Sowing the Seeds

It is time to begin sowing our garden seeds indoors in the greenhouse, so today we picked up several varieties. The tomatoes are from Territorial Seed Company. They are untreated, heirloom, organically produced seeds.

Territorial celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Located in Cottage Grove, Oregon, it was purchased in 1985 by Tom and Julie Johns. Noticing the alarming trend of disappearing diversity and quality in the seed market caused by large conglomerate consolidation, they set out to invest in land and equipment that would allow them to grow commercial quality home garden seeds that consumers were then unable to obtain. They have been offering these quality seeds to customers ever since, and this makes them an independent seed company that consumers can trust. (Territorial Seed Company history, Territorial Seed Company Spring 2009 Catalog.)

When selecting seeds, it is very important to look for the following:

1. Open pollinated (this means non-hybrid). You may see it as OP on seed packets. This means that the plant is pollinated by natural means, such as by wind, bees, and other insects. It also means that my seed packet says "Indeterminate Habit." This just means that because of the uncontrolled pollination of the plant, the seed company does not know from whence the male pollen is derived and that the traits of the mature plant may vary (widely) from 'norm' expectations. To me, this means I have seeds that are heirloom quality. For more information, take a look at Nature's Seeds.com.


2. Heirloom. This means that you can save the seeds from the bounty of your harvest and they will grow into new, healthy plants if you plant them. Many people are not even aware that seeds which are not heirloom do not produce seeds that may be saved and planted to provide a reliable new generation of crops. Avoid F1 (hybrid) and GMO (genetic modification) at all costs, especially if you wish to save seeds from your crop(s) to plant later. These are said to add heartiness and desirable traits to plants, but what it really means is Frankenfood for which each gardener is dependent on the seed company EACH year. For more information on this topic, visit Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.


3. Non-GMO (as discussed above).


4. Untreated. Often, seeds are treated with fungicides, insecticides, and/or other chemical substances to protect them from damage, insects, and blight. This is supposed to be a positive selling point, but to those of us who care about what we put into our bodies, it means more unnecessary chemicals. If my seed is coated in chemicals before it ever even goes into the ground, how am I going to grow chemical free plants and crops? I cannot.


5. Organic. Remember in High School biology class, when we all learned the definition of organic (basically, ..."of or pertaining to living organisms")? Now, the term "Organic" has emerged on the food circuit to mean..."pertaining to, involving, or grown with fertilizers or pesticides of animal or vegetable origin, as distinguished from manufactured chemicals: organic farming; organic fruits." (Definition extracted from Dictionary.com.) According to Organic.org, it means...grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. When discussing seeds, it means that the plants from which the seeds were harvested were grown using organic farming principles.

More than you wanted to know? Well, take this away with you: Request your tomatoes HEIRLOOM; hold the pesticides, sewage sludge and any form of radiation.

Crescent Roll Moon

"Look, mommy! Tonight there is a crescent roll moon in the sky!"

Amilia is IN LOVE with croissants [kwaso]. Flaky, buttery, light, peelable, what's not to like?

However, we keep having a conversation about their French origin and pronunciation in contrast to Mr. Pillsbury Doughboy and his crescent rolls. Not as buttery, not flaky, only mildly peelable, and quite frankly, filled with a bunch of undesirable ingredients. I cannot relate to you WHAT those ingredients are because there are NO Pillsbury products located in my home, and Pillsbury.com is strangely mum on the subject.

Suffice it to say that a true croissant includes simple, fresh ingredients such as yeast, UNBLEACHED flour, brown sugar (organic), salt (unprocessed sea salt), milk (organic whole milk), unsalted butter (organic), and egg (local farm fresh). When you choose to make an item at home yourself, you can erase undesirable ingredients and preservatives from your life, your diet, and your home.

I have, and do, purchase quality croissants from trusted bakeries, but only if they adhere to the same ingredient quality and quantity I would use at home in my own kitchen. I ALWAYS READ EVERY INGREDIENT ON EVERY ITEM I PURCHASE, and we all should make this a habit!

