With these:
Am I up to the task?
High School Drama 101 = some mime training. Mr. Nature and I somehow (while discussing how disturbing are clowns) stumbled onto the subject of mimes today, and the fact that we both know how to escape from an imaginary box, thanks to High School Drama. However, of the two of us, only I know how to pull an imaginary rope. Two points for the girls' side!
Also, out of my memory files popped the long forgotten factoid that I went as a mime for Halloween one year. My mom was very handy with the face paint, so I got to be the kind with a black star and teardrop on one eye. These days, that would make me a gang member who has passed the test by killing someone, right? What a difference a couple of decades makes! I will have to see if I can dig up a photo.
So, I thought I would share the definition of mime today, but I was surprised when my initial search turned up more than imaginary boxes or ropes. From YourDictionary.com, I found the definition I had expected to find:
mime (mīm)
noun
There are many predefined MIME types, such as GIF graphics files and PostScript files. It is also possible to define your own MIME types.
In addition to e-mail applications, Web browsers also support various MIME types. This enables the browswer to display or output files that are not in HTML format.
MIME was defined in 1992 by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). A new version, called S/MIME, supports encrypted messages.
Notice how both definitions are written in the English language, but one is understandable and one appears to be in another language? (How ironic if I said definition #2 was Greek to me!) Sheesh! Maybe I can help: Many MIME types (you know, like young/old/male/female/mentally balanced/mentally unbalanced/homeless/hobo). GIF graphics files (those things you send as presents in forward emails). PostScript files (those afterthoughts you tack on at the end with x's and o's and hearts...but where are the PostScriptScript ones?). HTML (I think this is text speak for How That Makes me Laugh, but then it should be HTMML.) What? I am all wrong? Well, I am getting my ASCII out of here before I do any more damage then.
Since I do not currently possess a mime photo of any kind, I used a photo from:
http://www.classesandcareers.com/education/wp-content/uploads/image/Mime.jpg.I will change that if/when I am able to obtain my own mime photo. Now, maybe we have all learned something today. No, I cannot yet upload a tutorial on this subject, but YouTube can help you out with that, if you are interested.
On Sunday, Amilia went 3.5 miles up the road to spend the afternoon with her Papa (my FIL). As Mr. Nature and I were driving back home from dropping her off, we saw some baskers at a picnic table on the lawn of a local vineyard, tasting the wares. It looked like such a perfect way to spend a quiet, sunny afternoon!
We live in an area that has been a growing wine region for the last 15 years, and we pass 3 vineyards to get to Papa's house. One is large and sprawling with beautiful grounds and a shiny new building for tasting and events. Another is a modest plot with a small building and some open, Hula Grass (or is it Tiki Grass?) awning huts with tables for feeling elegant while sipping, slurping, and swirling. The last is a place where people live. They have a small vineyard and boutique winery, bottling, and tasting space. Patrons just basically pull up in the driveway and hang out at the front yard picnic table. This was the abode at which we saw the fun-seekers.
Tasting is how much these days???? $5-15 per person? Plus bottle purchase? Pressure of purchase and all that. Hold the stem just so. Follow the tasting rules. We decided to gather our current favorite and have a tasting of our own. At home. Where we do not have to feel pressure or follow rules. We are free to admire the beauty of the view in our own front yard.
I can wear my Simple shoes that would be the first thing thrown out of my closet if I were to appear on "What Not to Wear."
Where we could watch our chickens take their first dirt bath.
Where the wild birds are still busily building their nest in the tall safety of the bird castle in the sky. And the wine we drink is organic, as it would not be at any of those three vineyards/tasting rooms passed on our drive.
Well, I have gotten a banner lift from my favorite banner and graphics provider, hbcorner.etsy.
I chose a pre-made graphic that I liked, and she sized it for my blog and for my Etsy shop. (Even though I am not selling on Etsy right now, I do plan to get back to that in the future.)
She also made our Etsy Team banner for Hoarders Unite.
