Earth Day

It's Earth Day! This day really should be my Christmas. Alas, nobody talked it up so I slightly forgot and I didn't wear my recycle shirt. Too bad.
I am celebrating my own way though.
There is a local Mexican restaurant that is very popular here in Whatcom County, Chihuahuas. It is very good, I must admit. (Their veggie burrito doesn't have zucchini in it, something that doesn't belong in a burrito if you ask me). Anyway, a downside to going to this restaurant is that they use Styrofoam as a take-home container and that ain't cool with me. I have decided to write a letter to this business and ask them to use recyclable/compostable containers. I think it is important. They serve a lot of people here in the county and making that change would a step in the "greener" direction. Although cardboard (what I propose they switch to) still requires trees, at least it isn't a product that uses chemicals in the production process and will NEVER EVER break down. ever!
My letter may not change anything but I am hoping they may actually consider it. If you want to write a letter, I encourage you to. The owner's name is Alejandro Hernández and the address is 5694 3rd Ave. Ferndale, WA 98248. His email is also on their website.

Plus, if they do change then I won't have to bring my own containers for my leftovers. It really is kinda embarrassing.

Styrofoam?! That just ain't good.

Happy Earth Day!

The Cure

I have been sick for over a week. By sick, I mean, head cold. I also only missed a half day of work and felt better, then shitty, then all right, then shitty, and so on and so forth. Anyway, the thing got in my nose. I am pretty sure I have/had a sinus infection. However, I don't feel like going on antibiotics, I don't really feel like taking meds when I do think my body can fight it off at some point (just depends on how long I want to feel 80%). I also don't feel like paying $90 to a) go to the doctor and have her not want to prescribe antibiotics or b) go to the doctor, get meds, and then pay for the meds.

So, here are my two new best friends, Netipot and Apple Cider Vinegar.

Leave now if you don't want to hear about natural/hippy things. Actually, if you don't want to hear about snot either, move on.

Now, about 4 or 5 years ago Oprah was all talking up the Netipot. I think my mom told me that. Anyway, I never tried it. I had a huge aversion to sticking any water thing up my nose and here is the reason why. When I was younger, say ages 8 - 16, my parents made me "douche" my nose. Seriously. That is what they/we called it. It required the use of one of those nasal thingies they use on babies to suck the boogers out or something. You take that thing, put it in salt water, squeeze the salt solution into the bulb and fucking squeeze the bulb and send water rushing through your nostrils and...usually out our mouth. Needless to say, I f-ing hated that thing. It burned, it plugged your ears, your eyes water. I am pretty sure I cried about it.

Anyway, back to the Netipot. I got so clogged last week that I thought, I really need to "douche" my nose but I really don't want to use the damn bulb so it was time to try the Netipot. I figured it couldn't be as bad as douching with the bulb because no one in their right mind would market such a horrible product. Turns out, the Netipot is a gentle ceramic teapot-like device that holds water into which you put salt. You kindly place the spout into your nose, tilt your head and let the water find its way out the other nostril. If you are really clogged, it takes a few tries but you just wait. No rushing water, no burning, no crying. And....snot comes out your nose and it is SO satisfying. It is satisfying not only to watch the green snot come out but also to actually breathe and taste and smells things when you are all done.

And now to the real cure, Apple Cider Vinegar. On Friday, my sinuses started getting back up into my head sinuses. It hurt like a bitch to even blow my nose. I thought, if this doesn't go away by Monday, I will be forced to go to the doctor. I decided to look online for some home remedies to sinus infections and really did think there wouldn't be anything. Low and behold, I found this. Since I couldn't taste anything, I decided to try the concoction, it couldn't hurt me, right? So, Friday evening I drank my 2Tbs of apple cider in 2ozjuice/6ozwater mixture. Couldn't taste it and I swear, within 24 hours I could smell and taste again. I have been drinking the stuff for a couple days now and I am amazed. I honestly think it is a great cure. However, I must note that I am not 100% better. I still get clogged at times and sound awful but I feel all right and am back to running and daycare.

So I avoided the doctor and I am hopefully on the mend. I will keep drinking my AVC con water and see what happens. I have high hopes for this miracle cure though.

Anniversary

Note: I am still trying to find the "after" pictures on a couple of these. I'll do that asap!

I missed a big anniversary. No, it wasn't my "first date" anniversary with T (we have no starting point). No, it isn't one of the babies' birthdays. No, it isn't when I became a vegetarian. No, it isn't when I became a hippie (which could probably be marked on the day my dad made me go collect water samples from Tacoma's Thea Foss waterway in order to measure the amount of shit detected in said waterway).

The anniversary is to celebrate what inspired the start of this blog. On March 2, 2009, T and I signed all the papers to buy our house/land. On April 26, our friends and family came to help us paint, weed, rototill, build, clean, and eat at our Aldergrove Work Party. We never did get around to writing those thank yous but oh my gosh, I still really appreciate everyones' help, especially now that is it weeding time again. We ended up moving into the house in late May after we did a shit ton of work and made it look a little less like an old person house.

Although that whole house buying thing was stressful and I learned that the guy who we bought the house from is our neighbor, our house is perfect and I love it. I still haven't seen or talked with our seller-neighbor. I hold a little grudge for him being a bit of a bastard. (who refuses to clean up the garbage?!)

Here are a few Before and After for your, but mostly my, pleasure.....

Before in the Yoga Room

Later in the Yoga Room

Even later in the Yoga Room

After!

Before in the dining/computer/table/play room

Before in the Kitchen (side note: sorry sister)

Before the house was painted

After (well partially)

Before the Garden was done

After in the Garden

Damn, all these pictures prove T did most of the work. Son of a bitch. Well, I made most of the decisions.