tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53357403482496518612024-03-12T17:23:53.605-07:00Royal Pain – Home Ec for the Non-MarthaBetsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-80030591163671639922010-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:002010-10-27T14:09:49.413-07:00Excuse the ugliness, and other reformatting issuesI am reformatting right now. It started with my whole life, and trickled down to my blog - sort of backwards, but what are you going to do? I can't wait to decorate and reformat my new living space. However, in the meantime, I came across the new template designer on Blogger. And of course I was compelled to try it out. I ended up with a pretty hideous blog there for a week or so, and just realized how bad it was tonight when trying to show my college English students how to sign up for a blog. I pulled mine up on the projector and winced. Everyone was very polite, but I had to bite my cheek to go on with the lesson until I could fix it on a break. Whew. New matchy colors and a pleasant pink stripe have eased my design pain for a little while, and I will try not to think of this debacle ever again. But it's still not right. Be careful of compulsions in your non-Martha world. Sometimes inspiration is not inspiration, but obsession. And obsession is not usually very pretty - and your bunny ends up paying the price. <br />
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I need to meet a nice graphic designer who can hook me up with the funkiest blog on the block, but until then - or until I get my own copy of CS4 - I will work with the resources I have. Like the fabulous black and white damask curtains that are now hung in my 5th residence in 2 years (3rd in 5 months). This brings me to my lesson for this section of my life and the oh-so-important sub-theme for this post - the resourcefulness, not the damask. Perhaps like many of you, I have emerged from this difficult recessionary period a humbler, more grateful version of myself. With a rather intense ironic streak that may have been buried for a while, and an equally intense dependence on damask. (It's on my dishes and coffee cups, too, but I'm not obsessed. Really.) Viva la modern Victorian!Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-2204720518862902992010-08-15T10:18:00.000-07:002010-10-27T14:03:59.263-07:00Good Luck Movin' Up Cuz I'm Movin' Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9te9MGIGOadIZShB_YP4WYEPpPYy9BrDtPGvZ7nnHw96hqGPHBeJScbBgkfsyu3JosIwnpD5Edi159YQxn4MLYjMPWyOVlh5VvBSwFh5loQ8X7V9WTzA0gApxZIULVP1dvjjpsUMwSmE/s1600/pvmain-movin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9te9MGIGOadIZShB_YP4WYEPpPYy9BrDtPGvZ7nnHw96hqGPHBeJScbBgkfsyu3JosIwnpD5Edi159YQxn4MLYjMPWyOVlh5VvBSwFh5loQ8X7V9WTzA0gApxZIULVP1dvjjpsUMwSmE/s320/pvmain-movin1.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>Time to move - again. I think I'm going to have an aneurism before I finish this move. But I am optimistic. The city of Raleigh is a mecca of culture with most of the bennies of living in the South. There are communities of eco-minded and creative folks all over town. And my own neighborhood is nestled sweetly among the trees and hills. Raleigh's great for that - not mowing down all the woods in the name of progress. <br />
So moving itself, unfortunately, is not an eco-friendly endeavor. Recycled boxes are available, but potentially filled with critter eggs to transpose to your new abode. Not a pleasant thought. So I got new boxes and recycled them afterwards to become something more than they were. I also saved a few for projects, including a painting surface for giving my furniture a new lease on life. I have a few pieces that need a little pizazz and some eco-friendly paint, so I now have a surface on which to take this on. <br />
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<div>I wrapped all my stuff in my clothes and towels, so that helped since I needed fewer boxes. But it was harder to wrangle up my wardrobe after the big move. I dedicated myself to unpacking everything in sight in the first week, and I was sure to pack a bag of necessities beforehand. </div><div>Watch out for fuel-guzzling rental trucks, and do what you can with the vehicles of your nearest and dearest. </div><div> </div><div>I paid move help by enlisting students from the college where I teach, and that's not a bad idea for anyone. You can post signs, or call the career services departments, and give somebody a much-needed infusion of cash that's still cheaper than paying move labor companies and their crazy travel fees and 3-hour minimums.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But I am looking forward to our new home, our new life, and the time and space for my creativity to come out full force and really put this blog to work! The place is energy efficient, open, nestled in a woody lot, and surrounded by great neighbors. I'm already feeling the crafty nesting instinct directing me on how to decorate and make the most of my new space. Dinner party, here I come. More on non-Martha entertaining later!