Tangled Hill

Fur-Covered Friends

2010-11-24T10:45:00.001-06:00

Just a few pictures I found of some of our pets. One of our cats (Ezzy - so named because her back reminds me of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I couldn't bring myself to call her Quasi, so Ezzy (after Esmerelda) it became) isn't included. I'm not sure where the photos of her went.

This is Hep. She's named for Audrey Hepburn because she's small and cute and black & white.

This is Blackie. She's Hep's daughter.

Oscar (dog) and Incredible (cat) sharing a bed. Incredible died a few years ago. He was both FeLV and FIV positive. Given only a maximum of two years to live when we found him, he was with us for six. I really miss him.

Alaska looking pensive (or guilty - he has a habit of chewing up hardcover books).

Harold curled on the bed with the giant bone.

Harold's sister Maude. She lives with my brother now, but she and Harold get together for playdates. They're definitely a bonded pair.

Calm

2010-11-21T08:43:00.005-06:00

Life has slowed down quite a lot, and I'm happier than a junebug in a hall of mirrors. Okay, bad simile. I'm a lot calmer than a junebug. But that's just the point. I'm calm. I can breathe. I don't feel caught in a whirlwind of activity and guilt. Or inactivity and guilt.

I've kept the weight off (with surprisingly little effort - being vegan has so many advantages), and I feel good. Now, if we could only afford produce. Organic produce. (I'm missing my green smoothies.) At the moment, we're subsisting on beans and brown rice, with the occasional whole wheat spaghetti night to break the monotony. Just waiting for the coffeehouse loan, and everything will be cushty.

I don't feel overwhelmed by the number of animals living with us. Right now, it's six - three dogs and three cats. In the past I've taken care of sick animals as well, and it was just a bit too much. At the moment (knock on wood), all are healthy and happy. I've also started feeding and housing birds in the backyard. I've been watching a family of cardinals for months, and I'm just intrigued. I could easily see myself falling into birdwatching. I've skirted around the edge for several years - ever since K and I spotted that crested caracara just north of San Antonio.

My home is clean and (mostly) orderly, and it's been this way for many months, now. I love to tidy my bedroom, so it tends to stay clean. It's a beautiful spot, filled with lace and stones and fallen leaves and old photographs of people I've never met but know oh so well. It's easy for me to keep a beautiful spot clean, but I'll pat myself on the back for a while, nonetheless. The kitchen, however, has been more of a bother. So, I took a page from Flylady (!) and focused a bit on the sink. It's an old stainless steel thing, all scratched and marred, but keeping it wiped clean has been surprisingly helpful. It's like a small, shining beacon in my little galley kitchen, and it encourages me to continue washing things, even when I've finished the sink. I'll move on to the counters, the stove, the top of the fridge, the cabinets, the floor.... And, as goes the kitchen, so goes the rest of the house. The living room sparkles (or would, if I'd dust just a tad more often). The dining room/office is orderly and open. The bathroom is cute and inviting. I feel like I've finally gotten things under control, after so many years.

I enjoy a clean, calm, open house. Instead of thinking about everything that needs to be done, I can let my mind wander. I'm more creative in a clean space. I'm happier. That's not the way it is for T and K, however, and that's been a bit of a problem. I've been working with K, though, and he's almost finished with his room. He was so excited that he could see the floor; he must have mentioned that at least five times last night, cute kiddo. Cute kiddo who's almost thirteen. Wow.

He's decided he wants to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show with me. I've forgotten most of the things one is supposed to yell or throw at the screen, but I'm sure there's a website or twenty that will spell it all out. It's been years since I've watched Rocky Horror, mostly because a good friend of mine who used to dress as Dr. Frankenfurter hasn't been here to watch with me. Of course, if there was any reason to watch it again, it would be watching it with K. How fun!

K loves my old movies, and there's very little that I own that I'd be uncomfortable watching with him (or that I know would make him feel uncomfortable). So, I often find him snuggled down in my bed watching a beloved movie like Peter's Friends or Harold and Maude or Tootsie. I'm stuck in the past with movies, I know. I prefer VHS to DVDs, and I have quite a large collection. Last night I was overjoyed to find a copy of Barefoot in the Park with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda for a quarter; I'd been looking for that one for the last few years. I like to watch movies at home where I can stop or rewind them at will. Still though, a dark theatre might be nice for a change. The last movie I remember seeing in a theatre was Last Chance Harvey with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson a few years ago. I wonder if anything good is playing....

Off to work now, I suppose. Can't wait to give up this job and spend all my waking hours at my coffeeshop....

The Magic Mushroom

2010-11-20T14:38:00.005-06:00

Well, it's been quite a while, and we've been going through lots of big changes on our little hill. I won't apologize for not writing or spend precious paragraphs categorizing the many reasons why. Simply put, I'm back, at least for this moment that is quietly slipping away.

I'm sitting beneath a lovely duvet I picked up cheap during the hot weeks of the summer. I just found a cover for it a few days ago - little lavender paisleys. (I was about to sew a couple of sheets together and have done with it.) I've never had a duvet before, mostly because the good ones are made of feathers, and I just couldn't (wouldn't) purchase one. However, this one was sitting unpretentiously in a Goodwill, sandwiched between a couple of terribly ugly polyester bedspreads, a $10 tag dangling from its side. I couldn't pass it up. And, I know my money is going to a good cause, rather than to murder birds. Win-win! I never knew before how warm and comfortable these sorts of blankets are. How did I live without one for so long? Next on the list - a duvet for K who loves snuggling down in his blankets.

So much has happened over this past year, I have no real idea where to begin. I guess I'll start with the big stuff. We're at the tip of a new adventure, standing at the top of a mountain with a snowball and a smile. We're applying for a business loan and dreaming of a coffeehouse. I finally finished the business plan a few weeks ago (!), and we're ready for the banks (!). T and I once owned a coffeehouse, though it was a ramshackle, glued-together affair. We opened it with my tax return of $1400 and the innocence to believe we could. It was housed in an old downtown hotel in Wichita Falls and was more popular than we ever could have dreamed. Now, we're dreaming bigger. Much bigger.

I want The Magic Mushroom Coffeehouse and Cafe to be the "Third Place" we've been searching for. I want K to spend his adolescent years in a bustling, friendly, everyone-knows-your-name sort of hippie hang-out. I do. At the old coffeehouse, when I was pregnant with K, I had dreams of bringing up a little one there, surrounded by people who cared for us and in the center of an ever-swirling whorl of activity. I think this sort of "Third Place" is almost a necessity for the unschooler. For many, their "Third Place" is also their home - filled with all sorts of folks at all hours. Not us. Almost no one visits us on Tangled Hill. This has never really bothered me, though, as I'm a fairly private girl, and I hate cleaning for company. Still, I think K has suffered a bit, and the coffeehouse should help with that in amazing way.

Also, the coffeehouse, by all accounts, should make reading our bank statements a bit more enjoyable. We've lived a simple, quiet life for a long time, now, and we've needed very little money to do so. We work to live, rather than the other way 'round. Still, money equals choices, at least to a degree, and there are a lot of choices that haven't been available to us. I have always wanted to learn to pot, and I'll be able to take classes. K is thinking about Aikido or theatre. Perhaps both. T mostly wants computer gadgets. And, we'll all be able to attend concerts, festivals, and what-have-yous. Yeah, I'm allowing myself to dream a bit.

I have so much to say about the simplicity I wrapped around myself here, but it just doesn't seem to fit this post. I guess I'll save it for later - perhaps tonight. I'll pour a cup of hot tea, pull my sweet little duvet over me, turn on some Iron & Wine or Hem, and consider this past year.

Updates Galore

2009-05-02T03:30:00.004-05:00

Lots of updates. I guess that's not overly surprising, since I haven't written in such a long time.

K and I have been über-sick for days, now. Swine flu? A cold? You know, the symptoms are eerily similar. We've got sore throats, coughs, stuffy/runny noses, aches, fatigue, fever, and headaches. Hmm.... I'm not an alarmist when it comes to illnesses, but I'm tired of checking off nearly everything on the list of swine flu symptoms. I'm so ready to be done with this one.

We've started a strawberry cyser. Strawberries were cheap, so we decided it was high time we made something with them. It's gorgeous. The color is this amazing red, and the combination of apples, honey and strawberries smells bewitching. Of course, it will be another year to a year-and-a-half before we can drink it. Still, it's lovely to watch it bubble in the carboy.

We're getting ready to be backyard beekeepers. We use so much honey in mead making. Of course, we use it for tons of other things, as well - cooking, home remedies, facial cleanser, etc. Once we harvest our first honey, I plan to use it in soap making, as well, and to use the wax for balms and candles. I think the biggest hurdle will be in getting support from the neighbors. People have lots of fears when it comes to flying, stinging insects, even docile honey bees. If we do get everyone's okay, we figure we'll gather equipment over the next eleven months, read like crazy, and become bee parents around April of next year. I can't wait!

I was perusing Craigslist this evening and found six good-quality bookcases and a set of outdoor furniture for free. It took two trips in our sedan (T is a master at tying things down - we once furnished an entire 4500 (yes, 4500) sq. ft. coffeehouse using only a 1967 bug), but we've got it all home. T has put all the bookcases in the garage. He's been looking for bookcases for such a long time, and I'm so happy I could find some for him. He was busily setting up his books all evening. I think that brings his bookcase count up to nine. I just counted mine and K's, and we have ten between us. That's nineteen bookcases. We're a veritable library!

T has switched to veganism again. I'm hoping it's permanent this time. He goes back and forth from occasional meat eating to vegetarianism to veganism and back again. The last time he was vegan for any amount of time, he lost a good amount of weight, got his diabetes under control, and lowered his blood pressure and cholesterol. Yay veganism!

The other night, K and I watched a fabulous documentary, Consuming Kids. I read Susan Linn's book Consuming Kids a year ago and had no idea there would eventually be a movie based on it. It's one of those books you read that changes your perspective just enough to tilt you off balance for a while. I love books like that. I think, if I hadn't read the book first, the movie would serve the same purpose, at least to an extent. It doesn't go as in-depth as the book (of course), but it does grab you and shake you up a bit. After we watched the movie (at the address I linked to above), we stayed up late into the night (yay unschooling!) talking about marketing - why it's done, how it's evolved, how it's shaped our culture, and the effects it's had on children and on childhood. He absolutely loves movies like this. It amazes me. He just seems to sense when I'm watching something with a cultural or political slant and comes running (this is a child who adores Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow and who gets all excited when Frontline comes on PBS - go figure).

My first garden is coming along beautifully. When I was pushing seeds into the earth, I told myself, "Hopefully, at least one or two veggies will come up." Well, eveything has come up. Now, I'm going to have to learn how to thin the plants!

The book I'm working on is coming along, slowly but surely. I'm nearly done with the outlines, and I'm about to start writing the actual content. I just hope there are people out there who want to read what I have to say!

Okay, enough updates. I'll try to post more regularly (try being the operative word, here). Hope everyone is having a lovely spring!

Just in case anyone was wondering...

2009-04-12T23:19:00.002-05:00

I'm tired of cleaning up after people who are perfectly capable of cleaning up after themselves. That is all.

A Well-Deserved Day Out

2009-04-11T21:29:00.010-05:00

Today, we celebrated the end of a difficult week. We waded through lots of family/friend drama this week, and it was so nice to come out on the other side relatively unscathed. We decided the day called for something special. We all woke up early prepared to hit one yard sale after another, but being so close to Easter, it seems no one had any inclination to haul their stuff onto their lawns this morning. So, instead, we visited our favorite Austin thrift store, Thrift Town. I found the most deliciously vintage dark green pea coat for $5.99 and three brand name cloth diapers for $.69 each.

Then, we headed out to several Half Price Books stores where K sat and read manga for hours, T picked up a few brewing books and I found a $1.00 compilation of Leon Hale's Houston Chronicle articles from the late 1970's and early 1980's called Easy Going. I'd never read Hale's work before, and now I'm entranced. What a magical writer! I also found a Sue Bender book I hadn't read before called Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish.

What a haul, huh? I'm elated! I was searching for a good book on organic vegetable gardening, but no luck. I just started gardening, and as much as I enjoy it (is there anything more fulfilling?), I feel a bit lost. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

Then, we stopped by Austin Homebrew (the "Make Your Own Damn Beer" guys) for some fixin's. Tonight, we bottle the mead and start a batch of raspberry beer. Yum!

After that, it was on to the Mediterranean buffet for all the hummus, tabouli, dolmas, falafel, baba ganoush, lentil soup and baked cauliflower we could eat! Not surprisingly, I'm stuffed. Amazingly, T is in the kitchen right now cooking up berry pies for tomorrow. He's spending the day with his boss and a friend, while K and I visit my grandmother a few hours north of here.

As I type this, my eyelids feel heavy and my body seems to be melting into the couch. It's been a long day, but a good one. Still have to bottle and brew....

Update - 11:00 PM: Damn, the malt and hops boiling on the stove smells good!

Update 2 - 12:30 AM: All done. 24 beautiful, corked, amber bottles of spiced ginger cyser and a 5 gallon carboy full of fermenting raspberry beer. Yay!

Just a Quick Note about Aprons

2009-03-28T17:08:00.007-05:00

I kinda like 'em.

Right now, I'm wearing a mushroom fabric half-apron. I also own a hippie-looking batik half-apron and a green gingham half-apron with green and pink rick rack. When I wear one of them, I feel so... domestic. And productive. I swear, I accomplish twice as much each time I knot one behind my back. Today, for instance, I purged almost all the plastic and lead items from the kitchen (for some reason, I wasn't ready to toss them all out before, so I had shoved them to the back of the kitchen cabinets). I also swept and spot mopped, cleaned off the fronts of the kitchen cabinets, moved my teapot collection to the top of the cabinets, made bread, cleaned the stove and counters, did the dishes, and rearranged the contents of all the cabinets to suit my diabolical needs.

