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!