WE ARE STILL GREEN...ARE YOU?

 

So, it is started with the grass. We are making sure the lawn it being treated right. Next will be a walkway on the side of the hose.. There we had work done on a drainage problem. Now we have a mess and the grass really doesn't grow there well. So the next step is the  patio treatment.

 We have a Geothermal unit at this Beach house. It is a very good system. The system is about 23 years old and in need of some upgrading. that is being done  this week.

Here we Are In 2021- Some New Upgrades to Show.

 A lot has happened in the last few years. Our family has experience Sickness ,Death and Life Changes that are hard to deal with. So many news' in our life. One thing is we have now officially Retired. This happened the same time as Covid hit the USA. We had so many Plans for this new life style. Travels planed as well as some upgrade to our Two houses. We were able to get one of our trip in before the quarantine hit. Now we are in the  end phrase of getting the vaccines so we can start traveling again. In the Meantime the decision to have the upgrades to the house started.

The first thing we did was the  lower deck. We decided to go with a composite that would not need to be repaired as much as the Wood. It also saved the life of Trees, since we went away from Wood decks.

 

the Lower deck, shed side to the brick walkway

 

 

Lower deck Gazebo house side.

Lower deck view to the upper deck.

Went with solid Hickory flooring for the main level of our home.

The Dining room into the kitchen. One smooth entrance. We also painted all the halls in the Dinning room and Hallway.

 

 

 Enter hall is great with not transition strips now. It use to be all tile with the carpet in the two room off the hallway.

 

 

Dining room so much better. that original flooring with split, tile and carpet.  Love the way it looks now.

 

 

Living room, use of rugs help with the Echo sounds. It is a very large room.

 

 

 

The hallway and the bathroom. Into the kitchen. One thing we decided was to make the flooring continuous with no transition strips. Glad we did that. Has totally upgrade the  house. bring it into the  new century.

this is the stair to the second floor. the Second floor has Bamboo flooring.Which we installed a few years back.

Healthy Living, how are things going?

Boy has it been awhile!!  Living in this household has been very challenging  this past year. So many changes and Health issue to deal with. Sometimes thing get out of control and life style changes. Folks do not understand why you stop going place or not able to do things.

Last year In our household there were some new health issues presented. Fatty Liver Disease and  Hashimoto Thyroid disease were diagnosed. Then we had  several Strokes and the High blood pressure and diabetes problems.  Rehabs as well as Hospital stays. Had to change diets as well as daily activities.  Plus wheelchairs and walkers were added to the household.  Most of these things limited our abilities to visit folks and go places.

Some of these things went on for a couple years. As many know, My father was living with us and he was  having Mini Strokes for a few years. Each one affected a different area of the brain.  It became a daily rehab for him. Every day we would do memory activities to get him to remember people. The saddest thing was to see him not remember my Brothers. Every day I had to tell him he had boys. He just could not remember. Even when my Brother passed away, he did not know who he was. He ask me everyday who that was. I would tell him and he would say did I know him?  I tried as hard as I could to take him to see him as much as possible. Hoping he would have a memory of him. Even when my brothers would call I had to remind him who they were and halfway through the phone call he would forget who it was. It started after his stroke in early September 2017. then he had another one in November and another mini in December 2017. That was a hard year for us in this household.  In 2018 and 2019. he continues to have TIAs ( mini Strokes). In July 2019 He had a  stroke that effected his bodies ability to control all the functions. Blood pressure, blood sugars, Heart rate and temperature. Plus his abilities to remember was going.  Finally his body just gave up and the lungs would not work. He passed away in September 2019.

During the same time frame my Hubby  had a  trans global stroke, and a mini stroke, Surgery and diagnosed with  Fatty liver disease and Hashimoto disease. His health was not good. Made some diet changes and continued to go to get testing done.  He decided to retire this year. So now his stress levels have gone down  causing  some thing to stabilize.   We are now working on changing some daily routines to enhance our life.

