Cross Roads Podcast
Cross Roads Podcast
Garden Secrets and Life Hacks
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Gardening season has arrived, and we're sharing essential tips for successful planting alongside strategies to ease the disruptive health effects of daylight savings time and avoid common financial pitfalls.
• Studies show daylight savings time disrupts circadian rhythms and may increase risk of heart attacks and strokes
• Gradually adjust your sleep schedule and seek morning sunlight to ease the transition
• Smart consumers can save $600+ annually by shopping for better car insurance rates
• Only 1% of Americans have the discipline to use credit cards responsibly without carrying balances
• Home warranties can save thousands on repairs with just $89 service calls
• Rosemary thrives with sandy soil, plenty of sunlight, sparse watering, regular pruning, and light fertilization
• Tomatoes and cucumbers make poor garden companions - use vertical gardening and physical separation
• 13 foods you can regrow from scraps include green onions, garlic, lettuce, celery, and herbs
• Boss Ladies of North Texas will host their Bloom Market on March 30th from 10am-2pm with 30+ vendors
If you like what you heard today, drop us a text or send us an email at crossroadspodcast2023@gmail.com. Stay tuned for next week when Maddie and I will bring you some great health news.
Good morning Cross Roads. Well, spring has sprung and today I have a few garden tips I want to share, as well as some other goodies. Unfortunately, we have already crossed at a terrible abyss, to the dreaded point when we have to move our clocks ahead one hour, so I'm going to start with that.
Steven Killfoil:I came across an article on Newsmax that discusses exactly this dilemma that we have how to prepare to spring forward this weekend. Now we all know and dread and almost hate and despise this moving ahead losing an hour, and there's a good reason for that. Most Americans springs forward Sunday for daylight savings time, and losing that hour of sleep can do more than leave you tired and cranky the next day. It could also harm your health. Harm your health. Darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock out of whack, which means daylight savings times can usher in sleep trouble for weeks or longer. Studies has even found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after that March time change. Now there are some ways to ease this adjustment, including getting more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for a healthful sleep. Hawaii, arizona they don't make this spring switch, and puerto rico, american samoa, guam and the us virgin islands do not either. Worldwide, dozens of countries also observe this daylight savings time, starting and ending with different dates. Some folks they try to prepare for daylight savings time to sleep a jolt by going to bed a little earlier, two or three nights ahead.
Steven Killfoil:With a third of American adults already not getting the recommended seven hours of nightly shut-eye, catching up can be quite challenging. You see, our brains have a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. This circadian rhythm is roughly a 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we get more alert. The patterns change, of course, as we get older. Oh, I'm not too old, I'm only 61. And one reason that early to rise youngsters evolve into hard to awaken teens. Morning light resets that rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering sleepiness. You know, you're watching the news and you're like, good lord, it's not that boring, but I'm sleepy. Well, this is the melatonin kicking in.
Steven Killfoil:That extra hour from daylight savings time delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync, which is not good. You know they've actually found fatal car crashes temporarily jump up the first few days after the springtime change, as, according to a study done by the US, traffic Fatalities. On top of that there's also an associated cardiac connection. The American Heart Association points to studies that suggest an uptick in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight savings time begins and in strokes two days afterward. Gosh folks, maybe we should rethink this spring forward thing. Well, doctors already know that heart attacks, especially severe ones, are a bit more common on Mondays generally and in the morning when the blood is more clot-prone. Researchers don't know why the time change would add to that Monday connection, but it's possible. The abrupt circadian disruption exacerbates factors such as high blood pressure in people that are already at a risk, gradually shifts bedtimes about 15 to 20 minutes earlier for several nights before the time chain and rising earlier the next morning too.
Steven Killfoil:Go outside for early morning sunshine. That first week of daylight savings time, another way to reset your body's eternal clock. Moving up daily routines like dinner time or when you exercise also may help cue your body to get to start adapting. And this is what sleep experts advise or recommend. Recommend afternoon naps and caffeine, as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices, can make this adjustment to an earlier bedtime even harder, so you might want to think about putting down those devices a little earlier.
