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Swine flu

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I know a lot of people are scared, but I have a confession to make.  I can’t help being suspicious that the general public is being whipped into a panic over a manufactured crisis.  Every time I hear somebody on the news say, “Don’t panic, but…” it just sounds like they are suggesting that you’re going to feel the need to panic when you know all the facts.

It’s like talking to a little kid who just skinned her knee.  Do you say, “You’re fine.  There’s just a few drops of blood,” or do you scream, “Don’t look!  I think you’re bleeding!”  Does any mother in the world think that’s a good way to keep a 5yo from panicking?

Call me cynical, but the CDC’s Key Facts About Swine Flu simply don’t look that scary.   The google map showing confirmed and suspected cases of Swine flu in the US doesn’t look that scary.  Influenza already kills 35,000 people every year in the US, and nearly 10 times that many people worldwide.  So far, the WHO only credits the H1N1 strain (Swine Flu) with about 13 deaths worldwide, though Mexican sources were earlier blaming it for nearly 200.

For a more balanced view than what the media is presenting, you might want to take the time to read this extensive article from Mercola.com, or watch this brief video of Ron Paul reminiscing about the 1976 outbreak.  Did you know that exactly 1 person died from Swine flu back then, while at least 25 died from vaccinations and thousands suffered severe side effects of the vaccinations?

First, the government wanted to bail out our economy.  Now we have a health crisis, and they’re ready to leap to our rescue again.   Can I see a show of hands?  Who think this might help certain parties in their goal to achieve nationalized healthcare?

No Shampoo, week 8 1/2: Let the mockery begin

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After my little pity party in the last update, it’s only fair to let you know that things are going better now – except where the part about mockery comes in, but no fair reading ahead.  All mockery in due time.

Last time I posted about my no-shampoo adventure, I was feeling discouraged.  After weeks of steady improvement and a decrease in the amount of oil produced by my scalp, I felt like I was regressing.  My hair was suddenly more oily instead of less.  My dandruff seemed to be coming back.  I thought I was almost done adjusting and then it seemed like I might be back in the early stages again.  I was whiny.

I asked for encouragement, and I received it.  Thank you.

Now my hair is also encouraging me.  This week, I feel like I’m back on track.  My hair is feeling and looking better than it has in weeks or months, with less washing.  I used an egg on it this morning just to get ready for our trip to Oklahoma City, but I can’t remember the last time I egged it, and it really wasn’t too oily yet.

Which brings me to the bit about mockery.

A sweet and encouraging reader suggested this:

…Then try an egg mixed with lemon juice, 1/4 cup water and BS pour it on bit by bit and really massage it in well to the scalp and through the hair. Followed by a cold CV rinse…

I love you Sophie, but I got the impression that you said to mix the egg, lemon juice, water and baking soda all together before using it on your hair, right?

So I did it.  Was this a practical joke, Sophie?  Are you sitting in front of your computer giggling right now?

You all have my permission to start laughing now, because I’m probably the only one who didn’t see this coming.  I found myself holding an impromptu science experiment in the palm of my hand.  My “shampoo” turned into an overflowing glass of yolk-colored fizz and foam.  I yelped and stammered in surprise, trying to decide whether I was closer to the bathroom sink or the kitchen sink, while all the kids came running to see what their ever-calm-and-collected mother was so excited about.

When the reaction had slowed, I went on with what I doing.  My hair is nice and clean now, and I expect it to stay that way through the weekend, maybe with the help of a baking soda/vinegar treatment in a few days.

Oh, and you can stop laughing now.  It’s not that funny.

What’s on your weekend agenda?

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We’ll be in Oklahoma City at the Vision Forum booth!  It’s our family’s first conference of the year.  Will we see you there?

Math news

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We’re not much on drills, but today we’re doing these math drills for fun, in addition to Saxon for the bigs and Spectrum for the littles.

In other math news, we recently did the Saxon placement test and found that all 4 of the big girls were ready to move up.  I expected them to do well since Meg went from Math 65 to 87,  Lydia went from Math 76 to Algebra 1/2, and Kait and Deanna both went from Math 87 to Algebra 1.  We chose to ignore the warning that the placement test should not be used for this purpose, but instead should be used to place students who are moving to Saxon from another publisher.  So far, it seems to be going very well.

I think I have finally hit upon a plan to motivate the children to greater accuracy in their math: like many other families, I only require them to do the odd-numbered problems, IF they miss no more than 2 problems.  If they miss more than 2, they have to go back and do the even-numbered problems as well.  Suddenly they are very careful to double-check all answers, and even the nameless daughter who frequently missed up to 50% of her problems due to carelessness now consistently gets a near-perfect score!

And last but not least, we’re eagerly anticipating the arrival of our DIVE Into Math CDs from Dr. Shormann!  Hurrah!

Once more because we need to hear it.

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Download the audio on Behemoth.com for free here: Doug’s ‘Freedom at Risk Speech’ on behemoth.com

Adventures in sprouting

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Heather asked about our new sprouting ventures.  We’re hardly experts, but you knew that already.  Nonetheless, I’m glad to share what I’ve learned so far.

We ordered some seeds and an inexpensive sprouting jar from Lucky Vitamin, who had the best price around and flat $4.99 shipping.  I was really waiting for my Easy Sprouter to arrive from Marci’s Amazing Graze Farm general store, but I suspected we would want more than one sprouter anyway.

LENTILS

As it turned out, the Easy Sprouter arrived before the seeds.  No problem – the instructions said that lentils were ideal for beginners, and we had some in the pantry!  I put 1/2 cup in the sprouter and let them soak in warm water.  Just before bed, I drained them.  The directions said that when you use the Easy Sprouter rinsing is not necessary for most sprouts, including lentils, so we just watched and waited.  By the following evening we had tiny sprouts!  It was that easy.  We started nibbling right away, and had eaten all of them before the next day was out.

To my surprise, they got rave reviews from all of the children – we agreed that they tasted a lot like fresh raw green beans, a rare treat in our house.  Who knew raw lentils could be so good?  Needless to say, we started another batch right away.  The second batch was just as successful as the first, and gone just as quickly.   If they ever last more than 24 hours, we can store for 1-2 weeks in the fridge right in the sprouter.  I am in love with my Easy Sprouter!

WHEAT

I took a good look at the design of the Easy Sprouter and made a rough copy out of 2 containers, in which to try some additional sprouts.  We started some wheat sprouts next, but these didn’t germinate.  I’m not sure if it’s because my sprouter was inferior (it was, but is that why these sprouts failed?), or because the seeds themselves were too old – I suspect they are at least 10 years old.  At any rate, they just got soft and started to smell suspicious after 2 days, so we tossed them.  I’ll try again in the Easy Sprouter, and if those fail I’ll try with fresh seeds.