"Well, I don't care where they come from or how you say that kwassan word, I am going to call them crescent rolls!"

So, we agree that she can CALL them crescent rolls if she likes, and she can continue to think Mr. Pillsbury Doughboy is cute if she likes, as long as she understands that we do not eat those items pre-packed from that company, and there is a difference between a crescent roll and a croissant of quality. (Sorry Mr. Croissant Ofquality to even place you in the same sentence with Mr. Doughboy!)

And, in the end, we agreed that there is a crescent roll moon illuminating the sky of this night.

Circus Sideshow?

Well, I have decided that I might be able to obtain a position as a circus sideshow if nothing else becomes available. It seems, in my family, when one of us goes to the doctor with an ailment, it is seldom ever a runofthemill "oh, you have [insert runofthemill ailment here]." Instead, we hear "oh, you have something weird that I have never seen before" from Dr. Soandso.

This all seems to stem from my mother's side of the family. This apparent anomaly in our unique collection of cells got me to thinking today about how many strange ailments or non-medical occurrences we have encountered over the years, and I thought I might share some of the reasons my mother and I have called in sick or late to work (or had to leave early) at one time or another. Keep in mind that these were REAL reasons to call in; even though I had a manager who did not believe me on one of these, they all really occurred.

1. Tore my meniscus when stepping off the curb at the library (me)

2. Ants are eating my nylons right now as I am trying to put them on, SO I will have to stop off for a new pair on my way into work (me)

3. I got a paper cut on my eyeball and spent the night in the Emergency Room (me)
4. The antibiotic I took this morning is causing an anaphylactic reaction, and I think I might pass out (so I must leave work now and go immediately to the Dr.) (me)

5. Bone chip loose in my ankle and it has caused damage to surrounding tissue

6. The high school marching band is practicing on the street and blocking my driveway right now, so I will have to wait to pull out until they have moved

7. I have hooked the bumper of my vehicle onto the bumper of the power company vehicle parked in front of my house, and will not be in until I get myself unhooked.

8. (added Feb. 2010): I have spontaneously broken my foot in TWO places by stepping out the front door over the threshold. I will call after my visit to the orthopedist and let you know when I might be allowed to return to work...

If we were talking about things not connected to work,

I'm sure I would have been able to create a Top 10.

What strange or odd reasons have you had to call in sick or late to work?

Community Supported Agriculture

Well, spring is on its way (really, it is!) and it is time to begin planning for the growing season. I have begun to consult my resources here at home to begin planning the placement of my herbs and vegetables this year. One of my favorite books is How To Grow More Vegetables (than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine) by John Jeavons. I have the hardback 1995 edition, and I do not find any current printings, but there are plenty of used copies for sale.

This handy dandy book discusses soil preparation, bed digging, sustainability, compost, fertilization, seed propagation, garden planning, companion planting, and how to maintain a balanced garden ecosystem. We will be roughly following the 4-Person Family Food Garden plan that discusses a 6-month growing season on 1,302 square feet. We already have some fruit trees in our yard, so we will omit the 7 bare root fruit trees from the plan.

We already have our cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower in the beds, so next will be brussels sprouts (if we choose to plant these), lettuce, celery, and parsley. These are to be planted in flats 6 weeks BEFORE the last frost of spring, so they are on the agenda right away.

This brings me to the real focus of this post, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). If you are not familiar with this term, it is when individuals in a community support local growers on a local level. If you do not have a garden, and have no interest or ability to grow your own food, it would be great if you would choose to support your local growers by pledging to support a particular farm if any in your area participate.

Basically, you find a farm that offers food for direct purchase to you, the consumer. You pay them weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and you receive a supply of food from that farm. This could be eggs, produce, fruits, milk, meats, or whatever that farm produces. Some farms require that you pay seasonally all at once, but my experience has been with those who charge a monthly fee. To find CSA participating farms, you can check at Local Harvest.org. If you have a food co-op, join! And ask there about any CSAs in you area.

