200th post

Well, I suppose it was inevitable. I mean, with two months of more posts-than-days-in-the-month...yeah, I've reached 200 posts. The 100th post passed in the night and I didn't even realize I'd written it until after the fact. A lot of folks do something special for their milestone posts...listing 100 things about themselves or holding a giveaway of some sort... I was debating about that, but ya know, I don't know that I can think of that many interesting things about myself...and even if I could, I doubt you'd want to read them all. So how about we divide by 10, and for my 200th post I'll just tell you 20 interesting things about me?!

Or at least 20 things...

1. My favorite color is pink. Has been since high school. I particularly like hot pink.
2. I prefer to wear blue or turquoise, because it brings out my eyes better.
3. I love earrings, but I almost never change them, so I refuse to buy more, no matter how cute they are.
4. I like hot cocoa, but not (cold) chocolate milk.
5. I hate marshmallows.
6. I love chocolate, but I don't think it's worth it unless it's GOOD chocolate. Hershey's tastes like wax. Oh wait, it IS wax.
7. I like my ice cream in a bowl, not on a cone.
8. I generally prefer vanilla ice cream, but my favorite flavor ever was grapefruit, which I got in Italy.
9. Grapefruit is one of my favorite things on earth--I love to eat it, and I love the scent too.
10. I live in a salmon fishing mecca...and I don't really like salmon.
11. I love sewing, but it just frustrated me as a kid. I spent more time picking stitches out than sewing them in. I never dreamed I would make an income from it.
12. I was painfully shy as a child and teen. I wouldn't even look a stranger in the eye. I utterly refused ANY form of public speaking. I wouldn't even say a family prayer over dinner if we had guests.
13. Then I went on to be a theatre/education major in college. I don't know what happened in between!
14. I do not like the colors burnt orange or puce. Both remind me of vomit. Even the name 'puce' reminds me of vomit. Who wants a vomit-colored crayon anyway?!
15. I love to talk. A lot. Oh wait, that's not very interesting...and you already knew it, didn't you?!
16. I am really really really opinionated about most stuff. I am always up for a discussion or debate with people who agree or disagree...I can respect a choice that is different from my own, so long as it is based in *research. I reserve the right to NOT respect any decision which is NOT based on *research.
17. I enjoy over-intellectualizing things. This probably began when my father taught me to sing nursery rhymes about "A Trio of Obnoxious Rodents" rather than "Three Blind Mice..."
18. I am about halfway through reading the complete works of William Shakespeare.
19. I also taught English, and cannot turn off my teacher's eye when reading...spelling and grammar errors always jump out at me. No, I don't really judge people on them (at least I try not to--I know I make mistakes too), but I confess that if there are a lot of them, I usually stop reading from that writer because it makes me crazy.
20. I love dogs, and our dog is quite literally one of the children. A sub-human child (always bottom on the totem pole), but still a child. That's why I made her a birthday cake.

*when I say 'research' I mean studying the issue, not that it always has to be a scientific matter. Pondering, praying, reviewing, talking to people, etc all constitute 'research' to me. Blindly following something somebody said, just because 'they should know' is what I cannot respect.

Banished to the Island

My Hubby posted about this, and I thought it was kinda fun, and I have been blogging longer (and have a wider readership) so I thought I'd post it here, and link back to his post (and increase his traffic), and, yeah. ☺

It works like this: say you have an island, somewhere in the middle of nowhere (like *Chichagof? Naw, more nowhere than that!) You can choose three things to banish to that island--once banished, those three things will no longer exist in the rest of the world.
Hubby's friend chose funny things (you'll have to go read about them!) Hubby chose more serious things--things I might choose myself. But I think this question deserves some serious thought, so while I could be content to duplicate his answers, I won't.
Here are my three things to banish:

1. Indifference. If people just cared about each other and our planet then the world would be a much nicer place. Everyone would vote, everyone would recycle, everyone would smile when they passed people in the street, everyone would stop to help, everyone would adopt stray dogs and spay and neuter their pets. Nobody would assume that everything was somebody elses problem.
2. Lying. Everything from perjury to little white lies. All gone. If everyone was honest, the no one would ask your opinion unless they ACTUALLY wanted it. No 'does this make me look fat' or 'how are you' when all they want to hear is 'fine thanks.' I think it would be very freeing if we were all more honest with each other. No, I'm not fine, I'm tired and frustrated and stressed... Seriously, I am so sick of having people ask me questions when they don't really want the answer.
3. And, well, I'd like to get rid of the color orange. I have just never liked it. (If I hadn't said that, I would have gone with money...I hate money...)