ALMONDS

Next, I used my fabricated sprouter to make some almond soaks since they sounded fast and easy and we had raw almonds on hand.  These are like sprouts, but they don’t actually grow roots.   These were very simple, but got mixed reviews.  I enjoyed them along with some of the kids, but others just wrinkled their noses and refused to eat more than one, or even declined to try a single one.  Those of us who ate them agreed that they tasted almost identical to raw coconut.  I thought they were very good.

SALAD MIX

When our seed order arrived with the big sprouting jar, I immediately started a mix of clover, alfalfa, fenugreek and radish.  Since I’m using a simple jar & screen, I had to remember to rinse and drain 2-3 times/day.  The results look and taste a bit like alfalfa, but definitely different.  They have a stronger, slightly spicy flavor and are thicker.  We used some in salad and nibbled some plain, but this was a big batch – most of it is still in the refrigerator.

BEANS

I also soaked 2 lbs. of white & navy beans and let them sprout for 24 hours before cooking in the crock.  I’m hoping that it will make them more digestible.  That remains to be seen.  icon smile Adventures in sprouting

AND MORE…

We still plan to try: raw sunflowers, raw peanuts, mung beans…oh, and alfalfa sprouts, eventually.  FYI, Charity left some information warning against a toxin found in alfalfa sprouts, but I don’t think we’ll be eating enough of any one sprout to worry about this.  You can probably tell that alfalfa sprouts have far more competition now than they did when we, er, sprouted the idea.  Sorry.  Bad joke, but quite honestly the idea of sprouting a wide variety of seeds is really growing on me.   It’s taken root in our household.  Even hubby has expressed a seed of interest.

How many errands can you do with 10 children in 8 hours?

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Today may have been a record for us.

  1. Blockbuster, to return a video.  Yes, we have Netflix.  I’m not the one who decided to rent a movie at Blockbuster.  icon smile How many errands can you do with 10 children in 8 hours?
  2. WalMart, for our regularly scheduled Friday grocery trip.  We actually didn’t need much at all.  I guess we’re living on sprouts, homemade bread & yogurt, and produce by the case from downtown.  I did feed the baby and let the kids browse fabric for a good long while.  I’m sure there were bathroom trips involved.
  3. The local river park, for lunch with the ducks.  As we pulled up, they left the water to gather around us.  “Hi, humans.  What’s for lunch?”  They were hungry.  I think they ate more of our lunch than we did.
  4. Small town thrift store.  I can never pass up a chance, and today we were in no hurry.  Found hubby a brand new pair of khaki slacks, and a hawaiian style shirt that I think he’ll love.
  5. Tractor Supply Company.  Hey, honey?  Remember when you mentioned getting a post pounder and a few t-posts to see how hard it will be to fence a goat yard?  I’ve gotcha covered, honey.
  6. Tire shop #1, looking for a used tire for my uncle’s truck.  Nothing here.
  7. Tire shop #2, still looking for a used tire for my uncle’s truck.  Nothing there.
  8. HEB, the big local grocery chain, to get a load of free-after-sale-and-coupon guacamole – ht to my mom.  mmmmm.  I won’t tell you how many packages I got, but I will say that Mom asked me to get 10 more for her in return for the hot tip.  Also picked up 12 more pounds of boneless skinless pre-seasoned fajita meat for $1/lb, in addition to 32 lbs. we bought Wednesday.
  9. Sun Harvest, to get more goodies for sprouting.  We’ve tried and loved lentils.  Almonds, wheat, and a salad mix are nearly ready, along with a 2nd batch of lentils.  I also have a big pot of beans sprouting before cooking.  Still to go: garbanzos (they grow in the fridge!), peanuts, sunflowers, mung beans, barley, and…oh, yeah: alfalfa.  Can’t forget that.
  10. Gas.  Cuz boy did we need it. I quit at 30 gallons even though the tank still wasn’t full.
  11. Vision Forum, to drop off some items for friends and pick up some items of our own.  It was also nice to say hi to friends while we were there.
  12. GoodWill, because we were already in town.  Found a little French press for hubby to take to work (99 cents), and the girls found some darling clothes.  I’m jealous.
  13. Costco, where we bought the majority of our groceries and enjoyed the free samples and restrooms.
  14. Home Depot, because we just hadn’t made enough stops today already.
  15. A neighbor’s house to buy farm fresh eggs.  In the country, anyone within 5 miles is a neighbor.

And that doesn’t count stopping at my parents’ house beforehand to borrow my 13yo sister (were you wondering how I got 10 children?), stopping at our house to get a book for my brother, back to my parents’ house again to drop off sis and book.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

Because who needs a house key?

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My kids are begging for a frivolous trip to the small town nearby today.  There’s just one small problem: we have a total stranger coming to do a bit of work on the outside of the house today, and hubby would like us to lock the house if we go anywhere.  We have no illusions about keeping a desperate criminal out of our humble abode, but we would prefer to keep curious strangers off the computer and out of the fridge.  We simply don’t know him.

Do you see the problem yet?

THE PROBLEM

We live in the country.  In the country, you never lock your house.  As I understand it, the theory works like this:  Nobody can see your house.  If a thief wants to break and enter, nobody will stop him.  Hence, you leave the front door open so that he can do his business with minimal breakage.  After all, if he’s going to get the computer, do you really want to pay for a new window and/or door too?  Do you really want to be picking glass shards out of the sofa for the next 2 years?  Let’s be sensible about this.  Don’t lock the door.

So we don’t lock the door.  And we…um…don’t know where the house keys are.  “House key?” my children say, tilting their heads to one side like so many curious puppies.  “Keys are for cars!”

And so we have the problem.  How can we lock the door when we leave if we don’t have a key?  With the right sort of lock, we might be able to do so. But still, how would we get back in ?  Never fear: we are homeschoolers.  We solve problems for fun.

SOLUTION #1

First, we could do it the usual way.  There actually are occasions when we want to leave the door locked for some reason.  In these rare cases, the last one in the house just locks the door from the inside and climbs out of the window next to the door.  When we get home, somebody climbs back in through the window.  No key required.

It works, though it’s not exactly the most subtle way to do things, and could give the wrong impression.  There’s also the small issue of the unlocked window next to the door.

SOLUTION #2

You might remember our back door.  It’s not in use.  It stays double locked, and has a 7 foot drop on the other side.  I used to joke about making the children use the back door when they were really bad, but they decided it was fun.

My children feel that the back door could be very handy today.  Their idea is that all but one of us should casually exit through the front door.  The last one will lock the front door behind us, then (ahem) use the back door, pulling it shut behind her before she jumps.  I have more than one child that feels perfectly competent to do so.  Then she will casually join us in the van.

When we get home, somebody will use a ladder to go in the back door.  Easy.  Inconspicuous, since the desperate criminal our contractor will be working on the opposite side of the house.

SOLUTION #3

Find the house key.  But what fun would that be?

VOTE

What would you do?  What do you think we should do?  Why?

What we’re doing

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Eating homemade yogurt with breakfast, incubated outside yesterday in the warm spring sun.