Other great sites to visit are:
100 Mile Diet: Local Eating for Global Change
PBS Article about "Becoming a Locavore" (I don't personally like the term 'Locavore'...but I should have been quicker on the uptake when we were coining a title...)
Eat Local Challenge
Locavores

This spring, summer, and fall, take the EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE.

Now, even more than last year, small businesses and employees of small businesses will depend on community members for their livelihood, and this includes small and medium sized farms.

Eat healthy. Eat well. Eat Local.

The good things in life...

My handsome and wonderfully talented teen. He used to play GI Joes with his best friend, Matt, and they would scamper back and forth across the street from Matt's house to our house and back again. Loved Legos, smoothies at the neighborhood coffee shop, roller blading and bicycling. We had a lemon tree in our yard, and Nature Boy was outgoing and industrious enough to make money selling them at the coffee shop. He would merchandise them in shiny foil boxes, wrapped in raffia or satin cord, and sell 3 lemons in a box for about $6.00. He and Matt also ran a lemonade stand and sold fresh squeezed juice in the front yard to the neighborhood passersby. He is an artist, and is currently studying animation. These days he is still my sweet boy, despite being a teenager and the front man in his punk band (never would have thought those words would come from me in that order, as I never cared for punk music)!

The beautiful Little Miss, Amilia. Loves animals of any kind, and loves to look at animal toys on the internet. She has recently learned how to navigate some of her favorite sites on her own, and watch out! She is SO into the Dog Whisperer and It's Me or The Dog. Afraid of monsters and the dark. She is also a talented young artist, story teller, and budding musician. My talented and selfless spouse. Best friends since the day we met, and always happy to be together, we are so blessed to have found each other. He feeds us when we are hungry, tells us stories when we are bored, draws us pictures when we want cheering up, sings to us, plays guitar, makes us laugh, stokes the fire when we are cold, and all with smiling eyes.

Whatever might happen in our daily existence, the important things are right here at home. Blessings often come in the form of family and love. Let us always remember these good things in life...

Dear Economy,

Please get on your trampoline and work it out! You have been very lazy and gluttonous of late, and you have become flabby and saggy as a result. You have been whoopin' it up at the expense of others, and it is time you pull your own weight.

Because of you, I am posting to my blog in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, as I have no job. Because of you, thousands more are losing their jobs daily. Because of you, beautiful little (and big) houses are sitting empty because their owners could no longer pay for them and there will be no new owners in the near future because nobody else has the money either. Because of you, businesses and individuals are filing bankruptcy and being scammed by debt relief agencies.

Because of you, children are going without clothing, food, shoes, or toys. As a direct result of your indulgence in recent years, your Economy friends like Iceland are crumbling as well. Because of you, commercial buildings on Main Street USA are empty, for sale, and for lease.

I have done my part. I have reduced, reused, and recycled. I have upcycled packaging and clothing and accessories. I have learned to knit. I have grown my own vegetables and fruits. I have put up frozen foods and dried foods for a "rainy day." I have sewn toys for my child and others. I have mended hats and gloves and socks. I have diligently worked for my employer every day, and hadn't even used one sick day in six months.

And yet, even I have fallen casualty to your greed. Many of us who have loyally toiled and turned aside from needless excess are still being ground under your enormous weight. Get yourself up. Stop leaning on the little people. Work your muscles and become strong again before more have to suffer. Our children deserve better.

Sincerely,

Sinclair

Bumps and Bruises

It has been a rough couple of days! How many have ever heard of chilblain(s)? No, I hadn't either...until three of my toes came down with this odd affliction late last week. If you don't know what that is, you can find it on Wikipedia. Now, let me say, my case was not even close to as bad as the one in the photo on Wikipedia, but was slightly red all the same.

Chilblains are somewhat akin to frostbite, but occur when you have not been frozen. In my case, thanks to working at home, sitting very near a cold sliding glass window, and remaining sedentary at my desk during working hours every day, I have had some poor circulation to my feet as of late. Add to this that I have not been engaging in routine vigorous exercise, and you get CHILBLAINS! OUCH!