Today, I am to post at the NO GMO challenge site. There is a blog carnival there that you might find of interest. In the spirit of GMO avoidance, today was town shopping day, so I am going to share with you my shopping receipt.
Bulk Foods: (all are organic)
sea salt
unbleached wheat bread flour
Dairy: (all organic)
Nancy's nonfat plain organic yogurt (yes, from cows)
Organic NON-HOMOGENIZED cream-top milk (from cows because I am still on the lookout for organic/organically fed goat's milk)
Produce: (all organic)
turnips
daikon radish
garlic
leeks
red onion
yellow onion
russet potatoes
cameo apples
fuji apples
packham pears
bananas
mango
strawberries
lemons
General grocery:
organic unfiltered 100% apple juice, not from concentrate
san pellegrino sparkling water
General grocery, non food:
Planet dishwasher powder; phosphate free, no dyes or perfumes, biodegradable. (I have also heard that using salt and vinegar will work, but I don't know how to make that compatible with my dishwasher, so haven't taken that leap yet.
plastic wrap, because I still have to cover my rising bread with something and haven't figured out what else might work
That's it. I did not purchase any chips, which I normally love. I had it down to plain chips (potato or corn varieties) with no extraneous ingredients. I am phasing out chips altogether, however, because I cannot support Frito Lay, I do not want to ingest acrylamides or Acrylaway, and I almost all corn these days seems to be GMO corn. I did not purchase any processed or packaged food at all, except the dairy products and drinks (juice/pellegrino). Oh, and the plastic wrap and dish detergent. Those are also on the eventual phase-out list also. We only use the dishwasher about once a week anyway. Usually handwash.
I will begin with the disclaimer that this post may be long and could come across "preachy," however it is just a feeling-my-way attempt to share what I think is important information. In fact, I think it will be broken up into a series of posts...
I will follow that with a confession: I grew up as an eater of whatever I wanted. Junk food. Soda. Packaged cocoa and fake apple cider. Tang. Candy of all sorts. Healthy fruits and vegetables as well, of course. Meat of all kinds. Seafood of all kinds. I was a smoker of cigarettes for just over a decade (as a young adult). Cookies. Popcorn-even the microwave kind. Fast food of all varieties.
Thankfully, I was blessed with a palate that prefers savory to sweet and a stomach that prefers bird-sized portions to large platefulls. Even more thankfully, in recent years, I have been blessed with an ever-increasing urge to KNOW about my food, and an awakening to the fact that all is not as it seems in Wonderland.
I suppose age makes us repent the recklessness of youth somewhat, and tends to make us more aware of our health. As we climb ever nearer the age of infirmity, we begin to really look at ways to stave it off as long as possible. When we bring tiny infants into this world, we care more about what goes into bodies for nourishment than we ever cared before. We want to locate the best choices for optimum health.
Now comes the place where most fear to tread. (Or more accurately, don't even know there is a need to tread.) Untangling the tangled web of industrial deceit and half-truths. The confusing map of food and nutrition labeling, and the fact that many points of interest (like whether your food has been derived from genetically modified [GM] sources) do not require labeling. The conflicts of interest that keep the FDA from truly being on the side of consumer safety. Keeping abreast of bad new sweeping legislation disguised as food safety modernization. Finding out about GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Avoiding hazardous chemicals in food. It is Natural or not Natural? What about pesticide use?
Did you know that "from concentrate" means that the item has been deconstructed and then reconstructed? Did you know that your milk is separated into parts by centrifuge machinery, and then put back together for packaging into the carton you purchase from the shelf? Patented? The liquid milk you purchase has no resemblance to what actually came out of the cow? It is closer if you purchase whole milk, but lowfat and nonfat are usually "recombined" with milk powders.
Personally, I prefer goat milk because of the lower casein content and my belief that it is better for human digestion. (Truly, I don't think humans were meant to eat/drink milk from cows, or maybe even from goats, but I grew up with milk and am somewhat attached.) But I am on a hunt for LOCAL, RAW Goat's milk. If you get it locally and know the farmer, the health risks from large industrial processing are reduced to about zero. Find out some information about raw milk here. And here. My real goal is to one day have my own milking goats to supply my family with raw milk.