Munching on our first-ever lentil sprouts, tasty after just 36 hours but still growing in our new Easy Sprouter.  (more on that soon!)

Waiting for our rolls to finish cooking in the solar oven – half white flour, half freshly ground whole wheat.  I actually planned ahead and had dough mixed, shaped, raised and in the oven before 10 o’clock!

Finishing up school for some, starting for others.

Getting ready to go to town for 9 – count ‘em, nine dentist appointments.  We’d better get brushing.

Will the rolls be done before we have to leave?  Probably not.  Sigh.  I forgot we’d be leaving in just over 2 hours, and it didn’t help that the wind blew off the top of the oven.  Even when I plan ahead, I don’t plan ahead.  Maybe they’ll be done enough to use as brown-n-serve rolls.

San Antonio Tea Party

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It has been nearly a week since I attended the San Antonio Tea Party, possibly the largest in the nation thanks to support from big names like Glenn Beck. My good friend Doug Phillips was asked to speak at the Tea Party and another friend of mine Adam McManus was asked to emcee and give the invocation. I know the Christian character of both of these gentlemen so I was looking forward to hearing their clear witness for God’s Word and His Law in the civil sphere, and I was genuinely curious to see how a mixed crowd of what was estimated at the time to reach 14k would react to what I was confident would be an uncompromising witness for the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

They did not disappoint.

Take a look at the 3 minute mark on the video clip below. Doug’s call for repentance by the people of America could not be more clear. We are a people guilty of voting in leaders who thumb their noses at the Lord’s annointed and His standards but God is merciful and will heal our land if we will but repent.

If you enjoy the clip, please take a moment to click over to youtube and leave a comment.  You can download the entire message on behemoth.com.

Over and over again I heard people praying in Jesus’s name and appealing to the triune God of the Scriptures as the Author of our liberties.

Here is an excerpt from Adam’s prayer:

Father, the State is not God! It is the servant of the people. May we the people, gathered here tonight in San Antonio – each and every one of us — recognize the awesome responsibility we have to speak up and demand that our representatives begin to exercise fiscal discipline and liberate us from oppressive taxation which penalizes our hard work and sacrifice.

And we pray that where we have not honored You with our thoughts, words and deeds, that You would please forgive us. And where we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, that You would pardon us. (the prayer may be read in its entirety here)

The thing I was also encouraged by was the recognition by the crowd and the speakers the WE keep sending  rascals back to Washington and as long as WE do we will continue to receive the SAME RESULTS (regardless of party affiliation).

The crowd was one of the safest and most respectful I have ever seen in a public gathering.  They were not rude, rowdy or violent in the least. Many were there with their families to hear the speeches on limited government.

These were the most memorable aspects of the evening. You can see related photos and commentary at the following sites:

Download Doug’s entire 23 minute message from the Tea party on Behemoth.com for free by clicking on the image below.

freedom at risk 300x300 San Antonio Tea Party

Freedom at Risk

Last but certainly not least here are my beloved Deanna’s thoughts on the Tea Party as well:

Last week I went with Dad to the San Antonio TEA party. I had a lot of fun walking around with my aunts (they’re all my age) before it started, and we found a store with all kinds of crazy, beautiful, skirts that I am definitely going to go back to soon…

Anyway, once it got started I really enjoyed the speeches that were made, except when Ted Nugent spoke for about 10 min. He was crude, and the faces he made when he played “The Star Spangled Banner” on his electric guitar just annoyed me. What really shocked me was when Terri Hall spoke about the TTC (Trans-Texas Corridor) I had heard about it vaguely on the radio before but never paid much attention to it. It’s a huge super highway/toll road that is going to cut through Texas dividing towns even, with exits only every 5 miles or so. So if your town is cut in half by it you have no way to get to the other side unless you pay a toll, or use access roads.
My favorite speech was Mr Phillips speech “Freedom at Risk” and afterward Dad took me to get ice cream, and I rode home with my Grandma. All in all, it was pretty much awesome.

Look for her report on Doug’s message “Freedom at Risk” coming soon to an Coghlan Family blog near you. icon smile San Antonio Tea Party

Did you go to a Tea Party in your area? What was your experience like?

Do you speak binary?

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My 10yo does now.  She’s my new favorite kid.  Don’t worry; I’m fickle.  I try to have a new favorite every few hours.  icon wink Do you speak binary?

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy math.  I think I may have even told you that while some people think in words or pictures, I’m pretty sure I think in numbers.  Math is my primary language, my love language, my childhood sweetheart.  Yes, I like math.  Math likes me.

Over the years, I’ve tried to teach my older children about other number systems besides our base 10.  Have I lost you yet?  Theoretically, a number system can have more or less than 10 numerals – it doesn’t have to be zero through nine.  Binary is a good introduction, the only one I’ve tried to wrap my brain around.

My 3 oldest didn’t have the will or imagination to grasp the idea.  They looked pained.  “Nooooo, Mom!  I don’t get it!  Noooooooooooooooo…”  Their voices would trail off in despair while they wondered why I was tormenting them for fun.

But Megan is different.  I casually introduced the concept last night, like a puzzle.  She took it and ran.  She wasn’t content to learn to convert base 10 numbers to and from the binary number system.  By the end of the evening, we had learned together how to add and subtract, even borrowing and carrying.  She wanted to try multiplication, but I thought we were at a good place to pause.

That’s my girl.

One through ten in binary:

1

10

11

100

101

110

111

1000

1001

1010

I smoked poison hemlock.

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posted by Deanna

Not really though. well, kind of…let me explain.

Last Sunday there was no fellowship meal after church, so we had my Grandma Brown and my several aunts and uncles (who happen to be the same ages as us) over for lunch. After lunch but before dessert 13yo William and I decided to go burn trash.

Now since Mom has gotten all frugal on us we have canceled our trash service, so we just separate the burnables and non-burnables, and now when I take the trash out I  just throw the bag into our burn barrel and light it.

Well, the day before we had done a lot of yard work which included pulling up huge quantities of poison hemlock which had taken root under the deck. It had been fresh on Saturday so I assumed that was why I hadn’t been able to get it to burn then. So on that fateful Sunday I took out the trash and asked William to bring me a piece of paper to start it with. (I wanted to burn the now dried up weeds before I threw the bag in, and I was having trouble getting the flame to take from just a match) So he very obligingly brought me the paper and we tried to get it to burn. I won’t bore you with the details but we stood over that barrel for nigh on 30 min trying to get those dried up crunchy weeds to burn. It smoked a LOT and the flames only lasted as long a the paper/cardboard/cedar bark etc. At one point we had probably 10  pieces of paper crumpled and shoved into a cereal box burning under the layer of weeds which produced even more smoke, but not a lot of progress. Finally we just gave up. I threw the trash bag into the barrel and let it burn. It was right about then that I looked at William and said “William? Do you realize that we just smoked poison hemlock?” We laughed about it at the time  but when we came in Mom made me google the effects of poison hemlock smoke but we didn’t find much. The most helpful informative thing we found was a study that showed that 50% of lab rats exposed to hemlock smoke for 20 min died. Ah well, such is life.