</div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-23193970238746013762010-05-21T13:32:00.000-07:002010-05-21T13:48:11.831-07:00Down with Napkins? Not sure Martha would approve...One of the "green" cutbacks I have learned about in staying with my friend is a decidedly firm stand against napkins and paper towels. They have paper towels in the household for emergencies and her aging father in law who seems to like to use them in lieu of plates, much to the chagrin of my friend. However, at the dinner table, they rarely make an appearance. <br />
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As a woman whose momma raised her right, to always place a napkin in the lap (after setting the table with it folded into a triangle on the left side of the plate with a fork atop it), I was a bit shocked at this turn of events. Now Martha would probably approve if, say, cloth napkins were used instead. She (my benefactor) does use towels for wiping up spills from counter to floor, and many of them are washed daily, but no cloth napkins. It may be an attempt to curb water usage because of all the other towels being used, plus lots of dishwashing in the Whirlpool. But it takes a lot of kitchen towels to fill up a washing machine, I have noted. So the action of substituting real towels for fake ones is probably negligible as far as environmental impact, and certainly the better choice. I have not yet asked about the lack of cloth napkins - don't want my curiosity to seem a criticism, which it is not. But I have found that these actions do save many paper towels. I used to have a bad habit of going through them way too quickly, and now I find that I don't need them half as much as I thought I did. We have saved countless trees in the month and a half that I have been here, and she has been doing this for a year, so the tree rescue count goes up even more for her. <br />
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In my next place, I plan to invest in kitchen towels (after I replace the one of hers I caught on fire) and maybe some cloth napkins. At the very least, though our laps are bare at the dinner table and my sisters would gasp, I am proud of the fact that I - and my 3 yr old son - have managed to curb our crumb dispensing and keep messes to a minimum. Reduced cleanup ability, plus living in a near-immaculate household - have a significant impact on inspiration to be cleaner by nature.Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-75800074454479708912010-04-08T11:16:00.000-07:002010-04-08T11:16:45.522-07:00How to reduce your impact: Lesson 1 - Move in with your best friend!I am guilty of severe neglect on this blog recently, but I have a good excuse. After eight years in the same city, I moved to North Carolina last week. I grew up in eastern NC, but I'm now in the Triad, near Greensboro. It's beautiful here, and I'm so glad to be back in the state. I absolutely love North Carolina and can't believe I stayed away so long. I'm kind of a hippie/country girl at heart, even though I love 80s electronica, Victorian tea sets, and doc martens. Love to have a farm someday with sheep, Alpaca, or llamas to produce wool for sale on the Internet, and host spinning and weaving classes in my barn where I usually rehearse with my grrrl rock band. Nonexistent as of yet, but a girl can dream. And it certainly wouldn't be unheard of in NC, where hipsters and good old boys and girls mix beautifully and the arts and culture are second only to the gorgeous landscapes.<br />
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Anyway, this is the first step - moving here. My dear best friend and her husband and daughter have been willling to put me up for a month or so while I get my you know what together and get a job. So my projects of late have been more job-application-oriented. But I'm conserving paper, - yay me - and my friend is an excellent teacher of green living, especially since she started teaching a college course on global impact. <br />
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My next few posts will be sharing some of the techniques I'm learning here about how to reduce your footprint in everyday life and not kill yourself doing it. Simple but meaningful acts that can help the planet and help us all feel a little better about our own impact on it.<br />
