Duelin’ Deals Blog by Marlaine

I just finished an article concerning diabetes that I did for my brother, Cyclecyco. Our mother had diabetes and so did quite a few of our other relatives – on both sides of the family. I hope that this information is compact enough that those who need quick info find it helpful and easy to read. I did a whole lot of research on the subject and got pretty tired of reading four or five pages of long winded info that bored me in order to get a tidbit or two of real usable help here and there.

Here is the article in its entirety:

How to Treat And Control Diabetes Type 1 & 2

By MarlaineMarie on eHow

Type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin shots. Type 2 diabetes gives you more options for successful treatment, including oral medication, diet and exercise. Eating the right foods can help reduce the need for insulin even in Type 1.

Test your blood sugar often using whatever equipment has been ordered for you. Always take medications as prescribed, whether it’s oral or insulin injections.

Weight reduction can often reduce your medication or eliminate it if you are a boarder line diabetic. Daily exercise stimulates all the organs in the body and helps to reduce weight – of course. The body itself can produce everything you need to be healthy. A daily workout of 15 minutes a day can help get the body right.

Set up a meal plan you can live with and stick to it. Try new foods but pay attention to how they effect you. Have sweet things only as a special occasion treat!

Eat proteins in moderation but try to include some in every meal because they help even out the swing of insulin and glucagon production while countering the surge of insulin that carbohydrates produce. Eat fish, soy protein and poultry over red meats and avoid high fat content. Reduce sugar based things like soda and liquor.

Even fat is major in maintaining your hormonal balance, blood sugar level, increasing your immune system, giving you energy, and helps control hunger by producing a peptide hormone that triggers a sense of fullness 10 to 20 minutes after eating. It also helps give you supple skin, glowing hair and better nails. Eat natural fats – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Avoid oxidized or rancid fats, trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated fats – that are in foods like peanut butters, margarine, non-dairy creamers, some mayonnaise, and deep fried foods.

Carbohydrates are considered sugar by the body and are stored away if not used by physical activity. You need carbs to keep the insulin–glucagon balance. A no carbohydrate diet will cause your insulin level to drop even further. Complex carbohydrates break down more slowly in the digestive tract, causing a less dramatic surge in blood sugar levels – and your brain needs the glucose that carbs produce. So if you are more active – more carbs and vise versa.

Non-starchy vegetables are also important because they contain fiber and important vitamins, minerals, and micro-nutrients your body needs to get and stay in balance.

Foods that significantly help regulate insulin and/or blood sugar:
Apple – beneficial because of its pectin.
Artichoke – contain large amounts of insulin.
Bananas – ripe and baked.
Butter milk – the lactic acid stimulates the pancreas, which produces more insulin.
Yogurt – strong antibacterial and boosts the immune system, while helping the pancreas produce more insulin.
Onions – virtually a cure all. Strong antioxidant and helps the body regulate itself.
Oats and oatmeal – it helps stabilize blood sugar and contains antioxidants.
Broccoli – great source of chromium that helps regulate insulin and blood sugar. It is also another cure all food for many diseases as well. It also has anti-viral and anti-ulcer properties, too.
Legumes – (Fava beans, anyone? Perhaps garbanzo, kidney or lima beans, instead?) beans and soybean products help regulate the blood sugar levels. One half cup a day reduces cholesterol by about 10%.
Garlic lowers blood sugar levels and increases insulin. Highly recommended for diabetics.
Groundnuts – (peanuts) help control blood sugar and a handful a day is recommended.
Grapefruit is excellent because it not only controls blood sugar but can help prevent diabetes in those who are at greater risk of developing it.

Tips & Warnings:
* Even if you have a food or drink you can’t give up – reduce the intake. Savor every bite or swallow – hold it in your mouth and let it linger. You will enjoy it longer – isn’t that the point of eating it? Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
* Oh – and as an added tip – olive oil. Give yourself a facial with it and let it soak in. Your body will absorb the best parts of it and benefit your skin as well! Or do a hot oil treatment on your hair with it! Shower or wash off after 20 minutes.
! This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Consult with your doctor if you are contemplating any major changes such as an new exercise regime.
! No matter what you might eat that regulates insulin and blood sugar, always do the daily blood checks!

One of my first friends on eHow – WriterGig – writes great articles on how to earn money online. She’s published a great book titled, How to Earn Passive Income at eHow.com!

It explains, in detail, how to earn money online by writing for eHow. I have personally seen my income going up every month by leaps and bounds. Even my brother, CycleCyco, has been earning money on his articles without doing much after uploading the articles he’s written. WriterGig can explain it a whole lot better than I can. Her recent blog post headline is:

My Work At Home Mom Blog
Thursday, October 2, 2008 eHow Earnings Just Shy of $900 for September

She is not kidding either! She shows her earnings page on her blog post! It is the legit earnings page I see when I log into my account, too – just not as much income yet! WriterGig – Congrats on your success! That is just a stepping stone to what she will be earning next month and then more the month after that!

One of the first things I learned about websites and making money online was concerning passive income as the best possible way to set up earnings that continue to build. The second thing was the mantra – Content is Everything! The third – Have multiple streams of income to truly make decent money working on the web. I know that eHow is a great way to make money every month.

I did the following article for eHow but today, when I actually noticed that it’s July 14, 2008 – I realized a stunning difference from last year. It’s going to get to 87 or 90 in a day or two and I’m not worried at all! We don’t even have our window air conditioners set up and don’t plan to either! Why? I guess I took my own advice! See the bottom of this article – Step 10 – for the answer!

