| Grammy's Country |  |
Everything Country | |
|
||
Grammy's country is your home for everything country. We will be talking about country music, country furniture, country artwork and country living. Our country living section will include several articles based on home decoration and collectables. Some folks call them "collectibles" so we will use the term interchangably. Our first few articles will include country hunting and country living. We will try to focus some articles on what people request as well. Feel free to comment on anything above as well.Sofas: Sectionals, Leather, and Fabric – So many Decisions Are you in the market for a new sofa? There are many types of sofas available in today’s market. The type you choose should depend on you and your family’s needs, individual tastes, and amount you are willing to pay. Where the sofa will go is an important factor. Is it for a formal or informal living area? Will it be placed in a large or small area? Which would work best, one or two couches, or even a sectional? Are you prepared to purchase some other matching pieces at this time, such as a matching loveseat or chair and ottoman? Furniture often comes in a set. These are some of the decisions that must be made before buying a couch. If children and/or pets are a part of the picture, the upholstery should be durable. Consider having the fabric protected when you finally make the purchase. It prolongs the life of the furniture. You may want to consider distressed leather. I can testify to its durability. After 15 years and the wear and tear of three rough-and-tumble children, our brown distressed leather couch looks the same today as the day we picked it out on a showroom floor. Sectional Sofas Buying a sofa should not be an impulse decision. Since it is an item you will wish to keep for a number of years, it is important to consider your needs for the long-term. Trendy items quickly go out of fashion. It’s better to buy one that is more conventional. You can punch it up with trendy accessories. Once you’ve decided how large the sofa should be, the particular style you want, the color and upholstery you hope to find, you can begin your search. Look in home interior magazines, online, and in furniture showrooms to find the type of couch you would like to have. Once you have determined that, you can begin to shop competitively, looking for the best deal available on which you hope to own. Modern Furniture Stores Research the manufacturer to determine if it is reputable. Are they known for their craftsmanship? Do they make sturdily constructed frames? Is it out of hardwood or soft pine, which could not be reupholstered without splintering? Do they guarantee their work? After you have decided the name brand of the sofa, begin looking for sites online that carry that particular brand. Make sure the dealer is reputable and has a good customer record. Do they have free shipping and money back guarantees that make it worthwhile to buy from them? A low price and a high shipping fee are not a good deal. Discount Furniture Stores What happens if for unforeseen reason the couch does not work out after the purchase? Will they take the sofa back? Once, I bought a sleeper sofa for a spare bedroom. Because it was in the middle of a hallway, its bulkiness couldn’t fit through the door at that angle, and wouldn’t have fit through the small doorway, even if the door had been removed. Fortunately, the furniture showroom took the piece back with no hassle. Hopefully, you will find a reputable dealer that carries the type of sofa you are searching for, and its purchase will be a long-lasting, treasured piece of furniture for years to come. Visit our wholesale furniture directory for all other types of discounted furniture. Colorado Bear Hunting the Country Way!
A few years ago I had the privilege of visiting the beautiful state of Colorado. Most go to Colorado to hunt elk, moose, big horn sheep and the like. But there are a few folks who do like to bear hunt. Well, I learned in a round about way that although the actual activity of tracking and hunting bear can be exhilarating, the actual taking of the prey can be intimidating…Case in point. About 10 years ago, my Hidatsa sister and brother in-law and I decided that, rather just take off for our usual hiking and trekking on Sunday, that we would go up on Saddle Butte mountain and track a bear that had been seen carousing around the area, and had caused some concern for the well-being of the folks and children that lived here and there upon the mountain, not to mention the livestock. Well, since we had decided to do this on a lark, we really had not prepared well and intelligently for what we intended to do, which for my brother-in-law and sister, was to kill the bear if found….Me myself, I considered the bear to be my brother in spirit in the Indian way, so I knew I would not kill it, except in self-defense of course, so, we weren’t adequately armed as well as we should be. My brother-in-law, Jim, took his shotgun, I don’t even remember what gauge now, my sister took a 44 she owned, and I took my son’s .410.….yeah, pretty stupid…..but like I said it was “on a lark”…… Well, if you know anything about bear hunting you already have voiced your criticisms and remarks about how irresponsible we were. Believe me, lesson learned….And you know, it just shows the arrogance and immaturity and disrespect we have for our four-legged brothers and sisters.
We divided up with Jim taking the left side trail that wound around the mountain to the top, and I and Lovette took the right. Immediately, we could sense electricity in the air and uneasiness…just this feeling that made the hair on the back of our necks stand up. Within moments we heard a grunting sound. Well, needless to say, we were frozen in our tracks! We had been following the trail and were midpoint up to the top of the mountain, quite a little distance from the truck. Ahead around the curve of the path, we could hear and smell our brother bear and knew he waited just around the bend.
