5 Tips for Finding a Handyman

Finding a handyman - a good one - is like panning for gold in the Atlantic ocean.  Finding a handyman that doesn't charge an arm, leg is even more challenging. Most people think of the handyman as the jack-of-all-trades.   Some handymen think that as well.  No single person can know it all and the handyman that tells you he can do it all is giving you a big neon warning sign - "BEWARE!"  It might be more accurate to say that a handyman is the man - or woman! - who can do the job you need done.

The modern handyman doesn't look like a guy named Daryl (with another brother Daryl).  They are a variety of shapes and sizes, both genders, all colors, with a variety of skills.  The professional full-timer will have a larger range of skills and charge accordingly.  Part-timers are usually more narrow in their skills but cheaper.  Either might be able to help you depending on your project.  The real trick is to make sure that you don't push the handyman past his comfort zone.

Onto the 5 tips for finding a handyman...   Tip 1  on Finding a Handyman

Have a clear idea of what you want.  If you don't know how you want the project to turn out, your handyman isn't going to know.  He might be able to give you some ideas but ultimately you need to be in charge.  Make a list of all the projects you want done whether it's cleaning the gutters or building a cabinet.  Talk it over with them and make sure that they can handle the types of work and the total work load. Talk with them, discuss their experience and favorite projects.  Get a feel for what they can accomplish.

Tip 2  on Finding a Handyman

Make sure that the person you want to hire is on the up-and-up.  Any legitimate handyman will be carrying insurance to protect himself and you. He should also have the proper business licenses.  You'll want to talk to more than one handyman  - three is usually enough to get an idea of the costs and scope of the services that they can offer you.

Tip 3  on Finding a Handyman

Check their references.  Handymen live and die by reputation so don't be afraid to ask them for references - and don't be afraid to follow up on them.  You need to know who it is that you are inviting into your home.

Tip 4  on Finding a Handyman

You need a contract.  It's a nice thought to be able to get work done on a handshake and a nod but in our modern world, you need a contract.  The contract should define what the handyman is going to do, for how much, how he's planning on charging you (flat fee, hourly, etc.) and when payment is due.  If he offers a guarantee on his work, get it in writing.  It's a "Trust but verify" world out there.

Tip 5  on Finding a Handyman

Avoid the handyman that calls you up and offers any sort of special deal, sale, or "we're in the neighborhood" work.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of scam artists that are very slick at separating people from their hard earned money.  Be leery of deals that are too good to be true.  If you followed the steps above, you should be able to avoid these guys.  My first instinct if I'm getting unsolicited offers is to assume that someone wants to take advantage.  Be comfortable enough with your intuition to "just say no."

Inspecting Sidewalks

Okay, I admit it - I tried to find a duller topic than inspecting sidewalks.  It might not exist.  Insulation - close but vermiculite might have asbestos and asbestos causes cancer which is definitely worth a look-see.  Paint - maybe but at least it's colorful plus you can get it in a semi-gloss even for the exterior.  Mrs. Duffau suggested floors but that immediately brought to mind Italian tile which lead me to regular tile, hardwoods then to carpets and, ultimately to a collection of shag carpets we saw once when house shopping; deep piles of shag in every room, neon lime green in one room, neon purple in another, neon hot pink shag in the master bathroom.  We bought a different house. So we're stuck with sidewalks.  Personally, I like them.  They go places and I always seem to have a need to get somewhere.  I get the same feeling when I watch planes overhead.  Where's it going?  Planes, however seem to involve expensive things like tickets and the TSA.  Advantage, sidewalks.

When I look at sidewalks, the first thing to remember is that someone needs to be able to use them.  How they need (or want) to use them will vary.  I did not realize that a lady that I know had aged until I walked on the grass as she walked on the narrow walkway.  There wasn't room for both of us and I am, at least for now, more stable than she.  When she reached the steps she slowed, took each one deliberately. There were no handrails. She could have used them.

So size does matter.  The usual recommendation is a 36 inch wide sidewalk.  That will accommodate a stroller, a walker, a wheelchair.  Except that isn't wide enough.  All of us have seen those older couples, married for sixty years and still in love with each other.  If she is using a walker, where is he?  That's right, right next to her, a guiding hand on her elbow.  They won't both fit 36 inches of walkway.  So, when planning for senior living spaces, we should be making the walkways wider, much wider.

