Treasures: Placka Storage Building

Whew, time flies. It seems that I am behind in everything - especially blogging - but I wanted to share my newest treasure. My Placka Storage Building is another step in my journey toward my homesteading dreams. I can't begin to explain how much I love this little shed.

I love this shed for tangible reasons. I need a place to store my camping belongings. The color is gorgeous. And it provides a roof over my head when I go camping on my land.

Why would I need a shed to sleep in when I have The Shack? That question brings me to other reason I am so thrilled about this shed.

I love this shed for emotional reasons. I am moving forward in the building process !!!!!!!!!  The Shack will be torn down soon. A new home will be built. I have been dreaming of this day and over the past five years my plans have changed a million times. But I am finally at the point of moving forward.

As plans to remove The Shack begin, I needed a place to store my items. I chose this shed from Placka Storage Buildings, Burlington, WV. I love the color and the shape (A-Frame).  And the 8 x 10 size holds all of my important belongings: Jeep bench, old woodstove, and camping supplies. It is also just big enough to provide a place for me to hang out and to sleep securely.

It looks a little precarious, parked on the top of my hill, doesn't it? On my land there are no flat spots. 

Mr. Doug came to my land to talk to me about where I eventually want the shed. That spot would require excavation and a pad to sit on. We brainstormed and discussed options. I chose a spot where the shed could be dropped temporarily - until the excavation for my driveway and new home are complete. Then the shed can easily be moved to the spot next to the flower bed. 

Mr. Doug and Ms. Jane are wonderful people. I enjoyed their friendly customer service and Mr. Doug's expertise in shed placement recommendations. Ms. Jane immediately felt like finding a long-lost family member. 

The shed arrived when they said it would and it was delivered quickly and easily.

I will say that living in a metro area has caused me to be all too familiar with instant gratification. I initially thought it would be a matter of choosing a shed one day and having it delivered the next. That was not the case. Placka Storage Buildings is a small family business. Very small. Things such as weather can throw off their delivery plans. In my case, I wanted a shed during the heat of summer with afternoon thunderstorms popping up nearly every day. Even so, Mr. Doug kept in close communication with me and arrived on my land when he said he would.

Things in West Virginia move at a slower pace than in Baltimore. And while it is sometimes an adjustment for me (reminding of my time in Costa Rica) it is not a bad thing. In fact, I'm more than ready for a more relaxed way of life. And this shed is a step toward that goal.

Perhaps you are capable of building a shed. That is awesome. I do not currently have those skills. If you need a shed in the Hardy county area of West Virginia, I highly recommend checking out Placka Storage Sheds. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you.  I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.





Related links:

You can find Placka Storage Buildings on Facebook and on their website.  They are located in Burlington, West Virginia (Hardy County) on route 50. They have many styles and samples on their lot. You can do as I did, browse the sheds to get a feel for what size and shape will best meet your needs. 

As a side note, if you visit their home page you will see a 2-story, red monitor barn in their photo. Initially, my plans were to have that barn as my home. But it turned out that the square footage and square footprint was not what I wanted. Isn't it a beautiful barn though?

Shed Demo (part 2)

more progress on the shed demo

In February, I finally worked up the nerve to begin demo on the shed. That included working up enough nerve to stand close enough to the shed to begin pulling off some of the siding. I was proud of the little bit of progress I made during that weekend visit.

You can read about the beginning of the Shed Demo - The Shed Has Got to Go! here. 

Last weekend I was back at The Shack and I continued pulling some of the vinyl siding off the two sides that I could reach.  I removed the vinyl, cleaned off the dead bug carcasses and spiders, and stored it in The Shack to be used later. I worked very hard to keep track of the hundreds of rusty nails.

My plan was to remove all of the vinyl and plastic portions while dropping the wood and nails into the hole underneath. When finished, I planned on burning the wood then burying the remaining nails and metal trash. 

As I pulled the plastic barrier, dust and bugs flew everywhere and the shed shook and rocked. I removed some of the particle board wall. The wooden walls and studs were so rotten that they crumbled into dust if I squeezed too hard. 

rotten wood and rusty nails galore

I began to realize that there would be no safe way to lean a ladder on the remaining side in order to begin removing the vinyl siding. 

