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TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: And you should pick up the phone right now and call us with your home improvement question, because we know you've got one. Hey, spring is just around the corner. I mean heck, it's literally hours away and it's time to pick up the tools and get to work. And you know what? While it might not feel like spring in every part of the country, those of us who struggled through the long winter know it is just a matter of time before we're back outside enjoying that mild weather.
So, we are here to help. And as you plan your spring renovations, you might want to think about bringing in a new, spring look to your front door with a design that lets in lots of light and looks great and is energy-efficient, as well. We're going to have some tips on how you can do just that, in just a bit.
LESLIE: And since spring is on your brain, you might be getting ready to tackle this year's spring planting session. And if you are thinking about that project, you maybe want to consider drip irrigation. Now this is a foolproof way to water plants and landscaping without wasting a drop of water.
TOM: Plus, if you're getting your cleaning bucket ready for the big, spring workout, we've got some ideas to help you make your very own kid-safe cleaning supplies that are safe, they're inexpensive and they really, really work.
LESLIE: Oh, I thought you were going to say we've got some ideas to get your kids to do the spring-cleaning chores, because that's something I think we should be sharing.
TOM: Not so much.
LESLIE: Well, up for grabs this hour, guys, we've got a great prize for you. We're giving away the Swash 1000, which is the ultimate in bathroom hygiene and comfort. It's a high-tech toilet set with a warm-water bidet system built right in.
Wow, that sounds fascinating.
TOM: I am flush with excitement. This is a great prize and it's worth, check this out, 599 bucks. So give us a call right now with your home improvement question. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.
We will toss all names of this hour's callers into The Money Pit hard hat and if we draw your name out, we will send you the Swash 1000. Imagine the conversation you'll be having with family members. "Hey, what are you doing in there?" "Nothing. Just swashing around with my Swash 1000."
You know, on their website, I understand it comes with a wireless remote. Imagine if you hide that from your guests?
LESLIE: Oh, that would be the meanest trick. Considering that – I'm just looking at some of these features. It's got an aerated wash spray, endless warm water, oscillating massage. I can't even talk about it.
TOM: Leslie is speechless.
LESLIE: This is amazing.
TOM: Write that down. It won't happen again very frequently. 888-666-3974. Let's get to work.
Leslie, who's first?
LESLIE: Sally in New York is dealing with some noisy pipes with the heating. What can we do for you?
SALLY: Well, hi. When my heat comes up automatically in the morning, and also sometimes in the afternoon if the oil burner goes back on, I hear a lot of creaking and booms and everything. I have copper pipes in the basement and I wonder – I don't heat my basement. Should I turn the heat up in the basement?
TOM: Not necessarily. What you're explaining here, Sally, is normal expansion of the pipes as they heat up. Now, it might be that the pipes are a little looser than we'd like them to be against the wood framing and so you're hearing a little bit more drama there than you'd, perhaps, typically would. But it's not indicative of any kind of a problem; it's very, very common for hot-water heating systems to have a little personality to them as they go about their job.
LESLIE: I like that: personality.
TOM: Yeah.
SALLY: So I have to be aware of it. I wasn't really aware of it until a friend stayed overnight and she said, "Wow, your heat's noisy when it comes up in the morning."
TOM: Yeah, well, you know why? Because you probably – you totally tuned it out.
SALLY: Yes, I'm used to it.
TOM: Yeah. Nothing to worry about there, Sally.
SALLY: And nothing I can do about it?
TOM: Well, there are some things you can do about it but you're going to be kind of chasing ghosts here, I think.
SALLY: Oh, OK. Well, thank you very much and I love your program.
TOM: Alright, Sally. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
Leslie, sometimes when you chase these things down, you find that you nail it in one spot and then it starts somewhere else. It'll kind of drive you crazy.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. Oh, it's totally – it's like the squeaky stairs at my house.
TOM: Yeah.
LESLIE: I fix one step, then the next one decides it wants to go. It's like you can never win with stuff like that. It's just charm, as we say.
Bill in South Carolina, you've got The Money Pit. What can we do for you today?
BILL: Hi. We've got some nice, big picture windows in a house overlooking a lake. And we have some problems with radiant heat during the midday sun and we're worried about fading in the floors, so we were thinking of tinting the windows. We were told that they're gelled when windows – we were told that it would probably void the warranty. Do you all have any opinions about how often that damage occurs? And if you're going to do window tinting on something like that, do you know which one gives you the best bang for the (audio gap)? I know that there's the Llumar and SUN-GARD and 3M.
TOM: Yeah. I think 3M has got a pretty reputation on – in this space. I don't know about the impact on the warranty. I could understand that manufacturers build and test windows and they don't really like anything touching it after that. And you can understand that.
LESLIE: Right. But from my understanding, Tom, aren't the 3M window – well, the option – isn't it a film that you apply and it's not a permanent coating? So I really can't understand how that would void a warranty.
TOM: Yeah, I can't either. And it doesn't attach to the inside of the window.
BILL: It's just a film that goes on the inside but they say that it can trap enough heat in there that it can cause a potential problem with the seals and cause cracks.
TOM: Correct.
LESLIE: Right.
TOM: Yeah and I'm sure it does.
BILL: Do you have any idea about how often that may occur? Is it a frequent occurrence or is that really rare?
LESLIE: I don't know. I guess you really need to think about the costs of the sun damage that's occurring to your fabric, your furnishings, your floor. Is it worth it to sort of get a light-diffusing shade that you can pull down during the super-sunny hours rather than putting a film on the window? You know, there are other options as far as adding a fabric shade or something just to reduce that light coming in. But over the long run, you're going to have to replace your furniture again, as well.
BILL: Those are all good thoughts. Very good thoughts. OK, thank you.
TOM: You're very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. Pick up the phone and give us a call, because we are here to lend you a hand with all of your spring home improvement projects. Let me tell you, we are all very excited to get this winter over and done with. So let us give you a hand with your spring chores any time of day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
Still ahead, letting in the light with some door designs that feature decorative glass that is energy-efficient and adds elegance and beauty to your front entry. We'll have those details, after this.
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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Therma-Tru Doors, the nation's leading manufacturer of fiberglass entry and patio door systems. Therma-Tru doors are Energy Star-qualified and provide four times the insulation of a wood door. To learn more, visit ThermaTru.com. Now, here are Tom and Leslie.
TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Call us right now. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT. We are here to help you with your next home improvement project. We are here to help you solve your do-it-yourself dilemma and if you're not going to do it yourself, if you're going to direct it yourself, call us and we will make sure that you know how to get the job done properly if you're going to hire a pro.
Plus, if you do get on the air with us this hour, you have the opportunity to win the ultimate in spa-like experience for your very own bathroom. We're giving away the Swash 1000 from Brondell, which is a high-tech toilet seat and I mean high-tech. It's got a warm-water bidet built right in. It installs in less than an hour, it fits 98 percent of all residential toilets and the Swash offers a cleansing and soothing water spray. It's worth 599 bucks. Going to go to one caller who reaches us with their home improvement project at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
If you'd like to see this thing in action, check it out at Brondell.com. That's B-r-o-n-d-e-l-l.com.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. It's pretty amazing. There's quite an interesting video that goes along with it and it really is a high-tech toilet seat. It's quite fascinating, so give us a call right now for your chance to win this great prize but also to let us give you a hand with what you're working on around your money pit.
And now, this time of year, I can absolutely just tell that spring is right around the corner, mostly because the sun is just out a little bit longer every day. And I love the idea of sun just pouring into my home. It really is inspiring me to look at what's going on at my money pit and maybe take on some new projects that will really help enhance the return-on-investment value to my home; the perceived value of the home. And one of those is a front door.
Now, when you're replacing your front-entry system, you can think about different options. You can go with just a door or you can go with something to allow more light in, maybe with sidelights. And there are so many options out there that will give you a very energy-efficient door but also energy-efficient glass that's incorporated right into the design. It truly is a great way to lighten up a big foyer and really create a grand entrance to your home.
TOM: And if you are thinking about doing a new entrance to your home, you really should consider Therma-Tru because they are the original manufacturer of fiberglass doors. And they have a brand new glass called Avonlea, which is just beautiful; a true work of art for your home's exterior.
Let me kind of describe this for you. It's got a clear, baroque glass, it's got fluid lines and a free-flowing leaf pattern. Plus, it's accented with bronze water glass and black, nickel caming. Bottom line, it is absolutely beautiful. And the best part is that this Therma-Tru Avonlea glass is as energy-efficient as it is gorgeous.
In fact, it is Energy Star-qualified, which is really amazing, Leslie, when you think about the ability to do that with a gorgeous, decorative glass like this.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And Therma-Tru really does glass very beautifully. And it's going to compliment many home styles, including modern architecture, New American homes, even Colonial-style homes. And the glass is available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including oval and arched, so you truly can create a really customized look for your home.
Check out their website. It's ThermaTru.com and then once you're there, look at the Avonlea glass in Therma-Tru's fiberglass, the Smooth-Star, the Profiles and even the Traditions door lines. And once you pick out a beautiful design for your home, all you need to do is let the sunshine in and enjoy the spring.
TOM: 888-666-3974. Let us shine some sun on your next home improvement project, with some tips to help you get it done right.
Who's next?