So, I decided I needed to go back to my fun exercise trampoline workouts (okay, I never really had workouts before, but one can embellish in one's own mind), but I no longer had an exercise trampoline (I did really have one last, but it didn't fit in the moving van). I painfully donned my warmest shoes, piled the family in the car, and drove to town on Friday evening to pick up one of those trampolinies. Remember when you were a child and your mom had one, or your friend's mom had one, and you just jumped on it for fun, and thought it could not POSSIBLY be adding any actual health value to the user? Me too. But it turns out that trampolining (I just made that verb up) is one of the absolute best exercises you can do for your body.

At the store, the exercise trampolines were in a box on a shelf below some assembled elliptical machines. I wondered how the structural integrity could possibly be preserved when the thing comes in pieces that could come apart with jumping, but okay. I looked at two different brands and sizes, and upon choosing one, returned the other to its spot UNDER the elliptical machine. As I rose up to standing once again, my head connected REALLY HARD with the handle of the ellptical machine that was sticking out in the aisle. I had not noticed it in the aisle before I bent down. Loud head banging on steel noise - - OUCH!

I suffered an instant goose egg on the top of my head that brought tears to my eyes, and limped off, rubbing my head, to tell a store employee that they might want to fix the problem before they brained somebody else with their ohsohandilymerchandised contraption of death. Mr. Nature dutifully looked concerned and carried my trampoline to the checkout counter.

I am not looking to win a million dollars in a frivolous lawsuit, so I bought the thing and left the store without filling out an accident report. Headache in hand, I drove home with visions of trampolining dancing in my head. HOWEVER, let me say if you are considering such a purchase, DO NOT BUY THE 36" or 38" MINI TRAMPOLINE IN A BOX. The instructions state it takes THREE adults IN GOOD CONDITION with appropriate work shoes on to assemble this baby. I think you need some sort of robot crane and superhuman Incredible Hulk strength to assemble this baby!

Back in the box it went. Ice pack on head, triple wrapped feet elevated, Ibuprofen on board, I sulked for the remainder of the evening. Saturday, we returned the impossible pieceofjunk trampoline to the store of death, and went to BIG 5. They had the 40" mini trampoline, ON SALE for $20.00 off, and it is a solid frame jobber that requires no assembly other than attaching the legs.

Since my head was feeling better, I was ready to bounce myself to health as soon as we got it home. Two days later, many minutes of bouncing have occurred, and my feet are back to normal. My head is healing nicely as well.

I shall no longer take my circulatory system for granted!

Uncertainty...

Takes my mind off the fact that my final paycheck has been deposited, and as of today, I have no job. Sure, I have sent out resumes, met with agencies, taken tests, been through screenings, and spoken with the unemployment department.

With the state's budget crises, not sure if I will be receiving unemployment or not. So far, no interviews or solid appearance of an offer of employment. Received one letter of "we have moved forward with other candidates that more closely match our requirements." Over qualified, experience in wrong industry, experience in right industry, but not right experience, too well-rounded, too broad a range of skills...

Since when does a person with a Doctoral degree have trouble finding employment?

Apparently, since Asante laid off 26 workers, Harry and David laid off 100 workers, Circuit City closed 550 stores, several factories closed, and there are only more to come...

A BlogLift

Yay! I have followed a tutorial on blogger to add a third column to my blog. What do you think? My preference would be to have a wider center column and slightly smaller sides...perhaps without borders. But my eyes are crossing from sitting in front of the computer all day to work, and then poring through all that HTML to update my layout. PHEW!

So, I was reading a fun blog earlier that posted a Summer photo and a Winter photo of the same space. I thought, I think I have a couple that might be similar from different seasons, so:

A view from the front of the house in Summer:

And a similar view from a little closer against the house, and skewed a little further left, in Winter:

Isn't it amazing how the seasons alter our environment? I love aspects of each season in turn, and am thoroughly excited for Spring to arrive and bring the sprouting of my tulips that hide in the soil of those half wine barrels there in the foreground.

Happy Blog Surfing to you!

A Quickie

I was very ready earlier to post about a topic that SO ANGERS ME, but now it is late and due to my earlier indignance (but I was not home so could not blog at that time), I lack the energy to really do it justice.

