Karen’s Opinion

I could not believe my ears when I heard the weather forecaster say it was supposed to snow today. Thankfully, I have not seen any flurries. I think I will cry if I do. This has been the longest winter I can remember. If it snows, my poor tree will suffer. Here is a picture of it and the river rock I had hauled in last week.

and here are a few flowers that survived the winter and bloomed this past week.

I know I will probably sound like Elmer Fudd as he yells at those “pesky wabbits” but they are making me mad. I only have a few tulips that come up and the rabbits eat them before I get to enjoy them. Pesky wabbits!

I am so excited to see how green things have become. We traveled to Van Wert, Ohio yesterday to visit my husband’s aunt. The un-mowed yards were just luscious and the flower beds were beaming with jonquils, daffodils and tulips.

Every year my husband and I bonk ourselves on the head for not putting out the flower bulbs we say we will plant come fall. Fall arrives and we forget! My husband reminded me this weekend that we have to get bulbs planted. We love the flowers and the feeling of renewal we get when we see them.
Henry Fields Seed Nursery has an online order form and I intend to get it filled out immediately. Does anyone know how to store flower bulbs until fall? I have a brown thumb and need all the advice I can get!

Do you believe in the boogie man? I try not to believe there are evil men lurking in the shadows but I have been nervous tonight. My husband is fishing at the strip pits in southern Indiana and I am home alone. I have been enjoying my days full of sewing and no cooking but the nights are nerve-racking.

Twice tonight, my dogs have broken into fierce barking that had the hair on my neck standing up. I don’t know what they heard but I felt paralyzed. I tried to tell myself to get up and see what they were barking at but I couldn’t get up out of my chair. It is times like these when I wished I had a wireless security system.

It is scary to sit and listen for noises. I make myself worry. The systems offered at Protect America are so affordable that it is silly for us not to have one installed. The system is warrantied for 20 years and their monitoring service is very reasonable. For example, their 3 entry level packages offer free systems and $29.95 – $34.95 monthly monitoring fees.

Their Gold package offers the most options that would meet our needs. They include:

* Talking Control Panel
* 12 Entry Points
* 1 Motion Detector
* Internal Siren and Door Chime
* Battery Backup
* One Button Arming
* 3 Window Decals
* 1 Yard Sign

All that for only $36.95 per month and by ordering using the 877-470-2751 phone number, we receive 2 keychain remotes ! I think hubby and I are going to talk about this when he gets home.

Two years ago, during a horrible storm, the siding on our house was damaged by golf ball sized hail. It made holes all over the siding. Since we had to have the siding on our house replaced, we decided it would be a good time to add that room we always wanted on the back of our house. We call it “the lodge room.” It has cedar siding, a vaulted ceiling with beams and rustic decorations. We love our room.

The only problem with our room was the electric bill that came with it. Our electric bill was very high because the sun beats into our room through 10 windows. We had to do something to keep the sun out but not detract from our beautiful view. We have deer, squirrels and birds of many kinds visiting our back yard. We love being able to watch for them out our windows.

We solved the problem with a unique window treatment, the Eco-Solar Shade. These shades don’t distract from our view at all. The folks at The Shade Store can help you figure out the size you need and are so anxious to help you that they are offering a special code ,IZEA01, which will allow you to save 15% on your purchase from them! Oh, and another thing, shipping is free on all orders during this promotion. Wow! Be sure to use the code: IZEA01.

Features of the Eco-Solar Shade include:

*heat absorbent
*protection from harmful UV Rays
*reduces glare
*materials are 100% recyclable (GreenGuard Certified)

These shades are so energy efficient that we were able to reduce the amount of time we ran our air conditioner. That saves us a lot of money. We are so glad to have found Eco-Solar Shades for our room. My mother in-law liked our shades so much that she had us order one for her kitchen window.

We are finally starting to work on our “lodge room” again. For those of you not familiar with our project, let me fill you in. Two years ago, we had a major hail storm in Indiana. Our house received major hail damage and we had to replace the siding on the house. We decided that it was a good time to add a room onto our house where our deck stood. We wanted the new room to fit with the old part of the house when we had the siding installed. For the past two years we have been working on this project. We have been using the unfinished room and have plans for a floor and ceiling as we save money to pay for the supplies we need.

This morning, my husband attempted to spray foam insulation under the crawl space of the new room. I am glad he only bought one can of the spray because it didn’t work very well. The spray didn’t build up like he hoped and so it was a futile effort. We will need to pay to have foam insulation installed. Darn.

As soon as we get the insulation part done, we get to move onto the next project; our dream fireplace. We have looked at stone fireplaces whenever we visit a log home or a hotel with a cabin atmosphere theme. We know what we want and are saving our money.

We have been researching what type of fireplace will best fit our needs. HotPrice.co.uk has given us the most information to decide on what we want. I am amazed at all the brands of fireplace manufacturers they stock. They have been featured on UK TV on home makeover programs such as 60 Minute Makeover and Better Homes. Their frequently asked question page has enabled us to narrow down the selection process to find a fireplace that fits our space. The information they offer has saved us from costly mistakes. Their website has given us knowledge about chimney safety and advice on which type of fireplace will best heat our room. From their expert design and technical advice, we have narrowed down our selection to two different types of fireplaces.

Fireplaces with gas fires are very realistic. They have a beautiful flame that offers the cozy feel we are wanting. There are different options available when choosing a gas fire type fireplace. From traditional insets to push button controls, there are many choices to make the fireplace fit into your style of room and give the effect for which you are looking.

We have considered the efficiency of a fireplace that features electric fires. I love the cast iron effects that fit right in with our lodge room theme. There are so many styles to consider. From traditional to very modern and contemporary, your new fireplace will add personality to your home.

HotPrice.co.uk has expertise in, not only the sales and installation end of the fireplace industry. They have the technical information we need. Being informed of all the possibilities available will afford us the best fireplace for our home. Their Jargon Buster page explains different terms used when discussing fireplaces. Hotprice.co.uk is the place to go when you want great information. They also have the best prices and have a price match guarantee. I can hardly wait to order our fireplace.