This morning, after weeks of plunging, the Dow opened at 9,437. Consider that for a moment. How did you feel in 1999 when the market first soared over that 10K peak? Were you even paying attention? Did you struggle to pay for gas? For food?

How about in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004? All four of those years saw periods when the Dow dipped below 10K. What was the financial discussion around your kitchen table when the markets reopened after September 11th? After the United States invaded Iraq? What will the discussion be tonight?

However, by the time of the First World War, many gardens had become neglected or converted into lawns, especially outside of the traditionally agricultural communities. Wartime rationing would change that and the idea of Victory Gardens spread throughout allied nations as a direct means to help the War Effort.

A month and a half ago, my wife and I canceled our cell-phone plans and became a cell-phone-free household. I related our initial impressions to the Smile Politely audience on July 1 (Simplifying Life: One Phone at a Time).

Reactions to our decision are still mixed more than a month later. Some people seem to assume that we’ll break down and have shiny new phones in time for Halloween. A surprising number, though, are supportive. Supportive in the way people are supportive when you lose thirty extra pounds, or study abroad, or participate in any other life-altering, difficult endeavor: “Wow. That is phenomenal — I wish I could pull it off.”

Growing up in southwest Champaign, my family made a weekly trek to either Jerry’s IGA or Roundbarn IGA (depending on if Mom or Dad were driving) for our grocery shopping.

Hardware needs were fulfilled at the Roundbarn TrueValue. For a bookstore, Pages for All Ages was conveniently located in the newly built Old Farm shopping center, with a video store and ice-cream shop at the strip mall on the other side of Mattis.

Champaign was a small place for me. Market Place might as well have been in Indiana for as often as we went there, and how far away it seemed when we did. Everything that was needed — parks, school, church, groceries, ice cream and VHS rentals — was within no more than a few miles from home.

Our home phone was connected today. This is after two and a half years of being a cell-phone-only household. This in and of itself is likely unremarkable, but in conjunction with signing up for the landline phone, we canceled our cellular service.

This is a move that has been seen as radical — almost to the point of sacrilege — by many people we know. The very thought of being without a cellular phone has become a nightmare scenario for many. Why on Earth would we choose a cell-free life?

We decided that cellular phones are not necessary for our lifestyle.

Two small waterways flow through north central Champaign County. One drains land from the Rantoul-area, flows through Urbana’s Crystal Lake Park, and then eastward before joining with the Salt Fork River at St. Joseph. The other begins its journey near Ludlow, taking a southerly route past Rantoul and connects with the Spoon River north of St. Joseph, the two of which form the Salt Fork River itself.