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IN THIS ISSUE:
 
1) The entrepreneur in the rear-view mirror is closer than he appears... a message from the Natural Handyman.
 
2) Hello and thank you to Websites and publications that have recently linked with or featured The Natural Handyman
 
3) What's new at Naturalhandyman.com
 
4) Q&A with our readers
 
5) LINKMEISTER's Corner
 
6) "Pass the hammer, would ya?"... NH's readers speak out!
 
7) Featured in the Natural Handyman Bookshop… 
 
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1) THE ENTREPRENEUR IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR IS CLOSER THAN HE APPEARS... A MESSAGE FROM THE NATURAL HANDYMAN
 
One of the most difficult things about self-employment is also one of the most liberating... no one kicking your derriere out of bed in the morning! Both successful and "road-killed" businesspeople know how easy it can be to cancel an appointment... or not even make any... when no one but yourself really knows. Yet successful entrepreneurs continue to wake up with no prodding and manage their hectic days without any leather-masked whip-cracker to motivate them. Who are these people?
 
Before I took the reins of my working life into these now-calloused hands, I had read a number of books on the characteristics of a successful businessperson. Frankly, I didn't find myself fitting neatly into most of them. The sad truth was that by paying attention to their supposed wisdom, I delayed my personal "Independence Day" by almost 8 years!
 
Many DIY business books stress the necessity of having certain personal characteristics... in their view leadership ability, communication skills, and self-confidence being three of the most critical. However, if you have never been in a management position or never worked independently before, you might not even know you had these qualities! So the covert message is "Forget self employment... it's not for you!"
 
Then, they speak of the qualities valued amongst businessmen and women... job experience, competitive spirit, organizational ability and a strong drive to be the best in your field. Some writers insist that an entrepreneur needs to be almost obsessed with his business and willing to spend as much time and energy as necessary to succeed. Some are nice enough to point out that this can put an unimaginable stress on family and friends, sometimes leading to.. shall we say... unpleasantness.   
 
After reading these qualities, I became even more fearful to leave the security of a regular paycheck, rather than being inspired to strike out on my own. So what went wrong? Why could these purported experts get ME so wrong? It took me a few years to figure it out, and it is sooooo obvious that I am ashamed to admit it. It's simply because they don't know me.
 
Me. Or you, if you will. Like many writers today, the authors gleaned their information via the rear-view mirror... a.k.a. 20-20 hindsight... by studying the qualities of successful people and then acting as if their observations were equivalent to insight. But amidst the statistics and personality profiles they failed to recognize that (1) success is relative and (2) that the rewards of self-employment are also relative to the individual. 
 
Everyone does not want his or her business to grow to mammoth proportions, even if the opportunity is there. Everyone does not want to have many or ANY employees! Everyone is not interested in nutcracking, cutthroat competition with their peers. (In fact, any contractor can tell you that having amicable relationships with competitors often leads to more work, not less.) Everyone does not have the desire to work such long hours that they never see their kids play the flute in the school band, or miss out on those things that give their life fullness and meaning.
 
There are thousands of successful small business people who have found comfortable niches where they can make their work fit into their life. They will never be written about in the Wall Street Journal but by all standards they are indeed successful. And most of them were probably not dumb enough to read any of those darn books!
 
NH
 
 
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2) HELLO AND THANK YOU to Websites and publications that have recently linked with or featured THE NATURAL HANDYMAN :
 
WBEX AM 1490 out of Chillicothe, Ohio. Check out the games on the site, especially "Presidential Smackdown" if you have the desire to release a little "never-ending election" aggression!
http://www.wbex.cc/ 
 
The ACCESS GUIDE TO THE WEB (vol. 2) has listed our site as one of only five home repair sites worthy of their new published directory. How sweet it is! If you are unfamiliar with ACCESS, their magazine is distributed with over 70 newspapers throughout the U.S. Visit their site, read their magazine online or even buy the book via the following link:
http://www.accessmagazine.com  
 
We are grateful for the support!
 
 
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3) WHAT'S NEW AT NATURALHANDYMAN.COM?
 
It has come to our attention (after someone threw a brick at us) that the links in our newsletter are not viewed as links for our many AOL users. 
 
We offer our sincere apologies for this oversight, since we know what a pain it must be to "cut and paste" all our links! So NH has issued an executive order to have AOL-compatible links throughout the newsletter wherever possible... starting with this issue!
 
 
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4) Q&A WITH OUR READERS...
 
Q. My front door does not lock properly. Our builder returned and made some sort of adjustment a year or so ago but the problem has recurred. The deadbolt works, but the regular entry latch doesn't seem to catch all the time. How can this be fixed?
 