How to Stay Cool In The Heat

By MarlaineMarie
I’m Melting! I’m Melting!

Summer’s coming. Northern mid-western people get used to being cold. I call it having Winter Blood. We kept the heat down under 60 degrees most for the winter and now it’s getting warmer. 75 is hot? – ha! – or so most of you say. Our tips to stay cool as we acclimate may just help the rest of you all summer! After all, during spring here in Wisconsin, we can have temperatures of below 40 degrees Fahrenheit one night and over 80 degrees the next day. It’s hard to adjust.

Things You’ll Need:

* Need to notice things that generate heat.
* Ice cubes in the freezer – make extra and store in a half gallon container of some kind.
* Blinds or shades on the sunny sides of your home.

Step1
First of all, pay attention to things in your home that generate heat. That satellite dish or cable box could be throwing an awful lot of heat. Light bulbs throw heat too – remember those easy bake ovens? They used just one light bulb to bake a cake! Even your scanner’s plug in point could be throwing a lot of heat. Check everything and if you aren’t using it, and it’s not inconvenient to unplug it – pull the plug! Turn off lights that you aren’t using. Get a good sun sensor night light that will only turn on when it’s dark if you need a bit of light somewhere. Definitely turn off the computers over night so they can cool down, along with the room they are in. This will also save on your energy bill!

Step2
When you go to bed at night, pull the shades or blinds on the sides of your home that get hot in the morning. The sun comes up in the east and sets in the west – of course but as the seasons change, the sun may move a bit more north and south depending on where you live. Pull the shades down on other sides before the sun shifts to those sides. Keep the windows closed on the hot sides – hot air coming in doesn’t cool anything down. If you have a couple really hot windows, consider getting some white insulated poster board for crafting projects and just slip it between the glass and blinds before the hot hours – it reflects the suns rays and blocks incoming heat. Try to use light colored window treatments for the part closest to the windows. Think about planting a tree or high bushes, (far enough from the house so the roots don’t cause problems with the house’s foundation), that would shade the windows in a few years.

Step3
To keep the kitchen cooler, plan meals that can be microwaved or made the night before without using the oven. I will be putting up “Mom’s Tuna Salad” recipe soon and a variation I came up with because my husband doesn’t care for tuna. If you make enough of the whole meal salad for a couple of days, think of it as a day without either oven running (stove or micro) and a day off from cooking! If you want to make something you can’t microwave – try to make it on a burner instead of in the oven. The burner throws less heat and – saves on your energy bill, too!

Step4
One of the points that your blood constantly circulates through is at your wrists. It takes about 3 minutes for all your blood to pass through those points and putting some wrapped ice there will cool off your whole body by lowering your core temperature and the effect will last for an hour at least. You can also fix a bucket of ice water to put your hand in. Never use ice directly on your skin because it can cause damage. The relief is almost immediate. Use this technique if someone is suffering from heat stroke! You can also make yourself a cooling foot bath – it’s amazing how much cooler we feel when our feet are cool. If your tap water doesn’t come out cold, add some ice cubes to the foot bath. Not too cold or you may get the shivers!

Step5
Spray yourself with water! Take a quick, cool shower and don’t towel off. Let your clothes soak up the water and then let the damp clothes help keep you cool! Use a spritz bottle of clean water on your face and arms and let it dry naturally. Get your shirt wet before you put it on – at least the sleeves.

Step6
Drink lots of water even if you’re not thirsty! You have to replace what you lose from perspiration to prevent dehydration. Adding ice will also help cool you off but if it’s too cold, your body will use more energy bringing it up to your body temperature so it can be used which increased your core temp. Avoid lemonade, iced tea, and other sugary drinks but especially avoid alcohol if you are feeling over heated.

Step7
Your body releases a lot of it’s heat through the soles of your feet, the palms of your hands, and your scalp. Keeping these areas cool makes a surprising difference – so take off the hats unless you are in the sun. Go barefoot if you can. Hold a glass of iced something instead of setting it down on a table and let the condensation drip on your skin.

Step8
If it’s really bad, use a quart freezer bag of some kind and fill it with ice. Dampen a washcloth and wrap it around the bag. Use this on your face, forehead and neck, moving it around for a while and then hold it on your wrist for as long as you can stand it – up to three minutes. Then use it on your ankles and shins ——— ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ——- you’ll feel much cooler soon. Repeat as often as you want and where it feels the best.

Step9
Extra note – June 2, 2008……… I had a “feeling” before we went to bed last night and closed all the windows in the house. When I took out our dog this morning, it was over 85 degrees outside. It was only 74 in the house with only one fan going. In the cooler hours of the night, we put a fan in the window to pull in the cool air and, now that I know it’s getting warmer, we close the windows before it starts getting hot out.

Step10
Extra Added Note! July 14, 2008. We had a flood early in summer and I’ve had one box fan running on medium constantly to help dry things up in the basement. I can not tell you how surprising the side benefit has been! With it running quietly in that big basement, the air has been pushed up the air ducts and into our living area. Any one with a basement knows it’s always cooler down there. It’s been acting like a central air conditioner! We’ve had 90 degree days but never uncomfortable enough – even at night – to turn on the air conditioner! We close the windows before we go to bed, especially if it’s going to be humid the next day, and run only a couple of fans. (You can feel when it’s starting to get humid!) One box fan is placed near a floor register and points to our computer room across the hall. It is amazing!

Here’s another extra great tip – half fill a saved bottled water bottle with water and freeze it. Later, fill the rest of the way for a great, long lasting bottle of ice water! Slip the bottle into a thermal cup when not sipping to keep it cooler longer!!!!!!

