Some people don’t like guns. It’s not that they want to make it illegal to own a gun or abolish the Second Amendment; they are just uncomfortable with things that go bang and kill people. However, if you live alone in the city or in the country, you really should have some sort of self-protection plan. How would you fight off an armed intruder if you absolutely had to? Let’s face it, the reports of home invasions, even in rural areas, are increasing, and if you live alone or are a woman with children, you are perceived as an “easy” target. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and your property:

• Keep a can of wasp spray handy. This product is designed to spray a stream of harsh chemicals up to 15ft. It’s less expensive than pepper spray, and just as effective if aimed at the intruder’s face.
• Buy a cattle prod. Stun guns are illegal in some states. Cattle prods aren’t. Granted, you have to get closer to use it than with a stun gun, but if you have to use it, I promise it will incapacitate the intruder.
• Buy a cordless staple gun. You don’t need a license. Keep it charged and keep it loaded. If you start shooting nails or staples at an intruder, they’ll get the message in a hurry.
• Get an air horn. When used in a closed environment, this device can disorient an intruder, giving you time to wallop him/her with your cast-iron frying pan.
• Keep a loaded paintball gun handy. It won’t kill anyone, but those little balls of paint fired at close range can put a real hurting on an unsuspecting intruder.

Regardless of how you choose to protect yourself, your family, and your property, have a plan. Run through the worst-case scenario in your head a couple of times so you know where your “weapon” is. If you have children, and they are old enough to participate in a safety drill without becoming terrified, practice with them so they know what they can use as a weapon and how to properly use it.  Be safe out there people.

I hear it all the time—people want to preserve their own food, but they’ve gotten bad advice from the so-called experts who make the whole process of food preservation seem like some occult ritual that only the select few can be initiated into. Bird feathers and balderdash, all of it. Preserving food isn’t rocket science, and it doesn’t require any extreme preparation. I should know. I’m a Wisconsin Master Food Preserver. Here are five of the myths I hear most often.

1. If you don’t pickle cucumbers the same day you pick them, they won’t turn out right. Give me a break. Pick your cucumbers when they’re the size you like them. If you don’t have enough to do a couple of jars, wash and store them in the refrigerator until the next picking. When it’s time to start the pickling process, let the cukes sit at room temperature for a few hours, and then proceed.
2. You have to add lemon juice or vinegar to your tomatoes. Who told you that? People have been canning tomatoes without lemon juice or vinegar for nearly two-hundred years. While there are always new trends in home-canning, all you really need for tomatoes is a little salt and a covered hot-water bath.
3. Dehydrating food requires a lot of preparation. Not true. In fact, drying is most often the easiest, fastest, and least messy of the processing methods. Corn, onions, celery, apples, and a host of other fruits and vegetables can go from garden to dehydrator with nothing more than a quick rinse and a little chopping.
4. You can’t do anything with zucchini. Sure you can. Grate your giant zucchini and freeze it. Wait until winter and make a chocolate zucchini cake or bread. Nothing brings back summer memories in the dead of winter like a warm slice of zucchini cake.
5. It takes too much time to process my own food. Like anything else you do, you’ll get better the more you do it. You’ll learn how to tweak recipes and add your own flavor to the food you preserve. Practice makes perfect, and with a little practice, you’ll be able to whip out dozens of jars of jam and salsa in no time at all.

Don’t let the experts scare you. Sometime preserving your own food isn’t pretty. Sometimes you’ll mess it up. (Like the time I destroyed a crock pot when I forgot to turn off the apple butter, but didn’t discover my mistake for 2 days.) But after you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll be your own expert—which is the only expert you should listen to.

Sometimes, I forget to go outside. When that happens, I notice my mood plunges, my ability to concentrate disappears, and my sense of wonder seems lost. I’ve been spending far too much time indoors lately. Between law school, writing, and the copious amounts of bad weather we’ve suffered through for the past 60 days, I’ve become a stranger to my own yard. The result has been a sluggish me.

Sometimes,  I have to talk myself into doing things, even pleasant things. So, if you have to win an argument with yourself in order to get up and go outside, here are a few talking points that should help you squelch any objections from your stubborn side:

1. Going outside stimulates creativity. The change in light can actually stimulate your thinking process.
2. Going outside can help you lose weight. The fresh air invigorates your nervous system, giving you an energy boost.
3. Going outside can improve your sense of humor. Take a look around. Does Mother Nature have a sense of humor or what? Seriously, have you ever seen a toad? Funniest-looking thing alive.
4. Going outside improves your memory. It’s the vitamin D that comes from the sun that scientists believe stimulates the section of our brains that control memory.
5. Going outside has a calming effect. Just a ten-minute walk can take the edge off of a bad day much better than any prescription mood lifter.

So, on this beautiful day, when I’m staring at a hard deadline, a Torts class that I’m totally unprepared for, and a new website that needs my attention, I’m going outside to dig onions, pick cucumbers, and soak up a few rays. Just try and stop me.