Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May those who love us, love us;
And for those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts;
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we will know them by their limping!
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/2009/02/Irish-Blessings-for-Luck.aspx?p=7#7K7E0WliFc3JyS3L.99

Amish Recipes for Arthritis

Amish Recipes for Arthritis

The Amish have used a variety of things like cherries and ginseng as homeopathic remedies, though the data is inconclusive.

Overview

Health and well-being are important topics in the Amish community, and as such, folk remedies are an important part of Amish culture. Their weekly newspaper, The Budget, covers diagnosis and treatments of various illnesses in lengthy and detailed reports. Before the days of modern medicine, many people relied on a variety of poultices, teas, tinctures, and tonics to treat everything from infertility to the common cold.

These complementary treatments still thrive in Amish communities today -- the same herbs and plants that have been used in traditional Amish medicine are now found in supplements all over the world. Some pain-relieving salves are marketed as having their origins in the Amish tradition. However, while the Amish live a predominantly secluded life away from modern society, they have adopted some modern medical practices and terminology, according to the book American Folk Medicine: A Symposium.

Various Amish almanacs espouse the benefits of medicinal herbs and other natural cures for countless health problems, including arthritis. According to the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO), some Amish have been known to spend a week sitting in an abandoned uranium mine to manage pain from arthritis. While doctors may not recommend such esoteric treatments, research shows that certain folk remedies may spell relief for arthritis sufferers.

Amish culture, ginseng is prepared in tinctures, teas, or eaten whole, and is believed to promote overall wellness.

Cherries

A somewhat more evidenced-based and safer approach than hanging out in a mine is to add a little cherry juice to your diet. Using cherries as a homemade remedy for arthritis pain has been touted worldwide for decades – and scientific research suggests that it may have some validity.

In a study published in 2004, investigators at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recruited 10 healthy women ages 22 to 40 and asked them to refrain for two days from eating foods high in antioxidants, such as strawberries, tea, and wine, because of their anti-inflammatory affects on the body. After having their blood and urine tested, the volunteers were asked to eat a large serving of cherries for breakfast. Afterward, their blood and urine were tested again over the next five hours.

The researchers found that blood plasma levels of urate (a precursor to uric acid that accumulates in the joints and causes pain associated with gout) decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the amount of urate that the volunteers excreted through their urine over the same five hours increased, suggesting that the cherries were effective in staving off the build-up of uric acid.

In another study done by researchers at Boston University Medical Center involving 633 participants diagnosed with gout, eating at least 10 cherries a day reduced the risk of recurring gout flare-ups by 50 percent. Similarly, researchers at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School found a 50 percent reduction in gout flare-ups when study participants took one tablespoon of tart cherry extract twice a day for four months.

Cherries have also been shown to be helpful in managing the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Fifty-three volunteers reported significant improvement in their level of pain, stiffness, and mobility when they were asked to drink two 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice everyday for six weeks. Unfortunately, the symptom relief eventually disappeared once the subjects stopped consuming the cherry juice.

To date, there is no recommended cherry regimen or cherry juice “diet,” but an elixir inspired by folk-remedy tradition may help, at least temporarily. Try adding two tablespoons of tart cherry concentrate to eight ounces of warm water each day to see if your symptoms improve.


Ginseng

The Amish have used herbs to treat a variety of ailments, including arthritis. In Amish culture, ginseng is prepared in tinctures, teas, or eaten whole, and is believed to promote overall wellness. While little scientific proof exists to support these claims, anecdotal evidence suggests that ginseng can be used to boost immunity, combat stress and fatigue, control blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and increase energy.

One study at the Yonsei University College of Dentistry in Seoul, South Korea, tested red ginseng saponin extract (RGSE) against arthritis symptoms in mice. It found that 10 milligrams a day reduced arthritis symptoms, leading researchers to conclude that RGSE may be beneficial to help ease arthritis in humans.

Hot Springs

Soaking in warm water has long been used to relive pain and soreness. Many Amish people with access to hot springs have used long soaks to treat a variety of ailments, including the chronic pain that comes with arthritis. Unlike a traditional warm bath, hot springs carry the natural minerals found in the ground below.