Okay, so the aprons may not be the source of all my powers. The coffee might have had a little something to do with it, too.

Now to direct my super cleaning powers to the master bathroom. Bwah hah hah!

(P.S. I want an apron like this, next. Wow....)

Update: Well, I ended up doing much more than I listed here. I swept and mopped the bathroom, cleaned the counters and toilet, rearranged some things in the bedroom, vacuumed, and then spent some time with my brother. Phew!

Second update: I bought a new (to me) apron for $1.50! It's another batik half-apron, much like my first one. Utterly cool. Yay domesticity!

Finding Peace Amidst the Rubble of a Stressful Life

2009-03-24T18:38:00.006-05:00

I can be a wound up girl, sometimes. I've gotten to a place in my life where I'm centered and calm, for the most part, and if you were to ask anyone who's met me in the past year, they'd tell you I live a slow, tranquil, happy life. For years, though, I was unable to deal with the everyday. This was a shameful thing for me, and I hid it well. Okay, pretty well. I kept it all inside, flooding my body with anxiety and guilt. (Oh, the guilt....) It spilled out from time to time, but mostly, I kept it all for myself.

I probably would never have de-stressed otherwise, but I found out a little over a year ago that I had to tone down the constant hum of my anxiety for health reasons. I just can't afford to let myself be stressed for any length of time.

Striving for a stress-free life was difficult. I didn't know where to begin. So, I started with the obvious. I had a career that was causing me so much stress, it was almost laughable. I was completely unable to shake off that anxiety, even for a moment. The weight of it was crushing. So, I quit. No bells and whistles. No floundering back and forth. No working less or trying to be more efficient. I just quit and then found myself a no-stress retail job. After the guilt that inevitably comes with quitting (and the subsequent drop in income) subsided, I could finally breathe again.

Then, of course, I looked around and saw that while I had been battling career anxiety, the rest of the world around me had crumbled into little piles of rubble, as well. More stress. Oops.

So, I thought a bit and convinced myself that peace really does begin at home. And when I say at home, I mean within me. Being so anxious and stressed, I really wasn't peaceful, at all, and I was tainting my little family with my apprehensions. I realized that, even in the midst of turbulence and unease - heck, even in the midst of tragedy - there is peace somewhere. I just had to find it and focus on it, bring it out of the woodwork and give it a prominent place in my life. This was a huge realization for me. If I could find that peace and hang onto it, things would fall into place - or, at least, I'd be able to deal with them.

So, I started a list of all the things that made me feel peaceful, and any time I felt uneasy, I employed some of the tactics on the list until I was calm again, until my world was righted and I was again that mild, peaceful woman I strive to be. That list has grown quite a bit over the last year. Just in case you, dearest reader, are where I used to be, here are some of the things that have helped me through the rough patches:

Music. I'm very affected by music, so when I'm stressed, I choose calming songs that have no real emotional ties for me. Some of my favorites for de-stressing are Hem, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine, Alexi Murdoch.... That sort of thing. Soothing. I also find myself drawn to music from my childhood - Warren Zevon, Simon and Garfunkel, Bill Quateman....
Candles. Cheesy, I know, but something about candles is very peaceful to me. So, I set a candle on top of my piano (probably the most beautiful spot in the house), turn down the lights, lie back on the couch, and watch the flame - sometimes for hours if that's what it takes.
Taking a walk by myself around the block. If it's nighttime, I bring along one of the dogs. Fresh air is my friend, but exercise feels like a chore. Walking, however, as long as it's not too fast, doesn't feel like exercise, so I enjoy it.
Sitting out on the front porch. We have only the pretense of a porch, but it's big enough for a chair. If it's raining, all the better. Rain is very soothing to me.
Thrift store browsing. Don't ask my why, but something about thrift stores calms me, so I go with it. Maybe it's all these cast-off items huddling together on a shelf just waiting for the right person to discover them. It's like a thousand little fairy tales.
Rescue Remedy. Even if it's a placebo effect, it helps.
Getting enough - but not too much - sleep. I have a tendency to oversleep, rather than get up and deal with my stressors, and this is just as bad as not sleeping long enough. It makes me groggy and less able to deal with life.
Talking to myself. Really. Especially if I'm driving alone or taking a shower. I can talk up a storm. And, for some reason, this helps tremendously - whether it's talking about whatever's stressing me out or talking about something completely different.
Petting the animals and really focusing on their enjoyment of it.
Reading. If I'm not too stressed, this works great. If I'm uber-stressed, though, I tend to gloss over the words without really taking them in.
Herbal tea. This works in conjunction with everything else. If I'm sitting down with a cup of chamomile or cinnamon tea, my body relaxes, and I feel like I'm treating myself to something special.
Movies. There are certain movies that can calm me down just about any time. Jimmy Stewart's Harvey, Harold and Maude, Pretty in Pink, Broadcast News, Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina....
Reminding myself that at X time, this will all be just a memory. Works well for those stresses that are leading up to something and will then be over.
Snacking while focusing completely on the flavor and texture of what I'm eating. Even if it's only a few bites, this seems to help.
Considering the worst possible scenario. It's almost never worth the amount of stress the situation causes me, so this works well most of the time. Every once in a while, though, it makes me even more stressed, so be careful with this one.
Driving aimlessly. Bad for the environment, but good for my soul, somehow.
Singing along with music. For me, focusing on the music and my voice is extremely calming and centering. This is one of my talents, and I know it, so focusing on it doesn't make me feel even worse. I work to form each word and tone exactly the way the singer does. It's my own little voice exercise, I guess, and it takes my mind off whatever is bothering me.
Keeping a home management binder. I feel so much more organized with everything in one place, and feeling organized helps me be organized. Not sure how that works, but it does. The parts of the binder that I use daily are the planner, the cleaning checklist (homemade), the food log, the unschooling log, my to-do lists, and the budget. There are other parts too, but those are the biggies in terms of feeling at peace with my life. Writing in those each day helps me feel caught up.
Simplifying. This is one for the long haul, but I've found that the simpler and less complicated my everyday life is, the less stressed I feel. De-cluttering, cutting down on commitments, etc. - these sorts of things really have helped a lot.
Keeping the house clean. This was hard to do at the height of my stress, but I knew that a messy house, for me at least, just breeds more stress and guilt. It's hard to function in. I started with my living room. It was my little spot, and I could go there to calm down. Just having that one spot where I liked to sit feel clean and pretty made a big difference. If I were sitting in my bedroom, all I'd see were things that needed to be done. I had to have just one space that didn't really need anything.
Having a stash of money saved up. I didn't realize how much money worries were affecting me until I started really saving for a rainy day. Once I had enough saved up to get us through bad times (should they come), I felt this huge weight lifted. Just knowing that we're covered in case of an emergency means so much and has such an impact on my stress level.
Admitting when I feel overwhelmed and asking for help. This was hard for me, as I'm a little bit of a control freak. But, not having everything on my shoulders really has changed my stress level quite a bit.

Of course, none of these is as important as going easy on myself. So what if I didn't get the dishes done or the article finished? So what if the house is a wreck? So what if I forgot to pay a bill? These things aren't all that important. My health is. My family having an unstressed, healthy mama is important, too.

And, perhaps most importantly, I've gotten rid of unnecessary stresses in my life. In addition to quitting my job, I've lowered some of my standards, stopped talking to people that made me feel tense, actually *did* some of the things that I felt guilt for not doing (like going vegan after being vegetarian and feeling guilty for 19 years, or writing to my grandmother every week, or actually losing the weight), etc. I also took a hiatus from the computer. My earlier career was computer based, and so, the computer ended up being a big part of my stress. I decided to take a couple of months off. When I came back, I emptied my email folder and started anew. That made a huge difference. I told people no more emails, and now my inbox isn't so daunting. In fact, I generally get it to zero on a daily basis. I'm also better able to hop on for a few minutes and hop right back off. Before, I was spending hours on the computer each day in order, I think, to neglect other parts of my life. Not consciously, of course, but it still had the same effect. After taking the break, my computer usage is much more balanced and helpful (rather than detrimental).

So, now you know my little secret. Peace doesn't come naturally to me. I have to work hard at it, and even then, sometimes, I fail. But, I keep trying, and I have to say, I'm enjoying my life, again. It's wonderful to wake up and not feel like burrowing back under the covers to hide from the inevitable. I can stare each day in the face and smile. The weight I'd carried around for so long is nearly gone, now. It's an amazing feeling.

Cute Little Blue Flowers

2009-03-23T21:53:00.003-05:00

While K and T enjoyed Monday game day, I spent the afternoon in thrift stores trying on clothes. Maybe it's just me, but everything I like on the rack seems to look silly when I'm standing in front of a dressing room mirror. More than silly. I turn into the archetypal fool.

Why is it that a t-shirt and jeans, or a t-shirt and hippie skirt, are all that work on me, anymore? I like things with cute little blue flowers just as much as the next girl, but while she can pull it off, I just look laughable.

Yummy Lentil Tagine with Sweet Potatoes

2009-03-21T14:59:00.018-05:00

After chucking our lead-filled crock pot, we finally got our new Le Creuset Moroccan tagine. Hungry and curious, I decided to pull it out and give it a try. I am totally in love with the thing! I don't know that I've ever had a yummier, healthier meal, and it was so simple!

I looked through several tagine recipes; however, the meal, itself, is also called a tagine, so most of the recipes called for cooking it in a regular pot. I figured out what sort of ingredients sounded the most appetizing, decided on how much water to include, set the stove on low, and hoped for the best. What a surprise when it turned out perfectly!

Here's what I did (yes, another of my un-recipes; everything is "to taste"):

Lentils
Twice as much water as lentils (I put 1/2 a veggie bullion cube in mine)
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Tomatoes
Onions
Raisins
Garlic
Cinnamon
Grated ginger
Cumin
Cayenne pepper
Salt

I chopped up the veggies and loaded everything except the raisins into the tagine on low heat. About an hour and a half later, I added the raisins. I stirred it every half hour or so, but that was only because I'd never cooked in a tagine before and wanted to keep an eye on things. I probably won't the next time. After a total of about three hours, everything was done. We ate it over couscous.

Okay, now I'm hungry....

Homemaking the Slightly Obsessive Compulsive Way

2009-03-19T17:29:00.010-05:00

I have OCD. It's light now, but it's been pretty intense at some points in my life. As a child, I focused on the number four, doing everything in groups of four - walking, chewing, touching things, breathing, blinking, swallowing.... I had elaborate take-back rituals, spent hours counting important things like floor tiles, and was very careful not to let anyone around me know about my weirdnesses - even my mother who was suffering on her own with OCD.

For me, it was all about balance. Four was balance. Four was comforting and fulfilling. Anything else was incomplete, and I couldn't breathe easily until it was fixed. The anxiety of non-four was overwhelming.

There were other symptoms, too. I knew there were people watching me. Well, I knew there weren't, logically, but there they were in my head, anyway. It was always someone random peeking through my bedroom window or standing silently in the bathtub while I brushed my teeth - the neighbor across the street, a kid from school, the bagger at the grocery store.... I compulsively chewed my nails down to nothing, and if I tried to quit, a new compulsion would turn up - digging at the skin near my hairline, for example, until it was scabbed and bleeding. I played little "games" - having to watch as the digital clock changed to show a new hour, having to stop the microwave at a certain time, having to turn off the radio after a song ended and before the DJ started in, etc.

In recent years, though, things have calmed down quite a bit. I'm still chewing my nails (trying to bite them down to perfection), and I'm forever turning things an eighth of an inch to the left or moving them a half inch to the right. But, these things don't negatively affect the quality of my life.

That's not to say that my OCD doesn't have any impact on the way I live. I was thinking today about how it influences my homemaking. My house isn't perfect or balanced by any stretch of the imagination, but a few small spots are - my closet, the top of my piano, the top of my desk, my television stand (really a 1950s stereo cabinet), various ledges and shelves, and, recently, part of the master bathroom. It's those places I'm able to keep completely clean at all times. The rest of the house, not so much.

Creating a perfect, balanced-feeling space can be a daunting job. For over four years, the "tiny bathroom" - the small toilet room that is part of the master bathroom - has been completely undecorated except for a purple towel tacked over the window. It reminded me of the latrines made out of refrigerator boxes that we used in the Girl Scouts, and the terrible, nauseating, tannish paint color the landlords chose didn't help much. But, I'd simply never gotten around to decorating it. And, since I hadn't decorated it, I had no real desire to keep it clean. There were always a dozen or so books scattered on the floor, dog hair tunbleweeds lurking in the corners, dust vacationing on the windowsill....

Last week, I finally fixed it up. I made no-sew curtains out of a couple of dozen scarves that were languishing in a closet, lined up my beloved collection of coffee mugs in the window (I'm not using them anymore after getting rid of the lead in our kitchen), cut up a favorite children's book (I Was Born in a Tree and Raised by Bees by Jim Arnosky) and put the illustrations into thrift store frames, and finally installed an amazingly cool globe light shaped out of starched string that my brother and sister-in-law made for me. It's perfect. Well, almost - I'm still looking for a wooden, wall-mounted magazine holder....

Once I get a space perfect, it's so fulfilling. It's like I can breathe, again. I can stop cataloging all its faults, which leaves my brain free to focus on other things. Un-perfect spaces make my head swim. All I can see is the clutter or the dirt or the lack of whatever-the-space-needs. For me, that's all there is to the room. It's depressing. Unfortunately, the vast majority of my house falls into the un-perfect category.