As for me. I been having High blood pressure and uncontrolled Glucose levels.  Have made some changes and now the levels of starting to  return to normal. Still working on the High Blood pressure. However it is down now. Just not in the normal range. One thing I do not like is Chemical medications.  Therefore , I am doing the natural thing and it seems to be working. Hoping I will be able to control my BP without Pharmaceutical help.

In the next few months there will be no info on what we are doing and how it is working. We are on   supplements right now testing them to see if they will do the job we need them to do.  Check back often or follow us  to stay up with our progress.

Update, Been Awhile

We are still a  solar home and being a energy conscious family. My father has moved in with us. so this winter we have had to use more heat to keep he room warmer as he sleep. Hubby and I like the house at about 72. However that is too cold for a close to 90 year old. We found and got a unit that uses less energy and has a good thermostat. Our bills are still not in the range as before the solar, but they are up a little. Something else we did was get some cooking  Gadgets that you can use instead of the stove. Like the Ninja foodi. It also helps in the energy used.Things cook in less time with no  additional wasting heating of the house.
We also got a new washer and dryer that uses less energy. I tend not to use the dryer as much. hang drying items instead.

we still have been recycling. However we wish that our county would allow more item to be recycled . They have become more stricter on what we can put in the bins. That's a fight worth pursuing.

Going Green Together 2017 Update

 It has been a while since I posted an update on our Green house.

the Solar Array: It has really been amazing. Our electric bill was 45 dollars this month! over all we have cut our bill by 3/4 ths. We are still selling our REC's  even though Maryland has decreased the  REC sales.  Hoping the states raises it's prices soon.

I think I told you we were having a problem with the squirrels nesting under the array. We did fix that and now we are in receiving full power.

Our lifetime Environmental Savings:

CO₂ Emissions Avoided

41.6  tons

Miles Not Driven

89,763  miles

Gasoline Not Used

4,242  gallons

Coal Not Burned

40,494  pounds

Crude Oil Not Used

88  barrels

Mature Trees Grown

967  trees

Garbage Recycled

29,790  pounds

Recycles report:

At this time we are doing well. Our county has change up things that they will take now. This has caused us to rethink items we buy now.  They will not take any recycled plastics. Since most companies are now using  recycled materials, that makes it harder to  put them into the recycle bin. So, we are not buying made from recycle items.

I am repurposing items in our yard trying  to  not throw it into the trash bin. 

 Solar  Yard lighting: One thing that is high on our list is using the sun to light our outdoor area. Have found a lot of Solar powered lights. Some that stay on most of the night.  Our new underbrella's have both plug and solar. So we use the solar when we can.

 Flooring:   We had our upstairs flooring replaced with Bamboo flooring, I am really loving them. Thinking about doing the main floor also. 

How are you doing ?

Going Green Update

It has been awhile since  I posted. My life has really been busy  the last two years!  My father had  a couple Strokes and now lives with us. We have had a family member diagnosed with ALS. Daughter Graduated College and we are planning a wedding for next spring.  Maintaining two Houses 5 hours apart. Plus we had a Flood in the House and a Sewer line breakage. So, as you can see I have had little time to Post.

Things are still Hectic here however, we did have the house fully repaired ( post about that later). We had some floors repaired and used Green material. Loving the Bamboo flooring! Thinking about doing the main floors with it.

So now for all the updates:

Our Solar has been great! We had bills of only 45 dollars during some times. Even the electric company thought there was something wrong with the meter. We told them there was not We have solar and have been away a lot.  The Electric bills have decreased more than half. Our average bill as about 140.00 when all four folks are living in the home.
We did have some trouble with the squirrels. They wants to nest under the panels. This caused some wire damage. Our original installers came and did all the repairs, plus we put a wire mesh around the sides.  That makes it harder for the squirrels to get under them. We were told this is a problem with the panels. I would suggest that you have the wire mesh put on during the initial install. It is just better. Also decided to put a  Rodent controller in the Attic and leave it on. That has help also. Plus we have a Yard Sentinel critter box on the front porch and back deck. Really have noticed less squirrels activity in our yard!
The total Energy Generated since our install  11/16/09 is 47735kWh. 

