You know from reading some of the posts on this blog that I love natural solutions to health whenever possible, but we still have our share of prescriptions coming into the home due to my husband’s Diabetes and other health concerns.  Anything related to health and prescriptions is expensive, especially if for some reason you don’t have medical insurance.  We have it now, but as retirement age draws near, we know that we won’t have it forever. 

This is where a program like Walgreens Prescription Savings Club  is very helpful.  This is not to be confused with the Walgreens and Express Script situation, but a program that is supposed to help those who no longer have access to this Express Script, and anyone else who would like to benefit from the program.  Apparently details regarding a new contract with Express Scripts have not worked out, and as a result patients who have been getting their prescriptions at Walgreens in some areas are being forced to travel distances to get their prescriptions filled elsewhere.  You can read a press release about this at the previous link.

Walgreens has worked hard to help these customers, and continues to do so through the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club.  You can be part of this program for $5 a year per individual or $10 per family, and benefit by saving on thousands of brand-name prescriptions, and perhaps greater discounts on generic medications.  This also includes discounts on pet prescriptions and annual flu shots.  And for people like me who have a husband with diabetes, discounts on diabetic supplies.  We do have a Walgreens near us, so I’ll be checking into this. 

To stay informed, follow  Walgreens on Twitter, and vsit and “like” Walgreens on Facebook.

But before I can take them in to be adjusted, I need something to wear as my old glasses broke…plus I’d like to have a pair of just distance to use as sunglasses.  So I decided to ask my optometrist for prescriptions for both distance and reading, plus my PD, or measurement of the distance between my pupils for proper fitting of the lenses to my eyes, and then went to order online at a site that offers good glasses at low prices.  I decided to get the anti-reflective coating that will help so much with sun glare when outside and when driving at night, apparently this means my glasses will have oleophobic lenses. They will resist fingerprints and dust and should be easier to clean.

In addition to all the above, I got the clip-on sunglasses for both the reading and distance glasses. I could have had a separate pair of distance glasses tinted, but decided to go this route instead as it has worked out pretty well in the past. The best part of all is that I only paid a little over $30 for everything, including shipping.

I can’t wait to see how much better my vision will be at night and in sunlight…the anti-reflective coating is supposed to help with that and should make my outdoor walking time much more enjoyable…I’ll let you know. When I get them, I’ll have spare glasses and can take my over-priced ones that aren’t working out in to be adjusted, I hope they can fix them…it seems odd that I pay so much at my local eyeglass store with insurance when I could get two pairs with sunglass clipons and anti-glare coating for about 1/5 the price I paid for one pair of progressives with insurance…I’ll do it differently next time.

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In the previous post I talked a bit about our Norfolk Island Pine Christmas Tree, now I’d like to share an idea for you or someone you love….something to put under that tree.  It’s important that you “read fast” because this is a sale and it’s going to end in just a day or 2, BUT even if you miss the sale, this is something worth looking into, and I have a feeling other sales will follow.

Sprint is having a sale on their Android™ powered EVO 4G devices, in fact you can get the HTC EVO™ 4G or EVO™ free, as well as free shipping from Sprint for those starting new service with them.  If you visit the link provided, you’ll see the phones and the count down ticker, and if you miss the special, I am sure there will be other specials available since it is the holiday season. 

I don’t have an Android phone myself, to tell you the truth, but do have the Android OS on my tablet and love it.  It isn’t as fast as I’m sure it is with 4G as I use it with our WIFI.  I can imagine it would be fantastic fun with the speed that 4G provides. 

So, now you have another possible idea to put under your Christmas tree this year at a great price, and may we wish you a very blessed Christmas!

We purchased our latest Norfolk Island Pine on Sunday at a great price, it is about 3 feet tall plus the pot it is in, and stands on a table behind the couch. I have light weight ornaments on it, no lights though, because that would be too much weight. Instead our indoor Christmas lights surround the frame of a doorway.

If you would like more information about how to care for a Norfolk Island Pine, click this link.

Puppies, babies, what can be cuter?  I am not working my garden now as it is “resting” for the winter, but do have time to look a cute pictures.  So it’s only natural that taking a look at cute pictures at the Puppies vs. Babies online contest would be a nice substitute.  Not only can you take a look at ADORABLE pictures, but you can vote….and you have until November 23rd to do so.  The winning baby or puppy gets $5,000.

When my now grown children were babies, to me they were the cutest babies in the world.  They are all grown up now, and I have a Yorkie named Aspen…so now puppies are the cutest things in the world to me, but when it comes to choosing “Puppies vs. Babies “, I’m having a hard time deciding, and admit to being biased.  Alas, I don’t think I can enter my Aspen into the puppy contest, but it’s not to late to vote, and I want you to see why I think she’s one cute little dog, here’s her picture:

I guess what you like is going to be determined by whether you have or have had a baby, or whether you have a little fur-baby right now, but no matter what, don’t forget to take a look at the cute pictures at any of the links and cast your vote.