LESLIE: Claire in Alaska, you've got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
CLAIRE: Hi. I want to build a sauna at my home.
CLAIRE: And I've been to the home shows where they sell these very expensive, $7,000 packages and they – we can't afford that. So, might there be a problem with using several of the clear or red infrared bulbs that are sold at the hardware stores? And how can we tell what wattage is enough for our sauna space?
TOM: Yeah, I don't think that you're going to get enough heat with those infrared bulbs. It certainly would make it warm but it's no sauna. You have to have a sauna heater, at least. If you're going to build the room yourself – and that's fine but I think you have to start by selecting a proper sauna heater.
For me, I want to just look for a good, electric heating coil and that has sort of rocks that surround it, because I love to throw the hot water on the hot coils and have it steam up.
CLAIRE: OK, thank you very much. I appreciate your help.
LESLIE: David in Pennsylvania, you've got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
DAVID: I have a question pertaining to moisture getting trapped in between the walls when you're remodeling. On the outside of the house, there's a ½-inch foam and I was going to put foam right over top of lath plaster and then put drywall over top of that. And I was wondering, am I creating a problem with moisture in the wall?
TOM: So, did you say that you have foam on the outside of your house? You have a faux stucco made out of foam?
DAVID: Somewhat like that. It's like a Filatex (ph) product.
TOM: Well, there's a type of stucco called EIFS – Exterior Insulated Foam Siding – and this is a problem – this is a product that's associated with a lot of moisture problems and rot underneath and mold and things like that. I'd hate to see – to think that you're adding to that, David.
DAVID: Alright. This is – it's not like that but it – I am concerned that when you put a 4×8 sheet of ¾-inch foam or ½-inch foam on the outside and then do the same on the inside to try to create a better insulated value, if you are …
TOM: Why do you want to put it on the inside? Why would you not just use standard, fiberglass insulation in between the batts – in between the bays – in the stud bays of the wall?
DAVID: Well, it's a plank house and it's got real fancy trim and you can't really do that.
TOM: OK. So you're just looking to get an additional layer? And you want to put this on the wood structure or you want to put this over the plaster?
DAVID: Either way.
DAVID: If I can get away with putting it on the plaster, that's the way I'd go.
TOM: You probably can. I don't think you're going to cause any additional moisture. The thing is, you're making your walls awfully thick and you're going to have to deal with that with the windows and the doors, because now your window wells and your door wells and your electrical boxes and switches – it's going to be awfully thick if you do that. So you understand what that's going to do? That's going to pull everything – make everything deep, because the wall will essentially be an inch or two thicker.
DAVID: Right. I'm pulling all the trim off except for the baseboard and I'm putting jamb extensions on that.
DAVID: I understand that, even with the electrical.
TOM: Yeah. And I will caution you, though, that the best place to save energy is not the walls; it's the ceiling space above. So make sure that in your area of the country you have something in the area of 18 to 22 inches of insulation. Because the wall insulation is going to be much – you'll save energy but the big heat loss is what's going up.
And so, put it in perspective. Make sure you've got plenty of attic insulation first and then whatever you do to the walls will help after that.
DAVID: Alright. Thank you.
TOM: You're welcome, David. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
And I suspect, Leslie, after the winter we've had, there's going to be an awful lot of folks that, as the weather turns warmer, are going to be thinking about ways to not let that happen to them again, in terms of the energy bills.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. I mean really, the Northeast and pretty much the entire country have suffered with a very, very cold winter season. So, we're all really learning and seeing that just making a few simple changes are really going to enhance how our home uses its energy and how we save our dollars.
Now we've got Rebecca from Georgia on the line who has a question about her brick house. How can we help you?
REBECCA: I stained my house – oh, gosh – 20 years ago.
TOM: You stained your brick house?
REBECCA: And I have – yeah.
REBECCA: It's a brick house and I stained it in a dark color and I've never liked it. Is there anything I can do to get this stain …?
TOM: But it seemed like a good idea at the time.
REBECCA: Yes, it did. Yes, it did. It's an ugly brick and it just stood out. It just shouted at you and I was trying to just, you know, calm it down a little bit.
TOM: Right.
REBECCA: But it – I've never liked it. And I would like to – I wish I could get my natural brick back, is what I wish.
TOM: And now that you've been staring at it for 20 years, that's all you can stand and you can't stand it anymore.
REBECCA: Yes.
LESLIE: And you really don't like it.
REBECCA: My next step will be to paint it but …
TOM: Yeah.
LESLIE: Oh. Hmm.
REBECCA: I wish I can get that stain off; I really do.
TOM: Problem is that the brick is like a sponge.
LESLIE: Porous.
TOM: It's very porous.
REBECCA: Yes, yes.
TOM: And so I'm sure that whatever stain you used soaked right into it and since – not even like it's something that we can physically get to …
REBECCA: Exactly.
LESLIE: Yeah, because even if you paint brick and then years later you're like, "Bleh, I want to get rid of it," that would be something that's like a sand-blasting option. And you can get that paint that sticks to the surface off but once you get down to the brick, say you painted it white, you're still going to see a wash of white in all the pocking of the brick.
REBECCA: Exactly.
TOM: Yeah.
LESLIE: So with the stain, I don't even think sand-blasting would get that.
REBECCA: No.
TOM: And it'll destroy the brick, too.
LESLIE: Yeah.
TOM: Yeah.
REBECCA: Oh, I see. I thought about that.
TOM: Well, I think you should not stress about it anymore and I think you should think about painting it.
REBECCA: Yes.
TOM: But before you do that, think of any other things – and I'm going to ask Leslie to put on her decorator hat now – any other things that you can do to soften that dark color and do other things like the trim, the windows, the molding; any of those types of exterior …
LESLIE: Adding shutters.
TOM: Right, shutters.
LESLIE: Adding window boxes with lots of beautiful floral and greenery to hide some of that.
REBECCA: Yes.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: Encouraging ivy to grow on the side of the brick.
TOM: But now, seriously, you can think about decorating around the dark color. It's like when you buy a house that's got a really old, 1950s bathroom and you hate the pink but it's rock-solid – it's a rock-solid tile project.
REBECCA: Yes.
LESLIE: She's like, "Wait, I have one of those, too."
REBECCA: You're talking about my house.
TOM: There you go.
LESLIE: Oh, God.
TOM: There's always a way to decorate around it, so I'd just like you to think about that because once you paint, you know what comes next?
REBECCA: Yes.
TOM: Repaint.
REBECCA: I know, I know. Yes. But anyway, I will definitely do what you said. That sounds good.
TOM: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Up next, drip irrigation is an easy way to make sure your garden and your landscaping has the water it needs, without wasting a single drop. We're going to tell you how to make that happen at your house, after this.
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TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Give us a call right now at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. We would love to talk with you about your home improvement project and we'd also love if you would consider joining The Money Pit community at MoneyPit.com. You can get great project ideas and advice from us and your fellow do-it-yourselfers.
We also write blogs on a regular basis there. We also post our photos of our projects and you can also share your projects on Facebook, all through MoneyPit.com in the Community section. Check it out today.
LESLIE: Jim in Georgia is looking for some help with a humidifier. What can we do for you?
JIM: We were looking on the internet for an in-room, tabletop humidifier. Even though we live in the South, it gets dry in here in the winter and with the air conditioning, it gets really dry in the summer. And we happened up on this thing called an in-house humidifier that I believe hooks up to a forced-air system and also you connect through your water system.
TOM: Right.
JIM: Our water heater is less than 2½ feet from the heating unit, so we were wondering about that and I wondered if you all had any suggestions or any thoughts on that.
TOM: Yeah, you're talking about a whole-home.
JIM: Yes.
TOM: And you're right. It fits onto the HVAC system, usually on the supply side. And it's a very efficient, effective way to add humidity to the air.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And it delivers a nice, even, uniform moisture when you need it and only when you need it, because of a humidistat.
TOM: And so it's definitely the most efficient way to go.
JIM: They said on the internet that you should have it professionally installed but the people that were writing the reviews – and there are only like three reviews on this thing – said that that was kind of bogus; that they could install it themselves. I'm not great with plumbing but I didn't know if it was something I wanted to attempt or have a plumber or an A/C person come in and install.
LESLIE: I wouldn't.
TOM: I would have an HVAC contractor. You know, you could buy them and have them installed right from a pro and this way, you know that it's done correctly. If it's done incorrectly, if it starts to leak, it could rust out the heat exchanger from your furnace. That could cause all sorts of problems, so I would definitely have it done by a pro.
JIM: Are there drawbacks or anything I need to be aware of or are there any that you would recommend?
TOM: I like a unit that's made by Aprilaire, because it has sort of a trickle-down system. I don't like the kind that are like foam rollers that roll through a pan of water, because they tend to get a lot of mineral-salt deposits on them very quickly. And that causes them to seize after about a year.
The Aprilaire one is one that's going to last a long time and it's pretty much a standard.
JIM: Awesome. Well, I appreciate your help.
TOM: You're very welcome. Good luck with that project and thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Well, in most parts of the country, trying to keep yards watered throughout the summer is no small feat, especially if you live in a conservation-conscious area that restricts your water usage.
