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By Ben, 29 May, 2009

an update

If you were relying on this site to keep you up to date on our lives, you'd think nothing had happened in the past few weeks.  On the contrary - we spent a wonderful week in New York at the YAI conference and in New Jersey visiting Uncle Dave and Aunt Elizabeth; we spent a week in Manley, NE preparing for the wedding, and we got married!  We just haven't had time to blog about any of it.  So stay tuned.

By Ben, 12 May, 2009

Dehumidifiers: a cautionary tale

Back in September, I wrote about our frustration in trying to follow Consumer Reports' guidance in buying appliances, including a dehumidifier.  Then in November I reported on the energy consumption of our appliances, including the dehumidifier, which was the number one energy hog in the house, costing us an estimated $593.09 per year to maintain the relative humidity at 50% (dry enough to keep mold from growing).

Tags

  • reviews
By Ben, 27 April, 2009

Water Management

We didn't notice when we bought the house that the entire back yard slopes toward the house.  Nor that several of the neighbors' yards are higher than ours.  The result is that during a heavy rainstorm, like the one last night, the neighborhood's water wants to get into our foundation.

Tags

  • home improvements
By Ben, 14 April, 2009

A Walk to Remember

On Saturday Jessie and I went out for a walk, something we don't do very often... we walk to the store, we walk to church, but walking without a destination is rare.  Actually we had a destination, but it turned out to be closed, so in effect we didn't.  Anyway, what's notable is that we saw a lot of unusual things, bordering on surreal:

Tags

  • neighborhood
By Ben, 27 March, 2009

Electromagnetic Field Survey

image of a cell phone tower from gmu.eduMany of my friends in Fairfield, Iowa, are in an uproar right now about a new cell-phone tower that, unlike the existing two towers on the outskirts of town, is near homes and a few blocks from an elementary school.  Here's some of the existing press about the controversy:

Tags

  • health
  • reviews
By Jessie, 24 March, 2009

On losing an organ...

So as many of you have already read or heard, I had my gallbladder out last Thursday. It was the first surgery I have ever had, first time under general anesthesia, first overnight stay in the hospital since I was born and first organ removal. Yes I still have my tonsils and my appendix. Until now the most major things I have had removed are my wisdom teeth. So here is how I remember it:

Tags

  • health
By Ben, 20 March, 2009

Successful surgery!

Jessie had her gallbladder removed yesterday, and we're pleased to say that everything went as smoothly as it possibly could!  She would have been discharged yesterday afternoon, but her surgeon likes to keep patients under observation for as long as their insurance allows (23 hours), so she came home this morning.

Jessie's mom, Debbie, came to town to help out, and stayed overnight in the hospital room while I came home and slept with the cats.  Debbie will be here until Sunday.  Thanks, Debbie!

Tags

  • health
By Ben, 27 February, 2009

We Gather Together

After playing just the melody notes through once, I like to play this a second time with twice as many strokes... it fills the song out somehow.

See below for an MP3 of this arrangement.

Note that this is in 3/4 time, with the first beat of each line held over from the previous measure.

Tags

  • Autoharp
By Ben, 27 February, 2009

Star Spangled Banner (To Anachreon in Heav'n)

Autoharp arrangement by Ben Stallings

Note that this is in 3/4 time with the first beat of each line held over from the previous measure, so that you should start counting time with the word "say."

I like to play this with the more rollicking rhythm of the original song, "To Anacreon in Heav'n." Click through for a recording of my arrangement... it took two takes, so there's a hiccup in the middle.

Tags

  • Autoharp
By Ben, 27 February, 2009

Spirit of Life

By Carolyn McDade
Autoharp arrangement by Ben Stallings

For some reason when I play this ordinarily sedate hymn as an instrumental, I like to use a sort of calypso rhythm. Don't ask me why. Click through for a recording.

Tags

  • Autoharp

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All content of this site is copyright © Ben and Jessie Stallings. Please do not use without permission.

"Blue Boat Home" is the name of a UU hymn by Peter Mayer, about how we are all travelers on the Earth. We have his permission and blessing to use the name for this site.