Greetings!

First off, some good news from my home front this week. After all of the medical tests my rug rat has been through, I just received word that whatever it was that was ailing her may be resolving on its own. The results of the third in a series of blood tests just came back (some of you may be familiar with SED rates--and her levels had been simply off the charts for over a month) and they are approaching normal. Because her pain has also been diminishing, her pediatrician seems to think that her immune system is handling whatever the heck it was. Considering how concerned he was (you parents know that one can never fully appreciate the care one has taken in selecting a pediatrician until one has the occasion of hearing from him or her several times a day), this is very good news indeed. So now we are entering a period of watchful observation. We have the test results in our portfolio, and no masses (a nice name for tumors) were found. This may possibly be a green light to go forward toward a life without worry on this medical front. I sure hope so.

Having said that, Id like to once again thank all of you for your prayers and wonderful emails. I dont know if any among you have a healing gift, but if you do, YOU DONE GOOD.

Seriously, I DO believe in the power of prayer. Like the phone company sez, Were all connected. Thank you again.

On to other things:

Work on the book is resuming, now that Im not so distracted. (I will never, however, feel completely undistracted by dirty laundry. After I finish writing this, I must tackle two weeks worth of same. This MUST be addressed. One cannot seriously hope to face any earnest responsibility in this world without clean underwear. [Grin]

Ill keep you posted, and in the meantime, I have to share a couple adventures dealing with my Y2k preps, as theyve fondly come to be known by so many. I hope these contain some worthwhile tips for you and yours.

1) Back in the bad old Pre-Y2k days --when so many were SO scared--the purchase of a generator for my house was out of the question. However, not wishing to be at the mercy of any power company (some of you may have read about Detroits blackout this week--an outage involving Detroits municipal power system which was the one Michigan lawmakers were MOST concerned with prior to Y2k), I opted for a little extra insurance--beyond firewood, lanterns and a kerosene heater--in the form of a nifty little power-pack device sold by Sams Club.

Boy am I glad I purchased the darned thing. While my daughter was undergoing her medical odyssey, my car battery was beginning to fail. At first the failures were intermittent, but at the worst time possible, they became relentless. With my husband working on the road 60 hours a week, there was no time to buy a new battery and get it installed. So you know what I did? I just packed that little thing up in my car and used it to jump-start my car over a half-dozen times in the span of three or four days. What was really hilarious: the cord to my cell phone failed at the same time, so I would have really been stranded (with a sick child in the car) had I not been able to rescue myself.

Seems to me that one of YOU fine folks told me about these nifty little appliances, which can also be used to power computers, radios, tvs, etc., and can also be recharged in ones car, using the outlet for the cigar lighter/cell phone. THANK YOU!

2) I hate to waste anything, so recently, I began thinking about alternative uses for a 55 gallon plastic water drum I purchased late last year--also from Sams-- for about $20. I began brainstorming on ideas about how I could use it in my vegetable garden.

A good friend of mine is an avid gardener, and shes often pointed out that rainwater is the best water one can use on plants. Since I have enough five gallon containers to see me through just about any kind of local water emergency (main break, etc.) I began thinking rain barrel?

Heres what happened. I packed it up and took it to my local Ace Hardware store. There was a young man working that day, who was so intrigued with the idea I presented to him, that he dedicated a couple of hours to making the idea a reality. (I later found out that hes a college engineering student, whos kicking around the idea of applying for a patent, or at least building a few of these contraptions and offering them for sale to local folks who dont have access to those fancy garden catalogues which offer something similar for sale at five times the price. Hey, I said, Go for the patent, if you think its worth it. Thats just fine with me. I really appreciate your effort.)

Heres what he did:

First, he cut off the top of the barrel, using a reciprocating saw (at least I think Ive named that power tool properly. One way or another, I know my husband owns one. Of course MY husband would have rather eaten dirt than take on this particular project...[grin]).

Second, he put together an array of items, including a garden hose faucet and various washers, that he was able to insert into a hole that he cut into the side of the barrel near the bottom.

Third, he placed a section of window screening material over the top of the barrel, attaching it to the sides of the barrel with wood screws, being careful NOT to use a power screwdriver, because he didnt want to strip the plastic holes hed drilled into the side of the barrel.

That finished, after I lugged this big honkin thing home, I used 100% silicone caulk to seal the inside and outside of the faucet, and I cut a piece of chicken wire to place over the window screening material on top of the barrel. Why? Well--the Squirrel King aside, you all know the tenderness I feel for that particular species of rodent. The last thing I ever wish to see is a squirrel floating toes up in this very large watering can, and with my wild bunch, I sensed this might be virtually guaranteed without extra protective measures.

The last step was to hook up the barrel to a drip watering system that I discovered quite by accident. Turns out there is an irrigation systems and equipment supply company close to me that--two years ago--had begun a venture to supply systems to home gardeners through a select group of superstore outlets. They have since decided to go with strictly mail-order (like who HASNT--considering the e-commerce phenomenon) but earlier this year, I picked up this little kit for $10, thinking that it was cheap enough to try.

Well. Ive got to tell you folks, that this system--(my rain barrel, combined with some cheap tubing and fittings) is working like a dream. Ive been running it for three hours a day, and the plants are THRIVING like nothing Ive ever planted has thrived before.

Add to this the fact that my gardener friend told me about the wonders of using straw (were talking cheap here--$3.00 a bale) as a mulch to control weeds, and I now have what I fully anticipate will be an almost maintenance-free garden, the first one this city girl has EVER planted.

Yeah, life is getting better--on more than one front. Im thanking the Big Guy, and any of his associates who have been sending good thoughts my way.

Thats it for my Green Acres missive for June 15, 2000.

I hope all is well with all of you. Remember, I plan to regularly post to this forum on the 1st and 15th of every month. I will also post in between those times when appropriate. I may also permanently remove password protection from this forum. Should I do so, I will inform you of same.

Until we meet again, May God bless you and keep you very close to his heart.

:)

Marianne

P.S. If youd like more information on the irrigation supply company mentioned above--as in what they offer and how to purchase, etc., -- post here, and Ill post that info. Keep in mind that I have no affiliation with them (or Sams or Ace Hardware, etc.,) and I did not wish it to appear so, which is why I did not do so in the first place.

Peace!

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), June 15, 2000