TOM: Well, if the best defense is a good offense, one of the best ways to beat the heat and make sure your plants thrive is with micro-irrigation. Now, this is a system of drip tubing and tiny sprayers and it's a great way for you to get water right where you need it. Here to tell us more is Roger Cook, the landscaping expert at This Old House.
Hey, Roger.
ROGER: Hey, Tom, Leslie. Thanks for having me.
TOM: Well, thanks for being here. And unlike a lawn-irrigation system, it seems that installing drip irrigation is not quite as complicated. So, would you consider this a DIY project? And what kinds of gardens is it best suited for?
ROGER: Oh, it's definitely a DIY project. The tubing and the plastic fittings and everything are very, very simple to work with.
TOM: OK. So where do we begin?
ROGER: We begin at the connection to the house. You need to make a connection through the tubing and usually what you have is an adapter which regulates the amount of pressure that goes through to the drip irrigation because …
TOM: So that's where the drip part comes in?
ROGER: Right. But too much pressure going through that drip hose will actually blow it apart and …
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. Because the holes are just so tiny.
TOM: Right.
ROGER: Right. So you need a certain pressure – a certain psi – to make it work properly.
LESLIE: Alright. So now we've established our connection. How does this really work to deliver the water where we need it?
ROGER: Well, from the connection, there'll be a solid pipe that'll bring it out to the area where you want the drip to be. Then we transition either to the drip tubing or the specific emitters, which'll put that water right down where the roots are.
LESLIE: Now, it seems like we're going from one end of the yard to the other. Do we need to be concerned about distance and the amount of water that will get to the plants that need it?
ROGER: You will. And you'll find that there are directions which tell you how many feet of drip or how many emitters you can have on one, what we call, zone; one area. And you'll have to break up your system into either manual zones where you turn it yourself or they have electric zones, which will control the different areas so that one area gets the water for a certain period of time. Then we switch over to another and another.
TOM: Now, Roger, it seems that with most irrigation systems, there's a fair amount of inefficiency. I mean either we don't have it aimed to the right place or we get a lot of evaporation. But with drip irrigation, it seems like we put it exactly where we need it; right where that root needs to drink, correct?
ROGER: Right. That's the key to it is you don't have the water running down the driveway and usually you don't have a geyser shooting straight up when a head gets eaten up by a lawnmower. This you adapt, you wrap it around your shrubs or your perennial beds and you just give the area the water it needs.
LESLIE: Can you use it for ground cover, for watering certain sections of your lawn or better to focus it on a smaller area?
ROGER: Ground cover, perennial beds, individual shrubs. It'll be awful hard to do in a lawn area because you would have to have a whole series of pipes exactly the same distance apart or your lawn wouldn't get an even watering.
TOM: Now, I've even seen drip irrigation used for things like hanging planters. Are there lots of accessories for these sorts of applications?
ROGER: There are. And that's one of the biggest things we've done in the last few years. People are doing planters and pots and they're the hardest thing to keep watering because they're out, exposed to the elements.
TOM: They dry out very quick.
ROGER: Very quickly. So we just put a couple little emitters in there through this microtubing.
TOM: So, when you get started on this, it would seem that you need a bit of a plan, just like any kind of project; sort of sketch out where everything has to go and then you can kind of tally up the parts?
ROGER: Exactly. You want to know how many zones you're going to have, how many runs; that sort of thing. And you'll get a lot of great information online and even going to a place that sells this and showing them your plan, they'll help you design a system that'll work there.
LESLIE: Now, what happens to the system at the end of the year? Is it like traditional irrigation where you have to blow out the systems to keep things from freezing, I guess?
ROGER: Right, you do in any place that it's going to freeze because if there's water left in that tubing and it expands, it'll crack it. We want to use that for years; we don't want to have to replace it.
So you're going to blow it out at a low psi and just clean the water right out of it.
TOM: This sounds like a really green approach to watering your garden.
ROGER: It is.
TOM: Very, very efficient. Roger Cook from TV's This Old House, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
And for more great tips, including a video about installing micro-irrigation systems, you can visit ThisOldHouse.com.
LESLIE: And you can watch Roger and the entire This Old House team on This Old House and Ask This Old House on your local PBS station.
TOM: And Ask This Old House is brought to you by the National Association of Realtors.
Up next, we're going to take more of your calls and offer some great alternatives to chemical cleaning supplies, in perfect time for your next spring-cleaning project. We've got tips on how you can create homemade cleaning products that are both inexpensive and safe for kids.
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TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete. And we'd love to hear what you are working on, so pick up the phone and give us a call right now at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. And if you give us a call and get on the air this hour, you are going to have a chance to win, really, a fantastic spa-like update to your bathroom.
You are going to have a wonderful spa experience every time you are in the can. We've got up for grabs the Swash 1000 from Brondell. And this is a high-tech toilet seat with a warm-water bidet that's built right into it. It's going to install in less than an hour. It fits pretty much 98 percent of residential toilets. And the Swash offers a cleansing and soothing spray that anybody who uses your restroom while they're visiting your house is going to enjoy greatly.
It's worth 600 bucks, so give us a call right now at 888-MONEY-PIT for your chance to win. And if you want to see how this all works, you can see a video, you can see how you easy it is to install. Check out their website. It's Brondell.com and you'll find all the information there.
TOM: Well, you're probably getting ready to haul out the cleaning bucket and those supplies for some major spring cleaning. If you are, though, we've got some options for non-toxic cleaning solutions now that are quick, easy and child-safe.
First, let's talk about an easy window cleaner. All you need to do is fill a spray bottle with a quart of water and a tablespoon of white vinegar. Now, you can use the same ingredients for a floor cleaner. You just want to pump up the volume a bit, mixing a ¼ cup of white vinegar to a gallon of hot water.
Now, borax and water actually make a great disinfectant, if that's a need you have. You can use them to clean countertops, to clean tile and cabinets. And if you're dealing with mildew, here's a tip: a strong, thyme tea can help get rid of that.
And if you're looking for a bathroom cleaner, a paste of baking soda and lemon juice smells great and cleans sinks, toilets and chrome.
LESLIE: And the best part of all of these tips is you probably have everything right now in your kitchen cupboard, so you really can get to some nice, healthy cleaning for your house.
Now, if you have some carpeting, you can deodorize that carpet by sprinkling corn starch or even baking soda right onto the rug and then vacuum it up. You can also, with brass components in your house, clean that with equal parts of flour and salt and mix that into a small amount of vinegar and it's a great paste to clean all of that brass around your house.
And here's an added bonus to making your own household cleaners: with these basic ingredients and easy recipes, you can send your kids to work around the house safely and completely guilt-free, because you know they're working with some nice products that you made yourself.
If you want a complete list of these recipes and more, just Google "money pit child-safe clean" and you'll go right to that great article.
TOM: And if you're facing a tough cleaning challenge, why not call us right now? We will help you out. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Mike in North Dakota, you've got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
MIKE: Hi. How are you guys doing?
TOM: We're well.
LESLIE: We're great. So you're working on a flooring project?
MIKE: Well, no, not yet. I'm not much of a handyman but – say, my wife and I bought a condo about a year ago and it's got linoleum flooring in it, which is nice, but we're wanting to put some laminate down in our kitchen.
TOM and LESLIE: OK.
MIKE: And one of the things I read that you need to consider is if you have any appliances that are underneath the countertop, that installing the laminate isn't going to interfere with that?
And our dishwasher is right snug up against the bottom of the countertop, so if we put anything underneath that, you know, it's not going to – or if we just …
TOM: Yeah, that's going to be a problem. Yeah.
MIKE: Yeah.
TOM: So what kind of flooring do you have down now?
MIKE: It's just linoleum.
LESLIE: OK. Now, Tom, how much play does adjusting the feet on the dishwasher give you?
TOM: Yeah, that's what I was thinking. You should have at least an inch of play in the feet of the dishwasher.
LESLIE: And the laminate's going to be about three-quarters, correct?
TOM: Less than that.
LESLIE: Less than …
TOM: Probably less than a half.
LESLIE: Because, Mike, what you would do is before you start your flooring project, you would pull the dishwasher out, floor underneath it and then you'll see on the bottom of all appliances – ovens, dishwashers – there's some feet that sort of screw in and out to adjust the height. And then you would just drop it down all the way and slide it back in. And that should give you enough clearance.
But before you start anything, you might want to just disconnect that dishwasher for a hot second, pull it out and see how much adjustability there actually is there. You don't know what kind of position it's already set in. You may have way more clearance than you think.
MIKE: If I don't – what if I don't have enough clearance?
LESLIE: Well, Tom has dealt with the crazy, floored-in dishwasher situation before, which is never fun.
TOM: Yeah. What kind of countertop do you have?
MIKE: Well, it's not granite, if that tells you anything. I guess I'm not sure what it …
TOM: Is it laminate?
MIKE: Yeah.
TOM: Well, look, you can pull the top off and drop the dishwasher in from the top, if you had problems getting it in and out.
TOM: But if you – but if this is the original floor and it's a vinyl floor – so you don't have multiple layers there – it would be very unusual that you can't adjust this dishwasher down.
MIKE: Yeah.
TOM: I mean they all look like they're up close to the top but they almost always have an inch of space on those legs.
MIKE: Sure.
TOM: So, you need to take off the control panel on the bottom and take a look. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
MIKE: Awesome. That'd be – I had – I didn't even think of that, so appreciate it very much.