Tips & Warnings
* If you fill a tall glass with ice cubes and blow into it with it pointed toward your face, the forced air will cool you down like an air conditioner.
* It’s better to acclimatize yourself to the heat rather than staying in air conditioned rooms. Then it’s not as shocking to go outside when you have to go somewhere.
* Keep drinking lots of water or something with electrolytes in it to keep your body hydrated.
* Eat lighter and smaller amounts of food at one time.
* When it’s really hot, avoid heavy physical work if possible – try to do things later when it’s cooler.
* Putting a bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan really works!
* As the season changes, hold off any cooling techniques as long as possible to let your body start to acclimate.
* If your body temperature goes above 104 °F (40 °C), it is a life-threatening situation. If it goes up to 113 °F (45 °C), you definitely need to get help or call 911.
* If you can’t sweat but your temperature is high, call 911!
* Using a paper fan with your hand can actually raise your body heat – so don’t!.

Just like using humidity in the winter to allow your heater or furnace to work more efficiently, humidity in the summer increases the discomfort levels. Fans help dry the air when the humidity is high.

There has been a lot of torrential rain throughout the Midwest. Many people are going through major clean up right now – including Brad and I, and my brother, who lives farther up north in Wisconsin.

We have been drying up our basement and I find myself sniveling over stupid things sometimes. Most of our precious things are upstairs where they are safe and dry but not everything fit up there. I put lots of stuff in the basement because the inspector told us that the house was sound when we bought it. It still is – the problem was the sump pump getting burnt out from over work! So as I clean and sort down there, I see bits and pieces of my past that can not be saved. I suppose the argument is – maybe it’s for the best.

No matter – the point is that there are a lot of things to do to avoid getting hurt or sick. One thing I have to add at the moment is that I slipped in a wet area and broke my little toe – just dang thankful that I didn’t get hurt worst! But today is a sit down and recover day and I would like to post the article I put on eHow here to possibly help others clean up safely and quickly! Below is a photo of my brother’s area – the house with the white roof is my brother’s place and that ice blue car is his Corvette. A little bit of his garage is showing through the trees behind his house – where is Harley was when the flood rose. Even if he could have gotten it out of the garage, there was no where to push is quickly to save it from the water! Read his eHow article – Cyclecyco – about how to get a motorcycle running after being submerged.

How To Clean Up After A Flood!

Cautions!
When most of the area is effected, it’s likely you will have to work alone or with a family member or two because everyone is busy cleaning up. The following are cautions that could save your life!
* Never step into water unless you are sure it is not live with electricity!
* Wear rubber soled shoes even while walking around in damp areas.
* Wait until the water recedes if possible before starting your clean up.
* Avoid riding, driving or walking through a flooded area because you can’t be sure what is under the surface.
* Call in a professional electrician or power company representative to remove fallen lines in your yard or fix suspect circuits in your home.
* Work with the assumption that the water is contaminated and any food that’s been touched by it should be thrown out.
* Wash any clothes that have gotten wet.
* Realize that rodents, snakes, and other small creatures may be dead or trapped in your basement or other areas like your garage. Make noise to scare off the live ones and wear protective gloves to pick up any dead ones.
* Do not run any electrical appliances that might be wet or damp – unplug anything that might have been in water and let dry thoroughly before using it or even testing it. Thoroughly means days! If you aren’t sure, really deep six it!
* Don’t use any lighters or sparking devices if there is any possibility of a natural gas leak.
* Take any rugs or carpeting outside ASAP to either hose down and dry, or dispose of.
* To avoid further damage to wooden furniture – let it dry in the shade outside or in a dry room in the house because the sun’s fast drying could warp the wood.
* Once the water has receded, and the flooring is relatively dry, turn wet furniture upside down if possible.
* Once the flooring is relatively dry, set up a fan – off the ground – and let it help dry out the area. Set it up on top of a high-impact plastic crate or wire basket and drape all cords up high.
* Use a light bulb adapter to convert the overhead bulbs into electrical sockets so you can plug things in up high where it’s dry.
* Use plant hooks in the ceiling beams of your basement or high on the walls so you can drape extension cords up high out of any possible dampness or future water seepage.
Step2
Cleaning up:
* As soon as the flood waters recede start cleaning up and drying out.
* When cleaning up moldy areas, make sure the area is well ventilated and get moldy items outside as soon as you can.
* Remove any sediment. Hose down whatever you can outside.
* Wash dirty or moldy materials with non-phosphate
all-purpose cleaners.
* If you have a HEPA filtered vacuum, use it in moldy areas. Do not use a regular vacuum cleaner because it will spread the mold spores throughout the area.
* Disinfect areas and materials after cleaning as much as you can first to help the effectiveness of the disinfectant.
* Make a disinfectant using 1/2 – 1 cup household chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Put in a spray bottle to treat walls and floors.
* Use a disinfectant cleaner, such as Pine Sol, mixed about 1 part disinfectant to 3 parts water and use in a spray bottle.
* Do not use the air conditioning system because it can spread mold and dust contaminants.
* Wear a dust mask, goggles and protective clothing on legs, arms, feet and hands while cleaning up debris. Rubber gloves are best for picking up things that might be contaminated. Be sure to wash your hands and face frequently!
* Be aware that houses built in the ’70s and earlier may have lead-based paint.
Step3
Drying up:
* The quicker you can get things dried up the better! It will prevent rot and mold.
* Speeding up the drying process will save a great deal of your wood and prevent structural damage.
* Remove wet insulation and discard, but do not replace insulation or any other coverings until wood frames are dried out as much as possible.
* Move things around out of damp spots if possible and keep moving things around to insure everything gets dried out.
* Set up a couple of fans to keep the air moving and drying!
Tips & Warnings