Steven Killfoil:Every year there's talk about ending this time change. Okay, remember in December? Then december, then president-elect, this first time around promised to eliminate daylight savings time, where for the last several years, a bipartisan bill named the sunshine protection act oh, you know that's terrible sunshine protection act. Saving daylight savings time and making it permanent has always stalled in Congress. It's been reintroduced this year, so hopefully President Trump will really take a hard look at this and maybe, just maybe, we can actually get this gone. We can only hope, me. I hope they get rid of it All right.
Steven Killfoil:Well, on another note, there's a few little things that I found very interesting that I came across in another article on Financial Buzz and this is kind of hilarious because I am completely guilty of some of these things. I'll own it. I mean, wow, this is the 11 dumbest things that smart people do to waste money. Well, here's one that I used to be that way on, but I got wised up, and that's on car insurance. You know you could be potentially wasting about 600600 every year on overpriced, second-rate car insurance and you probably should cancel your existing insurance right now because there's something much, much better out there.
Steven Killfoil:Me, when we moved up into this area, I got a hold of a man named Mike Thompson. He's there in Aubrey. He has the Mike Thompson Insurance Company. His phone number is 940-543-5713. Since I have done that, I have gone to the website thezebracom in search of cheaper auto and combined auto home insurances cheaper auto and combined auto home insurances. Haven't found anybody that can beat the prices that mike thompson's group, uh, has put us into, and I must say I am very pleased with that. So if you want to look at getting a good discount on your insurance, contact the mike thompson Thompson Insurance Group up in Aubrey, 940-343-5713, and I guarantee you he can find you a better insurance plan for your home and auto. Check it out.
Steven Killfoil:The next thing credit card debt. All right, credit cards that's a nasty subject my grandfather told me when I was a little kid about credit cards. He said never carry a balance, always pay it off before the end of the month so you're not charged the interest. If you can do that, then you can have a credit card. Well, unfortunately, only about 1% of Americans are able to do that because they have the discipline to do that. I'm not saying everybody else doesn't, no, just life gets in the way and they make the tragic mistake of, oh, I want this right now and I can do it with this card and I'll just pay it later. Well, later never comes and the balance gets higher and the interest starts compounding, and you know the story. So really think about that. If you really truly think you are disciplined enough to pay off a balance on a credit card every month before the end of the month, then by all means use them. They're great, they're excellent tools. But if you find yourself slipping into that, oh, I can pay it later, or oh, I just have to look, you don't have to have something right now.
Steven Killfoil:Years ago my mom and dad didn't even have credit cards. Those didn't come around till probably in the late seventies, early eighties. So if they wanted something and they really, really wanted it bad, they had to just wait, save their money until they had the cash. And cash is king, always, always, always. When I go get groceries, I never charge them on a credit card. I pay cash, you know, and people get. Look at me like I'm crazy or something, but you know what cash is king it. Another thing and this gets back to the insurance, home insurances. Call Mike Thompson. Bundle those and you would be amazed at how much money you can save.
Steven Killfoil:But here's the other one number four online shopping. Oh, wow, yes, even Amazon. I'm very guilty of Amazon. I go into a store in search of something. I even have the cash to buy it because I've looked it up online and it says it was in the store. Now I go to the store. Oh, we don't have that. We're out. It's not on our inventory any longer. I don't know when we're going to get it.
Steven Killfoil:How many of you heard this excuses? Myself? A lot of times, in fact, I've been so arrogant, to the point where I said, look, this is what I want. And I have my Amazon app open and I said you don't have it right, right? You don't know when you're going to get it right, right? You no longer carry it into your inventory because it wasn't selling right, right? Watch this. Pam hit the button. Boom, oh, I'm getting it tomorrow. You just lost a sale. Um, you know, I'm meaning this with all true sincerity, trying to wake these guys up. I come from a procurement background and inventory is highly important in that, and sometimes these companies be at large, be it, you know, be at Costco, be at Walmart, be at Sam's club, be at Target I don't know what happened if they just took a drink of stupid and they're not paying attention. But they better wake up because I tell you what that little button that you hit and you can get delivered the next day is powerful. I try not to use it very often but honestly, I find myself using it more and more and well, that's on for a whole nother story.
Steven Killfoil:Number five high interest debt. Okay, folks, how many of you ever gotten into one of those credit cards that narrow up there at like 30%? Okay, um, tried national debt relief. If you're stuck in there and you're choking to death on high credit card debt, contact National Debt Relief, go through their program and then don't do it again. That's all I'm going to say on that.
