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!

Friday Stuff

So, you know how we have Quirky Thursday and Wordless Wednesday? Well, my recently increased blog-reading has led me to several more of these things, some of which I wish to add here as well...

Grateful Friday
This week I am grateful for:

• Hubby being home!!!
• good friends
• making a lot of sewing progress and adding several new things in my store
• my knitpicks order shipped (yarnny love coming my way!)
• my cheerful baby
• my health
• the sunshine we got on Wednesday. I needed that.

In recent weeks I have been much inspired by the lady at Throws Like a Girl, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Last week she initiated the once-a-month Feel Yourself Up Friday, reminding all you ladies out there to do your breast self exams! She found a lump barely a month ago, and has already had a masectomy, because the lump appeared so fast and grew so quickly that they could not wait. This isn't something to take lightly, so go feel yourself up right now!

...and Haiku Friday I will ignore, because I'm no good at Haiku, and don't really like them anyway. :-)