* Since I am in the process of cleaning up our basement, I will be adding things as I find out about them myself.
* Please be careful and work safe!
* A friend of mine on eHow, named Grouch, suggests using baking soda to help control the odors.
* I have noticed that when I make the stronger solution of disinfectant and water in a spray bottle, if I spritz it in front of the fan in the direction of the air flow, it’s like spraying air freshener without all the whatevers in it! It also gets the disinfectant around the room fast!
* Most of this article is basically warnings. Do watch children – they think it’s a great time to play in water and have fun but it can be very dangerous. Under water things like planks or unseen obstacles can knock a child down and push them under. Please keep an eye on any child out there – even if they aren’t yours!
* Keep in constant contact with anyone who is disabled or older. Check in with them every few hours.
* Please be careful if you are going through flood damaged rooms, especially in older homes. The structural integrity of the walls could be weakened, so listen for any unusual creaking.
* Be prepared to get out ASAP! Not all danger is obvious or apparent!

One of my friends at eHow – The Don – suggests renting an industrial dehumidifier and that does sound like a great idea! They might be expensive to run on a regular basis but what you would save in goods and foundation stability would be well worth it!

To everyone – be safe and dry. Work with care no matter what you may be doing.

Gypsy’s philosophy:
When the Purple Porkie attacks…..

Don’t let it out of your sight, even when it pretends to be sleeping!

As you must have noticed, I write a lot about recipes, especially on MarlaineMarie on eHow. What you don’t know is that when I worked in restaurants and supper clubs, I lost weight. Working constantly with food really takes the craving out of it! That same attitude really works when you try to diet but the opposite undermines every diet. The more you deny yourself certain foods, the more you want them. When on a diet, letting yourself have a favorite food now and then helps keep you on course!

Just an added note – I have quit worrying about my weight but want to lose some – it’s dropping nice and slow. My husband doesn’t care about his weight either but he isn’t trying to lose any weight. He is not exactly used to my cooking yet, poor dear, because even after two years he still loves every meal I make.

Here is the article I wrote for eHow:
How to Kick Your Appetite To The Curb

Don’t think of it as dieting or losing weight – just park your appetite and rev your attitude. Just like many things in life, you have to want to do this – no one can make you lose weight! Studies show that kids who are allowed to eat what and when they want, level out naturally in body weight – so don’t stomp on that brake! Put your weight on cruise control and enjoy the journey.

You need to make up your mind to just be reasonable about what you eat! That’s all!

First of all, stop worrying so much! Many of us eat because we are fidgety, bored or unhappy. Be aware of when and what you are eating but don’t obsess. Focus on things you like about yourself and forgive the stuff you don’t like. Don’t worry about the Food Police pulling your over to give you a ticket either!

Eating protein will slow down your hunger! Start your day with some protein or snack on protein and you’ll be less hungry! Hard boiled eggs or cottage cheese does work! Sugary cereal, donuts, or even English muffins, only revs up your energy and drives up your appetite!

Work on brain projects when you’re hungry! Give yourself something else to think about other than food. Play a computer game that you can’t drag yourself away from or get into a really good crafting or woodworking project – something that keeps your hands and brain busy!

Avoid the smells of yummy foods! Your brain reacts to the smells of your favorite foods just as it does to the taste in your mouth when you are eating! While at work, if someone is using the microwave and it smells too good, use air freshener or go outside if there isn’t a fast food place you can smell nearby.

Don’t have things close at hand that you can’t resist! If people around you insist on having things on your off limit list of foods, either get them to buy only what they will eat in a day or only buy enough for them if you have to buy the groceries. Make what tempts you hard to get by putting the most tempting foods or drinks way out of reach like in another room or another floor.

You heal while you sleep and that includes allowing your body to produce the optimal chemicals that you need for everything. Studies show that if you don’t get enough sleep, hormonal fluctuations occur that increase your appetite.

Every time you eat, make it a real meal – not a snack. Sit down, use a plate, look at the food as you eat it, and notice every bite you take. Don’t eat while you drive, while you read, or while you talk on the phone – pay attention to what you are eating!

Eat whatever you want to eat but don’t heap up your plate. Don’t get a second helping.

Eat when your stomach rumbles – not when your brain mumbles.

Tips & Warnings
* Tell yourself that every time you feel really hungry in between meals, you are probably losing weight!
* Imagine yourself 10 or 20 pounds lighter – even if you need to lose a lot more.
* Eat the things you love – denial leads to the need to make it up to yourself and probably a whole lot more of whatever it was you were denying yourself!
* Don’t beat yourself up when you overeat. That eating binge will run out of gas, especially if you allow yourself to have one once in a while! Just restart that engine and drive on until you get to where you want to go!

Good Luck and Great Life to All!

Well here we go……….. care for your hair! I do have long, naturally blond hair. My mother kept telling me that by the time I was twenty, I would have to dye my hair because it would be so plain, like hers had been. She was a bit off on that prediction – I must say! Some kids called me albino in school but it wasn’t really that light! Never the less, I had a lovely shade of auburn all picked out and I really couldn’t wait ’til I needed it! I just love dark red hair!