Steven Killfoil:Number six restaurants and meal delivery. Maddie and I really never have been big fans of eating out at restaurants anyway, because of health reasons, and you all know that we have the health news report that we bring to you. Folks, join AMAC if you're up in my age group, hey, you get discounts from restaurants, meals, deliveries, airfare, hotels, cruises, rental cars, eyeglasses and a whole bunch of plethora of other things. You know, take advantage of these things. You don't even have to be 50 to join, just join it. You know, just go to that amaccom and sign up. You know, you'll get some amazing discounts.
Steven Killfoil:Home repairs, number seven Don't let them drain your bank account. Okay, folks, listen, if you have home repairs and I've seen this a lot on on the facebook page where do I find a good plumber? Where do I find a good electrician? Where do I find this listenarrantycom? Get yourself a home warranty in addition to your insurance that you have on your house. I'll tell you how it works. I have a pipe break in my kitchen sink. I pick up the phone, I call them up. $89. That's all it costs me out of pocket. Plumber comes out and he fixes the pipe and he goes and the home warranty is covering the costs of the repair. Super easy, super inexpensive. Most of the time, most of the repairs I can do myself. But the big, big, big ones, like if I start getting into some highly, highly dangerous electrical, I'll call them. I'll have an electrician come out, have the electrician fix it. It costs me $89. That's it To have him come out and do the repair. They cover the cost and you're done. You need this insurance. If you own a home, you need to have a policy by choice home warranty. Reach out to them, get a free quote.
Steven Killfoil:Home equity, number eight. A lot of homeowners make this big mistake. Oh, you know what I got? All this credit card debt. I'll just roll it over into a home equity loan, use my home equity to pay it off. Then I just have the home equity loan and the interest on that is tax deductible. Yes, that's true on everything. But here's the problem they got into the credit card debt because they weren't disciplined enough to pay off the debt. So they do the home equity loan, they pay off the credit card debt. Then they go back and get deeper into debt. Take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. He's dead against credit cards for a very good reason because he knows that only 1% of Americans have the discipline to use them the way they were meant to be used and the rest of us don't and wind up back in the deep hole of debt. That's all I'm gonna say on that tax debt. If you are. Oh, uncle sam, contact alleviate tax. It's designed to help folks who have that tax burden.
Steven Killfoil:And, of course, number 10 identity theft. You need to really be mindful of that. If you don't have any type of identity theft protection, I highly recommend you get it. Norton offers it, I use theirs, I use others. So get those things, get them on, get them watching. And 11 overpaying on weight loss medicines. Well, I'm guilty as charged on this. Maddie and I, we are always on the lookout for good things and well, we've gotten ourselves in a bit of a pickle sometimes. So just be mindful of those things. Work with your doctor, work with a good doctor. If you don't feel like your doctor's any good, find a doctor. That is. I'm not going to give any recommendations on that over this. If you want some, you can reach out to me crossroadspodcast2023 at gmailcom and I'll be happy to forward those to you.
Steven Killfoil:Now we are in spring and it's garden planting time, so guess what folks. And it's garden planting time, so guess what folks. In our area we are considered to be in section eight, so that means March and April, or February. March and April are our planting months. We've got to get it done. You should get it done probably before April. I've got some sweet squashes launching up in my kitchen window that I'm going to transfer out into my garden and I'm going to go to Walmart or down to the local nurseries and grab some more plants and replant my garden and I hope to have a very successful one this year.
Steven Killfoil:But here's some things that I want to share with you. There are five things you must do to keep rosemary always thick and fragrant. I use rosemary a lot. I use it in the bread, I use it in chicken. It's good on meat, it's good on potatoes, it's good I mean gosh. If I could just take and scoop it off in my mouth on the plant I wouldn't recommend doing that. Might give you a little chill. It's a little bit of a bitter herb but when you chop it up and add it to sugar and salt it really balances out. So five things to keep it always thick and fragment planting in the soil.
