After Hurricane Harvey’s historic floods wreaked havoc on the secret garden at Brookdale Clear Lake last year, resident Gail Karasick decided to make hay. More precisely, she saw the damage as an opportunity to turn part of the space into a vegetable garden. Karasick, who created the whimsical hideaway, hopes to inspire others to grow edibles even if they don’t have an area for gardening.
Karasick, a lifelong gardener, spearheaded converting an area of the Brookdale Clear Lake grounds into a flower-filled garden about a year and a half ago. With the help of other residents and community associates, she fashioned it into a creative space to relax and enjoy nature. As the crowning touch, a group of local fine arts students painted a custom mural on one side.
However, Hurricane Harvey’s waters washed away the topsoil in late summer, 2017, leaving only sand. This spring, Karasick decided to replace a number of the flowers with vegetables, which have a shallower root system. She mapped out a 20’ x 15’ space to raise tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, squash, and pumpkins. Then she began the labor of planting by digging holes, filling them with potting soil, adding compost and laying mulch. She is also growing green beans, radishes, herbs and tomatoes in containers.
“I’d like to show that even if you don’t have access to a garden, you can still grow plants on a patio or balcony that way,” Karasick said. She noted the garden will continue to contain flowers, including for the first time miniature sunflowers.
As the vegetables ripen, they will be available to Brookdale Clear Lake’s residents, who have contributed funds and materials to the effort. “I couldn’t have done this without their help,” she said.
While work in the garden is still underway, results have already started to blossom. “So far, we have four tomatoes and two peppers,” Karasick said. “And the radishes are looking awesome.”
Leading up to Earth Day on April 20, Brookdale communities nationwide will be participating in the organization’s “Embrace Nature!” initiative, planting flowers, trees and indoor greenery to support the environment and highlight the importance of nature for spiritual wellbeing.
Life Lessons Learned by Pixar: Series 2 - Change | Women’s Mental Health Treatment at Brookhaven Retreat, Knoxville, TN
In my last blog, I spoke about how the Pixar film “Inside Out” has helped my family to recognize their emotions. I briefly brushed upon various ways that Brookhaven Retreat teaches how to cope with emotional issues. Now, I would like to get a bit more personal and discuss another life lesson that I’ve learned through this movie…dealing with change.
My family and I have recently gone through some substantial changes. In February 2015 my husband lost his job of 11 years with minimal knowledge other than one month‘s notice. Up to this point our routines, patterns, and expectations were set and we hadn’t questioned our stability. We quickly started to realize how comfortable we had gotten in our day-to-day lives and that the comforts we were so used to were about to diminish. At first we were feeling quite lost, but it had also been a blessing in disguise. For a few years, my husband had been feeling called to obtain a degree in something that he had a growing passion for. He was avoiding that desire due to wanting to uphold our comfortable life that we had built. His life needed to be shaken up in order to realize that his dreams and desires were not out of reach. The loss of his job gave him the “jolt” that he needed and projected us towards a different life path.
In the movie, “Inside Out,” the character, Riley faces a very similar situation. I think this is partly why my family can relate so well to the movie, because it’s timing was impeccable! The life-changing event that occurred in the movie was (ironically) a move to a new home, in a different state. Riley makes a great attempt not to experience sadness during this situation. When Riley’s mom notices that there is something unusual about Riley’s behavior, she tries a few different approaches to change her daughter’s emotions, which ultimately plunge Riley deeper into depression and isolation. Similar to Riley’s mom, I had no clue how to handle the life-changing situation and certainly made mistakes along the way.
When my husband and I determined that we were going to move, my biggest concern was how it would emotionally affect our daughters. I found myself trying to protect their feelings. I am well aware that your emotions can be directly related to your environment and the attitudes of the people around you can greatly impact your mood. I thought the only way I could protect them from the negative was by being (overly) positive about the situation. Unfortunately, I was creating a false sense of positivity because deep down, I did not want to move and was not happy about it. I didn’t want my negative mood to rub off on the girls, so I hid my fears and concerns. I’m not saying that this was the right thing to do but honestly, it’s the only thing I knew to do considering this was all new to me. I started to realize that I was setting them up for disappointment. It wasn’t appropriate for me to reveal only the positive emotions of this experience, because they will discover the “negative” emotions one way or another and I don’t want them to think that they are “bad” for having those feelings.
After coming to terms with our situation and rationalizing the circumstances, I talked sense into myself and began to dig deep to truly find the positives in the impending move. My approach changed and I began to express to my daughters how we would certainly be faced with positive and negative emotions and that is not bad, it is normal. What is important is the way we respond to those emotions.
Focusing on “Joy” has certainly helped me through this life transition. I certainly don’t have it all figured out and I don’t know what life will look like for my family in the next four years. What I do know is that Tennessee is beautiful, the people have been extremely kind and welcoming, and my family is doing just fine amidst the changes. I will continue to focus on the positives of the experience, and will recall one of my favorite quotes, “Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.”
SYNOPSIS: Two zany announcers act out The History of Television from caveman times to the present. Whether it's I Love Lucy or confusing modern commercials, this zany duo proves that we can't live without TV.
There are a few simple strategies you can incorporate into your new home design which will make your space more energy efficient. The following energy saving design ideas are easy to accomplish and won’t cost you the earth, they may even save you money on your power bills.