It’s tuesday though, and I’m still alive, so unless I get lung cancer or something I’ll probably be fine. We washed our hands really good when we came in for ice cream and briefly considered rinsing our lungs with soap, but decided that dying of paralysis and respiratory failure was better than self inflicted agony.

Mom’s note: For those of you who are prone to worry – and you know who you are – let me reassure you that we are not quite so cavalier with the lives and lungs of our offspring as Deanna’s narrative might lead one to believe.  Let’s just say that the story sounds better told this way, and leave the rest to your imagination.

Breakfast today: German Apple Cake

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This is from the cookbook Tastes of Country, which I received as a gift from my sweet grandma after I raved about her copy.  It’s one of those sweet old-fashioned cookbooks comprised of the author’s own favorite recipes and notes about the friends and family who provided the recipes over the years.  I have changed it a bit here and there, and my own notes are in parentheses.

The recipe below makes a delicious, heavy batter that is just enough to hold together all the apples.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE

  • 2 large or 3 small eggs
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 cups sugar (we use brown)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups flour (Whole wheat works nicely, though I’m sure the author intended for us to use white.)
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 4 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced (5-6 medium, but we like to use even more if we have them.  If you don’t have the Pampered Chef Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer or something else like it, you have my pity.)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, opt.  (my kids complain about the walnuts, and strangely enough I usually indulge them in this.  I love walnuts with apples, but this cake is wonderful even without them.)

Beat eggs and oil until smooth and thick.  Add remaining ingredients except apples and mix well.  Taste it.  No – don’t!  Hurry and gently stir in apples before you are tempted to eat all the thick, dark,  rich batter. Pour into a greased 9×13 and bake 45-60 minutes at 350.

Eat warm with a fork, straight from the pan if you don’t intend to share.  Not that I recommend doing so.  I’m just saying.

The recipe suggests topping the cake with cream cheese icing, which is lovely but not necessary.

Mad Scientist Mom

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I’ve started some sourdough starter.  I tried to convince myself that it’s a crunchy sort of thing to do, not needing store-bought yeast anymore, but really I just love sourdough.  And I like the idea of having something strangely alive bubbling on my countertop.

There’s also something nostalgic about it.  My girls keep telling me a little story about Betsy Ross’s dough starter:

When she was a girl, Betsy Ross was making bread for her mother.  Like most women of her time, Mrs. Ross had a lump of starter that had belonged to her mother.  Every time they made bread, they would save a small piece as starter for the next time.   Each family’s starter often went back for generations.

After the bread was finished, young Betsy couldn’t find her starter for the next time and suddenly couldn’t remember if she had reserved any.  She looked everywhere.  Poor Betsy was distraught at the thought that her family’s starter was gone, never to be recovered.  They could beg some starter from a neighbor, but each family’s starter was unique and her family’s bread would never taste the same again.

Finally, Betsy turned over the kneading bowl and breathed a sigh of relief.  Her precious lump lay there, just as she had left it.

See?  Maybe someday my great-grandchildren will treasure a lump of my starter.  This could be an historic day.

I searched the internet and wasn’t surprised to learn that there are a hundred theories and a thousand methods for getting your own sourdough starter going.   I also asked Marci about hers, but in my characteristically impatient spontaneous manner I didn’t wait for her answer.  I used this recipe for my first attempt.  I read enough to know I shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if the first attempt turns foul and toxic, but it’s easy enough to start over if necessary.

In spite of the fact that some say do not use yeast, I decided to start with this recipe because the author says that it works faster.  I’m using fresh ground whole wheat flour because I read somewhere else that it’s a good source of the particular bacteria required by sourdough, though the same site recommended switching over to all-purpose flour for subsequent feedings once the new pet has acquired life.  [long evil mad scientist laugh, trailing off into the night]

No Shampoo, week 7: getting old

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I have to admit: this is getting old.   Most of my daughters had no problem at all making the switch away from shampoo, but I sure did.  I know my hair is still adjusting, but it seems to be getting oily faster again.  Maybe it’s the hot weather.  I shelled out a few bucks for a boar bristle brush in the hopes that it would help distribute the natural oils, but I was hasty and bought the first & cheapest one I found.  It’s far too soft for my hair, so I don’t expect it to do anything at all for my scalp.

I washed my hair with egg and lemon juice again, but my hair only felt clean for 2 days instead of 3 or 4 like last time.

It seems harder and harder to thoroughly distribute baking soda through my hair, and my scalp is feeling a bit icky.  Ack!  Dandruff!

I’m not ready to quit, but this is a bit discouraging.  I’m perfectly happy with my hair up in a clip all the time – it’s my normal hairstyle – so I only really notice when I take it down at night.  It feels good not to be a slave to a daily shampoo, and I know my scalp and hair are probably healthier for the change, but at the same time I miss my soft and swishy hair – especially when I’m surrounded by so many soft and swishy heads.

I could really use a few words of encouragement from others who gave up shampoo and persisted through a long and oily adjustment period.

For Sale update

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Posted by Lydia

We have just added six new dolls to our For Sale page. The prices range from $40 to $5o (including shipping).  We also have seven books that we have not added to the For Sale page.

Shipping is $3 for the first book and $1.50 for each additional book (yes this is different, we are going to change the pricing on the For Sale page too)

If you want to buy any of this, you can tell us in the comments or use the contact form on the For Sale page.

To mop, or not to mop? That is the question.

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I need a mop, and I’ll be in town tomorrow.  Can I have some fast opinions on how to get the most for my money?  We have about 700 square feet of vinyl tile to mop now, but hope to have vinyl tile in all 1200 square feet someday soon.

Is it worthwhile to buy something big and fancy and self-wringing?  Would you invest in one of those wringer-buckets?  Should I stick with the $4.95 mop so I can afford to replace it regularly, or get something heavy duty and industrial?  String mop or cloth?  Paper or plastic?  Would you like fries with that?

Do you have a more creative idea for getting the floor clean that you’d like to share? I’ve tried the idea in which we don’t mop, but since the baby will crawling soon it seems like a good time to try something new.

Laughter keeps us nice

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Since Bethany and The Boy have a ba-a-a-a-d case of diarrhea – what’s that?  TMI? Too Much Info?  I haven’t even started with the details yet…

Anyway, since there is sickness in the house, I had a nice chat with a friend this morning about potty humor and boys and the whys and wherefores thereof.  We found ourselves talking about the hidden laugh – the one you do even though you really don’t want your kids to see you laughing because IT’S NOT FUNNY.  Like when The Boy serenaded his baby sister:  “My butt is in my underwear, my underwear, my underwear,” or the one about “Your poop is yummy to yoooooo!