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So stay tuned...tips are forthcoming, as well as updates on my job search and how all this quality time with my son is probably going to kill me. With love, of course! Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-43164033412341089272010-02-25T07:40:00.000-08:002010-02-25T07:43:23.821-08:00Self-Flagellation, Nerf Darts, and Naps<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5-1VBEdmemMX3UU6e38EYnI8EQi3sx5vL4M7pQcSgT_DT0Ps9vdS8rpaaowGauOEmpkQwjyVoUevpzgemWlnPBO1anWd78SFh7_h3N-V7DOZYsCrT6HFzcXBEYL1kmaFAcbTIeIeeyfD/s1600-h/nerf+dart+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5-1VBEdmemMX3UU6e38EYnI8EQi3sx5vL4M7pQcSgT_DT0Ps9vdS8rpaaowGauOEmpkQwjyVoUevpzgemWlnPBO1anWd78SFh7_h3N-V7DOZYsCrT6HFzcXBEYL1kmaFAcbTIeIeeyfD/s200/nerf+dart+1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Tragically, I have a fatal flaw. I have ideas that zing through my brain like Nerf darts, bouncing off of all the other ones and creating new and glorious hybrid darts that inspire excitement and wonder. This is not the flaw. The flaw is that the darts always fall to my brain-floor eventually without ever reaching their destination. True, destination is not as important as journey, but I'd like to finish something. Or continue something.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But kudos to me, I'm still keeping up with this blog. Sometimes I slack for a few days, but I have made a commitment, so I am sticking to it. Keeping up with the blog is good, but the blog is about keeping up with my life. Hmmmm. Only half done, as usual. <span style="color: #6aa84f;">[note to work people: I am <em>only</em> this way at home.]</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I need to make a commitment to making my bed. I think that's what started this. I made my bed this morning, and I honestly haven't done it since the time I wrote about it in an earlier post. It's been a <em>while</em>. And so making my bed actually made me feel bad. Sort of counterproductive. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ssRoabYs4YvAz9B4mfO1D5u0r9cLN8Leizg7HmL23sYQ2D8WBNQ3Gpd1jXmAgGmLCOF2r1C6Y5ewx-o6fhICKzATG4nx3DzHkluJYRdm1L2OGsWXBL1cJYjTij93MCFhRPjVSHghdb5r/s1600-h/monks+holy+grail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ssRoabYs4YvAz9B4mfO1D5u0r9cLN8Leizg7HmL23sYQ2D8WBNQ3Gpd1jXmAgGmLCOF2r1C6Y5ewx-o6fhICKzATG4nx3DzHkluJYRdm1L2OGsWXBL1cJYjTij93MCFhRPjVSHghdb5r/s200/monks+holy+grail.jpg" width="200" /></a>We women do that to ourselves, don't we? Damned if we do, damned if we don't. Damned if we do half. Damned if we overdo it. My brain gets tired of berating me, and of course of picking up all the Nerf darts that I left on the floor. So it gives up. Damned if I don't is the easiest of the damned truisms. Obviously. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>But I don't want to do that anymore. Recognizing is half the battle. Ack, just the thought of another battle makes me tired. I'm going to take a nap.Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-64680088403223712652010-02-16T08:24:00.000-08:002010-02-16T08:30:26.870-08:00Cultural Creatives: Are you Ready to Rise?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4FMr4fnPzHAF1ZD8CdypVJnESKryZJZn8054KXuoSj108ad5PRvi4ReYJ-yV8oVhwe5YTiby0WlTagw0ZyM1A4Wtl7luEl3Cm92Jt0k5AZKeWrCqfUwcbVjMD-hNBPH8IpxL8jaIAAOC/s1600-h/happy+balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4FMr4fnPzHAF1ZD8CdypVJnESKryZJZn8054KXuoSj108ad5PRvi4ReYJ-yV8oVhwe5YTiby0WlTagw0ZyM1A4Wtl7luEl3Cm92Jt0k5AZKeWrCqfUwcbVjMD-hNBPH8IpxL8jaIAAOC/s320/happy+balloon.jpg" /></a></div>Talking 'bout a revolution....<br />
So what makes a "Cultural Creative?" According to sociologist Paul H. Ray, cultural creatives are made up of people with varying degrees of the following traits: focus on or interest in spiritual mysticism, ecological and community sustainability, relationships with others and acceptance. Belief in the importance of world travel, altruism, and activism. Self actualization and feminism. Concerns about violence. Creativity in daily life. Nature as sacred. Distrust of big business. Simplification of life in general. Alternative health care.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGS-e7GnbYQfaI_1OVue1ujhHFYBOUqt9vevt8H31Z673M32Rq9uj0Nn4PwWvpNEYpQedulIdd8qiJPuHHqkEk9d0_Vvb2WuMfype4jlHpqD1TnWZyXkQTex5GDraT8oqJ_0AXIQ8o7Dcq/s1600-h/cultural+creatives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGS-e7GnbYQfaI_1OVue1ujhHFYBOUqt9vevt8H31Z673M32Rq9uj0Nn4PwWvpNEYpQedulIdd8qiJPuHHqkEk9d0_Vvb2WuMfype4jlHpqD1TnWZyXkQTex5GDraT8oqJ_0AXIQ8o7Dcq/s200/cultural+creatives.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>Sound like you? This "group" has the potential at this juncture in time, according to Ray, to actually create another renaissance in thought. To revitalize the culture. But many don't know they are members. And you can't have a renaissance without awareness. The way this will work is if people band together in larger and larger communities, find each other and generate power in numbers. It's started to a degree, in indie craft forums and green community groups, for example. Consumers and other audiences already have gained more power over business through online networking and the viral spread of ideas. <br />