Steven Killfoil:Rosemary thrives in sandy, loamy soil with good drainage. Avoid heavy water-retentive soil to prevent root rot. Ensure plenty of sunlight. Rosemary loves the sun. Place it in a spot with at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth. Folks, you can grow rosemary on your patio, in your kitchen window, definitely. You know you want to look at that. So water it sparingly. Overwatering is a common mistake with rosemary. Let the soil dry out between watering sessions to maintain a healthy root system. Prune it regularly. Trim your rosemary often to encourage bushy growth. Cutting back leggy stems will keep the plant thick and full. That's what you want to do and use organic fertilizer. Feed your rosemary with a light application of organic fertilizer or compost during the growing season to enhance its fragrance and vigor. Oh also, I forgot to mention rosemary is an excellent mosquito repellent. I'm just saying so. It's a good place to have on your patio, definitely Now companion planting. So it's very important to know this.
Steven Killfoil:Tomatoes and cucumbers they don't get along too well, and placing plants in the soil and hoping for the best doesn't really work as well. So it involves understanding the intricate relationships between plants and utilizing their natural tendencies to promote growth, deter pests, of course, and maximize yield. Because why do you plant a garden? You want the vegetables. I know I do so. One fascinating aspect of this is companion planting. It's a strategic method of planting plants to enhance their development. However, not all plants make good neighbors. Like I said, tomatoes and cucumbers not too not too well. They don't like each other. They have conflicting growing habits, they're constantly competing for the nutrients in the soil and they're susceptible to diseases. So here's some strategies for successful companion planting Use vertical gardening Train those tomatoes to grow vertically with stakes or cages, and allows the cucumbers to have ample space to spread around across the ground. Or climb trestles separately in another part of the garden, trestles separately in another part of the garden.
Steven Killfoil:Intercropping with beneficial plants Instead of placing tomatoes and cucumbers together, consider intercropping them with plants that support their growth. Basil and marigolds are excellent companions for tomatoes. They help repair pests like aphids and hornworms. Also, if you get a garden spider in your tomato plant, leave it alone. Don't squish the thing. He doesn't want to bite you. He wants to eat the aphids. Leave him alone, he won't bother you. You can reach around his web and pick your tomatoes, just fine. I know they're an intimidating looking arachnophoid, but guess what? They're fine. They won't hurt you, as long as you don't really just go in there and shake him up. Then I mean you'd be mad if somebody grabbed you and shook your house up, right? No, you'd be going out there giving them a piece of your mind. I don't think of the spider. The same way, crop rotation Avoid planting tomatoes or cucumbers in the same spot each year.
Steven Killfoil:Rotate them out Definitely this is a really good thing and create physical separation. If space is limited, like in my backyard, consider growing tomatoes and cucumbers in separate raised beds or containers. This is what I do. It allows them to coexist in the same garden while reducing competition and disease spread. Okay. Now there's some other goodies, okay, that I want to bring up.
Steven Killfoil:There are 13 foods that you can actually grow. You can buy them once and regrow them forever. Is that cool, or what? So let me share you with some of those Green onions. Green onions are some of the easiest vegetables to regrow. Once you've used the green tops, save the white bulbs with the roots attached. So don't chop off that root. Deal, leave it attached. The green onions regrow quickly and can be harvested multiple times. I did not know this Guess what. I am planting them in my backyard and I will be using it over and over and over Garlic. Garlic's another kitchen staple. I grow garlic in my window. It's easy to do you just plant the clove down into the dirt water it keep it moist and you have a continuous fresh supply of garlic.
Steven Killfoil:Romaine lettuce Romaine lettuce can be regrown from the leftover base of the lettuce head. Instead of tossing it in the compost, use it to regrow fresh leaves for salads. How do you regrow it? Well, you place the lettuce base in a shallow dish of about one inch of water. Place the dish in a sunny spot and refresh the water every few days. After a week, you'll see new leaves sprouting from the center. Transplant it into soil for continued growth.
Steven Killfoil:Celery this is another one. Celery is a vegetable that you can regrow from its base. With just a bit of water and sunlight, you can produce fresh celery in your home. How do you regrow it? Cut off the base of the celery, place it in a shallow dish of water, keep it in a sunny area and within a week, you'll notice new leaves sprouting from the center. Transplant the celery into soil to encourage further growth. How cool is that? Awesome potatoes, of course you know when the potatoes get them little eyeballs that grow out already. Throw that dude into the ground and, voila, you will have some more potatoes. Now, keep in mind potatoes will take up a lot of area, so you might want to give them their own little space. The same with sweet potatoes carrot tops. While you can't regrow whole carrots from scraps, you can regrow their leafy tops, which are great for garnishes, soups and salads. So how do you do this? You cut the tops off of your carrots, leaving about one inch of the carrot attached. Place the tops in a shallow dish of water. Place it in a sunny spot and in a few days green leaves will begin to grow. Then you transplant it into the dirt and start over again.