And they should be flat.  Seems evident but not a week goes by without me writing up a trip hazard on a sidewalk.  It doesn't take much cracking and settling to cause trouble.  A lip of 1/2 an inch has put me on my head.  Tree roots and frost heaves will do damage but the main culprit is good old-fashioned poor workmanship.  Add in weeds growing in the cracks and a flat smooth surface is not a guarantee.

Lighting is another area that we should check.  I like solar lighting for the backyard but that was for our old dog who was getting scared of the dark.  His eyesight dimmed and he worried about getting separated from the pack in the dark when the wild things were out.  I would have put them along the front too but we have streetlights and they cast enough light for now.  Later, I can add more solar or, if I have the money, put in permanent lighting running off a house circuit.

And finally, what should we build the sidewalks with?  Concrete is the old standby though with the development of stamped and colored concrete our options have grown from the standard hard grey stuff we grew up skinning our knees on.  Brick is always nicer but not as smooth and sometimes slick with growth.  Pavers are just precast concrete is thin pieces but we can make decorative shapes and styles with them to show off the sidewalks.  Wood chips?  Comfortable to walk when you still have the balance but not very practical for walkers, strollers or wheelchairs.  Young kids love them.  Wood planks?  Wood rot and slippery when wet. Each material has it's own unique advantages and disadvantages. Flagstones are pretty but treacherous because they are so uneven.

It also isn't set in stone that the sidewalk must be straight.  A curve, a gentle radius is not only attractive but can actually make the walk safer to transit.  In that same vein, the surface really does need to be non-skid.

Planning a new sidewalk or planning to adapt a sidewalk involves taking all these characteristics into account.  Inspecting them does to with the added need to understand who's walking the walk.

An Apple a Day...Helps Prevent Hardening of the Arteries

Want to avoid hardening of the arteries?  Then follow the advice of "An apple a day..." New research, funded by the apple industry, demonstrates that eating a single apple a day can lead to a 40 percent reduction in the levels of oxidized LDL's -low density lipids.  LDL's, the bad cholesterol, react with free radicals and cause inflammation and tissue damage.  This damage leads to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

The study followed healthy middle-aged adults that ate one apple per day.  Another group in the study took capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples.  The effects were similar but not as large. The total effect of the apple a day regimen was superior to green tea, cinnamon (which I am allergic to based on a trial run) and tomato extract - though why one would use an extract is puzzling since a real home-grown tomato can't be beat for flavor.

If you want to read the whole study,  it was published online in the Journal of Functional Foods.

My only real complaint is that the study used a very low number of participants.  This can lead to false positives and misleading conclusions so take this with a small grain of salt.  Or not, since salt leads to hardening of the arteries too.  But be cautious.

Personally, I like apples so I'll keep eating them.  If they help me avoid hardening of the arteries, great.

Insomnia - Bah!

I won't be writing much this morning.  Long (13 hour) day yesterday followed by a bout of insomnia. Remember when we could fall asleep at the drop of a hat?  Got a solid 6 or 8 hours of sleep? Before insomnia clobbered the nightly sweet dreams?

Me, too.  Vaguely.

I'll write some more this evening.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Might Just Make Life Longer

Supplementing your diet with omega-3 fatty acids just may extend your life by limiting the damage done to the telomeres on your DNA.  A new study from the researchers at Ohio State University followed middle-aged and older adults on a four month trial of fish oil pills. The result was less damage to the telomeres during cell division.  Every time a cell divides a small piece of the end of the DNA known as a telomere is clipped off.  Scientists believe that this damage is the root cause of aging and cancer. Personally, I've been taking cod liver oil emulsions - the minty kind.  The flavor is very palatable and the results, in my case, very good.  I primarily started taking cod liver oil to control the swelling associated with my gout.  Omega- fatty acids also perform as an anti-inflammatory which is helpful because I can't take aspirin or advil.

Most Americans have much higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids - from things like eggs, most of our common cooking oils (but not olive oil), poultry and nuts.  Add in wheat as a source of omega-6 fatty acids and it becomes pretty clear the average diet is very high in omega-6 fatty acids and much less so in omega-3 fatty acids.  Consequently, the ratio that we have is about 15-1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.  The experts tell us that the ratio should be 2-1 and no worse than 4-1.

If you want to add in natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids, you can.  The best sources are: cold water fish, fish oils, flaxseed, canola oil, and English walnuts.  Also, spinach - Popeye would be proud.