A. This is a problem that is peculiar to owners of new homes. This is happening because your new home is in a state of flux. Wood framing is drying out, the foundation is settling… in other words things they are a-changing! Aside from the more obvious manifestations, such as mysterious cracks appearing in walls, odds are ALL of your doors have changed from their originally installed condition. Of course, the doors that no longer work correctly will get your attention first! 
The changes in the door frame have caused the door latch to hit the strike plate rather than entering the hole in the plate, preventing the lock from working. If you look at the door from the hinge side when it is almost closed, you can see how the latch aligns with the strike plate. It may be above or below the centerline of the strike plate depending on how your house has settled.
 
There are two ways to do this repair, depending on the severity of the misalignment. Small errors can be corrected by first removing the strike plate and then enlarging the opening enough to allow the latch to engage. Holding the strike plate in a pair of Vice Grips or in a stationary vice is helpful when performing this repair. 
 
If the settlement is severe, though, this repair won't work since you might have to file off so much metal that you would hit the screws that hold the plate onto the door frame! Not a good plan! Instead, you will have to relocate the strike plate on the door frame either higher or lower. This will require some wood filling and painting to restore the frame to it's original condition.
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Q. We live in snow country. Though the windows in our house have double-insulated glass, I would like to add a little more insulation value to some of them… particularly the ones in the den where we spend so much time. I have insulating curtains that I close in the evenings, but I don't want them closed in the daytime. Is there such as thing as "interior" storm windows? 
A. There definitely are! There are two general types... temporary or permanent. Temporary storm window kits use flexible plastic sheets which are attached to the inside of the window frame using a special double-sided tape. Installation is easy. The plastic sheet is first trimmed so it is slightly larger than the window. The double-sided tape is applied around the window frame and the plastic is pressed onto the tape as neatly as possible. Then, a hair dryer is used to shrink the plastic to a taut, almost invisible film. Finally, the excess plastic can be cut off. These storm windows seal remarkably well provided they are installed properly and, if your budget is tight, they are an efficient and economical weatherseal.
 
Permanent interior storms are made from rigid plastic sheets, and are attached to the inside of the window frame with special strips that allow them to be installed or removed as needed. The cost is, of course, much greater per window than the temporary kits but they can be used and reused for many years, making them a better long-term investment. Keep in mind that you must have a place to store the windows in the "off" seasons... a consideration for people who don't have lots of storage space!
 
 
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5) LINKMEISTER'S CORNER...
 
DRYCARPET.COM has boldly named itself the "web site that carpet cleaners don't want you to see." They are professional carpet cleaners that use DRY cleaning products which they claim are superior in most circumstances to the more commonly used water-based cleaners. Lots of tips and products are available online. Their business in located in southern California.

The FLORIDA SOLAR ENERGY CENTER offers some of the best information on solar water heating, photovoltaics and general energy efficiency. Though their obvious leaning is towards their own climatic situation (hot as heck much of the year) stopping energy waste and keeping the heat in the right place... either in OR out... is relevant whether you live at the equator or the arctic! 
 
The ALGOMA DEEP WATER HAND PUMP is a modern version of the old fashioned hand pump we fondly remember from our childhood. That was before God invented indoor plumbing! Seriously, this is a no-nonsense, quality well pump you can build yourself from metal and PVC pipe and fittings. It will pump up to a pint-per-stroke from 56 feet but, with modifications, can pump from depths greater than 150 feet. Visit their site for more info and how to purchase illustrated plans.  (Sorry... these plans are no longer available.)
 
Have a link worth mentioning? Send it to us at  
 
 
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6) PASS THE HAMMER, WOULD YA?... NH's READERS SPEAK OUT
 
Dear Reader,
 
The following is a somewhat long letter I received from a very concerned reader concerning the topic of INFANT BOTULISM. Many parents have expressed concerns about paint fumes and other chemical risks, but this topic is one I have never broached. I have reprinted the entire text of the letter and will also (eventually) post it online. 
 
If you have or care for young children, or if you are a contractor involved with excavation inside or outside of occupied homes, it is a both worthwhile and educational read. 
 
NH
 
Dear NH,
 
I have enjoyed reading your advice column via the Dollar Stretcher. I'm sending you this e-mail in hopes that you will use it to inform your readers of a potential risk to infants when doing renovation or landscaping work that disturbs the soil. Feel free to publish, edit, rewrite or simply summarize my e-mail as you see fit.
 
Last September, my neighbor and I installed a sump pump pit in his basement and everything went beautifully - that is until his 3 month old daughter became seriously ill due to infant botulism. The likely cause was spores that were lurking in the soil under the basement floor that we inadvertently stirred up while excavating the pit. Neither of us or anyone else we have since talked to (including the contractors) was aware of the potential danger.
 
It took two weeks in the hospital's pediatric Intensive Care Unit before our neighbor's 3 month old was finally diagnosed with Infant Botulism. Although this is a very serious - yet often little known illness, it appears she will survive.  With the help of a bit of physical therapy - she will likely make a full recovery. Please read the following details to educate yourself - and pass it on as you feel appropriate...
 
