Our rose bush has started to bloom. I trimmed it down aggressively last fall and it has already grown back what it lost. I am taking time out every week or two to keep it under control or the thing will take over the entire yard! I am having fun clipping the roses as they bloom so far, but since they're not long-stemmed roses, they don't seem to last. Still, it's nice to have flowers around. I think once this round of blooms have been spent, I'll trim it back again. Last year, the thing just kept growing and growing and I don't want it climbing over the garage or into my neighbor's yard, which it threatens to do already.
In other news, our strawberries are turning red! Can't wait to try some! I am also happy to report that our garlic is doing well, our potatoes have finally sprouted green shoots, our bean are still alive and our citrus trees are regaining their lost leaves with a vengeance! I am cautiously excited and rather afraid of these promising signs ending in more failure. I guess we'll have to wait and see!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Peppermint
I love peppermint! I remember when I was little, a friend said she hated peppermint and I didn't understand why. I wonder if she's changed her mind since, but I sure haven't. I still love peppermint!
Not only do I have a peppermint plant growing in the back yard, but I also have peppermint essential oil stocked in the house. I love picking sprigs off my plant in the summer and grinding some raw sugar into it, then adding some rum and iced water. Or even just boiling the peppermint sprigs with some sugar for a sweet peppermint tea, which is good for an upset tummy.
I use the essential oil on my temples and ears to relieve tension and headaches, I add it to my tooth powder and I rub it into itchy bug bites to relieve the itch. You can add it lotions to make your lotions minty and I sometimes, I just love sniffing it.
Yes indeed, peppermint is a wonderful thing.
Not only do I have a peppermint plant growing in the back yard, but I also have peppermint essential oil stocked in the house. I love picking sprigs off my plant in the summer and grinding some raw sugar into it, then adding some rum and iced water. Or even just boiling the peppermint sprigs with some sugar for a sweet peppermint tea, which is good for an upset tummy.
I use the essential oil on my temples and ears to relieve tension and headaches, I add it to my tooth powder and I rub it into itchy bug bites to relieve the itch. You can add it lotions to make your lotions minty and I sometimes, I just love sniffing it.
Yes indeed, peppermint is a wonderful thing.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Homemade cleaners
I've posted about homemade cleaners before, but thought I'd give a rundown of what I'm using now:
Laundry Detergent
You can get more recipes and info here:
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/
Fabric Softener
I add about half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Dishwasher rinse
I always add white vinegar to the dishwasher's rinse compartment. One person suggested putting a bowl of half a cup in the lower rack and says that works better. Haven't tried that yet, but so far it's working okay the way I've been doing it.
All-purpose cleaner and shower spray
I mostly just spray white vinegar onto countertops straight. It works well for daily wipe-ups.
All-purpose cleaning scrub
Make a paste of baking soda and some water for a basic cleaning scrub. I find that this mix works okay for most things like countertops and the bathroom, but it doesn't work on my toaster oven, which has some baked on gunk on the inside of its door. So I made the paste with some cooking oil and scrubbed the door with a toothbrush and now it looks as good as new! It's funny to think you can use oil to clean up oily spots, but it works! I just saw another recipe where the person uses baking soda and peroxide to make a paste and supposedly, it works wonders! I'm going to try that recipe next. My big oven needs some serious work!
Carpet stain remover
I didn't think this would work at first, and it does require some elbow grease. Basically, wet the carpet stain with a little water and work the baking soda into the stain with a toothbrush. Really scrub it in and then add vinegar. Continue to scrub and repeat a few times until the stain comes out. I used this on some stains in our bedroom that was there before we moved it. Those stains didn't come out even after we used the carpet washer thingy on it, so I'm very happy this worked!
Dust Cloths
Soak some rags in a solution of half vinegar and half water with a several drops of olive oil and lemon oil. I keep a container of this stuff with rags soaking in it and pull out rags to dust dusty surfaces when needed.
Non-Bleach Stain Remover
Soak the stain-ridden clothing in a mix of water, washing soda and peroxide. I never measure. I just fill the washer with water, throw the stuff in and sprinkle in the washing soda and peroxide depending on how much needs to be washed and how soiled the stuff is. The truth is, some stains will never come out, but in my experience, this technique works really well.
Towel refresher
I use the prewash cycle to wash the towels with a sprinkling of borax and hot water. Then I let it drain and do a regular wash on the hottest setting with a cup of vinegar. I do a second rinse with some more vinegar. Usually after this, the towels come out very soft and as absorbent as I remember they used to be.
Drain declogger
Pour up to a half or a full cup of baking soda into the drain. I use a tiny bit of water to get some of the baking soda further down and I also try to work it in with my fingers. Then I pour vinegar into it and close the drain before it can bubble out. My favorite part is watching the bubbles and listening to them foaming. When the sounds die down, I pour more in vinegar and close it again. Once most of the baking soda has bubbled away, I pour a cup or two of boiling water down the drain. If the drain is still a little clogged, I repeat the process.
Destaining the sink
We have an enamel sink that was stained before we moved it. Although this didn't take out the stains entirely, it did brighten things up a bit. I made a paste of borax and lemon juice and scrubbed it into the sink with a toothbrush. After working it in for a few minutes, I rinsed the paste away and repeated the process once more. At this point, if the stain didn't come out, I doubt it ever will.
... and that's it! That's all I got so far. Going forward, I'd like to try making my own dishwasher detergent.
