do this sooner. The first few loads of laundry the water was absolutely disgusting. I'm guessing the dirt was what my commercial laundry detergent didn't get out. ICK!!!! I rinsed all loads 2 times for probably the first 10 loads. My husband suspects that maybe the new laundry soap was cleaning the washing machine as well. That is possible, since I used to occasionally get grime at the bottom of the tub, and no longer do.

So, for your consideration, here is my first batch notes. I will make the next batch a bit thinner, and am trying to find a perfect container to store it in, so I don't have to use a pail. Didn't take pictures, but when I remake it in a month I will post pictures with an update.

Laundry Soap Recipe – 1^st Batch 1/31/09

2 full bars Kirk’s Castile Soap – shredded (what didn’t shred, I cut into small pieces)

1 Cup Borax

1 Cup A & H Super Washing Soda

8 Cups water

25 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract (a.k.a. GSE -preservative, antibacterial)

(Castile soap can be found in the Health and Beauty section of your local store. Most any pure, bar soap will do. FelsNaptha is the recommended so, but not available near me. Borax and Washing Soda are available in the laundry aisle of your store. They are in boxes, powdered. And the GSE is available at the health food store or at http://www.iherb.com The brand is Nutribiotic, you want the liquid. If you get it from iHerb it is much cheaper, and new customers can use the code KES097 at checkout for $5 of their first order)

First, put shredded soap into 6 cups of water and heated, stirring occasionally until most of the soap had dissolved.

Add soda and borax, stir until dissolved, add two cups water. Continue to heat and stir for another 30 minutes on very low heat.

Removed from heat, added GSE, and let cool, stirring occasionally to mix foam back in.

As soap started to cool, it actually started to solidify instead of just gel as online instructions indicated it should. I had not added as much water as recipe suggested, since I wondered if you could make it more concentrated to take up less space in laundry room. Well, you can’t. Therefore, I added another 8 cups of water and put back on the stove on low heat to reliquify.

Let it reliquify, then added another 8 cups of water after using some of the still warm mixture in cold water wash only to watch it turn into solids in the water. Need to keep it liquid, or dissolve in warm water before switching to cold water for cold water washes.

Still semi solid gel. Will wait until completely cooled to decide whether to add more water or not. It has now been about 6 hours since I started the process.

Finally packaged it up and called it good.

I don't have the perfect packaging system, just a couple of old, plastic ice cream containers. I'll be on the hunt for better packaging, hopefully not plastic!

UPDATE: 3/14/2009 made my second batch and took notes. The first batch lasted our family of 4 on the farm for a little over 1.5 months.

Second Batch notes:

2^nd Batch – 3/14/2009

Basically followed same steps. This time I added more water than before. As liquid would start to steam, I would add 4 more cups. Dissolved initial soap mixture in 8 cups of water, then as it heated, added 4 cups at a time until I got to 24 cups of water. (previous batch was 22 cups of water.) Then started the cooling process.

As it cooled, it started to solidify, so added 4 more cups of water and reheated to combine. Went to check again after 15 minutes and top had solidified, so stirred it up and added 4 more cups of water. Will combine and let cool again.

In the end, I had 32 cups of water. Top hardened, but I stirred it all up when cool and had a loose gel soap.

Online source for Supplements, Vitamins, with Coupon - iHerb

The chickens are wandering about in the yard, wishing it was spring and the bugs were out. I can tell by the way they are scratching up the lawn in various locations without any satisfied looks. None of the usual clucking, "I've got one," which leads to the inevitable chase around the yard by the other birds hoping to steal the bug from the silly bird who didn't know when to keep quiet.

Well, I was just musing today about not telling my friends and family about a great online site I've found for purchasing my supplements and even some of our organic food items. So, I think I've kept my quiet too long!!! I placed an order today and patted myself on the back for my great savings, then thought, "I should share this site so others can get some great deals too." The roosters are good at this. When they find a good source for bugs in the yard, they actually stand up tall and start a special cackling to call all the ladies to the treasure.