TOM: Alright. Well and – but you thought to call us and that was the right thing to do.
MIKE: Thank you.
TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Coming up, is your home making you sick? Well, if you're suffering from more colds than usual, if you have a sore throat or even suffering from flu-like symptoms, your house could be the reason but not to worry. We're going to help you diagnose and treat it, next.
(theme song)
ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by ODL's Add-On Blinds. Enclosed behind tempered glass, they eliminate the need for dusting and exposed cords, both problems with traditional blinds. Plus, they easily install over your existing entry glass. Visit www.ODL.com to learn more.
TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete. And do you want to hear the coolest thing, guys? You can check out The Money Pit Radio Show on the go with The Money Pit iPhone app. How cool is that?
You can get full show archives, you can ask a question on the Community forum or you can even connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. You can check it all out at MoneyPit.com and the app is free and it's super-cool.
TOM: And while you're on MoneyPit.com, please do post us a question. That's just what Joe did in Virginia who says, "The air in my basement seems to make some people sick but I can't figure out what's causing it. I put an air cleaner down there but it's not improved. Symptoms are sore throats. I checked into getting the air tested but it was 500 bucks just to have the air quality tested. What else can I do that is reasonable in terms of cost?"
Well, first of all, we've got to get – we've got to find out what's going on here, Joe. Don't know that I would jump right to air testing but probably a mold inspection is not a bad idea. I would suggest that you evaluate that space for its propensity to grow mold. Like for example, do you have a carpet down there? That would be really bad if it's damp, because carpets are just perfect places for mold to grow and to harbor. And also, dust mites and other types of irritants will get trapped in that carpet, which is very filter-like, so you should think about that.
Also, your heating system is down there. We want to make sure that that is clean, that it's working properly, that there are no carbon-monoxide issues. That's all very, very critical. So you really need to sort of diagnose here by looking at the conditions to see what could be causing mold and other allergen-like symptoms. And also, look at the heating system to make sure things are totally safe.
A good place to start might be by hiring a professional home inspector to do what we call a partial inspection, which is sort of an inspection of one or two items. Costs a little bit less than a full inspection but maybe they can help narrow it down. You are going to probably have to spend some money here but if you've clearly identified that people go in your basement and they get sick, well, we've got to get to the bottom of this because the sickness is going to get a lot more expensive than what it costs to get it fixed right. And then you can be restful and comfortable when you go down there and not worry about it so much.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And the other thing you might want to consider is that in rooms that are below-grade, there's a tendency – and it's not in every home but it does happen – for something called radon, which comes out of the soil around the house. And since your basement's below grade, there's a possibility that radon could be coming into your house.
You can get a kit at the home centers. You just have to make sure you close all the doors and windows except for normal ins and outs of the space. And I think – how long do you keep that in there? Is it like a day or two?
TOM: Usually, two to seven days. And obviously, if it was a radon problem, it's not what's causing the kinds of sickness that you're describing but if we've got some issues down there, it's good to know.
LESLIE: Yeah, especially if you've got some other things going on there. And then you just send the kit away and you get a result back in the mail and hopefully, it's nothing. But at least if it is something, you know exactly what you need to do to make that basement better for you and your family.
Alright. Donna from North Carolina posted this question: "I have a ridge roof but the ventilation is inadequate. I've been told to add an attic fan. Is this the best way to increase ventilation?"
TOM: No.
LESLIE: You hate those attic fans.
TOM: Bad idea. Here's why, Donna. When you have an attic fan, what happens is you depressurize the attic, true, which is a good thing because you're pulling hot air that builds up in the summertime and makes it more expensive to air condition your house. However, in the wintertime, it doesn't work because it's temperature-actuated, so you're not doing anything to deal with the moisture that builds up.
But what it does, in addition to pulling out that hot air in the summer, is it reaches down to the house and pulls out the air-conditioned air, too, because it doesn't stop at just the insulation level; it actually gets back down into the space.
So, a better idea for attic ventilation is a continuous ridge vent matched with continuous soffit vents at the overhang. Those two things will work together to pull a continuous air stream in the soffits, under the roof sheathing and out the ridge. Takes out the heat in the summer, takes out the moisture in the winter and does a really good job of ventilating that space, for a lot less than the cost to run an attic fan.
You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Thank you so much for spending this hour with us. We've had fun. We hope that you have, too, and we hope that you learned a couple of tricks along the way. The show continues online right now.
I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …
LESLIE: But you don't have to do it alone.
(theme song)
(Copyright 2011 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)


text:
Click here for Craig's diary
Page 1: 8/7/11-31/8/11 https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/craigs-diary/
Page 2: 1/9/11 to … https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/11309-2/
Craig Smith's Health
To read page 2 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health/craig-smiths-health-page-2/
To read page 3 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/craig-smiths-health-page-3/
To read page 4 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/craig-smiths-health-page-4/
To read page 5 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-page-1/craig-smiths-health-page-5/
To read page 6 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smith-26151-to-30911/craig-smiths-health-page-1/craig-smiths-health-page-6/latest update 30/11/11
To read page 7 of Craig Smith's health please click here: One year on (Craig Smith's Health) page 7
To read page 8 of Craig Smith's health please click here: Two years on (Craig Smith's Health page 8
Josh and Charmagne's Wedding
Livestream for Craig Smith's Funeral
The funeral service took place at 1pm on Friday the 7th of October
During the afternoon tea at 3:30pm there were tributes.
Please click on "Full" to view the full screen. (To find "Full" take your mouse over the video, once it is playing, until it appears)
Live Stream of Slideshow and Tributes:
Click on link below to read the tribute:
Zach Smith on behalf of the family
David Waldron on behalf of his family and other families
John de Vries on behalf of the Reformed Church
Roy Sandbrook on behalf of Home Educators
- including Kate Jaunay
This link stopped working – can only update using HTML. So please go to links above.
For updates please go to https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/
To read page 1 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health/craig-smiths-health-page-1/
To read page 2 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health/craig-smiths-health-page-2/
To read page 3 of Craig Smith's health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/craig-smiths-health-page-3/
Current page:https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health-2/
Before you visit please check here to see whether Craig or the Smiths are receiving visitors. VISITORS: Visitors and phone calls: Monday to Wednesday 4:00-6:30pm. Please keep visits and phone calls to 5 minutes thanks.
No visitors Thursday 8th – Tuesday 13th. This is family time. If you want to see us come to Charmagnes wedding September 10, All Saints Church, 10:00am
Filming YouTube clips 10:00-12:30pm please keep from ringing during this time. Thanks
Click here for Craig's diary
written up until 2 September
Barbara wants to do something special for Craig. He has been involved in the Home Schooling movement since 1985. He has written a History of Home schooling in New Zealand from his point of view. Now she thinks it would be great for him to hear the history of Home schooling in New Zealand from your point of view.
What is the history of home education in your area from your perspective? Who has inspired or encouraged you? What has motivated you? What has brought you together with other home educators and strengthened you? We would very much appreciate hearing your stories. Please write in or email. Even if you are overseas, perhaps you have a testimony about how Craig, Keystone, HEF or the home education movement in New Zealand has encouraged you. Do let us know. Thanks
To read page 2 of Craig Smiths health please click here: https://hef.org.nz/about-us/craig-smiths-health/craig-smiths-health-page-2/
Ty Bollinger the author of Cancer Outside the Box puts out a newsletter.
Free CancerTruth Newsletter
click on this link and then you can subscribe to Ty's enewsletter
"For my loyal Cancer*TRUTH subscribers only, as a Labor Day special, I am offering a 25% discount on my best-selling book, "Cancer-Step Outside the Box."
But not only will you get a discount on the price, but (in honor of Labor Day), I will personally autograph each and every printed book that you purchase. I have never made this offer to my subscribers, but I wanted to say "thank you" for all of your support, encouragement, and for helping me spread the TRUTH about cancer.
Click HERE to obtain your own personally autographed copy of "Cancer-Step Outside the Box" for US$24.97, which is a 25% discount off the retail price.
This offer will expire at midnight on Labor Day.
3/9/11 evening
Can't make it to Josh and Charmagne's wedding?
Watch it live online!
Our dear friend, Bart van der Wee, has organised internet streaming of the wedding. On 10 September 2011 at 10am log in here to watch the wedding live online:
Lord willing the reception will be streamed live at the same link too. Check it at 1pm or more likely 2pm on the same day.
3/9/11 early evening
(Genevieve here again) The brain tumour has given us all some great family moments.
Take last night, for example. Kaitlyn is interested in starting a home business: Bubbles Foot and Face Spa. I've been helping her with her business model and coaching her on how to conduct feet and face massages. It turns out that Kaitlyn (and Grace) are so excited by all this that they sat me down last night and put all these skills into practice! And today the excitement has continued to such an extent that they've been begging me all day for permission to give me face and feet massages tonight!