One study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology looked at 136 patients with either rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis (a disease that causes long-term inflammation and pain in the joints and spine) who underwent four weeks of therapy at the Tiberias Hot Springs in Israel. The study found that the majority of patients (60 percent) had significant improvement in their symptoms.

If you don’t have access to a hot spring, a 20 minute soak in a lukewarm bath with Epsom salts has been shown to temporarily relieve arthritis pain.
Are Amish Folk Remedies Right for Me?

While some research supports the use of herbal or folk remedies for a variety of ailments, including arthritic pain and inflammation, you should always check with your doctor before adding new foods or supplements to your treatment regimen. Some herbs may have negative interactions with certain medications and can cause potentially serious side effects.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/558302-amish-recipes-for-arthritis/

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

What Women Can Learn From St. Valentine.

The origins of Valentine’s Day are not exactly clear, but one of the more loving tales involves a courageous Roman priest and devoted young lovers. The story goes that the Roman Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage between young couples. He believed that unwed young men made better soldiers because they wouldn’t be tied to a wife and children. According to legend, Valentine, the priest, defied the government’s ban and married couples in secret, believing that marriage was a covenant gift from God. Behold the first elopements.

Claudius II and Valentine recognized the extraordinary commitment, devotion and life-changing loyalty marriage made on men and women, family and nations. Today, Valentine’s Day should still represent that same devotion and loyalty. But somewhere along the way, our reflection of St. Valentine’s tremendous efforts to preserve marriage lost its way.

Sadly (and some might add, nauseatingly), Valentine’s Day has become a sea of pink and red marketing, lacking sincerity or sentimentality. Instead of advocating true love and commitment, modern society takes every opportunity to promote sexual promiscuity.

What woman doesn’t like a new romance and excitement? But let’s take a moment to appreciate the role commitment plays in our lives. I tell our young employees that it’s the hard times that make love real. A friend’s husband recently underwent surgery and, as a result, she spent weeks caring for him in ways she never expected. Some of it was truly unromantic, but it was raw and real and kind and loving.

I am always struck by older Concerned women for America (CWA) members who have marriages of 60-plus years. They have withstood days of trial and hardship. They will admit to times of difficulty to the point where they were frankly sick of each other. But guess what. Those times passed, and on the other side they have solid, loving marriages that are an example and encouragement to all of us.

My husband works for a company that cares for the elderly. It is heart-wrenching to watch as one spouse slips into dementia or illness and can no longer live with the other. One has often cared for the other for years, and they will fight to be together to the very end. Then the living spouse often quickly follows the other into eternity. That’s real love.

Those ancient Roman couples sacrificed everything to be together, and Valentine clearly believed in the power of sacrifice as well. This Valentine’s Day, let’s look for ways to show love through sacrifice, not selfishness. For the future of the holiday, may it forever be about those we love and sacrifice.

Penny Young Nance is president and CEO of Concerned Women for America.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/02/14/what-women-can-learn-from-st-valentine/

Giveaway over at frugallysustainable.com

http://frugallysustainable.com/2014/01/giveaway-ecozoom-a-clean-burning-wood-and-charcoal-portable-rocket-stove/

IMPORTANT! MICHAELS WARNS OF DATA BREACH!

THIS IS IMPORTANT GALS (and Guys)


Michaels, the biggest U.S. arts and crafts retailer, said on Saturday it is working with federal law enforcement officials to investigate a possible data breach on its systems that process payment cards. "We are concerned there may have been a data security attack on Michaels that may have affected our customers' payment card information and we are taking aggressive action to determine the nature and scope of the issue," Chief Executive Chuck Rubin said in a statement emailed to Reuters. The company said it has also hired an outside forensics firm to investigate the matter. If the company's suspicions are confirmed, Irving, Texas-based Michaels would become the third major U.S. retailer to be identified as a victim of a cyber attack since the middle of last month. Target Corp reported an unprecedented breach over the holiday shopping season and luxury chain Neiman

BOSTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Michaels Companies Inc, the biggest U.S. arts and crafts retailer, said it is investigating a possible security breach on its payment card network and advised customers to check their financial statements for fraudulent activity.