I’ve devised a lot of tricks for my hair to make it as absolutely easy as possible to care for because I just am not the kind to fiddle with hair! I usually do something with it in the morning when I get up and that is about it. If it’s hot, I put it in a bun or a clip and if it’s cold, I use it like an extra scarf or tuck it around my neck in a hooded sweatshirt. When I don’t have the enthusiasm to brush it, I still use that hooded sweatshirt to get Gypsy out – and hide the mess! The rest of the time, I just let it hang.

I’ve done an article for eHow about this………..

How to Have Long, Healthy Hair!

I can’t help but think of Thing in the Adams family when I see my hair sometimes. I used to brush it all the time. It was always wavy but on the dry side. I stopped using a hair dryer for a few reasons.

First… I was with relatives for a month and forgot it. When I saw how much better my hair was, I decided not to use it unless it was an emergency.
Second…. I was in a car accident that chopped a lot of my hair off and left me with about 20 stitches in my head. My mom cut my hair short and I couldn’t even wash my hair for a while with those stitches in there.
Third…. I just don’t like fiddling with my hair.
Fourth… my best friend and I spent a lot of time going swimming one summer. I noticed that my hair went into ringlets when I didn’t brush it after it was wet!
Fifth…. It’s just so much easier!

But the main reason is that I don’t like fiddling with my hair.

Here are a few tips that I didn’t mention in the article:

While washing your hair, never use your fingernails on your scalp. The scratches cause wounds on your scalp, which leads to itching which leads to damaged follicles. Massage your scalp with your fingertips instead to promote growth.

Use a towel to blot out excess moisture from your hair rather than rubbing with the towel. The friction from rubbing can make your hair brittle. Or squeeze out the moisture with your hands without wringing it or pulling it.

When you wash long hair, don’t suds it up by piling it on top of your head and swirling it around. That only causes more tangles. Apply shampoo to your hands and then to your scalp. Lather by massaging small areas. You don’t need to suds up the entire length of hair – it’s mostly the scalp that needs the dirt and oils removed. The rest will rinse away with the soap.

Those anti frizz potions never worked in my hair and in fact, always made the problems worse. I have a specific spray bottle that I kept after using a coupon to get the hair care product for nearly free. It was good stuff – but not worth buying again for my hair. I pour in about three or four tablespoons of whatever conditioner I am using and fill it up the rest of the way with water.

Then I shake it up. I spritz my hair with it when it seems really dry or straight and use my hand to smooth it into my hair.

During the summer, I add about a tablespoon of baby oil to the bottle with conditioner and water. This formula is based on a show sheen product a horse breeder told me about. It makes your hair really shine without getting really greasy. It also makes my hair curl even more. The oil protects my hair from the drying sun a little bit, too.

Use hand lotion to tame those static days! Just use lotion as usual, except add a bit more. Run your hands over your hair to smooth it where you want it to go. It will add shine and keep your hair where it belongs. You can use your regular conditioner the same way.

Don’t wear those baseball caps! It wears your hair down like a dog collar that’s too tight. Have you ever seen a dog’s neck that’s been wearing one? The hair is rubbed very thin. A cap or bandanna does the same thing! Your hair needs air, too, to let the sweat evaporate.

To help encourage hair growth, here’s something that feels great especially when someone else does it for you. Combine an egg and about a quarter cup olive oil, whipping together with a fork. Warm the oil in the microwave first if you like but not too warm. Massage this into the scalp with your fingertips – never use the nails. Do this treatment once a week. The scalp massage facilitates healthy hair growth by stimulating the blood supply to your scalp. The egg adds protein and the olive oil adds moisture. An inch of an aloe leaf can be scraped off the skin, mashed, and added to the mixture. Wash hair about an hour later.

Here’s for fun…. dye your hair with Koolaide. Add a non-sugar packet to a cup and a half of water. Leave it in for 15 minutes. Rinse and then let it dry. Great for Halloween!

Ok – I have resisted this subject because I was raised in a dog kennel. Yes……… sigh. One of the actual dog runs had my name printed over the door. My mom had an AKC German Shepherd kennel and I was raised with them — litter – allie …… I knew what woof meant before I knew “Mama”. I am very attuned to dogs, even though I love all creatures. So house training a pup is pretty easy to me and I decided to try to put it into words for eHow. I wrote the following article…

How to House Train Your Puppy Quick and Easy!

The very best way to house train your pup is to set aside the first few days to be with your pup. If you have a three day weekend or just take a couple of days vacation before or after a weekend, plan to pick up your pup ASAP on the way home when your time off starts!

Things You’ll Need:

* Patience
* A sharp eye
* Paper towels and disinfectant to clean up at first – if necessary!

Step 1:
Before taking your pup into the house for the very first time, take him or her for a walk in the area that they can use to do what they must! Play with them a bit until they go. Praise and pet them, saying, “Good *name*” or “Good boy/girl” after they are done. Think happy, too. They can read your body language and facial gestures well!

Step 2:
Understand that your pup will need to go at least every two hours. Even if they don’t have to, they need the chance to go! Whether they seem to need to or not, take them OUTSIDE – or wherever you want them to go. No matter when they nap, take them out immediately when they wake up! This is a major step in understanding when a pup needs to go. Cuddle them and carry them outside. Talk to them encouragingly until they relieve themselves. Praise them every time they finish going.

Step 3:
One of the keys to house training success is to watch your pup to know when they start looking around for a place to go. Don’t let their playing with a friend interfere with your “radar”. Know your pup and watch what they do before they go because it is THE signal that they need to go. Usually they will sniff and circle a little.

