I live in Tennessee. I was recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease. (In some parts of the country, they call it Lymes Disease, but technically, it's Lyme Disease.)

With approximately 20,000 new cases reported each year, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States... Lyme disease became nationally notifiable in 1991." Source

It was after a month of "weird" symptoms, several trips to the doctor, and several rounds of tests, that they finally realized that Lyme Disease was the reason for all of my recent ailments. Lyme Disease was actually the last thing they tested for.

But... I'm one of the lucky ones. Typically people go through upwards of 20 doctors and years of wrong diagnoses and treatments before they are accurately diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

This morning on NBC's Today Show, they were talking about all of the controversy surrounding the numbers on the bottom of plastic bottles. There is a new government report regarding the safety of plastic bottles.

Supposedly, if there's a 3, 6, or 7 inside that little triangle on the bottom of the bottle, then it's not the best kind of plastic that you'd want to be eating or drinking from.

For example, some plastic bottles contain Bisphenol A, a chemical that has been linked to reproductive and fertility problems. Turns out, this may just be the tip of the iceberg...

Since my earlier article describing how I fixed our clogged dishwasher myself was such a hit, I thought I'd offer up a few more great tips for 'fixing' your dishwasher and keeping it running smoothly.

I've collected these through the years from home magazines and consumer product shows on TV...

As much as I wish I could speak for Shelby (my niece who has Autism, age 6)... I can't.

And as much I wish I could scream and shout for all of the injustices that she and her parents have had to deal with on a daily basis... that wouldn't do any good either.

So, from my faraway corner of the world (Jim and I don't live anywhere near Shelby's family), I seem to find some peace and satisfaction when I can share some of the specific things that have helped to clarify things for me a bit. Or have helped me find an even greater sense of hope for Shelby's future.

Everyone these days is offering fun reusable shopping bags for sale. So what makes one reusable bag different from the next?

For starters:

Colors

Shapes

Sizes

Compactability

Durability

Flat-bottomed
 

In the end, it all comes down to personal choice. For example, the most important features to me are a larger than normal size that also compacts small (or at least perfectly flat). Bonus points if it can stand open on its own, thanks to a flat bottom -- similar to a paper sack. My new favorite is the Walmart reusable shopping bag.
 

GOOD NEWS!  Walmart is hosting a 1Million Reusable Bag Giveaway. That's right, on Saturday, April 19, 2008 Walmart will be giving away one million custom-made reusable shopping bags -- beginning at 8AM Local Time and while supplies last.

 
For the record, in addition to large reusable bags like these, I also like to have a couple of reusable shopping bags that pack up really small -- so they're easy to carry with you. (The larger ones -- like the Walmart bag -- I keep in the car.)

Here are some fun reusable shopping bags and places to find them...