So, here goes my cackling and calling my friends to the treasure:

The site is http://www.iherb.com a.k.a iHerb. I've been ordering from them for over a year now and love their discounts and fast service. I've never had a problem with wrong orders, missing items, or anything. I actually messed up an order and was able to call and get it fixed before they shipped it too!

The way iHerb works, you get incremental discounts based on the size of your order. So, if the Vit E that you usually get downtown has an iHerb price 10% cheaper before you put it in the cart, it will be an even cheaper price when you put it in the cart. Right now, as a VIP customer, my first level discount is 10%. So, if my Vit E was 9.00 instead of the downtown price of 13.00, I know it will be another .90 cheaper when added to the cart. Many of my items are $2-$10 cheaper here. Plus, if you order over $60 BEFORE THE DISCOUNTS, the UPS shipping is FREE!!! Gotta love that. Even if you don't get to $60, the shipping is $4 (with other options available at a higher price). I can't drive to the health food store for $4. They also offer many options in sizes and brands. Almost everything I can get at the health food store, I can get at iHerb cheaper.

Another benefit of iHerb is the information. They have very detailed info about each item they sell, including the full list of ingredients and potency. They also give info about uses, benefits and warnings. I use the iHerb site to check different supplement uses even if not purchasing them. A nice, concise encyclopedia of supplements, which was very important when we were trying to find fluoride free toothpaste, as well as many other items. They recently added food items to their offerings. I now get my Periobrite toothpaste, Arrowhead Mills peanut butter through them, as well as Braggs organic vinegar and other food items I used to buy at the store. New items are being added all the time.

I order many things online, but this is a site that I've really come to rely on for our budget and health. So, it is time I shared it. There was also a nice nudge from the company to share when they provided me with a coupon code to give my friends and family a gift of $5 off their first order as part of a new referral program they have started. If you use this coupon code - KES097 - at the checkout, you will get $5 off your first order from iHerb (not valid if you are already a customer). The person who told me about iHerb just had free shipping to lure me to try the site. Of course, if you don't have a first order that is $60 or more, this coupon code will more than cover the shipping.

While at iHerb, check out the links at the top of the page for specials and even FREE sample items. These are full size samples. This month I have 2 types of cereal, a new Vit E to try and a Green Tea drink coming as samples. I'm excited to get them and try them.

Now, my conscience is clear. I am no longer hoarding or keeping the goods secret for myself, but sharing willingly with friends. And none of us have to play chase around the yard. :-) I hope you get the opportunity to try iHerb and enjoy it as much as I have. So, before someone sticks there head out the door and tells me to keep it down (like I do for the over zealous chickens), I'll put my head back down and go back to work.

Have a great, blessed day and stay warm!

PS - if you can't use the coupon code, feel free to pass it on to friends. I do get referral bonuses that decrease the price of my items even more. If you do order from iHerb, you will get your own coupon code to share with friends, and earn your own referral bonuses.

On Life, the Universe and Everything

Well, almost two years since my Adventures in Lifestyles began. What have I learned of Life, the Universe and Everything? The answer is much larger than 42! Oh, yeah. I thought maybe I'd do some blogging. You know? Get my thoughts out there, share, elaborate, debilitate. I've never been good at journaling in a book, by my bedside, at night before sleep. What makes me think a desk full of bills to be recorded, school work to be corrected, cats to be petted would be any less distracting than the promise of sweet sleep?

I'm going to make another decent attempt at this. For now, just a quick welcome back note, after searching the morning trying to find my log-in info and the location of my page. Hopefully, I will keep up with how our lifestyle has changed over the last two years. We've gone from a growing family, to a mostly grown family. Now, our little piece of heaven is for sale as we attempt to be available for the children and the parents. Health has been a major focus, and will probably be a major focus of posts to come.

Blessings to all, and I hope to hear from you and read about you too!

Feast or Famine?