So, if you have followed me for any time, you know that I already try to avoid most packaged foods, anything with GMO ingredients, and HFCS. It is an ongoing process, and is so much easier said than done. It is why my mom says I am picky and she is afraid to try to feed me. My most simple guidelines are as follows:
Is it organic? GOOD because by definition it means that it will not be derived from GM/GMO origins
Is it not organic, but free of GMOs? not as good, but still okay on occasion, for now.
Is it packaged? not good if it has any ingredients that are not organic, or that I cannot pronounce. Not good if it has canola oil that is not organic because it will be GM. Not good if it has ANY preservatives.
Did you use a microwave? I will not eat it.
Did you use teflon or any nonstick cooking device? I will not eat it.
Fresh, organic, local, heirloom, raw. All these terms are synonymous with safe. Venture out of this realm, and things get dicey. Have you heard of acrylamides? Food safety is a lifelong endeavor, and I got on the wagon a bit late! The food you eat will most likely not kill you today. Maybe not next week. Maybe not even in 20 years. But do you really want to find out in 30 years that you have contracted mad cow disease? Or to suffer IBS, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic ailments because of poor and uninformed food choices? I, for one, do not.
I have moved things around a bit on the sidebars.
Meanwhile, I have been itching to share with you a few of my FAVORITE FAVORITE places to visit in the Blogosphere. I am rewarded in some way each time I visit. With laughter, insight, emotion, inspiration or some other er or ight or ion EVERY Time. Maybe you will be as well.
(alphabetically listed)
I suppose I will never fall prey to the Devil's Workshop because, with all this work to be done, these hands will never be idle! The list grows like lichen on a pine tree, and the sun is moving so fast to grow the tangle that I can barely keep the pace. Luckily, I enjoy working outdoors much more than being indoors. Remember the Greening the Greenhouse project? Well, now it is time to tackle Greening the Workshop. Wish me luck!
I do not plan to empty the place completely as I did with the greenhouse, but to go far enough that we can make a semblance of order and establish a place for things so that they may be found when needed. Right now, my goal is to uncover enough wood/lumber to make our chicken coop. Or to almost complete it, at least.
I would also like to be able to hang the garden tools for ease of locating...
I do not have illusions that this project will be complete anytime soon, but certainly will keep you posted on my progress...
Meanwhile, Blondie, Goldie, and Big Daddy could give a whit...they are happily pecking up the ground. It is wonderful fun to watch these little birds scratch around the grounds. They met Seuss (our 12-year-old black cat) yesterday. He didn't even lift a paw in their direction. They practically walked on him when passing by, and he paid them no attention whatsoever. YAY!
Our other cat, Striper, was the one I worried about regarding the safety of the chicks. Sadly, I do not have to worry anymore because he has been missing since April 2. No sign of him anywhere. No neighbors have spotted him. He heeds no call. We hope he is alive and well.
I hope you all had a wonderful Earth Day. I had a very satisfying and tiring day. What better way to spend Earth Day than...
Working the earth...
I planted 11 tomato seedlings (Gold Medal heirloom, Purple Cherokee heirloom, Beef Steak heirloom), 6 heirloom eggplant, 4 heirloom Ancho chiles, 4 heirloom Jalapenos, 4 heirloom Pepperoncinis, 5 heirloom cucumbers, 2 sugar snap peas on the east deck, 6 strawberries on the east deck, and repotted two perennial flowering plants.
And welcoming the birds...
They were very busily flying back and forth, taking turns flying away and placing the nesting material inside the house. It will be such fun to watch a beautiful new bird family expand its feathered presence in the world again this year.
And bringing out the garden furniture...
And welcoming back the water play table and allowing Amilia to take some photos...
And remembering to be thankful for every blessing we receive...
