by Gray Graham Believe it or not fall is best time to go camping. I know everyone gets excited about going camping in the summer but it really is the worst time to be out in the wild especially if you are new to the outdoors. Since embracing nature is the newest trend I'm going to give you some pointers to begin your camping journey.
Now this is a guide for someone that wants to go camping but has never been camping. Never went to summer camp. Never been a scout. Never been on a fishing trip. Pretty much never done anything outdoors. You do not own any type of outdoor equipment at all. We want to give you all the tools you need to enjoy your new endeavor. The first thing, as always with us here, is that we do not want you to spend any extra money. There are a lot of people that just love an excuse to spend money. Since they are always spending money nothing ever seems expensive. Well we don't want to contribute to that terrible habit so we always look for alternatives for the more budget conscious people who want to save for their kids college, retirement, medical expenses, or just a rainy day. Luckily most people will have everything on the guide at their house right now to enjoy a simple camping trip. So let's go over the rundown. The first thing you have to decide is where you would like to camp. This is definitely going to depend on where you live. For most people that are not familiar with the outdoors a campground close by will be your best choice but some others might have open rural areas to choose from as options. Just make sure it is a place you will feel safe with full facilities like restrooms, running water, electricity, and maybe staff onsite. Now that you have decided where you want to go let's talk about what you will need. Believe it or not you really won't need much even in the fall. Here's a short list of your basics. 1) blanket or comforter 2) cast iron or stainless steel skillet or pot 3) knife, spoon, and fork 4) plates, bowls, tableware 5) water and food 6) cooler or cooling bag 7) matches or lighter 8) disinfecting wipes 9) personal wipes 10) toothpaste and toothbrush 11) flashlight, lantern, or candles Now this is a basic list based on the premise of you are someone that is looking to get in touch with nature so we are talking camping in that sense and not a Donald Duck setup. The blanket or comforter is for your pad and sleeping. The skillet is for cooking over an open fire (I mean why else would you go camping). The utensils are so you can prepare your food and eat (you would be amazed at the number of people that forget these). Water and food because food tastes better when camping. And a flashlight so you can see. Now there is one thing the person we are describing may not have and that's a cooler, cooling bag, or insulated bag. I think everyone has several of these but our friend might be the exception but you can grab a basic one at the grocery when you grab your grub. You might be thinking where's the shelter to sleep which I am sure most people are calling a tent. Well my suggestion would be to sleep in your car since we are not spending any money and a tent would be an expensive purchase for something you might not like or get any enjoyment. If you find you like camping then there are plenty of options in the future out there for you. Besides your car will give you an extra feeling of security because your car is safer than any tent. I think this guide will help you begin to experience the outdoors. It's the fall so you won't be hot. The bugs have mostly gone for the year. Fewer people are at different campsites and hiking trails so you will feel nature more. One last piece of advice. I would not take a lot of raw ingredients on my first camping trip especially if you don't cook at home a lot. If you veer away from the standard sausages and burgers, I would either prep everything at home, make everything at home, or bring your favorite ready made food. Some people enjoy camp cooking. Some don't. Just make sure you do what works for you and relax and enjoy yourself. There's nothing quite like the fresh air of the country. I'm sure you will come to love it too.
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by Gray Graham You are probably thinking I am going to write an article about how the internet and social media have killed photography with their small pictures and short form videos but that my friend is not what we are going to do. Instead we are going to talk about how photographers killed their own craft because they didn’t actually care about the photographs they took but instead the new camera gear they bought.