I often find myself trying to cover a smile or hide the fact that I’m laughing because I don’t want to encourage the behavior, or I want to make sure that my correction is taken seriously.  But you know what?  I hope it never gets too easy.  I want to always fight that laugh.  I’d much rather struggle with my own laughter than my anger while correcting a child – especially when I’m correcting foolish immaturity rather than rebellion.

If they do catch on?  Well, usually they knew it was funny anyway.  They knew they wouldn’t get off the hook just because they made us laugh.  So the laugh doesn’t help them, it just helps us.  And since we were created in God’s image, it makes me wonder if God ever laughs at our foolishness, even while He chastens us.

My solar oven…

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…like most of my projects, did not turn out looking just like the photos.  I rushed a bit, didn’t quite read all the instructions to the very end, didn’t take the time to follow the instructions precisely, and didn’t quite have all the right materials.

So I’m really curious how my dinner rolls will turn out.  40 minutes and counting…I figured in south Texas, we had a bit of leeway.  We could probably just set the food out in the sun and it would cook.  We’ll see if I took too many liberties, because we already know that the technology is sound.  A friend of mine has brownies to prove it.

Sorry, no photos.  Can’t find the cable.  Don’t want to look harder.  Anyway, my solar oven is not as pretty as the two my friend made.  Furthermore, I smell my backup rolls in the electric oven, and I suddenly have something more important to do than hunt electronics accessories.

I need your input: sprouting

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We’re getting crunchier by the moment.  I ground my own wheat today and made bread and English muffins.   We started building a solar oven this morning, though we need another box to make the lid.  Hubby expressed an interest in trying my baking soda/cornstarch/tea tree oil deodorant.  I’ve even been thinking about trying my hand at sourdough so I’m not entirely dependent upon store-bought yeast.  Well, OK.  I really just love sourdough bread.  The yeast thing was totally an excuse.

I’m ready now to revisit sprouting, but I desperately want your input before I spend too much money on sprouty gadgets that will make you all laugh and shake your collective head at me.

My mom has a Sprout Master which she absolutely loves.  She says she struggled with mold and slime when she used jars and cheesecloth, but her Sprout Master has been pure plastic perfection.  It’s not cheap, but perfection rarely is, even when it’s made of plastic.

Have you tried sprouting seeds?  What do you use?  What problems have you experienced, and did you find an easy solution?

Which sprouts do you eat raw, and which are better cooked?

Where do you buy your seeds?

I’m all ears.  Tell me everything you know.

No Shampoo week 6: the saga continues

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I’m afraid I spoke a bit hastily last week.  Success was too strong a word.  My hair does seem to be improving, but it’s still very oily.

I had used the egg/lemon juice mixture on Wednesday morning, and when last Saturday rolled around my hair was still feeling pretty clean.  I forgot that it had only been 72 hours, and failed to give enough credit to the power of the egg shampoo.  Now, 7 days later, we’re still having some significant oiliness.  It doesn’t look like Week 2, but it also doesn’t look like success.   I didn’t use egg at all this week.  I’m going to hold off on the egg for a bit and see how things progress.

On the bright side, the fact that my hair still looked and felt clean 72 hours after an egg shampoo represents a tremendous change for the better!  I may not be done with the adjustment period, but I’m still very encouraged.

Photos?  I don’t know…my hair still stays up or braided.  You won’t see a difference unless I let it down, and I’m not ready to do that.

SKIN

On a related topic, I stopped using facial cleansers when I stopped using shampoo.  My oily-but-sensitive skin was always uncomfortably tight after cleaning, then shiny and oily again within an hour or two.  Moisturizers didn’t seem to help.

But when I started washing with just warm water and a cloth, the results were very different.  I’ve never had good skin – large pores and 10 years of adolescent acne – but I can honestly say it has never looked better.  I’ve had no acne, far less oil, and it’s softer and smoother than ever.  The change in my skin has actually encouraged me to persevere with my hair.

Frugal movies

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I’m adding something new to our page of affiliate links (Stuff We Love tab at the top).  It’s Netflix.300250C Frugal movies

We are careful about what we watch, and often have a hard time finding something suitable to rent.  I also have to say I feel vaguely guilty just standing in B’Buster looking at what’s available.  I’ve come out of the store feeling like I need to bleach my eyeballs!

I think online rentals help a lot with both issues.  I have to warn you: Netflix does have a category you’ll want to steer clear of entirely.  Ugh.  But on the bright side, you’re not accosted with the sight of the covers of all those videos while you search for safe, clean choices.

Netflix offers:

  • Over 100,000 titles on DVD – from classics to new releases to TV episodes.  OK, the banner says 65,000 but the website says 100,000.  You wanna count and get back to me on that?
  • Instant downloads - choose from over 12,000 movies (some new releases) & TV episodes (including current season) online on your PC or Mac or on your TV via an Internet connected Netflix ready device.  This is our favorite part!
  • No late fees – keep DVDs as long as you want
  • Free shipping – there is no cost except your monthly membership
  • Fast turn around – You can set up a list of what you want so that your next DVD is shipped as soon as your first one is received, and distribution centers throughout the country mean that there’s one near you.  If the first one on your list isn’t available, they’ll automatically move down the list so you’re not stuck waiting.
  • Various plans – several choices to fit your budget and needs.
  • Personalized recommendations – based on movies that you enjoyed in the past.  We have found that it’s pretty “smart.”  Many of our favorites show up on the list.
  • Free trial – enjoy full benefits for 2 weeks to see if Netflix is right for you.

Their website is very easy to use, making it very easy to get the movies you want, either on DVD or as instant downloads.  There are several plans available starting at $4.99, but we think the $8.99/month is the best deal for our family: 1 DVD out at a time (4-5/month if we watch and return them promptly, but we don’t), plus unlimited downloads.

So how does this save money?  $8.99/month is about the cost of 2 rentals from B’Buster, or less than the cost of one rental and a trip to town to return it.  If you rent from RedBox occasionally like we used to, you know that one or two movies can easily add up if you forget to take them back right away – or if you have make a special trip to return them, because they’re racking up daily charges.

Oh, and did I mention the affiliate program?  Sign up for a free trial, and we get $.   That’s another thing I like about Netflix.  Very cool.

 Frugal movies

Linkage

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Stuff you should see.  Or at least, I think you should see it.

  • The Widow’s Might, which won the $101,000 prize at the SAI Film Festival, will be playing on the big screen April 13-18!  This is an extremely well-done movie, a musical that will appeal even to those who don’t normally care for musicals.  It’s got humor, snappy dialog, a great plot, good production quality…in short, this is the sort of film that Christians should be making.  See if it’s playing in your area.  If not, at least download the soundtrack from Behemoth.com.  You’ll love it!
  • The Genevan Psalter is available online.  Many of the songs have lyrics and music uploaded, usually more than one version, in both midi and mp3 formats, often with vocals.  In short, this website is a massive work and an important reference.  Bookmark it, and use it.
  • Not to toot my own horn, but Feelin’ Feminine recently posted an interview of li’l ole me.  It only seems right to link to it since they have been kindly sending traffic our way as well.  I enjoyed answering the thoughtful questions.  Read it if you like.  icon smile Linkage
  • My friend made a solar oven and actually cooked brownies in it! Now I’m interested.  Her design is like this, but I like the looks of this one too.  Maybe 1 or 2 of each for our family?