And, once a space is perfect (or, perfect enough), I am motivated to keep it clean. Perhaps it's less motivation and more need. I need to keep those spaces perfect. In any case, they stay clean, and I don't have to make room for the litany of faults that would otherwise inevitably run through my head.

Luckily, I love those few, small, perfect spaces so much, that I'm inspired to work on the others. I just have to decide which one needs my attention first....

We're Getting a Clothesline!

2009-02-27T21:29:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow, I'm picking up a rotary (umbrella) clothesline from a wonderful woman who offered hers up for free on Craigslist. I've been looking for a clothesline for ages, but haven't run across one for the right price. Free is certainly the right price. I just couldn't let it slip by.

So, after I bring it home and we get it cemented into the backyard (which may take a while - we live our lives very slowly, just coasting along, for the most part), the electricity bill will shrink, the laundry will smell fresh, and the whites will all be sun-bleached. Ah, it's the little things in life that really make me smile.

I can't wait!

I Didn't Meet Robin Williams.

2009-02-24T10:14:00.015-06:00

I hate being shy. I do. I don’t know why I’m this way; it’s just how things have always been.

But it wasn’t always all that noticeable – until I married an outgoing guy and had an outgoing kid, I mean. Now, I’m always comparing myself to the two of them, and my shyness seems to stand out like a beacon – I’m over here, and I’m afraid to talk to you!

Yesterday, Robin Williams showed up at K's homeschool game day. Really. I swear. Robin Williams. Short, stocky, hairy, cute, sweet-voiced Mork. He was in Dragon’s Lair buying a stack of comics before his show at the Frank Erwin Center. And what did I do? Aching to meet him, one of my all-time favorite actors – a man I had recently described as an acting god – I rushed to tell my husband he was in the store and that he should go shake his hand. And then, I found my son, explained who was lurking near, helped him figure out what to say, and let my hubby take him over to meet him while I stood back, a pain growing in my palm, all gangly and awkward feeling, wishing my son’s hair had already dried enough so that I could have brushed it, and hungering to be more like them.

I wanted to say hi. Wanted to shake his hand, get a picture, an autograph, grovel at his feet, ask him to sit on his head, run my fingers across his arm hair, find out his favorite book, color, vegetable, Dr. Seuss character. I wanted to poke around in his brain, challenge him to a footrace, get him to laugh. I wanted to do so many things - a few of which would have been socially acceptable. I did none of them.

Even my brother, a soul more like me than any I know, is now on a social anxiety drug. Yeah, he was the first in our little group to meet him. Walked right up and asked if it was really him. Shook his hand (he has a very firm left grip, apparently – but I’m only good for hearsay).

So, now I’m all alone in my shyness. Before, the two of us probably would have pushed each other to go talk to him – and, perhaps, we might have. Instead, it was just me hanging back, surreptitiously wiping tears from my eyes, smiling. And then he was gone.

And that was it. That was my not-so-close encounter with Robin Williams.

Job Hypocrisy

2009-02-16T12:24:00.008-06:00

So, if you've been following this blog, you know that I'd been working at a high-end lotions and potions shop selling things I would never rub into my own skin. For me, the job carried with it a great deal of hypocrisy. I was selling people ingredients I believed possibly caused cancer, nervous disorders, skin problems, reproductive problems, etc. There was certainly no worry that I'd turn around and spend my paycheck where I worked!

Well, after over a year there, I finally quit. There were extenuating circumstances, but I won't get into those here. I'll simply say that it was high time I left, so I did. And the weight of the hypocrisy I'd been carrying around was suddenly much lighter.

So, where does a naturally-focused, unschooling vegan girl who doesn't want to feel like a hypocrite and only needs a no-stress job for a couple of days a week turn? Why, to her friend who works at the secular, non-profit thrift store within walking distance from her house, of course! And that's where I am, now.

In a lot of ways, it's wonderful (and eye-opening). I had no idea how busy these types of thrift stores were; there's never a moment to rest! And, the customers are the polar opposite of my previous customers. That's nice, I have to admit; I was growing increasingly tired of their entitlement attitudes and the way they threw their money around. But, there's one problem....

I am vehemently opposed to workplace drug testing - especially without cause. I believe it is a blatant violation of a worker's civil liberties, and I've turned down jobs because of this belief in the past. At this job - this lovely, non-profit, walk to work, helping humanity sort of job - they randomly drug test their employees.

Of course, if my number were chosen (approximately one percent of area employees are randomly chosen each month), and the HR woman were to (surprise!) show up at my store to cart me off to a lab for drug testing (yes, this is how it's done), I would refuse and state my many reasons why (resulting in the immediate loss of my job). But, still, until that point (which may never occur), I'll be living with the hypocrisy....

Ugh. What's a girl to do? Even with half a Master's degree, it's not like I have a whole lot of options, really. Between my brother, hubby and myself, we have one car, and unless I work again with hubby up at the outlet mall (like I was before - blah), getting to work would be difficult. There's just not a lot within walking distance (unless you count a couple of fast food places and gas stations). This thrift shop is pretty much it. The jobs I've been able to find that are work from home have been either selling things over the phone (which I'm terrible at - believe me - and which often involves hocking products I don't support, for one reason or another) or grading essays children take for that No Child Left Behind crap. I did that once, felt truly awful, and vowed never to do it again. The pay was nice, and staying home with my little one was wonderful, but, as an unschooler, the guilt was overwhelming.

Which leaves... what, exactly?

Actually, I know what it leaves - the option of working from home on my own projects, again. I've done it in the past (and fared well, for the most part), and I'm headed that direction, once more. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, however, there's the thrift store... and their drug testing.

Ack! Lead!

2009-02-02T13:09:00.010-06:00

I guess I should have seen this one coming. In our seemingly never-ending quest to live more naturally and to keep ourselves healthy, we have discovered that our beloved dishes and our oft-used crockpot are made with lead. Yes, friends, even though there are other ways to glaze ceramics, the ones in our kitchen are made with lead.

The West Bend crock pot isn't as big a deal to me, really. In a few weeks, we'll buy a Moroccan Tagine from Le Creuset for slow cooking, and that should do the trick. Le Creuset's cookware is all as safe as can be, and it's a joy to use. The prices reflect this, however, and I highly recommend working at a Le Creuset store part time to get their wonderful discounts.

The dishes, though.... Ugh. I absolutely love my Corelleware dishes with the oh-so-hippie pattern. I'm fairly certain they're Corelle's Blue Danube, but I'm not positive. Blue Onion and Old Town Blue also have similar patterns, and the descriptions seem to be used interchangeably from time to time (especially Blue Onion). I have loved these dishes all my life, and I was ecstatic when my mother bought new dishes years ago and gave these to me. Yes, I've used them for decades.

So, what am I to do? Well, we'll slowly be buying new Fiestaware dishes (which are all lead-free) to replace these, and I figure I'll eventually sell the Corelle ones to finance that expenditure. I think they may be worth at least a little. I'm sure I'll keep one or two, though, for decoration and sentimentality. I might also purhase a Blue Danube trivet or something that isn't meant to touch food. We'll see.

Sometimes, I wish I didn't know as much as I do. I figure a lot of us feel this way. I remember when I could blissfully wander through my life with nary a thought about lead, aluminum, SLS, etc. Oh, those were the days. Or, were they? Of course, we're better off knowing (and doing something with that knowledge), but it often makes life a bit more difficult (and sometimes more expensive). Still, I'm glad I can do something to avoid at least a few of the toxins in our everyday lives. In that vein, I don't mind a small amount of adversity. Knowing what I know and choosing to do nothing wouldn't make me a monster, but I'd certainly never feel right with myself. How could I? Keeping my family healthy trumps all. Even my utterly cool-looking dishes.

Sleep vs. the History of My Piano

2009-01-29T11:52:00.016-06:00

I haven't been able to sleep lately, so instead, I stayed up researching our old piano. This piano is the focal point of the living room, and the top serves as something of a mantle, since we don't have one over our fireplace. Five years ago, I was browsing through a Salvation Army and there it was. It was the most beautiful piano I think I've ever seen, and it was in near-perfect condition, down to every single ivory key. I looked at the price tag - $150. Not much, right? But at the time, it seemed like an amazingly huge expenditure.

I was ready to walk sadly away, resigned to a piano-less existence, but T pressed me about it. He could see the piano lust in my eyes, and he wasn't about to let me walk out of there empty-handed, condemning himself to a life filled with piano-related chatter: "Remember that beautiful piano? We should have sold our car for that piano...." So, with just the tiniest bit of prodding, I found myself up at the counter telling the man I'd take it, and did they deliver? (In fact, they did deliver. A truck filled with the piano and a dozen homeless men were at the house within an hour.)

It wasn't long before I was researching the brand, the serial number.... And what did I find? The piano was constructed by Krakauer Bros. in 1888. That's right. It's now over 120 years old, and it's the most solidly built instrument I think I've ever seen. It's got another 120 years in it, easy. I'd like to get it gussied up inside and tuned, but it plays fine even without any work. Here's a photo of it during Christmas time.

It occurred to me in my sleep-deprived state today that maybe I should look up a little about the company, itself. So, instead of blissfully napping, that's what I did. I'd never explored Google Books before, but it seemed that's where every avenue led. So, I poked around a bit and found I could grab snippets of books to post in my blog. What fun! Here's what I found....

(1.) A quick overview of the history of Krakauer Bros.:

Pianos and Their Makers a comprehensive history of the development of the piano from the monochord to the concert grand player piano By Alfred Dolge (1911)

(2.) And a little more familiar history:

History of the American Pianoforte Its Technical Development, and the Trade By Daniel Spillane (1890)

(3.) An ad from 1900 for used Krakauer uprights - $225 apiece:

Pearson's Magazine (1900)

(4.) A couple of ads put out by Krakauer Bros. in the early 1920s:

The Atlantic Monthly (1921)

Scribner's Magazine By Edward Livermore Burlingame, Making of America Project (1922)

(5.) A suit filed against them for poor scaffolding in their factory (from which a man fell):

Special Bulletins By New York (State). Dept. of Labor (1904)

(6.) A vote of confidence from union enthusiasts (apparently Kimball Pianos didn't get that same vote of confidence - hence the phrase "Shun the Kimball" scattered throughout the booklet in large, bold font. Reading through the link below illustrates Kimball's staunch anti-union stance):

Piano, Organ & Musical Instrument Workers Official Journal (1906)

(7.) And, finally, a short note about Krakauer Bros.'s bankruptcy from the August 1976 issue of Music Trades Magazine:

KRAKAUER PIANO TO FOLD

"Krakauer Brothers, New York-based piano makers since 1869, filed for bankruptcy in April 1976. In recent years, the neighborhood surrounding the Krakauer plant in the Bronx had deteriorated badly and was dominated by drug addicts who burned out and plundered hundreds of apartments."

What an odd statement....

Anyway, that's the story of Krakauer Bros. piano company - or, at least as much of it as I could find. If you know of anything else interesting related to Krakauer Bros., please let me know. I'm strangely invested, now.

Sad.

2009-01-28T21:27:00.003-06:00

I'm sad tonight. Really, really sad. I just can't think of another word for it. Which is ironic (or not) considering the reason why.

I used to be a poet. That was what I did; that was who I was. My identity. A poet. There used to be this feeling I got - this need to write. Bone deep. It was physical and urgent. I hadn't felt even a sliver of that compulsion in three or four years. Maybe five or six. I've been a bit inspired to write from time to time, but I hadn't felt that demanding urge to get it all out in forever. I used to feel it daily - hourly - until it just slipped away, somehow. You just can't imagine how much I've been missing it.

Until tonight. It was there for a fleeting moment, life happened (as it inevitably does), and then it was gone. And, try as I might, I can't get it back.

I haven't felt this sad in a long, long time.

Festival of Frugality

2009-01-27T11:18:00.005-06:00

One of the posts here at Tangled Hill is featured in today's Festival of Frugality over at the Gather Little By Little Blog. There's some great stuff listed, and I'm having a ball going through everything!

The post I have in the carnival is one of my favorites, and one I'm working on making into a much larger, more explanatory, informative article. There are a lot of how-to-be-frugal articles floating around out there right now, but they just don't go very far. Other than consolidating credit cards and cutting out the cable, they don't really have a lot to offer. Hopefully, some editor out there will be happy to have an article that goes a bit further.

50 Small Steps toward Frugality

Lentil Soup Un-Recipe

2009-01-26T11:54:00.009-06:00

Did you know the humble, frugal lentil has 26% protein? It's true!

I made a "really ripping lentil soup" yesterday. (If you got the Simpson's reference, no I didn't follow Mr. McCartney's recipe; I just love the line!) There was some celery that was beginning to wilt in the fridge, and a couple of onions that had seen better days sitting in the pantry, and lentil soup seemed just the thing to get them used up before they bit the big one. I hate recipes, for some reason - perhaps I just don't like measuring things out? In any case, I usually throw a bunch of stuff in the crockpot and hope for the best. And, this one worked out wonderfully. So, if you're anything like I am, and you just don't enjoy working from strict recipes, here's my crockpot lentil soup un-recipe:

A bunch of lentils (or a mix of split peas and lentils)
2.5 times as much water as lentils (or split peas and lentils)
Chopped up potatoes, carrots, celery, onion - as much as you want of each (or whatever veggies you prefer - fresh spinach would be good, I think)
One or two cans of diced tomatoes (I didn't drain mine)
Several cloves of garlic to taste
One or two vegetable bullion cubes
A couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar to taste
Oregano, thyme and rosemary to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
A couple of bay leaves, if you like

Put the lentils/split peas in with the water for about 45 minutes or so, and cook on high. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on whatever setting you like until the lentils and veggies are tender - high took about 4 hours for me, and then I turned it to low for another hour, or so.

