'Evil Dead: The Musical' will suck out the gloom and leave you smiling

You don't have to be a fan of the cult classic movie "Evil Dead" to enjoy "Evil Dead: The Musical," playing at Detroit's City Theatre. You just need a sense of humor and maybe a towel for the ride home if you've been brave enough to sit in the splatter zone.

It's a rollicking hayride of humor, not to mention a hilariously bloody homage to the 30th anniversary of Sam Raimi's original movie, "Evil Dead" which premiered in Detroit in 1981.

The Ringwald/Who Wants Cake? and Olympia Entertainment are presenting "Evil Dead: The Musical" at Detroit's City Theatre located inside Hockeytown Café, at 8 p.m., every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, through Oct. 29.

The musical unearths the old campfire tale: On a weekend getaway a boy and his pals stumble upon an abandoned cabin in the woods, where the boys expect to get lucky. That is until someone in the group unleashes an ancient evil spirit, turning the pack of happy campers into Candarian Demons, except for the boy who lived to tell the story. Any camper who has read the zombie manual knows this kind of adventure requires one to duck flying body parts. Just as any theater patron who chooses to sit in a section of seats covered with plastic should know something wet is coming their way.

What audiences might not expect from the show is to be wooed by the music.

Its musical numbers, including "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons," "What the F*%$# Was That?" and "Do The Necronomicon," not only entice, but cause audiences to hoot, howl and sing to themselves.

Warning: Be it infatuation or an invasion of the mind, the songs will get stuck in your head. By dawn, however, they will be gone leaving only a funny memory of the actors' uproarious stage performance of the songs.

Audiences in Toronto privy to the show's premiere at the Just For Laughs Festival in 2004, approved by both Raimi and the film's star Bruce Campbell, sent out a clarion call to anyone who pooh-poohed musicals to give this one a try. The lyrics were written by George Reinblatt, who collaborated on the music with Frank Cipolla, Christopher Boyd and Melissa Morris.

Cult horror films expanded in the 1980s and new waves of terror films were established thanks to Sam Raimi. As Brainz pointed out in a story about the 50 most influential directors of the century, "He pioneered the mixture of horror and comedy, and gave audiences with a fetish for freaky something never before seen: horror to make you shriek in utter panic, then break into hysterical laughter at the absurdity five minutes later."

Raimi's comedies accelerated the fame of Bruce Campbell, the star of the Evil Dead Trilogy and I'm sure "Evil Dead: The Musical," directed by Michelle LeRoy, will do the same for this cast including Pete Podolski (Ash), Tara Tomcsik (Shelly/Annie), Molly Zaleski (Cheryl), Tim Kay (Scott), Thalia Schramm (Linda), David Schoen (Jake) and Dez Walker (Ed/Evil Moose voice).

It's also likely that this show will spawn a phenomenon similar to that which occurred during the Rocky Horror Picture Show-era, where audiences showed up toting their own impression of the show's characters along with props. For now, audience members braving the splatter seats are dressing for their part, as victims of the musical's splattering rage of terror and tomfoolery.

The City Theatre in located inside Hockeytown Café at 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Tickets, $25 general admission, can be purchased at Olympia Entertainment, The Fox Theatre, Joe Louis Arena and the City Theatre box office, located inside Hockeytown Café, and all Ticketmaster locations and at Ticketmaster To charge tickets by phone call 800-745-300. For performance schedule and more information, call 313-471-66-11 or go to Who Wants Cake Theatre?

TODAY'S MUSE

One can never speak enough of the virtues, the dangers, the power of shared laughter -- Francoise Sagan

'Eat Your Books,' new online cookbook indexing service

Cooks have always appreciated the ease of online recipes, but often remain loyal to the cookbooks they own. Thanks to a new online cookbook indexing service, cooks can do both.

"In the past, I would have gone to the Central Asian section of my books and gone through the indexes," said Mary-Claire van Leunen, cook and retired Seattle software researcher. "I would have looked in two or three cookbooks, and wound up adapting something."