When building a new home, the orientation and floorplan can determine the energy required for heating and cooling. The position and orientation of your home will depend on where it is located and the specific weather conditions it will be subject to. In Australia, this will generally be east-west. In winter the home should gain maximum sunlight for heating, and in summer offer a shady retreat.
An open floor plan feels welcoming and spacious but can prove difficult when trying to maintain a consistent temperature. A smaller home will use less energy and your builder can use design techniques to make it appear bigger than it is. Alternatively, a two storey home will give you the space you need, while being more energy efficient. A two storey home has less roofing and the second storey will protect the first from the elements.
In recent times manufacturers have made it easier to understand how each appliance rates in terms of energy and water efficiency. When you purchase new equipment, it will come with a label, and the more stars it receives the cheaper it will be to run.
The star rating system comes in two styles; the general 6 star label, or a 10 star label for those appliances which rate above 7 stars. Use these star ratings to compare the energy consumption of similar products.
There are a range of energy trackers available which can plug into the wall, and can determine how efficiently your appliances are running. Find out statistics on the current, power used, voltage and power cost. This information will alert you when there are any malfunctions.
Up to 15% of your electricity bill will be attributed to lighting, and it is not an area which should be neglected. By including energy efficient globes, you could be reducing their energy consumption by 50%.
The sun provides natural light, and with the correct placement of windows and skylights can brighten a room without overheating it in summer. Energy efficient windows can be incorporated into a design to act as insulation while still allowing the light to enter.
When you paint your walls in a lighter shade such as white, they will reflect the light. This means it will be less likely you will need to switch on during the day. Even the colour of your roof can make a difference, aim for a lighter shade and include solar panels. Don’t forget, the paving around the home can also affect the temperature, once again aim for those lighter hues.
Water saving shower heads are readily available and can be a statement piece in your new bathroom. Combined with shorter showers they will reduce both your energy and water consumption. Be eco friendly and set up grey water systems, a clothesline, and rain water tanks in your garden to complement the landscaping. Keep in mind the clothes dryer could cost you up to $3.00 in energy costs for a single cycle!
An energy efficient dishwasher will actually use less water and energy than hand washing. Saying goodbye to the mundane task of washing the dishes could actually be the smarter choice.
Planning your custom energy saving designs should start before you build your new home or renovation. Contact Us today to find out how our experienced builders can create the living space you have been dreaming of.
This spacious, attractive stone villa is loctated in quiet and peaceful settings on the outskirts of Vamos, conveniently close to the 24-hour health center, schools, a wide range of shops including a chemist, ATE bank, police station, restaurants and tavernas. The 127sqm villa has an exceptionally large veranda, garage/apotheki, boiler house, car port and private swimming pool.
The ground floor comprises a spacious and airy sitting/dining area with corner feature stone fireplace, and an open-plan, double-aspect kitchen with a plentiful supply of cupboards. A traditional stone-edged archway separates the two areas. There is also a WC with basin built under the stairs on this level. A curved stairway with polished wooden banister leads upstairs to the three bedrooms, two of which have floor-to-ceiling fitted wardrobes. All have French doors to balconies with wonderful views. There is also a full bathroom, currently houseing a washing machine and separate tumble drier, which could be moved elsewherre to create even more space.
Outside, the extensive 2,500m2 plot has much to offer, with superb views of the White Mountains, distant sea views a varied selection of trees and shrubs, a BBQ area and a 40m2 private pool set in stone-paved terrace. There is still scope for the new owners to develop the grounds further, creating different areas of interest as well as leaving some natural sections. Further benefits include wooden window and door frames and shutters, air-conditioning in all rooms, central heating, verandas and pergolas to all bedrooms, two 1,000 litre water tanks, solar panels, T.V. and telephone & internet connection.
This 3 day, in-depth class with instructor Sal Misseri will help strengthen your understanding of the principles behind haircutting. This class not only teaches HOW to cut hair, but more importantly WHY.
Built on strong techniques so that you understand function of them and then how to create a flow in a haircut by combining multiple techniques and shapes. Each student will work on two live models and be guided step by step through the techniques.
city:Newbury Park; state: CA; property type:Single Family Home, Townhouse, Condo/Townhouse, Condo, Multi Family 5+, Multi Family 2-4, Multi Family Home; less...
On a late night on Valentine's Eve, Velma and Frankie are closing up a cafeteria in Manhattan. Their conversations spark self-discoveries and unexpected confessions.
The BClub Challenge was launched in 2014 and we are continuing this unique fundraising program to increase support for BSU Athletics. Your personal and financial support are crucial to the growth and success of BSU’s athletic programs. If you participate in the B-Club Challenge, an amount equal to the first year of a five-year pledge will be contributed to the BSU Athletic Scholarship Fund thanks to generous donations from fellow alumni athletes! If you cannot donate at this time, please follow this link to update your profile information, so we may include you in B-Club communications. All gifts are 100% tax deductible. Thank you!
Designation: BSU Athletics/Alumni BClub Men's Baseball Men's Basketball Men's Football Men's Golf Men's Ice Hockey Women's Basketball Women's Cross Country Women's Golf Women's Ice Hockey Women's Soccer Women's Softball Women's Track & Field Women's Tennis Women's Volleyball Other