Pretty much everything but the lentils and water is optional. Just use whatever sounds good (and whatever your family will eat!).

Yum!

Closet Culling

2009-01-24T10:04:00.003-06:00

I went through my clothes closet yesterday. If you've been reading this blog long, you may remember that, by switching from long-time junk food vegetarian to vegan, I lost a lot of weight last year - about 70 pounds, or so. I'm still working on it, but I'm darn close to where I want to be.

Thursday, hubby and I cleaned out the garage. Lo and behold, it has a floor! As surprising as that discovery was, the two boxes of old clothing I stumbled upon were even more so. One box had several t-shirts and dresses from when I was a teenager. And, by golly, they fit! The next box was filled with maternity clothes and nursing bras from when I was pregnant with K. Goody! We've been thinking of trying to conceive again, and these will be a huge help! So, yesterday, I washed everything up and took it to my closet, but (oh, you could see this coming, couldn't you?) there wasn't really any room to hang it.

Standing there, dumbfounded, I realized I'll probably never again wear half of what was hanging on the rods. Really, 95% of it was too big (yay!), but without money for a new wardrobe, I've got to make do with giant shirts until ... I don't know ... some point in the future when we've got money to spend, I guess. So, I culled ruthlessly, keeping the things that didn't make me look like a baggy, saggy clown and piling the rest into a laundry basket.

Now, I've got to figure out what to do with them. Decent plus-sized clothing is difficult to come by. Believe me, I know. Unless you love shirts with cute little kitty cats or Pooh Bear, or you just adore animal prints, plus sized clothing is a joke. So, I know someone out there will appreciate these.

When I was 13, I volunteered for a place called "County Welfare" that gave free clothing to people in need. Not surprisingly, it's defunct now, and unfortunately, I can't find anything like it around here.... I could take them to the local Goodwill, but they charge so much for clothing, the people who need clothes can't afford to buy them ($8 for a pair of jeans when they have row upon row upon row of jeans... really?). Instead, I was thinking about offering them on Freecycle or Craigslist.

So, that's one of my projects for today. Unless someone has a better idea....

My Favorite Frugal Gift

2009-01-22T10:59:00.000-06:00

My grandmother is 95 years old, and she lives in an assisted living facility several hours away (though in the same town as one of her children). We've always seen each other several times a year - usually Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and more recently, her birthday. And, it's been becoming more and more difficult to find her gifts that I know she'll use. Everyone buys her candy - and lots of it. In fact, I'm sure she has stacks and stacks of truffles, creams, bon bons, confections and chocolates of never-ending variety piled in every corner. Clothing is much the same way. There's only so much she can wear, and I know she's better stocked than her dresser drawers allow. Lotions and perfumes and such are getting more and more difficult for her shaking hands to apply. And, there's certainly no need for knick knacks and whatnots in her small assisted living "apartment."

What's left? Well, for her last birthday, I bought her a beautiful diffuser from work (a glass jar filled with fragrant oil and bamboo sticks, which draw the oil up and release the scent into the air). And, these were a special sort of bamboo sticks that don't have to be turned at all, as the usual sticks do. How easy, I thought. For months, it will give her bathroom or living area a beautiful smell that only has to be set up once and never touched again. Well, she hasn't opened it, as far as I know. She told me during Thanksgiving that she loves it so much, but hasn't set it up. Of course, I'd imagine setting it up for the first time would be daunting, so I asked my father to set it up for her when he visits next. Still, I had been quite proud of my diffuser gift victory, thinking it was the perfect present for her. But, it wasn't.

So, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I had time to rethink my gifting.... And what did I come up with? Well, somewhere along the way, I read about a woman who gave a stack of cards to a loved one, then took them back, telling the person that they'd mail them one a week. How many times has my grandmother told me how much she loves to receive letters from me? (Oh, dozens. Every time I saw her for years, it seems.) And how slow have I been in sending her any? (Far, far too slow.)

So, I visited my favorite thrift store where all the greeting cards (and, for some reason, they seem to have many, many hundreds) are only $.05. I picked out an assortment of 52 (all different) - one for each week of the year - and tied them with a beautiful, almost iridescent, green bow. Then, I set them inside a lovely little blue padded box from a set of Impressionist notecards I received as a gift years ago and closed the lid. I decided I could take the cards back with me and leave her the box to put them in as they arrive. It was a gorgeous presentation.

But, of course, we all came down with terrible, hacking colds on Christmas Eve, and I wasn't able to see her for Christmas. I wish I could have been the one to explain the gift to her, but instead, my father brought her only the empty box (he was afraid he'd forget to bring back the cards, themselves). So much for the presentation.

Still, though, I feel I've finally chosen the right gift - after all these years. Each Monday at K's homeschool game day, I pull out a card (I've labeled and stamped each envelope in advance), write it while I wait for him, and pop it in the mailbox just outside.

At 95, this is what my grandmother wants - not more candy or clothes, not lotion or perfume, not even the beautiful smelling diffuser. She wants family and closeness. And I've known this for years but haven't done much about it. So, really, this was a gift to myself, as well. Not only does it keep me in touch with my grandmother, whom I adore, but it also keeps me from feeling guilty for not calling often enough, not writing often enough.... I feel better about this gift than about any I've ever given, I think. And, I hope she enjoys receiving each of the cards as much as I enjoy writing them. I think she just might.

The Lemonade Award

2009-01-21T11:45:00.002-06:00

Barb over at Cleaning Up the Clutter has given the Tangled Hill blog a lemonade award! Once you've been given the award, you present it to ten blogs that show "great attitude or gratitude." Well, those are the only blogs I read, I think, so I've simply chosen ten blogs I enjoy. What a lovely idea!

So, I've been thinking about whom I should choose. I read and love SO MANY blogs, but here are a few of my favorites:

Up with the Chickens - for the fun and witty descriptions of life with her sweet little one. Her posts elicit quite a few belly laughs.

Frontier Dreams - because I could look at this beautiful, calming, Waldorf-inspired blog all day. I hope one day to be able to knit half as well as she does.

A Robyn's Nest - for the laugh-out-loud photos and the great crafts.

Sugar Boot and Weasel - for the amazing way she portrays unschooling through the eyes of her kiddos.

Fiddle Mama - because it's such a comforting read.

Amy's Journey (Unschooling through High School) - because it's a joy to read through, and there just aren't nearly enough blogs about older unschoolers.

Crooked Mile - because it's just so darned inspiring.

Sensible Living - because anyone who buys Ezzo's Baby Wise books in order to burn them (and post the fabulous photos on her blog) deserves every award I can think of!

Majikfaerie - because her life is so very different from mine - and not very different, at all.

Serendipity - for posting so many photos that make me want to come live at her house.

So, there you go! Check out these lovely blogs when you have some time on your hands. You won't be disappointed!

Zoo or Animal Sanctuary? You Decide.

2009-01-12T11:51:00.000-06:00

We are one lucky family. Austin's zoo is non-profit and focuses on animal rescue, so we never have that icky should-we-be-here feeling when we visit. Going through some of the photos from my brother's camera (he's quite the photographer, don'tcha think?), I stumbled upon these images from our last visit.

Practicing for Motherhood?

2009-01-08T12:51:00.013-06:00

Last week, my father, brother and I cleaned out the family storage unit. I'd had several boxes sitting in there for more than ten years - so long that I had no idea what could possibly be in them. It occurred to me then that maybe I should just toss those boxes without even glancing through them. I mean, I haven't needed that stuff in over a decade! But, there are a couple of sentimental things I've been looking for - an amber pendant my mother gave me, terrible old high school poetry, that sort of thing. Well, I didn't find what I was searching for, but I did come across my old My Child dolls. Both are still gorgeous, their red hair brushed and their eyes sparkling.

My Child dolls were introduced during the Cabbage Patch Kids craze, and I fell in love with them on sight. I was eleven years old and starting to outgrow my doll baby phase, but these were the most beautiful dolls I'd ever seen. I saved my allowance and bought two, both redheads - Ginger and her little brother Sebastian. I remember changing their disposable diapers, brushing their hair, cradling them in my arms as if they were real. I "fed" them and put them down for naps. I lovingly patted their hands. I gazed at them. And then, I outgrew them.

But I can still recall the feelings I had toward them; it was almost as if they were real children. A bit like some women are with reborn dolls, I suppose, I felt they were real, and as much as is possible for an eleven-year-old, my hormones swelled as if they were. Certainly, my experience as a child pales ghostly in comparison to actual motherhood, but it was, without a doubt, the same sort of feeling I would later experience holding my son.

Was I practicing? Was my body telling me something about who I was (and am) - a mother before all else? Is it any surprise that my first hard-core bout of baby lust came when I was only nineteen years old?

And now I see how much these dolls are selling for on ebay: $50-$75 each is common, while some go for $125-$150. Goodness knows we could use the money, but I can't bring myself to sell them. It would be a little like selling my first child(ren). Strange, I know, but those old feelings toward them linger.

I've set them up on the top shelf of one of the living room bookcases, but I think I'll move them back to my closet. I've remade my closet into a beautiful dressing area, and I've put lovely and inspirational things on the shelves - baskets, favorite homemaking books, the small sculpture of an American Indian woman with what I've always seen as a begging bowl, etc. I think the dolls will look perfect there, and I'll see them as I dress each morning and evening. I just hope they don't inspire more baby lust!

Returning Home

2009-01-02T15:52:00.003-06:00

I’ve been thinking about home, recently. My family’s little home is our peaceful pocket in an often chaotic world. This is where we come to recharge ourselves, and this is where most of the important moments in our lives take place. We connect with each other here. We’re not afraid to be our true selves. We can relax and enjoy life within these walls.

Which got me to thinking about all the ways people are making home a greater part of their lives. Homebirthing can be such a beautiful and meaningful way to bring a child gently into the world. Homeschooling has been embraced by so many, recently, and being a homeschooling mother myself, I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Home churching is gaining in popularity; religious families are leaving the big box mega-churches to worship in their own personal, private ways. And home businesses, of course, are booming.
And what do all these movements have in common? Well, for one, they’ve taken the experts out of the equation....

To read more of this post, visit the new simple living community blog Happy with Less. I'm so excited to be a part of such a great new blog!

Procrastinating. Again.

2008-12-30T10:16:00.008-06:00

Oh, I know I should be cleaning. Really, I do. But, the little one stayed at a friend's house last night and isn't home yet, hubby is at work, and I've got a brand spanking new laptop. Is it really any surprise that I'm curled under blankets on the couch blogging? Probably not.

Last night, I picked up a used book that I should at least be paging through. How to Write a Book Proposal looked interesting enough at Half Price Books, but now that it's sitting here next to me, it just feels like another chore to put off. Humph.

I am intimately acquainted with procrastination. We have a long history together. I am an amazingly talented procrastinator - the type of girl who made it through schooling by pulling bleary-eyed all-nighters and who feels deadlines are an absolute necessity if anything is to get done. Why do I do this? I know, for instance, that once I "finish" (is there ever really an end?) cleaning, I'll enjoy being here. I'll love my little house. I'll sit back and smile and think, "That wasn't so bad. And look - no more dog hair tumbleweeds!" But, instead, I put it off and put it off and try to forget how beautiful the house could look. Instead, I turn on Bruce Cockburn, point the computer to Reddit, and avert my eyes from the heaving piles of laundry in the corner waiting patiently to be washed.

But, I can't afford to put it all off much longer. A friend of ours is moving in tomorrow, and I've got to ready the house. Now, we'll have 3 adults, 1 child, 3 dogs, 5 cats and 1 fish living in this little house, and it's got to be clean enough (and decluttered enough) to let us flow smoothly through its spaces. Not a small task.

Sigh.... I guess I should hoist myself off this couch and clean out the fridge. Wish me luck.

Snapshot of an Austin Suburb

2008-12-28T09:39:00.005-06:00

Let me give you a quick snapshot of where we live.

Yes, we're near Austin. In fact, our town touches Austin - the liberal capital of Texas. In Austin, you can find hippies - real hippies - on every corner (and in every corner shop - big box stores don't generally find Austin too welcoming). There are more bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and hybrids than you've ever seen in one place. Natural grocery stores and vegan restaurants sprout up like weeds (or like weed - this is Austin). Austin ALWAYS votes democratic. There are probably more unschoolers in Austin than there are in the rest of this huge state combined. Thrift shopping is a celebrated pastime. You get the picture. It's our kind of place.

But, we don't live in Austin. We live near Austin - in the rest of Texas.

Last night, I watched a cop make a U-turn to pull over a man for being on a bicycle at night. Really? For being on a bicycle? Yes. He hadn't done anything. He was wearing white clothing and had reflectors and a light on his bike, so he was safe enough. He was following the rules of the road. He was simply riding his bicycle. One moment later, though, he was holding his hands above his head and telling the officer where he was heading. "You don't have a car?" Does it matter?

Anyway, I'm thinking a move a few miles south might do us some good.

The Christmas Curse Strikes Again

2008-12-26T22:20:00.011-06:00

I know I can't be alone in this. Every year, our family gets sick just before Christmas. Colds, the flu, stomach bugs, or some pitiful combination of the three. Yes, by Christmas Eve, we were all hacking and swooning, sniffling and feeling utterly sorry for ourselves.

Usually, after we open gifts at my parents' house Christmas morning, we all pile into the car and head up to Arlington (Texas - not Virginia) to celebrate with extended family. But, with my 95-year-old grandmother in attendance, we knew better than to lug our various illnesses across several counties just so we could have pumpkin pie. That was one gift we knew she didn't need. So, we all stayed in town.

