Dorothy Brandes needs our thoughts and prayers....

Shari, Dorothy's daughter, says her mother is back at University Hospital with a blood clot in her left lung. She was getting therapy and doing well, but now has this setback.

Visit with Dottie

Marie and Natalia visited Dottie. Dottie says she sure misses all of us and we miss her too.

                        Natalia, Dottie, and Marie.

? about Salsa

The salsa recipe that can be found in the recipes on this blog prompted the question of what size container would be needed for this recipe. The answer is a very large one. It will take a large bowl for the mixing but then I would put it in pint jars for the storing of it. I hope that answers your question.
I will put the question to the cooks among us if that answers it satisfactorily.
Thanks for reading about us on the Magnolia blog!

Unfounded mosquito rumors repelled

Keep safe while RVing: Unfounded mosquito rumors repelled
by Russ and Tina DeMaris

West Nile virus is present in almost every corner of our country, and this is the peak season. An analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on U.S. West Nile virus found that most cases were reported during July, August and September. The CDC says the mosquito-borne disease is underreported and undertreated.

 

West Nile virus can do nasty things to those infected with it. According to Wikipedia, one stage is somewhat like a miserable flu: "Fever, headache, chills, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), weakness, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), and drowsiness. Occasionally there is a short-lived truncal rash and some patients experience gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or diarrhea. All symptoms are resolved within 7-10 days, although fatigue can last for some weeks and lymphadenopathy can take up to two months to resolve."

 

That's not something any of us would want to spoil our RV travel with — but it can be worse. Wiki says, "The more dangerous encephalitis is characterized by similar early symptoms but also a decreased level of consciousness, sometimes approaching near-coma. Deep tendon reflexes are hyperactive at first, later diminished. There are also extrapyramidal disorders. Recovery is marked by a long convalescence with fatigue."

 

There are no "shots" you can take to ward off West Nile. And if you get the virus, there isn't much your doctor can do for you — spell that: no cure — only supportive measures. Yes, some people do die from West Nile. So what's the best thing to do? Don't get it in the first place. The medical community, including the CDC, says the best bet is to use a bug repellent — usually the best working contain DEET. But a lot of rumors persist about DEET.  

 

For you, here are the myths and myth busters:

 

Myth: Some popular skin creams and "natural" repellent products are safer than DEET.
Fact: "DEET has been shown to be an extremely safe and effective repellent," said Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., director of the CDC's division of vector-borne infectious diseases. (Vector: an organism, often an invertebrate arthropod [e.g., insects], that transmits a pathogen from reservoir to host.) University of Florida scientists Jonathan Day and Roxanne Rutledge wrote: "Natural is a word that is sometimes used to promote 'safe' products. Unfortunately, the wording can be misleading for the uninformed individual. 'Natural' products are usually essential oils distilled from plants.… These oils can be toxic and irritating in high concentrations. 'Natural' repellents are not necessarily safe repellents." DEET is one of the most widely tested consumer products of any type and has been used reliably by consumers for more than 50 years. According to a New England Journal of Medicine article (Fradin and Day, 2002), DEET "has a remarkable safety profile."

 

Myth: Garlic, bananas and vitamin B ward off mosquitoes.
Fact: "There is no scientific evidence that eating garlic, vitamins, onions, or any other food will make a person repellent to mosquitoes," said Day and Rutledge of the University of Florida. "It is also unlikely that B-1 skin patches will work either," Day says. DEET is regarded as the "gold standard" against which other repellents are tested.

 

Myth: New devices are effective against mosquitoes.
Fact: "There is no evidence that wearing devices that emit sound will repel mosquitoes," say Day and Rutledge. "Bug zappers do not control mosquitoes and can reduce the populations of beneficial insects," says Ken Gioeli, University of Florida natural resource agent. Some experts suggest that zappers actually attract mosquitoes to your property.

 

Myth: Dryer sheets and other home remedies repel bugs.
Fact: "The truth is although many home remedies and oddball uses of everyday products do serve to repel mosquitoes somewhat, they don't work very effectively for very long," writes Barbara Mikkelson on the popular Website, Snopes.com.

 

Myth: DEET is smelly and oily.
Fact: Fifty years of product development has yielded DEET-based products that are pleasant to use — they have a pleasant "feel" on the skin and fresh fragrances. Some even go on as a dry formulation similar to spray deodorant that is powder-like.

