take a moment
 Volume 6 January 2006Important Reminder: Many users and ISPs are adding SPAM filters to their computers or servers. If you already have one, or will shortly be implementing a SPAM filter please remember to configure the filter to ALLOW email from take-a-moment.com domain, or you will not be able to receive your newsletter. Welcome to TAKE-A-MOMENT! The Take-A-Moment newsletters strive to provide quick-to-read content to improve and enhance the quality of life at home and in the work place...for when you can "take-a-moment" from your hectic schedule. Take-a-Moment is provided by the Louisville Area Cooperative Extension Agents. When you have "more-than-a-moment" visit our web site for expanded articles, article archives, sign-up and contact information, and links to other web sites of interest. ("Netiquette" statement is at the end of this email, see below.) Email subscribers@take-a-moment.com and request the PLAIN TEXT VERSION of the newsletter. Did You Know...?
C O N T E N T S
STAIN REMOVAL When drying walls after a flood, be fast, thorough, and be safe. Walls must dry from the inside out after being exposed to flood water. The interior framing of walls must be thoroughly dried. Depending on the duration of flooding and the building materials and type of construction of the house, this process may take weeks or even months! Try to remove mud and water quickly. Surface dry materials with heat and air within 24 - 48 hours. Quick drying and removal of contaminated items may help to prevent the onset of biological contamination or mold growth. The total drying time depends on the type of materials used to build the house. It also depends on the amount of air circulation and the moisture content of the air. Drying times can be significantly reduced by continuous circulation of heated air over the wet surfaces. Dehumidification will also help. To immediately release the water and mud from wall cavities, remove interior wall finishes and insulation. All wall finishes from the high water line plus any capillary rise (water that has been absorbed upward) should be removed and discarded. Capillary action is very strong so this could be as much as 1 ½ feet above the high water line - maybe more. If you measure, see or feel moisture, remove that portion of the wall and discard it. All insulation that has become wet MUST be removed to facilitate rapid drying. It should then be discarded as it will be contaminated. Most insulating materials are adversely affected by water. Even though plaster may survive brief water exposure, the wall cavity must be dried quickly. This helps prevent contamination and potential decay of wood framing members. Remember, any insulation in the wall cavity that is wet must be removed immediately and discarded. With proper cleaning, disinfecting and refinishing, it may be possible to salvage trim and wall finishes that are made from solid wood. Most paneling will need to be discarded. A moisture meter can be used to identify wet walls. If you have access to one, you can more readily determine wet walls and finishes. If you don't have a meter, be conservative about what materials to keep. Discard anything you aren't sure about. The moisture meter is also helpful in determining when walls are dry enough to re-insulate and close up. Moisture meters may be available at building supply stores and through home inspectors. You may also find them on the web. For more detailed information, contact your local Extension Service Office. Further information can be found at the Extension Disaster Education Network. www.eden.lsu.edu.
FINANCIAL FITNESS For your New Year’s resolution, did you consider ways that you could save money this year? One way that you could do this would be to optimize your insurance coverage. Do you know if you are adequately covered? Are you paying too much? Consider your homeowner’s insurance, for instance. By increasing your deductibles to at least $1,000, you can lower your premiums. Increasing your deductible from $250 to $1,000 can lower your premium by as much as 25%. Going from $250 to $2,500 could cut your premiums by up to 30% in many cases. Homeowners should have at least a $1,000 deductible to avoid filing small claims that could cost them a claims-free discount or being dropped by their insurance company for filing a lot of small claims. However, those who have mortgages should check with their mortgage lender before raising their deductible beyond $1,000. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the major mortgage investors that buy home loans from the originator, both require the deductible for homeowner’s and flood insurance to be no more than $1,000 or 1% of the coverage, whichever is greater. If you have a $200,000 homeowner’s policy, for example, your deductible must not be higher than $2,000. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set the deductible caps out of concern that borrowers may not be able to afford high out-of-pocket costs to make necessary repairs before insurance kicks in. For more information, ask for the Extension publication, “Tips to Save Money When Buying Insurance,” at http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/FACTSHTS/FAM-RHF.115.PDF
FAMILY LIFE Letting go of non-essentials so that we can joyfully embrace what's most important to us -- that's what it means to live a "simply beautiful" life. Choosing simplicity involves clearing away clutter that detracts from the true purpose and beauty of our lives. It means taking a fresh look at what you really value, and making sure you're spending your time, energy and money to support your cherished goals. Voluntary simplicity doesn't necessarily mean a bare bones budget or shunning the wonders of modern technology. It may mean buying that new notebook computer so that you can spend time writing under the pine trees. It may mean splurging for the month-long overseas trip you've been dreaming about for decades. Since we all have different values, gifts, and dreams, our ways of simplifying life will vary. We each must follow our passions and create our own simply beautiful lifestyles.
