Friends with kids and newborns

This second article from Dear Abby has some great advice:

http://news.yahoo.com/teenager-39-taxi-disgruntled-rider-050007636.html

Thanksgiving and Christmas

Now is not too early to think about Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Prepare your menu, look at your recipes, and start buying things now.  That way you won't get stuck in line, or find out they are out.  Remember, the best way to defrost your turkey is in the refrigerator, and that doesn't happen in a short time.  About.com Southern Food recommends the following:

• 8 to 12 pounds..........1 to 2 days
• 12 to 16 pounds..........2 to 3 days
• 16 to 20 pounds..........3 to 4 days
• 20 to 24 pounds..........4 to 5 days

I f you have waited to the last minute, you can place it in a pan of water.  Make sure your bag is waterproof and allow about 30 minutes per pound:

• 8 to 12 pounds...........4 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds...........6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds.........8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds.......10 to 12 hours

The refgerator method is safest.  


http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/bltrkeyb.htm

Hurricanes

Just a thought on hurricanes.  If you evacuate your house during a hurricane, make sure you turn the gas and electricity off.  This might save your house from burning down.

Why do we fill the bathtub with water during a hurricane?  To flush the toilet in case the water goes out.  You should have plenty of water in bottles too.

If you will mix about a 1/4 lb. of salt with water and fill a couple of milk jugs with it, and keep it in the freezer, your stuff will stay frozen if the electricity goes out.  The salt lowers the freezing temperature of the water so it will keep the temperature below 32 degrees.  If you just put ice in, it will maintain the freezer at 32 and everything you have in the freezer will defrost. 

Foley Catheters

Many men as we pass the age of 50 are likely to have to deal with the problem of prostate enlargement. In fact literature I have read, indicates that it is all but inevitable, so, if you are past 50 and are having any troubles urinating, or start to have to urinate frequently, go see your doctor.

If you are catheterised you can go to these two sites for good information:
http://www.drugs.com/cg/foley-catheter-insertion-discharge-care.html
http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/bladder/foley5_17.pdf

I pass these on, as doctors and or nurses don't always tell you every thing you need to know.

Some additional hints for men:
Trim the pubic hair. This will remove one source of irritation.
Apply hand conditioner to the corona (i.e. immediately behind the glans)the portion where it connects to the the shaft. (this will help prevent itching in circumcised men)
Apply KY jelly to the meatus.
Keep the penis and the tube as clean as possible. This will help prevent infection.

My wife says to remind everyone to keep a flash-light (with good batteries). It is not a bad idea to have one in the dining room and family room as well. This is good for an earthquake, or hurricane or whatever. I will add keep one in your car as well, and if you work in a place with no windows (teachers), have a flash-light where you can find it.

I'll never forget being in the teachers workroom when the electricity went out, with 10 otjher teachers trying to feel our ways to the door in pitch darkness.
Also keep a radio with fresh batteries (unless you can find one of those neat wind up (yes you wind it like a clock and it has a mainspring to run the generator) South African radios.

One more thing, land lines are more likely to work in an emergency.

Conatiners

Buying plastic containers for the kitchen. The store brand (Krogers,Randall's etc.) is usually the best price. The most important thing though is write down the brand, and always buy the same brand. That way if you lose containers or lids, you will always have a match. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to store something when you have multiple brands of containers and lids that do not fit each other. Periodically go through your containers, and if you have lids that don't fit anything, chunk them. Container and no lid, do the same.

Flowers or vegetables

In these trying times, many of us may doubt the wisdom of planting flowers. The solution is a decorative vegetable garden. In the winter we had curley parsley in our decorative herb garden together with sage, thyme and rosemary. Rosemary makes a nice bush on its own, and as long as it is in well drained soil grows excellently in many areas. It will take a hard Houston freeze, and it will take the drought as well. Around the roses we had cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Looked nice and tasted good as well.

So in the spring and summer, why not plant your squash around your roses. We have our row of tomatoes behind the cana lilies. Many hot peppers make decorative plants as well. In the Houston area, as long as they don't freeze, they will grow several years. Just pick the peppers. Have too many. Fill up a wine bottle with several different types and colours and fill with vinegar for a nice slightly different east Texas pepper sauce (traditionally used on veggies, but goo for what ever you want to spice up.) You can also put them in nice bottles for Christmas or birthday presents.