Laundry Detergent
You can get more recipes and info here:
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/
Fabric Softener
I add about half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Dishwasher rinse
I always add white vinegar to the dishwasher's rinse compartment. One person suggested putting a bowl of half a cup in the lower rack and says that works better. Haven't tried that yet, but so far it's working okay the way I've been doing it.
All-purpose cleaner and shower spray
I mostly just spray white vinegar onto countertops straight. It works well for daily wipe-ups.
All-purpose cleaning scrub
Make a paste of baking soda and some water for a basic cleaning scrub. I find that this mix works okay for most things like countertops and the bathroom, but it doesn't work on my toaster oven, which has some baked on gunk on the inside of its door. So I made the paste with some cooking oil and scrubbed the door with a toothbrush and now it looks as good as new! It's funny to think you can use oil to clean up oily spots, but it works! I just saw another recipe where the person uses baking soda and peroxide to make a paste and supposedly, it works wonders! I'm going to try that recipe next. My big oven needs some serious work!
Carpet stain remover
I didn't think this would work at first, and it does require some elbow grease. Basically, wet the carpet stain with a little water and work the baking soda into the stain with a toothbrush. Really scrub it in and then add vinegar. Continue to scrub and repeat a few times until the stain comes out. I used this on some stains in our bedroom that was there before we moved it. Those stains didn't come out even after we used the carpet washer thingy on it, so I'm very happy this worked!
Dust Cloths
Soak some rags in a solution of half vinegar and half water with a several drops of olive oil and lemon oil. I keep a container of this stuff with rags soaking in it and pull out rags to dust dusty surfaces when needed.
Non-Bleach Stain Remover
Soak the stain-ridden clothing in a mix of water, washing soda and peroxide. I never measure. I just fill the washer with water, throw the stuff in and sprinkle in the washing soda and peroxide depending on how much needs to be washed and how soiled the stuff is. The truth is, some stains will never come out, but in my experience, this technique works really well.
Towel refresher
I use the prewash cycle to wash the towels with a sprinkling of borax and hot water. Then I let it drain and do a regular wash on the hottest setting with a cup of vinegar. I do a second rinse with some more vinegar. Usually after this, the towels come out very soft and as absorbent as I remember they used to be.
Drain declogger
Pour up to a half or a full cup of baking soda into the drain. I use a tiny bit of water to get some of the baking soda further down and I also try to work it in with my fingers. Then I pour vinegar into it and close the drain before it can bubble out. My favorite part is watching the bubbles and listening to them foaming. When the sounds die down, I pour more in vinegar and close it again. Once most of the baking soda has bubbled away, I pour a cup or two of boiling water down the drain. If the drain is still a little clogged, I repeat the process.
Destaining the sink
We have an enamel sink that was stained before we moved it. Although this didn't take out the stains entirely, it did brighten things up a bit. I made a paste of borax and lemon juice and scrubbed it into the sink with a toothbrush. After working it in for a few minutes, I rinsed the paste away and repeated the process once more. At this point, if the stain didn't come out, I doubt it ever will.
... and that's it! That's all I got so far. Going forward, I'd like to try making my own dishwasher detergent.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Oil cleansing method
I had heard about this oil cleansing method a while back, but I never got into it. I had my favorite cleanser for my face and I was happy with it. The cleanser didn't take off stubborn makeup, but it worked well for days without makeup, which is most days. So not having a need for change, I didn't bother changing my routine.
Lately, I've been using makeup more. I don't know why, but lately, I feel like I would like to not look dowdy all the time. At the very least, I'd like my face to look less splotchy. So these days, I've been using BB cream every morning. BB cream is the latest makeup fad because it moisturizes, primes and evens out skin tone at the same time. Most also contain anti-aging stuff and ingredients that are supposed to be nourishing for your skin. I originally bought an American BB cream, and though I liked it, it was more like a tinted moisturizer and didn't give me the coverage I needed on some days. So I switched to a Korean brand and though still light on my face, does seem to have a bit more coverage. I also only buy BB creams that have SPF using titanium or zinc oxide as its sunblocking ingredient.
So now that I have makeup on my face, I really would rather not have to remove the makeup and then wash my face with a cleanser, which is what I used to do. I want that whole deal to be a one step process. Enter the oil cleansing method. I've already been using extra virgin olive oil on my face to remove makeup. Why not just use it as an every day cleanser? The method is easy. I just rub olive oil into my face, massaging the skin and making sure to get it onto any eye makeup without getting it into my eyes. After a minute or so of that, I wet a soft face cloth with hot water and place it over my face until it cools. Then I gently wipe the stuff off my face. If I didn't get everything the first time, I'll rinse the cloth with hot water, place it over my face again until it cools and wipe. Then I wash my face cloth and hang it dry. All done!
There are a couple of nice things about this method. First, it cleanses and removes makeup in one step. Second, it actually moisturizes the face enough that you don't have to put on extra lotion before bed. You still can if you want to, as I do when I have an eczema patch to take care of, but if my face is feeling healthy, I don't bother with lotion.
If you have oily skin, you can add castor oil. A good blend to start with is 80% olive oil and 20% castor oil. You can also try substituting olive oil for sunflower seed oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Some experimentation might be involved to find the oil combination you like best. You can even add aloe water or aloe juice to your blend. Just shake the bottle well before applying.
For me personally, I don't mind making a cleansing oil blend and getting creative. However, the truth is that I'm lazy and I want to keep things simple. What's easier than simply pouring olive oil into a small bottle? I always have olive oil in the house so there's no need to specially buy something for my face, and there's no measuring or mixing. Just pour the oil into a small bottle and place in the bathroom. Can't get much simpler than that!