I just read a comment online in a photography forum where someone wrote that a full-frame digital camera that could shoot at ISO 6400 was not a professional camera. I know I am old but to hear things like this lets me know the person either has never worked as a professional photographer or they absolutely don’t know what they are talking about when it comes to photography. For the past 15 years it has been clear that it is mostly the later. Once upon a time, professional photographers refused to use any digital camera; instead preferring to stick with their tried and true 35mm film cameras. I assume most of those old guys are dead because you can barely find a film camera today without searching online. The same goes with finding someone to develop your film, but believe it or not there are many people that are doing just that. Photography has always been one of those strange creative fields. It is filled with either super eccentric artists that are trying to create masterpieces the world has never seen, cold businessmen trying to make as much money as possible with every click of the shutter, the technical geek flexing their math skills, or the fancy luxury servant of wealthy clients. These days it seems it is mostly cold business people, luxury servants and tech geeks. Photography artists are mostly a thing of the past. It was always said that the photography business was 80% business and 20% photography. Today I would say it is 99% business and 1% photography. The reason I say that is because strangely enough rich and famous clients now care more about the fame of the photographer than they do about the cost of their gear. That’s why you have people doing major photo shoots with iphones and Galaxys instead of Canons and Nikons. If you have a successful brand then you will get work far more work than your photography skills will provide. Speaking of photography skills one of the things I will blame social media and the internet for is the lack of photography knowledge and skills. All the average photographer knows about photography is auto-focus, dynamic range, pushing and pulling shadows, low light performance, camera menus, control dials and bokeh. Anything about the exposure triangle, composition, or lighting is a big nothing. In fairness most of the people on social media talking about photography say they are a camera reviewer and not a professional photographer. I never thought I would see the day where anyone that called themselves a professional photographer would be saying auto-focus was something they needed to take a picture but here we are. Maybe the biggest reason people don’t talk about the art of photography is because very few photographs are made anymore. Most of what we see out there now is digital art and not photographs. There are very few pictures out there that are actual photographs taken with a camera instead of a digital painting created with photo editing software. And we are talking about a lot more than just adjusting the colors of an image. Most of the photographs you see have every single thing in the image altered to the point nothing is how it is in reality. The subject, background, colors, everything has been changed. That to me is no longer a photograph but that is what is put out there as photography today. Since everyone has a capable camera in their pocket there is nothing special about taking a picture anymore. So many of the old camera companies have went out of business because very few people actually buy cameras anymore. To be honest I don’t think many people care about pictures anymore in general. The average person would rather see a video than look at just a picture. Many photographers can tell you they get more engagement on social media from a video showing them taking a picture than they do from the actually picture. This is probably why basically all the cameras sold today have video features that are more important than the photography features. This is why they are called hybrid cameras because for most people it is more important to take video than a photo. Now there are still some artistic talented, gifted photographers out there but that number is pretty small these days. Even some of the camera gear reviewers and influencers are very capable photographers. As I mentioned earlier there are photographers out there that love using film cameras and you don’t really get more artistic than that. There are even photographers that use old digital cameras which tended to try to be more like film cameras in the past instead of the mobile computer imaging devices they are today. So they are out there, they just aren’t that popular and they are going to get drowned out by a world that is always looking for the next big great thing. Now if you will excuse me I need to get prepared to respond to all the people that are going to send me messages asking where my photography website is, who are my clients, where are my wedding photography photos, what camera I use, why automatic focus is so important, and how my work looks like editorials. I will also get a lot of photo editing wizards that will let me know how they will make my pictures look more fake and less natural. And we can’t forget the modeling agencies that will let me shoot all their models without paying me a cent, or the traveling models that really like my work and will be in my area October 12th-14th. I am going to stop there because I am about to cry. Anyway just keep taking pictures that you like and enjoy. Use whatever camera you have and it will be fine. Capturing the moment is what is important not what camera you are using. It doesn’t matter what camera you have anyway because it will be obsolete in 6 months anyway and you can tell people why the pictures you took with it are garbage now. Okay I am really going to go cry now. I love you guys, take care and God bless. by Azure Graham I’m sure by now you’ve seen many news headlines, articles, social media posts about climate change. Maybe you’ve heard your friends or relatives talking about how the ice caps are melting. Perhaps another said that climate change was just a hoax invented by the government to make us pay more tax dollars. Maybe you saw a news headline about climate change affecting the weather. There are several opinions on the subject, and they can vary greatly from one another. I will attempt to provide a brief explanation of what climate change is and how it affects us and our planet, and how we can make changes in our lives to reduce it’s effects.