My planned post about moving forward in the gardens was preempted by the silently creeping disaster in my garage. This morning, when I went to the garage to feed the cat and get something from the outdoor fridge, I was met with WATER. ALL OVER THE FLOOR. I unknowingly stepped out and splish! Luckily, I had put on real shoes for the foray. Here is what I saw...
Recently, we had taken a box of photos out of storage and rummaged through it. When I put it back in the garage, it was too heavy for me to lift back to its storage spot alone, so I just slid it on the floor to a temporary spot with some of the toy bins. The temporary spot was RIGHT IN THE WATER!
As you see, by the time I discovered the water, the box of photos was drowning and silently sending pleas for help. We ripped the top open and began to see if we could salvage the contents.
Just one box holds SO MANY PHOTOS! We had them spread on towels all over the living room, down the hall, and on the floor of one of the bedrooms. All that we spread out were wet. Some were left relatively unscathed. Others are worse for the wear. Very few of them were a complete loss. Those that were too far gone were lucky enough to have a double or to be on a memory disc. Thank goodness for digital preservation!
What was the culprit, you ask? The decrepit tubing from the Stone Age that supplies the outdoor fridge's ice maker with water. It retired last night. It did not give notice. It did not first seek a replacement. The ec0nomy being what it is right now, there is plenty of out of work tubing that would have been happy to step in and do the job. Soon, we will employ some. For now, the blended tropical drinks are on lay-off. Likewise the ice tray.
(Please also visit my Sunday Housekeeping Post and give me your feedback...)
Yesterday, we took the chicks out for their first ever free range lesson. They are now big enough that we will be letting them out daily, weather permitting. Today is day 3 of warmth and unobstructed sun. Yesterday, the thermometer topped 80 degrees and I was able to work outside in a tank top!
We spent a little time holding the chicks as well because they have always been so skittish around us. We need to be able to retrieve them easily when they are out free. They were surprisingly friendly while being held.
This one was happy to eat a bug directly off Mr. Nature's finger. They are very accurate in sighting and pecking! We are beginning to be able to see distinguishable differences in them that will allow us to name them real names soon. So far, Big Comb is the temporary name for the one I am holding in photo 2 above. Blondie is the (maybe temporary) name for the bug eater because she has a section of feathers on her tail that are lighter than both other chick's feathers. The third one is still just Chick for now.
So far, they have just been out with their cage under the apple tree. Today, we will take them out and put the cage closer to the garden while we work the beds. At night, we are still keeping them in their cage in the greenhouse. I will keep you posted on the building of the (very modest and humble) coop.
Well, after long and hard debate, I have decided to keep Entrecard and to just be very discriminating. I am back to accepting ads, but am not keen on accepting paid ads. I am accepting all that I have previously accepted, and am just using my best judgment on the new requests.
I still don't like the changes, and I really don't like the way the ad requests queue, but I am dealing with it. I really like some of the blogs I have found there, and I didn't want to lose the opportunity to follow all those and to find more in the future.
Feeling my way...
Just a few items today that I am pondering...
1. Who can tell me what kind of plant/flower this is? (post-edit: they are a type of tulip)
2. Who can tell me why my hard-earned Google page rank of 2 is no longer showing on my page, and when I go to Page Rank checker, it says it is N/A???
3. Who can tell me when my chickens should move from poultry starter to other food? By the way, I think I actually have 2 hens and one rooster...Chick seems to have a larger comb than Chick and Chick.
4. Is it time for me to change my page banner for a bit of a different look? I am not going to change the background or other page elements right now (except that I have changed the background to a springy pale yellow), but perhaps sprucing up the banner a bit for spring is in order?
5. A BIG THANK YOU to my growing number of followers and readers. I enjoy visiting and following those of you with blogs as well.
I apologize for my extended absence. My overpaid (okay, REALLLLLLY UNDERPAID) I.T. expert (my brother) has now corrected my problem, and has set me on the road to tech recovery. Let us all give him THREE CHEERS for saving the day. I reallllllly appreciate his expertise!! 
We only scratched the surface...there is plenty more hair where that came from! I might have to make some more felted dog hair creations...