List of Green Impact since start date

CO2 Emissions avoided= 72,567 pounds

Miles not driven= 78,371 miles

Gasoline not used= 3704 gallons

Coal not Burned= 35,355 pounds

Crude Oil not used=77 Barrels

 Mature Trees Grown=844

So we are very please with our solar system.

Our Green bag and Recycling update:
We have really made progress, It is getting easier and easier to use the bags. However I still need to work on the Walmart trips. I tend to be less aggressive at those stores. Will really work on making it a priority.
As for our recycle, It is really good. we have less regular trash, about 75% less. Recycles have increased for pick up but not that much. Therefore I feel we have managed to control our clutter.

We have also been giving to Charities more instead of throwing out in recycles or trash.

Plus, all of our Repairs in and out of the house has been decided on based upon Green friendly materials. Even our yard critter and insect controlling. I have done a lot of research on natural ways to garden. You can see that on my Garden blog.

Overall We have changed our Life style and thinking and made it a priority to only be Green!

Those Dreaded UTI's- Need a Natural treatment?

 

A few weeks back one of those Urinary Track Infections (UTI) started to show its head. Those are so not fun to have. If you do not catch it early on it can manifest its self into a really bad Bladder or Kidney infection. Women are so prone to these, because of our body makeup.

Going to the doctor can be such a hassle, getting in is sometime impossible on the same day you feel it coming on. Then they want to put you on Antibiotics, which I can not take the sulfa choice one.  The thought came to me there must be another choice. So I began to search.

I purchased two books on UTI treatments and preventions.  The Preventions was simple and already known to me. Wipe from front to rear, wash before sex (for both parties), urinate and wash after sex, and drink cranberry juice. Hygiene is the number one prevention. So that was okay to know but, what about treating it once you have it. That is what I really needed to know!

Well I found a treatment that is not Antibiotics.  D-Mannose herbal supplements.  you can get it at any Vitamin store. We got it at GNC and then Online. So the key to taking this is to make sure you are in the early stage of the UTI, No back pain or fever. Then 500 mg every 2 to 3 hours with a 8oz glass of water for 5 days. Yes I know you are thinking, what a hassle. But I will tell you it worked! By the second day  on it I was feeling better and by the fifth day I was fine. No UTI symptoms.  Like the fact I did not have to take Antibiotics or go to the doctor to be told what a already knew.

On the third day I added two other supplements,  Turmeric and Olive Leave Extract. Will talk about those later. For Now I would like to tell you how the  D-Mannose works. Most UTI's are caused by E-Coli from us not the food borne one.  Our makeup just can easily cause that to happen. The D-Mannose works as a magnet making it hard for the e-coli to stay attached on the wall of the bladder. When the e-coli attaches itself to the D-Mannose cell it becomes encapsulated  and get urinated out. Cleaning the bladder of the e-coli and preventing it from multiplying at a very fast rate. That is one reason it can develop into a full flagged bladder kidney infection  rather fast. So keeping a 500 mg in the bladde for every 2 to 3 hours works well in riding the e-coli bacteria cells. There were no side effects, like yeast infection or upset stomach.  One thing is you should stay away from sweets and caffeine for the five day. Stick to Water only. It will work better. Most of the juices on the market have sugar in them. The bacteria feeds of the sugar, so stay away from it, don't feed the bacteria. the caffeine is a drying agent and you want to urinate the bacteria out. So stay hydrated.