 

Myth: Higher concentrations mean better protection.
Fact: Higher concentrations of DEET mean longer protection, not better. A 5% product will provide about 90 minutes of protection and a 100% product protects for about 10 hours. Protection time increases as the concentration increases. So, the longer you are outside, the higher the concentration you should use. However, protecting against ticks requires at least 20% DEET, and no other repellent works as well against ticks. Most folks who are going outside for a backyard barbecue should choose a product that protects them for up to two hours, a repellent in the 10% range. It's often fine to use a concentration below 30% for most outdoor activities. When you are exposed for long periods to hordes of mosquitoes, though, a 100% product is advisable.

 

Myth: I don't need repellent unless I'm headed out into a wooded or waterfront location.
Fact: Mosquitoes can be anywhere, even in a city, and many carry disease. Most people who have contracted West Nile virus were bitten by mosquitoes lurking in their own yards. Cases of malaria have occurred in recent years in Washington, D.C., and other mosquito-borne diseases sometimes occur elsewhere in the United States.

 

Myth: DEET is an insecticide.
Fact: DEET does not kill mosquitoes, as insecticides do. It repels them by confusing their ability to locate humans. 

 

Myth: DEET causes seizures in children.
Fact: Scientific reviews do not show a causal relationship between DEET and seizures (Murphy, et al., 1997; Bell, et al., 2002). This myth stems from a handful of isolated reports in both adults and children that cannot be definitively linked to DEET. Experts report that 2% of typical children have one or more seizures from unknown causes by age 10. A multi-year review of adverse events yielded a handful of neurological cases (given millions of product uses per year) that could not be tied to use of DEET-based repellents. These neurological adverse events were not more common in children than in other age groups and were not tied to concentration of DEET in the products.

 

Myth: Some popular skin creams and "natural" repellents work as well as DEET.
Fact: Scientifically controlled studies show very few repellents are as effective as DEET (Fradin and Day, 2002). The CDC urges consumers to pick only repellents with EPA registrations to assure appropriate efficacy. The most effective, according to the CDC, are DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD (recommended with limitations), and IR3535.

Jean Scheurich has passed

Jean E. Scheurich, 82, of Monticello, passed away at 4:10 am, Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at White Oak Health Campus in Monticello. She was born on March 25, 1932 in Roselawn to the late Harley and Ethel (Bailey) Harsha. On March 12, 1956, in Indianapolis she married Jack Scheurich, and he preceded her in death. She worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse for White County Memorial Hospital until her retirement. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, crocheting, square dancing, and bowling. Above all, she cherished time spent with her family and grandchildren. Surviving are her children, Leona (George) Tuokko of Brownsville, Texas, and Michael (Martha) Scheurich of Monticello; her longtime companion, Russell Swygman of Wolcott; four grandchildren, Tim and Matthew Tuokko, and Casey and Cody Scheurich; and four great-grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by three sisters; four brothers; and a son, Donald Scheurich. Visitation will be from 11:00 am until the time of services at 2:00 pm Friday, July 18, 2014 at Springer-Voorhis-Draper Funeral Home of Monticello with Rev. Jeff Metzinger of Pike Creek Church of the Brethren officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview I.O.O.F. Cemetery, rural Monticello. Memorial contributions may be given to the White County Food Pantry. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. Online condolences and expressions of sympathy may be extended at www.springerfuneralhome.com

Thanks Marty H.

 
  IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THIS LITTLE TIDBIT OF WONDERFUL TRIVIA..............
ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON.
HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON,
"THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.
 BUT, JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK
"GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY."
MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGHT IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME
RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT.
HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR
AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS ...
OVER THE YEARS, MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE
'GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY' STATEMENT MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED.


  ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS
FOLLOWING A SPEECH,
A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26-YEAR-OLD QUESTION ABOUT Mr. Gorsky TO ARMSTRONG.

 THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED BECAUSE HIS MR. GORSKY HAD JUST DIED,
SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION.

 HERE IS THE ANSWER TO "WHO WAS MR. GORSKY":

 IN 1938, WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL MID-WESTERN TOWN, HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD.
HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOR'S YARD BY THEIR
BEDROOM WINDOW.
HIS NEIGHBORS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY.
AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD
MRS. GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY, "SEX!  YOU WANT SEX?!
YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!"
 It broke the place up.

 NEIL ARMSTRONG'S FAMILY CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A TRUE STORY.

