You don't say where you live. I assume its in the south somewhere? Even here in NH its been very hot this past week (in the 90s) and humid. However it did cool down to about 70 at night. We don't have ac because the climate doesn't need it very often, but we do have a whole house fan that we run at night. Its great! The key is the strategic opening of windows so the ww fan will draw cool air all through the house. If a window is open right next to the fan that's where it will draw most the air from so you don't do that. Before the fan we would open the windows as soon as it got cooler out than in, and have fans blowing OUT the upstairs windows, and then close everything down in the morning when it got warmer again. This made a huge difference. Maybe the ww fan would work for you in spring and fall if you live in a very hot place, and save money on ac. It would definitely keep your upstairs cooler since they blow into the attic (also called attic fans). This makes me wonder if your attic is properly vented. Its possible that a po did something that they shouldn't have to your attic vents. OUr house is very well insulated. My dh keeps adding insultation to the attic, and years ago he blew in insulation in the walls. Our heating bill last winter was about $400, with the upstairs kept cool. My moms was $2000 tho for a somewhat bigger victorian house but she keeps her thermostat on 62. We replaced a few windows that were in terrible condition (with wooden windows) but our house is very plain and from the 1920s so not that old. We got 2 over 1 s like the rest of the house and they seem to blend in. I understand what people are saying though. Sometimes you see window replacements and it looks like the soul is gone from the house after. Some folks also object to getting rid of the old weight system windows, but that big gap in the wall where the weight is is an uninsulated weak spot. My dh retrofited many of our old windows so we don't have the weights and he filled the gaps with insulation. I must admit tho that the weight system works great, and I have an easier time opening the windows in which the old system remains. We got interior storm windows which cost about $170 each and they had to be custom cuz the window openings are all slightly different sizes. They are great, but finding a place to store them is a challenge even tho we only take down the ones where we put screens for the summer. They are less expensive than replacement windows, clearly. It did make a big difference in our comfort this winter, and they are a lot nicer than plastic. The other bad thing about them is that they take up some windowsill space and they don't come in very many colors. Good Luck!

Keep advertising flyers printed only one side using typewriter paper to use to write notes, make calculations, etc. The ones written on both sides I save in a grocery bag to put in the recycle bin for fine paper. Got a heavy paper/card flyer, regular office size from a local deli in the mail today - will punch holes in it and use it for subject divider in ring binder. When I get their flyers half that size, glue a store flyer printed one side to them - then can use it to write material that I want to use frequently (e.g. phone numbers, listing of area codes, frequently used web site, e-mail addresses, etc.) on that blank sheet. Newspapers saved in different bundle. Use large sheet of scrap cardboard to build open-top box to organize magazines that I wish to save for future reference, to stand up on bookshelf. Cardboard pie boxes will do the job, as well - but they don't stand alone as well. Need to cover plastic window on inside so doesn't catch on mags with a sheet of (used) printer paper, held in place with a dollop or so of glue. We just had a shot of snow this morning - much earlier than usual. Brrr-r-r-r. With electric baseboard heating (and inadequate insulation in this rented townhouse), I can adjust heat room by room, so keep heat level low in kitchen, where I'm usually moving around. Turned heat up in bathroom yesterday. Keep it rather low in office, as well. Put on winter underwear this morning. When it gets cold I wear a sweater, batting-insulated vest and light jacket. Wear a hat to cover my head (only lightly insulated by hair). Get along O.K. until fingers get cold. My 22 year old Ford van has couple of leaks in roof, small holes in body and major hole in floor. Am getting some body metal, pop rivets to secure pieces that I've cut and shaped, tar to coat the outside under floorboard, fender, etc. and body paste to smooth over new metal to blend in with current body, then can sand and paint. Retrieved several spray cans with a dab of paint left from garbage, a couple of years ago. Several colours - but