The bees on my apple blossoms (and me, too) wish you a very happy spring lightness of being.
This has been a test of the Blogger Broadcasting System. If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been given detailed instructions to follow to ensure Blog Post safety and continuity.
It has only been an emergency on my end...technical difficulties have prevented my access the internet since April 6. Remember that malware I picked up? Turned out to be a full and large and really nasty virus. My system had to be taken to Mr. Fixit, who had to wipe the entire contents and start over from factory scratch. Difficulties to continue until April 17. Meanwhile, happy tax tea party day!
Remembering summer fun, and looking forward to warmer days of fun in the sun ahead. In these tough economic times, it is so difficult to remember to take time from the stress and be attentive to the most important things in life. Family, friends, love, fun, the beauty of nature. Giving. Helping. Spreading joy. Indulge in free leisure pursuits with your family. Take walks, exercise, play cards.
On a lighter note, do those of you with children at home have any elaborate schemes to keep toys sorted and in their place? Do you have a rotation as we do? Do you have too many toys? Do you use bins, boxes, bags, cubbies, shelves, or a combination of all of these? As much as I hate to admit it, I find this area of life makes great use of plastic. I use bins, bins, and more bins!
Amilia likes to use several kinds of toys together at once in her elaborate play schemes. I encourage this because it stretches imagination muscle and provides endless creative outlets. Griffin from the castle swoops down on the dogs from the Playmobil set, the Schleich horses consort with the Lego horses, the Littlest Pet Shop (one of my least favorite) animals bed down with the Little People in their barn. Ogre guards all from the alphabet block tower. At the end, what we have is a mess~
So, we line up the bins on the couch and sort it all back to its proper place. Each bin has a label so we always know what goes where, and we can practice reading the labels while we work. I have always shouldered the lion's share of the sorting, but am slowly doing less and less so Amilia understands the gravity of the task and knows it is ultimately her responsibility.
Some of the animals look on, content that it is not their task to clean up! They will soon be swept up to their bin out of sight behind the recliner chair. 
The drawer bins are used for items that are too big for the box bins, or that there are too few of to merit their own box bin. Items "in play" and already turned into a "set" sometimes get to live temporarily all together in a shoe box for further set play. Eventually, all are in their bins and tidy. They own a corner of the living room because I believe that children should be allowed to play in the same room as the rest of the family. It is no fun to be stuck away in your bedroom alone to play! Most of the sorting bins live in a stack in the garage, and are rotated in at play time. 
Amilia doesn't like to play with dolls very much, but the stuffed dogs are grateful to make a home for their pups in the doll bed. 
My way of housing toys in the living room is every decorator's nightmare, but they don't really decorate for functional family use, do they? I am reconciled to the fact that my living room will never grace the pages of Architectural Digest, Sunset or Gracious Living, but I think it is more important to have cherished memories of play freedom than to have shadow-boxed photos of a featured magazine spread.
In the end, I think the simple things matter more...
Today I was alarmed to find the story breaking from the CDC about perchlorates (rocket fuel) found in commercial baby formulas. This time, it is not manually inserted by production line tampering, but is so widespread in our environment that it is "naturally" occurring in our food and water. There is a lot of information out there, but the bottom line is that we have been poisoned for years by military pollution, and the Bush Administration put a gag order in place to prevent our knowledge. I guess the Freedom of Information Act can only help us if we know that there IS information to obtain.
I took some excerpts from Organic Consumers Association at htttp://www.organicconsumers.org/perchlorate.htm:
"Perchlorates: REPORT ON WIDESPREAD ROCKET FUEL POLLUTION IN NATION'S FOOD AND WATER
A new analysis of data (from 2006) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control indicates that a toxic chemical in rocket fuel has severely contaminated the nation's food and water supply (read the Environmental Working Group study here).
Scientists warn that the chemical, known as perchlorate, could cause thyroid deficiency in more than 2.2 million women of childbearing age.