Okay, wasn't sure what to title this one: Feast or Famine, When it Rains it Pours, Rain Rain Go Away. . . .any would work. Most know of the severe drought that Oklahoma has been suffering for several years. Just a couple months ago fires were popping up all over the state, and we even had a fire heading for our property one night at midnight. We didn't wake up when the neighbor called, so he watched it for us.

Well, I'd say that it is officially over. . and over. . . and over. My calculations, per my trusty frog rain gauge, have hit 18 inches and rising in the last month. And rising because after a 5 inch gully washer on Monday, we are now getting another deluge with just a one day break in between. Of course, not everyone saw that one day break. It rained in varying spots in NE OK yesterday too, our area just happened to miss it. I've even put a picture up of our 12 year old playing by what we had been referring to as the dry creek bed. It isn't so dry anymore.

With water still running in the roads from Monday, today's rain promises to be very unhelpful for motorists. After a while, the water just runs off into the lakes and streams and heads to the ocean because the ground just can't take any more, so the excess really doesn't do much good other than to make us all feel ducky. I'm happy for the farmers whose empty ponds have been filled, but I'm concerned that we may end up with all our rain for the year in one month, which will leave us very dry by September. Well, hopefully that isn't what will happen. But for the month of June at least, I think I'll take out the flippers and goggles and enjoy our drought reprieve.

To all those people who have been so thoughtful over the last several years, promising to send water in envelopes and letting us know they would give us their extra rain. . THANKS! But, you can stop sending it now. . . . at least for June.

Ultimate Summer Lemonade

It's that time of year again! The pool is open. The clothesline is cluttered with swimsuits and beach towels. The grass is growing (and here in OK that is a 7 year miracle). The windows are open in an attempt to let as much of the cool air in as possible in the morning, then closed in the afternoon as we try to cheat the power company and keep the air conditioner off for one more day. And grocery store fliers are all about cook-out meats, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon and cantaloupe. Our usually short spring has quickly headed into summer.

With still plenty to do outside and rising temperatures summer drinks become an important thought. We drink plenty of water, but keeping hydrated when working hard is tough and adding excitement to the drink offerings without adding caffeine, cups of sugar and high fructose corn syrup is very important.

We've often used a base to make our summer lemonade though, since organic lemons are expensive and hard to come by. But, that base has never been as healthy as I would like. This past year we made an exciting discovery though - tea. Oh, yes, we've always drunk tea, being originally from the north it has mostly been hot in a cup in varying flavors. I never really could get into cold tea or cold soup.

We wanted lemonade one day and had the lemons, but had no base to add them to to stretch the lemons. A thought occurred to me - what about those lemon teas? I searched the cupboard, full of boxes of varieties and flavors, and found some lemon ginger tea. That sounded like a great option. We have about a 3.5 cup teapot, so that is the amount I brewed up. I let it cool some naturally then poured it into a 2 quart pitcher. Once cooled a bit, but not too cool, I added a couple of tablespoons of raw honey. Then I juiced 2 large lemons, it probably made a half cup of juice.

Of course, not being the cold tea type myself, I tested it on the 12 year old. She's been in OK long enough that cold tea is not odd to her, even orders it in restaurants. I poured the mixture over a glass of ice and it was a HIT. We let her dad try it too, now it is a request for work. He works in the heat, and this makes a nice liquid replacement. The sugar is low, the health benefits high. This makes a rather tart lemonade, so if anyone wants it a bit sweeter, they can add a drop of Stevia to their glass, completely personalizing it by taste without having to add the usual amount of sugar it takes to make lemons sweet.

In Recipe Form:

Two bags lemon flavored tea
2 large or several small lemons, approx 1/2 c juiced, vary by taste
2 Tbsp raw honey
liquid Stevia, to taste per individual glass (one drop is very sweet)

Steep tea bags for 3-5 minutes in boiling hot water. If not using a tea pot, cover while steeping. Let cool slightly then add honey. Pour tea into pitcher when cooled enough. Juice lemons and pour lemon juice into tea mixture. Serve over ice. Individuals can sweeten their lemonade more with a drop of Stevia if too tart. Enjoy!