NUTRITION & WHAT'S COOKING Do you always reach for the salt shaker before tasting your food? If you do, try doing a taste test first. About 80 percent of the sodium, the part of salt that we should avoid, comes from processed and pre-prepared foods. So that food on your plate may already have plenty of salt. Research shows that eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) per day may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Americans eat at about 30 percent to 50 percent more sodium that the recommended teaspoon each day. By looking at food labels, you can see how easy it is to eat too much sodium. Some of the highest sources of sodium in the U.S. diet are listed below with the amount of sodium in one serving.
Fast food meals, salad dressings, and even ready-to-eat cereals can contain more sodium than you might think, based on how the food tastes. In order to choose foods with little salt or sodium, you have to ask for nutrition information and read the nutrition facts label on processed foods. Since most of the sodium we eat comes from processed foods, one way to eat a diet lower in salt is to eat more fresh, less processed foods. Choose fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. Try some seasonings that you know your family likes to create some taste sensations at the table. Here are some ideas to get you started. For beef try garlic, basil, bay leaf, oregano, parsley or chives. On pork use sage, cumin or rosemary while thyme, oregano, marjoram and tarragon work well with poultry. Fish can be seasoned using dill, fennel, parsley or cilantro. Using herbs and spices can help you dress up and add color to eggs and cottage cheese. You can also use fruits and vegetables to add flavor like onion, celery, lemon, lime, and peppers. Look for foods high in potassium, like bananas, orange juice, beans, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Potassium counteracts some of sodium's effects on blood pressure.
HOME TIPS Many of our seasonal decorations represent a great investment in time, money and fond memories. They deserve proper care and storage and should be cleaned and organized to preserve them. Look them over as they are taken down from display. Some washable decorations, such as tablecloths, should be laundered before storing. Dusty ornaments or other decorations should be wiped clean. Tree lights should also be wiped clean, but be sure to disconnect any electrical items before doing so. This is also a good time to check for and replace burned-out bulbs. Since many holiday decorations are fragile, be sure they are well packed and stored properly. Use large, sturdy boxes for storing bulbs, ornaments and lights. Select boxes that are fairly shallow, but large enough so that two or three boxes hold all tree ornaments. Wrap fragile bulbs and ornaments in tissue paper. Stack the remaining ornaments (from heavy to light) on layers of tissue paper. Remove hooks and hangers from each ornament, and store them separately in a small box or envelope. Gather strings of tree lights carefully to avoid tangling. Wrap loosely around a large, flat piece of cardboard. Store the tree stand in its own box. After the boxes are packed, clearly label the contents on the outside of each box and then fill the box with the same items from year to year. Designate an area in a closet, basement, attic, or garage as holiday storage, and use the same space every year. Clean the storage area thoroughly each year before returning the decorations to it. Keep boxes off the floor to keep moisture out. If stored in an attic or outside garage, be sure that extreme temperature and humidity changes will not harm any of the items in the boxes.
WAYS TO WELLNESS How are you doing on the New Year’s Resolutions you have made? When setting goals or resolutions, one way to be successful is to utilize the B-Smart plan. What is the B-Smart Plan? It means that your goals are –
It takes about 30 days for a behavior change to become a habit. Four Resolutions you can keep in 2006!
Source:January 2006 Youth Health Bulletin, compiled and edited by the HEEL Program
IN THE WORK PLACE
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