So...

I leave you with my newest creation, just in time for Valentine's day. Since my token quilled card in the Etsy shop has moved on to sunny climes, I replaced it with a new quilled wonder:

You can claim it here, if it takes your fancy. Go ahead! I can always make more...

A Break from Treasuries Gone Wild

Okay, now those of you who are not addicted to Etsy will be wanting to read something else right about now, so let me tell you that Mr. Nature (my personal chef and spouse) and I had an enlightening conversation yesterday from which it was determined that I am really not interested in Esoteric Knowledge these days, but am much more captivated by Practical Knowledge.

You need your crib assembled? That's me! Don't know how to put snow chains on your car? Me. Want to learn to cast a fly rod? Me. Balance the checkbook? Me. Organize your closet/garage/shop/greenhouse? Me. Plant vegetables in the garden? Me. Animal husbandry? Me. Knit a scarf? Me. Book binding? Me. Trim the dog's nails? Me. Hook up the computer modem and new desktop? Me.

What is a Gnostic? Mr. Nature. Read this (actually pretty interesting) article about Semantic Knowledge and Practical Knowledge? Mr. Nature. Study Genealogy? Mr. Nature. Historic significance of the Roman Empire and its collapse? Mr. Nature. though I must confess that this is more interesting to me in light of current events than it has ever been before... Art History? Mr. Nature. Mythology? Mr. Nature. Comparative Religion? Mr. Nature. Cosmology? Mr. Nature. Philosophy? Mr. Nature. (and me, a little on that one)...

Where do the lines blur? He is a foodie and is the only one in the house who ever does any cooking, except on holidays when I help, or when I make one of my special occasion specialties like French Onion Soup. He chops the wood and keeps the fire going in the grate. He does all those woderful thoughtful practical things to make our (Amilia and myself) world easier and more pleasant.

I used to love knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but I find that my patience is not what it once was for sitting still. I would rather be DOING something with my hands, creating something for others, and learning HOW to do something much more than I enjoy *yawn* reading about the blah blah history of blah blah...

We learn something new every day (with any luck!)...

Freedom to Choose

Freedom to Choose the safe products we wish to purchase for our children.

With any luck, the CPSIA will be amended before February 10 when some of these sellers are planning to go out of business. If not amended, and these in fact do go out of business, our freedom to choose will have been curtailed by our government. Yeah, yeah, in the name of safety. But these items ARE safe. That is why I choose them!

If you would like to purchase or look more closely at any of these items, they are on Etsy. For the next two days, they can be reached by following this link. Visit and support these wonderful shops.

Now, how about how I have finally begun doing some needle felting? Tonight I gave my dog a bath, and there was so much hair! I took some and felted a little black ball that I actually plan to use in an upcoming project. Never heard of dog hair felting or knitting? I am not the first, trust me. Look here. And here at the little bear of wool and Golden Retriever. Or, maybe you want a dog hair handbag?

Well, you never know when you might need a gift for that someone who has it all!

Happy felting!

CPSIA Sadness and Endangered Species

If the CPSIA (Child Product Safety Improvement Act) of 2008 is not amended SOON,

THESE BEAUTIFUL ITEMS WILL BECOME EXTINCT!

Many of the shops featuring these items are going out of business as a direct result of the burdens of this new law.

I love handmade and private label. I want to have the choice to purchase from INDIVIDUALS that I trust, rather than from large corporate conglomerates that churn out conveyer belts full of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of crap items that are all alike and driven by mass demand. I am not "the masses" and almost never in my life have my choices, tastes, or purchases been in line with that of "the masses."

Don't get me wrong, I went through a Swatch watch phase, and a Reebok phase, and even a Jordache phase. But I was too young to think for myself, and those were so rad, dude!

Now, I make choices according to aesthetics, safety, ecology, and simplicity. I have a right under my Constitution to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (among others). Fine and dandy that our ever more Socialist government wants to keep us safe, but I would rather they stay out of choosing my toothbrush, my socks, my hair comb, or the toys and clothes for my children.