If confirmed, it would mark the second known data breach since 2011 at Michaels, which is preparing to sell shares in an initial public offering.

"We are concerned there may have been a data security attack on Michaels that may have affected our customers' payment card information," Michaels Chief Executive Chuck Rubin said in a statement on Saturday. "We are taking aggressive action to determine the nature and scope of the issue."

The warning comes in the wake of a massive data breach at Target Corp over the holiday shopping season, and suggests that hackers may be attacking U.S. retailers in a spree the extent of which is yet to be fully understood.

Target last month said hackers had stolen some 40 million payment card records and accessed 70 million customers' records. Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus has also disclosed a data breach that compromised data from about 1.1 million cards.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation last week warned retailers to expect more attacks and said the agency has reviewed 20 incidents over the past year that were similar to the recent breaches.

Michaels said federal investigators and an outside forensics firm were investigating to determine if there had been a breach. The company said it decided to warn the public and launch a probe into the matter after hearing that there had been an increase in fraud involving cards of customers who had shopped at its stores.

It was not immediately clear how many cards might have been affected, when an attack might have occurred, or whether the systems were currently compromised. A Michaels representative declined to elaborate on the statement.

U.S. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan told Reuters his agency was investigating the matter.


PLANNING TO GO PUBLIC

Michaels, whose major investors are Blackstone Group LP and Bain Capital LP, last year filed documents with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission to go public. The company resubmitted its IPO documents late last month following a restructuring.

In a high-profile 2011 attack, hackers replaced some 84 PIN pads on payment-card terminals at a small number of Michaels stores, resulting in the theft of about 94,000 payment card numbers, according to Department of Justice attorneys who eventually prosecuted two men charged in that case. ()

Last year the Irving, Texas-based retailer settled a class-action consumer lawsuit related to the matter, without admitting to any wrongdoing.

Michaels disclosed the 2011 attack in an S-1 registration statement that it filed with the Securities and Exchange in March of last year.

"This is devastating for them because this is the second time in a row," said Gartner security analyst Avivah Litan. "The public and the credit card companies are going to slap their wrist twice as hard because they'll say they haven't learned their lesson and that they can't be trusted."

But that criticism might be tempered somewhat, given that other retailers have been breached, Litan said.

The FBI has warned retailers about cyber criminals using "memory-parsing" software, also known as "RAM scrapers." When a customer swipes a payment card at checkout, the computer grabs data from the magnetic strip and transfers it to the retailer's payment processing provider. While the data is encrypted during the process, RAM scrapers extract the information from the computer's live memory, where it briefly appears in plain text.

RAM scraping technology has been around for a long time, but its use has increased in recent years and cyber criminals have added features to make it more difficult for victims to detect the malicious software on their networks.

"They have gotten much more sophisticated," said Daniel Clemens, chief executive of the cyber security firm Packet Ninjas, whose firm investigates credit card breaches at retailers. "We are in a cycle where the incidence of these attacks will just continue to grow."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/25/micheals-data-breach_n_4666029.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Mud $ales

So now that Christmas is over, my mind is already turning to Spring....and MUD $ales!!!

What is a Mud $ale you may ask? Well, I live in Lancaster County PA and many of our towns and villages are protected by volunteer fire companies who need to raise funds to pay for much needed equipment and supplies. These sales have been a regular event here in Lancaster County since around the mid-1960′s.

Since the local farmers have more available time before Spring planting the late Winter and early Spring dates work out best for them and since many of the items are sold outside during potentially muddy Spring conditions, these sales have thus earned them the nickname “mud sales”.


The items that are auctioned include a wide variety of donated goods and consignment merchandise, and often include furniture, craft items, quilts, building materials, livestock, buggies and carriages, tools, farming supplies and equipment, garden items, and so much more. Plus, there is always tons of that world famous Lancaster Home-cooked food for sale!