Lately, I've been using makeup more. I don't know why, but lately, I feel like I would like to not look dowdy all the time. At the very least, I'd like my face to look less splotchy. So these days, I've been using BB cream every morning. BB cream is the latest makeup fad because it moisturizes, primes and evens out skin tone at the same time. Most also contain anti-aging stuff and ingredients that are supposed to be nourishing for your skin. I originally bought an American BB cream, and though I liked it, it was more like a tinted moisturizer and didn't give me the coverage I needed on some days. So I switched to a Korean brand and though still light on my face, does seem to have a bit more coverage. I also only buy BB creams that have SPF using titanium or zinc oxide as its sunblocking ingredient.
So now that I have makeup on my face, I really would rather not have to remove the makeup and then wash my face with a cleanser, which is what I used to do. I want that whole deal to be a one step process. Enter the oil cleansing method. I've already been using extra virgin olive oil on my face to remove makeup. Why not just use it as an every day cleanser? The method is easy. I just rub olive oil into my face, massaging the skin and making sure to get it onto any eye makeup without getting it into my eyes. After a minute or so of that, I wet a soft face cloth with hot water and place it over my face until it cools. Then I gently wipe the stuff off my face. If I didn't get everything the first time, I'll rinse the cloth with hot water, place it over my face again until it cools and wipe. Then I wash my face cloth and hang it dry. All done!
There are a couple of nice things about this method. First, it cleanses and removes makeup in one step. Second, it actually moisturizes the face enough that you don't have to put on extra lotion before bed. You still can if you want to, as I do when I have an eczema patch to take care of, but if my face is feeling healthy, I don't bother with lotion.
If you have oily skin, you can add castor oil. A good blend to start with is 80% olive oil and 20% castor oil. You can also try substituting olive oil for sunflower seed oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Some experimentation might be involved to find the oil combination you like best. You can even add aloe water or aloe juice to your blend. Just shake the bottle well before applying.
For me personally, I don't mind making a cleansing oil blend and getting creative. However, the truth is that I'm lazy and I want to keep things simple. What's easier than simply pouring olive oil into a small bottle? I always have olive oil in the house so there's no need to specially buy something for my face, and there's no measuring or mixing. Just pour the oil into a small bottle and place in the bathroom. Can't get much simpler than that!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Ruth Stout's no-work garden
I love the concept of a no-work garden. Ruth Stout popularized this technique and became the queen of mulch. Basically, you have a perpetual layer of mulch in your garden. The bottom layers break down into rich soil while the top layers smother weeds. We don't have enough of a garden plot to do this, but it's a wonderful idea to try out if I ever get some actual garden space. You can read more about her system here:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2004-02-01/Ruth-Stouts-System.aspx
For now, I will have to content myself with a garden of many containers and one tiny strip of soil in my mostly-concrete back yard. No mulching necessary in that case. One of the advantages of container gardens is that weeding is incredibly easy, if you need to do it at all.
This weekend, I plan to get some more rich soil from my local garden center. We have some extra containers to fill up and that strip of soil in the yard needs a bit of amending. I also want to start hardening off my seedlings and it is now that I realize a cold frame of some kind would be useful.
The problem I have is that you're supposed to expose the seedlings to the outside environment with good sunlight slowly. So you start with putting the plants one or two hours outside and then increase the time outside every day. Once acclimated, you can reduce transplant shock when you finally do plant them outside. Unfortunately, I am not around at home during enough daylight hours to do this. In the morning, I am rushing out so I'll have no time to put the plants out, wait an hour or two and the bring them back in. In the evenings, it's often already dark when I get home or there's only an hour left of the setting sun. A cold frame would allow you to put the plants outside but still protect them from harsh elements and frost.
There is one other way to harden off plants, which is to withhold water from them until they show signs of wilt and then water them. Do this repeatedly for two to three weeks and they'll be ready for the outside. However, I am loathe to try this as I can't stand to see my seedlings wilt.
So for now, I put a few of the lettuce seedlings inside a deep, empty planter outside in a relatively sunny spot. It's not covered at the top, but the plants are protected on all sides. I am considering getting a clear covering for the planter and this will serve as a makeshift cold frame for now. If they plants in this setup doesn't die in the next few days, I arrange for more seedlings to be place outside in covered planters.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2004-02-01/Ruth-Stouts-System.aspx
For now, I will have to content myself with a garden of many containers and one tiny strip of soil in my mostly-concrete back yard. No mulching necessary in that case. One of the advantages of container gardens is that weeding is incredibly easy, if you need to do it at all.
This weekend, I plan to get some more rich soil from my local garden center. We have some extra containers to fill up and that strip of soil in the yard needs a bit of amending. I also want to start hardening off my seedlings and it is now that I realize a cold frame of some kind would be useful.
The problem I have is that you're supposed to expose the seedlings to the outside environment with good sunlight slowly. So you start with putting the plants one or two hours outside and then increase the time outside every day. Once acclimated, you can reduce transplant shock when you finally do plant them outside. Unfortunately, I am not around at home during enough daylight hours to do this. In the morning, I am rushing out so I'll have no time to put the plants out, wait an hour or two and the bring them back in. In the evenings, it's often already dark when I get home or there's only an hour left of the setting sun. A cold frame would allow you to put the plants outside but still protect them from harsh elements and frost.
There is one other way to harden off plants, which is to withhold water from them until they show signs of wilt and then water them. Do this repeatedly for two to three weeks and they'll be ready for the outside. However, I am loathe to try this as I can't stand to see my seedlings wilt.