Step 4:
Take them outside before they eat! Give them about half an hour after they eat and take them out again. Watch when they drink water and know that water will have to come out relatively soon. You will soon know how long it takes for your specific pet in a day or two. If you just throw them into a kennel for a few hours or lay newspapers, they will take much longer to understand the difference between inside and outside relief areas.

Step 5:
Set an alarm to take the pup out at least once over night or keep the pup on the bed with you so you can feel him or her moving. (This might only be necessary the first couple of nights!) I have house trained all my dogs without using newspapers on the floor or on their butt. When I have a pup in the house, I am a very light sleeper.

Step 6:
The day I got Boo Boo, I sustained a severe leg injury and had to sleep on the couch. Even while on crutches, he was house trained within two weeks! He slept on my chest the first few days on my beautiful velvet couch – without incident! The house training usually takes about 2 weeks if you are “in tune” with your pup.

Step 7:
Just an added tip, if you have other pets, rub something of theirs on your pup and rub something with your pup’s scent on your other pets, in their areas, and on their things to let both sides “get to know each other” from a distance – at least in the beginning.

Step 8:
Don’t let your pup gnaw on your other pets until it is understood between all that it’s just play.

Tips & Warnings

* You don’t have to swat you pup when they have an accident. Put their nose close to the offense (if there is one) and say sharply, NO! Then take them outside – immediately. Either have someone else clean up the mess or put paper towels over the mess, quickly, stepping on the towels to soak up more but get the pup out ASAP. Do not let much time go between the no and the go outside.
* Even if you have to leave the mess longer than you like, if you get the pup out faster, there will be less incidents to clean up in the long run.
* Be consistent with your training – any training! Don’t let them chew one of your shoes one day and not let them chew another shoe a different day!
* If the pup is taking a long time to house train, remember it is up to you to notice or realize that the pup has cycles like you do. Most pups want to please you but if you don’t let them know what you want, they probably won’t be able to guess, even if they are more intuitive than we are.
* Puppies can not hold it very long – just like babies!

Some of the pics in the article are of dogs and times long gone and it saddened me, yet warmed my heart, to think of them and the wonderful times I had with them. My Mom bred German Shepherds for show and our highest count of dogs living with us at one time was 48. I was never impressed with the shows but understand that it is because of those devoted breeders that we have such beautiful creatures, no matter what breed is our favored type of dog. I and my brother both have German Shepherds ingrained into our psyche so strongly that neither of us want to own anything but German Shepherds. That’s what happens to the kennel kids of breeders – I guess. My day started out getting out to the kennels to give them a good clean and as soon as I got home from school, it was the same chore. In spite of allllllllllllllllllll that hard, heavy work, I loved the dogs with all my heart. Each and every one still has a special place in my memories, and each is able to pull a sad longing for their company.

I’ve also personally experienced how holding a cat can sooth a jittery mind and ease pain. I went through a tooth infection and the cat in the pic with Gypsy, Spank, somehow worked up a ritual or habit of getting me to let him sleep under my jaw at night. I call him my pillow pal. Even though that tooth ache hurt like the dickens, Spank’s quiet but constant purr under my jaw was like a gentle rub and I’d ease into sleep. I don’t know how many times that dear cat has sensed my sadness over a loved one or pains from my injuries – but he’s let me soak him with tears probably 100 times or more. (Not only that, I’ve spilled water on him from trying to get a drink of water over night and he patiently lets me wipe it up using one of the paper towels I keep nearby.) They say cat purring can heal bones – and I believe it. I broke my wedding ring finger and he pretty much slept on it every night since I hold him with that hand while he sleeps under my chin……….. smiling……….. the knuckle is only a bit bigger than it used to be now, three years later, but at first it was hugggggggge! Wish he could have slept on my big toe after I dropped a very old and very heavy fan on it – squashed my toe and cracked bones in my foot. That was 8 years ago and the toe is still weird!

Birds are also a wonder to own – if you get over the cleaning you have to do. When they give you their trust and love, you have truly earned something amazing!

All creatures can be great friends.
Returning love and loving is never a waste!

Below is my most missed old Moose, Lew.
Lowaka Of Rathman.
My protector.

I am not a die-hard, run-around-in-a-cheese-head-hat Packer fan but this opening news page on Yahoo Sports makes me sad, yet incredibly proud of Wisconsin’s all-time most unbelievable football quarterback, Brett Favre…….

Brett Favre retires after 17 seasons

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN (TICKER) —Brett Favre has decided to end his legendary NFL career.

Favre informed the Green Bay Packers that he will retire after 17 record-setting seasons, the team announced Tuesday.

The Packers confirmed Favre’s retirement, which was first reported by FOXSports.com, in a written statement by general manager Ted Thompson.

“Brett Favre has informed us of his intention to retire from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL,” Thompson said. “He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms – not many players are able to do that.”

Aside from compiling a Hall of Fame resume, Favre built a legacy as one of the game’s most dynamic leaders.

A Mississippi native, Favre possessed one of the strongest throwing arms in NFL history and became one of the most revered players in the storied tradition of the Packers franchise.

“The uniqueness of Brett Favre his personality, charisma and love of the game undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history,” Thompson said in the statement.

Favre, 38, had flirted with retirement during the past two offseasons. Many expected him to call it quits after a disappointing 2006 season, but Favre saw encouraging signs in the Packers’ rebuilding and said he wanted to return.

Favre’s decision was justified by an outstanding season, as the Packers went 13-3 en route to the NFC North Division title and an appearance in the conference championship game.