Another thing they have been begging for is midnight snacks. The night before Grace's birthday we planned our first feast. We turned out all the lights, lit a bunch of candles, laid out our spread in front of the crackling fire and woke Grace (this was some time before midnight but sometime after she had fallen asleep). It was all to naught. She just couldn't wake up. So we partied in her absence. Just as an aside, let me recommend midnight snacks. There is something about night time and darkness which allows inhibitions to come down and opens a person to want to meet at an emotional level and bond. This is one reason why the Smith family has decided not to do sleepovers/slumber parties. We learned the hard way that this is not an appropriate thing for children and their peers. However, this does provide a perfect opportunity for parents and their children to bond, for parents to win their children's hearts, for parents to learn what troubles their children, what is on their hearts and minds, etc. They will be eager and willing to talk and you can bring this all about through something as simple as a midnight snack!
Last night we had another midnight snack. This time it was Kaitlyn who couldn't wake up, but we did manage to convince Gracie to wake up just long enough to join us (Charmagne, Marie, Jedediah and myself). We munched pesto covered crackers, dried apricots and organic juice…along with the delicious carrot cake and brownies Marie had made and the Cadbury Favourites mentioned in yesterday's post).
Today we had a very special visitor: Johnny Smith from Christchurch came up to visit Dad. He is the man who discipled my Dad in the Navigators. He taught him about reading the Bible, studying the Scriptures, memorizing God's Word, praying, fasting – you name it. Back in the 70's he was praying that the Lord would lead him to someone he could disciple and the Lord led him to Dad! Well, am I ever thankful! His investment in Dad has also been an investment in myself and my siblings and Lord willing it will prove to be an investment in our children too as we embrace the spiritual disciplines that Mr Smith taught my dad. We regard Mr Smith and his work in Dad very highly and very affectionately around here. Thank you, Sir, very, very much!
After lunch we had two other visitors, special for a completely different reason! Maryanne Martin and her hairdressing friend, Liana, came around to do a practice run through on wedding hair for Charmagne and I. Talk about exciting. Liana did a fantastic job. And while they were here I got to indulge in a passion of mine by asking them to tell me their birthing stories. Since marrying and childbearing I see the women around me in a completely different light: they are heroines who sacrifice health and body to bring new life into the world. It is simply spectacular. And I am very grateful to all the younger girls, husbands, children and grandmas who support women through their child bearing years. Younger girls, especially, I see as having a wonderful role to play in the body of Christ by helping mothers in practical ways when a new baby is expected or has arrived. While Maryanne cared for Liana's youngest, Scarlett, Kaitlyn saw an opportunity for Bubbles Foot and Face Spa! She offered Maryanne a complimentary facial. Gracie later offered a complimentary foot massage but they ran out of time. Liana even got a facial too!
And how is Dad?
Pretty happy. He had a visit from Dr Minnee today – our good, Godly and gracious GP. After giving him a physical, he said that Dad stabalizing the way he has made him think he would make it to the wedding just fine. Then he prayed for Dad and asked the Lord to heal him. He acknowledged that earthly physicians can only do so much but that the Heavenly Physician was perfectly capable of causing the tumour to shrink and disappear. We so appreciate having a GP who is not only a Christian, but also a dear friend. We're only sorry we are such rascally patients!
He encouraged us in our witness and reminded us of the witness that we have to the nurses and doctors and members of the medical profession that we might come into contact with. He told us of a glioblastoma multiforme patient he had last year. The patient was a member of an Eastern religion and during difficult times in his care it was Dr Minnee that he wanted with him. This trust enable Dr Minnee to give him a Bible and share the gospel with him. Praise the Lord for Christian doctors!
Prayer requests:
Praise and thanks to the Lord for providing such a Godly husband for our Charmagne.
Thanks for the glow and the great happiness in which Charmagne walks every day.
Thanks that Mum is feeling a whole lot better today.
Thanks for that Marie Sandbrook and all the help she is.
Thanks for all the people who have supported us in practical and financial ways: may the Lord bless them as they have been a blessing to us!
That Dad will continue to recover, that the tumour will shrink.
That Dad will be well enough for the wedding to travel there and back, to walk up the aisle (even just a few steps DV), to deliver his blessing and wedding speech.
That the wedding will go off smoothly.
That we will get plenty of beautiful family photos (who knows when we'll all be together again. It is close to Mum's heart to get some nice family photos of this time together).
That Mum will do well as we all disappear after the wedding (Charmagne on Saturday and the Zach Smith family and the Peter de Deugd family on the Tuesday after the wedding).
Thanks for all the people who contributed towards the wedding surprise and thanks that He enabled our friend to make the arrangements to make it happen.
Prayer for the event this week that is on Dad's heart and mind. Prayer that a Biblical resolution will be obtained.
Chips and coke – just kidding!
2/9/11 evening
(Genevieve here again) "Oh no!"
Dad had fallen from a chair and was caught in an ackward position. His arm was pinned under his body. However, he wasn't hurt. Thank the Lord. Mum was most concerned. Was his arm ok? How are we going to get him out? How are we going to get him up? Who can help?
Jeremiah did a wonderful job pulling Dad to a place where he could be lifted with the new hoist. Thanks, Jerry.
In the meantime, I'd been asked to ring the district nurses and ask their advice.
"If you can't get him out, call the ambulance. If it is beyond you all, they'll call the fire brigade to aid you as well!"
It turned out the job was well within the ability of Jerry, Mum and Jed to handle, but it was a little scary.
It isn't nice to think of returning to Australia and having Dad and Mum caught in difficult situations such as this in the future.
It is MOST comforting to know that the family is surrounded by another family, the Church family, who love Dad and Mum and would bend over backwards to help them – and they already are!
Which brings me to my next story: the one about all the people who are helping and encouraging Dad and Mum.
There is the Catholic Church in Wanganui who have sent organic vegetables and oils for Dad.
There is Joe Rumble, a Catholic friend of Dad's who used to occasionally accompany Dad on the truck run to discuss religion and heresies, who has sent us boxes of organic carrots for juicing and other organic vegetables, plus other items like organic maple syrup for the rest of the family. Tonight he stopped in with a box of Cadbury Favourites for the rest of us, "Not organic – sorry!" No problem, Joe!
There is Theo de Klerk and Joel Rademaker who came every morning to help get Dad out of bed and into his wheel chair for the day. Their services were so needful and now we are so happy that the hoist enables Mum and Jed to do this themselves now.
Jessica Rademaker still comes every morning and does the juicing. This is such a blessing. Maree Sandbrook is still here and does so much behind the scenes to help the household to continue functioning. She is a trooper and such a solid rock for the family at this time. Too bad my Caleb isn't ready to marry yet.
There are the times we go out to the mailbox and find an anonymous envelope there with money in it or the times we go to the organic shop to buy the various vitamins and organic vegetables we need only to be given a wad of vouchers, "Someone left these here for you."
There are the people overseas who are jumping through all those inconvenient and costly hoops to make an international transfer of funds to help Dad and Mum financially.
There are the cards we receive from children, carefully written out with messages about how they are praying for Dad. One card was from a young girl who God healed of leukemia, "I'm praying He will heal you too!"
There are the people who have gone through something similar to what we are going through at the moment who share their stories and the lessons the Lord taught them. These are special to hear.
There is Lynne, the owner of Bethany's Restaurant in Palmerston North, who has brought around encouraging books and a voucher for her restaurant, "For when you can eat normal food again, Craig. Come and have a meal on us." Dad sure is looking forward to picking whatever he wants from their menu!
There are the people who are coming from far and wide and making an effort to visit Dad: Raewyn Shand came today with a freezer worth of homekill beef and cod! Thank you Shands! Anna Leech and her husband popped in during the week and brought with them a number of helpful implements for Dad in his condition. Renton Maclaughlin spent a day last week with Dad. He and Dad have collaborated on many adventures in the past. He is the man behind Genesis FM which broadcasts on 87.6 from our attic! This is an excellent endeavour. Renton puts together 13 hours of radio on a loop which plays out over the radio 24/7 on a one mile radius from our house. David and Jenny Waldron visited on Sunday and prayed with Dad. Mr Waldron kindly refused the delicious banana cake we offered him and ate only what Dad was given to eat while he was here. The van der Wees keep us supplies with deep well water.
And there is the Compton family who live in Victoria, Australia – not far from we de Deugds! Not only have they helped Dad and Mum, but when Pete returned home (with Natalie and Caleb to a huge backlog at work with a painful left arm) they brought around 10 trays of food (lasagne and all sorts) so that Pete would at least not have to worry about how to feed himself and the two little ones. And they offered to send their son Robert to help Pete out with his backlog – very, very generous and such an encouragement to us all. The body of Christ is at work all over the world!
There are so many other people to mention and circumstances to tell you about! Many apologies to those I have missed mentioning. You are all so appreciated.
And how is Dad?
Remember how we mentioned that he only writes his diary on the far left hand side of each page now because of his vision and perception difficulties? Well…not only is he able to write again, but he takes up more of the page again – he isn't covering the whole page yet. However, this is one of the signs we've been hoping to observe. This sort of thing might be a signal that the tumour is shrinking for which we are hoping and praying.
The Lord is in control. There is MUCH to be thankful for.
Dad is concerned about something happening from tonight through to next Friday night and will be praying about it a great deal. He would love you to pray with him for a Biblical outcome.
Travelling mercies for John Briggs who travels up here on Tuesday to give his assistance with Dad and with the truck run for a wee while.
Travelling mercies for Pete with Natalie and Caleb who are coming to the wedding on Wednesday.