We eat cloth eggs

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That statement might warrant some explanation.

Back at the beginning of February, we switched to cloth diapers.  It only made sense to switch to cloth wipes as well.  We have gradually begun to do other “crunchy” things as well: washing our hair with baking soda/vinegar, using baking soda/cornstarch/tea trea oil for homemade deoderant, making our own laundry soap, growing a garden, line drying all of our clothes.  But it all started with cloth diapers.

And hence a new definition of “cloth” was born in our house:

cloth – (adj.) 1. organic, natural or unprocessed; 2. old-fashioned; 3. re-usable or non-consumable; 4. homemade in origin

Some changes were met with a less-than-enthusiastic reception.  Children were heard to wail, “Next thing you know, we’ll be eating cloth food!”

And so, we now eat cloth eggs.  We noticed a neighbor’s sign for fresh eggs at the bargain price of $1.25/dozen, and jumped on the opportunity!  Unfortunately they only have 6 laying hens, so they can hardly provide for all of our egg needs, but we’re enjoying whatever they can spare while we make plans for a coop and flock to provide all the cloth eggs we can eat.  I suppose the coop will be cloth as well, since we’re building it ourselves.  And now that I think of it, we live in a cloth house.

We are also looking forward to cloth vegetables from our garden, though I’m suddenly rather excited about starting some bean & alfalfa sprouts, perhaps since our salad greens are languishing sadly in the heat already.  I think this qualifies as cloth food, though the children remember Grandma B’s sprouts fondly.  We’re making homemade bread rather frequently these days, though we’re sadly neglecting our whole grain wheat and grinder.  I think even white bread, when homemade, qualifies as cloth bread.  At the moment, I’m making my first batch of English muffins in nearly 20 years.

It’s not just food, though.   We have greatly reduced our use of paper plates, relying more heavily upon our cloth plates.  We also use cloth napkins – really!

And Kaitlyn has become quite adept at sewing, providing her younger sisters with cloth clothes.

What’s cloth in your house?

See? Sickness *can* be fun & games

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Let’s play a game.  A friend of mine played the same game on her blog yesterday.  Wait!  Don’t click yet, because her readers already guessed.

Can you name the disease?  Symptoms can vary, but here’s what our primary sufferer was displaying over the weekend:

  • headache
  • achiness & general malaise
  • mild fever?

Those symptoms passed after a day or two, and we thought she was better.  But – alas! – today she woke up with:

  • puffy face and hands
  • itch all over
  • upon closer inspection, we think she has a very mild mottled rash over much of her body – like the mottling you see when somebody is cold.

Clue: this disease has 2 common names.  One name describes a symptom usually displayed by young children, but not present in our sufferer.

Quite honestly, I thought all of our children had already had this disease when they were younger, but since typically it’s a one-and-out I must be wrong.  Now I’m wondering: how many other times am I wrong?  Will it sweep through the household?  Is it already?

14′s for Kaitlyn

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Today is Kaitlyn’s birthday, so as usual we’re going to do a post for her.  On a slightly less usual note, we came up with a new sort of birthday post.  We’re going to work together on several lists for her, each with 14 items.kait1 14s for Kaitlyn

Things Kaitlyn Likes

  1. drawing
  2. holding her tarantula
  3. sewing
  4. stress
  5. reading Boxcar Children to little ones
  6. fluffy pillows
  7. the color green
  8. silky stuff
  9. chocolate
  10. bottled water
  11. anything sweet
  12. brain-bending computer games
  13. Tim Hawkins
  14. puzzleskbday 14s for Kaitlyn

Nicknames/Alter Egos for Kaitlyn

  1. Kittykait
  2. Mary Poppins
  3. Kaily-shaley
  4. Tay-tay
  5. Kay-kay
  6. Katie-kate
  7. Tatelyn
  8. Stress Monkey
  9. Charles
  10. Zorro
  11. Control freak
  12. Were-N___ (inside joke.  Don’t ask , and if you know don’t tell. That means you, yeah, you. You know who you are.)
  13. Electra
  14. Neatnik

Things We Love About Kaitlynkbday5 14s for Kaitlyn

  1. She’s a hard worker
  2. She helps without being asked
  3. She likes to read to little ones
  4. She’s a nice babysitter
  5. Her cakes
  6. She’s nice to Rachael
  7. Her taste in clothes
  8. She’s thin & beautiful (inside joke, again.  but she is!)
  9. She’s our sister
  10. her sense of humorkbday2 14s for Kaitlyn
  11. when she dresses up as a Jedi, or as Queen Amidala
  12. when she lets us post silly pictures of her to facebook
  13. when she consents to be in silly movies and plays
  14. she looks just like Mom

Things Kaitlyn is good at

  1. cooking
  2. puzzles
  3. sewing
  4. graphic design
  5. manipulating redirecting Lindsey  icon smile 14s for Kaitlyn kbday6 14s for Kaitlyn
  6. drawing
  7. multi-tasking – her sisters say she can yell and clean at the same time
  8. photography
  9. Facebook
  10. singing
  11. decorating cakes
  12. flips on the trampoline
  13. borrowing clothes
  14. math

Things that Kaitlyn Hates

  1. tomatoes
  2. dirty dishes
  3. dirty rooms
  4. people who won’t do what she says
  5. people who hate praying mantids
  6. tangled hair
  7. a drawing without green in it somewhere
  8. ugly blog layouts
  9. ugly blog headers
  10. being called Charles
  11. when people throw things on her bed
  12. being tickled
  13. when Deanna posts silly pictures of her to the internet
  14. games she can’t figure out

In which we interview one of our favorite fanatsy authors.

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Posted by: Deanna

Kaitlyn and I met Mr. Schiller at a homeschool conference in Plano and he kindly agreed to do a blog interview with us about the series of Christian fantasy books he’s book1 In which we interview one of our favorite fanatsy authors.writing. I own and love the first three books in his series (The fourth was recently released) and I have read them all several times.

Some Christians object to all fantasy, because they think that things like talking animals are magical and that any magic is bad. In these books, a talking animal would have to be possessed by a demon or something. One thing I really love about these books is that they really are christian books. They aren’t like Harry Potter where some people like to say that J.K Rowling used “Christian Ideals” and try to say that Harry Potter himself represents Christ. The biggest difference between these two series is that in one, witchcraft is glorified and encouraged, and in the other it is shown to be the vile and disgusting thing that God says it is.

When Kaitlyn and I sent Mr. Schiller this interview, I didn’t expect the deeply thoughtful response we got. So please take the time to read this interview, I think you’ll really enjoy it.