This thyroid deficiency could damage the fetus of pregnant women, if left untreated. Perchlorate, the explosive ingredient in solid rocket fuel, has leaked from military bases and defense and aerospace contractors' plants in at least 22 states, contaminating drinking water for millions of Americans.
Despite massive complaints, defense contractors such as Kerr-McGee have done little or nothing to clean up the pollution. Perchlorate has also been widely detected in milk, lettuce, produce and other foods. In an alarming study, the CDC found perchlorate in the urine of every person tested. The OCA has mobilized thousands of organic consumers to pressure the EPA and government officials to begin a massive clean up of perchlorate for over a year.
Background: The Environmental Working Groups new report is an anlaysis of data originally released in 2005, when the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its long anticipated report on the human health effects of perchlorates, a byproduct of rocket fuel. Perchlorates, which are a common pollutant near military sites, have recently been found in the water at concerning levels in 22 states as well as in 93% of lettuce and milk. 97% of breast milk samples taken randomly from around the U.S. have tested positive for perchlorates."
(colors and emphasis added by me)
I also took this timeline from http://www.organicconsumers.org/perchlorate.htm:
2002: EPA releases draft report highlighting widespread water contamination of a toxic rocket fuel byproduct known as perchlorate. The report indicates that most of the pollution is coming from U.S. military sites [Source]
January 2003 : Courtroom proceedings reveal that aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin was concealing documents for several years indicating the company knew about toxic levels of percholate contamination in the nation's vegetable produce. [Source]
March 2003: California's Senator Feinstein demands the military clean up perchlorate pollution as a matter of public safety. The Department of Defense responds by saying it must be exempt from perchlorate liability, as a matter of anti-terrorist "readiness." [Source].
April 2003: Bush Administration puts gag order on the Environmental Protection Agency, mandating complete silence regarding military perchlorate pollution and human health impacts. [Source]
November 2004: FDA finds perchlorate in 93% of lettuce and milk samples across the nation. Bush Administration requests no regulatory action take place until the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concludes investigation of human health implications. [Source]
January 2005: NAS announces perchlorates are as much as ten times as toxic as what the Department of Defense had been claiming. Senator Feinstein of California announces forthcoming bill proposal to create federal perchlorate regulations and to allocate funding for cleanup of existing contamination. [Source]
February 2005: EPA adopts NAS recommendations and recommends weak reference dose standards for drinking water without any public comment or review. [Source]
June 2005: Senator Feinstein files letter with EPA requesting a review of perchlorate data and stricter perchlorate drinking water standards. [Source]
October 2006: The Environmental Working Group releases a study indicating that perchlorate pollution has put 2.2 million women and their children at risk. [Source]
How do people like George W. sleep at night, knowing that people are being poisoned and suffering health issues as a direct result of government military actions? How does he live with the fact that he chose to block the information, FAIL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, and continue on in the name of "anti-terrorism"? I find it somewhat comical that there is a push now for HR875 and S425 in the name of food safety instead of a push to stop the poisoning of our food by our military. But apparently, clean-up is more costly than "health risk reduction."
The swings are her favorite. She squeals in delight and yells "WOOOHOOOO" AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS. I'm sure the other park tenants are so happy to hear the incessant vocals. She leans back and closes her eyes and smiles a very large smile. She is completely present ONLY in the moment, in the movement, in the wind on her face. Watching her, I can travel back there vicariously for just a speck.
In a tree overlooking the playground lives an owl. This owl is always there in the daytime watching over the goings on from its sentry box. It just looks like a large goiter on the tree if you don't know it is there. It is fun to watch those who know looking up to say hello, and those who do not know mutter to each other in wonder. What are they looking at?
My little digital camera was pushed to its limits to capture the image even this well. I have to remember to take my 35mm and telephoto lens sometime to give a better visual. You can almost see that there are two trees intertwined. We call it The Owl at Two Trees in the park.
I would bet that this owl also thinks only of the moment, the children, the sun, the breeze blowing through its trees.
I will try it more often. After all, as my mom always said, "in 100 years, will the (whatever it is) you are worried about even matter?"
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