I decided to not leave the structure standing as it was so close to tipping over. I gave a couple of shoves and pulls and the building toppled over easily.

Looking out at my handiwork at the end of the day. I was pleased.

During my next visit I will find a way to continue to safely remove the vinyl and plastic from that final wall while dropping the rotten wood into the pit. 

It may not seem like much progress, but I am THRILLED. That was a giant step for me. Everyone who homesteads does so at their own pace. Or should. The important thing is to just keep moving forward toward your dream. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.

Shed Demo - The Shed Has Got To Go!

As with many projects, the hardest part is knowing where to begin and taking that first step. I've been planning to tear down this little building ever since the first time it blocked the view from the window. I've just been too afraid to begin.

The existing shed. Falling down and scary. 

The shed scares me. I think the previous owner/builder of the shed had planned on putting in an outhouse. Local rumor is that the owner argued with the county about whether or not he was trying to build an outhouse. It sure looks like a good beginning for an outhouse to me (which the county does not allow). There is a huge hole dug under the shed. 

I imagine all sorts of wildlife living under there... from bears, to skunks, to spiders and snakes and the bogeyman. The shed gives me the heebie-jeebies. I won't walk near it unless it is broad daylight for fear of what might jump out at me.

No, it isn't a rational fear. I know it's not rational. But I'm still very scared of that shed. And for everyone who thinks I'm brave to go camping at The Shack, you can see that I'm not really so brave after all. 

From the time I bought the land, that building has been shedding pieces (see what I did there? haha). Little bits of roof or siding are blown off and during each camping trip I'm out in the yard picking up bits of shed litter from the yard.

During my trip over the long weekend in February, the shed had lost even more shingles and siding. And it has started to lean noticeably.  I decided to be brave and even if I just pulled one piece of something down, it would be a start.

Over time the roof shingles have all blown away.

Rusty nails and rotted wood everywhere.

The amount of siding that has blown off.
And look how much the building has begun to lean.

I salvaged a crate full of brackets and some aluminum pieces from inside the rickety building - the rotting floor barely able to hold my weight. Then I started pulling some siding down.

Under that siding and plastic were a large variety of bug carcasses and spider eggs. It was very disgusting. But I kept at it. I worked very slowly and carefully, trying not to drop any of the rusty nails. There is already an enormous amount of rusty nails jutting out from the boards, I did not want to add to that danger.

I swept off the removed pieces of siding and I took it inside The Shack to store for later projects. I might salvage enough siding for a small chicken coop or dog house!  

I did not get very far. Other people could have torn down the entire shed in one day. On one hand I feel frustrated that I accomplish so little during each trip. On the other hand, I tell myself that it's okay. I'm not other people. And that I got started is progress enough. Not only is it enough, it's pretty darn remarkable. 

The progress I made removing siding.

I'm a "mature", out-of-shape grandmotherly type who has never demo'd any building on my own. Let alone a terrifying shed. 

Overall, I am pretty proud of the progress I made.

PS. I forgot to mention that the additional motivation to tear down the shed came from having reached out to a builder. I've sent him information about how I want to build the new Shack and I'm waiting to hear back for an approximate cost. There is a slim chance I can begin building in 2020!  That motivated me to begin working on removing that ugly old shed. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.

Making Homesteading Dreams Come True - Visualizing and Positive Thinking, part 2

My homestead dreams are coming true.

Of all people, I am not one that should be a land owner. But I am. Being this far along in the process of making my homesteading retirement dreams come true has happened in large part through visualizing and positive thinking. I am convinced that I am currently buying my land through the law of attraction.

In part 1 of Visualizing and Positive Thinking I tried to give a brief introduction to some of the general ideas of visualizing, positive thinking, and the law of attraction - and gave links to the experts. I am no expert on these things. And frankly, my personality tends toward anxious and grumpy. If there is a disaster that could occur, I'm often fairly convinced that it will occur. That fear is sometimes paralyzing. And I believe that fear attracts more disasters than it prevents. I'm slowly trying to move away from that type of anxious and negative thinking in general.