Travelling mercies for Zach and Megan with Cheyenh, Dusti and Jackson who leave the USA on our Wednesday and arrive on Thursday.
Travelling mercies for Mr Downes, Josh and Sam as they travel to the wedding on Thursday.
Travelling mercies to all those coming to the wedding.
For Mum that her body will be strengthened and that she will have the stamina to see her through the coming days, months and years.
For we Smith children that we will see what we can do to help Dad and Mum and that we will willingly and joyfully assist. That we will put ourselves aside in preference for their needs at this time.
For glorious weather for the wedding.
And again, for Mum.
One toddler car seat (for Thursday through Tuesday).
2/9/11 – 2:30pm
Craig's stats for 1/9/00 8:00am (didn't get this report finished yesterday)
NO headache – on a scale of 1-10 it is 0
128/89 pulse 58 5:39am
139/84 pulse 54 6:10am
165/90 pulse 56 6:14amThese were taken before I gave Craig his early morning Verapamil.
Taken after Verapamil 135/88 pulse 53 6:42am
Lower back pain is a 0 on a scale of 1-10
Stomach pain 0
PH at 6:30am 6.5 to 7
Craig has had NO morphine or any other pain killers since the morphine pump was taken off him on the 29th Aug at 2pm.
Craig is still in bed so cannot comment on other symptoms yet.
Back on 6 August – just after we announced to you all that Craig has stage 4 Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and that his tumour grew 30% in 8 days when they expect no growth over a week period. I said that we are not without hope. We have a lot of hope in 3 areas:
1. Craig may not have much time left with us.
Craig nearly died on Saturday. He has improved greatly since then and is in no pain as you can see in the statistics above. All our New Zealand drs: our family GP; the Hospice Oncologist, drs, and nurses; and Palliative care drs and nurses thought that Craig's headache was from the Tumour and swelling in the brain having no room left to grow. They thought that the swelling was causing the headache which was causing the high blood pressure and in turn causing the other symptoms. Our Dr in the USA thought the opposite that Craig's symptoms were causing the high blood pressure which was causing the headache. Our Dr in the USA is still seeking a cause for the symptoms. Craig is currently still on high steroids which our family GP thinks may be giving him some relief at the moment if the Tumour is causing the headache. Our family GP believes we have been given this small window with Craig being OK for a few days – perhaps enough so Craig can be at Charmagne's wedding.
If Craig does die in the next few days or weeks then we have a hope that Craig is in the best place and he is gaining. Philippians 1:20-21(ESV) …as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Craig has confessed his Lord Jesus Christ with his lips and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, so he knows he will be saved. Romans 10:9 (ESV) …because, ifyou confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Here is the promise again which Craig is claiming as he has the Son of Life: 1 John 5:11-13 (ESV) And this is the testimony, that God gave useternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
Craig knows that he has eternal life and is looking forward to it.
2. God may choose to heal Craig.
We are praying for this.
3. We are looking for a cure with LifeOne.
When we have something wrong with us we go to professionals: We go to the dentist when we have problems with our teeth; we go to a chiropractor when we have something wrong with our backs; we go to our family doctor when we have have something wrong with our bodies – inside or out; there are all sorts of professionals we go to on nearly a daily basis for help in some way or another. So why is it so difficult to be going to professionals for a cure for an "incurable" cancer when one doesn't want to go the traditional way of operation, chemothearopy and radiation. For us an operation was taken from us. This tumour is inoperable – it is close to the brain stem and deep in Craig's brain. We did not really want an operation, chemo or radiation. But there was incredible pressure put on us to do these. No one was trying to force us but it was the way the dr at the hospital, our family GP, our very close friends all sometimes pleading with us with tears in their eyes to go these routes. We understand completely everyone was wanting the very best for Craig and for him to be comfortable and have the most time on earth that was available for him. We were told he only had months to live without chemo and radiation but that chemo and radiation would only add on months. Then several hours later as we were being discharged from hospital we were called in to see Craig's latest MRI – the tumour had grown 30% in 8 days. Again we were almost begged to have a biopsy so that radiation could begin in 6 weeks. We stood our ground though.
As we saw it. Now that the tumour had grown at such a fast rate it would now no longer be months and months it could be weeks and weeks. But because we were not getting chemo or radiation it was either months and then possibly only weeks. High dose radiation takes 6 weeks to begin from the time of the biospy especially when changing from one hospital board to another. Craig may only have 6 weeks left, then once the radiation begins it is a 6 week course and it doesn't take effect straight away. The decisions that we made all seemed hard at the time especially with the sutle pressure on us but now as we look back we have no doubts about the decisions we made even if God chooses to take Craig to Himself soon.
So if having an operation, chemo and radiation were not happening what could we do?
As many of you know I have suffered from ill health for many years beginning with my arthritis. I now have 2 artifical hips – if I knew what I know now I would much rather have used natural remedies to fix my hips rather than the operations. I also have AF and battled with very bad health last year and the beginning of this year. So from the time of my hips being really bad I have been looking at alternative health treatments. My dr wanted me tested for Angina because of my chest pain, which took about 6 months to finally happen because I couldn't go through some tests because I have LBBB. I went investigating myself and I found out that I had no cobalt in my body through having a hair analysis done. So I now take sublingual Vit B12 drops regularly. At the beginning of June my new cardiologist changed me from beta blockers to Propafenone an anti-arrhythmic medication. When all my heart tests came back and showed no angina our GP suggested that it might be acid reflux, So instead of having angina every day (heaps of trips to the hospital as it presented like a heart attack) I had acid reflux. I searched the internet again and took out of my diet the things that made acid reflux worse and added things to aid acid reflux better. Then I also discovered that beta blockers can cause acid reflux. Since I was now off beta blockers I began adding into my diet the things I had taken out. At the end of June I added the last thing back into my diet – tomatoes. No pain anymore. It was the beta blockers.
So my health finally came right at the end of June and Craig's tumour began to manifest itself July 8. It was only natural for me to begin looking at diet for Craig (who had resisted being on the diet I was on). From there Genevieve, Charmagne and I have been looking at all the things that will be good for Craig and that will work in well with the LifeOne Protocol. So we have emails and phone calls going back and forth to our USA dr all the time. We are trying to look up all the suggestions that you have made. We are very thankful and praise God for all the suggestions that you have been making. Even the cautions and tough comments you make are welcome.
The medical profession offered us months but possibly only weeks after the 30% growth between the two MRIs.
Our Dr in the USA and LifeOne talk of a cure.
Above all we want God's Will to be done:
1. God may take Craig from us soon.
2. God may heal Craig
3. God may use his Creation (the natural products in LifeOne and the other natural products we are using) to cure Craig in which case we will have a long recouperation period ahead of us – at least 12 months.
We praise God that all our prayers have been answered so far. James 4:2 You do not have, because you do not ask. Thanks for asking on our behalf.
Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow
1/9/11 – 10:45pm
YouTube videos Craig recorded 30 August 2011
Please click on links below to view video.
Do I need to protect my children from other children?
What is the number one issue I need to settle? Pt 1
What is the number one issue I need to settle? Pt 2
What is the number one issue I need to settle? Pt 3
What is the number one issue I need to settle? Pt 4
What is the number one issue I need to settle? Pt 5
What does it mean to be a Christian Pt 1
What does it mean to be a Christian Pt 2
1/9/11 – 10:30pm
(Genevieve here again) I spoke to an old friend of the family today. He and his family are going through a VERY difficult patch just now. As I spoke to him I realised how much Dad's tumour has to say about other areas of life.
If God can give us peace when facing death He can give us peace if we are:
– facing disability
– facing a relationship breakdown
– facing unemployment
– facing losing our home
If God can heal a brain tumour (and we know He can regardless of whether He chooses to heal Dad's) then He can heal:
– a disability
– a relationship breakdown
– job loss
– homelessness
My point is that Isaiah 26v3 is true when it says, "He will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is fixed on Him, because he trusts in Him." No matter what you are going through, you can have peace if you trust God and fix your mind on Him.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4v6-7
In talking to our family friend, another thing was made clear to me: Dad might lose his life. You might be losing a child, your wife, your husband, your home, your job, your health…but through it all my number one concern would be, "Do you have Christ?"
Most things in this world can be lost, but the Bible assures us that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ. We can't lose Him!
What joy! What security! What hope that must give us even through the most bitter times of loss in this world.
If we don't have Christ but find Him through the loss of something else then praise the Lord because we have gained something of infinite value.
Paul knew this. He suffered loss (some say of his eyesight) and yet was able to say, "Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ." Phil 3v8
1/9/11 – 10:10pm
(Genevieve here again) Dad walked all the way to the conservatory from his bedroom this morning!
He was aided pretty significantly by two men!
But the very fact that he can sit up, is experiencing no pain and is keen as mustard to get about like this is very, very encouraging.
Very encouraging also is a conversation Mum had with our hospice supervising nurse. Mum said to her that we didn't need twice daily visits from the district nurses anymore. That we could call them when or if we did need them. "Ok," she said. And then she got it! "Oh, you don't want palliative care anymore, you want rehabilitation!"
