The Ancient Origins of Scotland’s Standing Stones

The Magic of the Stone Circles

You won’t find the fictitious stone circle of Craigh Na Dun from the novel Outlander on any map. Yet, the Calanais Standing Stones and Clava Cairn, just outside of Inverness, inspired the author in her creation of one of the most celebrated historical Scottish romance novels of all time. Were the ancient standing stones of Tuilyies, the remnants of an ancient stone circle, likewise an inspiration? Located just off of Cairneyhill near Culcross, it acted as a filming location for the series, as did Dunfermline Abbey, the last resting place of Robert The Bruce’s heart. Alike Outlander’s Craigh Na Dun, standing stones represent the magic and mystical elements of our world, as they have for thousands of years.

The Highland Castles

Some theorise the standing stones and circles mark the burial grounds of forgotten Neolithic Scottish chieftains or Pictish rulers. There are others who believe they represent sacred sites of ritual and sacrifice. In most cases, these are both true. The stone circles predate the burial grounds and the chambered tombs arrived later on.

It’s no surprise many of Scotland’s castles were built upon the sites of previous fortresses or abbeys. One can wonder how many of the Scottish Highlands castles, surrounded by Pictish monoliths and standing stones, were built with the actual rocks of those ancient megaliths. Had they deemed these sites strategically important, or built upon them for their sacred promise? 

The Celtic Symbols Of The Standing Stones

Standing stones decorated with Pict engravings and glyphs are spread throughout Scotland. There are over a thousand standing stones throughout Brittany and the British Isles. The Pictish language and their symbols remain undeciphered. Yet the Picts merged with the Gaels long ago, and Pictish symbols eventually blended with that of their Celtic cousins. Through our understanding of Ogham, as well as most Celtic symbols, we can only derive the most basic meanings from the Pict glyphs. Conveying symbols of nature, animals, and things essential to the Pict’s daily life, their meaning remains as much of a mystery as the stones themselves.

Upon the standing stones near Scottish castles, Celtic Crosses and other symbols were later engraved. Those spirals and knots reflected the root system of a tree and of the branches touching the sky. The endless knots represent eternity, sometimes suggesting everlasting life. Others, such as those engraved upon wood or a tree, entwine symbolising everlasting love. 

The Ancient Druids

Some historians believe the ancient druids spoke to trees by deciphering the patterns in which they grew. They believe the tree oriented alphabet, Ogham, represents the branches of a tree. Ogham words and symbols are also found engraved on the stones. Considered seers, gifted with the sight to see things others could not, they communicated with trees, animals, the elements, and with the gods. 

The Druids were the ministers of the Tuatha de Danann or the Aos Sí, supernatural beings today equated with fairy folk, or elves. They believed those supernatural beings to be the first peoples of the world and protectors of the parallel realm. Often their homes were in mounds, in rings, or sometimes in a special tree or a loch. Venturing too near without understanding the manner in which to approach them was a dangerous affair. 

They likely acted as emissaries of the gods, just as the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Those sacred places were likely physical representations of godly realms, much like the great pyramids, yet predating the Egyptian structures by hundreds of years. Although much of their history is lost, the historical reconstruction of that ancient society continues, with much being discovered in the submersed archaeological sites of Doggerland. 

The Sacred Resting Places Of The Gods

The druids constructed the earliest standing circles from ancient wooden pillars. All the wooden circles, stone circles, and standing stones, from Stonehenge to Callanish, date back to between 8000-2000 BC. Many of these sites carry astronomical significance, lining up with the spring and autumn equinox, or the summer and winter solstice. 

These astronomically aligned megaliths marked the bridges to the other world. The druids communicated with the gods by dancing in the circle around the main pillar or a grand tree, mimicking the motions of the cosmos. They would do so on holidays when the veil was thinnest between the other world and our mortal realm. 

The great holidays were Samhain (Halloween), Imbolc, Beltane (May Day), and Lughnasa, celebrated during the in-between of night and day, and in-between the shift from one season to another. Later on, mediaeval Christianity mythologized that the dancing footsteps of thinly garbed witches or demons created fairy rings while worshipping the devil. The demonization of the Celtic religion, and any religion that pre-dated Christianity, was a common practise in those days.

When we look upon these ancient standing stones, and the great Scottish castles that were built among them, it’s impossible to not feel overwhelmed. Our ancient ancestors recognised something in these sacred places. They recognised their mystical significance. What drove our ancestors to erect these ancient wonders? We may never know, but we can go there and hope to experience some of that magic for ourselves.

Wild Camping At Scotland’s Loch Rannoch

Looking to venture out into the wild Scottish Highlands? Itching for a day hike to castle ruins? Longing to ride your bike around a Loch or venture out into the woods in search of waterfalls? Sounds like camping at Loch Rannoch. Thanks to The Land Reform Act, which passed in Scotland in 2003, you can camp anywhere in the wild. Right-to-roam laws allow anyone access to land and water, as long as they’re respectful and responsible with the land. 

Where to stay?

Spanning from east to west, crossing the county lines of Kinross to Perth, the loch is an expansive 15 km long and 1.5 km wide. There are several easily accessible official campsites around the loch stretching to Dunalastair Water, a manmade reservoir, close to Loch Tummel.

Prefer a more posh option? Book a room at Dunalastair Highland Estate and stay in one of their holiday cottages. They provide both luxury and scenic comfort. Or you could scout out the perfect campsite along the twisting roads and tracks that weave throughout the countryside beside Loch Rannoch. Surrounded by hills and forests and sandy beaches, there are several spots off the beaten path where you can pitch your tent.

Getting Around The Loch

Spend the day cycling with ease along the even grade roads of the Loch. Pack a lunch and stop at a sandy beach for a swim. Take some sun and enjoy a few swigs from your wineskin. Leave your bike for a bit to venture to higher ground for a short hike and take in the breathtaking horizon. Wander into the woods and track down some crags for some light bouldering. 

Bring out your raft and ease your way onto the Loch to catch some dinner. The fresh water is teaming with trout and pike. Pitch your tent on the East side of the lake with your unfurled flap facing west. Lay back on your mattress and watch the sunset over the water and count the peeking stars. Fall asleep to the sounds of nature and the water lapping at the shore. Best make sure you’re well rested for the best hike of your trip.

The Ruins Of Dunalastair House

Only a day hike from Loch Tummel stands the ruins of Dunalastair House, a massive baronial mansion in Highland Perth. Its story goes back to the Eighteenth Century, with notable historical figures having once lived there. This incredible structure still stands, with some of its roof yet remaining on a few of its multiple spires.The grounds are expansive and wooded. Bring your camera as you’ll have one amazing photographic opportunity after another. The atmosphere is breathtaking and haunts you long after you’ve gone.

Loch Rannoch has more to offer than most destinations. Now that you know where you’re going, it’s time to get moving. The first step of every journey is out your front door.

PLAYING POKER WITH TAROT

Your Luck And Fate Are In The Cards

“An imprisoned person with no other book than the tarot, if they knew how to use it, could in a few years gain universal knowledge, and would be able to speak on all subjects with unequaled learning and inexhaustible eloquence.” - Eliphas Levi.