Along the way, Favre enjoyed one of the finest individual seasons of his storied career, passing for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns while posting a quarterback rating of 95.7 – best in 11 seasons.

During the course of the season, Favre also etched his name into the NFL record book, becoming the league’s all-time leader in passing yards (61,655 yards), touchdown passes (442), and career wins (160).

But the magical campaign ended in disappointing fashion in the NFC title game, when the Packers suffered a 23-20 overtime loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

The heartbreaking loss was especially sour to Favre, whose last pass was intercepted by Giants cornerback Corey Webster.

“The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude,” Thompson said. “He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever.

“Brett’s many accomplishments on the field are legendary. He leaves the game holding virtually every career passing record, plus his consecutive starts streak, which may never be duplicated.”

The only three-time MVP in NFL history, Favre is the league’s all-time leader with 5,377 career completions. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Favre has started 253 consecutive regular-season games for the Packers, a streak that dates to September 27, 1992.

Acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on February 10, 1992, Favre led the Packers to a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in the 1997 Super Bowl, the franchise’s first title in 29 years.

The MVP in 1995 and 1996 and co-winner of the award in 1997, Favre has five seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards and eight campaigns with at least 30 TDs.

While my Aussie hub says that our football and the way it’s played (sans padding and protective gear) is nothing compared to the high impact of Australian football, I’d have to say that Brett Favre would have been great in any game he chose to play. He struggled in the early years with the Green Bay Packers and I remember a period during the first years when it wasn’t sure if the Packers were going to trade him or not. Brett also overcame some serious personal problems with courage and honor. Favre had biggggggggg shoes to fill, too – Bart Starr! At the start, everyone was linking the two names, hoping that Favre just might be close to Starr’s caliber.

Starr’s honors include 16 years as a Packer Quarterback, a three time Most Valuable Player – once as a Green Bay Packer MVP in 1966 and MVP of Super Bowls I and II, a lifetime record of 57.4 percent completed passes and he lead the Packers to five NFL titles and two Super Bowl Championships. When Starr retired, he stayed on as the Packer’s head coach from 1975 to 1983 and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1977. (Today Bart Starr runs Healthcare Realty Management and is Co-Founder of the Rawhide Boys Ranch an organization that helps troubled boys.)

And there then was the legendary Vince Lombardi!

Our Green Bay Packers have had really great role models. Looking up to someone and emulating their ways is a wonderful way to set goals and a course in life for any person. I have a feeling that Brett Favre isn’t going to just fade away now – I feel sure that he has even more greatness coming. Good luck Brett! You are one heck of a guy!

To Bart Starr – Thank you for giving so much of yourself to others. Your Rawhide Boys Ranch does such wonderful stuff for kids! Hugs to you!

Since Identity Theft is becoming more and more prevalent, I’d like to help by giving some tips to protect yourself. This article is also published on eHow, along with an ever growing list of articles on various subjects on my page – MarlaineMarie.

Here are 7 great ways to help you protect yourself against this growing threat…

Make sure you shred or cut up all paperwork with your personal information on it before you throw it away. Use a dark marker and/or a pen to black out the file numbers and account numbers even before you cut it up. There are people out there who are experts at putting jigsaw puzzles together. When cutting up a credit card, cut through the numbers a few times and don’t put all the pieces in one trash bin! Just breaking or cutting a credit card in half is not enough!

Don’t give your personal information out over the phone, in an email or over the net unless you absolutely know who you are talking to. Ask for hard copy information to be sent to you if it is a legal & binding agreement – everything should be in writing.

Keep personal information in a safe place, especially if you have roommates, have a lot of company coming and going, are having work done inside your house, or have regular services done within your home such as housecleaning, etc. Get a lockable file cabinet or desk – or rent a safe deposit box.

Don’t use passwords that anyone could guess like birthdays, pets’ names, family names or favorite things. If everyone knows you plaster your space with hearts – well, you get it……..

Do Not click on links in emails from people you don’t know or do not recognize. Don’t fill out forms that the links open up to either, if you couldn’t resist clicking the link. Email spoofing is pretty easy to do for some people, too, so don’t believe it when you get an email from the President of the United States unless you do business with him regularly. In other words, if someone sends you an email and you are shocked to learn you’ve won 10 million dollars if you click HERE – don’t – because you haven’t!

Don’t use your Social Security number as an ID! Memorize your number and do leave home WITHOUT your card. Do not write your number on your personal checks and do not have your phone number printed on your checks unless it is a business number. You can always write your phone number on your check if you have to but that pimply checkout clerk doesn’t need to be able to call at 3am if they are so inclined.

Protect your computer with firewalls, anti-spy ware, and anti-virus programs and keep them updated automatically if possible. Having more than one anti-virus program is a plus because sometimes, one does not catch what another one might. Even if you have only one computer, running it through a router is a great idea, especially if you have DSL. You can find great free programs on the Duelin’ Deals Free Stuff page.

Extra Tips & Warnings

* Familiarize yourself with scams and cons that are currently floating around on the net…. start with the link to the Federal Trade Commision, but do a Google for the newest scams.
* Be careful who you deal with on the net! Brenda in Florida could be Bruno from Hell in reality!