So for now, I put a few of the lettuce seedlings inside a deep, empty planter outside in a relatively sunny spot. It's not covered at the top, but the plants are protected on all sides. I am considering getting a clear covering for the planter and this will serve as a makeshift cold frame for now. If they plants in this setup doesn't die in the next few days, I arrange for more seedlings to be place outside in covered planters.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Hand cranked camera
I'm sure this is totally not practical, but I think it's cool nonetheless:
http://www.acgears.com/photography/digital-cameras/suncloud-solarpowered-selfgenerating-digital-camera
http://www.acgears.com/photography/digital-cameras/suncloud-solarpowered-selfgenerating-digital-camera
Friday, April 5, 2013
Luffa seedlings
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Poor tomato plant
Yesterday, in a cloud of enthusiasm and clumsiness, I accidentally killed one of my tomato seedlings. :-(
I don't think it's too late to start another seedling, but I think I'll pass on that. I still have 2 seedlings and if they die, then I'll just buy a plant from the green market once they're back. It's not the end of the world. Just a reminder that I do indeed have a black thumb.
Here is my track record so far:
Planted:
2 Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach
None sprouted as seeds were too old and crummy.
2 Little Gem Lettuce
None sprouted as seeds were too old and crummy
1 Little Gem Lettuce
New seed packet with a few planted in one small pot this past weekend
3 Lincoln Peas
1 Sprouted and looks very healthy!
3 Brandywine tomatoes
2 Still surviving, but looks sad and weak
1 Small Wonder Spaghetti Squash
1 Sprouted - took a long while, but I spied a tiny seedling curling up just last night!
4 Angels' Trumpet flowers
2 Sprouted
6 Lilac Petunia flowers
3 Sprouted. These have been really hard to not kill!
1 Thai Hot Pepper
Just planted this past weekend
2 Large Leaf Italian Basil
1 Sprouted. No luck on the other pot
6 Garlic Chives
Just planted this past weekend in one pot
So it looks like my success rate is a little under 50 percent.
I don't think it's too late to start another seedling, but I think I'll pass on that. I still have 2 seedlings and if they die, then I'll just buy a plant from the green market once they're back. It's not the end of the world. Just a reminder that I do indeed have a black thumb.
Here is my track record so far:
Planted:
2 Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach
None sprouted as seeds were too old and crummy.
2 Little Gem Lettuce
None sprouted as seeds were too old and crummy
1 Little Gem Lettuce
New seed packet with a few planted in one small pot this past weekend
3 Lincoln Peas
1 Sprouted and looks very healthy!
3 Brandywine tomatoes
2 Still surviving, but looks sad and weak
1 Small Wonder Spaghetti Squash
1 Sprouted - took a long while, but I spied a tiny seedling curling up just last night!
4 Angels' Trumpet flowers
2 Sprouted
6 Lilac Petunia flowers
3 Sprouted. These have been really hard to not kill!
1 Thai Hot Pepper
Just planted this past weekend
2 Large Leaf Italian Basil
1 Sprouted. No luck on the other pot
6 Garlic Chives
Just planted this past weekend in one pot
So it looks like my success rate is a little under 50 percent.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Currently growing
Here is the list of what I have currently growing:
1 small meyer lemon tree
1 jasmine plant
1 big meyer lemon tree (probably about to die)
1 big washington navel orange tree (also probably about to die)
1 hindu rope plant (it was about to die, but is in recovery)
1 jade plant
1 aloe plant
1 spiny cactus (this is hubby's plant. I don't go near it)
1 baby bamboo
1 kalanchoe
1 sedum (think it's a donkey tail succulent but not sure)
1 small pot of moss
3 brandywine tomatos
5 little gem lettuce
3 angel's trumpet flowers
3 petunia flowers (planted 6 but only 3 germinated and 1 looks pretty weak)
1 small wonder spaghetti squash
1 luffa
3 lincoln peas
2 basil
2 thai hot pepper
6 garlic chives in a pot (just planted this past weekend)
Once the weather is warm enough I plant to plant the following:
3 kentucky blue beans
3 german butterball potatoes
1 maypop passionflower
2 calendula flowers
mother of thyme and sagina pearlwort on the bare spots in the front lawn
Once the fall comes around I'll plant:
more little gem lettuce
toy choi
spinach (need to get a fresh packet of these seeds)
maybe kale
Next year, if all goes well, I'll add the following to my repertoire:
yellow of parma onion
tom thumb pea
long island brussel sprouts
pingtung long eggplant
strawberry spinach
shirofumi soybean
We don't have a lot of space to grow things, so there might be space concerns going forward. I'm playing with the idea of succession planting, but I don't think I know enough about it right now. From now on, I'm going to try to order my seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange organization. They're a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve our heirloom varieties of plants and vegetables, which are fast disappearing due to corporate farming and other commercial factors.