Eat Your Books, which was launched nine months ago, boasts a library of 88,000 books with more than 2,000 indexed volumes. Users just tell the site which books in the library they own. This creates a virtual bookshelf that is saved to the user's Eat Your Books account. Now, when van Leunen needs a recipe, she can go online and quickly peruse the recipes of chefs she already trusts. Eat Your Books does not reproduce the actual recipe; it helps members find their recipes in their cookbooks and magazines.

Also neat about the website is the ability to Google your own cookbooks. In a matter of seconds, you can do a search and find all of the chocolate cake recipes in your cookbook library. Because the site categorizes the recipes in a number of ways, including ingredients, you could choose a recipe based on what you have in your refrigerator. 

 

Users can chat with other cookbook lovers on the website, as well as share cooking knowledge or solicit tips and other recipes. Users also can browse other members' bookshelves for cookbooks that they might wish to add to their personal collection.

I'll try anything once. 

So I jumped on Eat Your Books. Within seconds, I discovered it had several of my favorite cookbooks including Lucinda Scala Quinn's "Mad Hungry" and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Vol. II," by Julia Child.

If you love to cook, chances are you enjoy reading stories about cooking. For those times when you're looking to chow down a good read, the website features a listing of popular foodie blogs such as "Simply Recipes" and "Recipe Girl."

I would never give up my collection of hardcover cookbooks, but there's no reason not to embrace a new digital tool like this. It serves our need for familiarity and convenience.

Our Town Art Show supports outreach programs for our benefit

Work of art by R. Sherman.

At the heart of The Community House mission to provide programs and services to help people improve and enrich their lives are its outreach programs. Since 1923, it has provided everything from free classes and community forums that inspire creativity to programs that foster racial equality and ethnic diversity.

But hefty goals need funding.

It's for this cause that The Community House presents its annual Our Town Art Show and Sale, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Oct. 13-15.

"It is our signature event and the largest fundraiser of the year for The Community House," said chairperson Rebecca Sorenson.  

Additionally, the juried, all media show serves as a forum for Michigan artists to show, demonstrate and sell their work. Pieces range from traditional to contemporary with 30 percent of the proceeds from the sales of the art to benefit the outreach programs.

Opening night for the show is Oct. 12 starting at 5:30. Tickets for sponsors and benefactors are $200. Guests are treated to a strolling dinner, live entertainment and the first opportunity to preview and purchase art. Festivities will include an artists' award reception and the presentation of a commemorative tile designed by Novi artist Rachelle Nozero. The giving of the tile has been a tradition since the show began 26 years ago. Friend tickets, with admission to the preview at 6 p.m. are $75.

New to the show last year and being repeated again because of its success is the collaborative piece of art. "It was a little scary last year," said Nozero of the blank canvas that sat on an easel greeting preview guests. After the first hour - aside from the initial rendition of the tile design -- there were only a few colored splotches. But, as the night wore on a group of children attending the event caught on to what the canvas was all about and went to work filling up the space. Their initiative created a whirlwind of activity and by midpoint that evening everyone wanted in on it. "It ended up being this beautiful, wonderful piece that we raffled off," said Nozero, who was the one who initiated the project.

Her late husband Larry Nozero was a professional saxophone player. As a renowned jazz artist and session musician for Motown he enjoyed the opportunity of collaborating with other artists to create beautiful music. Nozero always thought it would be neat to do something similar with artists in her circle.

This year's canvas will features a rendition of the 2011 tile only instead of raffling the painting off at the end of the night, there will be an auction. 

Painting by Teri Selik.

"Art in Vogue" is a second gala event, Oct. 13, which brings art and fashion together. Local boutiques have been invited to pick one piece from the show and use it as inspiration for a fashionable outfit. It's a fun evening and always a surprise as you never know what will end up on the runway. A flashy red car was the inspiration for a bright red dress last year.  All of the models are professionals who have donated their time to benefit the Community House. Also supporting the event is Black's The Salon of Birmingham.

Tickets for the event, open to all ages, are $30 and include dinner plus one beverage. This event also features a collaborative work of art - this one a sketch of Elizabeth Taylor submitted by Tom Maniaci of Frame Your Face in Birmingham. For $20 a square guests can add a touch of their own style to the canvas, which will also be auctioned off.

"Many of the artists are expected to attend the opening night and often can be found close to their pieces of art," said Sorenson. "And it's kind of fun to talk to them and find out what inspired them."