INFORMATION THAT COULD SAVE AN INFANT'S LIFE:
 
Infant Botulism is caused when children under 1 year old inhale/ingest Botulism spores. The spores then produce toxins in the infant's intestines which can affect various muscle groups that control swallowing, breathing etc. The initial symptoms of infant botulism are constipation and poor feeding, followed by listlessness and weakness that may be severe enough to make the infant appear "floppy." Death can occur when the breathing is affected before the parent notices the symptoms or via dehydration from swallowing/nursing difficulties. Secondary causes of death are from normally benign infections and conditions that can set-in after the infant is in a weakened state such as pneumonia, yeast infection, etc.
 
It's important to note that by the age of 1 year, children develop immunity to the spore itself. After that age humans will only be affected by ingestion of the toxin produced by the spore (e.g. via "bad" canned goods, etc.).
 
PREVENTION:
 
Because the spore, although rare, is sometimes present in soil, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that children under 1 year old are not exposed to areas where ANY work is being done in the soil. Common examples include gardening and foundation/slab/basement/crawlspace work (e.g. work on floor drains, sump pumps, etc). 
 
In my neighbor's case, the sump pit installation was most likely the culprit. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS PLANNING TO PERFORM TASKS THAT INVOLVE DISTURBING THE SOIL, PLEASE ENSURE THAT NO INFANTS ARE IN THE AREA (or in the house) DURING OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WORK. 
 
The spore is also often present in honey and possibly (but less likely) even in corn syrup. Children under 1 year old should absolutely NEVER be fed or even near these items!
 
The good news is that the spores die when exposed to air/oxygen. Accordingly, even if spores are present in the soil and become airborne, they will die within hours. To be safe you should consider keeping the infant out of the house for at least a day whenever inside soil work is being done. Once the soil is sealed again (e.g. under concrete) and enough time has passed to kill-off any airborne spores, the danger is past.
 
While this is a very serious issue, it's important to note that the spores are not present everywhere and, according to doctors we've talked with, every infant exposed to the spores will not become infected. In addition, it is also interesting to note that soil-borne spores are typically in isolated pockets and don't tend to migrate through the soil. So, even if you discover that your neighbor's soil has them, it doesn't mean your soil does.
 
Given the above information, the prudent course of action is to not panic but to simply be aware of the potential threat and take the reasonable precautions mentioned above. Our neighbors certainly wish they knew about the spores and had removed the infant from their house while the basement work was being done.
 
PROBLEMS WITH DIAGNOSES
 
Because it is very rare, infant botulism is often not diagnosed properly. Our neighbors found this out the hard way as they had to literally convince hospital doctors to consider and pursue this possibility after hearing it mentioned and quickly dismissed as "highly unlikely". After two weeks in the hospital's pediatric ICU, with many repeated tests and after enduring doctors' suggestions that the infant might be suffering from a terminal illness (SMA, etc.), the parents finally got the doctors to send stool/feces samples to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in Atlanta. The CDC quickly confirmed the presence of the toxin and the resulting diagnosis of infant botulism. 
 
Our neighbors were lucky that they had heard a consulting doctor from California (where the soil-based spore is apparently a bit more common) mention the symptoms of Infant Botulism. They were further fortunate that they opted (against doctors' wishes) to delay - until after the CDC test - a scheduled surgery that would have taken muscle tissue from the infant for additional testing. The doctors, based on their best professional judgment and experience, wanted to perform this invasive procedure to further test for degenerative/terminal muscle diseases. Ironically, such a procedure might even have led to an infection that could have adversely impacted the child.
 
Although the parents have gone through incredible grief and uncertainty over the last two weeks, they now feel like they can dare look to the future again. They now want others to know that infant botulism, although rare, does exist, but might be avoided with the right precautions. We ask that you spread the word in an informative (not panicked) manner to current and future parents of infants as well as any contractors, handyman and pediatricians you might know.
 
If you want to read more about Infant Botulism visit these web sites:
 
http://www.oregonlive.com/todaysnews/9809/st092008.html 
 
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1511/n8_v19/20979815/p1/article.jhtml 
 
http://hlunix.hl.state.ut.us/els/epidemiology/epifacts/infantbo.html 
 
http://my.webmd.com/content/asset/adam_disease_infant_botulism 
 
http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/B/botulism.html 

Thanks
 
EB from Chicago, IL
 
 
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7) THE NATURAL HANDYMAN BOOKSHOP... FEATURED SELECTION!
 
"SIMPLY HANDMADE: 365 Easy Gifts & Decorations You Can Make" by Carol Field Dahlstrom
 
Give your creative urges a nudge this holiday... and year round... with this marvelous pictorial collection of do-it-yourself craft projects. Save money and give your home a lift with these wonderful creations... many of which you can do with items currently around your home. You may not even need your hammer!
 
Visit the bookshop to see this and other selections at http://www.naturalhandyman.com/bookshop/bookshop.html 
 
 
...OH, NH wanted to tell you that if you have a particular home repair book you think is outstanding send us a review and we'll consider adding it to our listings! Thanks.
 
 
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