Did you know that there are ostrich farms in North Carolina? It’s true! They are raised not just for ostrich feathers, but also for the meat and the hide. The fat is used in cosmetics, and the meat is very lean and high in iron. Adults ostriches cost several thousand dollars. I had no idea they were that expensive! That some pricey poultry right there.
what kind of economy do we have when it costs over 10 bucks to mow your yard yourself? Hello? I remember mowing yards as a kid, and making that much, but……the cost of gas has made even a DIY mowing cost enough to put a dint in a savings account. Crazy, I say. And with no let up in sight!
One thing we had planned to get done this weekend was some much needed yard work. The grass kinda sprang up in that springy type way it has, and while we haven’t lost any children yet, we are beginning to think it might be a possibility. Unfortunately, after dh put gas in the mower (of course AFTER the gas ), he couldn’t get it started. He’s out there now, working on it, setting the gap with a matchbook, and removing carbon with nail file, and snickering about folks who spend thousands on fancy tools. Not that he wouldn’t jump on them if he had the chance, but, hey! Not everyone needs air tools to get a job done.
That’s what I asked my friend the other day. She said no, and I tried all day to convince her that my point of view was the correct one. See, that Bannerman wine I told you about was on sale, and I did want some, you see. So red, so sweet, so like the grapes in my Grandmother’s side yard. Well, we camped this weekend, and since the diet was a litle more relaxed, I had dh pick some up for me. He brought home two bottles, LOL! Not enough to fill oneof these wine racks, but the extra bottle looks good on my kitchen shelf. For today 
I mentioned the other day th truth behind the advertisements that feature high heels and huge earrings to sell sexy swimwear. And I have mentioned sunscreen several times now. That’s because it’s important.
But after you do all that, you know what else is important? Have fun! That’s right!! Just relax and have a good time, because, really. Hello. Beach time, baby!
So, I am sure you have all soon beachy photo shoots, right? You know the ones: high heels, fancy designer jewelry, exotic suits. (Speaking of which, did you see the painted swimsuits at SI? Wow. Just WOW.) Anyway, this is just to let you know, in case you have never been to the beach before, that no one really does that. You wear flipflops onto the sand, and you pretty much kick them off after you find your “spot”. No crazy jewelry, either. Just regular folks having fun in fairly normal swimwear.
I mentioned the other day how to avoid needing acne treatments and I brought up sunscreen at that time. You are using sunscreen, right? You do realize that melanoma is deadly, and almost entirely preventable? We use SPF 60 for all day fun around here, and I encourage you to use at least SPF 15 if you are going to be out for more than half an hour or so. I don’t necessarily hold that all sun is bad sun, but just about enough is right on the edge of too much. Better safe than sorry.
Tell me something. How is it possible for kids who weigh less than 70 pounds to break patio furniture? Seriously! I have 2 chairs out there on my little back deck, and I discovered the other day that both of them are broken in some way. They are still usable, mind you, or they’d be gone, but yeah, they broke my chairs. Grrrr!
When I took my walk today, I felt sweat on my face. Ewwwww, right? It was a reminder to be especially diligent in washing my face this summer, because your pores really take a beating this time of year. In addition to the make-up (and many people skip foundation this time of year which can exacerbate the problem), there is sunscreen and sweat and more nasty junk from the outside air.
Just wash real well, morning and evening, and that will go a long way toward helping you avoid the need for more intensive acne treatment.
One of my friends is involved in an effort to eat at least one meal a week from only local sources for the entire summer. She lives up in PA, but I was thinking that it surely ought to be easy to do that here in the agricultural South. I know that here in North Carolina, all the main meat animals are grown for production purposes, and of course, and green growing thing you could desire (plus a rainbow of colors), can be grown here as well.
Just don’t ask me to buy my technology locally. Except for big box stores, I haven’t located computer memory in the three state region!