1 small meyer lemon tree
1 jasmine plant
1 big meyer lemon tree (probably about to die)
1 big washington navel orange tree (also probably about to die)
1 hindu rope plant (it was about to die, but is in recovery)
1 jade plant
1 aloe plant
1 spiny cactus (this is hubby's plant. I don't go near it)
1 baby bamboo
1 kalanchoe
1 sedum (think it's a donkey tail succulent but not sure)
1 small pot of moss
3 brandywine tomatos
5 little gem lettuce
3 angel's trumpet flowers
3 petunia flowers (planted 6 but only 3 germinated and 1 looks pretty weak)
1 small wonder spaghetti squash
1 luffa
3 lincoln peas
2 basil
2 thai hot pepper
6 garlic chives in a pot (just planted this past weekend)
Once the weather is warm enough I plant to plant the following:
3 kentucky blue beans
3 german butterball potatoes
1 maypop passionflower
2 calendula flowers
mother of thyme and sagina pearlwort on the bare spots in the front lawn
Once the fall comes around I'll plant:
more little gem lettuce
toy choi
spinach (need to get a fresh packet of these seeds)
maybe kale
Next year, if all goes well, I'll add the following to my repertoire:
yellow of parma onion
tom thumb pea
long island brussel sprouts
pingtung long eggplant
strawberry spinach
shirofumi soybean
We don't have a lot of space to grow things, so there might be space concerns going forward. I'm playing with the idea of succession planting, but I don't think I know enough about it right now. From now on, I'm going to try to order my seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange organization. They're a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve our heirloom varieties of plants and vegetables, which are fast disappearing due to corporate farming and other commercial factors.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Seedlings weak and leggy
I'm finding that I need something to occupy myself these days. It needs to be something that keeps me active and engaged and this something happens to be gardening. It's still too cold to be outside for long periods of time to work on the garden, but it's not too cold to start seeds indoors.
There are issues to starting seedlings indoors in our house. Our window sills don't get enough sunlight. So the poor things are coming up all leggy and weak. I tried passing my hand over them several times a day to get them to toughen up, but to no avail. Finally, I caved and bought a grow light. I honestly didn't want to spend money on growing seeds, but everything I've read mentions that starting seeds indoors means leggy seedlings unless you get a grow light.
So we went the garden store and bought a bunch of stuff: a planter, potting soil, fertilizer, grow light for countertop, grow light for dwarf tree (more on that in a bit), humidity dome, and a Meyer Lemon tree. The lemon tree is a purchase I am particularly excited about. I had bought one last year, but it was definitely NOT patio size. The one I got last year is as tall as I am and was pruned into this weird, lopsided Y shape. The big meyer lemon tree is not doing well and I think it's going to die. The truth is, I never liked it anyways. So when I saw the little lemon trees at the garden store, the kind that I've always imagined dwarf meyer lemon trees to look like, I got a pot and a grow light for it too.
Citrus trees like a lot of light. I think that's why our bit citrus trees didn't do well this winter. The one grow light we had on them was not enough. My jasmine plant also suffered a great deal, though even before it wintered indoors, there were bugs eating the leaves. I sprayed the jasmine plant with a mixture of minty liquid soap, canola oil, baking soda and water and the bugs died. Unfortunately, I think the plants still suffered from lack of enough light. So they have now been brought upstairs under a different setup.
We have a pendant light at the edge of our kitchen and we put the large citrus trees there. They were in that position before and didn't do too well, but they did better there than in the basement. We put the grow light in the pendant and I fed the trees with some of my newly purchased fertilizer. On the kitchen window sill, I placed the jasmine plant and the small lemon tree and clipped the newly purchased clip-on grow light above them. The lady at the garden store said to put the grow light close, but not so close that the plants can feel heat coming from it. On the far kitchen counter, we set up the counter-top grow light fixture. This is where we placed all our seedlings. The grow light is lowered as close as possible to the seedlings without them feeling too much heat.
The idea of putting the grow lights close is to keep the plants from straining to get more light. Straining to get more light makes them leggy. Some setups include a little fan to simulate wind and to to keep mold from growing on the moist soil. I am not intending to set up a fan. Maybe I'll just blow on the plants every morning and night? Lol! Anyways, I'm a little concerned as to how much energy this is costing us, but my desire for healthy seedlings and indoor plants has overruled my instinct to be frugal. If only my house got more sunlight! I console myself by saying that this is only temporary. Once the weather is nice and warm the seedlings and plants will be moved outside. I'm hoping that this year's experiments produce some good eats!
There are issues to starting seedlings indoors in our house. Our window sills don't get enough sunlight. So the poor things are coming up all leggy and weak. I tried passing my hand over them several times a day to get them to toughen up, but to no avail. Finally, I caved and bought a grow light. I honestly didn't want to spend money on growing seeds, but everything I've read mentions that starting seeds indoors means leggy seedlings unless you get a grow light.
So we went the garden store and bought a bunch of stuff: a planter, potting soil, fertilizer, grow light for countertop, grow light for dwarf tree (more on that in a bit), humidity dome, and a Meyer Lemon tree. The lemon tree is a purchase I am particularly excited about. I had bought one last year, but it was definitely NOT patio size. The one I got last year is as tall as I am and was pruned into this weird, lopsided Y shape. The big meyer lemon tree is not doing well and I think it's going to die. The truth is, I never liked it anyways. So when I saw the little lemon trees at the garden store, the kind that I've always imagined dwarf meyer lemon trees to look like, I got a pot and a grow light for it too.
Citrus trees like a lot of light. I think that's why our bit citrus trees didn't do well this winter. The one grow light we had on them was not enough. My jasmine plant also suffered a great deal, though even before it wintered indoors, there were bugs eating the leaves. I sprayed the jasmine plant with a mixture of minty liquid soap, canola oil, baking soda and water and the bugs died. Unfortunately, I think the plants still suffered from lack of enough light. So they have now been brought upstairs under a different setup.
