Nearly 20 years ago, we set out to create a self-reliant homestead. Now we produce our own food and our own power, and can tackle whatever craziness this wild world throws at us. If you’re ready take back control from Big Pharma and Big Food and feel confident facing Everyday Emergencies, join us.
Common Sense Home Good News Letter 2/2/25
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"I was brushing my hair the other day and came across one of my "crazy hairs", as I call them. Coarse and grey, sticking out all wild while the hairs next to it were smooth and cooperative. I paused for a moment, considering pulling it out. Then I thought about those I've lost who won't have a chance to have more crazy hairs, and I let it be." I submitted my introduction and first chapter to the publisher this week. Now it's time to celebrate - by writing more chapters. It's a different way of writing than online articles, but hopefully the end product will be worth it. I have to build up new "writing muscles" to speed up my writing so I can tackle more online and off. There are some interesting learning opportunities coming up this month, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you. First up, the Herbal Academy is hosting its first ever Virtual Herbalism Conference February 16-21, 2025. They have a wonderful lineup of speakers, presenting on topics that are extremely timely, such as:
With over 30 world class herbalists, this conference has something for everyone who is interested in learning how to use plant for food and medicine, and connecting back to our roots. You can register to watch for FREE here - https://commonsensehome--herbalismconferences.thrivecart.com/2025-virtual-herbalism-conference/ I was reading more this week about boosting cellular function and energy levels by spending more time outside (in the Good Energy book), and got curious about how much difference there was between inside and outside light. We have large south facing windows because of our passive solar setup, so our house is brighter than most. Rather than buying a lux meter (which measures brightness), I found a phone app that measures it. Not perfect, but close enough for rough measurements. The difference was impressive. Outside on a sunny day, I had readings up to around 150,000. Inside, standing in the sun, it dropped to around 70,000 to 80,000. Still high, but what a difference two panes of glass make. In our home office, which still has a big window, but is on the north side of the house, the reading dropped to around 100. Even on a completely overcast day, the meter read 6000-7000 lux outside (and 20 in my office without the light on). It was yet another reminder to take breaks from writing and get my backside outside. Have you ever checked the brightness in your home? If you have a cellphone, you should be able to find a free app to measure it. Not enough light during the day and too much at night can cause significant health issues. Just taking small steps like more time outside in the morning (and less screen time at night) can help reset our circadian rhythms to improve our sleep quality and overall health. In other news, our honeybees made it through the (hopefully) worst part of the winter. They took advantage of an unusually warm day this week to do cleansing flights and remove a few dead bees from the hive. August V noticed them outside when he was gathering some kindling, and Duncan and watched them for a while to see how they looked. The ladies were landing on the top of the hive and by the hive entrance, sunning themselves and inspecting each other. It's a little too early for pollen here in northeast Wisconsin, but come March, the trees and shrubs should provide a nice buffet. All our best you you and yours, Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan) This week's featured articles...Speaking of bees... whether you want to raise honeybees or welcome native bees, here are five tips to help you create a bee friendly yard. You may have seen advertisements about this "powerful natural pain reliever" - wild lettuce. We skip the hype and share how to identify this wild plant and how to use it safely. Fires, hurricanes, train derailments, and other disasters have become commonplace in the news. August put together a list to help you prepare a bug out bag for emergencies. |
Laurie Neverman @ Common Sense Home
Nearly 20 years ago, we set out to create a self-reliant homestead. Now we produce our own food and our own power, and can tackle whatever craziness this wild world throws at us. If you’re ready take back control from Big Pharma and Big Food and feel confident facing Everyday Emergencies, join us.
"The bright blue of the sky and dazzling sunlight tempted one to believe it was a pleasant day outside, but the cold was so intense that it stole your breath away. Warmer days would come, but winter seemed determined to grab us and shake us like a pup with a favorite toy, refusing to let go." I made liberal use of magnesium cream on my sore back this weekend after three days straight of snow shoveling. I didn't see the list of official snow totals, but the snow is about to mid-calf where it's...
“As the days begin to lengthen, the cold begins to strengthen.” - old time folk saying shared by a friend on February 2nd It appears that the old timers are spot on this year, at least in our area. We have more snow in the forecast for the coming week than we've had all winter, and high temps predicted to be in the teens with lows in the single digits or below zero. (Meanwhile, my southern friends are sharing photos of their spring flowers in bloom.) I'm not exactly looking forward to more...
"Our mainstream medicine culture would have you believe that every illness is best treated with a pill or a procedure. Likewise, mainstream farming practices would have you believe that every pest or disease is best treated with a targeted chemical concoction. If these options work so well, why are more and more chemicals required each year in both industries to achieve the same (or worse) results?"I've been reading and researching for years, looking at trends in food and medicine (and how...