I plan to use only black and white, thank you. Not really a hard job. Should cost approximately $50. Better than scrapping the vehicle - which looks rather scruffy and some said that I should do four years ago when I did last body job. Takes a lot of materials and energy to build a new vehicle - so I say it's best to run the old ones into the ground. There are some rust spots on the hatch at the back of the 13 year old car, so need to use wire brush in electric drill to clean off rust, then smooth out with body paste, and paint with primer and finish coat. (Don't have right colour paint on hand). If I don't do it soon - I'll have rust holes to deal with. Much more effort required, then. Annual insurance (I don't carry collision coverage, of course) on both costs about 150% of what I paid for the van, 13 years ago. It had around 150,000 mi. on it then - about 190,000 now. Originally used it to deliver corn-fired heating stoves that I used to sell. Anyone know where I can find some hot air? Surely not produced by anyone around here! joyful guy

Carol - Here's the short and long version of the recipe. I have it taped to my bread machine on a 3x5 card. It's our everyday bread, and I also use it for dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, burger buns and hot dog buns. I've also included the long version of the recipe which includes instructions for making it in the bread machine, as well as by hand. I lovingly call the recipe "Mildred Bread". It was based on a recipe my friend, Mildred, got from Pleasant Hill Grain and some input from me. Sponge: 3/4 c. warm buttermilk (I use kefir) 3/4 c. warm water 2-1/2 c. milled whole wheat flour 1/4 t. ascorbic acid 2 t. instant yeast Mix on quick dough cycle for a few minutes. Stop machine and rest the sponge at least 2-1/2-hours. Stir in these ingredients: 1/3-1/2 c. chia seed goop (optional) 2 T. coconut oil (butter or vegetable oil can also be used) 2 T. agave nectar (or honey) 1 egg Add to the top: 2-1/4 c. whole wheat flour 2 t. salt (on top) Process on the quick dough cycle. Remove as soon as the kneading has stopped. Note: I sometimes add 1/3-1/2 c. multi-grain cereal at the add-in beep, and also add 2 T. flaxmeal. ----------------------------------------------------- The long version: 100% Whole Wheat Bread Bread Machine (changes for by hand in italic) Sponge: 3/4 c. lukewarm buttermilk (I use homemade kefir.) 3/4 c. lukewarm water 2-1/2 c. freshly-milled whole wheat flour (Prairie Gold from Wheat Montana is my favorite wheat) 1/4 t. ascorbic acid* 2 t. SAF-Instant Yeast Mix these ingredients in the bread machine pan and set the machine to QUICK DOUGH. As soon as the mixture is well mixed, unplug the machine and allow to sit (with the lid closed) at least 2-1/2 hours or up to 12 hours, or something in between. If you use a red variety of wheat, it will be less acidic-tasting if you use a 12-hour sponge. After the sponge has set, mix these ingredients into the sponge: 2 T. melted coconut oil (or butter or veg. oil) 2 T. agave nectar (or honey) 1 egg (I also add 1/3-1/2 c. chia seed gel. **) Add to the top of the sponge mixture in the pan: 2-1/4 c. freshly-milled whole wheat flour 2 t. salt (on top the flour) Set the bread machine on regular DOUGH cycle and process. Check the dough to make sure it's formed into a nice soft ball and adjust the hydration as needed. My changes: I process the dough in the bread machine until the dough is mixed and kneaded. I don't let it rise in the machine. I place the dough in a dough rising bucket, place the lid on the top and allow the dough to ALMOST rise to double. Whole wheat dough does NOT have the extensibility that white bread dough does, so try not to let it go more than double. Using a dough rising bucket helps you to accurately judge when dough has doubled. Place the dough into a dough rising bucket. It should come up to the 1-quart line. It's doubled when it reaches the 2-quart line. You can get plastic food storage containers (with a tight-fitting lid and graduated measures on the side) at restaurant supply stores (or through King Arthur Flour - aka dough doubler). For this recipe a 2-quart container works perfectly.) After the bread machine finishes the dough cycle (or has doubled in the dough rising bucket), dump the dough onto a Silpat and with oiled/greased hands deflate the dough by pushing it in the middle with your fist then drawing all edges of the outside dough into the middle (turning the dough inside-out so to speak). Divide the dough into portions (I scale the dough for accuracy.) Round each portion (make it into a smooth ball) so that all the gluten strands are going into the same direction. Cover and allow to rest 10-15 minutes so the gluten relaxes. Form