We have a pendant light at the edge of our kitchen and we put the large citrus trees there. They were in that position before and didn't do too well, but they did better there than in the basement. We put the grow light in the pendant and I fed the trees with some of my newly purchased fertilizer. On the kitchen window sill, I placed the jasmine plant and the small lemon tree and clipped the newly purchased clip-on grow light above them. The lady at the garden store said to put the grow light close, but not so close that the plants can feel heat coming from it. On the far kitchen counter, we set up the counter-top grow light fixture. This is where we placed all our seedlings. The grow light is lowered as close as possible to the seedlings without them feeling too much heat.
The idea of putting the grow lights close is to keep the plants from straining to get more light. Straining to get more light makes them leggy. Some setups include a little fan to simulate wind and to to keep mold from growing on the moist soil. I am not intending to set up a fan. Maybe I'll just blow on the plants every morning and night? Lol! Anyways, I'm a little concerned as to how much energy this is costing us, but my desire for healthy seedlings and indoor plants has overruled my instinct to be frugal. If only my house got more sunlight! I console myself by saying that this is only temporary. Once the weather is nice and warm the seedlings and plants will be moved outside. I'm hoping that this year's experiments produce some good eats!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thermal cookware with ceramic interior
I'm always on the lookout for a nice food container. I so want these!
http://www.thekitchn.com/italian-made-thermal-cookware-and-storage-with-a-ceramic-interior-international-home-housewares-show-185928
http://www.thekitchn.com/italian-made-thermal-cookware-and-storage-with-a-ceramic-interior-international-home-housewares-show-185928
Friday, March 22, 2013
Remember when LAPD was seeking Dorner
Yeah, great police work there:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-torrance-shooting-20130210,0,3955268.story
http://ktla.com/2013/02/09/delivering-newspapers-then-caught-in-a-hail-of-lapd-bullets/
I'm not sure new vehicles and an apology is going to cut it. Isn't there supposed to be protocol before police can just start shooting at you to destroy you and everyone with you in a car? I mean, this is real life, not a hollywood film
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-torrance-shooting-20130210,0,3955268.story
http://ktla.com/2013/02/09/delivering-newspapers-then-caught-in-a-hail-of-lapd-bullets/
I'm not sure new vehicles and an apology is going to cut it. Isn't there supposed to be protocol before police can just start shooting at you to destroy you and everyone with you in a car? I mean, this is real life, not a hollywood film
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Series: Glenn Greenwald on security and liberty Previous | Next | Index Glenn Greenwald on security and liberty US Air Force veteran, finally allowed to fly into US, is now banned from flying back home
Seriously, this sh*t is out of control. Most of us read this and go, "Glad I'm not THAT guy," and move on with our lives. However, anybody ever hear of the slippery slope effect? This sh*t isn't going to stop at just that dude.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/09/saddiq-long-no-fly-list
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/09/saddiq-long-no-fly-list
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Supreme Court rules out secret surveillance lawsuits
Why don't we just throw the Constitution out the friggin' window!? I mean, c'mon! The courts are supposed to be upholding the law, not shredding the founding principles our country was built on!
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-wiretaps-20130227,0,7654081.story?track=lat-pick
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-wiretaps-20130227,0,7654081.story?track=lat-pick
WA rep says tax bike sales, cyclists add to pollution
Uh, how do these people get voted into positions of influence is beyond me:
http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Wash-reps-email-drawing-ire-from-bike-community-194553321.html
http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Wash-reps-email-drawing-ire-from-bike-community-194553321.html
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Say goodbye to CDs?
For the last couple of weeks, I have been considering tossing my music CD collection. Every time, I am on the verge of dumping them into the trash, nostalgia and sentimentality holds me back. I start thinking, what if my digital collection dies and I need to restore from these hard-copies? What if I want to look at those booklets again? What if I still need these for reasons yet unforeseen? So with these questions in mind, I have kept the collection... thus far.
I am now seriously considering tossing them. Some of these CDs come with very fond memories, reaching as far back as my college years. I still listen to some of those songs, but not from my CDs. In fact, I have not touched my CDs in years. With the advent of iTunes, music-listening devices and my external backup drive, I have had little reason to "failover" to my CDs. Considering the fact that my CDs have been wasting away, with no immediate forecasts of using them anytime soon in the foreseeable future, why should I keep them? They're only taking up space.
The only advantage I can think of for having these is if I wanted to lend these out to a friend. With all the DRM and copyright restrictions on everything digital, borrowing things have become nigh impossible without incurring some rich media organization's litigious wrath. However, most of my friends and I don't listen to the same music. So the chances of lending out stuff is slim. In my mind, it's probably easier to just get rid of them. Most of the collection is so old, I'm not sure if they've degraded to the point where it's not readable anymore.
Anyways, this weekend, I will be going through my collection to see if there is any that I actually want to keep. The rest will either be pushed onto friends or thrown away. Maybe I should offer the entire collection up on FreeCycle. Either way, the space those things are taking up will be freed.
Other projects on the horizon include downloading user manuals and tossing any paper copies, and transferring recipes in books into my recipe application.
I am now seriously considering tossing them. Some of these CDs come with very fond memories, reaching as far back as my college years. I still listen to some of those songs, but not from my CDs. In fact, I have not touched my CDs in years. With the advent of iTunes, music-listening devices and my external backup drive, I have had little reason to "failover" to my CDs. Considering the fact that my CDs have been wasting away, with no immediate forecasts of using them anytime soon in the foreseeable future, why should I keep them? They're only taking up space.