I find it easier to supplement - the links above will take you to Amazon and the products I have used and liked.

Gratitude 10-08-2012

Gratitude is present in little things... This morning I made breakfast for my youngest daughter, the only one still at home.  My wife made my coffee.

With a new knife sharpener, cutting the veggies for my morning eggs was slick and smooth - no fighting the dull edge of a knife anymore.

It's still dark before I get up - and quiet.

My schedule for the day is full, full, full.

For each I'm grateful.

Senior Associations - AARP, ASA, AMAC

When you think "AARP", you think discounts for meals and travel, prescription drug programs, Medicare insurance - and the "gray panthers."  While widely hailed for the benefits they extend to their 37 million members, it is the last item, political activism that has sparked a change.  By taking political stands on highly controversial issues, especially on the Affordable Care Act popularly known as Obamacare, they have angered half of the senior population .  This has led to an exodus away from the largest  senior organization toward a pair of new organizations seeking to capitalize on the discontent.

AARP

Quoting the organization itself, "AARP is a membership organization leading positive social change and delivering value to people age 50 and over through information, advocacy and service."  Founded in 1958 as an out-growth of the National Retired Teachers Association, it's original purpose and still it's core business is not in providing discounts to senior but to sell insurance.

AARP is very active politically and has been actively promoting the continuing growth of benefits to seniors.  One of the criticisms of the organization has been the liberal focus of it's policy positions.  On a range of issues, from retirement programs to taxes, AARP is consistent on positioning itself to the more progressive end of the political spectrum. Indeed, on inter-generational issues, AARP has advocated policies that while protective of their core constituency, are arguable damaging to the country as a whole including continued opposition to privatization of social security despite the fact that the system is clearly in long-term decline and is unsupportable as is the case with the current structure of Medicare.  In both cases, the AARP position is effectively to tax all other individuals regardless of age to provide the benefits to the current retirees and those that are close enough to retire to benefit before the system collapses.

In 2009, AARP actively began supporting legislation that would eventually evolve to be the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) angering much of the senior population.  While publicly proclaiming that it was non-partisan, the plan that it supported was the most partisan piece of major legislation ever to pass through Congress.

Given that AARP is primarily an insurance company, the support of the ACA was a clear conflict.  Indeed, the health plan ultimately passed contained cuts in Medicare that seniors rely on but the mandatory participation in the healthcare marketplace - enforced with a tax that would be devastating to much of the 50+ age population that AARP claims to represent - should serve to increase revenues for the insurance arm of the organization.  This presents a clear conflict of interest.  Approximately 60,000 members resigned in protest from AARP at the time.

AMAC & ASA

One of the beneficiaries of the dissatisfaction with AARP was the Association of Mature American Citizens.  With a base of approximately 300,000 members, AMAC actively promotes not just the benefits packages that AARP delivers but also conservative activism.  This activism includes not just working with the senior population and issues directly related to it but also includes specifics on hot-button social issues such as abortion and immigration.

As with AARP, AMAC has insurance as its base business and offers programs that in general are comparable to AARP.  Included are life, health, Medicare, dental and auto insurance.

The American Seniors Association (ASA), founded in 2005, is similar to AMAC though less visibly active in their conservatism.  Again, the funding for the organization is through insurance.  The core principles for the ASA can be found in their "Four Pillars" which address Medicare, Social Security, Illegal Immigration and Tax Reform.

One significant difference ASA offers is a more tightly structured benefits system which does not have the range of discounts offered by AMAC and AARP.  Where the other organizations focus on creating discounts in entertainment and dining, ASA stays unabashedly focused on the core services.

Cost for each:  AARP, $16; AMAC, $15; ASA, $15.

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Paul Duffau is an expert home inspector, specializing in senior independence living. His handbook for sellers is an essential guide for any homeowner prepping their house for sale and who wants to minimize the disruption that an inspection can bring.

Westchester County Wins A Top Aging-in-Place Award

I'm not sure that I buy this.  One thing that the article is short on are specific details on what entails a successful aging-in-place community.  Given that this is being given to one of the toniest 'burbs in New York and is coming from AARP that never has seen a tax on the young that it didn't support - provided of course the benefits went to seniors; taxes on the young for the young don't concern them unless it sucks too much money away from their prized objectives.