The Community House is at 380 South Bates Street, Birmingham. For reservations or further information call 248-644-5832 or visit The Community House

DAYTRIPPING
Looking for other great activities for the family to do? Check out our list of events going on in the Metro Detroit area:

Benefit bookstore

The Friends of the Warren Public Library will run a used bookstore in the old Warren Village Fire Hall, at 5959 Beebe Street, to benefit the library. Guests will find books, DVDs, CDs, VHS, record albums and cassettes in all genres, for all ages. Nothing will be priced over $4. Children’s books will be 25 cents for hardcover, 10 cents for paperbacks. Hours: Oct. 7, 14, 21, 22, and 29, from 9 a.m. – noon.

Comedian Mike Green

Laugh for a cause

The Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan, which provides beds and essential furnishings to children and families in need, will present its annual Furniture Bank Comedy Night, from 6-9 p.m., Oct. 19 at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, 310 South Troy Street, Royal Oak. Headlining the show this year is comedian Mike Green, with special guest Phenicia Banks. Tickets: $40 each includes hors d’oeuvres, 50/50 raffle and live auction. For more information email: comedynight@furniture-bank.org

Historical Society

Cemetery Walk of Save Our Depot/Lenox-New Haven Historical Society and New Baltimore Historical Society, 1 p.m. Oct. 8, at Centennial Cemetery on Clark Street (27 Mile Road), New Haven. Participants meet at Grand Trunk Depot on Victoria near Main Street and the railroad tracks for hayride to cemetery. Free; refreshments follow at train depot. Call 586-749-6583.

Irishfest

The Macomb County Warming Center will present its annual Irishfest fundraser, Oct. 16 at St. Margaret of Scotland Church gym, 21201 13 Mile Road, St. Clair Shores. Entertainment will include a performance of Irish folk music by Charlie Taylor, Larry Larson and “Fiddling George” Chirota. Admission is free but donations will be gratefully accepted. Further information, call 586-321-0998.

Pancake breakfast

VFW Bruce Post 1146 and Shorewood Kiwanis host pancake breakfast, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 9, at the Bruce Post, 28404 Jefferson, St. Clair Shores. Admission $7 adults, $3 younger than 7; proceeds to World War II Michigan War Veterans Memorial Legacy Project. Call 586-707-2100.

Garden Club

Mount Clemens Garden Club meeting, noon Oct. 10, in Mount Clemens Public Library Community Room, 150 Cass Ave. Slide presentation on “Native Plants for Your Garden” by Metro Beach Nature Center. 586-286-5034.

Big Family

Charity auction to benefit Big Family of Michigan, 6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 13, at San Marino Club, 1685 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy. Proceeds go to support abused and foster children in Michigan. Evening includes dinner and auctions. Visit Big Family of Michigan

Chili Cook-off

Ray Township chili cook-off, 7 p.m.-midnight Oct. 14, at the sponsoring Timberwood Golf Course, 27300 31 Mile Road. Event features chili judging, cash bar, music and dancing. To enter chili contest, register at Ray Township office, 64255 Wolcott road, 586-749-5171.

Fall Film Festival

MJR presents the 2011 Free Children’s Fall Film Festival, free for children 12 and younger, adults $1, at Chesterfield Crossing Digital Cinema 16, (586) 598-2500; Marketplace Digital Cinema 20, 586-264-1514; and Partridge Creek Digital Cinema 14, 586-263-0084. Schedule includes: “Judy Moody,” Oct. 8-9; “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” Oct. 15-16; “Rio,” Oct. 22-23; “Spy Kids,” Oct. 29-30. No advance ticket sales; show times posted three days in advance of each showing.

Homes Tour

Mount Clemens Historical Commission 18th Annual Historic Homes Tour, Oct. 8. For details and $12 advance tickets, visit Mount Clemens Historical Commission call 586-465-1538, or go to the Mount Clemens Public Library, 150 Cass Ave. Tickets $15 day of event.