Eliphas Levi was a mystic, occultist, and the greatest influencer of The Golden Dawn, a secret society focused on the teachings of hermetic wisdom. This order brought forth the most common tarot decks we know today. These card decks, decorated with the principle archetypal stories of humanity, date back to antiquity. 

An Origin Of Mystery

Tarot has gone by many names, from tarocco to tarok, all depending on the region. Some historical records reference the paper tile games of China, dating back to 50AD. Others detail it extending from ancient Egypt, later branching throughout Europe. Played as early as the 1400s, it reached the height of its popularity throughout the Victorian era. We rarely play tarot games today, as now they’re primarily used for divination and spiritual guidance. Yet the knowledge of its origins are likely lost to time. 

Divination Or Game Of Chance

If we trust in the vision of Eliphas Levi and Antoine Court de Gébelin before him, we can also trust the tarot is a mystical archive of ageless esoteric wisdom. 

A standard deck of playing cards can also perform tarot readings without the major arcana. Just as common as 4-suit 52-card decks, there are stripped down decks where several cards from the ace to the six are removed to perform different readings, or to play different games. 

Which arrived first, the divination, or the game? As soon as playing cards were introduced to Europe, so were references of cartomancers, or rather, card readers. In any competitive card game, the players opposite each other will look for tells. Studying each other’s body language & tone for any hint of the “luck” they bore. The last hand played may in fact predict the fate of the next round. 

If you could go back in time and place a winning bet on a sporting event, would you?

“Games of chance” were born of both playing cards and tarot. 

The Symbology Of Destiny

They created these decks, in image and number, as a form of meta-symbology in line with the hermetic wisdoms of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt. Meta-symbology is a combination of numerology and astrology using standard playing cards to perform destiny readings. The four suits represent the four seasons. The 13 cards in each suit represent the thirteen lunar cycles. The 52 cards are interpretations of the 52 weeks. Add the values of all the cards together they come to 365, representing all the days in a year.

No matter the application, for luck, or for fate, these decks and their uses are intertwined with the human condition. When looking at the hermetic tradition, the symbology of the major arcana represents a map of the fool’s, or hero’s journey. Similar to the 3 metamorphoses of Nietzsche, it details the odyssey of our personal development, the road to wisdom, and the transcendence beyond. 

You may read the cards for the enlightenment of understanding where you are, where you’ve come from, and where you are going. Or you may be more prone to play a game of chance. So next time you play a game of poker, you might just have a different perspective of the outcome of the game, depending on how you interpret your’s or your opponent’s hand. Either way, this all gives deeper insight into the origin of the expression whether the outcome you are hoping for “is in the cards”.

A JOB BEST LEFT TO A LEADER

The Value Of Feedback When Recruiting

As the job pool widens and the volume of applicants shrinks, it may be in the recruiter’s best interest to help an applicant along. You need to exemplify the expertise your client is looking for while illustrating sound and impartial judgment as you screen. When the job and the candidate is a near, yet not perfect, match, it’s worth taking a closer look. 

94% of job seekers desire feedback. Their advice can range anywhere from observing inconsistencies in cover letters and resumes to giving up on an opportunity too fast. As a recruiter, it’s challenging not to tire of job seekers making the same common mistakes. Yet volunteering helpful feedback inches a job-hunter closer to achieving their goals and makes them a more viable nominee. 

Take A Closer Look

15% of applicants who have a positive hiring experience put extra energy into the job. So, developing the skill for delivering effective and well-placed feedback may end up being one of the best fielding techniques in your kit. If you’ve delivered your feedback well, and improved your candidate’s odds, it could pay off tenfold. 

It’s important to be judicious. No one expects you to burden yourself by giving feedback to every candidate in the field. Be discerning and compare their experience to the realism of their goals. Balance the good with the bad. How close are they to the mark? If an applicant’s experience looks great, but their resume’s presentation doesn’t cut it, focus on the content. Let’s say their resume or cover letter is generic and hasn’t been customized. How long were they at their last position? Has it been a decade since they designed a resume? Perhaps they need a confidence boost or a few gentle pointers to achieve their goals. 

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Show them the way and answer the questions they didn’t know to ask. Identify someone worthy of feedback, and gauge how they receive your advice. 

Nondefensive communication

As an introduction, point out what attracted you to that candidate. Next, divulge that as a recruiter, you feel obligated to point out how frequently those common mistakes are overlooked. You’re not pointing out the mistakes they’ve made. You’re addressing the commonality, which is validating. 

A study from Harvard University revealed that delivering negative feedback can result in people avoiding you. Their responses to your feedback will weigh upon your delivery. Never speak in absolutes or in vague terms. Detail what you feel are their strengths, growth opportunities, and how near they are to the mark. 

Take responsibility for the feedback you deliver. If it’s coming from personal experience or boils down to a matter of your professional opinion, then frame it as such. It’s less confusing and lends credibility to your advice. If you’ve communicated non-defensively, their responses may give you greater insight into the quality of the candidate.

Followup

Make sure the feedback you deliver is prompt. Having little-to-no luck in their search, they may stick with their velvet handcuffs and drop off. A missed opportunity. 60% of job-hunters quit hunting because the process takes longer than they expected. If you wait too long, your advice loses its impact or becomes irrelevant.

Study their responses. Do they mirror you, repeating back what you’ve aimed to convey, or are they missing the mark? Is the confusion or miscommunication coming from your end or theirs? These things should be easy to identify. If they received your feedback well, consider offering additional support and make yourself available when possible. Hone your delivery and you’ll improve your screening techniques tenfold, gaining the trust of your clients and the candidates you aim to recruit.

THE CARTOGRAPHY OF E-COMMERCE

How To Drive Foot Traffic To Your Virtual Storefront

You’re looking at your analytics. Your bounce rate is high. Your ranking is low. Does it matter? Is your niche so specific, or your brand so established it speaks for itself? You know your business better than anyone. You write a blog post about every month or two. Good enough?

Let’s use a retail storefront as a model. Whether you’re in real estate or accounting, the same concept applies. You have great signage and a stunning window display to generate foot traffic through visibility and location. You merchandised every aisle to lure your customers further in and delivered an exceptional experience. A perfect example of brand awareness spread through immersion and word of mouth. 

E-commerce isn’t that different. Take those principles and apply them to your online presence. Increasing your brand awareness through visibility, encouraging traffic, and delivering an exceptional experience generates word of mouth. Here’s how SEO content delivers just that.

Location Location LocatioN

How do you create content that finds its way to the right audience at the right time? It takes an understanding of the minds and personalities of Google’s bots. Those bots act like a bouncer to a club. The right combo of keywords and phrases will get you in the door. Does your content come across as natural? If not, that bouncer-bot will kick you out of line, denying entry. 75% of people don’t navigate past the first page in a search result. So being on page five of a search result is no different than being denied entry.

A single blog post every month or two isn’t going to change your ranking. After a while, you stop seeing that post, and it says nothing. Flash forward; after a little research you’ve discovered this is true and hired a professional writer to produce SEO blog content for you. They’re doing their job. A consumer plugs a question into their search engine. If everything lines up, all the keywords specific to that search deliver your blog to page one. They click on your blog. Reading on, they’re immersed in your brand without realizing it.

