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Welcome

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Make yourself at home. Put your feet up. Grab your favorite beverage and prepare to enjoy the reads.
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Monday

Award Winning Hand Crochet Jewelry

I'm proud to mention that Laurie won third place in the Crochet Guild of America's 2008 Design Contest. You can see the complete winner's list at the CGOA site.

Laurie is a member in good standing of the Crochet Guild of America.



Heather's Necklace is made of goldstone and light topaz swarvoski crystals, and chocolate and gold glass beds. Has a pretty brass or antique gold flower clasp.





This one's for Coco

Friday

Do it yourself carbon footprints

Tonight, after I washed my hands, I reached for some moisturizing cream as my skin has been dry. It was then I noticed one of the first ingredients was mineral oil. Hmm, I thought, I never noticed that. Another ingredient: Petrolatum, another: Lanolin. I looked at another moisture cream, same thing, then another.... same thing. Well, what would I expect? I buy the cheap stuff. So maybe I could save a lot more money by making my own cheap stuff. Buy a bottle of mineral oil, a container of petroleum jelly. Where would I get lanolin. Isn't that the fat of lambs?

I never heard of ecology as a kid. It wasn't taught in school. Though, by about tenth grade a science teacher suggested something toward it when he explained that the earth was eroding away. The wind, the water were going to erode the soil away and we would be left with nothing. Science Fiction as good as the books my father read, I thought. I didn't get it.

By the time I was in college there were rumblings on the street about leading a greener life. We didn't call it that. We were just terribly aware of pollution and felt quite self-righteous that others didn't seem to want to do anything about it. So, a group of students protested on the Quad, and we spoke to the powers that be, and suddenly we had a "recycling program". Trash bins were placed all over campus and we were to make sure to pick up any garbage and put it there. Cans, bottles, plastic, though there wasn't much plastic beverage containers then as there are now, and all our papers and banana peels and so on. Getting the students to take over the jobs of the custodians must have been worth the cost of the extra receptacles!

About ten years ago in conversations with various people there was a lot of ridicule towards people like me who still believed in fairy tales, those science fiction myths of global warming and pollution. After all, Lost Angeles had cleaned up it's act and now Indiana was dirtier than it had ever been. But, with only two Air Quality Control Officers for that state, it was hard to prove. My asthma proved it and I moved back to California.

Well, I am way off the subject of beauty products now, aren't I. Let me get a little closer. In trying to reduce my own personal carbon footprint, I have had at least a commitment for the last 35 years in this direction. I did little things along the way. Using less harsh chemicals in my life, buying cars with less gas mileage and so on. Having soil recycle bins for my garden. But, not a big concerted 100% effort. Since Gore made things more clear and the dissenters in my life began to quietly think about his message, and more importantly their children brought the message home to Mom's and Dad's, there are changes afoot.

I long ago stopped buying chemical laden cosmetics, then stopped buying them altogether. Except once in a while if there was some thing I had to go to where people would stare if I didn't have a face on. Or, more realistically, I would feel stared at and reviled if I didn't. Old insecurities die hard, sometimes! But keeping emollients in my house is not necessarily about beauty. I've lost what I had to time. It is now about comfort, and skin health. And I am just as lackadaisical in my commitment to using it. I just go with the flow, let my body tell me when I need to rub me down with something gooey.

So there I was with the big moment of understanding about moisture cream ingredients and reached up for that one very special expensive container, thinking that perhaps that was the best deal on the shelf. It must have the good stuff in it. Wrong again. It had the same as the cheap stuff, only in different order, then a whole bunch of chemical names, and some Red dye and yellow dye whatever their numbers. I paid $18 dollars to put that stuff on my face? Yikes. No wonder my cheeks burn!

So now I sit with the dilemma. What's the best way to get rid of this product? I don't know. In some cities they collect cooking grease from restaurants to be rendered down, and then what, make topsoil conditioner? I don't quite know. But, would doing the same with this stuff, even if my city had such a program, be in good conscience? I don't know.