So she has organized a physio to visit regularly and an occupational therapist. They both visited today. The physio put Dad through an exercise regime and told him not to attempt to walk anymore just yet as he really can't hold up his own weight. And she has done something quite significant. She says that we can't do anything about the numbness in Dad's left side. The tumour is still pressing down on vital parts of his brain. But she said that she could teach us exercises to teach other parts of Dad's brain to control Dad's left side. When the tumour starts shrinking and stops pressing on his brain (DV) then that part of his brain will take over again operating his left side, but in the meantime, we can teach other parts to take over and to control his ability to move his arm and leg. Wow!
And the occupational therapist brought a hoist which we can use to get Dad into and out of bed, etc. Very handy. Jedediah very much enjoyed her demonstrating how to use it by hoisting him about in it!
If I compare Dad today to yesterday or the day before then I'd say that in some areas I see improvement and in others I see regression. However, some of the 'regression' might have a lot to do with him being tired after his time with the physio.
We tried to do some filming today. Dad was going to comment on various excellent biographies, histories and theological books which he wanted to recommend either to parents or their children in a home education context. He showed evidence of a number of worsening symptoms when he would hold books upside down for the camera or stop midstream describing a book to flip through the pages and become engrossed in it in the middle of filming. We had a number of interruptions so hope to do more of this tomorrow. Dad and I really enjoy doing this together. It is great fun. While it does highlight some issues it also shows very clearly how well Dad is able to communicate and think. The old Dad comes through loud and clear!
1/9/11 – 7:40am
Diana Waring has just put up a new blog http://dianawaring.com/eyes-to-see
Please read the blog to get the context of this statement which we are finding to be so very true, even with what we are going through at the moment:
'He is faithful. He is merciful. He is kind. He is good. He loves us completely and without measure. He is wise. And He is working something good for us in the midst of it all."
1/9/11 – 6:35am
Corrected links for the YouTube videos of 21 August 2011:
Please click on links below to view video.
What place does family worship have in home education?
In my Home Education Should I follow the school year?
If we home educate won't my children miss out on the healthy competition in the classroom?

subset: commoncrawl


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Raw + Material = Art
In News onTristan Manco is known for his books on street art. Raw + Material = Art is his first attempt at surveying contemporary fine art. In his own words, "The idea behind the book is to focus on the natural and found materials and low cost, low-tech methods that artists are being drawn to today. Our aim will be to generally inspire and explore the synergy between the artist's work and their materials." He certainly succeeds in presenting his theme in the context of contemporary art and the book does even more.
When I learned who would be in the book, I immediately felt that another aspect of this book is the introduction of artists emerging on the internet. For the past decade or so the internet has quietly moved into the traditional contemporary art scene with somewhat varied angles on both artists' geographical origins and their approaches. Numerous image based sites have been inspiring countless personal sites. We've been exposed to many artists not necessarily affiliated with established galleries, museums, and other major art institutions. For the first time in the history of contemporary art, visual art is experiencing the true possibility of democratic participation. It is no longer a necessity to live close to a large city with major galleries and museums to explore some segment of visual art. The authoritative voices of art critics, major art collectors, and major art institutions often do not reach the common ground offered by the internet.
The new venue is not without its problems. The accuracy of representation through our computer screens will be an issue for some artists. Some art just does not present well that way. The same has been true in music. The proliferation of inexpensive personal devices and compressed music files has been a blessing for some music but not for the others, which I believe has been adding to the sad decline of classical music (Ironically, if you look at the high end audio world, this is the best time to enjoy classical music). Secondly, the emphasis on cheap materials and inexpensive ways of making might not be a coincidence since many of the artists are not supported by the art-as-investment-network of collectors, galleries, auction houses, museums and so on. The generous exposure some artists might enjoy online does not guarantee any form of financial reward. As the world faces the limitations of capitalistic pursuit, the art world and the artists keep searching for practical ways to make their contributions.
In any case, Tristan has nonetheless done a great job of putting together this wonderful book featuring 38 notable artists today in large format, 256 glossy color pages. It's a celebration of the new era with the new artists. Anybody who enjoys looking around online for fascinating new art will find at least some artists to look at. I hope you enjoy the book.
Here are some snap shots of the pages, although they hardly do justice to the beautiful book itself…
Michael Johansson: michaeljohansson.com
Gabriel Dawe: gabrieldawe.com
Hiroyuki Hamada: hiroyukihamada.com
Aj Fosik: ajfosik.com
Klaus Dauven: klaus-dauven.de
Elfo: elfostreetart.blogspot.com
Ron van der Ende: ronvanderend.nl
Rosemarie Fiore: rosemariefiore.com
Henrique Oliveira: henriqueoliveira.com
Erik Otto: erikotto.com
Mia Pearlman: miapearlman.com
Peter Callesen: petercallesen.com
Luis Valdes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpower/
Felipe Barbosa: felipebarbosa.comMany more artists are included in the book. All of them are worth looking at. Here is a list of their websites.
Felipe Barbosa: felipebarbosa.com
Andres Basurto: Atenaestudio.com
Zadok Ben-David: zadokbendavid.com
Robert Bradford: robertbradford.co.uk
Peter Callesen: petercallesen.com
Monica Canilao: monicacanilao.com
Klaus Dauven: klaus-dauven.de
Gabriel Dawe: gabrieldawe.com
Baptiste Debombourg: baptistedebombourg.com
Brian Dettmer: briandettmer.com
Elfo: elfostreetart.blogspot.com
Ron van der Ende: ronvanderend.nl
Aj Fosik: ajfosik.com
Rosemarie Fiore: rosemariefiore.com
Faile: faile.net
Fumakaka: fumakaka.com
Sayaka Kajita Ganz: sayakaganz.com
Jose Enrique Porras Gomez: olaganandoespacio.wordpress.com
Hiroyuki Hamada: hiroyukihamada.com
Haroshi: haroshi.com
Valerie Hegarty: valeriehegarty.com
Luiz Hermano: Luizhermano.com
Florentijn Hofman: florentijnhofman.nl
Michael Johansson: michaeljohansson.com
Anouk Kruithof: anoukkruithof.nl
Jae-Hyo Lee: leeart.name
Luzinterruptus: luzinterruptus.com
Maria Nepomuceno: victoria-miro.com
Henrique Oliveira: henriqueoliveira.com
Erik Otto: erikotto.com
Mia Pearlman: miapearlman.com
Lionel Sabatte: lionelsabatte.com
Chris Silva: chrissilva.com
Lucas Simoes: lucassimoes.com.br
Yuken Teruya: yukenteruyastudio.com
Luis Valdes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpower/
Felipe Yung: flipink.blogspot.com
Carlos Zuniga: carloszuniga.orgRaw + Material = Art is published by Thames & Hudson Ltd (UK) in April 2012


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According to Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn writer Susan Choi, the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award-nominated author of "A Person of Interest" and "American Woman", has just released her latest novel, "My Education" (Viking), which has garnered much attention and praise from esteemed writers and critics.
The story begins in 1992 when Regina Gottlieb begins her graduate education. Even before arriving on campus, she's been warned about a particular professor – the handsome, brilliant Nicholas Brodeur – who has gained notoriety among the female population for his supposed sexual deviance. Against her peers' advice, Regina becomes Brodeur's TA and is soon inextricably entwined in his world. But it is his wife, Martha, who ultimately complicates Regina's circumstances.
Tracing Regina's mistakes from the bedroom and beyond, Choi's novel examines the complex intersection – and divergence – of desire and responsibility.
This summer, Choi will appear in Brooklyn to read from her novel, first at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO (July 17), and then at Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene (July 30). Brooklyn Eagle recently checked in with the author, who spoke to us how mothering and teaching have informed her writing.
What inspired this story?
As usual I think my answer is going to have to be: having children. I've become one of those people whose whole outlook on life was unexpectedly revised by the arrival of children. I was really oblivious to children – their very existence, let alone their lives and needs – when I was a childless young woman. Pondering that change in myself got me thinking about what would happen if a young and naive and passionate and, it has to be said, rather self-centered young woman got involved with a lover who had a young child. I could easily imagine that young woman's indifference and even selfishness, with regard to the child. That's where this story got its start, although it quickly took several different directions.
Did your experience as a professor inform and shape this novel?
I was a graduate student in English literature, but I never completed my degree, and so I don't really feel I can call myself a professor, although I have taught writing for years. My experiences as a student – undergrad and grad – certainly informed this novel, as did my experiences as the daughter of a professor. I've spent a lot of time around the academic world.
How do you balance writing and teaching?
Teaching really feeds my writing, especially teaching such talented and daring students as I've had the privilege to teach. Teaching keeps me reading, and thinking, and articulating what works in writing and what doesn't, and without all that I think my writing would really suffer. It's less about balancing the two than about recognizing that the two activities really support each other.
When did you move to Brooklyn, and in which neighborhood are you living?
I moved to Brooklyn in the summer of 1998, right before my first book came out. Fifteen years ago! I now live in Clinton Hill, where I've lived since 2004.
Where (in Brooklyn) do you like to go while reading or writing?
I'm a member of a really wonderful shared writers' workspace called Powderkeg, in a building on Flatbush Ave. The building is a totally unique, funky space full of antique furniture and orphaned art works and totally random items like a gymnast's vault.
What are you working on now?
I'm nurturing a few ideas to see if they'll thrive, or wither.
* * *
The July 17 event will begin at 7 p.m. powerHouse Arena is located at 37 Main St. in DUMBO.