Please tell us in a COMMENT who you plan to vote for…cute babies or cute puppies, and take a moment to tell us why.

A delightful site by some folks who really seem to love their orchids and with information about many varieties is called, appropriately, Beautiful Orchids. Another is About Orchids. I will be back to let you know how successful I am at keeping orchids alive and well.

As I type this, we have finished with an unusually snowy winter, that lead to an unusually wet spring, and now we are experiencing unusually hot days for this time of year.  So I’m parked here in front of the computer with the air conditioner going after spending the cooler morning hours doing whatever I had to do outside. 

One of my favorite things to do on days like this is go out and sit on the swing on our deck that overlooks the lake as the sun is going down and the temperatures begin to cool.  I love watching the water on the lake as it goes through it’s stages.  It is very still and peaceful for a while on calm days, with rings appearing where fish come to the surface to eat.  Then as the evening cools and the air moves more as a result, it begins to gently ripple.  The turtles, geese, ducks, and now a beaver make their appearances now and then.  Our friendly raccoon comes lazily down from a tree in view to begin his hunt through the trash cans for food…ours is the closest so usually the first on his list. 

There is only one thing that interrupts these quiet times, the irritating buzz of the mosquitos, and there bites.  I’m not as “tasty” as my husband is, so if he is with me, they go to him first, but this causes him to retreat into the house, and then I’m next in line.  I have visited this site to look at the Mosquito Magnet Executive Mosquito Trap and Accessories , and do think it looks like it is something we would benefit from.

How about you?  What are you favorite summer outdoor activities?

Some suggest drinking a glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon juice added first thing in the morning to activate the digestive system.  It has a cleansing affect on the liver, as well as the kidneys.  Lemon is sour, and some say that sour fruits help the body in hot weather.  As I type this the temperatures throughout the nation are high, and many are filling their glasses with ice and drinking to cool the body down.  This is my tendency.  Some say it is better drink at room temperature as the body will send blood to the stomach to warm it so energy is not available to cause perspiration which is cooling to the skin…an icy stomach is not natural so the body compensates.  I’ll let you decide how you would prefer to handle this on a hot day.

When you purchase a dwarf or other lemon tree online, be sure that you receive instructions on how to care for a dwarf lemon tree with your purchase.

I can’t imagine there is anyone that hasn’t had the pleasure of enjoying the taste of Tabasco Sauce made from peppers when they are ripened to a careful standard set by the Mcllhenney Company of Louisiana.  Peppers like those used in the sauce are pictured below.  The color that indicates ripeness must be just right to be used for the sauce.

We have used TABASCO® Original Red sauce for years in recipes and on our eggs…the flavor is unique because of of the process used since the mid-1800′s.  The sauce is made in a special way from the red peppers, salt and vinegar and a 3 year aging process. 

Some are working on their Super Bowl meal plans, and will find some good recipes at this Game-Day Party Menu page.  Our family has enjoyed the traditional Buffalo Hot Wings with Celery and Bleu Cheese Dressing for years now, and are thinking of looking into what Pizza Perfected is.  Even if we don’t have it on Super Bowl Sunday, pizza is enjoyed any time and can be enhanced by Tabasco Sauce, I can’t wait to try it!

I read somewhere that the peppers used in the sauce are hand-picked, and the people doing the picking take a stick along with them indicating the color that the peppers should be before picking.  As you can see from the picture, there is a lot of variety in color as the peppers ripen, so this must be a helpful tool. 

Wishing you fun as you plan for Super Bowl Sunday and may the best team win!

Image from Wikimedia Commons

I hope you have had a thankful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the start of the Christmas season.

I want to share with you a company that has been around for 40 years…since long before all of us had home computers.  One that loves nature and has been “going green” for many, many years.  This company has a contest going on right now, you can find out more about how you can win a $500 Target gift card or other gifts when you visit the That’s Wicked Fresh contest page at Tom’s of Maine.  Earlier on this blog you’ll find a picture that we took in Maine, one of our favorite places to visit, and a place where we have had many a “wicked fresh” time.  To enter the contest, all you have to do is tweet or facebook about your favorite “wicked fresh” time, it’s easy and quick, follow the instructions at the link above.

Now on to talk about the botanicals from nature’s garden that are in Tom’s Of Maine products.  There is a long alphabetical listing of them, and what they are good for, at the site if you click the link across the top that says “Good Science” and then “Ingredients”.  I think you will be impressed, not only with the list, but how beautiful this site is. 

Toms of Maine, among many other things, makes “Wicked Fresh” toothpaste and mouthwash, with all natural ingredients that clean and aid in the prevention of cavities

Go have some fun with that contest, and the best to you this holiday season!