Have you heard of seizuretracker.com?

Here is the link to seizuretracker.com

I must have asked this question about 100 times yesterday during the 2nd annual National Walk for Epilepsy.

You see, my brother-in-law created the website, after his son had over 300 seizures in one month. The paper log was crammed full, and it proved inadequate for the task. He searched online for a website that would allow him to track Evan's seizures, but the sites were either too difficult to use, or worse. So, he set out on a mission. He created seizuretracker.com, sponsored it, and worked for the past 6 or 8 months getting going.

Anyway, at the Epilepsy walk yesterday, Rob and Lisa had t-shirts printed up with the seizuretracker.com logo, and pamphlets also. So wearing the t-shirt and asking if people had heard of the site was what Mary and I did as we walked. We both talked to so many people, and most loved idea of the website. Some people just wanted to talk, so as that went on, we drifted back through the walk. Mary and I ran ahead to get to another bunch of folks that we hadn't talked with yet.

My starting question was always, "Have you heard of seizuretracker.com?" And when they hadn't, I explained what it was, as I handed them the pamphlet. I then went into the back story of, "My nephew had over 300 seizures in one month, and my brother-in-law built the site to handle that large number. After he had it designed the way he thought it should be, easy to use, graphs for seizures, medications, and time, he put it online in a beta-version so that his wife could use it. Well, it got some critiques, and got better. Then it went live, and users had ideas for him to improve it. What came of all of that was a very easy to use, practical web-site that will let you log your seizures and medications, then email the information to your doctor. Oh, and graph everything for a easy picture to see if medications are having an effect. " That was what I started with. After all of that, most folks were eager to give it a try. Oh, and did I mention that it was FREE!? No charge, no advertising, just use it if you want to.

The Walk was pretty chilly, but the cherry blossoms were open, and lots of people were getting set up to fly kites on the mall.

seizuretracker.com

Almost 4000 US dead in War on Terror...

And for 2006... National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 43,443 people were killed on the highways.

What are we fighting a war for, if we can't even protect innocent men, women, AND CHILDREN on our homeland's highways?

I'm thinking that our billions and billions (ala Carl Sagan) of taxpayer dollars could have been much better spent if we had actually concentrated on reducing the death rate on our own highways.

Oh, and how about education?
Clean water?
Cancer research?
Science research?
Curbing gang violence in our own cities?
Drug rehabilitation programs?
Suicide prevention?
Crime prevention?

How many more innocent United States citizens have to die (on the roads, wars, schools, etc.) before we realize that violence is NOT the answer?

Garden Goings-on

Well, it isn't spring yet... but tell that to the crocuses, the daffodils, and the forsythia!

Oh, and me. I have that spring fever thing going. I was out in the gardens for most of the weekend.

On Saturday, I pulled out all of the pachysandra that was growing on the driveway side of the sidewalk. A little patch that is "fenced in" by the handrail. I spent many hours pulling and transplanting the crocuses that were in the way, and a couple of hosta crowns that are just starting to point. I got it all pulled out, and found the holly bush stump about halfway up the little hill. I dug and chopped and pulled on it until it came loose. I'm saving it for garden art. I have it propped up along the sunny side of the house so that it can dry. It should last a long time in the sun!

After I had all the plants removed (and a few cantelope sized rocks) I brought 4 huge wheelbarrows full of compost from the back yard. This stuff has been sitting and cooking for over a year. And wow was it wonderful looking stuff! Earthworms just having a ball in it.
I spread the compost over the soil, and used my shovel to work it into the first 3 inches of soil or so.
At this point I noticed that this would be the perfect time to add to the cinder block wall. But I didn't have cinder blocks, and didn't want to go through mortaring them in, either. But I did have a lot of pieces of concrete rectangular stepping stones. So I wheeled them down from the pile, and after clearing the soil from the top of the old cinder block wall, proceeded to dry lay 5 courses of these on top of that low wall. They will only have to hold back about 10 inches of soil in that location, and I will make sure that I maintain it. I know it could slump if the soil gets too high. But I'm watching that closely. The wall turned out well, and looks pretty good! I love reusing something that I already have.

After I got the stones laid, I backfilled them a bit and then went to the garden center to get a bale of straw. I returned and then used the straw as my top mulch. I don't like leaving any soil bare for very long, since wind and water come along and steal my good earth. So keeping the soil covered is always a good idea. Besides, the earthworms like the insulation to keep on doing their thing!

That was enough for one day.

Sunday rolled around, and I did little chores after the rain stopped. I fixed our pea trellis (and planted peas later in the day.) I cut bamboo poles for the tomato trellis (where we planted peas too!) I also cut up some cardboard to make more worm bedding for my vermicompost bins.

Wow, looking back on it, that was good bit of stuff for one weekend. And I did it at my own pace, and enjoyed the beautiful weather!

Handmade "Soil Block" maker

I saw this on the Path to Freedom site and figured out how to make one out of scrap wood I had laying about the workshop. It took me about an hour to make the mold and plunger, and of course had to wait for the WATERPROOF glue to set up. Good clamps made this easy. I sanded it down to round off the edges. Really not difficult to make one.

It worked well, even though it will be making only one soil block at a time. Path to Freedom also has soil block makers for sale, here.



Anyway, I figured a bit of work, and I could be frugal, AND have my soil blocks too. So far I've made 2 trays full of soil blocks. I get 36 to the standard tray. I enjoy doing that and it is easy. So I think the house will soon be filled with seedling trays.

I also have 2 other seedling trays filled with little paper cups, and several little starts of swiss chard, tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. I want to grow a whole lot more basil, so I'll be making more soil blocks. I'll be using them to start seeds during the whole growing season.

"Spring" planting

I started planting the 2008 garden this afternoon.

Here in Maryland we are zone 6 now, and getting warm enough to work some plants in. I start with onions and shallots. I'll be planting garlics soon too. My order of onion sets came in this week. I planted roughly 360 onions and about 45 shallots. The onions were about 120 red, about 120 white and about 120 yellow onions. Hopefully they will grow well.

I was finishing up planting the last of the white onion sets, when Mary came out to go for our walk. I was working in the soil under our big cypress tree. The same soil that the bamboo had depleted. Mary said that at least we know how to build topsoil. She is hoping for lots of good food from our gardens this year.

I get this way every spring. Bursting at the seams to get the garden going, but still way in the danger of frost. So, I'll figure out a way to get some seeds started and get them ready. I think I may work up a cold frame here real soon. That would give me the sheltered gardening area that I need to get my seeds started.

I also discussed the fact that the hedges on the side of our front yard block out some of the afternoon light. I now have permission to make them much shorter hedges. So I'll take care of that one of these spring afternoons when Mary is working on her schoolwork.

Twins Turn 15

Well. They did it. They are now 15. They had a bit of a party last night, and had some friends over. They both enjoyed the evening, and ate lots of pizza, and we sang them their birthday dirge, while bringing them their ice-cream cakes. Identical cakes, for non-identical twins. Hey, fair is fair, right? Miriam doesn't really like pink, so of course I got both cakes birthday wishes written with pink icing. Even Samuel's! So the birthday has come and gone. Now I have to look forward to driving lessons sometime between now and this time next year! Yeah! Happy Birthday Twins!


The plans for the garden are going well. I've received my onion and shallot sets, and will be putting them out soon. I think it is a bit too cold yet for the onions, but not much longer to wait.

Then I'll get the seedlings started in full swing and digging in dirt to plant things will start. And I think I'll need about a case of "sluggo" to fight off the slugs. I don't have ducks....