Every year the American Psychological Association takes a look at the leading causes of stress in the U.S., and publishes an annual report. According to this years report politics are a major stressor. I can relate to this but try to stay focused on other things.

“Seven out of 10 adults say the future of the nation is a significant source of stress in their lives and the issue crosses party lines: 80% of Republicans rated it a top stressor, so did 79% of Democrats and 73% of Independents.”  – Read more about it on the NPR website.

I think it is wonderful that we have so much in common across party lines.

Go vote today. If you live in Minnesota visit the MN Secretary of State website. Find out if you are registered and find out where to vote today. If you have voted track your ballet.

Let’s pray for a peaceful election with high voter turnout.

This tip is mostly for new homeowners or people new to Minnesota or are new to owning a home.

It is almost time to turn off the water to the outdoor faucets and disconnect any hoses. A light freeze or two probably won’t hurt your water spigots but when the temperatures get down into the 20’s watch out.

Here is what you need to do:

1.  Turn off the water from the inside of the house.

2.  open the spigot on the outside.

What happens if you don’t turn the water off?  Pipes can freeze and faucets can be destroyed by ice.  . . and it isn’t pretty.  Frozen pipes can burst and ice can damage faucets resulting in the need for expensive repairs. 

Leaving a hose attached can damage the spigot even if the water is turned off. I learned this lesson the hard way.

The good news is if you don’t know how to turn off the outdoor spigots you have time to find shut-off valves or call a plumber.