Editor’s note: This month we introduce an occasional column featuring easy-to-make projects for your home. The projects appear courtesy of Plain & Simple, a bi-monthly Amish craft and décor magazine published in Shipshewana, Indiana. Plain & Simple features craft-making instructions, quilt patterns, gardening information and recipes. By Marlene Fry Turn an old lamp (perhaps a… Continue reading.
By B. Rosie Lerner Q: Twenty years ago, I planted six Norway spruce trees around the house. Now they are 45- to 50-feet tall and started to lose needles back in November 2020 by the hundreds. Could it be a disease or squirrels are chewing them off to make a nest? Do Norway spruce have… Continue reading.
Smokers recalled due to heating element defect This recall involves all units of the Presto Indoor Electric Smokers with Model No. 0601304 or 0601405. The heating element/wiring on the smoker is defective, posing an electric shock hazard to consumers. The model number is displayed on a sticker located on the underside of the smoker. The… Continue reading.
Robert Owen’s Utopian experiment in New Harmony, Indiana, may have lasted only a few short years. But through the coming months of 2021, his legacy in the historic and beautiful southwestern Indiana Wabash River town will be revisited in various in-person and virtual events celebrating his 250th birthday. Owen was the Welsh-born industrialist and… Continue reading.
By Richard G. Biever This year marks a half century since the nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful first aired an unforgettable and now iconic ad campaign. The ad depicted a Native American in full buckskin paddling a canoe through a modern world of polluted water, air and land. “Some people have a deep, abiding respect… Continue reading.
Tapas dining — the Spanish concept of ordering small plates of food that can be shared with others at your table — is gaining popularity with diners who enjoy sampling a little this and a little that. Since opening in 2010, Habana Blues Tapas Restaurant, housed in a converted bank building in New Albany, has… Continue reading.
Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday of each April. But one Indiana county holds a special place in its heart for a tree that towers daily over the county’s affairs — an attraction that has been around for over 150 years. That county is Decatur County. That tree is none other than “The… Continue reading.
By Amanda Steeb A blustery chilly day may be the reason you’re avoiding the outdoors. It’s also the reason you have the electricity you need to stay inside. When you plug an appliance or device into a wall outlet, renewable resources are increasingly powering them up. Renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power… Continue reading.
By Paul Wesslund If you want to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, start by making your home more energy efficient. Below are three efficiency tips from energy expert Brian Sloboda of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Look around your home for no-cost ways to be efficient. Close the curtains in the summer and… Continue reading.
Head to your pantry or fridge for help with some common household chores. Clean and disinfect your computer keyboard by gently brushing on and between the keys with an old toothbrush that’s been soaked in a solution made with equal parts water and white vinegar. That same solution can remove water stains on glasses. Pour… Continue reading.
If you’re concerned about harmful chemicals in some cleaning products or are just curious about making your own all-natural alternatives to store-bought cleaners, try these simple recipes that are also good for the environment. Furniture Polish 1 cup mineral oil 1 t. lemon oil Combine. Store in a spray bottle. All Purpose Cleaner 1 part… Continue reading.
Trees add beauty and value to your home. They also attract melodic songbirds to your yard and can help save energy by shading your home in the summer. If you plan to join in Arbor Day celebrations on April 30 by planting a tree this spring, here are some things to remember: Choose the right… Continue reading.