What kind of world view would you say is shown in your books?

I’ve never given much thought to my “World View”. I guess I didn’t even consciously know what a World View was until you asked the question. Writing Christian Fantasy one might think that the World View presented in my books would be different than the World View I hold for the real world. This is not the case. I view the world through a few simple parameters that color all my opinions, beliefs, and ideals.

First, I believe that without God as our guiding force, the world will tear itself to bits. Historically, one can observe that once a country loses its focus on God, that country goes into decline. I try to show this in my books and make it clear that it is not enough for individuals to commit to Christ; communities and Nations must do the same. Without that commitment man will fall by the way of familiar sins and weaknesses with a resultant decline in the community or nation.

Second, I believe that man must stand against evil. This is a common theme in fantasy literature and holds true in my personal views of the world. I have been a United States Marine and a Dallas Police Officer. I was drawn to those professions because of my desire to “stand in the breach” and make a difference by confronting the enemies of our nation and community. The old saying “Freedom isn’t free” is very dear to me. This not only applies to physical liberty, but to spiritual liberty as well. We must be bold in identifying those things that, though accepted by society, stand in opposition to our Faith. Tolerance, the mantra of many who wish to embrace every decadent whim of man, cannot be our defining philosophy. Unless we stand against the darkness, the darkness will overwhelm us.

Finally, I believe that through the efforts of individuals, sweeping changes occur. We can change lives with simple acts of kindness and changing the life of one person changes the world. Standing in the breach doesn’t always entail physical battle and sacrifice. Sometimes the most insignificant things cause the greatest changes, both for good and evil.book2 150x300 In which we interview one of our favorite fanatsy authors.

Some people might say that all fantasy is alike. How would you say that the fantasy you write differs from series like Harry Potter?

The basic theme of much fantasy centers on a group of good characters drawn together to battle a great evil. This is present in my books as well. But what is missing in most secular fantasy is a greater good, or, more to the point, God. So I have included the requisite good characters, the great evil they must fight, and I have attached the greater good that focuses and defines the efforts of the protagonists. You generally don’t see this in the fantasy genre. Additionally, my references to God and Iosa Christus (the Gaelic/Latin words for Jesus Christ) are literal, not allegorical or implied. I do not get preachy but there is no doubt that the main characters are trying, in their own flawed fashion, to follow God in their daily lives.

The heroes in my books will never use magic of any kind. The antagonists will use anything and everything they believe will give them an advantage, but for those who follow Iosa Christus, magic is not an option. Like the heroes in The Lord of the Rings who choose not to use the ring of power, so my characters choose to depend on the miracles/magic of God to help them in their efforts.

I do not use miracles as a convenient literary device. Miracles abound, but most often, as in the real world, they only appear miraculous to the individual who needed the miracle at the time. The reader is left to determine what is a miracle and what is not, just as the characters themselves decide within the context of the story.

What inspired you to write the Warrior of the Son books?

I have always been a writer. Since I was a young boy I have penned stories. But even when I wrote something that I felt was good in a literary sense, it always lacked a meaning beyond the words of the story. This series of books is my attempt to imbue the fantasy genre with a deeper meaning: the Glory and Love of Jesus Christ.Book$20Cover$20FoCM$20Medium In which we interview one of our favorite fanatsy authors.

How do you think readers will benefit from your books?

First of all, the books are fun. They are filled with adventure, desperate battle, romance, fantastic creatures, and all the things that make fantasy books such an enjoyable read. Additionally, the characters are flawed, imperfect people, just like you and me. I present my characters as real people, not as idealized cut-outs. I think this lets the reader identify with the heroes as opposed to presenting an impossible ideal. Additionally, I attempt to make the villains (not the goblins of course!) sympathetic in some ways. I want the reader to at least understand what makes this character tick, even if in the end you don’t like what they do.

What kind of lessons do you try to teach in your stories?

The themes of redemption, mercy, and obedience run through much of my work. These are the anchors to the main characters. I also try to show the reality and consequences of standing against evil. There is always an element of glory in fighting for what is right and just, but there is a cost as well. To show only one side of this issue is a disservice to the reader.

Are any of the characters in your books based on real people? Would you say that your stories have any autobiographical elements?

Some of the things that my characters go through are based on personal experience. This is generally in an abstract way, since I have never fought a goblin or engaged in a real sword fight. However, some of the struggles experienced by the heroes and even the villains, are built up from a mixture of things I have observed, experienced, or shared with real life people.

The struggle for faith in the main character is an example. Much of what Evan MacKeth goes through as he runs from God mirrors my own foolish attempts to escape God’s Grace.

Do you have a favorite character in your Warrior of the Son series? In which we interview one of our favorite fanatsy authors.

I suppose that I like the tragic, brooding, Anwend Halfdane the best, though he is by no means the central character. I am also rather fond of Martin Reamon. I have big things planned for both of those characters.

It is interesting to note that many of the characters I originally developed as nothing more than literary mechanisms have become fully fleshed out characters in their own right. Young Martin Reamon was never intended to play such an important role in books two and three and in the fourth book, “Fire from the Earth”, Bronwyn Villich, another intended mechanism, becomes in many ways, the central character in the book.

I like it when characters unexpectedly come to life. I treasure these developments like little jewels that I stumbled across within the words of the story.

Do you have a plan for the rest of the series?

I have an idea of where all this is going. That isn’t to say that it will get there. I have come to realize that often the story goes where it wants to go. I am nominally in charge of the direction, but I am often surprised where I end up.

How long do you think it will take to finish the series?

I plan on ten to twelve books in the series. It is difficult to estimate the time necessary for such an endeavor, but hopefully I will not make my supporters wait too long on the remaining volumes.

And finally, do you have plans or another series after this one?

I am considering a prequel to the current series covering the adventures of Julian Antony Vorenius before he meets Evan MacKeth.

——————————

Kaitlyn and I are excited that Mr. Schiller is thinking about writing a series about Julian. He is one of my favorite characters in the  books, and it will be fun to find out more about him.

No shampoo, week 5: Success!

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I can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since I quit using shampoo!  To recap, I used to shampoo religiously every 23.5 hours.  My hair was so oily that even after 24 hours it was looking bad.  I also had dandruff that was only barely kept at bay by ever more frequent shampoo.

The first 2 weeks without shampoo were definitely the worst.  I used baking soda and vinegar every 2 or 3 days at first, then every day.  By the middle of the second week my dandruff was gone but my hair was so oily it looked damp all the way to the ends.  After 3 weeks it began to seem not quite so incredibly oily, and last week I was pretty sure it was getting better.

Now, amazingly, my hair feels very nearly normal.  I don’t quite understand how this can be, but it’s true.  I spent the day grocery shopping, yard saling and at a party – all with my hair down, not hidden in a clip.  I flipped it, swirled it, ran my fingers through it.  I wasn’t trying to show off.  It was more like running your tongue over your teeth after a cleaning at the dentist, when your teeth suddenly feel so smooth.   After 5 long weeks,  I have my hair back almost overnight, but I’m no longer tied to daily shampoo.