*Chichagof is the island where I live

The Tide Waits for No Man...or Dog...

Playing on the tide flats is all good fun...unless you forget to come in....

Koira heeded our calls when it lapped at her ankles.
Sisu stayed until the water hit her chin.

(thanks to KnittingFisher for the picture!)

Birth Story Carnival!

Somebody is holding a birth story carnival!! I'm not about to take the time to go read every story (and actually only read about half of hers...although I read the ones posted by my friends!)...but I think it's fun to go back and put my links on the Mr Linky...so if you've got a birth story (whether previously written or still waiting for words) go add your link to the list! C'mon, birthy vibes are fun!

So, for those of you who weren't around and reading this blog when Bear (formerly known as S) was born, here is the story of his birth. For those who don't remember the more recently told story of how Wolf (W) came to be 'born in my heart' well, you can read that here.

Easter Morn

This week I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting today (Easter Sunday). I felt prompted to use this hymn as my starting point. I had heard it many times, but this week the real depth of it has moved me. (click the title to hear it)

That Easter Morn
hymn 198
To be sung with dignity

1. That Easter morn, a grave that burst
Proclaimed to man that “Last and First”
Had ris’n again
And conquered pain.

2. This morn renews for us that day
When Jesus cast the bonds away,
Took living breath
And conquered death.

3. Thus we in gratitude recall
And give our love and pledge our all,
Shed grateful tear
And conquer fear.

Text: Marion D. Hanks, b. 1921. © 1975 IRI
Music: Robert Cundick, b. 1926. © 1975 IRI


I believe that we as Christians spend a lot of time focused on how Christ conquered death, but we should remember that He conquered the pains and fears of life as well. I am forever grateful for His sacrifice for us.

I'm Baaack!

Well, it has certainly been a most productive week! I have spent some time online doing things to promote my store, but mostly I've been sewing sewing sewing...and knitting.

Here is the tally of what I finished:

9 wetbags

3 diapers

5 sets of menstrual pads

1 hand-knit stranded hat (which was a custom order and is already sold)

I also got about 10 more pad sets cut out (and a couple are half sewn), and designed an all-in-one (AIO) pad, which is a new item for me!

I listed 11 new items and sold 3. I also re-did my shop banner and announcement, updated several of the listings, and made linky buttons for my blog here--see, you can just click the button and go straight to my store! Or straight to visit one of my street teams! (and keep an eye on that cloth diapering one...we're planning a LARGE promotion in the next few weeks...we don't have all the details hammered out yet, but it will almost certainly involve free diapers!)

Get Fit!

The President's Challenge starts on March 20 (next week). Alaska's governer has encouraged all Alaskans to participate, and I'm doing it, and encourage all my readers to do it as well! To participate in the program, each adult commits to 30 min of activity, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. (Children under 18 commit to 60 min of activity, and adults who are already active can commit to higher levels if they choose.) You can go here to sign up and track your progress! This program is in the USA, but the website is set up so that people from any country can use it to track their fitness.
Once you've signed up, join the group I made: "Getting off my duff" #69184, password "brightonwoman" Then we can see what everyone else is doing (I promise, all I really do is walk the dog!) and we can encourage and harrass each other as applicable!
C'mon, I did it! I'm getting out there at least an hour a day (usually more) and walking with my doggie. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, but you know you should get off your duff and get moving, so here ya go! I'm giving you your own personal nudge in the right direction!!!