Call your Congressman, write your Representatives, inundate the Governor's office with your calls, email, and mail. Make your voice heard. LOUDLY. NOW.

...are you still here? you should be on the phone or sending email about this important issue - - - HURRY!

more Baby Come Back...

I don't give a whit what the Critic's Choice Awards say...the VERY BEST MOVIE of 2008 is:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!

I sat, absolutely enthralled, for the entire three hours. Now it has to be a REALLY good movie to command the screen and the viewers' attention for a full three hours. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I felt wistful...

What more could one want in a movie?

(though this movie was base on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, I originally thought it was based on a book called The Confessions of Max Tivoli. I have an author-signed copy of which I am very fond. A wonderful book...pick it up if you get a chance)

Now, Amilia is singing ..."some hacker stole my identity, now I'm...somp'n somp'n...somp'n and icted tea...shoulda gone to Free Credit.com..."



Perhaps she watches too much television, but her usual channels are only Animal Planet, Discovery, National Geographic, and Public television. Those are very educational! Word Girl is great, I would even say.



Do you remember the Baby Come Back post? Well, we have made several new Baby Come Backs lately, and Amilia loves to point them out...

Our new coffee pot, and now the sad old one is still staring at us from the bottom cupboard...



Her new battery operated toothbrush, and the sad old manual brush is still staring at us from the medicine cabinet...

Her new pink snow boots, and, yes, her old black boots are still staring at us from the mud room...

...shiny new coffee pot

Is your brain still laughing?

Treasury Giddy

Colors of January

Etsy Treasury

For those of you who do not spend time buying or selling on Etsy, you may not know what a big deal it is to actually get to create a Treasury that makes it past being simply a Poster Sketch. Tonight, I got to post my VERY FIRST EVER Treasury. This is a compilation of items I found to be very visually appealing, and that had something to do with January.

When I decided to do Colors of January, and did a search for January on Etsy, I really expected to find whites, greys, light blues, and other cold winter colors. However, January is the month of the Garnet, so I found much more color than I anticipated. I find the result to be very pleasant indeed.

The four on the right that are somewhat more dim are the alternates, and don't show to the public in the main Treasury on Etsy. Here is the information about the sellers featured:

1. Top left corner sweet little bird print is by Ola design, and can be found in her wonderful shop.
2. Next to the left is Kathmandu Scarf of handspun yarn by lazycat and can be found in this shop.
3. Then, a sprightly Lavender Eye Pillow by bananasaurousrex that can be found in this shop.
4. Next row down, beginning left is an absolutely marvelous Red Dragon-January Dragon bookmark by Seasonsway that can be found in this shop.
5. Next is the gorgeous January-Garnet Clay Covered Egg 1 by prettystringy and can be found here...
6. Then, Sea and Earth Wire Sculpted Pearls and Garnets necklace by twitstedjules.
7. Move another row down to Charming Botanicals January Carnations Table Runner Pattern by reezehanson of Morning Glory Quilt Designs.
8. Next to that is Belle Rose, a stunning scarf that will be available again beginning January 10; it is by harlequinfeltworks and can be found in this shop.
9. Third in row three is a Garnet and Gold Gemstone Tree-January created by byapryl and can be found here.
10. Row four begins with January's Fresh Start. This is a whimsical and spirit-lifting print from an ongoing series by sarahjanestudios and can be found here.
11. Second in the row is a striking pair of earrings called Passion-Red Garnet by laughingdogstudio that can be found in this Etsy shop.
12. Last of the main twelve is a cute little ACEO by missavocado. This particular piece sold today (after my treasury posted?), but she has some other great works for you to purchase in her shop.

The Alternates in Column 4:

1. At the top: A wonderful set of hair sticks entitled January by TheFarGrove.
2. Next down: A bold and colorful "Groovy Waterbearer Wristlet" called Aquarious by WolfBait.
3. Third: January, a limited edition miniature artist's book by Alicia Bailey at abecedarian.
4. Bottom right corner: Velvet Tapestry Sterling Silver Pendant by revelate.