We ate the food we had planned to bring with us and watched The Incredibles and MythBusters. I have to admit, staying in was much more relaxing than spending six hours in a car (three hours each way - all done on Christmas). We lounged around and played with our new toys, alternately laughing and coughing and diving for the medicine cabinet.

Still, though, it was a wonderful Christmas, and I can only hope your holidays are shaping up to be as enjoyable as ours have been so far.

Taking a Holiday Break

2008-12-23T16:36:00.003-06:00

I'll be back after Christmas (and after this awful cold!). See you soon, and happy holidays!

Visiting with Santa

2008-12-18T09:43:00.004-06:00

Though he no longer believes, the little one still loves our annual trip to the mall for photos with Santa and an Icee at the food court. I wonder what he told Santa that caused him to look so terribly concerned...?

Our City's Tree-Lighting Ceremony

2008-12-16T15:27:00.001-06:00

Here are photos from the tree lighting ceremony we attended last week. The live oak they've strung with over 50,000 lights is one of the oldest trees in town, and it's just stunning once it's illuminated. They also kept a large fire pit crackling all night and handed out free hot chocolate and spiced cider, so we were toasty warm.

Don't Forget Milk

2008-12-16T13:24:00.004-06:00

No, not that milk - we're vegan.

Last Friday, my brother took me to see Milk, the new film based on the life of Harvey Milk starring Sean Penn. And, I have five words for you:

You Must See This Movie.

Sean Penn is incredible as America's first openly gay man to be voted into major public office, and we were riveted to our seats throughout the entire movie. My list of all-time favorite movies includes a few that remind me of Milk (such as And the Band Played On and Longtime Companion), so it's not too surprising that I fell in love with this film. This movie will thrill you. Really. It's just that good.

Alaska

2008-12-13T15:53:00.000-06:00

Or 'Laska, as we call him.

'Laska is my guy. He's always liked being close to me, often lounging next to where I'm sitting. We adopted him when he was just a puppy, stuck in the Wichita Falls Humane Society shelter with his mom and brother. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was the one. Back then, his name was Stubs (because of his stubby tail), but after a few days with him, I knew his name was Alaska. His mama was a sweet mutt (we love mutts - all of our dogs are mixed breeds), but I'd say he's predominately basset. My guess is that there's a fair amount of Australian Cattle Dog mixed in, but not enough to get him off the couch. He's pure laziness. Well, that and jealousy. You've never met a more jealous (though in a completely cute and non-aggressive way) pooch.

My brother shot this photo the other night, and I just melted. What a perfect portrait of a perfect (well, when he's not chewing on hardcover books - a favorite pastime) dog.

Simple Holiday Activities Calendar

2008-12-12T13:28:00.023-06:00

Well, I've finally taken pictures of our family's holiday activities advent calendar. I came upon the idea at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl, and I just fell in love with the thought of all the fun things we could do together as a family this season. And, like many mamas, I've been looking for a way to change the focus of our holiday celebrations. I think this might do the trick.

Each day, the little one opens up an envelope to find a fun, frugal holiday activity we can do together. He thinks it's the bee's knees and told me he hopes we can do this "every single year from now on." I smiled one of those wistful mama smiles and said that shouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, here are a few close up shots:

The tutorial at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl was so simple, and I had everything I needed except for the small clothespins. I used paper from an Austin paper store that I had picked out for letter writing a few years back (and had hardly used), and I just love tying folded linens and such up with jute string before I put them away, so I always have that on hand.

I chose to make one envelope for every day in December, rather than stopping on the 25th. That way, we can enjoy those days after xmas with a little holiday fun, too, and the gift opening on the 25th doesn't feel like the culmination of all that holiday energy. Like every good story, there's a denouement. It gives the holidays some closure.

Here's the list of activities I chose for this year (the links are all kinda nifty, if you've got some time on your hands):

Dec. 1 Listen to our Dr. Demento xmas tape for first time (this show been the soundtrack of my holidays since 1987 - I just can't feel festive without it)
Dec. 2 Watch The Nightmare before Xmas
Dec. 3 Make paper snowflakes and decorate the windows
Dec. 4 Put up the xmas tree and decorate it
Dec. 5 Town's tree lighting ceremony
Dec. 6 Put up the rest of the xmas decorations
Dec. 7 Write letter to Santa
Dec. 8 Write annual xmas letter to family and friends
Dec. 9 Make xmas cards for family and friends
Dec. 10 Make a popcorn chain for the tree
Dec. 11 Make xmas ornaments
Dec. 12 Make pretty name tags for gifts
Dec. 13 Visit Santa
Dec. 14 Read xmas stories
Dec. 15 Drive around looking at xmas lights
Dec. 16 Bake xmas treats for the dogs
Dec. 17 Bake xmas cookies
Dec. 18 Make an xmas card for daddy
Dec. 19 Make vegan Chex Mix
Dec. 20 Present wrapping party with music, movies and Chex Mix
Dec. 21 Solstice - Star watching with hot chocolate and peppermint straws
Dec. 22 Wander through Hyde Park's xmas lights (a neighborhood that really does xmas up)
Dec. 23 Watch A Christmas Story
Dec. 24 Watch It's a Wonderful Life, open 1 gift, leave treats for Santa and the reindeer
Dec. 25 Empty - to be filled with a letter from Santa
Dec. 26 Make a list of what we're thankful for
Dec. 27 Have a picnic beneath the tree in the living room
Dec. 28 Family game night
Dec. 29 Make a fire in the fireplace (we're in TX, so this is a big deal)
Dec. 30 Make New Year's resolutions and tuck into stockings
Dec. 31 Take down decorations and toast the new year

So, there you have it - our family's holiday activities. It's worked out even better than I'd hoped. This is one tradition we'll definitely be keeping, though I'm sure we'll change some of the activities up as the little one gets older. What does your family do during the holidays that keeps the focus on family and togetherness?

Whatever Happened to Human-ness?

2008-12-09T12:33:00.013-06:00

Whatever happened to empathy? Whatever happened to treating another human the way you, yourself, would like to be treated?

Sorry. Just a small vent here.

I'm just dumbfounded - on a daily basis - at the lack of humanity in, well, humanity.

The rudeness.

The authority we all put into our voices when a "please" would have done just fine.

The sense we all have that we're right and everyone else is obviously an asshole.

Remember - when you talk to someone or write a letter or an email (the source of my frustration today), choose your words with this in mind: you're talking to someone with all the same human emotions and frailties that you, yourself, possess. It's just human decency and common sense.

That's all I'm sayin'.

A Tour of My Home Management Binder

2008-12-06T11:40:00.012-06:00

I thought I'd recycle this post from my old blog. Around this time last year, I decided it was about time I buckled down and got organized, so I followed a few links, read a few (very Christian) tutorials, looked at some photos, and set about creating my own home management binder. This is the result that I've actually been using faithfully ever since!

I had most everything on hand - the binder, sheet protectors, the folder, post-its, etc. I did buy hole reinforcers for the pages that aren’t in protectors (checklists, planners, etc. - things I write on daily) and stick-on dividers (the regular divider sheets I had ended up being covered by the page protectors). The planners and such were either homemade or were free online printables. I’ll link to each of them.

Here’s the binder on my desk. It’s a cute, pink, flowered thing from Old Navy that I picked up at a Goodwill a while back. You can zip it up, though I never do. I also love the pocket on the front with the spot for a little picture. The one I’m using is a rare full-family photo from several years back. It seems that whenever we get together, there’s always at least one person missing. The year this was taken, however, everyone was there.

When the binder is opened, you can see it has spots for pens/pencils/highlighters, a mesh pocket where I keep my post-it notes, and a small mirror I will never in a thousand years use. I should slide a little photo over top of it… My son drew the front picture. It’s him, me, my husband and two Oddishes - my favorite Pokemon.

Next are my routines. They’re pretty basic. I include things like brushing my teeth, taking vitamins, working with the dogs, monitoring my son’s screen time, etc. I don't use these as often as I probably should. Routines are comforting. I should get back into them.

Then, I’ve got a full-year calendar (so I can see birthdays and whatnot coming up) and a contacts page where I’ve listed family, work, doctors, poison control, the police department’s non-emergency number, etc.

The last page before the main sections start is my New Year’s resolutions. They’re always fairly simple, but they encompass a lot. On the right is the cover page for my "daily planner" section, a peace quilt - tree, earth and doves.

My planner pages with short-term to-do lists I found at The Home School Mom:

The cover page for my "cleaning checklist" (the text reads "Because everything in her home is waterproof, the housewife of 2000 can do her daily cleaning with a hose"):

My homemade cleaning checklist:

My unschooling cover page (with a cartoon that I mucked with from Daniel Hyun’s collection):

Here’s the Unschooling Record Keeper I also found at The Home School Mom. After working with it this year, I think I’ll just make my own next time. It’s okay, but I keep finding myself crossing off categories we don’t really use and renaming them things that actually reflect his days, like "music," "games" and "audio books." Also, the "discussions" section isn’t anywhere near long enough…

Next is the cover for my veganism log. I've been vegan for well over a year, now (son and hubby are still vegetarian, though hubby's planning to switch to veganism soon), and I’ve never felt so good. In fact, I've lost 65 lbs so far! Writing down what I eat helps me stay on track. I can also look back and see if there are patterns in my eating that might need to be addressed. The cartoon is from Berkley Breathed, the creator of Bloom County/Outland/Opus, who is also an outspoken advocate for animal rights.

The menu planner I’m using for my veganism log is from Menus 4 Moms. It also includes a grocery shopping list.

In the food section, I also have sheets for meal planning, price lists by grocery store, grocery receipts, a list of meals we all like, coupons, etc. I also keep recipes here, like this one for butter bean and corn chowder. Yum!

Here’s the cover for my long-term to-do lists. I keep lists of things we’re saving for, things we’re keeping an eye out for at the thrift store, albums I want to get eventually, projects that eventually need to be done, etc. Right now, I also have a running list of xmas gifts and a list of people we'll be sending xmas cards to. The picture is another from Daniel Hyun.

And the blank to-do list, itself, from Organized Home:

Here’s the cover page for my address book (picture from the Woodstock Film Festival’s commemorative program):

And the address book pages from Sample Words:

Next is the cover page for my "household" section, which is really just comprised of things I don’t want to lose, like the recycling guidelines from the trash company and our annual drinking water reoprt. The illustration is from Majeak Ann.

Then, there’s the "important information" section, which I use for things like copies of social security cards and birth certificates - that sort of thing.

And, the "medical" section, where I keep a list of doctors and their contact information, prescriptions, etc.

And, finally, the "budget" section:

Here’s the budget printout I used. I have no idea where I found it, but I saved it in Word and changed it up quite a bit:

And the folder I use to keep the bills and bill-paying implements like stamps and envelopes. I love the elastic bands that hold it closed, but I can’t seem to find this Mead "Bungee" folder anymore….

Well, there you go. I’ve been using it pretty faithfully since the beginning of 2008, and it’s made my life so much better. Without a list of things to get done, I’ll end up sitting around all day doing nothing. This way, I’ve got things to fill out and check-mark. It also keeps everything I need right at hand. And, I’ve started keeping records of what the little one does with his days. Those will be fun to look back on in a few years.

Also, I usually keep whatever spirit-enriching book I’m reading at the moment inside. Right now, it’s Creating a Charmed Life by Victoria Moran. I adore her book Shelter for the Spirit, and Creating a Charmed Life is no disappointment. In fact, I may just leave that book as a permanent part of the binder. Reading a chapter a day (each is only a few pages long) is both comforting and inspiring.

I’m so impressed with my HMB! In fact, I smile whenever I look at it. The cover pages, the drawing my son made me, the comforting routines… I’ve used other planners (Day Timer, Amy Knapp’s family calendar, etc.) and other checklists (Motivated Moms, even FlyLady!), but I like this so much more. It’s tailored to me and my home. Yes, it’s big, but I don’t carry it around with me. It’s really just for the house.

If you’re anything like me, I highly recommend creating your own. I'd also love to hear others' ideas for creating useful/fun/lovely home management binders. Please feel free to leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Knitting Neighbors

2008-11-26T20:27:00.004-06:00

Well, I met with the local knitting group last night, and I have to say, I was very happily surprised. Two of the three women who attended live near me - one only a few houses down on my own street! And, it looks as though we may have quite a bit in common. In fact, she told me that she had been wanting to meet me for ages but didn't know how to go about introducing herself. (Sadly, I have that same problem.) So, serendipity enters, and poof - we're introduced! Hopefully, after Thanksgiving, we'll get together for a bit. Of course, that means I'll have to get the house clean again. Sitting here for so long, I think my home has started to collapse in on itself. It doesn't take much. The dog hair is piling in the corners, the kitchen tile is slowly changing colors, and the dust is beginning to take shape. It won't be long, and the bunnies will be fully formed - long, soft ears and all.

Oh, and the knitting help was great, too.

An Unschooling Holiday Letter

2008-11-25T18:04:00.009-06:00

I was reading about someone's concern over what to write in a Christmas letter when your child doesn't do the normal things that children do: school, extra-curricular activities, etc. What do you tell people who don't really understand unschooling? I have to admit, I hadn't thought this far. I'm planning to write a holiday letter for the first time this year, but I hadn't gotten around to considering the logistics yet.

T and I are easy enough. T's been slaving away. In his spare time, he's been painting and working on role playing game stuff - even developing his own. He's working on becoming vegan for health reasons. He's done lots of reading (of course) and has been teaching himself Linux.