Songs of Comfort

A friend of mine recently miscarried...
As always happens to me when I hear of this happening to a friend, I think back to my own miscarriages, and how I felt, and what comforted me.
Something that has comforted me every time is hymns. I mentioned this before, and promised to share them sometime, so now I am. Two hymns in particular have been my solace.

Be Still My Soul (#124)
(my eternal thanks to Mae, for introducing me to this song in the first place!)

Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Text: Katharina von Schlegel, b. 1697;trans. by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897
Music: "Finlandia"--which is copywrited, so is not available online



I Believe in Christ (#134)
(I have only written out the portions that particularly helped me, click here to hear it and see the full text)

I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
From Satan's grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above.

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I'll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard "Ye shall obtain."

I believe in Christ, so come what may,
With him I'll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.

Text: apostle Bruce R McConkie (this song is his testimony of Christ)
Music: John Longhurst

Flat Stanley meets Patience the classroom Hedgehog

Going Green

In honor of the title of this post, I've changed my text to green. :-)

I got inspired by BabyAmore over at My Little Drummer Boys to post about this...

OK, so I know it's 'in' right now to 'go green' because of global warming and carbon footprints and all that...there is also a lot of controversy over it. I want to explain my position, and why I am an environmentalist.
1--Climate change is part of the cycle of Earth's history. Frankly, I don't see proof that humans are changing the temperature of the earth. I DO see that the temperature is changing, I just am not convinced that it is human-caused rather than part of the natural cycle of things...
2--I DO believe that pollution is a problem.
3--I believe that humans were given dominion over the earth (as per Genesis), and told to be good stewards over it. Being a good steward would mean taking care of Earth and its creatures, supporting life and beauty and nature rather than destroying them.
4--I believe that all living things have spirits (trees, animals, etc) and that the Earth also has a spirit. I therefore take it very seriously to show respect to all these things.

So you see, I'm not about reducing carbon footprints for the sake of reducing global warming...I don't even know if they are really related. BUT, I do strongly believe in being responsible with our world.

So, without further ado, here are some ways to be a good steward, save the world, and go a little greener! (no, I don't do all of them, but I do most of them!)

1. Replace your light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs (the little twisty looking ones). They last far longer and use 1/10 the energy. They are a little pricey to switch all at once, but we started by just buying one package per month, thus replacing about 2 bulbs a month...
2. Breastfeed
3. If you need to buy a new appliance, consider an energystar one.
4. A front-loading washing machine not only uses less energy and less water (about 2 gal per load), it also uses 1/4 the soap. (more laundry tips)
   
5. Unless it is a super-grubby load, use half measures of soap in your regular laundry (in a regular washing machine)
6. Consider a water softener/filter if you live in an area with hard water. It will allow you to use pure soaps and less of them. (Did you know that most soaps/detergents are 3/4 cleaning agents meant to clean the water, and only 1/4 to actually clean your body/hair/hands/dishes/clothes?!)
7. Use cloth diapers
8. Use cloth menstrual pads or a menstrual cup
9. Use cloth wipes--for baby bottoms, for runny noses, for cleaning house...
10. Use rechargeable batteries, or non-battery items!
11. Use fabric shopping bags. You can even get super lightweight produce bags (which won't upset the weight scale making you pay for the bag as well as the produce) from places like this
12. Try fabric gift bags
13. Use a bento box or fabric lunch bag for taking meals to work/school or on picnics
14. Buy organic (fewer pesticides in the ground, water, and animals)
15. Buy hormone-free meat, eggs, and dairy (let the animals grow normally!)
16. Buy locally (shipping things all over the place makes a lot of pollution! If I had to choose, I would buy local before organic)
17. Plant a tree
18. Raise a garden--your own fresh food will taste better and be cheaper than anything you can buy, and it will be healthier, AND it is the epitome of "local!"
    