Mud $ales take place almost every weekend through the late Winter and early Spring around Lancaster County. Some do take place during the Summer and Fall as well. Check the schedule below for upcoming dates and locations.

So, grab the family, throw on your Wellington Boots, and take in a mud sale or two for a truly unique Lancaster experience!


2014 Lancaster County Mud Sale Schedule:

February 22 - Strasburg Spring Consignment & Mud Sale
See our blog post, photos, and video from 2013′s Strasburg Spring Auction Mud Sale.
Strasburg Fire Co., 46 W. Main Street, Strasburg, PA 17572, 717-687-7232

March 1 - Bart Township Auction & Mud Sale
Bart Township Fire Co., 11 Furnace Rd, Quarryville, PA 17566, 717-786-3348

March 8 - Gordonville Spring Mud Sale & Auction
See our blog post and images from the 2013 Gordonville Auction & Mud Sale.
Gordonville Fire Co., Old Leacock Road, Gordonville, PA 17566, 717-768-3869

March 15 - Bart Township Building Materials and Craft Sale
Bart Township Fire Company, 11 Furnace Rd, Quarryville, PA 17566, 717-786-3348

March 15 - Airville Fire Co. Spring Consignment & Quilt Auction
Airville Volunteer Fire Co., 3576 Delta Road (Rt. 74), Airville, PA 17302 (York County), 717-862-3806

March 15 - Penryn Volunteer Fire Co. Sale
Penryn Volunteer Fire Company, 1441 North Penryn Road, Manheim, PA 17545

March __? - West Earl Fire Company Quilt & Consignment Auction
West Earl Fire Company, 14 School Lane Ave, Brownstown, PA 17508, 717-989-5986 (No Sunday Calls)

March 21-22 - Gap Fire Company Sale
Gap Fire Company, 802 Pequea Avenue, Gap, PA 17527, 717-442-9549

April 5 - Robert Fulton Sale
Robert Fulton Volunteer Fire Co., 2271 Robert Fulton Hwy. (Routes 272 & 222), Peach Bottom, PA 17563, 717-548-8995

April 12 - Rawlinsville Sale
Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Co., 33 Martic Heights Drive, Holtwood, PA 17532, 717-284-3023

May 10 - Honey Brook Fire Company Quilt Sale & Consignment Auction
Honey Brook Fire Company, Romano 4H Center, 1841 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, PA 19344, 610-273-2688

June 27 – Lancaster County Carriage & Antique Auction
Bird-in-Hand Volunteer Fire Company – Location: Across from the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant on Route 340, Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505, 717-392-0112

June 28 - Refton Fire Company Mud Sale
Refton Volunteer Fire Co., 99 Church Street, Refton, PA 17568, 717-786-9462

July 18-19 – Pennsylvania Haiti Benefit Auction
Benefits missions in Haiti. Location: 2727 Old Philadelphia Pike (Route 340), Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505

August __? - Intercourse Fire Company Consignment Auction
Intercourse Fire Company, 10 North Hollander Rd., Intercourse, PA 17534, 717-768-3402

August __? - Kinzer Fire Co. Mud Sale
Kinzer Volunteer Fire Co., 3521 Lincoln Hwy. East (Rt. 30), Kinzers, PA 17535, 717-442-4121

August 30- Bareville Fire Company Consignment Auction
Bareville Volunteer Fire Company, 211 East Main Street, Leola, PA 17540, 717-656-7554

September 27? - Gordonville Fall Mud Sale & Auction
Gordonville Fire Co., Old Leacock Road, Gordonville, PA 17566, 717-768-3869

October 4? - Strasburg Fall Consignment & Mud Sale
See our blog post, photos, and video from the 2013 Strasburg Spring Auction Mud Sale.
Strasburg Fire Co., 46 W. Main Street, Strasburg, PA 17572, 717-687-7232

October 25 - Cochranville Fire Company Mud Sale
Cochranville Volunteer Fire Company, 3135 Limestone Road, Cochranville, PA 19330, 610-593-5800


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPufw04ZMzk