Strategic Living for a Joyful, Self Reliant and Healthy Life

What It Means to Fly the American Flag

Earlier this year ago I added a flagpole to my backyard so that I could proudly fly the American flag. Since my home is on a corner lot that borders a walking trail, there are hikers and bike riders that pass by regularly.

An interesting thing happened when my flag first appeared. Some people stopped to salute. Others paused, standing tall, and appeared to undergo some sort of inner reflection. I honestly had no idea there was so much patriotism in a neighborhood filled with mixed political ideologies.

I was and am still thrilled.

These are my thoughts on what it means to fly the American Flag.

DIY Nail Serum for Damaged Nails

By Gaye Levy 4 Comments

I have tired hands. Working hands. Old hands. And it shows.

When I was in my thirties, someone told me that you can always tell a woman’s age by her hands. Looking at my mother at the time, I knew that was true and as I have aged, I am starting to see my own hands become thin-skinned, spotted, and knarled a bit.

I suppose I should consider myself lucky since although I have bumpy arthritic fingers (which can happen at any age), they do not hurt. That said, I have always taken pride in my nails.

I do my own manicures, topping my mid-length nails with a coat of clear nail strengthener. Side note: my toenails are pink but that is another story entirely. Sadly, though, something happened over the summer months and by September my nails were in shambles.

There were severe cracks and ridges that ran the length of the nail and as soon as there was even the tiniest bit of length, they crumbled. Knowing that my eating and nutritional intake from real food was sound, I decided to attack the problem externally using essential oils.

Voila!

My nails are now back to normal with very few ridges and cracks. Even though my hands are not as attractive as they used to be, my nails look great.

Here is the nail serum I came up with. It uses just three, inexpensive essential oils and olive oil. Are you ready to have beautiful nails?

Propane for Preppers 3.0: The Complete Book Part 2

By Gaye Levy Leave a Comment

Shortly after posting Part 1 to Ron Brown’s book, Propane for Preppers, a major pipeline in the US was hit by a cyberattack. This attack resulted from a hack that for close to a week, shut down a system that delivers about 45% of the gasoline consumed on the East Coast. This led to panic buying and shortages at gas stations from Washington, D.C., to Florida.

What a mess!

Whereas that attack affected gasoline, who is to say that the next attack, if it happens, won’t shut down our electrical power grid?

Of course, there are many risks other than a hack attack. This summer, it has already been reported that some states will face grid disruptions due to brownouts and blackouts. Natural disasters occur and there is always the possibility of a massive EMP, whether natural or manmade.

One way or another, we all need to be prepared with a fuel source that will get us through a short-term disruption to our power grid. One of those fuels is propane.

Propane, at the moment, is relatively easy to acquire and while not cheap, is still affordable. With propane, you can boil questionable water to make it safe to drink and add lighting to pitch-black darkness. With propane, you can cook your food and heat your living space. There is a lot you can do with propane in an emergency situation.

I am posting this multi-part series on propane to educate you about the various aspects of propane, including its storage and safe usage. By the time you finish this series, you will be able to use propane with confidence and without fear that you will hurt yourself in the process.