19. Reduce the amount of stuff you have around...
20. Reuse things--old towels can be cut up for cleaning rags, old jeans make great camping blankets, old toothbrushes are great for scrubbing little corners It's like the old pioneer mantra "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without."
21. Recycle aluminum, plastic, glass, metal cans, paper, and cardboard
22. Repair things whenever practical. After all, my son doesn't mind a big patch on his jeans. He's just going to bust through the other knee in a few months, so might as well get the extra life out of them!
23. Compost--all fruit/vegetable waste (peelings, cores, seeds, etc), plus eggshells, coffee grounds, etc can be composted.
24. Grow a garden! Use your own compost, and do away with the pollution that comes from shipping!
25. Try to purchase items with minimal packaging, and/or recyclable packaging
26. Use a washable water bottle like this or this instead of buying and tossing (or even recycling) plastic bottles...those plastic bottles should not be re-used by the way, as they accumulate bacteria, and if heated (say, in a hot car) toxins from the plastic can leech into the water
27. Install skylights in your roof (so you won't need to turn on the lights as often)
28. Try to buy things that will last longer, rather than things which will wear out and have to be replaced... (wooden toys and kitchen utensils rather than plastic, that kind of thing)
29. Walk, bike, or use public transportation
30. Drive a car with good milage (even a hybrid) if you can.
    
31. Have good driving habits, including gentle acceleration and braking, using cruise control, and driving in the proper gear for your speed
32. Clean your house with baking soda, salt, lemon juice, and vinegar. I'm not kidding--it works really really well. Here is a post with some specific uses
33. Buy products with minimal packaging, so that you won't produce so much garbage.
34. Re-use packaging, for mailing, storing, or gifting.
    
35. Combine errands and do everything at once, rather than making multiple trips.
    
36. Do lots of little things, even if you can't do big things, because the little things do add up!
    

Please, if you have other ideas, share them in your comments (I'll add them to the list!)

It's a Dog Party on my Blog!

If you've never read "Go Dog Go" this will not be half so funny as if you have...

Hurry dogs hurry. Go dogs go. Go to the dog party!

Little dog.

Now she's a big dog.

This dog is 2 today.

This dog has a friend!

Play, dogs, play!

See the candles?

Eat, dogs, eat!

Pineapple upside-down cake. Mmmm!

Do you like my hat?

Goodbye now.

Goodbye!

Party Chatter (updated)

I will update this post as new visiters ask questions in their comments... (new stuff added to the TOP of the post)
Whether you're a regular reader or a first timer, feel free to ask questions! After all, the chatting is the best part of any party!

Do you know about Diaperswappers.com?
Yup. I haven't actually been there, because I had the understanding it was more for used stuff rather than new...I do all new so I'd never considered selling there. I also really like etsy and the whole handmade mindset.

By the way, in case anybody wondered, I sure hate daylight savings time. It is stoooo-pid!

I saw on Oprah once that it was really expensive for just milk in Alaska, is that true?
Well, yes and no. It's about $8/gallon where I live, but we are more rural than most (go visit that link!) In Juneau, and I presume in Anchorage and other bigger places, it's closer to $5/gallon. In other words, just a little more than Seattle. A lot of things here cost more, but a lot of things don't...eggs are about $3/dozen, which my mom says is what she pays in Seattle. Gas is $3.50 right now, unless you buy it out here where it's $4.16...but we are a tiny fishing town 90 miles from anything and accessible only by boat or seaplane. We have one little general store and the internet...that's about it!

OK, I thought our 6 inches of snow in KY was bad but THREE FEET!
Well, we ARE in Alaska. It's already melted a lot (we are in the southern reaches on the coast). Technically our climate is a 'temperate rainforest.' Average annual precipitation: over 100inches.

Wow. Bald eagles snd bears? Cool.
Yes it is. Very cool! We are tucked in on the edge of National Forest. There are grizzlies in the woods, seals and king salmon in the water, and Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons overhead. A few years ago a pod of whales wintered in the inlet almost right in front of town. It is truly a remarkable place!

So, all those cool prizes...which ones interest you?
Oh yes, I'm supposed to list that out! This is more or less in order of preference...
#94 book light
#141 "I make milk" tee shirt
#36 marketing
#55 or 59 cash prizes
#24, 45 or 123 blog design
#19 klean kanteen sippy cup

Intervening With Nature and Bringing Down Women

I am a woman. Yup, female. When one is female, there are certain things that go along with the territory...cycles of hormones: menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation...