I've been learning to knit (I'm headed to a local knitting group tonight - we'll see how it goes), working on making the house a home (as always), unschooling with K, honing my web designing skills, raising the dogs and cats, and working, working, working. I've been learning about toxins and changing the way we do things - using baking soda and vinegar for nearly everything (including shampoo and conditioner, cleaners, etc.), losing weight (about 65 lbs.) through veganism, and writing. Writing a lot. A few months ago, I decided to write a book on simple family living, and I've been researching, taking notes and making outlines like crazy. It's about time to start in on the content, itself. We'll see how it goes.

Hmm.... What has the little one been up to? Well, lots of stuff. Recently, he's been helping me with anything and everything, since I'm stuck here on the couch (with what looks more like a pulled/strained tendon AND a sprained ankle). He's taken on more responsibility with the dogs and cats, has fallen in love with some wonderful authors (a few of whom he's actually gotten to meet), and has honed his drawing techniques with his beloved Prismacolor pencils. He's been writing like mad, has discovered several new (to him) music artists he's now following (guess who loves Suzanne Vega), and he's learned that spicy foods are his forte (Thai curries, especially). He's been learning piano, figuring out recipes on his own, and watching lots of Roseanne. He attended his first funeral. He read White Fang (and had no idea it was a classic book). He fell in love with the election process and with all that wonderful Keith Olbermann commentary. He's been to several events - the Texas Ren. Festival, the Fossil Fest, the Austin Pow Wow, the Texas Book Festival, a star party.... And, of course, there was the Halloween party he hosted. He attended his great-grandmother's birthday party, as well as several friends' birthday soirées. He bought his first presents for family members - with his own money. He baked bread for the first time. And, of course, he faithfully attended his homeschooling game day, growing closer to all his friends and making lots of new ones.

That seems like a lot, but it was all off the top of my head. I know I'm forgetting 98% of the things he's done this year. So, I'm thinking it shouldn't be too difficult to craft a letter to friends and family. The biggest problem will be keeping it brief enough. If I put down all the things he's been up to, I'd have to invest in binding each letter. Staples just wouldn't be enough. It's a big life.

Changing with the Season

2008-11-25T16:59:00.010-06:00

I was reading someone's comments about the little things people do around this time of year to make their homes even more... well, homey. I'd never thought about it before, but there are several autumn/winter things I do around the house each year. First of all, we bring out a stack of cozy blankets and pillows to pile on the couch and loveseat. Right now, I'm wrapped up in a maroon paisley comforter I've had since I was fifteen and curled against a regular old bed pillow with a pillowcase I tie dyed around the time K was born.

I've set more candles out around the house - vanilla, mulberry, cinnamon, pumpkin, and peppermint. I've also been putting drops of essential oils in the lightbulb ring. Of course, the scent of fresh baked bread trumps all of those smells, and I've been baking up a storm. A few weeks ago, I changed the kitchen tablecloth to a tweed-like one full of fall colors. For some reason, this makes a huge difference for me.

Also, we're about to start decorating for the holidays, and that will really make the house seem warm and festive. We usually put up twinkle lights wrapped with green garland across the piano and bookcases. We also put up holiday pictures in frames, like this Arthur Rackham illustration.

Of course, there's the tree with all its handmade ornaments, and this year we'll have a line of tiny envelopes strung across the wall above the fireplace. Like an advent calendar, we'll have one envelope for each day. Inside each envelope will be a small, family, holiday activity - like drinking cocoa with peppermint straws, writing our (first) annual holiday letter, trimming the tree, making pine cone and peanut butter bird feeders, etc. Ooh, I can't wait!

Anyway, all this to say, apparently I do make little changes around this time of year. In fact, our small home does feel more cozy than it did a few months ago. Hmm.... Now, I guess I need to come up with some little touches for the warmer months....

Me and My Couch

2008-11-20T14:44:00.003-06:00

Well, here I sit with my ankle stuck out like some bulging, purple fruit, nested in a pile of pillows. Saturday night, I stood up and promptly fell down screaming. So, here I've been ever since, a permanent part of this couch. Thank goodness it's a comfy one.

Sprained ankles are no fun. Just in case you'd wondered.

So, I'm going a bit stir crazy. After umpteen card games, several books I'd been meaning to get around to, lots of television (Leave it to Beaver, Ironside, Rockford Files, etc.), and a few hours spent staring into candle flames dancing on top of the piano, I'm ready to leave the house. Really, I am. But, sadly, I don't see that happening any time soon. The swelling is almost gone, but the pain surely isn't.

So, since we hooked the laptop up to the network last night, I've been reading the Mothering boards (this is a lovely little thread) and keeping up with the news at MSNBC. I wish the video worked better on this old Toshiba dinosaur. I'd love to watch the Keith videos....

I'm thinking, though, that since I'm stuck here, I should really work on my knitting. I'm so clumsy with it. The hours I'm relegated to the couch, however, could make a huge difference. Hmm.... Where did I put that scarf I was working on?

Birthday Haul

2008-11-14T16:16:00.010-06:00

Just a frivolous little thread about my birthday loot. I mean, I've got to brag to someone, don't I?

Hubby bought me a jar of peppermints (oh, how I love good peppermint candy!), and K got me the new Monty Python Fluxx game! If you've never played Fluxx, I highly recommend you go out right now and pick up a basic deck. It's the coolest little game I think I've ever played.

My mother found me a gorgeous wrap and got me my very own Costco membership! I've been wanting one of those for so long but could never justify the cost. So, now I'm ready to scope out the local Costco for good deals on organic, vegan yummies. And my brother found me a bar of sassafras cinnamon soap, a honey roasted hemp and flax bar (listen to these ingredients - sunflower kernals, honey, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds - all organic!) and rosehip seed oil (along with a rosehip seed oil moisturizer).

My family knows me so well! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!

We had Thai food (and lots of it) and Newman's Own cinnamon Hermit cookies. They put 5 candles into one of the cookies (I turned 32, so 3+2=5), and everyone sang for me. Goodness, I hope my wish comes true. It might. I also saw a falling star yesterday, as well as a fallen eyelash on my cheek. So, I'm optimistic. Three chances to wish in one day must be pretty lucky....

Birthday Bread

2008-11-13T14:17:00.009-06:00

Happy birthday to meeeee!
Happy birthday to meeeee!
Happy birthday, dear fruity womaaaan!
Happy birthday to meeeee!

In case you hadn't guessed, it's my birthday. So, I decided to bake myself some bread. I'd switched to veganism months ago and stopped making bread, and I have truly, truly missed it. Well, today I decided to pull out some of my favorite recipes and muck around with them a bit in order to veganize them. Lo and behold, fresh-baked bread! I'm such a happy camper right now, you just can't imagine. And K is elated to have his bread-baking mama back.

Once T gets home from work, we're off to my parents' house where they'll have food from my favorite restaurant (the family-owned Thai place at the end of our neighborhood). Oh, and presents!

Fresh bread, Thai food (mmm... those spring rolls!) and presents. What more could a girl ask for?

Speeding Up, Slowing Down

2008-11-10T10:31:00.008-06:00

Well, it's been a while, but we're still here. Life just got in the way a bit. In that light, I'm going to make a small confession: we don't always live a slow-paced life. Usually, we do, without doubt. K, or Monkey Boy, as his papa calls him, unschools but has only one weekly commitment (and it's not really a commitment, just a weekly, unstructured game day with friends). While the other kids and parents all rush from one scheduled meeting to the next (co-ops, scouts, lessons, etc.), we leisurely do just what we feel like doing.

What could keep us so entertained? Walking to the park, cooking, playing on our various musical instruments, reading, watching movies, knitting (for me - I'm just learning), playing or riding bikes outside, surfing Wikipedia (a favorite pastime for the little one), calling friends, sifting through thrift shops, playing board and card games, drawing (for son), painting (for hubby), writing (for all of us), playing with the dogs and cats, building elaborate Lego creations (another one for son, but I enjoy this, too), etc. And, this list comprises only an itty bitty, tiny little fraction of the fun things we do with all the time we have on our hands.

But, then there comes a week or two like we've had recently. Here's our itinerary:

Oct. 29: Texas Renaissance Festival (about 3 hours away) and my brother's 21st birthday (he came along with us)
Oct. 31: Our homemade Halloween party - more on that in a bit
Nov. 1: The annual Austin Pow Wow and T.A. Barron (one of K's favorite authors) at the Texas Book Festival
Nov. 2: I worked, but the boys had a special day to themselves, including a trip to the dollar movies
Nov. 3: Our weekly homeschooling game day
Nov. 4: Election Day - a big deal in our family. We make a day (and night) of it.
Nov. 5: Son goes to a sleepover that includes a visit to the UT observatory for a star party
Nov. 8: Local paleontological society's annual Fossil Fest and a video game tournament at the library
Nov. 10: Game day, again.

And that's where we are today. Things should begin to slow down now, but that first week of November is always a doozy for us. And, we left out at least one thing this year: we usually do a Halloween trip to the local living history farm, as well, but with the party preparations, we just didn't get around to it.

But, no one really missed it since the party was such a big hit. Now, we live outside of Austin proper and were terribly afraid no one would show up. Monkey Boy's best friend wavered at the last minute. Would he be there? Oh, the drama in this house was overwhelming.

But, we pressed on with the party preparations. Most of that fell to me, since I have a deep need to clean the house from top (spiderwebs on the ceiling) to bottom (mystery stains on the carpet) whenever people come to visit. Oh, our little home is gleaming, now. In fact, I'm surprised NASA hasn't reported seeing it from space.

In the midst of all the cleaning, though, we decorated and made lots of food. Our decorations cost $5 total. $4 of that was spent on spider webbing. We just couldn't find a smallish-sized packet, so we were left with a bag full of that icky white stuff. A huge bag. This bag would have been enough for a two-story haunted house, I'm sure. The other $1 was spent on trash bag pumpkins for the yard and driveway. But, that wasn't what got everyone's attention.

It was the ghosts. My brother graciously gave me a newly-opened box of tissues to use as ghosts, and I dutifully made the entire box - one tissue for the head-filling and one for the covering. Hubby's store gave us some rubber bands to use. K decided to draw faces on each one, and then hubby hung them from our giant tree with leftover thread. All of them. It took him a couple of hours, but those were hours away from the hustle and bustle of my mad dash to CLEAN THE WHOLE HOUSE, so I'm sure he didn't mind much.

As for food, we had to work with a few dietary restrictions. We did hummus (prepared from a bulk, dry mix), tabouli (also from a mix, but with fresh veggies), cut up veggies for dipping, crackers, peanut butter balls (both with wheat and wheat-free... mmm...), homemade vegan chili, and kettle chips. Not a bad spread, really, and frugal to boot. Oh, and not overly time-consuming. That was important.

The kids listened to spooky music, played video games (his best friend brought over a wii), joked around for a while, and then went trick-or-treating. Oh, the loot they brought back! As for costumes, we had a Darth Vader (K), Xemnas (from Kingdom Hearts - K just had to spell this out for me), a fairy, Yuki Uchia from Naruto (he had to spell this one out, too), Hades (who looked suspiciously like Baccus, complete with a toga and vine crown), a video game zombie (with a bloodied shirt, a face painted white-ish and a controller wrapped around his arm), and a couple of Renaissance-era peasants (hubby and me). What a group!

The party was a big hit, and (am I crazy?) I don't think I'd mind doing it again next year. But, for now, it's time to slow down and enjoy the cooler weather (okay, only slightly cooler - it's Texas). It's going to be nice to relax and to get back to our quiet, leisurely life.

Venting via Blog

2008-07-11T22:57:00.008-05:00

After a long day at work, I have come up with the following list that, were I a gutsier woman, I would hand to each customer who comes into the overpriced lotions and potions shop where I work. Since I'm not, I decided to post it here.

Helpful Tips for Shoppers

Please don't leave 42 trinkets you've changed your mind about in 42 strange places. If you don't want something, put it back or hand it to an employee.

Don't complain about the quality of clearance items. They're on clearance. If they were in perfect condition, they probably wouldn't be.

Don't send someone to the back more than twice to check for other sizes or what have you. Figure out what you'd like them to look for, and tell them all at once.

Do say something when you're greeted. Ignoring someone because they're wearing an apron or a smock doesn't make you look good, and it certainly won't get you helpful salespeople when you have a question about something. We don't bite, and we won't follow you around the store trying to get you to buy stuff. Most of us have better things to do.

Don't stand in the middle of the store pointing at the things you want. At the vast majority of stores, it is not the salesperson's job to fetch things for you.

Don't complain about the type of bag you get. It's a bag. Deal with it.

Do ask questions if you have them. If we don't know the answers, we can probably find someone who does.

The free samples are just that - samples. Please don't try to make a meal out of tiny portions. Take one and move on.

When a salesperson goes above and beyond to help you out, mention it and be grateful.

Don't get mad at the peons if it's the king you're after. Salespeople have very little control over anything - what's in stock, prices, sales, policies, etc. There's nothing we can do. Sorry.

Don't talk down to the salespeople. Please. We notice, and we're tired of it.

A Full Parking Lot

2008-07-10T08:54:00.006-05:00

Something's changing at the local thrift store.

At the end of the neighborhood is a Goodwill. It sits there like a frugal beacon across the main road through town, and when I stop at the light, it's all I can see. No wonder I was always going in.

But not anymore. I've been focusing on saving, rather than on spending. It's been several weeks since I bought anything at all there - a fact I'm rather proud of. But it looks as though I'm the only one staying home. The Goodwill is crammed full of shoppers these days; I've never seen so many cars in their smallish parking lot. I'd imagine the aisles are filled to the brim with people looking for jaw-dropping deals, hoping that buying used will offset the rising cost of... well, everything.

