You’ll need a bench to place your knee on. It should be sturdy enough so that it doesn’t move or shake while you’re exercising. If you’re starting with the left arm, place your right knee on the bench at a 90-degree angle. If the bench isn’t padded, you may want to put down a towel so that your knee isn’t injured. You can use a disc weight but the most ideal tool is a hand-sized dumbbell. Chose a weight based on your level of strength. Start with a weight that feels easy and only increase the weight in small increments as you gain strength. Bend at the waist so your back and legs are at a roughly 90-degree angle. Try to keep your back straight during the exercise. Grip the weight in your left hand and bring your arm back so that your bicep is parallel to your back and elbow is bent at a 90-degree angle.

Summary: Use a stable bench. Position your legs. Get a hand-held weight. Position your back. Position your arms.


Making a major life change, from ending a long-term relationship to switching careers, is usually only terrifying because you don’t know what is coming next. That uncertainty can paralyze you if you don’t take the time to figure out where exactly you are going. You don’t need to know everything, no one ever could, but you do need a vision for how you are going to change.  What do you want to eliminate from your life? What do you want to add? Where do you see yourself 1 year after you’ve made your change? What do you want, more than anything else, to spend your time doing? Once you have a good idea of where you are going, you need to figure out how to get there. This is often the hardest part of changing, but it becomes much easier if you think of it in reverse. Say your goal is to become a famous author. To make this change a reality, think of the steps that would lead to becoming a famous author until you get to one you can work on:  Goal: To Be a Famous Author. Get a book published. Find a literary agent. Write and edit a book. Write every single day. Draft up ideas for books. If you don’t have an idea yet, you would start here. If you do, it’s time to write every day! Making a big change in life is a lot easier if you have a safety net to fall back on. You’re more likely to take a plunge when you know that failure doesn’t mean the end of the world, so save up a little extra money. This will allow you to focus on changing your life, not on paying the bills.  Open a savings account and start putting in a small percentage (5-10%) of your paycheck in it. Many financial advisors suggest having enough money to cover at least 6 months of living expenses before making a large change, like a move or career change. You never want to make a major lifestyle change without some knowledge of what you are in for. If you want to start a new career, going back to school is often the best way to get on track, as the specific knowledge will prepare you for a life in the field you desire. Even those looking for more “off-beat” changes, like traveling for a year or becoming an artist, need to study to get the most of their lifestyle change.  Look up autobiographies of similar people. While you don’t have to follow in their footsteps, they offer valuable advice about what to expect as you change. Spend time researching your new change – what kind of equipment do you need? Do you need to move locations? What are the negatives of your new lifestyle, and do they make you want to change any less? Once you’ve made the decision to make a change and you are confident it’s time to start, you need to cut your old ties. This does not mean that you will never see people from your “old life” again. Rather, it means that you need to take some time away from the routines, habits, and lifestyle to truly change things. Never burn bridges with cruel goodbyes or anger. Instead, let people know that you are ready for a change and would love their support as you go through with this. You need to commit to your new life fully if you ever expect to change. Sometimes this is easy – if you want to travel for a year you need to get on a plane and get out of the country. But sometimes this requires daily discipline. No matter how you cut it, for example, you need to write every single day if you want to be a famous author. Remember, change is about choice. Make the choices that bring about the change you desire.

Summary: Draft up a concrete image of what you want to become. Plan specific ways to change your lifestyle. Save up. Get educated. Get out of your old life quickly and respectfully. Work on making your new change a reality every day.


Dredge the squirrel pieces in the mixture, coating them on all sides. Set the pieces on a plate. Melt the butter in the pot. Let them cook on each side for two to three minutes, until they are completely brown. Be careful, since the water will bubble when it hits the hot pot. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Cook the stew until the squirrel meat is tender, about 2 hours. Serve with bread. Eat carefully, since the squirrel pieces have tiny bones.

Summary: Mix the flour and a few pinches of salt and pepper in a bowl. Place a Dutch oven or stewpot over medium heat. Place the squirrel pieces in the pot. Cover the squirrel pieces with 7 cups of water. Add the thyme, potatoes, corn, onions, tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.


If your cookware isn't stainless steel, try scouring the rust off with fine steel wool. Use a little bit of dish soap when scrubbing. This can prevent major scratching to your pan. If steel wool is unavailable or your cookware is stainless steel, try scouring the rust off with Bar Keepers Friend and a plastic scrubby. If you need a more natural or earth-conscious solution, try the following scouring options that our ancestors used to scour off rust:  Horsetail Rush- plants in genus Equisetum. A paste made from equal parts lemon juice and cream of tartar. Fine-grained sand (not on stainless steel though).
Summary: Use steel wool to remove thin layers of rust from most pans. Use gentle scrubs, like Bar Keeper's Friend, for stainless steel. Use all-natural scrubs for any pan, rubbing hard to remove the rust.