Frankly I am insulted and offended by the way our modern culture tries to squelch these natural parts of femininity.

For starters, they tell us that having a period is dirty. It should be hidden, covered with perfumes and flushed or thrown away. Furthermore, a menstruating woman should behave exactly the same on those days as she does on any other day of the month--never mind that her body is letting go of blood, iron, and energy. What?! What idiot came up with these ideas?! It was either a man or a woman who wanted to be a man. A period is a symbol of fertility, not weakness! It should be observed, not ignored. No, I don't save my menstrual blood and use it to water my houseplants (although I hear that such plants thrive). On the other hand, I don't try to pretend that it doesn't exist. On the first day of my period I take a day off--I don't worry about trying to get much done. I make a simple dinner (often one I've frozen ahead of time). I accept that my body is taking a day off. It's all part of the cycle.

We have pills and drugs to counteract PMS. PreMenstrual Syndrome is partly caused by hormones, but actually mostly because of poor nutrition and lousy self-care. Take a nap, drink more water, lay off the sugar, avoid caffeine, and consider taking a little red raspberry leaf. You will most likely find that PMS is not inevitable, but is actually like most other pains--a sign that something is wrong!

Pregnancy is part of being a woman. If you are not willing to be pregnant, do not participate in pregnancy-causing activities. I feel very strongly about that. I am generally disgusted with birth control hormones and the havoc they wreck on women's bodies. Hormones fluctuate in a delicate balance, and 'the pill' (any of them) interferes with that. Most pills advertise shorter, lighter periods (I can tell you a safer way to get that!). One pill claims to 'beat' PMS with a commercial singing "We're not gonna take it" (take what, healthy fertility?!) One pill boasts of interfering so much that a period only comes every third month. Does that scare anyone else?!

Once pregnant, many women grieve their condition. Even if they are excited about having a baby join the family, they complain about the process. I've been pregnant: I know about the morning sickness, aches, pains, and exhaustion. It's part of the package deal. They schedule inductions and plan cesarean sections for the convenience of predictability, rather than out of any medical need. Even those who wait for nature's timing for labor are likely to demand medications which will numb their bodies and interfere with the natural process (and likely lead to other interventions). Giving birth is a rite of passage! I don't enjoy pain, and I'm certainly no martyr. I did not choose unmedicated birth out of machismo or a desire to boast to my children about how hard I worked to get them here. I chose it because it is how birth is meant to be. It is how our bodies are meant to work. It is what our Creator intended. And yes it is HARD work, but it is not bad. Sure, sometimes something goes amiss, and in those cases inductions, epidurals, and cesareans can work wonders...but they should not be routine. Intervening with nature should never be routine.

And when we do give birth to that tiny, helpless, baby, our amazing bodies know just what to do: they make nourishment for it. First colostrum, then milk. Milk which changes as the baby ages. Milk which has a high fat content and helps to mylenize the baby's rapidly developing brain cells. Milk which contains stem cells. How amazing and perfect is this?! And yet many women choose to take drugs to dry up their supply, or else wean the child long before he is ready. Instead they offer the child milk from another mammal--one whose genetic makeup (and milk) is very dissimilar to our own. Are we mad?! Where is the logic in this?

Why do women think they should be men? No periods. No hormones. No pregnancies. No labor. No baby at the breast... Is androgeny really so desirable? Throughout history men have always found a particular body shape more attractive than any other: a sort of an hourglass shape...a shape which indicates fertility. In other words, the most attractive woman is one who is not afraid of her body and what it can do.
Stand up! Don't be ashamed of your body and its processes. Be aware, and be proud! You are a Phenomenal Woman!

Happy Things

Yay for little happy things!

For example, I just posted this wetbag for sale yesterday, and today it sold! YAY! (which just goes to show that people besides me DO like leopard print! I knew it!)