Climate change generally refers to long-term shifts in Earth’s temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts can be naturally occurring, such as through variations in the solar cycle (Earth’s orbit) and volcanic activity, or these shifts can be driven by human activity. In recent times, human activity is the main cause of climate change. Starting with the industrial era in the 1800’s, the level of greenhouse gases in our planet’s atmosphere has been steadily rising, as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). The burning of these fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases, which are gases that trap heat from the sun inside the atmosphere raising the temperature of the planet worldwide. As temperatures continue to rise, ice at the north and south poles melts and the sea level rises. As a result, many coastal cities will face devastating floods that will destroy the homes of many people. Rising temperatures will also create severe droughts and storms in many places around the world. Eventually, climate change will lead to the extinction of many species across the planet. People around the world will begin to run out of food and places to live. These are just the beginning of the castrophic changes that will occur on the planet. Although the effects of climate change are scary and daunting to think about, many of the effects can still be stopped, slowed, or avoided if we act now, and there are several things that many of us at home can do to help the effort. One of the first steps we can all do to fight against climate change, is to consume less. Over-consumption is a huge factor of climate change—the production of clothes, electronics, food, and other goods create a lot of carbon emissions, and most of this is of disposable goods that can’t be recycled easily, like plastic dinnerware and packaging, that ends up inside landfills. By learning to consume less and be mindful about our spending, we can help to reduce consumption levels and have less waste ending up inside landfills. For instance, buying clothes that are meant to last or from a thrift store, instead of buying brand new clothes from the mall. Another example would be to use paper straws and reusable tableware instead of plastic disposable ones. Lastly, when purchasing goods, check to see if the company has green values and practices sustainability. Another way you could help is by starting a backyard compost bin or pile. Composting helps to reduce the amount of food waste that would otherwise end up inside of landfills. It’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint by recycling your food scraps and yard clippings into compost that can be used inside of the garden, plus it’s kid friendly and easy to do. By composting, you not only save money on what you would spend buying compost from the store, but it also reduces the need for fertilizer and pesticides in your garden. It also builds a healthier soil, helps to conserve water and prevent soil erosion. Fuel emission from cars forms a significant amount of our carbon footprint. To lower the amount of total carbon emissions from our daily commutes, we can choose greener alternative forms of transportation. These alternatives could be things such as walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transportation to work instead of driving. Another alternative to this would be to buy energy-efficient vehicles that have high gas mileage. You could also make the switch from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric one, which produce less carbon emissions than their gas-powered counterparts. Going green in the home is also easier than it might seem. Getting energy efficient appliances for your home can help you save money on your electricity and water bills, as well as help you reduce your energy consumption. Installing rooftop solar panels to your home can provide green energy to your home and lower the cost of your electricity bill. Making sure your home is properly insulated and the windows are installed properly will help spend less on heating and cooling for your home, lowering your overall impact on the environment. Replace old light bulbs with long-lasting, energy-efficient LED bulbs to save on electricity for lighting in the long run. To save on water, use your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand and use a water efficient washing machine for your laundry. Taking shorter showers and baths also helps to reduce the amount of water we use. Most importantly, regular maintenance and making sure to turn off all electronic devices, faucets and taps, goes a long way into making a greener home. If you want to take it a step further, you can get your community involved. Community gardens, tree planting groups, green roofs, and similar activities are all good ways to combat urban heatwaves and climate change, with the added benefit of improving and promoting social activity within your community. Another form of involvement would be to work with your neighbors and community to promote building healthy, safe, and sustainable neighborhoods. You can also involve yourself with your local government to promote green policies for your neighborhood and learn about how climate change is affecting your area, by joining your neighborhood or community council. These are just a few steps that you could take to fight climate change, and there are many more that aren’t discussed here. Such as buying bulk goods instead of prepackaged ones, or shopping for used electronics and furniture, instead of buying brand new ones. Despite how daunting it appears, climate change can be combated if we all work together. After all, we all share this blue planet we call home, and we should treat it with love and kindness to preserve it for future generations. by Cerise Graham Relax, Mediate With Zentangle