The July 30 event will begin at 7:30 p.m. Greenlight is located at 686 Fulton St. in Fort Greene.
Susan Choi's first novel "The Foreign Student" won the Asian-American Literary Award for fiction. Her second novel, "American Woman," was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and her third, "A Person of Interest", a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award. A recipient of fellowships from the NEA and the Guggenheim Foundation, in 2010 she received the PEN/W.G. Sebald Award. She teaches at Princeton and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and sons.


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At the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamniin Minneapolis, diners order off a menu that's been "decolonized." All dishes are prepared in ways that reflect Native American food cultures, using ingredients indigenous to North America prior to colonization.
"We look at showcasing the amazing diversity and flavor profiles of all the different tribes across North America, all the different regions, and really celebrating that and cutting away colonial ingredients," Owamni co-founder Sean Sherman says. "We don't have things on our menu that have dairy, wheat flour, cane sugar, ... beef, pork or chicken."
Known as the "Sioux Chef," Sherman grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota as a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. Right after high school, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, where one of his responsibilities was learning the names and properties of different local plants. Looking back now, he credits that job with sparking his interest in Indigenous foods.
"That connection with plants was probably one of the best ways for me to start ... to see the world differently through this Indigenous perspective of realizing that all these plants around us have some kind of purpose — whether it's food, it's medicine or crafting — and really trying to create and understand what that relationship is to me personally," he says.
Sherman and his restaurant co-owner Dana Thompson have been working for years to bring awareness to Indigenous foods and food cultures through their nonprofit, NĀTIFS. Sherman won the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2018 for The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen. In June, Owamni was awarded the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. Sherman says the food at the restaurant is meant to paint a picture of where each dish comes from.
"We might have something with, say, wild rice or rabbit or rose hips or blueberries," Sherman says. "These are all ingredients you can see just standing in the forest and glancing around."
Sherman emphasizes that using native ingredients doesn't mean that the food is antiquated: "We're not cooking like it's 1491. We're not a museum piece or something like that. We're trying to evolve the food into the future, using as much of the knowledge from our ancestors that we can understand and just applying it to the modern world."
Interview highlights
On guests having emotional reactions when dining at the restaurant
We should have Native restaurants in every single city to showcase the amazing cultures that are all over the place and the resiliency of Indigenous peoples that are still thriving here today everywhere.
I've seen a lot of people who just get really struck by it, especially Indigenous people, because it's not typical to be able to go someplace and see our Indigenous foods on the menu and see the Native names on the menu, see Native people cooking the food and serving the food and listening to Native music coming out of the speakers and just the whole vibe. So it's a whole experience and it's something that's super special and unique. We should have Native restaurants in every single city to showcase the amazing cultures that are all over the place and the resiliency of Indigenous peoples that are still thriving here today everywhere. There's just so much to that. So some people do get very emotional when they come into the restaurant and experience this for the first time.
On purchasing produce and meat from Indigenous producers
We prioritize purchasing from Indigenous producers, local first and then national. So there's a Native nonprofit that I also sit on the board with here in Minnesota called Dream of Wild Health, and they're a nonprofit Native farm. And we're able to purchase a lot of produce from them over the summer months and just be a big supporter. But we have a lot of producers, [like the] Cheyenne River Bison, which is a Lakota tribe in the middle of South Dakota that we get all of our bison from, for example. There's a couple of Indigenous fisheries nearby us, one in Red Lake Nation and one in Red Cliff Nation. Red Lake is in Minnesota. Red Cliff is in Wisconsin, and we're always on the search for more and more Indigenous producers.
We get wild rice from a few different spaces because the true wild rice that you find in Minnesota is all hand harvested. It's harvested on canoes. And it's not like the black wild rice that people might find in the grocery stores. And we're able to get it from a few local producers, some coming from tribes and some coming from individual entrepreneurs.
On the lack of access to healthy, regional food for Indigenous communities
When I was growing up on Pine Ridge, we didn't have any restaurants and we had one grocery store to [serve] basically [an area] the size of Connecticut. So there's very little nutritional food access out there. Today there's more gas stations where people can get some food. And, you know, there's only a couple of fast food restaurants on the reservation, and that's pretty much it. So still today, it's really tough to see any kind of nutritional access and we just really want to help turn that tide. ...
I grew up with Commodity Food Programs, so when I was growing up, we just got a lot of staples from the government ... like government powdered milk, and government cereals, and government juices in cans, and fruits in cans, and vegetables in cans, and meats in cans — things like beef with juices and pork with juices and salmon — all canned stuff. And for me, as a chef, looking back, I would say most of it's not very pleasant. ... I just remember a lot of over-sugared fruits and syrups and I remember a lot of over-salted vegetables in cans and meat that was not ideal. I just have a lot of issues, I guess, with growing up with the Commodity Food Program and having to eat a lot of powdered milk with very dry cereal in the morning and literally putting pure corn syrup on everything just to make things taste better. And we need to do so much better.
I think the Commodity Food Program has grown over the years. They are starting to introduce more Indigenous products into their offerings. But there's still a lot of work that needs to be done. They really need to make the food a lot more regional. They need to be purchasing as much as they can from Indigenous producers to help grow that and they need to be returning those products into those regional pieces instead of trying to basically homogenize all Indigenous peoples into one group and send the same foods out to everywhere. We really need a lot more regional diversity.
On correcting the narrative of Thanksgiving
I really feel like we need to drop that narrative completely when it comes to pilgrims and Natives coming together and celebrating, because it really has nothing to do with that at all.
I wrote a story for Time magazine a few years ago that gets shared a lot during Thanksgiving time that just really explores how this curriculum around forcing people to believe and uplift this colonial history of the United States that's just so dismissive of the intense violence that happened against Indigenous peoples, and I really feel like we need to drop that narrative completely when it comes to pilgrims and Natives coming together and celebrating, because it really has nothing to do with that at all. And we should really just focus this time to be together and to be thankful for each other and to celebrate with food, and why not celebrate with Indigenous food to begin with, you know? I really believe that we could do a lot better and we should get far away from a lot of these plays of Indigenous and colonizers coming together and having a wonderful dinner because it just never really happened. It's almost insulting to be so dismissive of the genocide that happens throughout that time period and the amount of death that happens and the amount of displacement and just racism that happens against us as Indigenous peoples.
Amy Salit and Susan Nyakundi produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the web.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.


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By Dr Sheelagh McGuinness, Reader in Law and Dr Jane Rooney, Lecturer in Law (University of Bristol Law School)
On 31st March, 2020, The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020 came into force. This is a landmark in reproductive rights in Northern Ireland. Many were sceptical as to whether this day would ever arrive. The regulations represent the culmination of decades of activism across civil society, grassroots and medical organizations, legal representatives, and political actors. They constitute a huge step forward in the protection of the reproductive health of women. However, the scope of protection afforded will depend on how they are interpreted and implemented. In this blog we give an overview of the regulations and highlight some areas of on-going concern. (more…)


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With a 160 year history of connecting people, and over 140 years of experience moving funds around the world, Monex has become an industry leader in global money transfers. As a highly respected Fortune 500 company, we possess solid financial strength and have a strong credit rating, so you can trust that your money is in good hands.
Monex Business Solutions was formed in 2009, when Monex acquired Custom House, an award-winning industry leader with over 18 years of experience in international payments and currency risk management. Following the acquisition of Travelex Global Business Payments in 2011, the company has expanded to become one of the world's leading non-bank providers of cross-border business payments.


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Two organizations I have come to trust have both weighed in on a bill this week. While the second organization does not specify a position on the bill, it does provide a little more information, and is mentioned as part of a coalition with the first organization. I think the amendment sounds like a fine idea.
From the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
The charitable audit threshold bill HB 632 (PN3824) has been placed on the Senate Calendar for Third Consideration and may be put to a Final Vote on Tuesday, October 3. The bill was reported out Committee on September 26 without any amendments.
HB 632 (PN3824) will increase the audit triggering threshold for all charitable nonprofits from the current $125,000 in annual contributions to $300,000. This bill will enable smaller charities to direct more of their charitable dollars to programs and services, rather than to costly audits.
PANO's proposed amendment would require a review for charities raising between $100,000 and $300,000, and a compilation for charities raising between $50,000 and $100,000. Establishing some level of disclosure for organizations that fall below the $300,000 threshold, will help maintain the public trust.
PANO has promoted this bill with a coalition of organizations including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership (GPNP).
There is more information on their website's public policy page.
The Pennsylvania Institute of CPA's, the nice folks whose weekly legislative report is one links I provide in my weekly legislative update, have this to say.
The Senate State Government Committee approved House Bill 632 on Tues., Sept. 26, without amendments, sending it to the full Senate for consideration.
House Bill 632 amends the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act of 1990 by removing the exemption for first responder organizations, such as veterans', volunteer fireman's, ambulance and rescue squad organizations.
The bill also increases the audit threshold for organizations that receive annual contributions of more than $300,000—up from $125,000. Organizations that receive annual contributions of between $50,000 and $300,000 would be required to have a compilation, review or audit of their financial statements.
If any of our state senators are reading, this is something I, speaking as a community activist and someone who works in and with a number of these smaller nonprofits, strongly support.