Once upon a time, I would spend an hour in the evenings wandering through the store, passing my eyes across all the things people had owned and given up, turning them over in my hands. It was like church for me. It was a sacred time. The store was always quiet and peaceful, a hallowed refuge from the rest of the world.

With so many new customers, though, it looks like that time is over. I hope they find what they're searching for.

Can't You Smell that Smell?

2008-07-08T11:43:00.006-05:00

Sorry. Bad Lynyrd Skynyrd reference. (Are there any good ones? (Shudder))

But I've been thinking about something recently. Since I've stopped really eating prepackaged and junk foods, I've noticed something. Chemically things smell... well, chemically.

Not that this would be much of a revelation to anyone else, but I've been stopped in my tracks several times this past week by horrid, chemically smells. Windex. Dry-roasted sunflower seeds. Diet cola.

How had I never noticed these before? How could scary chemical cleaners or those nasty, uber-preserved sunflower kernels have smelled anything but completely and utterly offensive?

Really? Wow!

2008-07-05T14:26:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, for the first time in about 6 months, I weighed myself - and to my utter surprise, found I had lost 26 pounds! I never weigh myself, so I had no idea. What a huge thrill! Duly inspired, I started looking through my closet today, and would you believe it - I fit into clothes I haven't worn in five years!

Shopping my own closet is a lot of fun for me. Since I've only kept jeans and those shirts that I really, truly love, my skinny clothes are tailored exactly to my body and my tastes. Lots of old favorites. Today, I'm wearing my skinniest-looking jeans and a linen button-up shirt.

The advice is usually to toss all your skinny clothes - decluttering, simplifying and all that. Get rid of them. If you lose weight and need clothes, you can buy them again. My take on it is a bit different. I advocate tossing all the skinny clothes you don't absolutely love. Keep your favorites. That way, as you're losing weight, you have special clothes to look forward to. You also don't have the extra expenditure of having to buy new outfits. Since you can generally wear clothes that are a bit too big for a while, keeping just a few treasured skinny items supplements the baggy wardrobe nicely.

Yay for veganism! I can't believe I was a vegetarian for so long (19 or 20 years), but felt that the jump into veganism was just too difficult. This really hasn't been difficult at all!

We Don’t Use Banks

2008-07-02T10:10:00.013-05:00

I know that’s unheard of in our plastic-obsessed consumer society, but it’s something I feel strongly about. The more I learn about banks, the less inclined I am to hand over my hard-earned bread. So, we deal in cash – for everything. There are other reasons we deal in cash, of course, but this is a biggie.

So, if we don’t use banks, how do we handle our money? Simple. We use the envelope system. I do all the finances in our house, and this is the only thing I've found that works for me. I keep a set of envelopes inside our fireproof safe and another envelope inside the car’s glove box for gas money. Every time we get paid, I divide up the cash and tuck it inside all the envelopes – food, gas, rent, bills, savings, medicine, pets, etc. Every dollar is accounted for. If I have any left over, I add it to the savings envelope (which is growing quickly with our IRS refund and stimulus money!).

Each person has her/his own envelope, as well, and if they're saving up for something in particular, I'll write what it is in pencil on the bills themselves and put those inside.

When it’s time to spend the cash, I just scoop up the envelopes and take them with me. Bread that’s earmarked for bills is turned into money orders at the grocery store.

So, What Makes the Envelope System So Great?

It’s free. Find a few envelopes, and you’re set. No books to buy, no software to purchase, no “kit” to send away for.

There’s no preparation time. The concept is so simple, there’s no need to fill out workbooks or take an online course. Just grab some envelopes and go.

The money has to be there. If we want something - any of us - we have to have the money allotted for it. If we don't have it, too bad. Have to wait until next paycheck when I'll either find enough to cover it or start putting money aside. And, speaking of not having money for whatnots....

It cuts out the whining. The envelopes offer a ready-made excuse when someone wants something we can’t afford. If the money's not there, it's not there. Simple as that. It’s hard to argue with the obvious.

Small purchases are often forgotten. If the budget doesn't allow for smaller purchases that week (like a soy smoothie or a knick knack at the thrift store), they eventually end up being forgotten about. No one remembers to put aside money for a pack of gum they were wanting last Thursday. So, in the end, we save money.

It’s not a long-term budget. I'm not great at budgeting when our income and our outflow are so closely matched. So many things come up that I haven't planned for, and they throw the budget completely out of whack. With the envelope system, I don’t have to worry about it since I'm only really budgeting for the week. I do take into account things like car maintenance and seasonal clothing purchases, and I put funds aside for those sorts of things.

It’s concrete and visual. When the money was in the bank, it was like this amorphous pool of funds, and I had to figure out how to divide it perfectly so that we wouldn't go over but would still be meeting everyone's needs. It was a challenge for me. The envelope system is so much simpler. And, since it's a very visual system, it solidifies how much we're getting/spending/saving in my head. I can see that we have $100 for food and $140 for the electric bill. Also, being a visual system, it helps our son see where the money is going.

It makes us very aware of our spending. Paying with cash forces us to really think about each purchase, so we end up spending less.

Moving money around has consequences. If it's something important, and we have to borrow money from one envelope to pay another (and this has happened a few times), it makes us really consider where the money is coming from. Literally, I feel as if I'm taking food out of my family's mouths if I have to borrow from the food envelope. Talk about a spending deterrent!

And finally, payday is fun again!

Inspiration -- An Unexpected Visitor

2008-07-01T13:14:00.003-05:00

I was a poet in a former life. It's been years, though, since I've written much of anything. A few days ago, a couplet popped into my head while I was driving. That hasn't happened for such a long time, I was afraid I'd lose it. After frantically searching for a pen, I scritched the phrases onto my hand and headed to work.

Now, if I can only build on them....

Glasses Saga: The Thrilling Conclusion

2008-06-30T19:48:00.007-05:00

Well, here I sit in my old pair of glasses. Yes, I came home empty handed, and now the vision insurance is no more. Oh, well. Turns out, opticians learn their trade from car salesmen. Or, at least it seems so.

While the cost of T and K's glasses were no more than their co-pays, every place I looked told me that, on top of any extra I might have to pay for frames after insurance has paid their part, it would cost me $120-$200 -- anti-glare, scratch resistance, different lens types.... You name it, and they tried to sell it to me.

Sitting there, going through the numbers with the saleswoman at the last shop, I actually broke down and cried. This isn't terribly strange, though; I cry easily. I had been looking forward to having a new pair of glasses for a long time, and after visiting nearly 20 different shops, I guess I'd hit my breaking point. Still, crying over money isn't usually my style.

As I sat in the car wiping my eyes and trying to decide what to do next, it hit me. Turns out, I love my old frames more than anything I've tried on in the last week, anyway. So what if they're almost ten years old? They're still cool and functional. Since my prescription hasn't changed all that much, they'll do the job.

In the end, I took my old glasses to a cheapo place that offers free adjustments and had them tightened. Instead of spending a few hundred bucks, I spent no more than the gas it cost to drive to the different eye shops. Perhaps the gas was worth the lesson learned: enjoy what you have instead of always searching for more. It's usually cheaper to make do with what you already own, rather than replacing whatever it might be you're so keen on replacing. I'm enjoying wearing my "new" glasses, and (according to the man who adjusted them) since they're so well-made and well-cared for, they should last me another ten years.

Taming the Grocery Beast

2008-06-28T11:06:00.006-05:00

The price of food is going up and up, along with the price of gas. Not surprising, of course, but it's not as if we're making any more money. So, it's come down to us changing the way we grocery shop.

Before, we'd wander into the grocery store with a rudimentary list. We'd grab what was on it, along with a treat here, an extra meal or two, some of that fancy new gourmet whatnot we'd been wanting to try out. We'd buy some juice, some nuts, maybe some sorbet. No biggie. We did this weekly and stopped into the grocery once or twice in between for extras (or things we'd forgotten).

But things have changed.

Now, the list is law. Before making the list, we'll look through the pantry, the fridge and the produce baskets to see what's missing (and what we've still got on hand). Then, I come up with meals for the week, figure out what ingredients we still need, and create the list. Yes, there are a few treats left on the list, as well as a few fun foods, but those are fewer and farther between.

We also pull out a calculator and tally our total as we go. This makes everyone look at the price of food as they're pulling they're favorite X off the shelf, and it keeps me from spending more than I'd budgeted.

We're eating more simple meals, now - lots of dried beans, lentils, hummus, soups, etc. Our crock pot is seeing quite a bit of use. The little one is less enthralled with our new meals, but is happy to eat lots of peanut butter (as a dip for apples and bananas or on a sandwich with all-fruit jelly) and pinto beans. We're also snacking on fruit. This may not cost less initially, but it fills us up better than snacky-snacks, so we eat less of it.

We eat up all the leftovers. We were fairly good at his before, but we're superstars, now.

We drink only water and tea. No juice, sodas or other sweet drinks. This isn't too much of a change, but we would occasionally buy some O.J. or a Green Goddess - yum!

We try to stop at one of the local world food store once a week, or so. There's the Asian store, the Indian market, the Mediterranean place.... Their prices are amazing compared to those at the grocery ($3 for 12 oz. of curry powder!), and we eat a lot of foods from other countries, so this really helps cut the grocery bill.

When shopping for organic fruits and veggies, I refer to the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce print-out I keep in my wallet. Instead of buying everything organic, I buy the most contaminated produce organic.

We buy in bulk whenever possible - things like lentils and beans, TVP, spices, etc.

I try to keep up with the loss leader items at the more expensive grocery stores. I'm their worst customer. I walk in knowing what's on sale and buy only those items.

The only other things I buy at the more expensive grocery stores are clearance products. The busy, cheap grocery stores around here never really put their food on clearance, but the costly, mostly-empty groceries do. And great clearance stuff, at that.

Finally, I order lots of free samples online. I've gotten all sorts of things in the mail - Kashi cereal, flax oil, multi-vitamins, pens, dog/cat food and treats, nutritional yeast, vegetable seeds, you name it. Free samples are wonderful, but it's the coupons that come with the samples that are often the real treat - a free box of this, $4 off that, buy one get one free.... Good stuff. Since we don't receive the local paper, these coupons, along with any I might find online, are the only ones I use.

So, that's how we're taming the roaring, raging grocery bill. So far, it's working well. We're eating healthier and saving money in the process. What have you been doing to save money on groceries?

The House is Breaking...

2008-06-27T17:38:00.006-05:00

bit by bit. A tile falls off the bathroom wall. Ten more are on the floor the next morning. A ceiling fan breaks. Then another. The garbage disposal stops working. The toilet has a leak. Eventually, we'll have no house left!

We like to fix things ourselves, if we can, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. And, this weekend, I need to focus on finding a decent pair of affordable glasses. We have a vision insurance plan that's about to expire (at the end of the month, so Monday), and it will pay $120 toward the frames. Of course, the only frames I can find that look even half-decent cost at least twice that much.

But I hate to settle for glasses. I have what must amount to an awfully strange face. Very few adult glasses don't look enormous when I put them on. I have better luck with children's glasses, but many of them are also too big. Glasses, though, are the one thing I always have on, and I generally end up wearing each pair for about 10 years. So, they need to be good. And the search is beginning to stress me out.

So, I'll focus on the glasses first and leave the decomposing house for later. But, oh, how I'd love to have that ceiling fan in the bedroom working again....

Learning the Hard Way

2008-06-24T11:43:00.010-05:00

While K was at a friend's house last evening, T and I decided to have a nice dinner out -- just us adults. We've only just started going out on our own, now that K occasionally spends the night with friends. I have to admit, it feels a little odd being out and about without K's silliness and enthusiasm.

Anyway, we decided on one of our favorite funky restaurants in south Austin. I let T go in first, since I had just gotten a call from a friend I hadn't talked with in ages. T ordered drinks and one of their signature quesos (with avocados, black beans, tomatoes, onions...). Of course, I've been vegan for quite a while now and had planned on eating a vegan meal at the restaurant (ooh, they have great breakfast tacos with black beans, potatoes and avocados on fresh tortillas - yum!). That fiendish queso, though, was just too tempting. (Have I mentioned my soft spot for cheese?) So, I dove in. AND, I ordered more cheese in my meal. Why not? I'd already had some queso, right?

Duh.

Apparently, my body is no longer used to eating dairy, and my stomach has been cramping ever since. Ugh. It's slowly getting better, but I've learned my lesson.

Peeling Back the Layers

2008-06-18T11:06:00.013-05:00

It's upsetting to have your respect for a person disappear over the course of a few moments. There are people we assume good things about because of what they've done. We're surprised when our favorite actor is a lush, when a treasured author is an egoist, when a sports hero or politician or musician is proven to be, well, human. It knocks us off balance for a bit, challenges our notions of respect and admiration. I have trouble listening to Pete Townshend of The Who because of things he's done. I can't watch Sean Connery or Richard Pryor or dozens of others without thinking of their past transgressions. And, after meeting that treasured author this morning, I'll have to find a way to love one of my favorite children's books again. Sigh.... Why do people have to let you down?

Simple Living with a Side Order of Guilt

2008-06-18T09:57:00.008-05:00

Toward the beginning of the book Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin, the author writes about a woman who sat next to him during lunch at a conference. She stood in line at the buffet and took only an apple, a slice of bread and a piece of cheese. When he asked her, pointedly, why she had taken so little when she could have eaten as much as she wanted, she told him that, while others in the world were starving, she would eat only what was necessary.