dough, pan, cover with plastic wrap for the final proofing - etc.... I make this bread into 3 small loaves (7-1/2x3-1/2-inch pans - 350°F for 20-25 minutes), OR one 1# Pullman Loaf and use the other 1# of dough for 6 pecan rolls OR an 8-inch pan of dinner rolls - sometimes I use a portion of the recipe for hamburger or hot dog buns. A very versatile dough. ------------------------------------------------------ * ascorbic acid powder is available at most health food stores. It's a very important ingredient ANY time you make bread that includes wheat germ (which is in whole wheat flour). There is a substance in wheat germ called Glutathione. This substance breaks down the gluten and can result in a short loaf. The bran in whole wheat bread can also cut the gluten strands which results in a short squatty loaf. The sponge helps to soften the bran. The addition of 1/8 t. ascorbic acid per loaf of bread will counteract the negative effects of Glutathione. It will help prevent the gluten bonds from breaking down and will also help repair gluten bonds that have been broken. The ascorbic acid also helps sustain the leavening of bread loaves during baking. Yeast grows longer and faster when there is also ascorbic acid. Do not add it to sourdough recipes because they are naturally an acidic atmosphere. ** Chia seed gel is a mixture of chia seeds and water (1 part chia seeds to 9 parts water). This mixture thickens as the seeds absorb the water and adds hydration to the crumb of the loaf. It looks like poppy seeds in the bread after it's baked. Excellent nutritional boost and additional fiber. By hand, place sponge ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl and mix the sponge ingredients together with a Danish dough whisk or a wooden spoon and beat the ingredients about 100 strokes. Cover, and allow to sit at room temperature at least 2-1/2 hours. After the sponge is done: add the flour gradually to the sponge mixture using a Danish dough whisk (or wooden spoon) and carefully beat in each addition of flour before adding more. You may end up beating the dough 500-800 strokes, but do as much mixing as you have the strength to do. If you need to stop and rest, that's fine. The rest will allow the dough to hydrate. Towards the end of mixing, add the salt (DON'T FORGET!!!). The gluten will tighten up and make mixing harder after adding salt. The better job you do of mixing the dough and developing the gluten while it's in the bowl, the less time you'll need to knead it. When you knead the dough, avoid adding a lot of bench flour. If you have a problem adding too much flour during kneading, grease/oil your hands during kneading instead - especially during the last 2-3 minutes of kneading. -Grainlady

I'm not sure I'll be much help on this subject since I'm just now decluttering and reorganizing my home. Here's a few little things I'm doing: Since I don't have a regular pantry (I'm going to make one somewhere, someday--lol) I keep all breakfast items in one drawer, like instant oatmeal, grits, hot chocolate, etc. So, I know in a glance what I need and don't buy extras. I just tear off the top of the pkg. and set the whole thing in the drawer. I also keep my ironing supplies on one drawer---irons, spray starch, etc. I actually had to buy a second iron because I couldn't find the first one---before I organized! I took all on my junky paper and cut it into note size, put it in my desk drawer. If I have pretty junky mail, or envelopes, I cut them up to use as gift tags or small note cards. I hate frying bacon, so I bake it now on a rack. It's healthier and I don't have to spend so much time at the stove. I actually baked a pkg. this morning, used it all at once---now, we have bacon for tomorrow. I don't have very many closets, so I'm using decorative tins and hatboxes (I went thru a hatbox-making phase a few years back) for storage of sewing and craft supplies, and anything else that I can't find a place for!!! LOL These things hold a lot, so I may not have to buy any shelves. In my foyer area, I have a narrow table with a mirrow above it. I just cleaned out that drawer in the table----I have a place for car keys (his & hers), gloves, hairbrush, and glasses. Since I wash my hands a zillion times a day, I keep either an old dish detergent bottle or shampoo bottle with soap, water (*and now hand lotion or baby oil mixed in) under the sink to wash hands with. I just saw a Dr. on Tv say that if you wash your hands too much and they're dried out, germs can enter your body thru the cracked dry skin EASIER!! They were talking about the flu viruses. He actually said that rubbing your hands back and forth, creating friction, would kill germs on your hands!! Rub your hands, rub your hands!!!!!!