Now onto the Turmeric and Olive Leave Extract. These two herbs together help with other factors that could be playing out the the Urinary Track system. Sometimes other bacteria can be also  at play in the UTI. Adding these two will combat them.  These two herbs are known as Biofilm Busters. These works to break up Biofilm.  Biofilm are cells of resistant bacteria that can created a barrier to protect its colonies and continue to grow.  They are like a DNA strand  created by the bacteria. That is why sometimes it takes more than one dose of antibiotics to clear the infection. Adding these two helped in the last days and by the 8th day I felt good, back to normal. I took one capsule  of each twice a day with my food, breakfast and dinner.

How about a maintenance  dose to help in not getting the infections. Take two D-Mannose once a day with 8 oz of water. Take a dose of the Turmeric and Olive Leave Extract daily. I still slit it with my meals. This combination should help in preventing the Infection. If it helps and keep my system healthy it is well worth it.

Going Green Together- Solar Updates

Well, this is are first real  situation with the panels. It is with the Squirrels. they decided to build a nest under the solar racks on the Roof. I noticed it about a week ago. We tried to deter them from  continue going up there. One thing we did was put a pest deterrent box in the attic. It seems to work however I still saw them up there. Order a New one just for squirrels, guaranteed to repel them with 5000 Sq ft. We called the solar power folks to come and remove the nest and chest the system.
They removed the nest and found that the squirrels had removed the roofing tiles to the wood. So we are replacing them now. They did chew a few of the wires, they are fixing that.
We need to make sure the critters do not return to the site. So we will be putting a net of some sort around the unit. This is something that that do. you might  consider that when they first put it up. It would a alleviate a lot of headache. He said that they had Raccoons set up nest under there also.
we wouldn't a thought that critters would do that on a slanted rooftop. However now we and you do too.

As for the Power bills, they have continued to decline. Last months was 45.11! Yes that right, from 200.00 to 45. We have continued to see lower bills thought the years.  The learning curve of being more frugal when are energy usage . Cutting back on a mount of things running, making light blub changes,  and turning the temp to a higher number in the summer and a lower number in the winter.
Using our pellet stove more in the winter helps also.

Some time in January we notice that our Heat pump was not working. Had to purchase another one. Went with a more efficient one and we have really notice the difference for the good.  Hopefully we will see the bill go lower.

Overall the choice we made some five years ago are paying off. We are very please with the Solar Company we used and would recommend them to you. Their service is great.

Living Trash Free...Can it be done?

Ever thought of living trash free? This is not a new idea. Many have begun to reduced and work on trash free living. I came across a book called "Zero-Waste Lifestyle" by Amy Krost. In her book she walks you through some ideas that other folks as well as her family has implemented. Her desire is to reduced her landfill contribution. She seems to be able to achieve this.

That got me thinking what more can I do to reduce my trash even more. We have reduced it about three fourth the amount from a few years ago. However I was thinking can I reduce it more? I would love to have no trash for Thursday trash day. So my goal is to get there somehow. Our process to be Trash Free will be posted here monthly. Will be working on this being completed by one year. I think this is doable.  Having reduced it  already, this seems to be the next step.

Going green update

First off we will update on our Solar. Our Panels were installed in 2009. Have to say we are very pleased with the outcome. The electric bills have been decreasing since the install. With our reducing energy consumption mind set, we have been able to reduce our bill by half.
The reason we decided to invest in this solar is for our retirement. With the cost of electricity increasing over the years, the decision was easy. Our daughter is out of the house attending college. One less person has really made a difference in our Bill. You never realize how much one person can change the consumption.
We received our Electric bill for this month, Now remember we are all electric . It was 42 dollars for the month! The lowest we have received since we have been in this home. We moved in our home in 1999. So I would say we are doing well on reducing the carbon footprint.
To put it in prospective for you. Before the solar system our April/May bill was on average was 250.00. After solar the cost went down to 108.00. Then after child left for college it is now 42.00 with 17 of that being delivery and taxes. So we are very pleased with this move.