Focus: HOPE Walk

Four-mile walk to benefit Focus: HOPE, 11:30 a.m. entertainment, 12:30 p.m. walk Oct. 9, at the Resource Center, 1355 Oakman Blvd., Detroit. Visit Focus Hope

Senior Expo

Free 18th Annual Senior Expo 2011, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 13, at Assumption Cultural Center, 21800 Marter Road, St. Clair Shores. Day includes exhibits and give-aways, complimentary luncheon and raffle, entertainment by Gentlemen of Swing, community resource information, health screenings, and “Ask the Experts.” Doors open 8:15 a.m. Free shuttle service from Grosse Pointe Woods Lakefront Park. For details, 586-779-6111 ext. 4.

‘Michigan’s Harvest’

“Michigan’s Harvest: Food, Family and Community” program series runs through Nov. 19, at the Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College, Garfield and Hall roads, Clinton Township. The program includes more than 30 free presentations, a series of five free exhibits and three special events (admission fee). For series and registration information, Macomb Center for Performing Arts or 586-286-2222 or 586-445-7348.

Senior volunteers

Senior Companion Program of Macomb, sponsored by Catholic Services of Macomb, needs volunteers age 55 and older to provide companionship and support to other area adults. Volunteers must meet income eligibility guidelines and have reliable transportation; benefits include a tax-free stipend for their services. Call 586-756-1435.

Warren art

Warren Tri-County Fine Arts Association member Pep Moroni displays his oil paintings at Warren City Hall, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Saturday during October. Group’s meeting 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11, at Warren Community Center. Demonstration by watercolor artist Rick Burger. Visit www.warrenfinearts.com.

Art exhibit

“Made in Michigan” annual exhibit at City Gallery, 292 Cass Ave., Mount Clemens, through Oct. 30, features work by Mount Clemens Art Association member Louise Parrish, retired Mount Clemens High School art teacher. Call 586-469-8781.

Santa Fabio

Mitch Greenberg (Freud) and 

Cory Krebsbach (C.S. Lewis) in Freud’s Last Session.

Century Theatre

“Freud’s Last Session” on stage 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, through Nov. 20, at Century Theatre, 333 Madison Ave., Detroit. For tickets, $34.50-$44.50, call 313-963-9800 or Ticketmaster.com.

Line Dancing

Line dancing and couples classes, Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. beginners, 7:15 p.m. beginner plus, 8:15-9 p.m. couples, at Roseville Recreation Center, 18185 Sycamore, east of Gratiot, north of Interstate 696, $5 per session. Call 586-777-7242 or countrycuzzins@wowway.com.

Blind bowlers

Macomb Blind Bowlers for visually impaired and/or blind individuals 18 and older, league bowling 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Fraser Star Lanes, northeast corner of 14 Mile and Garfield roads. Fee $10 per week. Call 586-360-9543.

Community theater

*“Never Too Late,” presented by Rodgerland Productions and Sterling Heights Lions Club, Saturdays, through Oct. 22, at Lions Club, 12828 Canal Road, west of Schoenherr. Buffet at 6:30 p.m., show follows; tickets $25 including tax and tip. For reservations, 586-776-9844.

*Broadway Onstage continues season with the comedy “Love Song,” 8 p.m. Oct. 8, at the theater, 21517 Kelly Road at Toepfer, Eastpointe. Tickets $16. Call 586-771-6333.

*Musical “Meet Me in St. Louis” opens season for Stagecrafters, through Oct. 9, at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak. Advance tickets $18 and $20, online at Stagecrafters or by phone 248-541-6430.

Square dancing

Patches Squares dance club hosts beginning square dance lessons, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at First United Methodist Church of Warren, 5005 Chicago Road. First class (no matter when dancers start) is free, $3 for following sessions. Call 248-613-3169.

Pet adoptions

Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society pet adoptions, dogs, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 1 at Petsmart at Hall and Schoenherr roads, Utica. Call 313-891-1088.

Collectors show

Military Collectors’ Show, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 4, sponsored by Men’s Auxiliary to VFW Bruce Post No. 1146, 28404 Jefferson, St. Clair Shores. General admission $5. Refreshments available; patrons may bring military items to sell, trade or display.

Palette Club

Lakeside Palette Club has studio space 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 111 of Adult Education Center on Masonic near Jefferson. Call 586-350-4518 or visit www.lakesidepaletteclub.org.