by Cerise Graham Have you ever walked into an arts & craft store, department store, or grocery store and found the magazine and book aisles covered with strange coloring books? Not the Superman, Bugs Bunny, and Mickey Mouse coloring books you remember as a kid, but coloring books filled with wonky lines and crazy shapes. Well little did you know those books had a name and purpose, zentangle. Zentangle coloring books or adult coloring books, are known to be a form of relaxation and meditation. Just like you remember coloring books as a kid, these are non-repetitive and easy activities from start to finish. They are primarily for adults but children can enjoy them too. As you color, you get to see your picture come to life. If you have ever put a puzzle together, the adult coloring book is like assembling a puzzle. It gives you time to be one with your thoughts. This is an easy and simple approach to meditation through zentangle; however for some, it may not be involved enough (looking at you deep thinkers). Fear not, zentangle does not only come in the form of coloring books, you can also freehand them (I know thought-provoking). Creating your zentangle also allows you to create a piece of art unique to you, to express your thoughts and emotions. Careful not to let this newfound freedom get out of hand, after all you are trying to relax and mediate, not add to your stress and frustration. If you don’t want to use coloring books and you don’t want to go out and buy art supplies or use your children’s; there are also many apps you can use on your mobile devices. Zentangle on an app is very similar but there are some differences between the digital and physical. The app approach is a jack of all trades if you will, it allows you to do a little bit of everything. This approach also leaves room for correction that the physical does not, so if you are someone who is a perfectionist, you can fix any mistakes you make. Remember the goal is to reduce stress and relax. Most people used to love doodling when they were younger. Doodling helps a lot of us express whatever is going on in our minds. It takes us to a place, in that moment, where we can visualize what we are thinking. Zentangle does the same thing except it provides a guide that helps us mediate at the same time. We love designs and art. Colors speak to our souls. Colors themselves can truly make us happy and brighten our day (seriously that is why we have favorite colors in our homes, rooms, and workspaces). Zentangle brings all of that together to help us get through our day. That not only gives you time to be one with your thoughts but in the process gives you some pretty cool pieces to display in your house or post online. If you used to like coloring books, love art, and like peaceful activities then zentangle is perfect for your creative soul. It will definitely help you relax and mediate and who doesn’t need that today. by Azure Graham Buying a new light bulb can be a complicated process in this day and age. You need to know which type of bulb to get, what color to get, what size, etc. All of this is something you need to consider when purchasing a light bulb. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Don’t worry we’ve done a lot of the leg work for you so you don’t have to go stumbling in the dark that is the world of light bulbs.
With there being so many types of light bulbs in the world, it’s important you know which light bulb is right for you. Here we’re going to cover the most common bulb types you can find in most homes: LED bulbs, CFL bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, and the good ol’ incandescent bulb. LED bulbs are green, energy efficient, and extremely long-lived with their lifespan expectancy being 9-20 years. They can be used in fancy smart lighting fixtures as well as your regular light fixtures around the house, and even outdoor applications like porch lighting. If you decide to purchase an LED bulb for your home check for the amount of lumens it has on the packaging, not watts. These bulbs have a much lower wattage than other bulbs so lumens are used to measure the brightness. The only real downsides to LED bulbs is their price as they’re usually more expensive than other bulb types. A cheaper, yet still green alternative to LED is CFL lighting. They are not as efficient nor as long-lived as their LED cousins, only with an expectancy of 7-9 years, but they have more power for less wattage than other lighting types. Known by their iconic coiled design these bulbs are more affordable than LED and cheaper to replace, and make a good choice for bulbs in lamps and lighting fixtures around the house. While they don’t heat up as much as other bulbs, it can take CFL bulbs a little longer to achieve their full brightness so keep that in mind when deciding where to place them in the home. Fluorescent bulbs are long and tube-shaped, usually seen in kitchens or garages in strip, or linear, lighting applications. They provide bright, flood lighting for low energy making them ideal for places like basements, laundry rooms, and other utility rooms around the home. They have a lifespan of 2-7 years so you don’t have to worry much about replacing them too often. Halogen bulbs are very bright, but short lived. They have the same wattage as incandescent bulbs, but are more energy efficient. They provide very bright flood lighting to areas, making them ideal for outdoor applications like spotlights, porch and driveway lighting applications. Halogen bulbs get very hot however, which causes them to burn out quicker than other bulbs. As such they only have a life expectancy of 1-2 