A well crafted article will prompt them to read on. They’ll learn the value of your industry, your brand, and the information provided positions you as a trusted source. Conversions are happening. When that blog post is a year old it’s still relevant. It lures them further into the rabbit hole of information, linking to other posts on your site. That pushes your site into prime real estate!

Hot Real Estate

A brick and mortar’s location is stuck in its place, but a strong online presence could be anywhere and everywhere. Excellent displays, merchandising, and signage increases foot traffic, and translates to word of mouth. That well crafted blog, with the right images, fonts and colors, compelling headlines, keywords, and anchor text are the equivalent to that store. Those stocked aisles of content reflect your brand. Having updated relevant content will generate brand immersion.

This requires keeping up on what content your audience is consuming right now. What trended prior will clue you in on what trends next. Tap into that demand before it’s mainstream. Anticipating trends and generating the right content to the right audience at the right time could establish your brand as a thought leader and influencer.

Navigator Versus Driver

You’re behind the wheel. You know where you’re going, but you’re not sure how to get there. That’s okay. Better to let someone else navigate than make a wrong turn. Give the general direction you want to go, and concentrate on the road. A content writer is both cartographer and navigator.  

Once you’re positioned, your audience will rely on your brand as a trusted source. Saying, ‘buy this’, or ‘hire me’ is not enough. One cannot apply the title of thought leader to themselves. The title is given. If your content delivers, the reader will make up their own mind and see the value of your brand. That alone is worth more than a thousand words. 

THE REAL ESTATE YOU PASSED BY

The Secret World Of The Sheriff Sale

You’re house hunting. Scanning properties on Zillow is your new pastime. Among the listings, you see that ubiquitous red dot showing a listing is up for auction. Without knowing how it works, most property hunters skip onto the next listing. Your agent will tell you to forget about it. Makes sense, since there is no commission to be made. Yet, buying at sheriff sale is no more complicated than through a realtor. Not to mention it may perform a service to the community. In 2017, 18,700 properties went to sheriff sales in Philadelphia alone. Pre-pandemic 6 to 7 sheriff sales were held each month, with 300 properties going up per any one sale. 

What Is A Sheriff Sale

A sheriff sale is an auction where a local government is seeking to recoup delinquent property taxes. A property going up for auction doesn’t happen overnight. The city will send that homeowner several notices regarding their unpaid taxes. If ignored, they’ll send a notice to the address that the property may go for auction. Later, they’ll post a notice on the front window of the property, still giving ample time to set up a payment plan. There’s also the likelihood the property is long abandoned.

How Do Sheriff Sale Auctions Work

Anyone can go. There are several auctions each month. Some are mortgage auctions. Some through law firms acting as collection agencies on behalf of the city. There’s also the tax delinquent sheriff sale that’s held by the city with a low starting bid. You can find useful videos on YouTube breaking down the entire process and what’s expected of you when you’re ready to bid. 

Attend at least three auctions before bidding. You’ll see a hodgepodge of characters, from scruffy construction guys to those dressed in suits. Locals, from parents to hipsters, stand up ready to bid and are swiftly intimidated by the competition between the sharks, LLCs and various investors. You’ll find them at every auction, snatching viable properties in a land grab, outbidding the more timid attendees. The no-nonsense auctioneer seems to know all these regulars by name. Don’t let that stop you, though. It’s not every neighborhood they’re interested in. They’re looking for a quick flip.

Those same sharks pass out brochures outside. They’ll offer to sell you properties bought at previous sheriff sales for hiked up prices, and they’re often undesirable lots. Inside, other profiteers sell a sort of classified zine which lists the properties coming up at that auction. Though it costs a few bucks, it can be a worthy expenditure for the sheriff sale novitiate. 

Preparing For The Bid

The property you had your eye on may end up stayed or postponed for a variety of reasons. It’s always good to have another property in your sights as a backup if you’re hot to buy. The winning bidder needs to have a cashier’s check for a percentage of the winning bid. This is nonrefundable. They’ll have to pay the remaining balance within a timeframe or risk forfeiting their deposit. Don’t bid if you can’t back it up with cold hard cash. 

Do Your Research

Though these vary based on your municipality, they basically operate the same. You can view a list of properties for each auction online. Customizing your search is easy. Go to the city’s tax revenue department website. Look up the last legal owner. Do some research and determine if they are living or long deceased? 

View the property on Google. How’s the roof look in that satellite image? If it’s bad, there’s likely mold or other issues worth factoring into your budget. When was the image taken? Go to ‘Street View’ and do a walk around to determine the condition of the property. Or better yet, check it out in person.

Lookup license and inspection violations and/or permits for the property. It may say UNSAFE STRUCTURE, and that’s a pretty clear tell  it may not be the most ideal investment. If VACANT PROP STANDARD is listed, however, this shows someone registered the house as a vacant property for a tax break. That means there’s no one to evict if you bid and win. 

Don’t Learn The Hard Way

No one will sell you title insurance in the first year of owning the property unless you commit to getting title insurance before you bid on it. Most title companies  offer insurance on the property no sooner than one full year after the sheriff’s title was issued to you. So don’t think you’ll be able to flip it and make a quick buck. 

Right Of Redemption

When someone buys someone else’s house at auction, and if they lived in that house within the last 90 days, they have what’s called a right of redemption. 9 months following the sale, the previous owner can pay their back taxes, the cost of the winning bid, and the cost of any indisputable renovations. If all of this is accomplished, they redeem their house. The reason a title insurance agency won’t insure the property is due to ‘right of redemption’. Considered a high-risk policy, few insurance agencies will offer it. All the more reason for doing research on the last registered owner. 

Sheriff sales are neither simple, nor are they out of reach. Do your homework and you may get that $170,000 starter home you dreamed of for only $42,000 plus another $35,000 of DIY renovation work. We live in an age where old buildings are torn down for newer homes with lower standards for construction. If you’re looking for an affordable home within your reach, consider restoring and renovating that old vacant house. You’d be preserving a bit of your city’s history and your neighborhood’s character, all for the cost of a down payment on a mortgage.

Team Work From The Top

The Blueprint To Empathetic Leadership

Bartering is a sport played with good sportsmanship in mind. Recruiting, likewise, is a negotiation. You’re asking someone, through mutual respect, to make the choice to join your brand. Why would they? Is your business a great place to work? What does the aggregate behavior of your staff tell you?

‘The Empathy Business’ created the ‘Global Empathy Index’. In it, they surveyed 160 businesses on listening skills, responding skills, and empathy leadership skills. Of those they surveyed, the top 10 highest performing businesses generated 50% more income per employee than the lowest 10 performers. You might wonder, “How can I compete with those who can recruit the brightest and best?”

An employee is an investment. The quality of the employee comes in quality training, quality relationship building, mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion. This is what you’re investing in that employee, less so their pay rate.

Worth Little Without Why

A disgruntled or disengaged employee is unlikely to take pride in their work. If they don’t believe in the brand, that’s a lost customer. Without understanding the trajectory of their employer, how can any employee be an achiever? 