I believe The Shack is proof of my moving away from claiming disasters and toward allowing the law of attraction to work in my life.

Land Owning Daydreams and The Shack Visualized

For years, I have "daydreamed" about buying land and moving back to a rural setting. Over those years, I spent much free time looking at the realty sites that show land for sale. I had thoughts such as "If this was mine, I'd put the barn next to that grove of trees" or "if this was mine, I'd build the house there."

Through regular, almost daily, looking at the land for sale ads, I became aware of locations, prices, availability, and etc. I knew which areas offered parcels of land that met my needs. I narrowed it down to four or five counties across West Virginia. Some people would say this is mere research. That is partially true - it was research. But it was also more than that. I book marked my favorites and looked at them several times a week. I visualized living in the future on a piece of land.

The Shack was one of those bookmarked favorites. And it sat empty, listed in the land-for-sale ads for a long time. I now think it was waiting for me. As it sat empty, I imagined living in it. Day after day I thought what it might be like to have that place - and those views - to myself. I looked at the online ad for The Shack and imagined where I'd put the garden, imagined where I'd put the house, and imagined shoveling snow there. I imagined different floor plans that would be perfect for that ridge. As each season changed, I imagined living in that season on that ridge.

But I was just day dreaming. Passing time. I was in no position to buy. Sometimes I berated myself for wasting time looking at something that could never be mine. But usually, I happily imagined being there.

I dreamt of living in the country. But these views were beyond my wildest dreams.

The Shack Manifested

For years I daydreamed only. Then things suddenly changed. My income didn't increase. My bills didn't decrease. My credit score was still garbage. But my job changed which meant a move with my 401k. I talk about that a bit in previous posts, so I won't rehash it here (you can find the link at the end of this post). Please know that I am NOT advocating you cash out your retirement plan. But I needed to. And because I needed to, and because I had visualized my other retirement plan, I did buy land for my future with part of that money. 

I had already been daydreaming about land in West Virginia for years. 

I was choosing West Virginia for the following reasons:

1. low cost per acre
2. availability of unrestricted land
3. proximity to Maryland (I could still work and commute if needed)
4. closer to family in Indiana than Baltimore (where I currently live)
5. mountainous

My deal-breaker must-haves

1. little to no building restrictions and community rules (unrestricted was my preference)
2. able to have chickens (hence the wish for unrestricted)
3. space - no neighbors on top of me

And I needed inexpensive land. In fact, financially speaking, I had no business thinking about buying land - I was not (and am not) in financial position to buy land. But things are working out and moving forward.

My rock. My land. 

I swear, in hindsight, The Shack sat empty and waited for me. It met my must-have list and more. I only had to visit in person to immediately know that it was meant to be. I physically claimed it as mine that day - and garbage credit score be damned - The Shack became mine. 

Dropping the Worry, Guilt, and other Negative Thoughts

One very important thing I had to do was drop the worry and the guilt. The worry that I couldn't do it (i.e. imagining the disasters) and the guilt that I didn't deserve it. Somehow I think other people deserve to live their dreams but that I don't deserve it. But thankfully, in relation to The Shack, I've dropped that guilt. I deserve it as much as the next person. Period. Not more than the next person. But the same as the next person. We all deserve to have our dreams come true.

Dropping the guilt and negative thoughts makes room to enjoy life. Without the worry I am able to notice the beauty in the world and the good things that are happening. Dropping the negative thoughts allows the good things to continue to happen.

This butterfly landed on my door and watched me, as I watched it.
Be sure to take time to watch the beauty around you.

Law of Attraction and the Doing

Now, the naysayers of wish boards and laws of attraction sometimes say that these approaches allow people to think that they can stick a wish board up on the fridge and sit and wait for it to happen. 

But it's not like that. Not for me anyway. I looked at my wishes, over and over and over. Then, when the door opened to the possibility, I walked through. I did the work. I contacted a realtor, I physically walked the available parcels of land, I worked with the bank, and I bought the land. 

I don't believe the law of attraction and visualizing is about sitting doing nothing, and waiting for things to fall in your lap. I believe that it is about visualizing your dreams - whether your inner worrier lets you think it's feasible or not - then being prepared when the law of attraction opens the door. And responsibly walking through that door.