Steven Killfoil:Basil my favorite herb is it regrows easily from cuttings. Once you've planted a bunch of basil, you can continue to grow new plants from the stems. I pull my plant in in the winter time and keep it in the window, and it's growing. It's doing great. I'm getting ready to transplant some of it right now. It's flowered and ready to rock and roll. Uh, place the basil stems within four inches length of a glass of water. Place the glass in sunlight and the roots will begin to form in about a week. Once the roots are two inches long, transplant the stems into soil. It's that simple, folks, really awesome.
Steven Killfoil:Cilantro is another herb you can regrow from cuttings, ensuring you always have fresh herbs for your favorite dishes. You place the cilantro stems in a glass of water, just like the carrot, just like the basil. After the roots grow a few inches long, transfer to the soil. Cilantro grows quickly and can be harvested within a few weeks. Leeks similar to green onions can be regrown from the root end. They are low-maintenance and will provide a fresh supply of leeks in your kitchen. How do you regrow them? You place the root end of the leek in a glass of water, ensuring the roots are submerged. Place the water in a sunny spot. Folks, it's that simple. If you've got a big kitchen window, you can do this all there. New green leaves will start to grow once they've grown. A few inches of transplanted into soil Ginger can be regrown from a small piece of ginger root.
Steven Killfoil:Over time, this piece will grow into a new plant, providing you with fresh ginger for years. How do you regrow it? You plant a small piece of ginger root with the bud facing up about one inch deep in soil. Root, with the bud facing up about one inch deep in soil. Keep the soil moist and place the pot in direct sunlight. In a few weeks, new shoots will begin to grow and eventually you'll have a full ginger plant Pineapple.
Steven Killfoil:This one's cool. I've actually done this. It's tropical fruit that can be regrown from its leafy top. Although it takes time, you can grow a new pineapple plant right in your home. So you twist the top of a pineapple, remove any excess fresh fruit, let it dry for a day, then place it in a jar of water or plant it directly into the soil. Pineapples take time to grow, but with patience and care you'll have a fresh homegrown pineapple in about two years. You'll have a fresh homegrown pineapple in about two years. Not bad.
Steven Killfoil:Green peppers, bell peppers and other varieties of peppers can be regrown from the seeds inside the fruit. Once planted, they'll provide a continuous supply of fresh peppers. How to regrow Save the seeds from a ripe bell pepper. Allow them to dry. Plant the seeds in the soil, keeping them warm and well watered. Once the seedlings are established, transfer them to larger pots or to your garden. Regrowing food kitchen scraps is an easy and sustainable way to keep your produce safe, fresh and continuous. How cool is that? All right. Well, enough of that talk.
Steven Killfoil:For local events and meetings coming up, make sure you check on the town calendar, www. crossroadstx. gov. The Municipal Development District will hold its meeting on Thursday, March 13th at 6 pm. Town Council will have its meeting on Monday, March 17th at 6 pm. Town Council will have its meeting on Monday, March 17th at 6 pm. On Sunday, March 30th, the Boss Ladies will have their Bloom Market from 10 am to 2 pm. There will be 30 plus local vendors, so bring your wallets and take advantage of some great deals. This is an amazing group of ladies who have put together a really awesome market. Reach out to them on their Facebook page.
Steven Killfoil:Boss Ladies of North Texas. See you there. Be on the lookout for those TXDOT crewmen and crew women when driving around our town. We thank them for their very hard work in completing our roads. On a sweet note, I hope to see some of you up at Pilot Point Coffee House for sessions on Tuesday, March 11th, that's tomorrow. I miss my friends, so I'm going to this Tuesday. Come on out and jam with us. Check out Pilot Point Coffee House on Facebook for more amazing events this month. If you like what you heard today, drop us a text on the episode. Send us an email at crossroadspodcast2023@ gmailcom. Stay tuned in until next week, as Mady and I will bring you some great health news and I'll see you at the top!
