Georgia
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Why is it that when we travel foods we normally do not eat taste so much better? While in Tarragona I tried several local and traditional foods. One day for lunch I enjoyed Andalusian Gazpacho and Paella. Back home I would never eat gazpacho, because it always seems to have green bell peppers in it…
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Building a tower of humans is an old Catalan tradition. The “castellers” form these human pyramids, which are called castells (Catalan word for castles). They can be up to 10 persons tall, which the lightest and youngest members of the team (colla) at the top. this is both a cultural and sporting event. it represents…
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I am leaving the family behind and flying off to Spain in a few days to participate in the European Network for Housing Research conference. I have attended this conference one other time – in Prague – and it was fantastic! I am looking forward to learning and sharing what I learn about housing and…
Posted in: Spain -
This week I participated in an informative blogging workshop taught by Tara Dunn for the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension. She did a fantastic job of helping all of the participants develop blogs and better understand and use online communication. Blogs are a great way to share research and…
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Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What plans have you made? How about going GREEN this Mother’s Day. Here are a few of my favorite ideas. Spring is here and all thoughts go to gardening, how about making a special garden just for mom. Here are some suggestions: Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Cutting…
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Is it supposed to snow on May Day? I just returned from a conference on energy in Fort Collins, Colorado. The hosts did a wonderful job showcasing all four seasons. The first few days were close to 80 (great for solar power). Then there was rain, which provided some relief from the drought. Finally, over…
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Have you ever considered how resilient your house is to damage from natural disasters? I am talking about things like flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, straight-line winds, and even droughts. I am attending a workshop put together by LSU Extension that focuses on how we can create homes that are more resilient to the disasters that…
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I saw the first burst of pine pollen on my car window this morning. That is my sign that it is time for Spring Cleaning. Spring Cleaning is a good time to go through your cleaning supplies and make a decision on whether you want to continue using a product. We have tried to go…
Posted in: Healthy Housing -
When we think of a “green roof” most of us conjure up images of trees and vegetables on top of a tall building in a city or maybe a sod roof with a goat grazing on it. Green roofs are much more than that. I learned a lot about green roofs on a webinar taught…
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Recently I was teaching an online class about keeping your home healthy and reducing the asthma triggers in your home. I talked about some of the main asthma triggers in your home – dust mites, pet dander, secondhand smoke, mold, cockroaches, and mice. The training included action steps to take to reduce or eliminate these…
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Take the Radon Test to see how much you know about radon. 1. What is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers? a. Secondhand smoke b. Radon gas c. Industrial pollution d. All of the above 2. Where are you most likely to be exposed to radon? a. At home b. At work c.…
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Is your cat watching the warm air in your home leak out around the front door? This infrared photo shows air leakage around the front door of my home. Does this look like your house? You don’t need an infrared camera to check to see if you have air leaking around your doors and windows. …
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Guest Blogger……Morgan Barnett, Master of Public Health Degree Candidate at The University of Georgia None of us want to think that something terrible like what happened just this month, in Georgia, could happen to us or our loved ones. A fire engulfed the duplex of a family sleeping inside and four children lost their lives,…
Posted in: Fire -
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and number one cause among non-smokers. You may think this is just a problem in the north or for homes with basements. Not true! Radon kills about 21,000 people each year, more than drunk driving. One in fifteen homes in the U.S.…
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Over the holidays I was admiring the photos in the Montana Outdoors magazine. All of the photos are amazingly beautiful. There are photos of elk and foxes at play, birds in flight, fish swimming, wildflowers in bloom and reflections of nature throughout Montana. The one photo that really stuck out to me was the centerfold…
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Drought is a word being tossed about in the media far too often these days. This year we saw corn withering in the fields, giant cracks in the soil and lakes 12 to 15 feet below pool. We are definitely experiencing a rainfall deficit. Here in Athens we just got nearly 2 inches of rain.…
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A news story earlier this week served as a reminder about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO). An Atlanta school was evacuated when several students and adults became ill from exposure to high levels of CO. Thankfully, everyone seems to be okay, but the school remains closed while officials work to resolve the problem. I…