Spring has sprung. So could a leak in your basement, since spring is the worst season for home floods. Why? Because the ground may still be frozen and therefore unable to absorb heavy spring rains or snowmelt, leaving homes with poor drainage. Knowing what to watch for may help avoid a costly disaster.

Gutters
Overflowing eaves troughs mean water ends up around the foundation of your home – looking for a way to get in! Make sure troughs aren’t plugged up. Leaves, sticks, paper, even plastic bags and such can blow onto your roof during heavy winter winds, and eventually end up in your eaves trough.

Plus, you want the water to drain as far away from your house as possible - six feet at least. And if you have downspouts that drain right into the ground, check to ensure there are no blockages below grade either.

Slope
It’s not uncommon for the ‘back-filled’ ground around a house to settle over time. Even owners of new homes need to make sure the ground around your home slopes away from the house. Add topsoil or repair surfaces as necessary. Pay particular attention to localized low spots like gardens, window wells and the space between sidewalks and foundation walls. Be sure to check the grading below decks and porches. It may be ‘out of sight’, but it shouldn’t be ‘out of mind’.

Pumps
Not all homes have sump pumps, but if you have one in your house, make sure it is in working condition and that the automatic switch, often a float, is set properly.

The ‘plating’ of food refers to the way the food has been assembled rather than the way it has been prepared. Fancy restaurants have known for years - when food looks better, people assume it must also taste better.

But plating isn’t just for chefs anymore. You can apply the same tips to add some pizzazz to your next dinner party. Here's how to make meals as stunning to the eye as they are to your palate:
1. Heavily patterned china distracts your guests' focus from the food. Plain white or off-white dishes really showcase food.
2. Having a plate with food in varying heights catches the eye, gives the plate a look of texture, gives an illusion of a bigger serving, and showcases colours and textures.
3. Garnish using some of the fresh herbs you used to prepare the dish. That way you know the flavour of the garnish will not ruin the dish.
4. Use your vegetable peeler - shave Parmesan cheese for entrées, shave chocolate for desserts, shave ribbons of vegetables for soups.
5. Dust sweets with powdered sugar, cocoa, or cinnamon.
6. Berries look great on any dessert. They add colour and convey freshness.
7. A ‘pool’ of sauces on plates provides a canvas for a dazzling dessert. Try one sauce on top of another, then drag the tines of a fork through it for a simple artistic effect.

‘Dead as a door nail’ - meaning dead, with no chance for recovery. Example; “You might as well throw out that old lawn mower. The engine is as dead as a door nail.”

Origin – When first used, nails were hand tooled and expensive. When a building was torn down the valuable nails would be salvaged and reused. But when installing a door, carpenters usually drove the nail through the wood, then bent over the other end so it couldn't work its way out during the repeated opening and closing of the door. When it came time to salvage the building, these door nails were considered useless, or "dead" because of the bend.

One of the oldest known shortcuts with computers (most programs) is F1. As far back as the ‘80’s (am I the only one feeling old when I say that?), programmers knew that software help was often needed and made it available by simply hitting the universal help key; F1. Yet even some seasoned computer users today have forgotten about this time saving key. Don’t forget about it the next time you run into trouble.

Cool Sites

Lucky Stones
Chelsey, age 5, says, “We’re not Irish, but Mom said we could still make these St Patrick’s Day Magic Stones. They’re easy to do! Just put the glue on, then all the other stuff. I made five of them. But only Mom and Grandma can have one.”

St. Pat’s Mazes
Ricky, age 8, says, “I love mazes! I did these ones on the computer – not on paper. It was cool! But some are hard.”

Sea Monster Facts
Stefan, age 11, says, “You should see some of the real monsters that lived millions of years ago. This site has rotating pictures of them and all the information about them. There were amazing animals in the oceans back then. Glad I wasn’t around.”

Maple Story
Christopher, age 13, says, “Maple Story is really fun. The graphics are really cool and the sound and music’s great! I like going on different quests to gain more stuff for my character and make him stronger. It took about a half hour to download, but it was worth it”

Make sure you wear green on March 17th! Why? Because it’s St. Patrick’s Day and …

Ireland's nickname is "The Emerald Isle" because the abundance of precipitation creates beautiful green, grassy hills.  Everyone wears the colour green on St. Patrick's Day to honour The Emerald Isle.  If someone forgets to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, those who are wearing green are allowed to give the offender a pinch as a reminder.  However, if you pinch someone who is wearing green by mistake (or you just can’t help yourself), that person gets to pinch you back ten times! 

Famous Irish Toast
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven
half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

Just as a building is only as strong as its foundation, plants are only as strong as their roots. And for good root systems, you need good soil. Have you tested your soil lately?

A soil test has been identified by successful gardeners as the most efficient and money-saving step toward better gardening. A soil test measures levels of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) in your garden soil that are available to plants, as well as identifying what your soil lacks. The test also indicates your soil's pH level -- the relative acidity or alkalinity. Soil pH ranges from 1 (acid) to 14 (highly alkaline), with 7 being neutral.

Some garden centers and nurseries extend this service. Or look for a soil test kit at these same locations if you want to do it yourself.

To ensure accurate test results, soil samples should be collected from different areas around the yard using a trowel or spoon. A zip lock plastic bag works well. In each area, dig down a couple of inches before removing the sample. Use tweezers or pliers to remove any stones, sticks, etc.

Once you have your readings, if other than optimal, take the information to your favourite garden centre for their recommendation on how to best amend the soil to bring it back to suitable levels.

The pin that holds a hinge together is called a pintle.
The working section of a piano is called the action.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
One that speaks two languages - is bilingual - can be said to be diglot.
Ducks are never male. The males of the species are called drakes.
The practice of eating insects is called entomophagy.
The white part of your fingernail is called the lunula.
The back of the human hand is the opisthenar.
The central shaft of a bird's feather is called a rachis.
The ear-splitting sound produced by the high notes of a bagpipe is called a skirl.
Shoemakers are not cobblers. A cobbler is a shoe repairman. A shoemaker is a cordwainer.

It seems that no matter how carefully we measure and cut, mitre joints are never perfect. If you've ever experienced the frustration of discovering that "little gap" on the outside of your mitre joint, you know what I’m talking about.

Woodworkers often try to hide these gaps with wood putties or other fillers, but there's a faster and easier way to solve this problem. If the gap is small, you can use the edge of a screwdriver to subtly round over the corners. The corners will close in and mask the gap. The effect is very subtle but effective.

“Is there anything worn under the kilt? No, it's all in perfect working order.” ~ Spike Milligan

“I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.” ~ Rita Rudner

“It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time.” ~ Tallulah Bankhead

“It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it.” ~ Sam Levenson

“My doctor gave me six months to live, but when I couldn't pay the bill he gave me six months more.” ~ Walter Matthau