If your crew isn’t going to batt for you, they’re not the problem. Commanding ‘Do this.’ will lead to the end of a task. It solves a short-term goal, leaving out the bigger picture. If a leader is micro-managing an employee, that employee may accomplish their task on time, but was it quality work? Was it thorough? If so, is corrective feedback the correct course? Ask, we’re they trying to do a good job? Did they understand the full scope of the work they performed? Think a box of donuts and a casual Friday was motivation enough? Think again. What was missing? The answer to the question is, Why. 

In The Job, We Trust

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.” When a leader shares the big picture, their quality of work will narrow the gap to the goal. How empathetic a leader is to their staff’s needs goes beyond telling them they’ve done a good job. Trust is integral. So trust them with the big picture. Share where you’re going and how you’ll get there. What are the moving pieces? What are the obstacles? What do you have to work with? What is the lay of the land? What needs to be immediately addressed?

When a person is privy to the inner workings of an inner circle, they feel as if they are a part of something. We’re a tribal species, and feeling like part of the tribe motivates us to contribute, innovate, challenge ourselves, and volunteer useful feedback to their leaders. 

When a leader practices active listening with encouraging responses, it increases an employee’s sense of self value. This exemplary leadership is the company’s greatest asset. When recruiting, look beyond filling a position. Seat yourself at the head of the table, and take some time to think about, Why, when offering the position.

FNE WANTS TO MESS UP YOUR BUSINESS TRIP

How To Defeat The First Night Effect

An ancient survival mechanism called “The First Night Effect” (FNE) is permanently wired into our brains, keeping half our brain alert and readily aroused when sleeping in new surroundings. This is why you have trouble sleeping in a new bed. There’s little to be done about the FNE mechanism. But there are things we can do to deepen our sleep and reduce external stimulus from rousing us, from eating right to timing your exercise. 

Be At The Top Of Your Game

For starters, pack your ‘happy light’ and switch it on when your alarm goes off. People who start their day with a cold shower, then force their body to warm up with exercise immediately after, sleep more deeply. So wherever you are, shift your circadian rhythm into high gear with that cold shower followed by a morning run. You’ll be seeing the sights on foot before your day has begun. 

What you eat can play a role in the quality of your sleep. Avoid any complex carbs or sugar before bedtime and end your day with a hot bath. The relaxation combined with warming up your body will shift your circadian rhythm into low gear, telling your brain it’s time to slow down and sleep.

Find What Works For You

There are several resources online which can help with sleep issues. From white noise to the right earplugs, reduce the external stimulus FNE may pick up on. Let nothing interrupt your night and keep you from the exotic destinations of your dreams.

Stabilizing your circadian rhythm is just as important as packing your melatonin. You’ll have more consistent sleep patterns, and the ability to fall asleep just about anywhere, thwarting FNE. That way, whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, you’ll be able to enjoy your trip, at the very least, when you’re deeply asleep.

REBUILD YOUR CREDIT IN A MATTER OF MONTHS

Debunking The Myth Of Seven Years

Struggling to reel in debt can be an uphill battle. Financial institutions with higher interest rates, penalties, and fees make recovering from your situation more difficult. It doesn’t need to be daunting. A derogatory mark doesn’t need to be on your report for 7 years. Here’s how to repair your credit, on your own, and fast!

Survey The Damage

Request copies of your credit report from each credit bureau and pick apart every mark reported. Track which creditor/collection agency reports to which bureaus. Most report to one or two. So make sure you are addressing derogatory marks across all three reports. Once you connect the dots, you can address each mark one by one. From the credit card you stopped paying on a year ago to a parking ticket you weren’t aware of… review each negative mark and make a list. 

Catalog the hardships you’ve endured. Did you lose your job? Did your car break down? Were you struggling to keep up on bills or the cost of daycare? Whatever the circumstance, make that list thorough. It’s not self pity, it’s life. Its relatable. Write a cohesive script, then scrounge up every supporting document to back up your story. This is the foundation for repairing your credit.

Start With The Chump Change

Whether it’s a mystery or a mistake, a parking ticket, or a television cable box, call and dispute those marks. Find out when they report corrections, and which credit bureau they report to. If they refuse to work with you, and you feel the fault is not your own, ask the crediting bureaus to notate that negative mark as disputed. Taking the effort to have your disputes documented reflects that you care. 

If the derogatory mark is your fault, own it. Call the collection agencies and negotiate. “I’ll agree to pay this now, if you reverse the fees.” Also insist they remove any negative marks from all the credit bureaus they report to once you pay the agreed amount. Collection agencies earn a commission on the funds they recoup, so they’ll have room to barter. Make sure they uphold their end of the bargain. If not, follow up. 

Don’t let that next rep brush you off. Despite what they claim, there is always a record of your calls. That’s why it’s important to document everything on your end. Is the call being recorded? What’s the representative’s name and ID #? Notate the date, time, and duration of every phone call you made. Document every aspect of your efforts. Make helping you the path of least resistance.

Delinquent Credit Cards and Loans

Customer Service reps answer the phone prepared to deal with people who are angry, desperate, or afraid. Be the bright spot of their day. Don’t test their patience. Have every piece of information they’ll need at your finger tips. Remember, you’re calling to plead for the mercy with the powers that be. So ingratiate them. Ask them how their day is. Express appreciation for how hard their job is, and that you’re grateful they’re taking time out of their busy day. 

Launch into your story. Own your mistakes while explaining the circumstances of your trials and tribulations. You’re trying to make good on your debts. You’re making every effort to turn your situation around. Be a breath of fresh air. You’ll likely strike a chord.

Negotiate Your Interest and Fees Down.

Recognize they hold all the cards and plead to their benevolence. If they can’t help you, there’s someone above them who can. All you have to do is keep asking questions. 

“Is there someone who can help me?” 

“Are there any programs designed to help?” 

“Is there someone who might know?” 

If all else fails, thank them for their efforts and ask to talk to a supervisor. Then start over with more composure and don’t complain.

Supporting Documentation

You’re going to get the addresses of a specific department to appeal to, and submit letters with supporting documentation, likely via snail mail. Print your bank records, medical records, unemployment checks, everything, and everything. It doesn’t matter what it is, put together every document that supports your story. 

If you forgot something, you might get a rejection. Try again and track your progress. As time goes by, those negative marks will vanish one by one. 

Back Taxes

Owe money to the IRS? If you can show your wages are less than your cost of living, you may qualify for hardship status, which will buy you time. Ask for an agent to walk you through filling out the forms with supporting documentation. After a couple of months, you can apply for “An Offer In Compromise”. It’s a program through the IRS, negotiating your debt down to what you can afford, and setting a payment plan for the settled amount. 

Build It Back Up

Last, apply for low balance credit cards. There are a few pre-paid credit cards out there. The same approach applies. Find out what date they report to the credit bureaus. Max them out and pay them off each month before their report date. In three months, your score will improve even more. 

Own your mistakes. Be courteous, be kind, be gracious, and acknowledge that you’re doing your best with the hand dealt to you. Luck is where you find it. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Fortune favors the brave.