years of regular use. And lastly we have the pride of Edison himself, the Edison, or more commonly known today, incandescent bulb. Incandescent bulbs are cheap and easy to replace, but at the cost of a short lifespan of 1-2 years and being energy inefficient. They are susceptible to changers and temperature and aren’t as bright as other bulbs. These bulbs are mostly used for appliances like ovens, refrigerators, some automotive applications, and decorative purposes. Now that you know about the kinds of light bulbs there are, you need to know about light bulb bases. There are two types of light bulb bases commonly used inside homes and apartments: screw bases and pin bases. Screw bases come in three different types: the candelabra base, the medium or standard base, and the intermediate base. The candelabra base is smaller than standard and intermediate bulbs and is used for decorative lighting fixtures like chandeliers and sconces. The standard base is used for most common things like lamps, overhead lights, and ceiling fan lights, and it can be found in most home goods stores. Lastly, the intermediate screw base is smaller than the standard base but larger than the candelabra base. These types of bulbs are used inside appliances like ovens, microwaves and refrigerators. The second kind of bulb bases are known as pin bases. For most homes we only need to know about bi-pin bases. Bi-pin bases are used for linear fluorescent bulbs that can be found in kitchens and other utility spaces like garages and basements, as well as the MR16 halogen bulbs used for driveway and back porch lighting. Choosing the proper light bulb for your fixture is important, because choosing the wrong type can potentially damage your lamp or other light source. The first step in choosing the right bulb is making sure that the bulb base matches the lighting base. For instance, if your lamp has a threaded (screw) base, then the bulb needs to be a screw base type bulb. The second step is to check the limit of watts that your fixture can safely support. If your fixture states that it can only support 60 watts, then you need to get a bulb with 60 watts or lower. Another useful tip is to use bulbs designed or rated for enclosed fixtures for enclosed lighting fixtures, as enclosed fixtures cause bulbs to get hotter than usual and may shorten their lifespan. Buying light bulbs isn’t as hard as it might seem at first. This covers the basic things you need to know when buying light bulbs, and illuminates some questions and confusion surrounding them. With enlightenment in the language of light bulbs, you won’t be going in blind for your next purchase. by Vermilion Graham We live in times that can be confusing and uncertain as far as the modern world is concerned. Current events can feel more unpleasant as a person engrosses themselves in them so they can clearly understand how they affect them and others. Being faced with the ever constant hostility of the real world is not something that we can or we are willing to do at all times. Many choose to occupy the little free time they have with something that’s far less real than the troubles they get to see working their nine-to-five.
This is where entertainment comes in, when life gets too much to bear people can cut away from it and partake in something they enjoy. Be it stories, books, music, movies, TV, video games or social media, people know that entertainment is a very lucrative business that is extremely widespread in the modern world. Entertainment has gone through many forms and changes throughout time. Many people use their choice of entertainment as an escape from the things they have to face. Others use it as a way to find inspiration of qualities to strive for in their own lives. Still others use it as a way to live out their deep dark twisted fantasies. With as much time as people spend consuming various forms of entertainment, you would think people would take a closer look to consider how it affects them and their outlook on life. Not to say that entertainment alone causes you to feel a certain way, but it definitely will cause you to see the world a certain way. It is fair to say that all entertainment is made from a human perspective as it is only made by humans. It should be fair to say that because of this, real world problems and happenings will always bleed over into the entertainment we humans create. Because of this, it should also be said that they will not always give the same message or be for the same audiences. A new trend is to attempt to make entertainment seem more like real life or relatable to an audience. Creators now go for a more dark, grim, hopeless, and morally ambiguous feel to their stories. Old familiar characters have had their images and histories altered to have a more “real” feeling that audiences today find more realistic to how they see the world today. Many people today can’t accept the idea of a peaceful hopeful outcome and they will rejected anything that even remotely comes close to one. Many people have become complacent with the negative they see in our world and accept it as the norm so they don’t aspire to anything else. Making the world a better place for others to live seems to be a thing of the past. Instead of telling stories about how we as humans can become so much better than we are, many have instead decided to focus on how terrible we are today and how much more horrible we can be. Inspiring stories have their place in our world too. Stories have always had a way of giving us hope when things look the most bleak. Inspiring stories also teach children that despite the world being one way they can decide to do great things and make the world a better more peaceful place. Believe it or not, goodness