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I for one am ready. I've got my eco grocery bags and knitting needles, my little man, some of the most unique and interesting people on the planet that I'm lucky enough to call my friends and family, and my humble little blogs. My immediate family (all conservatives) told me I'd lose my idealism by age 30. Guess what? I'm 34 and I've still got it! And by "it," of course, I mean all that and a bag of soy chips. Hey, ho - let's go!Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-49724727215420435872010-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:002010-02-16T08:39:49.807-08:00Self-Editing for English Majors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUJBKHYa2DN-zgYbIzfPB8N31JtvBqRaxppDcSL7j35fynfhk20HP3w17Dtl8tjvizQerRLmesuGRxDsSdF0eBVsnAMTy3IoRXM1fDzlLZDZgQ9gps40eFfFxICLxXflN19mJMl7KQzi1/s1600-h/red+shoe+woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUJBKHYa2DN-zgYbIzfPB8N31JtvBqRaxppDcSL7j35fynfhk20HP3w17Dtl8tjvizQerRLmesuGRxDsSdF0eBVsnAMTy3IoRXM1fDzlLZDZgQ9gps40eFfFxICLxXflN19mJMl7KQzi1/s320/red+shoe+woman.jpg" /></a></div>I promise I will tie this in to my blog theme, but I had to share that today I had a conversation with my boss at the IT company about expectations, since I never hear anything from "that side" of the building - I am a marketer and copywriter. I'm a bit on the sensitive side, so I need a little pat on the back every once in a while. Finally I asked for it. The answer I got? You do a great job. I love your work. <strong>But can you try to shorten your explanations in the future?</strong> We don't know what you're doing half the time because when you explain it, you get so excited that you go on for a while and <em>we glaze over</em>. Sorry, just being honest. We're all super-logical over here. I don't even type like you do. /makes clicking noises and jiggles his fingers<br />
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Ouch. Okay, I get it. I am a bit long-winded. And I tend to babble when I get excited. So I started taking a look at myself a little more harshly... <br />
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And I realized that even my blog entries are long-winded, because of course I'm excited about the subject matter. So from here on out, I'm going to try to be a little more short and sweet with my posts. After this one. Hopefully. Bear with me as a make a concerted effort, anyway. I was a Lit major and I have a Master's in English, so I tend to write novels out of my grocery lists. It's just the way it is. <br />
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I am also going to take it a step further. I think I get mired down in detail in my home management as well. I want to do it really well, and I get caught up in details and don't finish projects at home. So I am going to see what I can do about getting more accomplished on the life front by being brief, looking at the big picture, and letting some things be "enough." More on this topic in future posts. After all, I don't want to babble on forever, now do I?Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-83454687289203478622010-02-09T07:26:00.000-08:002010-02-15T07:23:53.483-08:00The Trash Heap Has Spoken - Woe, Woe, Woe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1TwNzASS5awDPB1CBT1rFylCkfkHBJk6H6nYXprbtpM7nXuj95IfiSFx5WpUceQlTbqkGmDGpq0Nq9bhvNgKG0AmQCH_EpD83PsLgHI1cY7lbblFd6t1IOiqPbAyT92vzjMJfaelbmrH/s1600-h/300px-Trash_heap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1TwNzASS5awDPB1CBT1rFylCkfkHBJk6H6nYXprbtpM7nXuj95IfiSFx5WpUceQlTbqkGmDGpq0Nq9bhvNgKG0AmQCH_EpD83PsLgHI1cY7lbblFd6t1IOiqPbAyT92vzjMJfaelbmrH/s200/300px-Trash_heap.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>Do you remember the Trash Heap? The oracle, Marjory, who guided the Fraggles in their trials and tribulations? She knew what was up. Probably because she had a little bit of everything in her. I think I've been channeling the wise and soulful Trash Heap lately, because my natural inclination - without any major visible home ec improvements lately - has been toward curtailing the waste that my son and I generate. <br />
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In little ways, that I think about as I'm doing them, I am making small changes in the greening of my home life that I think will add up to a decent-sized impact when taken all together. Some of them may stem from my recent financial snafu, and a renewed consciousness about wasteful spending. So maybe that all happened for a reason. At the very least, I got something good out of an unpleasant event.<br />