Fishing clubs

Vanguard Trout Unlimited for fishing enthusiasts meets 7:30 p.m. second Thursday monthly at Rochester’s Dinosaur Hill. Also, Fishing Buddies Fishing Club gathers 6:30 p.m. third Tuesdays at Rochester Hills OPC, 650 Leticia Drive. Call 248-375-1931.

Farmers Market

Mount Clemens Farmers Market open 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 19, at 141 North River Road. Locally grown products, including flowers. Visit www.mountclemensfarmersmarket.com.

Artists Association

Grosse Pointe Artists Association 73rd Annual Members Show, through Oct. 22, at 16900 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe. Opening reception 6:30-9 p.m. Sept. 9. Call 313-821-1848.

TODAY'S MUSE

 I've been on a calendar, but never on time -- Marilyn Monroe

Michigan dog auditions for the Late Show with David Lettermen

Many dogs in Michigan are headed up north for the hunting season but not Crash. Instead of chasing down grouse and wild turkeys in the UP, the retriever from Shelby Township will be chasing down fame in New York City.

The poster dog for the 2012 Michigan Winter Dog Classic in Novi is one of four dogs with dock-diving skills invited to audition for the Late Show with David Lettermen.

Crash’s owner, Chip Baker, is proud of the attention she's getting but not particularly surprised. He said he's always known she was special, and rare as far as retrievers go.

“She’s a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever. It’s a relatively new breed,” said Alisa Zee, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Winter Dog Classic and WWJ-AM (950) radio personality. “That’s one of the reasons we chose her to be the poster dog for the show.”

But Crash is not just a pretty pooch.

She’s a talented high-flying dock-jumper too. 

Dock jumping is a simple but exciting sport: dogs run down a dock while their handlers try to get them to fly as far as they can after a toy tossed into the air and ultimately the water. It’s a thrilling, adrenaline-driven event that is a blast for pet owners and crowds alike. The newest addition to the sport has the dogs competing for heights rather than distance.

As for Crash being nervous about performing in front of a camera crew in the big city? Baker said there’s no worry about stage fright. “Crash could be surrounded by polar bears and wolves and she wouldn’t bat an eye,” said Baker. “So a few television cameras and lights won’t phase this pooch one little bit.”

When Zee spoke with Baker earlier today about their experience in New York, Baker said everyone seems anxious to meet her. “It’s like being the manager of a rock star.”

Fans of Crash are hoping to see her tonight on CBS’s Late Show. If not, Crash will also be doing a meet and greet as the poster dog for the Michigan Winter Dog Classic, Jan. 19-22, at Suburban Collection Showplace. The facility formerly known as Rock Financial Showplace is located at 46100 Grand River, Novi. The juried show will feature 7,000 dogs competing in every category imaginable.

Put on a happy face with a DIY pumpkin mask

Fall's palette of red, orange, and gold is beginning to show on the trees in our neighborhood and with every breeze comes the scents of the season; apples, pine and pumpkins. A trip to the apple orchard is on the calendar as well as one to the pumpkin patch. 

Pumpkins are great because they can not only be used to decorate the porch - along with a couple corn husks and a basket of yellow mums - but they can be carved, cooked and gutted for use in making a DIY at-home pumpkin mask.

This month's issue of Good Housekeeping magazine features a recipe for the orange goop created by Erika Katz, beauty guru and author of Bonding Over Beauty. Apparently pumpkin guts are full of exfoliating enzymes that leave the skin looking bright and fresh rather than dry and scary.

Just ask anyone who has been fortunate enough to experience the Pumpkin Perfecting at the Eau Spa at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach. They'll tell you it not only smells delicious but contains a pumpkin patch of super-ingredients that are good for the skin including zinc, beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A. 

Try these recipes and let us know what you think. 

PUMPKIN FACE MASK

2 teaspoons fresh (or canned) pureed pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon heavy whipping cream

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients and set it aside for 15 minutes. You could apply it to the face immediately but pausing for a few minutes allows the ingredients to get acquainted. Before you apply the mask, be sure you're comfortable as you need to leave it on for 10 minutes. Load the computer with a few good tunes, kick back and relax. When you're done rinse it off.