is real in our world too. Something shouldn’t need to be dark to be interesting or realistic. Life has other aspects other than pain and sorrow and when creators go for a more realistic feeling, rather than magnifying the more dim aspects of the real world they can reach for more hopeful ones. A story need not be unappealing or childish because it seems like a dream. Those who choose to send out a positive message despite the negative send out a stronger message by standing out and sending a message of hope rather than just simply falling in line. Despite all the noise, in the crazy, noisy, bizarre city; birds still find the strength to sing, fly, live, and raise their young. They thrive in a world unfamiliar and unforgiving to its kind. by Gray GrahamDo- it- yourself has been something of interest for a lot of people over the years. With current events it has become a necessity for a lot of people instead of just a hobby. If you are someone that has never been that handy here are some of the things you might want to make sure you have at home for those emergency repairs. Screwdrivers This is the tool you are going to use the most. From changing batteries to assembling furniture, screwdrivers are the essential tool. Screwdriver sets are easy to find and pretty much every store carries one. A typical screwdriver set will come with phillips and slotted screwdrivers in varies sizes that should cover all of your basic needs. Hammers A hammer today is not as important as it used to be. Since most people live in houses with drywall, you are not going to be using a hammer too much in your everyday diy projects. What you do need a hammer for is when you have to knock something around a bit. A lot of plumbing and appliance repairs require some gentle persuasion and you will need a hammer for that. I suggest you get an 8-10 oz hammer, a 16 oz hammer for bigger jobs, and an 8 -10oz rubber mallet. You are probably going to only find a 16 oz rubber mallet which will work but it is going to be a little big for small tasks. Utility knife Also known by it’s more popular name a box cutter since that is all most people use them for most of the time. Besides opening all those delivery boxes a utility knife is the best way to get a clean cut in most common materials. Depending on your jobs you might actually use a utility knife more than a screwdriver. These come in many different configurations but I would suggest just going with the basic because that is the safest because we do not want you to get cut. Scissors Speaking of getting cut, believe it or not many people do not own a pair of scissors. They may have beauty and grooming scissors but your standard pair of getting work done scissors they do not own. Get a good pair of scissors that are designed for household jobs. You will need another pair of scissors if you are going to be cutting paper a lot. Please, please, please do not use your kitchen scissors to do utility work around the house. No, no, no. Pliers and Wire cutters Pliers come in a lot of different sizes and types and if you are not familiar with tools you can become confused pretty quickly. What you want to do is just buy a pliers set. It will come with a set of pliers that will include cutters that should cover basic around the house jobs. Glue Repeat after me. Super glue is not a universal glue to be used to fixed everything. I don’t care what the commercials say. You must use the proper glue for the task at hand. I have seen many pros use the wrong glue on different jobs. Only keep plain household glue on hand for most tasks. Do not keep super glue on hand unless it comes in a resealable bottle with a removable cap. Those little tubes from the dollar store are only good for one use. Wait to purchase glue for the task you have at hand so you don’t just have glue sitting around that you will never use. Tape Repeat after me. Duct tape is not a universal tool. That may be a funny beer commercial but it is not how we do things. Do not use duct tape to seal water leaks in hoses or keep your handle on your refrigerator. Don’t try to fix the handle on your favorite pot with duct tape. It’s good to keep duct tape around but only use it for certain things. The only tape I think most people will need around the house is regular box tape and masking tape. Wrenches This one in straight forward. First get a set of adjustable wrenches. These should be what you grab most of the time. Grab the one that fits the space you are working and adjust to fit. Hence the name adjustable wrench. Next get a set of wrenches; one that is SAE and the other that is metric. Don’t ask why there are two types of wrenches there just are. Accept it and just use the one that fits. Also accept that you need both adjustable wrenches and fixed wrenches and yes they are both wrenches. Tape measure I am surprised by how many people don’t have a tape measure. Like how are you going to know what size screw you need if you don’t measure how long it is. Are you just going to carry it in your pocket to the store and then lose it. Just measure the thing and leave the screw at home. Save yourself a trip back home with your new tape measure and a trip back to the store to get a screw to replace the one you lost. Hex keys It has gotten to the point where you might use hex keys more than screwdrivers. Heck you might even need to use star bits just for assembling some furniture. Sometimes they give you a basic key, but using the basic key that came with your table won’t impress the spouse. You won’t get a steak dinner for putting together that new table with the hex key that came with it. But if you grab your toolbox and pull out your fancy t-handle hex keys, that steak dinner is as good as yours. Assorted screws