Rainy Days Are For The Birds

I added American robin to the yard's bird list today. There was a flock in the front yard after the rain slowed. I also saw four hooded mergansers at high tide (look in the middle of the photo and squint) and a yellow-rumped warbler clinging to the marsh grass.

A Food Revolution

I have to say, this looks incredible. The first reality TV show in which I've ever been interested. After seeing Food Inc., Mark and I were discussing how can you ever change school system lunches. Here is an example of how. I hope I can watch this online when it starts.

30 Rock Love

30 rock may be one of my favorite shows of all time. I was just looking for an excuse to post a clip - I really enjoy this one, especially for the recycling jokes joke.

Not Martha Stewart, But Getting There

I just found the coolest blog that I wanted to share. Not Martha. It is a blog of do it yourself projects. I recently borrowed Martha Stewart's A to Z Encyclopedia of Crafts from the library, which was a partial inspiration for the soapmaking project. So to find a blog of someone with random, needed do-it-yourself projects online is exciting. I think I am slowly realizing there are a lot of them out there.

This might be the start of something. Last weekend, I was at a baby shower with lots of crafty people that work on craft books. Today, a friend just gave me a sewing machine. I think my life may be getting a little more crafty, if not at the least more self-sufficient.

The soap is finally ready to use. I tried it out today with successful results. I did not realize that store-bought soap removes the glycerin from the soap or is made from detergents. Homemade soap is supposedly more moisturizing; I am excited to test it out.

Belated Frost

Cold weather on the marsh last week - there was frost on the Spartina and ice in the shallow parts of the marsh. It was beautiful, but cold.

Paying Attention

In Reimagining the Good Life, Michael Schuler asks "Is the quality of our attention such that we accurately perceive what's going on around us and inside ourselves?"

Paying attention is something I have been working on for the last year. It is easy to distract myself with the Internet, music, books, work, etc.. But turning them off and just being there makes it easier to put things in perspective and to value what you have.

Since last January, I have been reading a number of Buddhism books and started practicing yoga and occasionally attending group meditations. I also give myself time just to think and be, without having to accomplish anything or be any certain way. I have found that in the past I got caught up in how I "should" live, and this interferes with my enjoyment and appreciation of how I already am living. By being still and pausing for just one or two minutes a day, I find that I am more appreciative and perceptive of how I am currently living my life. I don't get as caught up in what could happen, what did happen, or what is happening to others - rather I can pay more attention to how I am feeling and thinking and being.

I would like to create a stronger meditation practice, but if at the very least I am truly present for at least a moment each day, I do feel a noticeable difference in my perspective and enjoyment of life.

Adventures in Soapmaking

I have been on a kick to make soap for a little while now. I found a great recipe on the internet for Basic Castile Soap. After reading about how difficult it is to obtain lye for soapmaking, I was worried my soap plans would not happen. Apparently, lye is used in methampetamine making also - a less frontier/simple living purpose than soap - so stores have taken it off the shelves along with Sudafed. However, Lowe's did happen to have some, so I bought that, along with olive oil, a soup toureen, wooden spoons, rubber gloves, and a scale. I gathered up all my materials in the kitchen. Wearing my biggest, craziest sunglasses and some stylish rubber gloves as protection, I was ready.

I added the carefully measured lye to water in a designated plastic pitcher, which heated up from the chemical reaction. Once it had cooled back down, I added it to a pot of heated oil and stirred and stirred (45 minutes!) and then added the newly formed soap to some molds (yogurt cups and a plastic food container).

I waited a couple of days and then exposed the soap to the air, which made it harden. I am still in the process of curing the soap, where you let it dry and harden for a week up to 2 months. By photos of the final product, you can see that I am still experimenting with when to cut the bars of soap and what kind of molds to use. In the future, I hope to add oatmeal and honey and other goodies to the soap and experiment with different oils and fats in the recipe. Castile soap is supposedly highly moisturizing, but doesn't lather much. Adding some coconut oil should change that up nicely.