Score The Apartment of Your Dreams

Cut To The Front Of The Line Without Losing A Dime

Moving is stressful. Your happy place gets upended into a maze of boxes. Where to start? We’ve heard it all before: Pack your kitchen first. Stock up on paper plates and disposable utensils. Live out of your suitcase. Box it all. Useful advice, albeit the easiest part of the move. 

Security First & Last

Your first concern is securing your future apartment. Saving up for first and last month’s rent makes getting your security deposit returned crucial. With the advice below, you could secure your next apartment, subvert the credit check, and get your money back. Here’s how!

Make friends with your property manager. Take every opportunity to say hello. They’re just trying to get through their day like everyone else. Go easy on them. Give them a heads up on any issues with your apartment, the building, or other tenants. Don’t tattle or gossip. Don’t be a sycophant either. Be the ideal tenant. Just scratch their back and be a pal. It’s less stressful for them than discovering problem areas on their own. This’ll help you get a referral when it’s time to move on.

Don’t Leave Your Money Behind

Do the right thing. Putty those nail holes. Scrub every nook and cranny. Clean the molding, windowsills, doors, and appliances. Polish everything you can and can’t see. Inside, under, and behind your fridge and oven. Leave no stone left unturned. Sure, it could take days to do by yourself, so start early. Recruit your friends and turn it into a party. Too much to handle? Maybe find an affordable cleaning person to do it for you. It’ll cost less than the bite it will take out of your deposit. 

Perhaps you’re considering leaving it for ‘them’ to deal with? That’s more work for your landlord and is an uncool move. Forget about getting that recommendation if you go that route. It’s a lot of work to inspect your place, hire cleaners, painters, etcetera.

You might think there’s no way you’re getting your money back. Maybe you damaged the carpet? Then rent a carpet cleaner. That won’t do it? Find a carpet match at your local store. They may have samples or scraps for free and you could repair it. Why not try to recoup your money instead of paying them to re-carpet the entire apartment. Don’t quit! Problem solve. You’re almost there! 

Moving Day Is Approaching

When you break the news you’re moving, have something in hand as a token of appreciation. Offer them a testimonial in exchange for a reference. Assure them you’ll leave your flat in better condition than when you moved in, and do just that. This will help them flip the apartment fast. 

Make it picture perfect and give them permission to show the apartment early. Talk the building up to any potential renters coming through if you’re present. When explaining why you’re moving, focus only on the positives. Talk up what you loved about living there. 

How To Pass A Rental Credit Check

Maybe you don’t have the luxury of time to repair your credit score. That’s no reason to limit yourself to bad credit apartments because you think you won’t pass the dreaded credit check. It’s important to understand a credit check is a way for a property manager to screen and evaluate a candidate they know nothing about. No worries. There’s a work around… just let them know who you are. Clean up your social media. Give them a thorough rental history. Include the referral from your previous building manager, and introduce yourself in a letter to accompany the application. 

The Letter of Introduction

Make sure there are no spelling errors, that your grammar is spot on, and your formatting is consistent. This will present as; ‘Clean apartment and consistently on time with rent.’ It all translates. Explain what you do for a living, where you work, and how long you’ve worked there. Tell them you love your job. This affirms you have job security and you’re reliable.

Create a narrative about how valued you are by colleagues, friends, family, and neighbors. Assure them you prioritize paying your rent on time, above all else, and you appreciate what it takes to manage an apartment complex. Lastly, tell them you love the neighborhood and adore the building and can imagine living there for an extended period. 

Your residence is a reflection of you. Let them know you maintain your home, and are a second set of eyes, doing your part to ensure a clean and safe living space. Close with how you rarely complain, expressing appreciation for their consideration and time. Humility should always preside over presumption.

It’s likely none of the other applicants have gone to this extent. This will put you ahead of the rest, bad credit or not. It may be a numbers game, but nothing says you can’t tip the balance in your favor. Go get ‘em, and good luck with the move.

How To Cook And Store Food When Camping

It’s always a good idea to keep safety in mind any time you venture out into the great outdoors. Because of the rising threat of forest and brush fires, caution should be practiced, no matter the circumstance. In some states there are no burn days in effect with strict enforcement during drier seasons and sometimes year round. Upon the last reporting, over 46,000 wildfires were listed across the US, burning more that 59 Million acres in 2021 so far.

Cooking In Camp

Cooking near a tent poses a wide variety of risks. Tents are made of flammable materials. Even when treated with fire-retardant chemicals, they can still catch on fire, as well as sleeping bags, sleeping matts, packs, along with a wide variety of gear. The only safe method for cooking with a camping stove is in a metal or stone camp fire ring, where permitted. 

All portable gas stoves, even when assembled properly, emit carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. This includes butane and propane stoves. Since these gases are lighter than air, they will collect in areas of the tent, presenting an unseen health risk. If all tent flaps are open with the rain fly off, it’s still not advisable to cook in your tent. Even when canisters are properly assembled, they present an extreme risk of fire, explosion, and gas leakage, especially if the equipment has an unknown defect.

Battery Operated Hot Plates

Battery operated hot plates are a suitable solution for no burn days and in parks where lighting fires are prohibited. Even though this safer option does not pose a risk for carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, it still poses a fire risk. A tent is flammable, and likely crowded with gear. Therefore, any sources of high heat should be placed over a fire grate in a designated fire ring.

Campfire Cooking And Campfire Safety

Cooking outside of a fire ring poses a risk of starting forest fires, especially in dryer environments. In some state parks, making an unofficial camp fire ring is permitted. In others, it is not. Sometimes a permit is required to light a fire at all when camping. The forestry department is working hard at educating outdoor enthusiasts on their best practices. 

The endorsed method for putting out a fire is with water. Tossing dirt on a fire won’t douse the coals. Never leave hot coals unattended. Extinguish a fire with water and stir up the dirt and ash. Once the coals are cool to the touch, it no longer needs attending.

Preserving The Wild

Another reason to not cook, eat, or store food in your tent is the risk of exposure to hantavirus. Rodents can chew through anything to get to your food and scented items, or even your sleeping bag to steal the stuffing for their own bedding. Cases of hantavirus have been reported across 34 states. 12% of deer mice are infected with the disease and can easily pass it onto humans. Hantavirus disease and its symptoms are worth avoiding at all costs.

You’ll want to bury any organic non-food waste 6 to 8 inches deep in the dirt and 200 feet from your campsite, running water, and trails. Clean your camping cookware by boiling water in it and ingesting it for remaining nutrients and calories. This prevents food waste and the risks associated with scattering food material around your camp. If this is not your preferred method, dump the rinse water in a hole dug at least 6-8 inches deep and bury it. Do not rinse dishes in waterways. Keep your rivers and creeks pristine. 

Toilet tissue should be packed out and not buried. Deer mice and chipmunks will dig it out and use it as food or bedding and scatter the shredded tissue debris. Always pack out what you bring in, leaving nothing but your footprints behind. Never burn food, tissue, soiled paper products, or organic matter. Unless incinerated to ash at a temperature your campfire cannot reach, over 1100 degrees Fahrenheit,m. The food is still there to attract wildlife. So don’t burn waste, pack it out.