We have notice a change in our recycling and trash amounts. Our containers are getting less in the trash area. With only about one bag of trash weekly. The recycling has increased to about two containers. Think we need to work on that. I would love to have less on the recycling amount. Even though we are recycling it would be nice to be able to reuse items so we would not be throwing away so much. Even with it being recycled, I feel that a lot of it is not reused in a Green way. Most factories still add to the carbon footprint.

As for the bags, have noticed we aren't using them as much in the retail stores. However I am still using them at the grocery stores. If I forgot to take them I make a point to get paper bags. Those I can reuse and they are easier to recycle. Most place are beginning to charge for bags in our area. That make it easy to use the Recycle bags. One thing to remember is to Wash the bags often. It has been noted that some food born bacteria can transfer and linger in the bags. Causing some sickness if left to grow in the heat of the trunk.

So the question for you is how are you doing with your Green Walk?

Weight Loss Wednesday- The Scale Watchers

The scale just isn't moving. Yeah that's right it must be broken! I do not feel like I am not loosing weight. I heard that sometimes the scales do not tell the true story. It can weigh heavy some times and stay put others. However, you can be still losing. It's called losing inches. So we must be measuring as well as scale watching. My inches are going down, the scales are up and down. Sometimes it has to do with the amount a fluids or that meal the night before. Yes that's right it is still making it's way out, and the body is holding on to the weight of it. Just wait til it moves out then weigh yourself. You will see.
As for Me my scale seems to move up and down 3 to 5 pounds a week.   Maintain the weight  not losing. However the pant size and tops have changed.  I will try not to let the Scale get me down. I will continue to buy the size I am and not buy bigger ones. Get rid of those larger sizes from my drawers and closet. That will help me stay on track. No more Scale Watching for me. Just checking in as a swim by for that possible small person emerging.

Please stop by Confessions of a Snowflake to be encouraged on this Weight Loss Wednesday!  And link up your own posts there!

Are you Satisfied?

Are you satisfied with your looks? In a World of  "You should Be....." it is hard to be satisfied with your looks. Doctors tells us we need to look a certain way and TV telling us  we are all overweight, make us  feel unsatisfied. Just think about it, What if every one in the world all was in the national guide lines set be the Nutritionists. We would all look the same! We would not need big and tall stores or different sizes. We could all go to the  5 7 9 stores, wear bikinis and have no need for Donut shops.

I have been thinking about those charts. Wondering why is it that someone has decided there is a certain acceptable size and weight for that size. Just think there are folks who live a long time and have never been within the charts limits. The folks that have been in the Chart limits have been diagnosed with cancer and older deceases . Of course there are some heavier folk also diagnised with these deceases also. However I hear more folks say.." I have done every thing right and have stay in the healthy code, yet I got this cancer."

Yes we should have are blood test done and work on exercising to stay strong and fit. Trying to get our energy and  body in a healthy mode. We should try not to be so hard on ourselves. Set  the goals that we feel is achievable and work towards them. Choose the activities we love to do and do them. Enjoy our life and just take it one day at a time. Slowing down at meal time to enjoy the food and choosing to eat smaller portions.

One more things, Do not allow Doctors or friends control your lives. I would only let them if I was in some medical trouble, Cancer or diabetes, that is when I would heed their words.  If I was in Good health, not tired and got plenty of exercise, maintained my weight   as well as very little sickness I would  not allow their words of Weight control affect my mind.

Remember you are in control of your life. One should be able to measure themselves on their standard. If one feels they would feel better by losing a few pounds, then do it. Now I would love to be down to 150. However will it make me feel better? I really do not know. However I will continue to lose slowly, being able to maintain each pound loss. To me that is the key, Creating  a plan that will become a new way of living and become a new daily habit.

I hope that one who reads this will examine their selves to see if the path is one for them or for others. It is known that the one for others will surely fail if it relates to your life. Others may give us motive however it must be our own minds that sets the journey.