The only advantage I can think of for having these is if I wanted to lend these out to a friend. With all the DRM and copyright restrictions on everything digital, borrowing things have become nigh impossible without incurring some rich media organization's litigious wrath. However, most of my friends and I don't listen to the same music. So the chances of lending out stuff is slim. In my mind, it's probably easier to just get rid of them. Most of the collection is so old, I'm not sure if they've degraded to the point where it's not readable anymore.
Anyways, this weekend, I will be going through my collection to see if there is any that I actually want to keep. The rest will either be pushed onto friends or thrown away. Maybe I should offer the entire collection up on FreeCycle. Either way, the space those things are taking up will be freed.
Other projects on the horizon include downloading user manuals and tossing any paper copies, and transferring recipes in books into my recipe application.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Gardening mistakes already made
I have a terrible record when it comes to gardening. I've killed many a plant in my time, but despite the many failures, I can't help but keep trying. There is just something nice about having something alive and growing and green in and around the home.
So what have I done wrong already? Well, here's the list:
1. The 3 tomato plants were started in cardboard egg carton cells. This is bad because the containers are tiny, not allowing the seedlings to grow deep roots and get strong. I think I'm going to try to transplant them into toilet paper rolls or newspaper pots and see if they survive that. The backup plan if my seedlings die is to buy a small brandywine tomato plants from the greenmarket (once they re-open)
2. Not enough light from the window to grow strong seedlings. Yes, some of my plants have sprouted, but they're still looking week and leggy. I'm hoping hubby will be willing to take me to the garden center this coming weekend so I can get some grow lights. I did read that you can construct your own out red and blue LED Christmas lights, but I'm not a handy person, so that may not be the best route for me.
3. Some seeds are too old. My lettuce and spinach seeds still haven't sprouted. They are very old and I don't think they'll be coming up anytime soon. I think I'll just have to toss the seeds and buy new ones. I don't think it's too late to start anew, but it's a bit disappointing nonetheless.
4. Some seedlings are drying out too fast. When I first planted the seeds, I covered them with a small glass jar. The tomato seedlings are now tall enough that soon the glass jar will be too small. However, if I uncover the seedlings, the soil tends to dry out too fast since the windowsill they're on is right above a heater. The heater was great for bottom germination, but terrible about keeping moisture. My seedlings aren't dead yet so maybe if I could find a big tray, fill the bottom with a layer of pebbles in some water and then put the seedlings on top, the seedlings won't dry out as fast. It would be nice if I had a nice big dome to cover the entire set of seedlings, but I don't have anything like that. I'm imagining a beautiful mini-greenhouse, like the stuff for big terrariums. Or maybe I'll just go to the garden center and get a big seed starting tray with a fitted dome. I'm all for makeshift stuff, but I'm finding the stuff I do have at home is just not cutting it in this case.
So despite mistakes having been made, the growing season hasn't really started in my zone yet, so there's still hope. Some of my plants have really suffered wintering indoors, but again, this is a learning experience since I've never tried a lot of this stuff before. I suppose I shouldn't feel too discouraged and should remember that despite any failures, I have had some successes. Last year, I did harvest enough basil to make a batch of pesto and we did have some fantastic tomatoes. I also successfully forced some tulip bulbs into blooming indoors in January and our one sedum leaf that we stuck into some soil has sprouted babies. All is not lost after all!
So what have I done wrong already? Well, here's the list:
1. The 3 tomato plants were started in cardboard egg carton cells. This is bad because the containers are tiny, not allowing the seedlings to grow deep roots and get strong. I think I'm going to try to transplant them into toilet paper rolls or newspaper pots and see if they survive that. The backup plan if my seedlings die is to buy a small brandywine tomato plants from the greenmarket (once they re-open)
2. Not enough light from the window to grow strong seedlings. Yes, some of my plants have sprouted, but they're still looking week and leggy. I'm hoping hubby will be willing to take me to the garden center this coming weekend so I can get some grow lights. I did read that you can construct your own out red and blue LED Christmas lights, but I'm not a handy person, so that may not be the best route for me.
3. Some seeds are too old. My lettuce and spinach seeds still haven't sprouted. They are very old and I don't think they'll be coming up anytime soon. I think I'll just have to toss the seeds and buy new ones. I don't think it's too late to start anew, but it's a bit disappointing nonetheless.
4. Some seedlings are drying out too fast. When I first planted the seeds, I covered them with a small glass jar. The tomato seedlings are now tall enough that soon the glass jar will be too small. However, if I uncover the seedlings, the soil tends to dry out too fast since the windowsill they're on is right above a heater. The heater was great for bottom germination, but terrible about keeping moisture. My seedlings aren't dead yet so maybe if I could find a big tray, fill the bottom with a layer of pebbles in some water and then put the seedlings on top, the seedlings won't dry out as fast. It would be nice if I had a nice big dome to cover the entire set of seedlings, but I don't have anything like that. I'm imagining a beautiful mini-greenhouse, like the stuff for big terrariums. Or maybe I'll just go to the garden center and get a big seed starting tray with a fitted dome. I'm all for makeshift stuff, but I'm finding the stuff I do have at home is just not cutting it in this case.