What it does: I'm hoping it will be refreshing. It's also been known to reduce lines and wrinkles. The honey is supposed to be a natural moisturizer and combat against flaky skin.

PUMPKIN SCRUB

1/2 cup fresh (or canned) pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon of honey

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and set it aside for 15 minutes, as with the facial. Then apply it to your skin and rinse it off.

Fundraiser tonight will help homeless students all year

Fundraiser at Mirage Banquet Center tonight for needy students.

Another busy school year has started and once again the Macomb Intermediate School District is working to provide the county's homeless population with backpacks and books, shoes and socks, whatever supplies they might need to be successful.

Tonight's wine tasting fundraiser presented by the Clinton Valley Kiwanis Club goes a long way to support these efforts. 

The annual event known as "A Tuscan Evening" from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Mirage Banquet Center, 16980 18 Mile Road in Clinton Township will feature global varieties of wine and a taste of Italy buffet dinner, silent auction and raffle, doors prizes. Wines tasted will be available for purchase. 

"The Kiwanis sponsored event (tonight) is our biggest fundraiser of the year," said Kathleen Kropf, MISD homeless education liaison. "Please help spread the word so we can continue to give these students the educational support they need."

Last year the MISD assisted 877 homeless students in Macomb County.

Tickets for tonight's event are $30 per person (age 21-up) and can be purchased at the door. For further information on the fundraiser or donations contact: Anna Gloria at 586-286-3983 or Anita Frederick at 586-246-6289.

TODAY'S MUSE

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.

What to know before renting a home

As a result of the tough housing market, more Americans are renting homes. While the costs may be considerably lower, there still may be some factors to consider before signing on the dotted line.

Read the lease carefully so you know what is expected of you as a tenant. Are you responsible for your own utilities and what about the trash? Is the rent a set price for the year or could it increase? If there's an increase how much is it expected to be in one year?

How are maintenance requests handled? Do you need to make your own repairs, and if you do, are you reimbursed for materials?

One of the problems with renting is having the cash to cover a security deposit plus first month's rent. Ask the landlord about alternative security deposit programs such as SureDeposit.

"The service enables you to avoid more expensive traditional security deposits by paying a one-time bond premium at a fraction of the cost," according to a report by Assurant Specialty Property, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in rental fees and insurances. "In the event of damage at the end of the lease, SureDeposit reimburses the apartment owner or manager, and the renter reimburses the bond company."

Seriously consider renters' insurance. While the building might be insured against fire under the landlord's insurance, your personal belongings are not likely to be covered in the event of theft or disaster. Would you be able to replace your TV, computer, furniture, clothing and household items, such as towels and linens? The cost of replacing these items can add up to thousands of dollars - in addition to the cost of finding another place to live. Fire is not the only disaster that can happen. What if you left the water running and it damaged your furniture and carpeting, even the floor?

A good renters insurance policy is one that not only covers your personal belongings but can even pay part of your rent should you lose your job. Ask about a policy that provides personal liability coverage. This would cover you against liabilities should someone get hurt in your apartment and require medical attention. What if a fire started in your apartment? There's a chance you would be liable for damages to your unit and any others damaged in the fire.

"'A residential fire occurs, every 80 seconds,' according to the U.S. Fire Administration. You should ask yourself how expensive it would be to get your life back after such an event or a burglary, if you weren't insured," said Kathy McDonald, senior vice president of Assurant Specialty Property. "In these types of situations, renters quickly realize the value of their renters insurance. For a minimal financial investment, renters insurance provides peace of mind for the unexpected."

Finally, before you sign off on your new home, inspect the property and assess any damages that might exist prior to moving in, so that you're not responsible for repairs afterwards. A thorough inspection should include walls, floors, windows, electricity, plumbing and even closets and appliances. Make sure everything is in running order. Does it have a fireplace? When was the last time the chimney was inspected? How about the furnace? If you're renting a home you might ask the landlord about a fall inspection.

"Being properly prepared can make the complicated task of renting easier and speed you on your way to that housewarming party," McDonald said.

Send your comments or home and garden tips to gina.joseph@macombdaily.com.

TODAY'S MUSE

If we could sell our experiences for what they cost we'd be millionaires -- Abigail Van Buren