I do believe that the law of attraction led me to the correct realtor, the correct bank, and somehow greased the wheels to being approved for a loan. I believe that the law of attraction kept The Shack on the market for me. 

I wanted a yard with bluebirds. I have a yard and bluebirds.

Why I am Attempting to Share this Way-Out-There Topic

I am writing this because I want others to feel more confident about claiming their dreams. I am a firm believer that if I can do it, you can too. I do not have access to extra money. Financially, things are tighter than skinny jeans - and without that spandex stretch! I've been living paycheck to paycheck (or less) for my entire life. I'm anxious. I worry. I do not have the make-it-happen personality. All of these things could hold me back. If I let them.

I watch people say that their dreams (homesteading specifically) will never happen because they are too old, too fragile physically, and too broke financially. I hope to encourage them to dream. To visualize. And to move toward their dreams. 

Of all people, I should not be a land owner. But I am. It is happening. Because I'm dreaming it and doing it, the laws of attraction are at work.

Related Link:

The year 2015 was the year of enormous changes. Of beauty and blessings that are beyond words and of heart-wrenching sadness. I ended that post with: 

"There was not a nice and tidy linear timeline of events as each change completely intertwined with the next. Each event led me forward to today. And today is full of promise and love."

It was the year The Shack came to me. And today continues to be full of promise and love. Life is good. 

Read the brief summary of that year here. 


*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.

Making Homestead Dreams Come True - Visualizing and Positive Thinking, part 1

Someday, this will be my everyday view.

There are some important but intangible pieces to the process of making my homestead dreams come true that I'd like to share. However, it is far easier for me to try to describe the tangible things - which is why I wrote my post "Making Homestead Dreams Come True - Claim It" before I wrote this post on visualizing it. Describing the act of putting a rock in my pocket is far easier than trying to explain my beliefs about visualization. However, in the order of things, the visualizing came before the claiming. And visualizing was (and still is) a very important piece of my homestead dreams journey.

I don't think I would already own my land without first visualizing it. But first, a bit more about visualizing dreams in general - from the experts.

Vision Boards and Wish Boards

I am not certain, but I believe vision boards originated the the book The Secret (published in 2007).  I hesitate with attributing that book as the origin of vision boards because people have saved photos of things they dream about of for my entire life (i.e. brides-to-be saving photos of their dream wedding gown is a quick example). But for the purposes of this writing, I am going to use The Secret as the origin.

The Secret

The idea in The Secret is that with the law of attraction, we attract things to us based on what we project. We can focus our thoughts on things/dreams and that helps us move ourselves toward those things/dreams. Those things/dreams can be a dream job, car, and in my case my dream home site and retirement plan.

There are MANY naysayers to this philosophy. Over the years I've read that it is victim-shaming (i.e. what about people with cancer... did they not put out good enough thoughts?) and that it is lazy (i.e. paste pictures to a board then sit and wait... staring at the pictures and doing nothing) and that it is all a money scam - making the writer of books such as The Secret rich (true - it has sold many, many, MANY copies).   I can completely understand those points but I am not in the naysayers camp.  

I think there is a good bit of truth to the visualization and positive thoughts/law of attraction. We all know the people who make a complaint every time they open their mouth. And we all see that those people have more things in their lives to complain about. We all feel that those people are a drag to be around. They bring us down.  I don't see that as a put-down. Frankly, I tend heavily toward the complainer type. I am anxious and my tendency is to focus on the negative "what-ifs". But it is a fact that when I spend time with less focus and energy on the complaints and the negative "what-ifs", life goes better. If I have a vision board, it is easier to focus on the good possibilities and goals, and stay away from the negative thoughts and complaints.

Be a critical thinker and form your own opinions about The Secret. And choose the path that is the best for you. That's what it's all about.  

The Secret website is here.

I took this photo when I had the thought that 

someday my "camping" trips to The Shack will not have to end. 

Someday I won't have to look at it in my mirror as I drive off.

The Chopra Center

The Chopra Center focuses on self-awareness and using that awareness to "close the gap between who you are and who you want to be." Deepak Chopra, David Simon, and friends also practice and preach the philosophy of the law of attraction.  