So despite mistakes having been made, the growing season hasn't really started in my zone yet, so there's still hope. Some of my plants have really suffered wintering indoors, but again, this is a learning experience since I've never tried a lot of this stuff before. I suppose I shouldn't feel too discouraged and should remember that despite any failures, I have had some successes. Last year, I did harvest enough basil to make a batch of pesto and we did have some fantastic tomatoes. I also successfully forced some tulip bulbs into blooming indoors in January and our one sedum leaf that we stuck into some soil has sprouted babies. All is not lost after all!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Movies
I recently came across this little opinion piece:
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9904278/Why-cant-men-just-be-men-any-more.html
The writer here laments how in today's world, actors who have invested heavily on getting their bodies into peak physical shape are more popular than men of the average body. He does acknowledge that what is happening to the male actor and in turn, the social pressures on men, is something that women have had to contend with for generations already. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to sympathize his lament because of the fact that instead of saying, we should celebrate the average person's looks in every age and gender, he is nostalgic for the days when average-looking Roger Moore can still get hot chicks younger than his daughter.
It's true that I find it disturbing that instead of having more average and healthy-looking women be the norm in Hollywood, they are re-making the image of men into something equally unattainable. On the other hand, Hollywood is all about the fantasy and the unattainable. It isn't exactly known for its faithful representation of facts and/or reality. The way I see it, I have less of a problem with movies featuring handsome, shirtless men with gorgeous, well-endowed women than I do with movies featuring old, paunchy men sucking face and pawing at a hot, nubile woman young enough to be his granddaughter. Honestly, Hollywood is still casting actors and actress like that and it grosses me out, despite the fact that we're supposed to just ignore the obvious age disparity and pretend that the 20 year old woman is really supposed to be a 35 year old mom and that 50 year old dude is really supposed be a 40 year old who is not single because there is something wrong with him, but because he just hasn't found the right woman yet. Blech!
So to the author of that article linked above, I have to say that although I understand that you don't want our boys to chase after an unattainable goal for themselves, I do not like how you seem to have no problems with the fact that women have been faced with this to the point where we have terrible illnesses like bulimia and anorexia. When you ended the article saying you'd still watch Roger Moore if he were still around, lamenting how Daniel Craig have sort of ruined the fun of Bond movies for an old man like you, I feel no sympathy. Obviously you'd like watching the average old, balding man with a belly get a hot girl because you can then go home and feel good about yourself, rather than go home, look in the mirror and feel dejected. How do you think thousands of women feel? Instead of saying you want the old Bond movies back, how about you saying you'd like to see more movies of old, not-so-pretty women, getting a young, hot-blooded dude, and more movies of average-looking men like Roger Moore getting paired up with women who look his age and are just as average-looking in body size and weight.
So yes, Hollywood is finally getting around to cashing in on the idea that hot dudes bring female audiences to the theaters, and they are being well-rewarded for their efforts. Considering how long men have had eye-candy to stare at, I say if we can't improve things so that both men and women can celebrate the average body and face, then I'll settle for gender parity where women can get their eye candy too. Maybe this way, men will finally get the idea that being objectified and constantly looked at takes its toll on a person. Maybe this way, some men will learn to show a little friggin' compassion towards women's struggle against body image issues. In the author of the above article's case, there is apparently no hope he'll ever "get it."
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9904278/Why-cant-men-just-be-men-any-more.html
The writer here laments how in today's world, actors who have invested heavily on getting their bodies into peak physical shape are more popular than men of the average body. He does acknowledge that what is happening to the male actor and in turn, the social pressures on men, is something that women have had to contend with for generations already. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to sympathize his lament because of the fact that instead of saying, we should celebrate the average person's looks in every age and gender, he is nostalgic for the days when average-looking Roger Moore can still get hot chicks younger than his daughter.
It's true that I find it disturbing that instead of having more average and healthy-looking women be the norm in Hollywood, they are re-making the image of men into something equally unattainable. On the other hand, Hollywood is all about the fantasy and the unattainable. It isn't exactly known for its faithful representation of facts and/or reality. The way I see it, I have less of a problem with movies featuring handsome, shirtless men with gorgeous, well-endowed women than I do with movies featuring old, paunchy men sucking face and pawing at a hot, nubile woman young enough to be his granddaughter. Honestly, Hollywood is still casting actors and actress like that and it grosses me out, despite the fact that we're supposed to just ignore the obvious age disparity and pretend that the 20 year old woman is really supposed to be a 35 year old mom and that 50 year old dude is really supposed be a 40 year old who is not single because there is something wrong with him, but because he just hasn't found the right woman yet. Blech!
So to the author of that article linked above, I have to say that although I understand that you don't want our boys to chase after an unattainable goal for themselves, I do not like how you seem to have no problems with the fact that women have been faced with this to the point where we have terrible illnesses like bulimia and anorexia. When you ended the article saying you'd still watch Roger Moore if he were still around, lamenting how Daniel Craig have sort of ruined the fun of Bond movies for an old man like you, I feel no sympathy. Obviously you'd like watching the average old, balding man with a belly get a hot girl because you can then go home and feel good about yourself, rather than go home, look in the mirror and feel dejected. How do you think thousands of women feel? Instead of saying you want the old Bond movies back, how about you saying you'd like to see more movies of old, not-so-pretty women, getting a young, hot-blooded dude, and more movies of average-looking men like Roger Moore getting paired up with women who look his age and are just as average-looking in body size and weight.
So yes, Hollywood is finally getting around to cashing in on the idea that hot dudes bring female audiences to the theaters, and they are being well-rewarded for their efforts. Considering how long men have had eye-candy to stare at, I say if we can't improve things so that both men and women can celebrate the average body and face, then I'll settle for gender parity where women can get their eye candy too. Maybe this way, men will finally get the idea that being objectified and constantly looked at takes its toll on a person. Maybe this way, some men will learn to show a little friggin' compassion towards women's struggle against body image issues. In the author of the above article's case, there is apparently no hope he'll ever "get it."
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