New York's boomer population is, well, booming and as the 50+ population across the state and nation continues to soar, municipalities are faced with an array of issues from planning to public policies. Today, at the 21^st Annual Golden Harvest Awards in Tarrytown, AARP honored Westchester County with a top designation for its innovative approach in tackling issues facing the 50+, naming the county a World Health Organization's age-friendly community.

A look at the website for The Center for Aging-In-Place shows that they have an impressive amount of organizational activity and volunteer recruitment.  What's missing are details on home modifications and such that are needed for the aging-in-place community.  It's nice to give someone a ride but people spend a huge amount of time in their homes.  Aging-in-place should most directly addresses that.

But that is the hard problem.  Modifying a house is a potentially expensive issue and determining the most cost-effective means to improving the safety of the homeowner - often female, often living alone -takes time, talent and knowledge.  One of the primary issues that I have with the programs that I have seen so far it that they either look at government solutions that sound good on a regional basis but fail to get to the nitty-gritty of actually making changes in the individual's home or, much worse and fortunately rarer, the unscrupulous contractor that is looking to separate the senior citizen from as much cash as possible, as quickly as possible.

Aging-in-place means just that.  Working with the senior citizen in their home, modifying it as most feasible, to allow them to spend their remaining years at home.

It's not a cab service, garden club or a goldmine.  It's about homes - not houses - and the loved ones that live there.

Longevity - How long will we live?

This article, published in Slate, suggests that there is an upper bound to human longevity - how long we will live.  Simply put, everything eventually wears out and the body (yet!) hasn't been able to keep up repairs fast enough to halt the process.  From the article:

Last month, a 114-year-old former schoolteacher from Georgia named Besse Cooper became the world's oldest living person. Her predecessor, Brazil's Maria Gomes Valentim, was 114 when she died. So was the oldest living person before her, and the one before her. In fact, eight of the last nine "world's oldest" titleholders were 114 when they achieved the distinction. Here's the morbid part: All but two were still 114 when they passed it on. Those two? They died at 115.

The whole article is very interesting and goes into greater depth on human longevity so I suggest you head over and read the whole thing.

On the other hand, there is this from ABC News

Scientists may be able to make substantial gains in extending not only the length of human life, but the quality of life as we age, according to many researchers. That won't be limited to breakthroughs in the laboratory. To a significant extent, it will depend on how we live our lives.

But remember, time is limited and your future is yours.  We likely have only three or four decades left...

Have a truly wonderful day.

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus is Latin.  I know this because I took an entire semester of Latin back when I was a freshman in high school.  Latin was already a dead language then but the body was still slightly warm.  That was the semester that I discovered two things about myself: first, that I have no talent for spoken languages; and, second, I can decode patterns really well.  No wonder two of my kids treat English as a second language....but love math. Back to the subject at hand....

This blog is in its infancy and now seems the time to make big decisions.  Dum Vivimus, Vivamus roughly translates to "While we live, let us live!"  It's a celebration in this moment and a challenge to the winds of future changes.

A blog that focuses on senior citizens and those grudgingly or otherwise headed for that status can choose to play it safe, blather about all sorts of ways to avoid risk, eek out the last years in trepidation.

Or we can live.

I've never been a particularly cautious man.  I tried out for the high school football team at 6'2" and 126 pounds - and made the team.  Three years later, I met a pretty girl.  Two weeks later I told her I was going to marry her.  She's been stuck with me ever since.  I've had a dozen jobs doing everything from working in a lumber yard to driving a truck, selling insurance and managing a restaurant.  Now I create my own work in my own business... the ultimate high-wire act.  The kids call me a drama queen because I look at the schedule and will announce, seriously, "After Wednesday, I have no work for the rest of my life."  Then I bust my rear-end and get some work.  And, by the way, I DID build that.

So while this blog is going to look at ways to stay safe, we're also going to explore what we CAN do.  The older I get, the more I realize how fast time moves.  No revelation there, I know but it's one that everybody reaches in their own good time and no amount of telling someone will replace the feeling that settles into the bones when you know life is short.

Because, you know, it is.

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus!

Preparing for Winter

Preparing for winter when you're a senior or approaching that time of your life entails a bit more planning than when we were 22 and invincible.  Winter isn't yet snarling and slashing the windows with sleet but it's lurking close by. It's 40 degrees outside this morning and 32 up in Pullman and Moscow.  It won't be long.... A couple of thoughts on winter preparation for those of us not invincible.