Camping And Bear Safety

It is not a good idea to cook or eat in your tent, as any scent of food or spills will attract bears to where you are sleeping, putting your belongings and personal safety at risk. Likewise, it is not a good practice to store food or waste in a vehicle after dark. Bears can break into your car with little effort and do significant damage. The last thing you want is to be stranded out in the wild without a working car. Paying to have your car towed from the middle of nowhere won’t be cheap.

How To Store Food When Camping In Bear Country

Unless your food is within reach, store it away from your camp and never leave it unattended. Keep your food in a bear canister or a campground bear locker where provided. Any food wrappers, scented items, or garbage should be packed in your bear resistant canister as well. 

The surest bear proof method for your food is to have it secured in a bear canister at least 100 feet from your campsite. In fact, anything that goes on or in your body should be stored. When correctly secured, a bear will fumble with it for a while and tire of the task and move on. 

Another, albeit antiquated technique, is to rig a bear hang to protect your food. If this is your preferred method, and a bear canister is too big or cumbersome for you, then make sure to store the food in a bear sack. Bear sacks, bear bags, or bullet proof sacks are made of tear proof material, sometimes kevlar, and lock in odors. How effective they are at trapping in odors depends on the product and proper use. 

Effectively hanging food from a tree requires hoisting it 20 feet above ground, and at least 8 feet from the base of any tree. Food hung above ground should also be at least 100 feet from your campsite. Even then, a determined bear could acquire the food, and is less likely to tire of the task. A smaller food competitor, such as a raccoon, badger, or wolverine, will make quicker work of it. Therefore, a bear canister is the more widely accepted method.

Not applying these best practices poses a threat to bears, as forest rangers occasionally are forced to put them down once they grow accustomed to people. The more a bear becomes acclimated to humans, the more likely they’ll compete for your food. Once a bear has laid claim to food, it can become very aggressive. Confronting a bear over food increases your chance of attack by 50%. 

If a hungry bear scavenges for food in your campground, or tent, and it has its young in tow, that can be a recipe for disaster. Bears aren’t the only wildlife that can pose a threat. Predatory bobcats, cougars, coyotes, and wolves should also be of concern, although less common. Even when not practical, safety should always come first. They call it ‘roughing it’ for a reason. 

Frolicking Through Redding With Your Furry Friend

In the last decade, people who traveled with their pets increased by 18%. 3% of those who left them behind printed oversized photos of themselves for their dog to look at while they were away. Why go to such extremes? Take your pup with you to dog-friendly Redding, CA. With a plethora of accommodating hotels, cafes, parks and hiking trails, you and your canine can enjoy the perfect getaway.

Play With The Big Dogs

If you want to spend an afternoon treating your pup to something special, head over to Shasta Splash Dogs. It’s a non-profit organization that trains your dog to run down a 40-foot dock and jump into a pool by chasing after a toy. They even hold competitions for the greatest distances leapt. Have all your veterinary documents with you. You’ll need proof of vaccination to take part in the festivities. It's entertaining and good clean fun.

Parks And Recreation

One absolute must-see is Turtle Bay East Park. Relax on the bank of the Sacramento River and enjoy a pooch picnic. There are water fountains for you and your pal all along the way. Take a leisurely stroll following trails which meander in and out of wide open spaces, offering beautiful views of the water. Check out the famous Sundial Bridge stretching across the Sacramento River, which joins the arboretum and gardens on the other side. If you want to let your pup run free, head over to Benton Dog Park, a full 2.3 acres of open space where dogs can sniff and play.

From The Vistas To The Vino

If you prefer to roam free, jump over to Shasta Trinity National Forest and hit the trails. Take a boat out on a lake with your furry friend for some fishing. There are hundreds of lakes, countless rivers and streams, several waterfalls, and massive caverns to explore. After a long day of hiking, head over to one of Redding’s two vineyards, Moseley Family Cellars or Churn Creek Cellars. Both welcome dogs and offer treats for your pup. Enjoy their tasting rooms and grab a few bottles to take on your next day hike.

With tons of hiking, sightseeing and dog-friendly culture, you’re bound to have a great time in Redding. It’s where the Sierra’s meet the Cascades, and is steeped in rich gold rush history. There, you’ll discover the experience of a lifetime in both human and dog years.

THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF HOLDEN CAULFIELD

The First Cry Of The Beat Generation

70 years ago ‘The Catcher In The Rye’ was first published in novel form. 700 copies are sold each day. Since its publication, over 65 million copies have sold worldwide. Why is it such an iconic novel? How does it stand the test of time? The book captures the spirit of the existentialist movement in its dying days. Whereas the typical existential crisis may lead to death, Salinger confronts the death of the existentialist, and atonement with the wild spirit of youth. 

The Odyssey Of The Existentialist

It’s a commentary on the post-modern conformism of America viewed through the lens of a sixteen-year-old who’s confounded by the rejection of his innocence. Judged for his protest to conformity, he’s alienated and lost, and abandoned in a familiar yet unnavigable world. His frustration and defensive postures increase as he reaches out to his peers, hoping to find some connection. The more he faces the conformity in them, the more isolated and alone he feels. In the end, he, at last, attains brief happiness in a vicarious re-connection with innocence, upon which no standard or expectation is applied, but only for innocence to exist of its own accord without judgment. In this swansong of his youth, he surrenders to the very conformity he resisted.

Lighting The Way

Salinger, just as his protagonist, rebels and offends through his narrative, holding a mirror to a society ill-prepared for the mocking visage he portrays. For over twenty years, ‘The Catcher In The Rye’ was the most censored and banned book of the USA. This singular piece of literature heralded the first cry of the beat movement, which continues to define generations. Perhaps the existential crisis of Salinger is one so many still identify with today because the terrain has yet no other guide to help navigate and carry the lost through the no-man’s-land of rejected innocence and identity’s doom.

Great Gluten-Free Getaways

Recently diagnosed with a food allergy? We all known how challenging dietary planning can be when traveling, especially for those battling celiac disease or food allergies. Even though you have little say over how your body responds to gluten, it’s within your control to manage your diet.

What Carb Is This?

Before you venture out, do some research online. You’re sure to find some food-safe guidelines from country to country. In Mexico City, corn and potatoes are far more prevalent than wheat and bread. Some of the best food you’ll ever have the pleasure of experiencing are made from their staples of rice, beans, corn, and meat.

In Thailand, rice noodles, fresh vegetables, exotic spices, and sticky white rice are the basis of every dish. Yet it’s common for soy sauce to sneak its way in. Therefore, it’s recommended you bring your food allergy card with you. Even though most of their staples are gluten-free, better to be safe than sorry.

Always communicate your dietary restrictions, especially if you don’t speak the language.

GF Friendly Where You’d Least Expect It

Because of high standards throughout Europe, it’s easy finding food allergy labelling on any product. Italy, associated with pizza dough and pasta, is where the world’s first Celiac Disease Society formed back in 1979. So it’s easy to find gluten-free pastries and pasta. There’s an abundance of polenta and risotto options that’ll blow your mind. Learning a few basic phrases and carrying your food allergy card with you should ensure a simple time of it. Even Dublin, Ireland has a lot of gluten-free restaurants to choose from. As an English-speaking country, there’ll be no issue making your dietary restrictions clear. 

