The Family Cloth

After reading The Big Necessity, by Rose George, last year, I had to get off toilet paper. I made some small efforts while still living with my husband, but didn't feel like making any big changes. But after we separated, I knew I could no longer use tp in good conscience. My 6-year-old was pretty easy to sway. I've always talked to him about environmental issues, and once I explained it, he was with me. So, I took out my stack of old diapers, bought a new stack of baby washcloths and a gallon of Bac-out, and off we went!

Well, a few months into it, our old diapers were pretty threadbare. I wasn't too surprised. They had already survived 2 babies and a shitload (literally) of washing! But we've persevered until now. Last week, I was browsing Village Merchants on SE Division and I scored a fluffy white towel for 50% off, so a whopping $1.50. I cut it up into rectangles, and we are back in business!

Now, I do keep some tp on hand for guests. But all in all, I've bought 8 rolls of toilet paper in the last year, and 3 of them are still in the cupboard. Along with this savings, we've become much more aware of water usage. We follow the color rule: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." And we have a bucket to keep under the tub faucet, so when it's got something in it, we use it to flush.

Knitted Bracelets

Yesterday we went to a birthday party for a 5-year-old friend. The theme...PINK! Now, this is not my kinda thing, but I know some kids, including my own, are pink fiends. So instead of buying some cheap plastic stuff that would break or spending a fortune on more durable stuff, I decided to make the present myself. I found a cute pattern idea here. And of course, after I made a couple, using buttons from my scrapbooking collection, my own kiddo wanted his own. So this morning, I whipped out one just for him. He chose the color and button.

Building Set

Last week, I got a little overzealous and hacked the hell out of the camellia bush growing in front of my house. Well, the bush doesn't look good, but it will grow. Now, however, I have a large pile of cut branches covering my already teeny front yard and my driveway. Lucky we don't have a car, as Will says. But I hated to just hack the branches up and chuck them out with the yard waste.




So, I started hacking away again and came up with a building set for Will. Lincoln Logs they ain't, but they'll do. I can't wait to see what Will and his friends create with them. Or if they're even interested. If not, maybe I'll build a scale model of my future homestead.

Bikin' it downtown

Hooray me! Today, first time since moving to Portland 2 years ago, I rode my bike from home, across the river, to the central library downtown. The important part here is 'across the river.' Now, I don't cross the river much anymore, and I hear lots of eastsiders say the same thing. But I had to go to the library, didn't want to spend $2 for the bus (don't say cheapskate) and wanted to be outside for a bit. So, I took the plunge and pedaled across Hawthorne Bridge. Downtown is more hilly than I thought, but luckily I have 21 gears on my heavy-duty Austrian Hausfrau bike. Wish I had stopped and taken a photo, but you'll just have to take my word for it...and be proud!

Super...man?

Well, I pulled out the old FP dollhouse this week, thinking to slip it out the door and give it away. Alas, Will discovered it first, so now it is re-installed in my living room, taking up more space than the sofa.

However, the games have changed. Now, the Daddy is a superhero, who does good deeds along with his trusty sidekicks, the hedgehog and the coyote (can you spot him in the photo?). Today, I was requested to make Daddy a cape, complete with 'S' on the back, so everyone will know he's a Superhero! So, I pulled out an old sheet, cut out a cape, drew an 'S' on the back, sewed on a gold band to hold it on, and Voila! Check it out (and please excuse the feet).

At Last!

What a gardening year it's been so far in Portland. I planted beets that never appeared, cauliflower and cukes that were devoured by slugs, and sunflowers--ah, those beautiful sunflowers! They may be the only good things I get from my garden this year. But they are so lovely to look at, from inside the house or out. And that might just make up for the fact that I've got no veggies to eat.

Raspberry Jam

It's summer, and it's berry time! We've been buying delicious berries from A & B Farms through Know Thy Food, our local buying club. The raspberries seem to be a favorite every year. We eat them fresh, we freeze some, and we jam the rest. And despite my odd kitchen apparatus, which I can't even honestly call just a stove, I got 6 half pints of raspberry jam in the cupboard this week. Now to keep from eating it all before winter!

Goat Cheese

Every other Sunday, I get 1/2 gallon of fresh, raw goat's milk from Peggy's goats in Molalla, Oregon. While we are not milk drinkers here, the cheese we make from it is amazing. I buy my cultures from Julie at Cultures for Health. With very little effort, we enjoy about 1/2 pound of cheese. Just heat the milk to 86ºF, sprinkle in the culture, wait a minute or two for it to rehydrate, stir in, and let set for 6 hours. After that, I dump into a cheesecloth (really a pastry cloth, but I find it works much better), hang it from a cabinet handle, and let drip overnight. In the morning, I have lovely chevré, which Will and I enjoy with berries, spread on pancakes, sprinkled on beans, or just snitched straight from the jar.