Servicing the Furnace

It time.  You should be servicing the furnace at the beginning of every winter before the worst of the weather gets here.  If I've learned anything in a half century, it is that Murphy's Law is the true controlling force of the universe.

If you don't get it serviced and it fails, it will do it at the worst possible time - the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas or during a blizzard.  So, call up your heating company, have them tune it up for the winter and swap the filters so you have a clean one headed into the closed house season.

Arrange for Snow Removal

If you are no longer able to shovel your own sidewalks and steps, get help.  Set it up ahead of time so that when it snows, you're not calling the same person that 47 other people are calling.  Somebody isn't going to get helped if they wait.  Don't let it be you.  Preparing for winter means not waiting until the last second.

By the way, this doesn't have to be a paid service.  I shovel the walkway for Darlene, my neighbor two houses down, every year.  We don't get much snow and I am still pretty fit so it's a task that doesn't overwhelm me.  Talk to your neighbors and your church - see if they would be willing to lend a hand.

Stock Up on Supplies

Earlier this year, large parts of India suffered huge power outages.  The Indians were used to having power outages and were prepared.  We're not nearly so use to outages but we can expect far more of them than in the past.  When the outages hit the East Coast this summer, they were devastating.

Our power transmission system was built in the fifties and sixties.  It's getting old in many places and we haven't done some of the upgrading that would "harden" the power grid and protect it.  It's vulnerable to everything from winter weather to solar flares.  Add to that, we are losing a huge amount of power generation due to EPA regulations and we can expect more outages.

Have extra food on hand that doesn't need to be cooked.  Have a second source of heat in your home.  If you are relying exclusively on electricity, you have the potential to be left shivering in the cold.  As always, you should have extra batteries, working flashlights, a safe supply of all your medications (enough to last at least a week). Preparing for winter means preparing for the unexpected.

Check In

Have a time and day set up to check in with friends or family especially if you are living alone.  If you need to, set up with a service that will check in with you.  Let people know that you are okay.  It won't just potentially save you in an emergency - it will give your loved ones a small measure of peace of mind.  It's hard to admit that we may need a bit of looking after but we all do, to one degree or another.

Do the little things now to make this winter easier to manage.  It wouldn't hurt to hope for an early spring....

5 Ways to Avoid Knee Replacement Surgery

Yesterday I mentioned that I would give you five ways to avoid knee replacement surgery.  With a cost that can run to $45,000, avoiding this expensive procedure can help both your health as well as your pocketbook.  That said, nothing is guaranteed and, if I was experiencing knee pain, I would strongly consider going to the doctor rather than listening to some blogger.  In other words, I am not a doctor, I don't play one on TV and I didn't stay at Holiday Inn Express.  These 5 ways to avoid knee replacement surgery are a preventative guide that is not intended to replace the doctor of your or the governments' choosing. Tip #1 - Get Up and Move, Everybody!

The first way to help your knees and avoid knee replacement surgery is to actually work with them.  Walk, hike, run, rollerblade.  Healthy activity will strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee and keep all the soft tissues - ligaments, tendons, cartilage - well lubricated and well supplied with blood which increase the rate of nutrient uptake and releases waste products more quickly.  The key is regular but moderate activity.  Be careful to avoid overdoing it.  I warn beginning runners that there are three primary reasons for injuries; too much distance; too much speed work; and, too much stretching.  Exercise but exercise moderation too.

Tip #2 -My Those Carrots Look Tasty!

The second way to avoid knee surgery is to take a close look at your eating habits and your weight.  I know, you're tired of the media, the government and the medical system harping on American's weight and the obesity epidemic.  But I am not talking to everybody else.  Just to you.  And I'm not telling you that you "have to" change your diet.  You're a big boy or girl and you can make up your own mind.  I have gout and I know that I should not drink beer but I do anyway because I like beer.  I don't do it often - pain is a great teacher - but I live with the consequences of my actions.  As you do.

So, think about making small changes to your diet.  I tend to favor a more natural diet high in olive oils and vegetables, moderate in meat, low in grains.  Why?  Because this works for me.  What I avoid is sugar.  All the available evidence indicates that sugar - specifically fructose (here is the definitive book on the subject) - is a major player in the obesity and diabetes problem of this country.  Wheat may be a close second.

Think about changes that you could make and stick with.  Start small and celebrate the successes.  They're your knees - and heart, lungs, etc.

Tip #3 -Remember Saturday Night Live?  Me Neither!