In the shower, my hair feels different.  If I try to use conditioner, I can feel the natural oils “blocking” it from my hair.  It doesn’t penetrate, and it rinses right off.  When my hair is damp, it feels a little “off.”  But ince it’s dry, it’s sleek and shiny, not a bit greasy, with lots of body and movement.  The only difference I notice is that it has more body than usual and is a little more…obedient?  The short little bits of new growth seem much easier to train.  They don’t stubbornly stand straight up if I try to smooth them down.

I’m pleasantly surprised that this only took 5 weeks.  I really didn’t expect to see such a change, and certainly not so soon after the way the first 2 weeks went!  At this point, I plan to keep using baking soda and vinegar every 2 or 3 days and an egg/lemon juice mixture every 7-10 days, unless my hair continues to change.

Among my daughters who have followed me in this experiment, we have several hair types:

The one with fine, straight hair says her hair feels very silky and smooth, not a bit greasy after a short minor adjustment period.  She loves her hair this way.

The one with very thick straight hair says her hair still feels a bit oily, though not extremely so.  It did look rather oily for the first 2 weeks or so, but not nearly so much as mine – only a couple of inches near her scalp.  Now hers, like mine, feels more trainable but otherwise very much like it did before she gave up shampoo.

The  2 curly girls are alternating between baking & vinegar, and occasionally washing with conditioner only.  Their hair used to be very dry and prone to tangle, but is now extremely soft and luscious.  I see the greatest difference in appearance with those two.  They had no oily adjustment period since their hair was so dry by nature.

Thanks for all your encouragement along the way!  For those of you who have watched and wondered how it would turn out, are you ready to take the plunge yet?

What other new thing did you try in the month of March?  Did it work for you?  What will you try in April?

Stuff I would love to review

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If I can get my hands on some free review stuff.  Hint, hint.  icon biggrin Stuff I would love to review

  • Wallypop Diapering – a WAHM with a full line of cloth diapering supplies and many other complimentary products, all at extremely reasonable prices.  She also has a blog to give you a peek into her daily life and offer further diapering advice.
  • Dive Into Math – Interactive video lectures that teach Saxon math, lesson by lesson.  Our children are starting new books, and I’ve heard rave reviews of these CDs from many people I know and love.
  • Rosetta Stone – Since we live in south Texas, we sampled this for Spanish briefly and were very impressed.  Of all the foreign language courses out there, this is the one my mind keeps returning to.  But you know…you really need at least one full level to get the full effect.  Helloooo?  Rosetta?  Are you listening?

How does my garden grow?

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Let me count the ways.

garden mar30 300x200 How does my garden grow?

It’s not the most beautiful sight: the containers are rather disorderly because we were preparing for a possible frost when the photo above was taken.  Also notice the door/windbreak.  Rather, please don’t notice it.  Let’s talk about the plants instead.

Our homemade earthboxes seem to be working very well, both the buckets and the tub variety.   Most of our plants are growing and thriving except for a few glaring failures which I try to explain below.  We’ve only watered once or twice/week so far, and the soil seems to maintain a good level of moisture.

We’ll start at the lower left, but skip past my 2 empty “earthbuckets” which will probably hold some sort of large slicing variety of tomato.  Bell peppers are labelled, 4 small new transplants.  I bought the very last 9-pack at WalMart and gave 5 to my mom and sister.  I still need some jalepenos for hubby, though I’m not quite sure where they will go yet.  Probably more 5 gallon earth buckets.

After that, we have the container of failed cucumbers.  I replanted these just after the photo was taken, so hopefully we’ll have something to show in a week or two.

In the corner, we have 2 containers of strawberry plants.  I started out with 12 plants but 5 died right away.  The rest are thriving.  We have pinched off the blossoms diligently to let them devote their strength and energy to growing now, so we’ll have a bigger crop of berries later on.  I haven’t decided yet if we’ll replace the 5 that died, since I probably shouldn’t have planted quite so many in the first place.

strawberries medium 201x300 How does my garden grow?

Next, we have tomatoes: 2 Romas, 2 Sweet One Hundreds.  These have grown a lot since I put them out, and are trying to blossom too.  We’re picking blossoms off almost daily, but might leave some to develop very soon.

sweetonehundred medium 300x201 How does my garden grow?

To the right of the tomato buckets, you can see 2 containers of green beans (an heirloom bush variety – Contender, I think?) and 2 containers of peas.  The beans are doing very nicely.  I only hope I planted enough.

beans medium 300x201 How does my garden grow?

The peas – not so good.  There are 2 varieties, one of them with edible pods.  I foolishly neglected to note which was which, and one container has failed to germinate.  This means that unless you can really tell by the amount of time to harvest (56 days vs. 70 days) we’ll have to taste a pod and decide just how edible it is.  I hope, hope, hope it’s the edible pod variety.  Quite honestly, I only planted the others because that’s what I found on my first trip to the store.  Either way, I’ll need to provide something for these to climb very soon.

peas medium 300x201 How does my garden grow?

The smaller oblong containers in front contain edible flowers, lettuce (small and sad, and growing very slowly), spinach, and Swiss chard.  The round pots are not part of the garden: a mum, a poinsetta that might be dead already though I’m hoping it comes back, and boganvia from my brother-in-law’s wedding last May.  I nearly killed it several times, but it keeps coming back.  I like stubborn plants.

I also have a large pot that I divided into 4 compartments with cardboard.  This is holding 4 new cuttings from my mom’s fig tree.  If you think they look sad, don’t worry.  It’s normal for most or all of the leaves to drop off.  In fact, we pulled most of them off to lighten the load while the branches are trying to grow roots.   I’m really hoping my air layerings take off, but these cuttings will be the backup plan.  If they survive, that is.

figs medium 201x300 How does my garden grow?

Now, are you wondering about the plants that failed so quickly?  My earth boxes were fairly easy to make, but once I done with basic construction I got excited and didn’t follow the directions very well.  I didn’t fill them to the very brim with dampened potting mix.  Instead, I filled them to a reasonable level with very dry mix.  Then I rushed ahead to planting, and placed 2 cups of fertilizer in a row down the middle or side, as directed.

Do you see a problem yet?  Since the potting mix was dry, I had to water it thoroughly from the top at first.  I learned this the hard way after waiting 4 days for moisture to wick up from the bottom.  When I watered thoroughly from the top, I think I dissolved a good bit of the fertilizer right into the germinating seeds – too much of a good thing.  The few that survived long enough to struggle to the surface looked distinctly burned.  A second problem was that the level of soil dropped significantly once it was dampened.  This seems to give the seedling trouble finding an opening, make them more susceptible to wind, and probably allows rain to puddle under the plastic, dissolving more fertilizer than is good for them.