Argan Oil for Dry skin

Have been using pure Argan Oil for about one week now. Having Very Dry skin has been my demised. Really have seen a difference with this oil. My skin is not as dry , all my itching has stopped and my feet are finally getting better.  The feet were so dry that this where always pealing. I start using the Argan oil on them and have seen a great difference. The red dry sections are healing and the a not peeling as much. I will continue to use it on the feet.
Having a problem with my arms and the dryness for many year, now I can see the light. Putting the 100% pure oil, no additives ( perfumes or other oil) is make a total difference. The skin is smoother and less itching caused by dryness.
Why is my skin so dry? I am guessing it is caused by Menopause. In the 90's I had my ovaries and uterus removed due to illness. I was on hormone therapy until I turn 50 and then I went off. Noticed that my skin started to get drier. Always had dry skin but this was even more than usual. Trying all kinds of products from pure vitamin E to Bees wax, nothing seem to be working. Only a few hours of moisture relief.
Saw a product called Argan Oil on a shopping network. There was a return policy I could not refuse.  Yes it was expensive, but I have been trying a lot of product and have spent so much that why not try it. After a week I have seen quite a change. I do want to really emphasize that this is 100% pure Argan Oil. Noticing that I did have other products with argan oil in it, however they had other additives. These additives are alcohol base. They include perfumes and other oils in them, be sure to read the labels. It might sound good but if there are other products in it, that can be counter active on the oils properties. Causing the effects of the oil to not adsorb as it should.
I found that this product is not greasy at all and I can use it all over my body, even my dry hair. For now I am sold on the product. If you would like to know where to get it, e-mail me and I will direct you to the product.
will be giving updates on this product as I continue to use it. As with every product Time will tell.

Entrecard is No more. You will be Missed.....

Well in the Bloggerworld things are in one day and out another. As I have found out Entrecard is Down and Out. It seems that Entrecard was sold to Ziprunner in 2009. Since then there has been problems keeping it up and runner. The Ziprunner group  has decided not to work at keeping it up.  Therefore shutting down the site service.  Causing the end to Entrecard.

Now I still had lots of points in there for advertizing. All I can say is  the blogs that were visited by me,through my favorites in Entrecard, will be missed.  There were a lot of bloggers that I meet through Entercard and My hope is that I will still be able to find them.

Please follow me, so I can still visit your blogs. It has been a great  four years with Entrecard. Now it is time to look for another service. I will be searching out one soon.

Entrecard Widget Down

You might notice that the Entrecard widget has been removed from my Blog sites. It seems that the site is having technical trouble. It has been down for several days. I found that when trying to load my sites this is causing a delay. So, until they are up and running again the widget will remain off.

I read that there has been some problems with the service. I hope this doesn't mean they are down for good. However I will be looking for some other services to use. If you know of a good one leave me the info in my comments. Thanks.

A Summer of Strange Things

The weather has been pretty hot here. Which has been good for the Solar Power. However not so good for the environment. With very little rain and the heat so high, we have had to run the air conditioner constantly.  Not good for the Green gasses. Must say I really do not like the high heat.

My rain barrels are getting low. Therefore I must use the county water for the garden. We do have underground springs in our lawn. They seen to be low also.

Has anyone been having problems with Tree Frogs? We have so many that at night it sounds like we live in the country! Sitting out in the evening and watching the frogs and hearing them call to each other is very strange. There is also a  bunch of cicada wasp. These wasp collect Cicadas and line them up on our front steps. Each day I go out there I see eleven  or twelve line up in a row. The family has seen the wasp bring them in and line them up. These wasps do not attack humans, as long as we do not bother them. Any one seeing these things in their yard?

I think we are enjoying the creatures of the heat. We even have had Deer, fox and rabbits on our street. This has been a very strange summer here.

Going Green Together- Green flooring?

We have been looking for ways to improve our Green home. So far we have added a home solar system. Have installed green flooring and  used no VOC paints on the walls. Most all of our lights are  Green Zones. Still need to paint a dinning room and the ceilings, install new carpets and a kitchen floor.