There are many, many articles, videos, and events to choose from on their site. I'm finding myself getting lost in things I want to see and read. Again, I am FAR from being expert in the law of attraction and if you are interested, I encourage you to read those articles that have been written by others. 

Their brief article Vision Board 101: How to Use This Manifestation Tool explains how to think about and use a vision board. 

Another brief article Intention, Attention, No Tension: 3 Tips to Master the Law of Attraction very much captures how it went with buying my land.

The Chopra Center website is here. 

Prayer and Faith by Religion

I witness a good number of people who use prayer and their faith in a similar way; putting out good vibes and claiming positive things. I am not very religious. So I hesitate even trying to describe what I see with those who are. And I'm not referring to the judgemental folks who are focused on my sins. I am referring to those who are faithful, content, and living their best lives; putting out those good vibes to all of the rest of us.

The best example of this is a guy in a gardening/homesteading group I belong to. He spends his days planting his garden, visualizing what it may look like and praising God with how well it's turning out. This man does not complain about the floods nor the heat waves. He is just filled with faith that things are awesome and he continues about his days. And his days are awesome. 

I think people like this are excellent examples of  people quietly and honestly living in faith and visualizing the good in their days. And I am convinced because they focus on the things they are thankful for, they end up with more things to be thankful about. If that makes sense.

I am Convinced that Visualization and the Law of Attraction Helped me Buy The Shack

I have not even scratched the surface about the law of attraction and how the experts use visualization, positivity, and faith to move their lives in the direction they want to go. You will have to decide for yourself if visualization and positive thinking will help you reach your goals in life.

I believe 100% that visualizing my dreams and having positive thoughts about my goals have been a huge factor in getting me to where I am. I don't believe I'd already own my little piece of land and The Shack without visualizing and the laws of attraction.

Because I've yammered on for a long time already, I will try to describe how I use (and used) visualization and the law of attraction to get where I am in the next post.  And frankly, I was using the law of attraction without thinking about it.... and only in hindsight am I realizing how powerful those behaviors were.

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.

Making Homesteading Dreams Come True - Claim It

I claimed it with this rock in my pocket.

I am not yet living on my "homestead". But each day I am getting closer to making that dream come true. Frequently, I witness others saying they have a homestead dream but they think they can never make that dream come true. I want to say to them that if I can do it, anybody who wants it can do it too. I am no expert on buying land. And I am not yet living on my land. I may never live on my land. But I am one step closer to making my dream come true. And meanwhile, camping on my land brings me much joy. 

I want to share the steps I'm taking so that maybe someone can feel more hopeful about making their dreams come true. If I've found a way to get this far, you can too.

It's Your Dream - Claim it. 

My first piece of advice is to claim your dream. Physically do something that symbolizes claiming your dream. I didn't realize it then but that was exactly what I was doing the day I put a rock in my pocket.

Looking back, I claimed my homesteading dreams in many ways. But the most significant (and physical) "claiming" was that silly little rock.

The rock in my pocket happened in 2015. The portion of time that has to do with physically claiming my land happened from approximately August to October.  I wrote a post about that year, the extreme ups and downs of the second half of that year. It's still all pretty surreal and you can read about that here. With the circumstances during that time period, it seemed that there was no time like the present to invest in some land for a retirement plan.

In August, I began working with a realtor in West Virginia to find land. I drove to look at many small parcels. Off-grid was fine. A low price tag, a roomy feel (i.e. no immediate neighbors), and the ability to own chickens was my "must" list. Everything else was negotiable.

I fell in love with 5 acres. But it went under contract almost by the time I drove back to Baltimore and thought it over for a day or two.

I looked at more land. Then I mentioned to the realtor that I thought I'd really like that little "red" house on the hill... but the HOA doesn't allow chickens. Or so I thought. My realtor let me know that the "restrictions" on that land did not exclude chickens and small livestock. We agreed to go look at that little hunting cabin on the hill, and some other pieces of land.