The best way not to lose your screw when going to the store to look for another one is to already have a screw at home ready to go. Do not buy one of those assorted screw packs they sell in the big box discount stores. They are full of screws you will never use and missing screws you will need. Take a moment to look around your house to get an ideal of the types of screws you need. If you are able, take a picture of the screw as well as measure it to know what you need in your home. Make sure you have the common ones on hand. You don’t want to need a screw at 1:00 AM and not have one. Then you are going to have to grab your duct tape and use it for a screw. And it will set there for years because you will never want to remove it because it’s makes you fell proud because you fixed something at 1:00 at night and saved the day. We want you to save the day and make it look pretty all at the same time. Toolbox Literally any toolbox will do. If it is a box then it will work to store your tools. It doesn’t even have to be a box it just has to be something that can hold your tools. If you want to go the extra step you can purchase a toolbox so you can feel like your grandpa but understand that basically a toolbox is just a box and nothing more than that. Your Brain The most important tool that you have. The most precious one too. Before undertaking any repair project, use your brain. Make sure you actually know how to make the repair. Take time to learn what you need to do and then make a plan to get the job done. Please, whatever you do, read the instructions. Most (should be all) products should come with instructions on its use. Many people don’t read the instructions and then they end up in the ER. Don’t be that guy. Be the guy that gets the job done. Of course this is not a complete list. There is no such thing as a complete list of tools. The best you can hope to do is have about 75% of what you need before you go to the store in an emergency. If it is a planned project then you are supposed have a checklist of all the things you need before getting started. You know this because you read the instructions, right? Now that you have your essential toolbox you are ready to be the hero in your home. You have started the journey of being a handy person. Happy diying. by Gray GrahamThese days many of us have a lot of time on our hands. While this is great for some people it is really hard for a lot of others. It is difficult for some to go from running all over the place with never enough time to not even doing those things anymore and now you have an empty calendar.
Major events like this are the perfect time to examine things in your life and then focus on some goals to help you not only survive your current situation but prepare for future events because there will definitely be future events. I am going to list a couple of things you want to look at now and feel free to add some things to make the list your own. 1) Your home Many people have found out how important it is to keep up the maintenance of your home. It always important to make sure everything in your home is in working order. Even if you are a renter it’s a good idea to check to make sure everything works and if it does not get it repair as soon as you can. If you don’t have one it is a good idea to put together a basic tool box so that you can do minor repairs. 2) Food storage Now this is probably a regional thing because everyone is not able to have a store house, barn, or even a pantry full of food. Part of living in a city is that you can always pick up something from the corner store 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except when you can’t. It’s a good idea to keep some basic food stuff around that will last a couple of weeks. You might have to be creative with your storage ideas but it is something that you can do. Chose foods that will keep for awhile and will lead to a basic balanced diet that is similar to what you eat now. Also make sure to check the food and rotate it when you can. 3) Health care It is vital that you make regular visits to the doctor. Your current health is key to your well being. As many are finding out your health condition is very important when dealing with certain situations. If you do not like going to the doctor do your best to find someone that you are comfortable with because you need to know your health condition and the health of your family. It is vital that you keep up with you medicine and equipment you need for your physical well-being. 4) Computers and Internet services Many people are shocked at how so many people do not have a computer or internet access at home. There are many professionals who do not own a computer or have internet access at home. Many people are only relying on their mobile device for all their computer needs. While that can definitely be done, there is a reason that most people use computers and tablets at work instead of smaller mobile devices. It will definitely make your life easier 5) Have a hobby Believe it or not there are people that don’t have a hobby. They don’t have any activities or interests that they enjoy doing. If you don’t have a hobby then find one. I am willing to bet there is something that at some point in your life you used to enjoy doing or something that you have seen that peaked your interest. Whatever that thing is do it now. If current restrictions prevent you from doing your hobby outside then spend time researching it so that you can hone your craft. These are just a few things to get you started on discovering new things about yourself, your family, and your home. As many of us are learning depending on life events these may be the only things you have for awhile so make them the best they can. |