Also I just learned about a program called Goods 4 Girls. Many of you may have seen the TV commercials about how many young girls in Africa are unable to attend school because they don't have any kind of menstrual protection...well, while kotex is making all their adds about how they will donate a tiny percentage of sales to help these girls, Goods 4 Girls is actually sending them cloth pads--a dozen washable cloth pads will provide for a girl for years, not just for one cycle! I'm talking to somebody right now about setting up my store that people can buy my pads to donate (and I'll ship directly to G4G). I'm going to offer a discount for folks who donate because I think it's a great cause to support!

Grateful Friday

This week I'm grateful for:

Koira being a good doggie all week for me and always coming when I called her (she's struggled with this a lot in the past, but I've been working hard on getting her out for walk every day, and it's helping...that, and she's nearly an 'adult' now, so some of it is probably just maturity). I was so proud of her I made her salmon biscuits and peanut butter bars (doggie recipes) so I can even give her special little treats when she is consistently obedient!

I'm glad Hubby and I decided to rearrange our bedroom. It's small and crowded, but we decided to push the bed against the wall which opened up some space in the middle of the room...it does mean that if I end up needing to get up in the middle of the night I may end up stepping on Hubby's face, but he said that is a risk he is willing to take.

I'm also glad that KnittingFisher is back in town. She spent a few days in Juneau with Sisu (her doggie daughter) for Sisu's spay. Anyway, Alaska weather and seaplanes being what they are, it took a couple of extra days for them to get back home. Koira and I have missed them on our morning walks!

And, finally, I'm glad my knitpicks order arrived! A couple of balls of yarn (some backordered before, and some for a custom order stranded hat) and I also got a couple of needles so I can stop borrowing KF's every time. :-)

What Fun!

Alright, so I've had the 'who visited me' widgit for all of two hours now, and I just hopped online for a minute to check whether our tax refund has hit the bank yet (state did, fed is scheduled to hit tomorrow YAY) and I thought I'd pop over here and see if anybody had visited me.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
Not only do people visit me, but people that I have no idea who it is!!
There are a bunch of entries from Salt Lake City and Provo UT--I know a bunch of people there so no shock... I know who I know in Broomfield CO and in Wasilla AK. I even have a pretty good hunch who I know in New South Wales (Australia)
But I didn't know I knew anyone in Crystal City MO, or Selbyville DE, and I definitely didn't expect to see a reader in Amsterdam...or Saudi Arabia!!!
Wow. I feel famous!
Very cool.
Hey all you people from all over, leave me comments and say hi! Better yet, go visit my store and buy stuff! I've spent a goodly portion of my day today adding listings and updating the photos there (I am no photographer, but I'm learning a few things about taking better pictures.)

Oh yeah, and do my homemakers meme, ok?

Homemaker Meme

A couple of years ago I co-hosted a bridal shower for my sister. She had asked for something practical, and so we did just that: the theme of the shower was homemaking, and each guest brought her a recipe (and its non-perishable ingredients). I provided a file for her to keep all her new recipes in, and the other hostess gave her a basket full of cleaning supplies (there was a game to go along with them). All in all, she was thrilled. I was delighted to be part of a happy, helpful, non-embarrassing bridal shower!
One of the activities we did was to share some household tips and stories--each person shared a few tips (on paper) as well as their most embarrassing housekeeping moment. (I think the blue ribbon of stories was the lady who dropped her cordless phone in the washing machine, so went to get her cell, and then dropped that in too!) In any case, I decided to start a meme based on that game. I think it will be a lot of fun--I know I would like to hear what other people have to say!

So it works like this: If you read here (that's all of you), and if you have a blog (that's many of you) and if you keep a house (most of you), then please pass this on! Be sure to put your post URL in the Mr Linky below, and please link back to this post from your post, so that others can see the full list of fun!!!