Experiencing the local cuisine of any region is possible . Just do your research before taking your next culinary leap. Even if you're new to a gluten-free lifestyle, don't let that keep you from your next adventure.

Cruising Through Santorini In Style

An average of 2 million tourists visited the Greek island of Santorini last year, including 18,000 cruise ship passengers a day. It’s such a popular destination, the island restricted daily cruise passenger arrivals to 8,000. So why fight the crowds and risk missing a shuttle bus? Go at your own speed without strict itineraries in a luxury automobile. Listen to the sound of the engine purr with the rumbling waves of the sea. Go at your own pace in a vehicle as breathtaking as the views of the Greek Isles.

Get Your Hands On That Precision Automobile

Ready to get behind the wheel of that complex piece of machinery?  Looking for a lot of horsepower or a dramatic design? When considering driving on the Cyclades Islands, you’ll need an International Driving Permit (assuming you don’t have an EU driver’s license). Reserve your vehicle in advance to ensure you get the car you want. 

There are several car rental agencies on the island. Compare their policies and perks. Some agencies deliver your car to you and pick it up wherever you left it. Check for obvious damage or malfunctions by testing all the car’s basic functions and giving it a quick test drive. Better to know up front if they’re any issues rather than lose half a day of your long-awaited island experience. Considering how valuable your time is, make sure the rental care agency offers 24-hour roadside help or to replace the car if there are any issues.

The Luxury Of Leisure

Walking out of your grand hotel, there’s no better feeling than slipping into a specialty vehicle that’s impossible to ignore. Sit down in that leather seat, slip your keys in the ignition and rev up that engine. No need to see it all in a day. Pace yourself as you roll along the winding, cobblestone roads. Go at a your leisure and take in every breathtaking view.

Pop in for a drink or a bite at the island’s capital of Fira, or at the most popular hotspot, Oia. Prefer something along those lines, but a little less crowded? Cruise into Imerovigli or Firostefani. Home to charming bars and restaurants with stunning views, yet a little quieter for more intimate moments and conversations.

The Sights Of Choice

Stop by the old Faros lighthouse along the route. Roll up to any of the black or white sand beaches stretching along the coast. Check out the abandoned windmills scattered across the island before they disappear. Wander around archeological ruins and historic villages. Spend an evening at a vineyard for some wine tasting and watch the sunset. Time to spare? Take the ferry to the other islands. The ferry ride is 2-3 hours’ worth of stunning water views. Relax at a boutique hotel. Cruise down scenic drives along the coast and up into the wind-brushed hills.

Plan your route in advance. Prioritize your destinations, allowing time enough each day to explore each site in depth. You’ll no doubt soak up more of your experience behind the wheel and enjoy every moment of luxury your Santorini vacation can afford.

How To DIY Sustainable Raised Garden Beds

Build A Wood Planter From Recycled Wood, AND Water It For Free

Let’s say your backyard is little, and to maximize your space, you want around 7 raised planter beds for your garden. Store bought raised planter beds can cost as little $60 and as much as $500, depending on their style and design. That’s over $400 on the low end. So why not save a tree with less of a carbon footprint than store-bought lumber, practically for free?

A single pallet can build one to two raised beds. You’d be surprised how many local retailers are looking to get rid of pallets. Many post ‘Free’ signs or ads online hoping people will take them away. 

Choosing Your Materials

You’ll want to look for the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) stamp on that pallet. If they stamped it with HT (Heat Treated), KD (kiln dried), DB (debarked) or EPAL (European Pallet Association Logo), they are safe for growing edible organic crops. Otherwise, they might have been treated with a harmful pesticide called methyl-bromide. If so, steer clear of those, and avoid painted pallets as well.

Once you get those pallets home, depending what you have on hand, you may need to make a trip to your local hardware store. If you’re worried about spending the money on new tools, think about the long-term investment. Any wood left outdoors will eventually rot, and those tools won’t go to waste when it’s time to rebuild in a few years. 

Here are the tools you’ll need:

•Crow bar or deck wrecker

•Saw (I prefer a miter saw for easy quick cuts)

•Tape measurer

•Clamps

•Drill for quick screw driving and easy assembly

•Quart or two of boiled linseed oil

•Rags

•Gloves

•Paintbrush

•Box of screws

•Drill bit sized for pre-drilling your screws

•Screwdriver bit for your drill

•Pencil

The Building Basics

Now that you’ve got your pallet home, you’ll want to yank all the pieces of wood apart and separate them by size. Using crowbar is a cheaper option, but takes more time to get the job done. A pallet breaker/deck wrecker gives you more leverage with its long arm and breaks any pallet apart fast with little effort. 

Make sure your tetanus shots are up to date. The separated wood will be full of rusty nails. You can pull them out, clip them back with wire cutters, or saw those sections of wood off. Prying them can be time consuming and frustrating. If you choose to save time and cut them off, you’ll lose a bit of length, but those ends are often split or broken. So throw those scraps in the fire pit and fish out those old rusty nails later. 

Use the bulkier pieces of the pallet for the corner braces which will support your bed. Use the thinner planks for the sides. Divide the wood into sections by size and length. Determine how big your bed will be, according to the garden space you have to work with, the dimensions of the lumber you have on hand, and how many raised beds you hope to build. Then get to cutting the wood to the right sizes. Line them all up for assembly, and you’re ready for the next steps.

Assemble Your Materials

Measure and make sure you have the right sized screws on hand. Screws which are too long will poke through and jab you when you are gardening. Screws which are too short won’t hold it all together. 

Start with one corner brace (cut to the proper height of your bed). Line up all your planks and clamp them to the corner brace on one end. Two power drills are better than one for this task. Load one drill with a bit appropriately sized for pre-drilling your screw holes. Load the other drill with the correctly sized screwdriver bit. Drill three holes per plank-end to corner brace to prevent shifts or pivoting. Once pre-drilled, drive in the screws. Build out the rest of the box in the same fashion. 

Extend The Life of Your Raised Beds

You are going to treat the wood by brushing on boiled linseed oil to get the most life out of them. Linseed oil is flax oil. Boiled linseed oil is food safe since no other chemicals were added to purify it. It will give them a nice golden sheen and has a grassy smell. Use a paint tray and brush on the oil. Avoid using rags. Linseed oil, if left to dry out on a rag it can self combust, presenting a fire hazard. If you use rags to clean up, throw them in the wash straight away. Also wear clothing you don’t care about. Linseed oil stains are hard to get out.

Plot Out Your Garden

Before you fill your beds with dirt, spend some time planning their arrangement in your yard. Decide what crops apply to your growing zone, and whether you want to stroll through your garden and snack daily, or pick and preserve what you cultivate. Lay out a drip works irrigation that feeds from your spigot, and route it from bed to bed, so they’re getting enough water. Setting up a timer with a drip irrigation kit can ensure your beds won’t be neglected, even when you leave town. 

If you want to take it even farther and cut down on your water bill, consider getting a splitter, where your rain barrels can feed your garden for free. For the drier months, consider rerouting your condensate drain line from your A/C unit to feed your beds. That’s gallons of free water every day going down the drain. Why not put it to good use? Once you’ve laid your irrigation, and planned which crops you should grow together versus apart for maximum success and self sustainability, only then, commit to pouring in your soil. Once the soil is in, you’re committed to their placement. 