Although I do not like the lighting we have. One thing  that really bugs me is the amount of illumination of the  green lighting. Feel it is just not enough for my daily tasking. Not to mention the time it takes to brighten up. Not sure I like the new order to have all new green lighting and discontinue the incandescent  bulbs. In some of the lights I like the incandescent lights, especially the three way lights. How do you like the new greener lights? Feedback would be good for me. Perhaps you like a certain brand.

Now on to the flooring. I have come to love the bamboo flooring. If you remember I install the Vintage Sewing Room floor with a striated bamboo floor. Thinking of doing the same in the Kitchen. Although we did  find a floor covering from Pergo that we like and It is all green. That will be the next big project for us.

Being able to Go Green is getting easier now. There are more products available at better or equal to the cost of traditional  ones. Love going to the stores and checking out the Newer items. Did you know that sometimes you can order directly from the manufacture. In most case you can hirer a certified installer to do the work. Although installation in most case is easy to do and the instructions are online. Be sure to check out the warranty before deciding on the  way to install it. Some companies will only warranty if you have it installed by a  qualified person. In that case find out if they will install if you purchase the product. This could be tricky, as most will not. However remember it is the manufacture  who is giving the warranty not the installer. One more thing to remember, Check out the warranty... What does it cover and what are the terms. Found that some warranties are really useless. Sometimes it is not worth the extra cost to have it install be a authorized person. Every manufacturer sites has the warranties posted. Know the Product warranty  and conditions of installations before  you get the information from the local installation company. We found that sometimes the installer company has no idea that the manufacture will only warrant a certain type of installation in certain rooms.

We had a company tell us they would not glue it down only nail it and the warranty stated the nailing the product would cause clips and that would not be covered on the warranty. Also it stated the gluing it was the manufactures recommendation in the kitchen. Due to the moisture and wearing. We decided not to go with that flooring , or the Local company because they did not know the product they were selling. So as you can see doing you homework can save you headaches in the future.

I hope this information will help you in all you decision on Go Green. if you have any questions or suggestion for me please leave them in the comment section. I will try to answer them or research it for you.

Living Green Updates

Our Solar System is giving us great power. The electric bills have been down. We have produced 7411 this year. Our lifetime energy is 17,846 kWh. September through February are the lower production months. We live in the Eastern United States and therefore tend to get snow and storms. During the other months the sun is up most of the time and our production is good.
The Other day I was enjoying the sunny weather  outside and I watched the Meter go backwards. Love seeing that!
So far We are pleased with the solar power. As for the RECs, *Renewal Energy Credits, We had to change company's. We are now selling at a fixed rate. So, with the money we get for the RECs we are still spending on a yearly average of 50.00 per month for all our utilities needs.
Lifetime numbers:
lifetime energy is17,846 kWh (Nov 09 to May 12)
We have reduced your carbon footprint equivalent to:
29,616 pounds of CO₂
planting 329 seedlings grown for 10 years.
not driving 29,328 miles in a standard car. 

If you are interested in the type we have and our decision to go solar, please click on the Solar power link under OUR SOLAR PROJECT on the side bar. You will see more on this subject.

Now unto the Going Green Together. Our recycling process. I have to say we are not doing well at the stores. I have back slid some. However I will get back on board  trying to make a difference. I tend to shop more online then in the stores now. We still try to use less plastics at the grocery store. I think I might start having the store deliver to me. That way I will use less gas and bags.
Have notice that we are still at 1 trash can pick up. Might I say it is a normal size can. Most of the time it has only one bag of garbage in it. Also we have more recycles so, doing well on that field.  How are you doing on this Project?

Technology- Good Or Bad

Ever Wonder about all this new technology and knowledge we all are hearing about? Have been watching and reading about all kinds of things lately. New ways to get fitter ( at least new to us). Newly developed technology gadgets. How did we live before them ( It's starting to cloud my mind). Let look at a couple new things.