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I am cutting down on my trash generation and recycling things in ways I wouldn't have bothered with before. I never buy water bottles anymore, using travel mugs for ice water instead. I'm squeezing every last drop out of soap dispensers and adding water when I'm down to the last to stretch it even further. And I never throw them out - they're good for everything from oil to lotion to kids' paint.<br />
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I use towels as often as possible instead of paper towels and napkins. I only do my laundry when I can run a full load and I use cold water unless my son has had an artistic moment with his diaper and I need to sanitize. <br />
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And I've almost completely stopped using plastic bags to preserve leftovers. Not to mention that due to the financial situation a la previous post, I have been super-inventive with leftovers and food on my shelves to make interesting new dinners. Chicken breasts become chicken salad with dried chives and roasted red peppers from a jar in my fridge. Nutritional yeast and soy milk combined with leftover hamburger meat and elbow macaroni becomes cheeseburger mac. And it's a great way to relieve dinner ennui. You know, when you find yourself making the same three things over and over because it's easy and fast.<br />
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I am very proud of my progress and give myself a gold star. Well, nobody's going to do it for me (not since 3rd grade or so). Of course, being green is rewarding in itself, and I get to feel like I'm stemming the tide a little against the onslaught of refuse aimed at Mother Earth every day. It's not much, but every sandbag helps. As always, viva la home ec revolucion!Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335740348249651861.post-45376094399826712322010-01-08T06:08:00.000-08:002010-02-10T12:58:10.998-08:00Don't Tell Mom the Maid's Dead<strong>"The dishes are done, man!"</strong><br />
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I stayed up till midnight last night to do dishes. I had already taken down the Christmas tree and balanced the boxes artfully in a Dr. Seuss-esque tower in the garage. I was on a roll and figured I'd keep on keepin' on, though I didn't get more than 5 minutes of post-work downtime. Booo.<br />
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However, one of my Home Ec resolutions is to no longer go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. It's ten times grosser to clean up the next day, it hits me with Catholic guilt first thing in the morning (not healthy for my psyche), and a shining sink at bedtime is a major best practice in Marthaworld. The task (and its lateness) was unpleasant, but came with many rewards the next day and I felt as if I had made some progress on my quest.<br />
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<strong>So what did I use to green-clean my dishes?</strong><br />
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Of course, paper towels are out of the question (an abomination in the green world). Crocheted dish rags are good, but the ones I have used so far (purchased from the Sugar Plum Tree Senior Citizens Craft Fair, a southern senior ladies annual event in Virginia Beach) have retained some unappealing stains and I'm not fond of doing laundry. I'd like to crochet my own, but my three-year-old son won't let me. Maybe some midnight stitching is in order. I'll have to teach myself how again - been a while.<br />
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I used to be an advocate of sponges, but mine don't ever seem to get as clean as people say they are supposed to when I attempt to purge them of skunk in the dishwasher or microwave, and my roommate always tosses mine out when I'm not looking. She has a rather mundane plastic dish brush, which I thought would be ineffective at first glance, but it turns out these sleepers are stellar at maintaining the suds and exceptionally talented at removing crusty dinner remains from dishes and pots. Who knew?<br />
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So I'm very happy with the dish brush outside of the sometime difficulty of getting the food off the brush itself without spraying my face with dish-brush gunk. I'll have to practice with that - maybe a plastic hair comb for cleaning. Anyway...I am converted for the moment, and am off to find a bamboo handled dish brush to increase the eco-friendliness of my chosen scrubbing instrument. I saw some nice ones at <a href="http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/dept.asp?dept_name=Brushes%2C+Sponges+%26+Scrubbers&dept_id=13100&s_id=0">Green Depot </a>today.<br />
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My new mantra: Bring back home ec!Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12577014844956164515noreply@blogger.com0