For our Canadian Friends

A new U.S.-Canada border control initiative will soon share entry and exit data between the two countries. Travel experts warn Canadian snowbirds should be very careful to keep track of how many days they're in the U.S., lest they become liable to tax penalties, even arrest. Some tax experts recommend Canadians file the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form 8840, which helps them establish a "closer connection" to Canada than to the U.S. for tax purposes.

ATM skimmers

ATM skimmers, which steal your bank card information, are getting almost undetectable. Magnetic stripe cards will continue to be vulnerable to information theft. Protect yourself by using one hand to cover the keypad when entering your PIN code — skimmer cameras won't be able to get your PIN code that way. Source: engadget.com.

QUICK TIP

What Canadians might do about nonexistent ZIP code at gas pump in U.S.
Attention: Canadians traveling the U.S. with credit cards. When fueling up at the pump you may be faced with the "enter ZIP code" demand that forces you inside to see the attendant — after all, Canada doesn't have ZIP codes. George Bliss recommends entering the numbers from your Canadian postal code followed by two zeros. For example, if your postal code is S4X 2Y3, then enter 42300. George says it works on many pumps, and saves lots of time. Thanks, George, for giving us a little more zip!

Fun to watch!!

Thanks Kay V. This is well worth the watch!! Fun
http://fr.gloria.tv/?media=590206

Doris Ann Crawley Culpepper | 1931-2014

Doris Ann Crawley Culpepper | 1931-2014

Published Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Doris Ann Crawley Culpepper

Doris Ann Crawley Culpepper, 83, a retired administrative assistant, died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, in Denton.

Memorial service is 3 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at Hawkins Funeral Home in Bridgeport with the Rev. Gary Demmitt officiating. Visitation is 2 to 3 p.m. prior to the service Saturday at the funeral home.

Doris was born March 29, 1931, in Chicago to William and Lois (Risor) Crawley. She married Eddie Culpepper Feb. 14, 1948, in Paragould, Ark., and was a retired administrative assistant for Decatur Hospital.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Eddie Culpepper; brothers Donald, Gilbert, Darrell, Bob and Robert Crawley; sisters Betty Dolinshek, Marion Brown and Baby Crawley; and grandson Kelly Matthis.

She is survived by her daughters, Kay Matthis and husband, Conrad, of Granbury; Linda Powers and husband, Doyle, of Fort Worth, Brenda Porter and husband, Les, of Denton, Sandra Jaurez and husband, John, of Krum; son James Culpepper and wife, Karen, of Bridgeport; 14 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Margaret Culpepper, Judy Culpepper, Betty Culpepper and Ingrid Crawley; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Ed Weiland passed

From Marie Flood:
Vicky asked  to let the people in the park know that Ed passed away late last night.  There will be no memorial. That is all I was told and asked to put it on the blog.  Maybe you can find out more.  Marie

From me: I will try to find out more if I can and post it if I am successful.
Barb

Cooking in an RV

WEBSITE OF THE DAY
How hard is it to cook in an RV?
Tips from a long-time (more than 50 years!) RVer.

Lots of good tips in this article. Many of us in Magnolia who have been 'cooking on the small' for years will recognize most of these tips.

Dorothy Brandes

Dorothy has suffered some medical setbacks and would like to hear from her friends!  Her address is----- Brookstone Village, 4330 So. 144th St, Omaha, Ne.  68137 ------- her telephone number is -----402-8849150.  I talked to her this AM, and we had a nice visit.  Kay

Dole Banana Harvest

HARVESTING  BANANAS IN COSTA RICA
 www.youtube.com/embed/_l7sak6Vlq8?rel=0

I was curious as to how much these workers are paid. It is an interesting video.

Hello from wet Minnesota!

This is the land of 10,000 lakes and Billions of mosquitoes.  I found a recipe for a natural bug spray without harmful Deet..it works very well.  I just went to the mailbox, no bites!  Jim is covered with welts from bites; he wears long sleeves, long pants and netting and still gets bitten.  This morning and afternoon he used this spray and has had no more trouble!

Mosquito repellant 

Citronella--60-70 drops

peppermint--30-40 drops

eucalyptus--20-30 drops

lemongrass--20-30 drops

1 Tablespoon of vinegar

water to fill rest of container.   Use a colored glass spray bottle size 4 ounce

I got my supplies from a health food store; total cost was around $28---sounds expensive, but I have enough to last the entire summer, and to make some for the kids too! After measuring out all those "drops"--the bottles have very little used.  It is easy to make, just turn the bottle upside down and count the drops!  Kay