just sit back and relax

Organic, but at what cost.

I've been reading Green Living, the E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on the Earth. Picked it up at Powell's for over half off. It's been my bathtime read. (Don't worry, I reuse the mad amounts of water a bath takes to water the lawn and non-food plants).

Back to the book...

There's a lot of information packed into it. While the writers don't delve down deep into the politics and meanings of things, they do let you know that major corporations are responsible for bringing "organics" to your table. Do you want to eat Boca Burgers anymore knowing they come from Kraft? I don't, but I should tell you that I gave up on Bocas years ago because they're a bit subdelicious. Kellogg's also is in the non-meat burger bizness, whipping up Natural Touch organic soy burgers. ConAgra! ConAgra, the maker of Chef Boyardee, offers organic bread flour.

One of the big disappointments on the list is Seeds of Change. Those are the folks I bought several seeds from, including those cool lookin' Dragon Carrots. They are owned by Mars. Yeah, makers of Skittles and users of artificial fruit flavors. I don't think I can convince myself that this is a glowing, wonderful thing that's beneficial to both business and to the rest of the world, which an article here suggests.

I have looked into buying seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange. This year, though, I wanted to have one catalog order and buy the rest local. I think next year, I'll have to give these guys a try.

From their site: "Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds or our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. When people grow and save seeds, they join an ancient tradition as stewards, nurturing our diverse, fragile, genetic and cultural heritage.

Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, to honor this tradition. Their collection started when Diane’s terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two garden plants, Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory and German Pink Tomato, that his parents brought from Bavaria when they immigrated to St. Lucas, Iowa in the 1870s."

Next year:

I'll grow houses for my fine feathered friends.

Toxic House

I try to avoid crazy cleansers with carcinogens and who knows what. One: they often contain poisons; two, cats, a dog, and humans live in my home; three: why buy when you can diy?; four: why buy and make D*w Chemical that much more richer?


From Threadbanger:

All Purpose Natural Scrub:
Equal parts White Vinegar and Salt
Scrub with a natural cloth
Store in glass, with lid

Natural Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbs cornstarch
1 qt warm water
pour in spray bottle

all purpose, gentle on antique wood
1-2tbsp dr bronners
spray bottle full of warm water

powerful anti mold spray
2 drops tea tree oil
1 cup water


Recipes that I've had so long or adapted, and can't remember the sources:

Gentle Bathtub/Sing Scrub
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda and enough liquid dish soap to make a frostingesque texture. Put like 1 tbsp on a sponge, and gently scrub yer tub. Can store in a lidded container.

Glass Cleaner:
Put 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar into a spray bottle. Fill the rest of the way with warm water. Shake. Spray. Wipe off with newspaper or cottony cloth. My fiance hates the smell of the vinegar, so lavender essential oil is a fairly essential addition for us, for the smell factor more than the other benefits of lavender...

Mold Demolisher:
Mix 1/2 cup hydrogen pyroxide + 1 cup water. Spray or wipe on the surface. Feel free to douse the area! Let it dry. This can lift the color / bleach things a bit, so be careful.

Microwave/Oven:
For the microwave, place a sponge in a microwave-safe bowl of water. Nuke for 2 minutes or so, until the water's hot enough to convert to steam. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes without opening. Then take the sponge (if it's too hot, let it cool) and wipe out the softened crap on the sides and top of your microwave.
For the oven: place water in an oven-safe bowl or glass dish. Heat oven until water is converting to steam. Let "cook" for half an hour or so. Take a sponge and wipe out what you can, and use a baking soda and water paste to remove the rest.

I like to add tea-tree, lavender, and/or citrus essential oils to some of this stuff. Those all have some anti-microbial action, and smell pretty good too. THE CITRUS OILS CAN BE A BIT IRRITATING to your skin, burning even, so be sure to dilute and use carefully.

Info on Dow:
Our Unethical Tests Show That Nerve Poison is Safe
The long-term failure of India and the U.S. to hold Dow/Carbide accountable for what happened in Bhopal
wiki
The Amazing Yes Men
Dow Ethics . rotfcmao

Cleanser Recipe Sources:
Threadbanger's Decor It Yourself