My stove is homicidal. My AC is suicidal over hitting the big 3-0. If I
don't get a dishwasher, the skin on my hands might actually fall off.

But help is on the way. The feds are launching a Cash for Clunkers-like
program (wow, that phrase was a clunker) for appliances.

The states will administer the program. That means Illinois may not
participate, or could restrict the program to Cook County or something.

If it is offered to us though, you'd save $50 to $200 on the purchase of
Energy Star appliances -- and you don't even have to haul the old one in.

It's seen as a way to get people spending (and get appliance manufacturers
hiring) and to cut energy use at the same time.

For me, it means I might be able to get a dishwasher. I already have my eye
on a sweet little Whirpool Energy Star one. The AC will probably have to
wait because they are EXPENSIVE, but I feel bad using my energy guzzler.

My stove is actually leaking gas, so I had to break down and get one that
won't kill me. But there's no such thing as an Energy Star stove, so I had
no qualms about getting one now, other than spending the money.

Expect announcements in November or early next year about how the program
will work in Illinois.

Does anyone in the area drink or make kefir?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a drinkable protein dairy majobby (that's the technical term) that is described as tasting like buttermilk, or alcoholic yogurt, depending on who is doing the describing.

You get kefir grains, pop 'em in milk and they ferment it for you. The grains grow over time and you can split them and give them to others or dry them until you have a use for them.

I'm wondering if this is something I should try or if I'd hate the taste or the work. Any kefir fans or haters want to weigh in? Or to offer up some free grains? There are many sources for free grains since they reproduce and you can only use so much, but I can't hack driving to Chicago to pick up something I might despise.

Ready for butterflies? The Conservation Foundation's Will County farm was certified as a Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch. The butterfly conservation group requires sites to have a certain amount of milkweed and flowers for the designation. McDonald Farm in Naperville meets those needs. The Conservation Foundation's Conservation@Home program provides tips on how to attract monarchs to your garden and can help those interested navigate the process of getting their own garden certified as a Monarch Waystation. To learn more about Conservation@Home visit www.theconservationfoundation.org or call 630-428-4500. To find out more information on monarch butterflies and the environmental issues that impact them, visit Monarch Watch at www.monarchwatch.org.
A new window to the world: When kids are glued to the TV, video games or their cell phones, they may not get why the earth is really worth saving and what we're risking. Show them the great outdoors. Need some ideas? Visit discovertheforest.org. You can find park and nature sites near you, ideas about what to do outside and the reasons you should head outdoors.
Kudos to Lush: I fell in love with Lush Cosmetics in 2001 while I was visiting Switzerland. The affair deepened when I visited London in 2002. I was thrilled when Lush came to Illinois, but over time I moved to greener soaps. Sounds like Lush is getting the message that it's time for some eco-friendly moves.

OK, I'm not going to say much about this because it's a real hot-button political issue, but .... some people are calling for a boycott of Whole Foods because they don't like what the CEO wrote about Obama's health care plan in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal.

I'm not going to tell you where I stand on the health-care plan because 50 percent of you will be angry with me, and it's not like I'm going to change your mind.

That said, the boycott ticks me off. Basically, all a boycott can do is possibly make the company punish the CEO for not personally supporting the president's every move. Last time I checked, it's OK to disagree in a America, just like it's OK to not shop at a store.

And what if the boycott was REALLY successful? What if Whole Foods closed? Congrats, thanks for taking away a company that was helping create the demand for organic and natural foods.

Point is, think about what decisions you make. Shop elsewhere if it's important to you to punish a company run by a person you disagree with. But if you like free speech and you think we don't all have to agree, pick the store by what they sell, not who they hire.

This week, Common Sense writer Rey Flores got in good with me.

He wrote on The Herald News' editorial page about why people should be allowed to raise chickens in their yards, even in urban and suburban areas. (In a later e-mail, his reference to "chicken haters" had me nearly wetting myself with joy.) My dad tells me the Trib did an article about urban chicken raising two days later.

That got me thinking about a program held last month at the Center for Sustainable Community in Stelle, a small, green community in Ford County (about 27 miles south of Wilmington). An open house included a program called Chickenomics on "The Basics of Chicken Husbandry - How to start and manage a chicken flock."

I told my husband about it at the time. He wanted to chickens. Think about it: Pets who provide eggs and fertilizer. But Plainfield won't allow it on properties less than 2 acres.

I'm pretty sure I could raise two chickens in a way that would bother my neighbors less than the two dachshunds behind us. (Not that it isn't really sweet that they bark when you so much as breathe.)

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about chickens. So now, I'm thinking I need to research the laws and habits in my spare time (ha!) and see if Plainfield would consider changing their law. Fingers crossed that I get to it and they see the light. Worse-case scenario: I can point out that Naperville allows it and hope they follow suit!

The Associated Press
SENECA, N.Y. -- Officials in western New York are trying to figure out how a bare human foot got mixed in with recyclable trash on a conveyor belt at a landfill.
Sheriff Phil Povero says a worker at the Ontario County landfill's recycling plant spotted the severed right foot Monday night.
Povero says authorities believe the foot is an adult's, but aren't sure whether it belonged to a man or woman.
The Monroe County Medical Examiner's office will perform forensic tests on it.
The recycling plant remained closed Tuesday while investigators searched for clues. Povero said the trash in the area where the foot was found came from 15 New York counties as well as parts of Canada.

I've been MIA for a while because I was on vacation, then covering for other folks who were on vacation. Ah, summer.

With the economy as it is, I was mostly at home for my vacation time, but we did do a weekend trip to exotic ... Decorah, Iowa. Yup.

My husband's family is Norwegian, and they love Decorah's NordicFest -- not to be confused with the Aryan NordicFest. We indulged in lefse (essentially Norwegian potato tortillas) and kringle (heaven in a cookie), but didn't leave the green at home.