Well, I can admit to having made some good changes, I think. I have stopped buying cleaning supplies. You know the one for the floor, the one for the wall, the one for the bathroom, the kitchen, the oven, the patio, etc. etc. etc. Plain soap, like that green product, which I am still very suspicious of, the one laundry detergent I can afford that is "almost" green enough. Still hunting for easy access and affordability in this category. But no more fabric softener products. What is in that stuff anyways? More Mineral Oil? For rinsing the soap product out of my clothes, I use Vinegar. I use it in the kitchen for cleaning too. Kills germs, and it's proven. It's what our great grandmothers used.

So lately I have been looking at my hair. No more hair dryer. 1500 watts of electricity to fry my bleach blonde look into a haystack that needs more product washed, rinsed, and rubbed into it before it will lay down and almost look like those models on TV. But, no shiney curtain to swish against the lights. Just a limp rag of hair, that at least isn't standing out, but still dried out. So, after having stopped the hair dryer use, letting my hair air dry. Really it is not that inconvenient. By the time I arrive where I am going it's dry. Gently use a towel for the at home dry job. Okay, so that brings me to the vinegar again. Squeaky clean rinse job. Now got to find a shampoo that doesn't have all that POO in it.

So tonight I find a website article called Top Five DIY Eco Hair Conditioners. DIY, for those of us who are as clueless as I am means Do It Yourself. Somewhere among my dark roots I am still a ditzy blond.

The article was authored by Jeannine Ouellette of Minneapolis, MN, USA. She says that hair conditioner is "whatever you put in your hair to make it smoother, shinier, or just easier to comb through," Makes sense to me, and I'm willing to bet that Mother Earth finds most of the products we are coerced into buying is not nice to M.E.
Ouellette says, "Some of it, like palm oil, does its damage through the way it's harvested and produced. Other ingredients, like many of the fragrances in hair conditioners (especially musk ketones) remain stubbornly in our water even after treatment at sewage facilities.
I can attest to that. My ex husband used to work for the wastewater treatment plant and came home smelling musky... I mean mucky... okay that's my joke for the day.

Some of the alternative options that are suggested in the article start with good old vinegar, which by the way is good for dandruff! Then, would you believe? Tea. Yeah, I like that one, especially if I want my hair to turn green. But, seriously, some dark tea might take care of that old bleached look that's been needing a touch up for so long. Then, I love this idea... Olive oil. (That sounds so much better than mineral oil. What have I got against Mineral Oil? I don't know. Minerals are supposed to be good for us aren't they. But, I guess I just want to know from where the minerals are derived.) I use extra virgin olive oil in my kitchen. this would be no big change for me. The last two suggestions are Rosemary Oil. I have that stuff growing in my garden. Would love to try making my own. Love the fragrance. And last but not least, the most ancient hair dressing product in the world (that I am aware of), Henna.

Go take a look at the article and find out more interesting details, how to create and use your own future DIY hair conditioner, while you and I are shrinking our carbon footprints. Or would that be feet prints?
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/cider-vinegar.html

Tuesday

My TV Weather Photo

We had so much smoke in the air from the fires! Polluted air makes for stunning sunsets! Most of the time, sunsets are fog.

This is exchange of emails with the local weather man:

July 13
Hi Norm,
Just love the way you present the weather. I always learn something! I've wanted to send you a picture for a long time, but none of them turned out good enough to send. But, I think I got a good one tonight. I live in Watsonville just a couple blocks from Pajaro River and 129. I took this picture from my front yard. My last name is pronounced "moon rose". I hope you will show my sunset.
Best to you,
Elizabeth Munroz

His response, July 29

Elizabeth;
I plan to use your sunset picture tomorrow (Wednesday) on KCBA FOX 35 news first at ten and on KION 46 news at eleven at the end of the weather segment. I know it has been a few weeks, but thanks for being patient.