Since this is a new blog, you don't know this about me, but I'm a guiltaholic. I feel guilty about almost everything. When I was six, I found a pencil that I knew a girl in my class had lost. Now, this was a Cabbage Patch Kids pencil, and I really really, really wanted it, so I decided to take it home with me. She had others. I didn't have any, even though I had asked my mother for a pack repeatedly. Overnight I was so guilt-ridden, I couldn't stand it. I gave the pencil to the teacher the next day, but the guilt didn't subside. I felt like an awful person for years. I would remember that damn pencil, and my whole body would shake. The way I deal with these sorts of things hasn't gotten any better over the decades, and I carry this dense sack of guilt along with me wherever I go.

I care about world hunger (I do), but I eat more than the woman he described. Quite a lot more, actually. And I eat junk food (there's a bag of sunflower seeds sitting in front of me as I type this). I snack. I have dessert, sometimes. I get myself treats at the grocery. What does that make me?

If you answered "a hypocrite," you're absolutely correct! Tell 'em what they've won, Bob!

And that's the biggest snare for me in moving toward a more simple way of living: hypocrisy. How do you truly live in accordance with your values?

I remember feeling this most acutely when I was learning to drive. I have never been a bug killer. Instead, I just catch and release (well, I leave the spiders where they are -- they do a great job of keeping other bugs at bay). When I began driving, I was amazed by how many insects hit my windshield. I had a hard time getting to the point where I could drive without crying. And yet, I drove. I didn't need to drive, necessarily, but I did it anyhow. And I added a heaping spoonful of guilt to the sack.

To live without guilt, I'd have to be a strict vegan, eat only organic, locally grown foods, support only small, local, eco-friendly businesses, not buy anything unnecessary -- ever, bicycle everywhere (despite living in the suburbs where few locally-owned stores and no farmer's markets are within cycling distance), keep a completely clean and clutter-free home, never watch television (except for, perhaps, Free Speech TV), quit my job and do something meaningful (this is a biggie), volunteer MUCH more often, etc., etc. Not that these are bad things. I'm striving toward all of them (well, maybe not the bicycling part - but if they'd get some kind of bus system for this town, it would make all the difference). But, I'm nowhere near living the life I want to live. How to cope with the guilt until I get there? Or will I ever get there? Maybe this is a striving, rather than a reaching, sort of thing....

Forgive my rambling. That story just stuck with me.

That Bedroom....

2008-06-15T11:41:00.003-05:00

K has his best friend over for a couple of days, and I've relegated myself to the bedroom for the duration. Not that this is a bad thing. I certainly don't want to watch them play the Wii he brought over, and the bedroom is rather relaxing. Also, there are some things I need to clean and declutter in there. Last night, I deep cleaned the bathroom with baking soda and vinegar. Today, I'm thinking of going through old clothes and toys.

The bedroom has never been my favorite place to hang out. It's just so uninspiring. All our coolest knick knacks and wall art is displayed in the living room where we spend most of our time, so the bedroom is a hodge podge of mediocre artwork, toys, dog beds, clothes and books. Not where I want to be, most of the time. After focusing on it for several weeks, the attached bathroom is getting better. I've decorated it very simply and cleanly, and I enjoy being in there much more than I used to. But that bedroom.... I'll work on that today and maybe search for some decent decorations over the next few weeks.

Ooh... I Want One

2008-06-13T15:21:00.008-05:00

Okay, I've decided. I want one. Bad. What, you ask? A cargo bike. Oh, to be able to cart groceries and library books....

Working It Out

2008-06-13T10:07:00.010-05:00

For the past eight or nine months, I've worked in a lotions and potions shop. I chose this particular store because we have only one car, it's in the same outlet mall as my husband's store, they'll work around his hours, and they're happy using me only a few days a week. I also get along well with all the women who work with me. All great things, sure, but I don't use a lick of what we sell. Even the store's "natural" line is full of ingredients I can't pronounce. I feel a bit like a vegan hocking meat. These are chemicals I wouldn't put on myself or my child, and yet I stand there ringing up parabens and SLS all day long. Sigh....

A Beautiful Birthday Gift

2008-06-10T16:06:00.007-05:00

K and I just finished putting together my mother's birthday gift for tomorrow. Usually, I have gifts bought (or gathered) in advance, but because her birthday is so close to Mother's Day, her gift stash was rather depleted. We found a beautiful, handmade rag rug basket and filled it with goodies - gourmet coffee from hubby's shop, a gorgeous outlet cover that is just her style, a tealight candle holder and candle, homemade soap I already had but that was too florally for me (though perfect for her), and a pretty forget-me-not flower starter pack. The basket was the true find and inspired the other gifts. They look so pretty all tucked inside. Ahh.... I love the feeling of having a gift all done, ready and waiting to be given away.

Baby Blues

2008-06-10T14:28:00.010-05:00

I'm not always big on the Baby Blues comic strip (too much mainstream parenting for my tastes), but yesterday's was absolutely wonderful. Click the image to enlarge it.

50 Small Steps toward Frugality

2008-06-10T14:16:00.015-05:00

Frugality isn't something that you take on in one fell swoop. That would topple just about anyone's best-laid plans. Instead, try making a series of small changes over time; they really add up. This is what has worked for us.

A lot of these we started doing because they were more frugal than the alternatives. Others, we do for different reasons (usually because they're more natural or simpler), and they just happen to be frugal. In any case, here are 50 ways our family is frugal.

Making our own cleaners, shampoos, toothpaste (well, tooth powder), etc. If I know how to make it, that's what I do. Baking soda is my friend.
Turning off lights. We keep all the lights out during the day, and at night, only the rooms currently being used are lit.
Washing only full loads (dishes/laundry) and air drying.
Keeping the thermostat at 78 degrees (higher if we're out). If it gets too hot, we turn it down until we feel comfortable, then turn it back up to 78.
VHS movies. You can find them dirt cheap just about anywhere. Watching movies is one of our favorite pastimes, and having lots of movies we picked up for $.25 to $1 makes it a cheap one.
Owning only one car.
Hypermiling. It's my new passion (and it's much easier than this comprehensive website makes it look).
Eating vegan.
Learning how to fix things ourselves, like the car, the computers, clothing, toys, etc.
Thrift store shopping. Except for consumables, we buy everything used. If we can't find it at a thrift store, we search online - Craigslist, half.com, ebay....
Speaking of Craigslist, keeping an eye on the free section, especially on Saturdays and Sundays around the time people start packing up their yard sales, has really paid off. Lots of people give away what they can't sell.
Oh, and Freecycle, too.
Having our pets' vaccinations/spaying/etc. done at low-cost clinics, rather than our vet's office. We know the people at our local humane society who do this and feel very comfortable with them taking care of our animals.
Eating smaller portions. Really. I've found that the portions I used to eat were actually much too large. Cutting back is better for me and my wallet.
Using the envelope system. We deal in cash, and dividing it up and putting it all into the proper envelopes as soon as the check is cashed makes all the difference in the world.
Keeping abreast of grocery sales. We have a few expensive stores in the area, but they often have loss leader items that are a steal! Oh, and one in particular has amazing clearance finds.
Knowing how much we pay for our usual grocery items. This way, we know a good deal when we come across it.
Home hair cuts.
No cable/satellite/Netflix. Just plain ol' network TV. Of course, we just got our digital converter box (with the government's $40 coupon), and we get a few extra stations we didn't have before. One of them is a retro network (all stuff from the 70's and early 80's, like Knight Rider, Hawaii 5-0, Gannon, The A-Team, etc.). Pure cheese! We're really jazzed!
Using a reel mower, rather than a gas-guzzling mower.
Not shopping hungry.
Finding things to do around the house - lots of board and card games, vhs movies, reading (library books), chatting on the phone (local), drawing, listening to records, writing, just hanging out, etc.
Really considering before throwing something away.
Really considering before making a purchase of any kind.
Keeping the house nice and livable so we are happy staying home. Having a nice, clean house means we aren't wanting to escape all the time.
Putting out the word when we're looking for something. Friends have given or loaned us tons of items.
Doing things for myself that make me feel the abundance in my life. Sitting down, drinking a cup of herbal tea, listening to music, and reading a good book. It's hard to feel lack while doing something like that. If I don't feel lack, I don't have such a desire to buy "stuff." I don't feel like I need more.
Making do as long as we can. Procrastinating before buying, I guess.
Taking short showers.
Using cloth pads.
Actually eating the leftovers.
Researching symptoms online before heading to a doctor (or vet).
Being really creative with gift-giving. Making things, putting together a basket of pretty things we have around the house, etc.
Watering the lawn as little as we can get away with. Just enough to keep it greenish and alive.
Parking in the shade (this minimizes gas loss due to evaporation)
Walking.
Bringing lunch to work. Always.
Not using makeup or hair products.
Reading the news online rather than buying a newspaper subscription.
Doing instead of buying - finding alternatives to buying any way we can: waiting, making do, fixing, repurposing, making something ourselves, etc.
Baking our own bread.
Using things up completely. For instance, when we use glasses cleaning cloths (they work so much better than microfiber cloths and seem almost a necessity when you have a ten-year-old boy in glasses), we pass them around to everyone until they're dried up. We can always clean at least two pair that way - usually three.
Saving the change. Instead of spending it, we put our change in a pretty jar at the end of every day. It adds up quickly, and it really makes you think about those smaller purchases. When we have to break a five for a $.25 item, we often decide to pass it up, altogether.
Snapping digital photos and getting prints only of our favorites.
Using the crock pot, rather than the stove and the toaster oven, rather than the full-sized oven.
Growing some of our own food (tomatoes, herbs, etc.).
Not being afraid to pick up the things people have left on the curb.
Blogging about our days, rather than creating an expensive, glitzy scrapbook.
Keeping things well-maintained - the car, the a/c, the faucets, the weatherstripping around our doors and windows, etc. (We've just started really focusing on this one.)
Making a game out of being frugal. Frugality can be fun!

I'd love to hear from you about making frugal choices! Are there little things you do that help your family live more frugally?

And a Free Crate, Too

2008-06-07T19:06:00.013-05:00

After the yard sales are over, I try to keep an eye on the free section of Craigslist. What doesn't sell is often given away. Today, we found a crate just a mile or two from our house. One of our three dogs was in desperate need of a bigger crate, and free sure beats the $25 they had been trying to get for it earlier. We're now the proud owners of a large, wire crate. Looks like I'll need to break out the thank-you cards.

I lined it with an old, upholstered dog bed that we salvaged after the center cushion fell apart. The bolster was so well-made and still in such good condition that I couldn't throw it away, so I held onto it, hoping I'd run across a cushion that would fit well inside. Last weekend, I found the perfect pillow for free on - you guessed it - Craigslist. It works perfectly, and we've got one happy dog on our hands.

Dog House Days of Summer

2008-06-07T10:54:00.004-05:00

Today, we scoured the neighborhood for yard sales. Between the intermittent sprinkles and the near-suffocating humidity, everyone was slashing prices. We ended up with a $5 doghouse (that replaces the one we loaned to a neighbor and never got back) and a $.50 hard shell suitcase perfect for K's set of action figures. I love old suitcases for toys because they're cheap, portable and durable. And, they grow with the child. Eventually, the toys will be gone, and he'll have a set of vintage luggage for traveling. Kinda cool.

Back from the Convention

2008-06-06T13:37:00.003-05:00

After finding parking, trecking to the convention center, and searching for the third floor for over 20 minutes (really - it was like a mystery floor!), we finally made it to the convention - 18 minutes before our caucus ended! Oh, well. Of course, K and I were still able to wander around the building. There were so many colorful people that I kept wishing I hadn't forgotten to bring the camera. We had no idea you could find jackets emblazoned with hundreds of red, white and blue glittering donkeys!

K was able to meet one of our state representatives, Mark Strama, and we ended up with a "Texans for Obama" bumper sticker. Of course, we weren't nearly as decked out as, well, just about anyone else. No buttons, no stickers, no signs, no patches, no flags, and no slogany t-shirts. Still, K felt like he fit in well. There were lots of men with long hair roaming the halls. Very cool.

Off to the Texas Democratic Convention...

2008-06-06T08:41:00.002-05:00

to caucus for Democratic homeschoolers! Will write more about it later today. Happy Friday!

Safe Pots and Pans

2008-06-05T18:41:00.010-05:00

I've been struggling with our aging, mismatched, piecemeal collection of cookware for months, now. We do all of our shopping at local thrift stores, and we just haven't run across pots I feel are safe enough for our little family -- lots of aluminum-clad stainless steel, tons of Teflon, but very little glass, enamel, decent ironware, etc.

Now, though, the search is finally over. T decided he wanted to buy a new laptop, so he found himself a part-time job at an upscale cookware store that sells mostly enamel-clad ironware. And, boy, do they offer an employee discount like none I've ever seen before! Also, they tend to throw out anything that's not perfect. Those pieces, slightly cracked lids and all, come home with us.

So, I'm slowly building a decent collection. That's something for a girl who's never had a matching set of pots and pans. I get to color coordinate, and I can feel good about cooking, again. Color me happy!

Welcome to Tangled Hill!

2008-06-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my small home on the web! I'm kivyn. My family and I live, learn and play together here on Tangled Hill. Read on, and you'll meet my ten-year-old love child and his sweet papa, and you'll get to know me a bit, too. Who are we?

We unschool ourselves
We eat vegan and vegetarian
We bum around Austin thrift stores
We work to live (not the other way 'round)
We house stray animals
We use natural home and body products
We make things - artwork, crafts, music, poetry, comics, novels...
We live simply and frugally

I hope, as I begin to post about our days and ways, you'll stop by once in a while to say hi. I'll brew you a cup of virtual tea (peppermint? chamomile? ooh, maybe blackberry...), and we can have ourselves a time.