According to Center for Disease Control West Nile Virus has been plaguing Africa (where it was first ?Discovered? in Uganda in 1937). It has been reported in Middle East; west and central Asia; Oceania; Europe, and starting in 1999 North America. It has been reported in virtually every state throughout East Coast and Mid-Western United States. Soon it will also hit West Coast. It is a threat to public, equine, and animal health. The most serious risk in humans and horses when infected is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of brain). Death also happens to infected domestic and wild birds.

If you live in an area where they have discovered West Nile Virus activity, you are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis; persons older than 50 years have highest risk of severe disease.

West Nile Virus is spread exclusively thru bites by mosquitos, though some ticks have been discovered carrying West Nile Virus in their blood. However, now it is not believed that ticks pose any risk of infection.

So How do you avoid getting West Nile Virus? The obvious answer is to avoid getting bitten by a mosquito. You can curtail all outdoor activity around dawn and dusk. No more jogging in park, barbequing dinner, late evening softball, etc. So you can hide inside and become a shut in out of fear. You can coat yourself with chemical insect repellants, or you can look for natural methods.

How exciting, to be getting married! How joyous occasion! How much extra ?stuff? you?ll now have! Gone are days when a girl had a hope chest where she saved things she?d eventually need for marriage. These days, people are getting married later in life, which means they often come into marriage with a full house. Suddenly, you?re proud owner of two of everything and not sure what to do.

Here are a few tips to help make blending your lives easier and help others in process:

1. Go through each house together, and identify which items are duplicates. Talk about each item honestly. This is time to decide whose wine rack you?ll keep, whose kitchen table you?ll keep, and so on. If you can legitimately use two of something in your new life, such as televisions or stereos, go ahead and keep both.

Try not to be too attached to something simply because it?s yours and realize that more you streamline now, easier your move will be. If your kitchen table is circa 1971 and your partner?s is only two years old, be realistic about which to keep. The idea is to choose things that will blend well to best furnish your new place, not to fight to keep everything that is yours.

2. For things such as silverware and kitchen items, cookware, and other small items, do same evaluation process as for larger items.