I hope you can watch.

Sunday

Worried?

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“Don’t worry about what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive and do that.

Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”


Saturday

Cats Vs. Coyotes

Today there was a news article telling about how coyotes have encroached upon a colony of feral cats that live on the property of California State University Long Beach. The coyotes attack and feed upon these untamed cats. Seven cat carcasses have been found in the area

Since they have child care programs and summer camps, they worry children could be vulnerable to coyote attacks, the officials at the University say "the 100 or so felines must go within 40 days because they have triggered an increase in coyote sightings and incidents". They have decided to capture and turn the cats over to shelters. If they are too wild, based upon the standards of the shelters, the cats will be euthanized.

Over years, volunteers have been caring for the cats by feeding them, having them spayed, neutered and vaccinated.

Some people don't like this pland and say that the University should trap the coyotes and not the cats.

In my opinion it is a dilemma, and I wonder if the coyotes have invaded this area because of the fires that have destroyed their own territories in the recent past.

I wonder what the possibility would be to humanely trap the coyotes and move them to a more wilderness area where they could adapt.

And then, go ahead and trap the cats, letting those who are the most tame be adopted by families who would take care of them, thereby decreasing the population of the feral colony of cats on the University premises.

Here's some links about Feral Cats:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_cat

http://www.feralcat.com/



What do you think about this?

Monday

Kats' father was the script writer for the Japanese TV series called Kaiketsu Harimao, which roughly translates as "Wonderman Harimao". This would be similar to saying Harry the Superman if we made a TV show like this in English. The clip reminds me of Zorro.

Kats' father was also a movie producer and director of other movies in Japan from the 1950's and 60's as well as comedy shows on TV.

Friday

Mountain Lion Seen In Monterey

In the news yesterday, a woman walking her dog in Via Paraiso Park saw and reported a mountain lion while she was out walking her dog. She said it followed her, and she hid in a shed until it went away. Other people living in the same area also saw it. Police and animal control officers went door-to-door notifying residents to be on the lookout for the animal.

This is exactly what I have been concerned about, because of the fires. Where can the large animals go to survive, to get food and water?

More information on mountain lion encounters can be found here

This will show a map of their habitat.

Big Sur Fire

It's a pretty calm video, but this fire really concerns me. Not for myself, but the size of it is IMMENSE. They don't expect to have it contained until the end of the month. Maybe. This winter, with all the brush and trees burned away, we will have mudslides if it rains. As pointed out in the video and what concerns me too, is the wildlife. The little guys can't get away very easily, in my opinion, but what about the deer, the coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, and yes, the bears. Seems to me they would have enough smarts and stamina to get away. But, to where? Where can they run to except right into civilization?

More on California fires

It just boggles my mind. There is a new meaning for "California, the Golden State"

Where I live is placed right in the middle between these three fires

The mention Santa Cruz Fire, really named the Trabing fire, is less than 5 miles from my home. I was in the process of taking my cat to the vet that day. It was 105 degrees. I saw the beginning smoke start to climb into the sky, and hesitated to take hiway 1. It's a good thing I did because it would have been a nightmare to get caught on the road with the cat in the car in that heat right next to the flames. That is exactly what happened to other drivers at the time. Hiway 1 was blocked and travelers were kept at a standstill. In that heat, I can't imagine many being able to keep their parked cars air conditioners running for the length of time they were stopped without a way to turn around and get away. My car would have over heated in those conditions.

The Gilroy fire as referred to in the video is 17 miles miles from my home.

The San Martin Fire, 21 miles

The other fire up near Mt. Madonna was called the Summit fire was about 7 miles. It's not that these fires started all at once. They overlapped in the times they were burning. But definitely caused a lot of dirty air.

Mt Madonna County Park Fire

Close to my home. This fire started in Corralitos, seven miles away from me

When looking at the map, notice when they mention and show Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. I live approximately a mile from there.