As soon as I parked on the edge of the road in front of that little hunting cabin, I knew this was the place. Thank goodness I hadn't be able to buy that five acres! I couldn't believe I had actually cried over losing the other place. I finished the day and went to look at the other parcels of land we had lined up to see. Just to be sure. 

Then I asked my realtor if I could just go sit on the top of the hill at the little "red" house (it looked red in photos but it is really a dingy brown).

I went alone and sat there. I felt it was already mine. It felt familiar and like it was where I belonged. I picked up a rock and put it in my pocket. And intended to carry "my" rock in my pocket until the land was mine.

taken during a subsequent visit - the rock was already in my pocket

As I drove back down the switchback road to get to the highway, a bear slowly galloped across the road in front of me. I took that as a good sign (although, I'm not completely sure why it felt like a really good omen)

The realtor said she told the owners about my bear sighting. And they reported to her that they'd never seen a bear. I was afraid they thought I was lying. But it didn't much matter and I felt like that bear intentionally crossed in front of me.

I made the offer and waited. Then I worked at finalizing with the bank and getting through the closing process. It took nearly 2 months of waiting. And I carried that rock in my pocket every day.

I had to work to not be anxious while waiting. Because of my "blemished" credit and a history of being turned down by some banks through my lifetime there was a chance I'd have problems. I half expected to be sabotaged in some way but I carried my rock in my pocket. 

On October 29, 2015, I signed for my land. And I put the rock back where it belonged. Well sort of. The rock is on the window sill at The Shack.

I am convinced that doing something physical to claim my dream helped my dream begin to come true. I am convinced that if you physically claim your dream in some small symbolic way (not outlandish ways.. I'm not advising you to lock yourself in the bank vault in order to have your dream of riches come true!) you will move closer to making your dreams come true.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  

P.S. Is it coincidence that I'm a farm girl from Indiana and I found these rocks during subsequent visits to The Shack?  I think it's no coincidence at all. 

I think they are more signs that I am on the right track.

P.S.S. My game cam has since caught photos of a bear on my land. You can see those photos and more from my game cam here. 


*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.

Small Home Plans on Foundations

Small home plans

The Big Book of Small Home Plans was delivered to my doorstep recently and I can't stop looking at it. If you are planning on building a small home, or looking at house plans is one of your favorite pastimes, you might like this book as much as I do. With 360 home plans under 1200 square foot you are likely to find something that suits your needs.

The Big Book of Small Home Plans

I really like having 360 house plans under 1200 sq feet at my fingertips. In this book, each page is on glossy, thick pages. No flimsy newspaper print in black and white, and hard-to-read fonts. 

Each house plan includes the foot print dimensions and the heated square feet. Each major room has the dimensions listed. I have purchased house plan books and magazines that do not include that information - which defeats the entire purpose of looking at the plans, in my opinion. If you look at the The Big Book of Small Home Plans on Amazon, the "look inside" feature is very helpful.

The book is 288 pages. The vast majority of pages are the house plans. There are a smattering of pages with helpful design and organizing ideas.  Topics such as:

• Dream Big While Living Small
• No Excuses...It's Time to Get Organized
• Bathroom Storage Solved
• Banish Kitchen Clutter Forever
• Pantry Organization 101
• and more

The helpful tips pages are not distracting from the amount of home plan pages and are helpful in thinking about how small I can truly go (or not).  

Also, on page 142 there is a user's guide for downloading and using the 3D app they offer. With that app, you can view the home from all sides on your piece of land. This is available through Apple and Android app stores. I have not yet tried this app but I can imagine it would be very helpful to people who are app-savvy.

Why Small Home Plans Appeal to Me

After years of daydreaming and searching real estate websites, I purchased my land a couple of years ago. Now my daydreaming, planning, and researching has turned to house plans. I have very specific needs (passive solar, suitable for a steep lot, etc) and I want to stay small due to my plan to be debt-free in retirement. 

Searching the internet for house plans yields many house plan sites with many house plans. Although, after a bit it becomes cumbersome and overwhelming searching for a small home that is not on wheels and is under 1200 sq ft. 

Honestly, I'm looking to stay in the range of 600 - 900 square feet. With this book I can compare some of the layouts, exteriors, and orientations with just the flip of a page or two. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.