First off technology, GPS systems. We leased a new car it has a built in GPS (Global positioning system). Now this really isn't new. Our Military and Planes have been using it for decades. However someone thought of the idea of giving us that technology. I remember learning to read a map and learning about those little marker on the highway roads. You know the ones, they tell you what mile you are at on that states road, Very good to know if you need help out there. Well, now days with the GPS on our cell phone and in our cars, we can give the exact spot! not to mention my car with Onstar can relay it even if I can not. So I guess that has freed up some of our brains to learn and store something new. Now do you think this is a good thing? Heck we do not even have to plan out a route anymore, the Google maps and other maps it sights will do that for you. Just think everyone will know where you are at. Parents and get that GPS for there kids phone and tracks them. Technology can be both a good thing and bad idea.

I do like new technology, movies and TV shows off the internet from any smart pad is a great thing. I have been looking into getting a Kindle Fire. Thinking I might like to explore that. Any one have it already?

Smart phones are another oh lets say good and bad technology. I think the family table and togetherness has been great invaded on. Like having the ability to use it, but do not like the texting, nonstop fingers everywhere. Not to forgot to mention the handsfree talkers out in the public forum. It always amazes me how people do not care that they are talk in midair and everyone is hearing their business. Sometime I just want to say "Are you Speaking to Me". that phrase comes in my mind several times in a day. How did we live with only Landlines? I still have one, I know I am just old fashion. However we do have a computer line phone and four Cell phones. So I am not so old fashion.

I think I will wait for later to reveal the health side of this new technology. We are in the midst of learning a lot on that subject.

So I have a few questions for you all. Do you have any of the things mention? Are you thinking good and bad thing about them and last of all....Are you one who talks handsfree out there?

It's been a while-I'm BACK!

Yes I have been caught up in a little Family saga. What's been going on you ask... Well I am trying to size down, Hubby is having Health issues, daughter is now a senior in school, need I say more!

Having a senior is a busy thing. Driving issues, working jobs and school/social events are occupying our time. I am excited for her, We will be looking into colleges pretty soon. We have a Chicago trip plan for April. Then a few more the following months. Her plan is to start out in the local community college and then transfer to a University. Since she is an only child, I think that is a good move. As a parent I have mixed feeling on this. I still see her as my little girl. Laugh every time I see this commercial with the father taking to his daughter as she is off to college in the new car.


Hubby is getting ready for surgery on Tuesday. Then we will have to have another one for the Kidneys. Monday we had 3 doctors appointments back to back. The first one Urology, Kidneys still not making good progress. She stated we will need to schedule surgery, right after the Shoulder one. Next stop the GP, She stated the we need to bridge the Blood thinners to prepare for surgery. That means today we started the Shots. Good thing I have a Nursing background. It helps with giving the shots and recovery. Since this one is a outpatient surgery. Last stop the Cardiologist, Heart looks good, ready to go.

Now we have to have all the test for the surgery. Xrays and blood, we are now in the process of those. Plus he has test ongoing with the urologist. These medical issues are occupying my mind and time greatly.

Now on to my Weight loss process. Doing well, clothes getting bigger and I am feeling pretty good. Starting on Raspberry Ketones to help with my metabolism. Hoping that they will help me pass the Stalemate on the scales. I will surely let you know how they work.

Have been reading up on some Herbals helps and beginning to incorporate them in my daily plan. Hoping they will give me a healthier body.

Now to the Eco part of the blog...

We are looking into replacing the kitchen floor with a new Green floor. I really love the color and texture of it. It has No VOC's and that sounds great to me. At some point In am hoping to have a totally VOC free home. Then just maybe we will retire in a breathe easy home. Need to repaint some rooms, Will start in the kitchen. More on that later. Yes the Spring is just around the corner time for in house projects.

Our Solar power is doing well. This year our Electric Bills have been very low. That is good, giving us more money for the upgrades to ECO friendly things.