Hunting Supplies
Call it just plain old fear if you like, but I prefer to call it wisdom in acknowledging in our spirit that Bear was telling us, “don’t come any farther sisters…respect me and my territory….this was my home before it was yours, and I will protect myself from any comers who foolishly desire to have bragging rights over my mounted head or skin on their walls…..” And what was fascinating was the fact that both Lovette and I both heard the same words in our spirits at the same time. So, we slowly backed down the trail all the way down to the vehicle, constantly praying under our breaths and sending thanks for the spirit and angels that possibly intervened on our behalf. I will never forget that day, or that experience which is really difficult to describe, but still is vibrant within my spirit. Colorado is a beautiful land of abundant game and forested beauty. Just always make sure you have prepared and know in your spirit that you are hunting to feed and not for bloodlust or arrogance…..and especially, never on a lark…… Organic Clothing – What Organic Clothes Consist Of When it comes to what you wear or how you decorate your home, think about embracing style and being eco-friendly at the same time. Choosing organic clothing that protects you, your family and your environment does not mean you have to sacrifice style. There are many organic apparel lines on the market today for all types - men and women, children and babies. Eco-friendly clothing comes in all kinds of styles for all kinds of occasions. Protect yourself and your loved ones by purchasing organic clothing. When you consider that 25,000 deaths occur because of agricultural pesticides and harmful, toxic substances used on crops, mainly cotton, it makes one think differently about wearing anything else. Over 8,000 chemicals are used to convert raw material into fabric goods that are worn and used on a daily basis. The amount of insecticides that are used in growing cotton is staggering. Twenty five percent of the world’s insecticides are used in the growing process. Another ten percent of insecticides are used on the cotton itself. Many skin problems could be prevented by wearing organic clothing that does not contain harmful dyes and pesticides. Wearing organic clothing can help to protect one’s sensitive skin and prevent break-outs. Organic mattresses and bedding are also available. Organic Clothing If you or anyone in your family suffers from a skin disease, such as eczema or contact dermatitis, you may want to consider organic clothes. The term eczema is broadly applied to a number of persistent skin conditions. Typically, it is a chronic skin disorder involving scaly and itchy rashes. Sometimes blisters occur with oozing and crusting. Other areas may be dry and leathery. Many times, it is diagnosed as an unspecified skin problem, probably caused by an allergic reaction to something that the skin has been in contact with. It can be quite frustrating sampling different detergents, fabrics, and food products, trying to find a cure for eczema or contact dermatitis. Organic fibers include organic cotton, hemp, wool, alpaca, tencel, silk, and even bamboo. Organic cotton and hemp are cultivated on organic farms with methods of agriculture, which do not use harmful chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. These farms protect the environment, by using procedures that help to save our water, air, and environment. Overall, the farming procedures help the land while the products are better for our bodies, our homes, our planet, and our future. Organic wool and alpaca are fibers, especially suited for those with skin conditions, such as eczema. Sheep and alpacas are raised on organic farms that protect the animals from harmful substances. Hybrid Cars Just because a tag states organic fibers does not mean it has not been subjected to synthetic chemicals used in finishes and dyes. A USDA organic certification only guarantees that the fibers are organic, not the product itself. When a product has a textile certification, this indicates the product was made in an eco-friendly fashion. If you want organic clothing that contains organic fibers and has been processed in an eco-friendly manner, look beyond the word organic. Think green when creating a loving, protective environment for yourself and your family! There are many eco-friendly organic clothing lines available to protect your family and ensure their good health. Red Oak as a Wood Floor or a Vinyl Floor A beautiful wood species for a vinyl flooring solution is Red Oak. This wood species has a reddish tone with an open, slightly coarse grain appearance. The way it is sawn gives different appearances. Plainsawn Red Oak has a flared grain, Riftsawn has a tighter grain, and Quartersawn has a flake pattern. On the Janka Hardness scale, Red Oak has a 1290. The Janka hardness test is a measurement that tests the hardness of wood to see if it is suitable for flooring. In America, this method measures the pounds-force required to embed an 11.28 mm. steel ball into a piece of wood at half the ball’s diameter. The Janka hardness test determines the ability of wood to handle denting and wear. It is also an indicator of how resistant it is to working with the wood, such as sawing and nailing. The Janka Hardness for Red Oak is in accordance with ASTM D 1037-7 testing methods. Testing is not done on actual flooring. It is done on samples of flooring and vinyl flooring can out perform real wood floors. Red Oak is a durable, dense wood. It is stiff and dense and resists wear. It is easy to work with. It sands well and finishes well with a strong stain contrast because of the pores. The wood is pale reddish brown. The sapwood is darker. It is heavy, hard, strong, and coarse grained. When carefully treated, Red Oak makes fine furniture and vinyl flooring. Starloc Vinyl Flooring The best quality Red Oak timber can be found in the Northeast portion of the United States and the Southeastern portion of Canada. The Red Oak species is one of the largest timber trees, which makes it very popular. It is one of the fastest growing oaks, reaching 80 feet high with a diameter of two to three feet. It grows best in moist, rich soils with north, east, and northeast exposures. These trees can live over 300 years. When allowed to mature in cool climates where there is slow growth, the grain is tighter, and more consistent, producing richer, more beautiful flooring planks. There is a maximum amount of heartwood, and it can be sawn into exceptional widths and planks. When Red Oak grows in warmer climates, it grows too fast, and the grain is less attractive. Red Oak is a common flooring option because it is strong and durable. However, there are many types of Red Oak available, depending on where it was harvested. The center portions are the best logs because of its fine grain and rich coloration. Congoleum Ovations
Flooring Because timber growth in the United States exceeds harvest by more than 25%, sustainable forestry and sustainable manufacturing keeps Red Oak forests growing for future generations for centuries. Red Oak timber is a green, renewable source that is in abundant supply. Red Oak planks are dried slowly for up to a year before being kiln dried in small batches for maximum stability. Each board is usually milled one at a time. You cannot go wrong when choosing Red Oak vinyl flooring. The strength and durability of this floor makes it versatile for many types of rooms. This flooring solution will last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. The graining and rich detailing makes Red Oak a striking flooring solution. When choosing a wood flooring or a vinyl flooring be sure to consider red oak as an option for your species. |
© Your Company, 2008. All Rights
Reserved.