They used to used to run skit that always ended with "take a pill!"  Generally not the best advice but applicable here.  The National Institutes of Health is funding a study to see whether the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin helps repair cartilage. Let's quote the findings, "For a subset of participants with moderate-to-severe pain, glucosamine combined with chondroitin sulfate provided statistically significant pain relief compared with placebo—about 79 percent had a 20 percent or greater reduction..."

If you are already experiencing pain, consider these nutritional supplements.  If you are not, I don't know that they will help.

Tip #4 -Don't Step on My Blue Suede Shoes!

What you wear on your feet can greatly impact your knees.  Nurses have known this for generations as have beat cops (when we still had beat cops) and mailmen.  Quality footwear that provides proper support and cushioning is important to avoiding knee replacement surgery since the goal is to avoid damaging the knees in the first place. Athletic shoes are a good choice.  I like running shoes since I'm a runner but my wife likes a good quality walking shoe.

If you are exercising, especially running, you also need to have shoes that will control lateral or sideways motion of the foot.  This motion, called pronation, is natural but due to years of abusing their feet, many people have excessive pronation.  This can destabilize the knee joint.  Make sure the athletic shoes are fitted by someone that knows what they are doing.

Lastly, avoid high heels as much as possible.  That applies to you too, guys!

Tip #5 -Hey Doc!  It Hurts When I Do This....

If you do start having twinges in your knee, don't be John Wayne.  Get some professional help.  Knee pain tends to grow from a small to large chronic condition in the older adult population.  Most of us are not going to blow out a knee dunking the basketball.  Listen to your body and to your doctor.  The doctor will have a lot more therapy options - steriod shots, botox, electrical stimulation - that you can't do on your own.  Let them help.

___________ So that's the 5 ways to avoid knee replacement surgery.  No single huge do-this-you'll-never-be-broken-again.  Just some common sense advice.  I hope it helps.

Have a truly wonderful day!

The AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener

I have been searching for a year for a knife sharpener to put an edge back on my nice knives.  Normally, this is an easy process - break out the phone book, locate the knife guy in town (or scissor lady who can do just as good a job), give him a buzz and drop off the knife.  A couple of days later and viola', a knife that doesn't squash tomatoes or slide off the onion skin. That works - provided you live in a town that has a knife sharpener.  I don't.  I've asked.  Nobody sharpens knives here any more.  They appear to be a dying breed as Walmart or Target churn out ever more cheap knives, the kind that loose their edge faster than a politician breaks a promise, destined for the back of the knife drawer.

Likewise the scissor lady.  Really, how many people still sew?

So I tried using a stone.  If you ever wanted to know how to sharpen knives on a stone, watch the video of Chef Eric Crowley.  It's not nearly as easy as he makes it look and it turns out that I have no talent for the task.  I was satisfied to quit with 9 fingers intact.

The AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener

On my next attempt, I hit the jackpot.  The AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener (Pictured below) turns out to be a very nice little tool that does a nice job of sharpening.  I have used it on four different knives in the kitchen and the results have been excellent.  The blades regained a nice edge and seems to be holding it.

Important to me, since everything that I review is intended for an older audience, was the safety factor built into the design of this knife sharpener.  To sharpen a knife, you hold the knife in your off hand - in my case, the left - with the blade up.  Simply run the knife sharpener over the blade applying a bit of pressure.  If you listen, you can hear the difference in the blade as the edge comes back.  It makes a hissing sound rather than grating.

Also, the knife sharpener has a plastic handle that protects your hand from the blade even if you should slip while using it.  That little extra degree of safety is nice to have.

If this helps solve your knife sharpener needs, please use the Amazon link below.  I get a couple of pennies for each person that buys from the link and my family will thank you for the help.

Gratitude 10-1-2012

Gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, or appreciation is a feeling, from the heart or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.  ~ Wikipedia I decided that I really should make my gratitude known each day and decided that the more publicly done, the better.  Hence, the daily posting of my personal gratitude.  Please feel free to post things that you are grateful for in the comments.

Today, I feel an enormous amount of gratitude that I am in a position to help my wife - my best friend - as she struggles with her job.  The job, Director of Operations at the local Humane Society, is emotionally one of the hardest I've ever seen and eventually wears even the best and strongest - like my wife - down.

I'm grateful that she has let me be at her side for nearly 32 years now.  This too we shall work through as we have so many others things through the years.