What three kitchen items do you use the most often?
wooden spoon, wire whisk, (often I don't even use an electric mixer) all things pyrex
What kitchen gadget do you wish you had?
I've thought about a food processor...I'm not sure I would use it though...
What kitchen gadget do you never use/wish you hadn't spent the money for?
The kitchenaid stand mixer. It's an extra hassle to wash, and takes up SO MUCH ROOM!
What is your favorite cookbook? (Link if you can!)
The one I use the most is the one my mom typed up of all our family recipes...but aside from that, the Better Homes and Gardens book (the red plaid one) is a GREAT reference! I use it second most!
Who is your cooking inspiration?
Everybody on Iron Chef! and my mom too
What are the three most important items on your spice rack?
basil, cumin, and cinnamon (of the 40 spices on my rack, it is REALLY HARD to pick just three!)
What are three recipes that you use all the time?
basic rue/white sauce/cheese sauce, whole wheat pancakes, hmmm, I can't think of a third
Can you share a cooking secret?
I don't know how much of a secret this is, but the LESS you handle pie crust dough (mixing, rolling, etc), the flakier it will be. Less is better, yet again!
What is your greatest cleaning secret?
Dawn brand dishsoap--it takes grease off dishes, hands, clothes, oven hoods, etc. I've never seen anything else like it!
What is your favorite thing to clean?
I like sweeping, because that pile of dirt is visible proof that I accomplished something.
What is your least favorite thing to clean?
toilets. I cannot even discribe how much I hate cleaning toilets.
What is your most embarrassing housekeeping moment?
I only had enough dishwasher soap to half-fill the cup, so I decided to fill the other half with regular dish soap. It never occured to me that that would be a problem until my 3yo said "Look Mommy, a bubble waterfall!" and sure enough, a mass of bubbles was pouring out all across my floor!
Who do you tag to do this next?
I tag YOU!

He Likes to Watch it Swirl...

Most mothers will tell you they cannot go to the bathroom alone...

This mother cannot even flush in peace.

Ever.

That Inestimable Treasure

I'm starting a new series, with my favorite scriptures (or religious quotes).

"But among all our joys, there was no one that more filled our hearts, than the blessed continuance of the preaching of God's sacred Word among us; which is that inestimable treasure, which excelleth all the riches of the earth."

prologue to the King James Bible, written by the translators of it

I read this prologue for the first time when I was in high school, and this phrase just stood out to me: that the Word of God should be our greatest joy, and our inestimable treasure. What a good reminder.

The Business of Being Born

I know that for most of my readers, I am preaching to the choir... but if you have not heard of this movie, I HIGHLY recommend it. I have been hearing about it for a while, but I finally watched it tonight. I am SO glad that somebody finally made something like this! It discusses some of the history of birth in the United States, and how we got into the mess we are in now. It has footage of several awesome births (most at home), and has interviews with many parents and professionals, including Michael Odent, MD; Marsden Wagner, MD; and Ina May Gaskin.

I will give the disclaimer that this movie has some strong language and birth nudity (including breasts), and also shows a cesarean section, which is graphic in its own way.

"The Business of Being Born" is available on netflix (to rent or view on the site if you have an account), and can also be seen at www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com.

To give you a little taste, here are some quotes from the movie:
"You're going to be transformed by your birth, like it or not." (a midwife)
"Many people have discribed birth as a rite of passage, and it is certainly a life-altering experience. It can be beautiful, incredible, life-altering experience, or it can be a devistating, traumatic, scarring experience." (a mother)
"If you really want to normalize birth, then the best thing to do is get the he** out of the hospital." (Marsdon Wagner, MD)

Cloth Pad Sewing Tutorial

I have been thinking about doing this for a while, and today I finally did... I took a whole bunch of pictures of the process and put up a tutorial for sewing my pad pattern. If you are interested, you can go see it here. In the past, if someone wanted a copy of the pattern, I've told them that if they wanted to come over and trace it, they were welcome to it! I've also shown people how to sew it... Now I sell the pattern in my etsy store, and I basically just charge enough to cover my expenses and time to copy and mail it. I had written out some instructions with little drawings, but a picture is worth a thousand words...thus the online tutorial. The direct link is http://www.geocities.com/brightonwoman/padtutorial.html

By the way, for any of you who have my pattern, or who have bought a pad from me, would you be kind enough to go leave a review of it here? The old forums at moonhutnaturals.com have closed, and this one is now open, but nobody has reviewed me yet there! Thanks!