What to do with spare lumber? No worries there. Put the extras to good use. Build out a small firewood shed, tomato trellis, a small composting bin, or fencing screens to keep the birds and squirrels out. Fencing, and even chicken wire, can be heavy in bulk, and run you over budget. The best bang for your buck is investing in deer fencing. Take those extra pieces of lumber and build framed deer screens to rest atop your beds. 

With these basic principles, you’ll have the skills to innovate and build on from here. Have fun and happy building.

Digging Into A DIY Garden

Our home was built in 1865 in Philadelphia. We love our house. An architect lived here before us and renovated it. It was written up in Interiors Magazine in an article titled Jewel On The Hill, back in 2002.

There was little work to be done on our home upon moving in, which was what we wanted. However, we felt the backyard was a blank canvas needing work.

Starting My Philadelphia Zone 7A Garden

Despite my late mother being a master gardener, I always joked I had a wilted thumb. Wanting to spruce up our backyard, I purchased two raised beds and again tried my hand at gardening. It took me a while to figure out our zone.

According to the old maps, it was 6B. But according to the new maps, Philadelphia is 7B. However, in our little corner of the city, our house actually falls in Philadelphia Zone 7A.

Once I figured that out, I attempted to grow fennel, lavender, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, sage, mint, catnip, and chives. The only ones that survived were the chives, mint, and catnip. My sage plant nearly hung on, with several near-death experiences. Somehow, I kept resurrecting it. It grew into a stunning little tree. I loved that plant. Last year we left town before the first frost. I planned to insulate it the day we got back. 

The night before our return home, we discovered we were exposed to Covid. We had to cancel our flight. Two days later, we tested positive. It was another three weeks before we made it home. The frost came, and my little sage tree perished. It broke my heart. Loving a plant was new for me, and I couldn’t let it go. In my despair, I unearthed it, cleaned it up, shellacked it, and turned it into a piece of art in our home. I set it atop of the locker where I keep the belongings of my late mother. Somehow, it seemed appropriate.

When spring arrived, my wife and I discussed remodeling our backyard and putting in a garden. One problem I faced was being able to take care of it. We didn’t have a working hose spigot out back, and our retaining wall on one side of our yard had crumbled before we moved in. The previous owner also built our fence 4 feet inside our property line. If I was going to commit, I had to do it right. All or nothing, I decided.

Building My Philadelphia Zone 7A Garden From Scratch

I rebuilt our retaining wall and moved the fence to our property line, regrading our sloping yard as best as I could. I found a local retailer who had stacks of untreated wooden pallets they were hoping to get rid of. I snatched up several and got to work, turning them into raised planter beds.

I started researching hardy crops and created a rough seed map on my computer. Yet, I remembered that I’d forget to water them. That’s when I learned about drip works irrigation. A self-sustaining garden, with the right choices of hardy crops, was now within reach. 

From there, my wife and I planned out our landscaping architecture. I bought a hose, an irrigation kit for raised planter beds, and a timer. I rerouted our spigot line to the backyard and set it up. I had the planter beds, a bigger backyard, and a water source. I am waiting to install our rain barrel, and am considering rerouting our condensate drain line from our AC unit to the beds as well. That’s gallons and gallons of free water every day put to good use! Next came the soil.

Dirt Cheap Organic Gardening Soil 

There was no way I was spending thousands of dollars on soil. I’d read most 'organic' soils and compost are not as advertised and may be contaminated with pollutants. That’s when I learned about our city’s organic recycling center, and how I could get 2 tons of soil for under a hundred bucks.

We live on a cliff. There are two flights of stairs to access our back yard from our front door. How was I going to get 2 tons of loose soil from point A to point B? That’s when I found these inexpensive, heavy-duty tarpaulin bags online.

I went to our organic recycling center and got the best soil ever, and the best wood chips for next to nothing. I shoveled what I needed into those bags and carried them down, one at a time. We laid the finishing touches with paving bricks and pea gravel, stood back and took it all in.

The project took way longer than expected. It was now Mid-May, and I was worried I sowed my seeds too late. So there we were, crossing our fingers, waiting for signs of growth. In a few weeks, little sprouts sprung from the ground in spades.

What I Learned About Using Neem Oil

The cabbage moths appeared. I’d been following this YouTube channel where this guy instructs to mix neem oil with garlic and some all-natural dish soap in a sprayer as a method to get rid of unwanted insects. Brilliant. I followed the instructions and the next day, my heart sank.

He omitted the proportions of water to neem oil, and it burned all the plants in my inaugural garden. I was devastated.

Day by day, everything springing from the ground was blackening and dying. I was ready to give up. A week later, new sprigs appeared. Life returned to my garden stronger than before. I was overjoyed. But this was all turning into an emotional rollercoaster which I was unprepared for.

After four months of anxiety, my self-sustaining garden is bursting with green. I thought I wouldn’t spend that much time out back. Yet, I’m out there daily.

Every evening at wine-thirty, my wife puts out her favorite snacks in our kitchen. I step out back and stroll from bed to bed, sampling my crops and snacking there. I love my garden with a passion. 

What Would I Do Different in My Philadelphia Zone 7A Garden?

Root Crops

I don’t think I’d plant as many root vegetables next time. I have trouble identifying when they’re ready to be cultivated, and they’re not snackable.

Sugar Snap Peas

Next time I think I’ll do sugar snaps. Something that is abundant, ready to eat, and requires less maintenance.

Lemon Balm, Sage & Mint

My lemon balm is out of control. It’s huge. I keep telling myself I am going to harvest that giant bush and dry them all out. We’ll see. I enjoy eating a handful every day, and they go great in our smoothies.

Our sage ended up crowded out by the lemon balm. Our mint is thin. I think I’d spread those all out a bit next time.

Spinach & Arugula

My spinach never made it. They never even sprouted, but our arugula was amazing. I’m gonna take all those seed pods and turn them into a seed bank. I have thousands of seeds now.

Kale & Cucumbers

Love our kale. Our cucumber’s taking over our fence, and the yield was spotty. Not sure if I’ll pickle them next time, or switch them out.

Tomatoes & Peppers

My cherry tomato bush is bursting with green tomatoes. I’m hoping they’ll turn red soon. My Serranos are fruiting, and they are delicious.

Artichokes & Brussels Sprouts

What I was looking forward to the most was our artichoke and Brussel sprouts. The Brussels plant nearly made it on multiple occasions, but just died. I think a squirrel may be to blame. I just learned both plants are grown in only a few regions. I’ll skip them next time as well.

Ultimately

I’ll dedicate only one, maybe two crops per bed instead of getting so carried away.

Farm to Table in Philadelphia

I’ve learned no flavor is so divine as farm to table. It’s been a roller coaster ride, getting it all put together. But now I am changed. A backyard we spent no time in is now the envy of our neighborhood.

Never thought I’d say it, but I am addicted to gardening now as well as living a homestead lifestyle. I understand now why my mother was so into it. I think she’d be proud of me. I appreciate her now more than ever.