(The alternates are only alternates because I only had 12 active slots to fill...I loved all 16 items, and the way they fit together on my Poster Sketch)

PHEW! Making the sketch, waiting to pounce to even be able to post the Treasury, then blogging, placing ALL these links, and notifying every seller that they have been featured is exhausting. But it has been a fun evening, and I am pleased with the result.

Happy Browsing!

The Sky IS Falling

Today, I am angry, and not sure that makes for good blogging. Or, maybe it does. I am angry because instead of giving me a two-week severance pay, my employer graciously is allowing me to work for two more weeks to receive my last pay, so that I am not free during work days to go looking for a new situation until AFTER I am bumped out in the cold.

And that I received a raise at the beginning of December from our November review period. And the email that circulated in mid-December that said, while the economy is rough and we have to "make some fiscally responsible decisions" ..."we will still be able to have our annual holiday party and to give all bonuses, although they will be reduced from previous years."

Which part of that should have prepared me to pack my bags? Did I miss it between the glowing review, the raise, and the bonus? Is it like the movie theatre and I was being sent subliminal messages?

What other reason am I angry? Because a new phase of a new law is going into effect on FEBRUARY 9, called the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008) that will eradicate all the products for children under 12 that I have chosen to purchase and support.

Here is an excerpt from the "about" page:
In August 2008, President Bush signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which requires manufacturers of domestic and imported children’s products, including books and other printed products, to test and certify their products to ensure they meet specific lead and phthalate (e.g., plasticizers that could be found in inks, coatings, and adhesives) content limits established by the CPSIA.

The third date of February 10, 2009 does affect children’s products made from paper, as it will limit the total lead content in children’s products to no more than 600 parts-per-million (ppm) and prohibit the manufacture and sale of children’s toys containing more than 0.1% of certain phthalates. It also requires manufacturers of children’s products to test and certify their products. The lead content limit will lower to 300 ppm beginning August 14, 2009. The CPSIA defines a “children’s product” as a “consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.” The legislation, therefore, has the potential to affect a broad range of children’s printed good products, such as books, menus, certain toys packaging, etc.

What does this mean? This means that the work from home handcrafters of items for children will no longer be able to sell their items AND I WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO MAKE MY OWN CHOICES ABOUT PRODUCTS FOR MY CHILD because there will be no venue in which I might purchase any of the items I have grown to love from sellers on ETSY and other places like it.

These small sellers will not be able to afford the testing, and thus, will be unable to complay with the law, and with fines up to $100,000 for violations, they will simply cease to exist. These are the products that do not even contain harmful chemicals or lead, which is why I did my research and chose to purchase them in the first place. Now, I will have to buy from mass production imports or make everything myself.

I will no longer be able to make those thrilling thrift store finds of anything for children because thrift stores will not be able to resell any items that do not have the testing labels and certifications. How many people keep tags intact before they donate to charity? On February 9, all items IN ALL STORES EVERYWHERE IN THE U.S. that do not comply must be discarded, and cannot be sold. I realize that most (okay, many) stores/sellers may not even know about the law, and of cours all will not comply, and the enforcement [committee?] cannot possibly find and punish all, but I think it will be far-reaching enough to hurt.

See the article excerpt from Change.org:
The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade children's products will no longer be legal in the US.

The writers of this law certainly did not anticipate that they would wreck the sales of Suzy so-and-so and her cute clippy hair bows, or Hank and his hand carved wood puzzle, or that they would prevent people who rely on thrift stores to clothe their children from being able to purchase needed clothing and supplies.

The law will most definitely be revised, AND REVISED, AND REVISED again, but how soon? How many will be hurt along the way?

Search CPSIA and Handmade Alliance to find out what you might be able to do to save your ability to make your own choices for your own family.
Look here, here, here, and here to find out how it is not just about toys, but ALL PRODUCTS OF ANY TYPE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 12.

Go to Change.org and vote to Save Handmade Toys form the CPSIA.

The End.

Follow My Blog

Also, I just placed a follow my blog gadget in the sidebar called "I read Nature With Me." Click "Follow this blog" to sign up to follow!

