(NC)-With approximately 42,000 mosquitoes for every person in Ontario, most of us spend a great deal of our summers swatting away these pesky insects. Protecting yourself against mosquitoes will not only make your summer more enjoyable, it will help prevent you and your family from getting annoying and sometimes dangerous bug bites.

As a family physician, I recommend the following tips for a bug free summer.

• Stay Scent-Free. Avoid using scented soaps, lotions and shampoos.

• Gear Up. Cover your skin as completely as possible. This may be challenging by the beach, but when possible wear long sleeves, pants and socks.

• Be Colour Conscious. Mosquitoes are attracted to blue, so avoid this colour and stick to neutral colours.

• Use Repellent. Repellents containing DEET are most effective for areas with heavy mosquito or tick infestation.

• Alternative Repellents. When applied frequently, citronella-based repellents can provide the same bug protection as products containing low concentrations of DEET. I recommend Natrapel
  Tags: bugs, camping, insects, mosquitos, outdoor bugs, pests, picnics, repellantsbugs, camping, insects, mosquitos, outdoor bugs, pests, picnics, repellants

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I was eight years old, over four decades ago and I remember this event as though it was yesterday. It was a beautiful but cold and blistering winter day in the city of Detroit. Snow was falling moderately, but the wind was ferocious. My siblings and I were engage in some play activity when I was suddenly summoned by my mother and told to go to the store to purchase a loaf of bread and a few other items. Begrudgingly, I took the five dollar bill, dressed in my insulated snow suit and left for the store which was about six blocks away.

On the way, something terrible occurred; the five dollar bill blew out of my hand. I ran to try and catch it but the blowing snow blinded me and I lost track of it. I was panic stricken. After all, money did not come easy in our family. My father was deceased and my mother was keeping us together as best she could by herself. Even at the tender age of eight, I understood what losing five dollars meant and it hurt me to have to tell my mother that I had let the money escape from me.

But the biggest hurt came when I did tell her. She did not believe I was telling her the truth. I was devastated. I did not understand why she thought I was lying. I was deeply wounded and it became important for me to try and prove my innocence because my mother’s trust meant everything to me. The problem was, I did not know how.

That night, as always, I got on my knees to say my prayers. This prayer was different. Usually, it was the typical “now I lay me down to sleep” and asking God to bless every relative and friend I could think of. But on this night, I cried as I asked God to make my mother believe me. I told God that the preacher said He knew everything and could do anything and since He knew I was telling the truth, He just had to somehow make my mother know it too.

Miracle on Maplewood St.

The next day, the Detroit News carried headlines and an article about the plight of a paperboy who had customers’ money blow away from him after he had made collections in the blowing and drifting snow. After reading this, my mother came to me and apologized for not believing me. She stated that if it could happen to the paperboy it could happen to me. My joy knew no bounds. My mother believed me! God had worked a miracle. He really did know everything and could do anything.

It was at this moment that my faith journey began. No longer was it what the preacher said, it was what Saundra knew.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available in July.

You are welcome to visitAMEN Ministries:Your Soul’s Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification or to browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall.

Blessings to all!

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While this may not apply to everyone, you may find that a second salary brings in substantially less than you thought it would. In the beginning, Rachael thought that since she and her husband were just about breaking even as a couple, that staying home with the new baby would not work — infant needs seemed endless. So she went back to her old job.

After a few weeks, they decided to actually calculate their bottom line with and without her weekly pay. This should not have been a surprise because there was still no extra funds at the end of the month. Rachael’s second income necessitated extra expenses resulting in a near-breakeven budget once again.

When you consider the hidden expenses of a two-income household you must include the obvious ones like child care and commuting costs. Add to this — order-out lunches, and those quickie dinners like take-out or prepared heat ‘n serve selections. Office clothes and dry cleaning will apply to some.

Increased exposure to common illnesses for the child in daycare caused Rachael’s absence from work more often than her single co-worker taking another bite out of her weekly paycheck. Rachael’s second salary pushed them into a higher income tax bracket bringing an added burden at tax time.

If a two-salary income doesn’t work any better than the one-salary did, then your answer has to be the Internet. To accomplish this without household friction, you must have three things going for you: (1) partner’s cooperation: he/she must be willing to share some of the household duties without complaint. (2) your flexibility: to be able to work odd hours like when the baby sleeps, and (3) the biggest of all, sacrifice: working at home will mean giving up a few things until your Internet income equals what you earned offline.

When new mothers were asked what they would be willing to sacrifice to stay at home and work, some of their answers were:

• Selling the second car to save on taxes, ins, and loan payments

• Cable TV

• Wal-Mart weekly stops

• Cigarettes; a costly as well as unhealthy expense

• Dinners out

Some added their willingness to shop for baby clothes at the thrift-store (they were surprised at the bargains). And almost all have begun coupon shopping; a big savings on the food budget.

The latest research states that 8,500 new home businesses are started every day in the U.S. So if you have been lifting couch cushions looking for loose change, get in on the Internet opportunities but you must be open to all possibilities. When you limit your focus, you limit your choices of income.

Opportunities such as Clickbank or Payaah are two popular avenues that can set you up in a heartbeat with multiple programs under one umbrella. You can hit the ground running, and explore other offers at your leisure.

Works for me.

© 2004 Esther Smith

About The Author

Esther Smith is editor of Partners-For-Profit Newsletter; always a good read, and publisher of http://thepermanentventure.com

editor@thepermanentventure.com

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