hey all, i have been absolutely loving my internet free house, woo hoo! i've gotten tons of stuff done, have way more energy, and really have to be conscious of what i do online with my limited library time. it's actually pretty cool and such a great step towards mindfulness. plus i've had time to down size like crazy! i emptied out all the cupboards and closets of unneccessary stuff and donated it to the second hand store. it felt so great! i've noticed that i get spring cleaning in reverse, it seems to happen for me in the fall/early winter instead of when it's warming up. why is that i wonder?
i've been sleeping more and earlier too. that's been great.

i have been thinking 'bout y'all though and have a few things to say and ask, i'll check in for your responses (if i get any!) in a few days.

i was wondering if anyone knows if using a head set with a cell phone is still bad for you.

also, i was told that it isn't neccessary to oil a bamboo cutting board but i did oil mine the other day and it is so much better. everything i cut on it before tasted of garlic and onions even after washing and now that's gone.
does anyone have a bamboo board and if so what do you do with it?

i've nearly finished the laundry soap i have so i'll be making that recipe and trying it out soon. anyone else given it a go yet? what do you think of it, making it and using it?

my littlest sister was here for a visit from BC last week, she's expecting (i'm so excited to be an aunty for the first time!). she said she plans to grow loofah sponges next year, did you know that you can grow those here? cool!
she uses a sea sponge for washing dishes and slices of loofah for scrubbies. she's so brilliant.

i've been baking lately and i gotta say, even homemade doesn't agree with my anymore than purchased. i don't think flour is my friend. though i love the art and chemistry of baked goods it's an ultimately unsatisfying experience i'm afraid. back to the labour intensive raw carrot cake for me!

how are you all? i'm hoping for fantastic!

hey coco glad to see ya been thinking of unhooking the *net* too lately as it seems to be more of annoyance then productive these days

i grew some loofahs 2 years ago .. this year it was too darn wet and hardly anythign much grew to full term in the squash department (cept the zuchini's took over the garden as usual but we all know that they are aliens and thats what they do ) when i did the loofahs i only endedup with about 5 or 6 that i remember out of a dozen that turned out really nice unfortunately i ddint dry the others properly and they they just kinda got fungus-y .. so tell her to look up all the info on curing and drying htem proper !

about yer early (or late?) spring cleaning .. its great you get it done before spring cuz then ya got all that nice weather to enjoy rather then cleaning out your house ! sounds like a good idea to me ! LOL

coco!--
Hi there, girl! We all miss you and your artsy-crafty, wise momma ways. ;-)

I really got into fall housecleaning this year too; took me by surprise.

Can we talk you into posting some pics of your current crafts projects-- maybe something you're making for Christmas?

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Hi coco, post some pics!

hey coco

what happened to the cool knitted undies for jimmy bear?

LOL

whate'er happened to him?

such a gas

anyhoo.. which laundry soap are u making?

post it please

how do u make loofah?

i never grew it

it sounds fun

maybe i will try it

i like the idea of growing my own sponge for showers, baths, washing dishes and whatnot

neat

i have two friends who made soap

one made it pretty well

the other one used tons of chemicals ( he was a dyed in the wool SAD dude and used tons of lye)

i wanna make some too

i say i'm not crafty

but its only cuz i never made soap and other stuff

but i think it would really be fascinating
and hold my attention
'specially with the fragrances from essential oils

Hey Coco! Lucky you -- I'm on the Internet way too much lately, but these computers aren't going anywhere, because they're my honey's. So I need to d..dd...disc....OOh -- tough word for an artsy type -- discipline myself to just stay off it and get outside. We're fall cleaning too -- going through the huge back room full of boxes and organizing! I have some loofah seeds, but I don't think they'd grow well in Mass., maybe in Cali. I've also cut myself completely off wheat and feel much better.

well, here i am at the library again today and just couldn't resist, heh.

ver, the recipe is in the other health related forum with reviews by bruce who tried it out and seemed to like it just fine.

yes to pics but after xmas, it will take some organizing to get them online so i'll do a bunch at a time.

much love to you peoples!!

Coco!
Miss your words of wisdom.
Sometimes I use up to a cup of baking soda for the wash, seems to work ok.

I miss baking sometimes too, I just love to turn the oven on, but hey, (mostly) no one turns down baked goods. I want to make ornaments for the tree using applesauce and cinnamon. Mix together untill you can roll out and then use cookie cutters for shapes & make a hole at the top for some string and bake them low temp untill hard and they make yummy smelling decorations for the tree. But be make sure they cool because they can get a little brittle. I used to make theese with my mom when I was a kid.

Have a happy holiday season!
p.s.
Did you get rid of your internet for good?

cool megan .. i never would have thought to use applesauce that way lol ..

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Me too! Me too! I want to say hello to Coco too! "Hi Coco!"

The most productive days are the ones when I don't turn on my Mac. If this economy gets any worse, my internet will be the next thing to go. But I do love my internet for research purposes. Tons of information out there and I means to read it all.

We grew loofah back in Nicaragua in our backyard. It was my job to remove the seeds from them. We would clean them, butterfly them, and sew a trim of pretty fabric on them.

Must be something in the air because I threw out my old magazines that I've been keeping for years. You know, the ones with recipes and crafts projects that you never get around to doing? I offered them to several people but nobody wanted them. So, ultimately, I made the decision to throw them out.

Anyways, it's good hearing from you.

Hey Roxeli i take all my old used mags and give them to hospitals an doctor clinic/dentist clinic waiting rooms , when i take my mom or dad in for their various issues

everytime we have an appointment at any place like that i just bring them in an drop them with the rest .. i dont even ask anymore

one receptionist calls me the mag girl and looks forward to a fresh batch ... and that way they never pile up too long around here

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

hey jgunn, what a terrific idea! especially if you've got a subscription to adbusters, heh.