I had an insight the other day. I usually hate the waning of the year/season, etc, feel like it's just waiting for everything to start back up again, and beat myself up for the projects I didn't start "in time". But that's not the way it is. Midsummer/full moon/mid cycle is the MIDDLE of the time, the time of "okay, this is what I'm doing", not the time of being done. Might seem obvious, but it's pretty revolutionary to me. waxing is the conception of the idea, the projects you scrap, the false starts, the getting closer, the getting into right brain mode, the creative spree where things start to fall into place faster than the hands and words can keep up. And then you hit the midcycle, which is not the wrapping up, but the point where you go "Ah, THIS is what I'm doing", the point where your skills start to match your vision, where you are held back by little, and you feel (in surfing terms) not only the top of the swell, but the push of the momentum. THEN comes the completion process, the finishing touches, all that.
Kind of like life, I guess. I think I'm in the "getting closer, getting into the right mindset" part of my life. We certainly had our false starts, and I'm proud that I'm working on my 3rd year at my job, our independent pursuits are catching up, and all that.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Making my own laundry detergent
I know, I know, why make your own laundry detergent, Tide's cheap and works well. Well, for starters, it's pennies a load, takes almost no time, and is much better for the enviroment than shipping what amounts to buckets of water around.
It's 1 cup grated Fels Naptha or other real soap (no Dove or anything like that, please), 1 cup boric acid, and 1 cup washing (not baking) soda. You cook the soap with about a quart of water until it's all dissolved, then add the powders. When that's dissolved, dump it in a half a five gallon bucket of warm water and mix mix mix. When it's dissolved, then you fill up the rest of the bucket with water, pop the lid on the bucket and let it sit over night.
You wake up to 5 gallons of wonderful smelling snot, basically. If that bothers you, just combine half and half with water, mix it up (a milk jug is awesome for this), and you can even add fragrance oil. Use 2 Tbsps or more of the gel, or 1/2 cup of the liquid, or more if you need to. And remember, Mom always says that Oxy Clean, pretreater, or Awesome is always needed to pretreat stains, no matter how good the laundry detergent is.
It's 1 cup grated Fels Naptha or other real soap (no Dove or anything like that, please), 1 cup boric acid, and 1 cup washing (not baking) soda. You cook the soap with about a quart of water until it's all dissolved, then add the powders. When that's dissolved, dump it in a half a five gallon bucket of warm water and mix mix mix. When it's dissolved, then you fill up the rest of the bucket with water, pop the lid on the bucket and let it sit over night.
You wake up to 5 gallons of wonderful smelling snot, basically. If that bothers you, just combine half and half with water, mix it up (a milk jug is awesome for this), and you can even add fragrance oil. Use 2 Tbsps or more of the gel, or 1/2 cup of the liquid, or more if you need to. And remember, Mom always says that Oxy Clean, pretreater, or Awesome is always needed to pretreat stains, no matter how good the laundry detergent is.
April, a season of rebirth
So spring came a bit late this year. The trees are finally all leafing out, some just the super vibrant baby green tiny mini-leaves on the dark stem -- what a beautiful contrast. It's strange, you go months bundled up and cold and yucky. Then you can peer out, see a few sign of spring, go through the whole "do I wear a coat or not" bs, and then....
Everything's green, and just normal. Good normal, but one does miss the new signs of spring appearing every day. The year, though, doesn't go just through one magical change a year, we just aren't usually so into the possibly more subtle progressions through the year's cycle. I think we're also just glad to get of the parkas and into flip flops.
But we should work to notice these differences and changes, it keeps us rooted in the Earth while we reach toward our dreams. We should work to enjoy all the changes (yes, even the cold weather), and enjoy the moments instead of just working toward the next goal in life.
I, personally, after taking a job that takes me outdoors, in all weather, in the night and day, feel much less affected by SAD, more patient and at the same time, more proactive. Something about being out in nature during all seasons and moods seems to help with depression.
I'd love to know how everyone else appreciates these changes and moments, both in their lives and nature at large.
Everything's green, and just normal. Good normal, but one does miss the new signs of spring appearing every day. The year, though, doesn't go just through one magical change a year, we just aren't usually so into the possibly more subtle progressions through the year's cycle. I think we're also just glad to get of the parkas and into flip flops.
But we should work to notice these differences and changes, it keeps us rooted in the Earth while we reach toward our dreams. We should work to enjoy all the changes (yes, even the cold weather), and enjoy the moments instead of just working toward the next goal in life.
I, personally, after taking a job that takes me outdoors, in all weather, in the night and day, feel much less affected by SAD, more patient and at the same time, more proactive. Something about being out in nature during all seasons and moods seems to help with depression.
I'd love to know how everyone else appreciates these changes and moments, both in their lives and nature at large.
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