Resting

Since the twelfth day of Christmas is tomorrow, and our tree is not only dead, but becoming a fire hazard, we dethroned it from our living room and packed all Christmas items safely away until next year. I really wanted to be more ecologically friendly about it by having a living tree again this year, but I also want to support the livelihood of those who grow trees specifically for Christmas trees. So our tree was a small, 4 foot Noble fir this year. Goodbye tree, goodbye Christmas, goodbye holly jolly holidays.

I took a break from job hunting today (mostly) and only sent out one resumé. Stayed up awfully late last night, so we slept in until 11:00 A.M.! Kind of makes one feel like a teenager again...

And I made some more items for my January Challenge on Etsy. I have photos of one of them:

These are fun mini notebooks/sketchbooks, and I like to carry one in my wallet or purse to jot down thoughts, lists, or to remind me of whatever it is I need to remember. The newest set is from an upcycled greeting card, and these are perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day.

Happy Sleeping.

Even if your fingers are tired

from typing a GAGILLION (Gajillion?) applications, cover letters, or inquiry emails, you just have to keep going. That is what I did this morning when I awoke at 6:30 after a fitful sleep when I could not recapture the REM state of unconsciousness. In fact, I don't think I really made it to REM at all.

Sleep

you walked so happily with me

in younger days

Sleep

I thought you would never

be a stranger to me

Yet

you have forsaken me

and left me alone with

Awake

I know, huh? Yup, I wrote that little gem this morning as I crawled out of my warm cocoon into the 29 degree morning with only embers in the woodstove. I then scampered (in truth, I don't think I have scampered anywhere since I was twentysomething, but one can embellish in one's own blog) to my computer and trolled for employment listings. I pushed six resumés out into the Universe before it was time to run Saturday Family Errands.

Tonight has been about making lit-tle ti-ny notebooks. I will post photos tomorrow.

Downsizing in the New Year

Well, Happy New Year, and then, here's your pink slip. I am not an educator, and it was not really pink, but it was a slip, and it did say 'thanks for your service, but move along' or something like that. (Do only teachers get pink slips? Are they really pink?)

So, day 2 of 2009, and I join the ranks of the thousands (hundreds of thousands? millions?) of unemployed who are seeking to be employed. It has been a fun ride, and I have been thankful every day that I have been able to keep the job I had before I moved and do it from home. I have worked hard and diligently, and never took for granted that I was unseen by my employer. I have a strong work ethic, and a strong sense of integrity, so I worked all the hours I was supposed to work, and kept myself focused.

In the end, that was not enough. The economy, the economy, THE ECONOMY, THE HUMANITY! Give me the paddle cuz I'm in the boat. Rowing, rowing...

Good news: the boss is going to put in some calls and will write a letter of recommendation-yay!

I hope it strongly recommends an upturn in the economy so somebody will knock others down to get to me and my stellar skills.

That, and I kept myself busy this evening by keeping up with my Hoarders Unite Etsy Team January challenge to use my supplies to CREATE something already. I also made one item last night. They look like this:

Wish me luck and send the JOB FAIRY!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I wish you all a wonderful and prosperous 2009.
Santa brought many goodies to our humble abode, and we had a quiet and happy holiday. He brought the WHOLE "acre wood" set from Playmobil as requested on THE LIST.

I was graced with a copy of Vogue Knitting---yay! Mr. Nature got the movie Once, and a Jeff Buckley CD. There was also a Dagoba chocolate bar-scarf/hat/mittens-and a light dusting of snow in the morning to round out the ejnoyment of the day.

For our Christmas repast, I made my most tasty French Onion soup with crusty baguette and Gruyere cheese.

We rang in the new year responsibly at the small party of our neighbors. We had a good time, and Amilia was livin' it up playing flashlight tag outdoors until all hours with the other children.

I am still working on the list of resolutions. I have never officially made resolutions at the new year before, so it is all new to me!

One of them is to create more, so in that spirit, I made one of my coptic stitched notebooks today.

A safe and happy New Year to you.