I have been writing articles for eHow – a How To Do Just About Everything kind of site. So far I have been doing recipes but just finished an article about getting someone in Customer Service when you call a company for whatever reason. I will get into lots of other subjects as time goes on. Check out my first articles at MarlaineMarie please and rate them if you think they are worth it. I’ve been trying to simplify everything as much as I can. Those who know me, especially on Marlaine’s Musings, know I can really talk, talk, talk! Smiling! For some reason, I seem to be stuck on doing rice recipes on eHow. I – personally – love buttered plain rice. Shrugs – I don’t know why! It’s plain and bland. Must be a past life thing! One of my favorites is making making a hamburger and putting it on top of left over rice. When Brad wants hamburgers for dinner, I make his the traditional way and put them on nice onion hard rolls. If I have left over plain rice, I heat it in the microwave and put my hamburger on top of it. Again, shrugging, even I don’t know why I like it.

We usually buy a package of good buns or hard rolls at our grocery store and usually use two or three from the 8 pack. I almost always put the rest in the freezer as soon as I’ve used what we need. If they are hard rolls, I usually leave the package on the baker’s rack a day or two. If they are hamburger buns, I put them right in the freeze. For some reason, when you put bread in the refrigerator, they go through a change of taste – they end up tasting stale fast. I think the fridge dries them out too much too quick, even through the wrapping. (Of course, I dry herbs in paper bags in the fridge on purpose so I know the fridge does dry things out fast!)

I had to call Dish Network today. We signed up for a deal about 18 months ago and it was just a waste of money for us. When we signed up, we were told the equipment would be ours but the price of the receiver would have to be paid but the next month they would credit us with a refund. Once I canceled after the promotional period was over, they told me that I’d have to pack up the receiver, remotes, and some dothingy up on the roof and send all of that back! I called them to complain about having to get on top of the roof when we’ve had record snow fall – and hey, why do I have to send back the receiver since I was told when I signed up they would be ours? The Customer Representative kindly told me it was part of the agreement we had when we signed up. Yeah but they were also going to send 10 coupons for free DIGIORNO pizzas as part of our agreement and we never got those either! They also charged us an extra $5 a month because we DIDN’T have a second TV hooked up to the receiver too! They used to charge to have a second TV hooked up. Once the guy installed the Dish Satellite on the roof, our deal was set and if we cancelled, we’d still have to pay for 18 months whether we watched it or not! Believe me, we are so dissatisfied with Dish Network that we will NEVER get it again! I was very happy to call and cancel a couple weeks ago. That Customer Service Rep told me that a lot of people are canceling lately. Hmmmmmmmm………… wonder why.

After the chat today with the Customer Rep, we only have to send the receiver and two remotes back – he nicely waved the thingy up on the Dish on the roof part but……… we have to cart the box to UPS now. That is out of our way. Or we could spend another $10 to have UPS come and pick it up.

Word of warning: Make sure you know all the conditions of an agreement. Dish Network had been calling and calling before the agreement saying it would be cheapest way to get a new receiver and since I was a Dish Owner since 1998, this would be their way of thanking me for being such a great customer. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr……………….. Yeah – right!

Anyway – here is the article that evolved from this conflict…

By MarlaineMarie
How To Get Transferred To A Real Person In Customer Service

You call a company to get information and you hear the dreaded – “Please choose from the following menu”. Oh Great! It’s an Interactive Voice Response! IVR – Otherwise known as voice mail jail. Every one hates it and so do I.

Step 1:
Keep pressing numbers like 0# or #0 or 0* or *0 repeatedly and quickly. Many IVRs will connect to customer service after a few “invalid entries”, especially if they ask for your account number and you enter it incorrectly. Be prepared – some IVRs say Sorry, Please Try Your Call Again Later and hang up on you.

Step 2:
Keep saying Customer Service or Representative if you have a voice activated menu and they’ve asked what department you need. You can also shout or be indistinguishable. The IVR will often connect you to a person if it doesn’t hear a key phrase or can’t understand you.

Step 3:
The IVR might have the option to hold on for a Customer Representative if you have a rotary phone so try to be patient and listen to all the options. I do have one – in a drawer, for emergencies.

Step 4:
Use the menu option to connect for a new account – they usually answer right away. “Oh wrong place? Could you please connect me with customer service?” Ask them for their name and rep number – again, if they already told you, so they think you are writing it down and thank them for their help. They might have to send you to the department you needed in the first place, but sometimes you get through to a real person.

Step 5:
After getting the option to talk to a Customer Service Representative, if the expected wait time is going to be long, just grab a book or, better yet, an audio book, and try to be patient. If you have internet access while on the phone, go cruising while you wait. If you don’t have a speaker phone or head phone plug in on your phone, remember that calling their non-toll-free number might end up costing more than a new phone with a speaker feature on it.

Step 6:
Selecting Spanish sometimes gets you to a bilingual customer service person sooner. Use this only if you are really desperate – it isn’t fair to tie up the line for people who must use it.
Tips & Warnings

* Get toll-free numbers for any US-based company by calling 1-800-555-1212.
* Your phone company charges a fee each time you call 411. Call 1-800-FREE-411 for free information.
* Go to http://inter800.com/ for the Toll Free Phone Book
* Try to remember that the Customer Service Representative is only an individual who has that particular job. Who knows who talked to them before you or what awful thing that previous customer might have said. Put yourself in their place and be patient! Stay decent!

Visit Herazade’s Haven for more fictional stories! More stories will be added – some previously published and some first appearing on Haven. I hope you enjoy the stories!

Here is a fictional story about finding good things if you have the patience and simply “see” things going on around you. Where Are All The Good Christmas Stories? This story is posted on our paranormal blog – All In The Cards and on Herazade’s Haven.

Because we have so many friends all over the world, I would like to pass on the greeting I got from a friend in the Ukraine. Even though it is in Russian, and I can’t read it, smiling, it is cute!

Continued Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season!