Some things about Indianola

Here are a few characteristics of Indianola:

-many large cedar, douglas fir and Big-Leaf Maple trees
-dark and depressing in winter
-a dock
-a big, flat beach
-a friendly small store
-a post office
-quite a few politically liberal people
-a few other politically conservative people
-many roofs that need moss to be removed
-a few creeks hidden in deep ravines
-english ivy trying to climb everything in sight
-free-roaming dogs

If I think of more, I will add to this list.

Power Nerd

My most recent obsession is energy conservation. I had some time on my hands over Christmas Break so I took a couple of steps to save a kilowatt or two.

First, I bought some Warm Window fabric to make an insulated shade for the window in my drafty dining room. Skill level required: moderate. Must know how to convert inches into fractions of a yard (to speak fabric-store-lady talk) and know how to use a sewing machine. I, fortunately have both of those skills. I'm nearly done, but still have the tedious tasks of sewing on 27 little plastic rings by hand and getting my spouse to help attach it to the wall.

Second, I learned about two cool things (which both arrived today): the Kill a Watt, and the Smart Strip. The Kill a Watt lets you plug in your toaster or TV or hand lotion warmer into it then you plug it into the wall and it gives you a readout of how much energy it uses. The power strip is a Surge protector that has some designated outlets that will shut off when it recognizes that the appliance plugged into it has been unused for a while. It should work for Computer peripherals, like the scanner, the printer and lamp. Skill level required: Low. Read Directions, plug in. Not so hard.

Snow Sculpture

Here in western Washington, we don't get much snow-- a dusting once or twice a year. But every once in a while, we get that rare combination of moisture and cold, so that the snow stays around for a while. The week of Christmas, we had just such an event: it was a winter wonderland! However, I learned that the fluffy white snow doesn't stay that way, even if it stays cold enough to stick around.

I'm sure that if you are a person who lives in Minnesota or New England, you know about this already, but the snow becomes gross and dirty after a day or two. However, there is one thing about dirty snow that I really enjoy, and that's roadside snow/sand sculpture. There is a particular lumpy pillar of dirty snow on a roadside near here that always tricks me into thinking there's a bunny or prairie dog sitting upright at the side of the road. (It's a bit of a by-product of near-sightedness that far-away things look like other things if you've got a good imagination). It gives me a little surprise when I come around the bend and see it there, and I'll be sad to see it go.

A new day

Happy joy! I feel like I've been let out of jail. My freedom comes from the hope of a new president who is not an evangelical Christian, who does not need to answer the question: "Why didn't you fight in Viet Nam", who has a plan, a strategy and the resume to back it up. I am happy!

A quality link

To the right, you'll find a new bookmark to a lovely site called Zen Habits. The author, Leo, has a friendly tone and useful, inspiring information. I found the site while looking for the perfect shower door: something sleek and cool. Frequently what you find at the home improvement sites are these ridiculously over-wrought designs. So I typed in "minimalist home design" and found Zen Habits' guide to de-cluttering your house. He also helps you to manage your time, remember to exercise and eat healthy.

September 29

It's really beautiful out today. Here on the shores of Puget Sound it is almost always warm and sunny this week in Fall.

Why do I remember this? Because we got married on October 5, 1991.

Some other things that amaze me because it doesn't seem like enough time as passed : My niece, Amber,was the only kid at the wedding, in fact she was a teeny-tiny baby. Now she is in her senior year at high school. And though it was a small wedding (only 20 or so guests), two of them have passed away, my grandmother and aunt. Both young couples present have split and married other people. I won't mention names. My husband and I have many gray hairs. But we are still together. Sweet!

Environmentally Safe Cleaning Products

Here's how to save your family from being killed by toxic chemicals in the home: Don't bother cleaning so often!
When I was in high school, a friend of mine told me that his mother went through a bottle of Windex every week.
She just walked around all day squirting and wiping things. I, of course, never went to their house to witness it personally--he wasn't allowed to have people over--but I totally believe the story.

Tree-Tossing: A Family Tradition

Shown here is a family tradition we've been taking part in for the part few years. Often done on New Years Eve or New Year's day. Joyful tossing of this revered holiday symbol from an altitude of 15 feet gives us a satisfying close to the annoying holiday season. (Or maybe that's just me)

Dream Sequence #1

My son, Nick, goes to bed earlier than I do, so when I head for my own room, he's usually asleep and deep into the world of dreams. One Night, he was 11 or 12 years old, I could hear him sounding scared and distressed in a dream. I dont' know what it was about--I couldn't understand his words. I listened for a moment, then my motherly compassion compelled me to try and settle him down. I opened the door to his room and saw that he was standing up, facing the doorway. The room was dark and the light was on in the hallway behind me, creating a dark, faceless silhouette. I stood in that spot for a moment and said to him, "Are you okay?" And he, in that sleep language only he can speak, answered "Ahhhungghhhh!" and threw his blanket at me. I think he thought I was a dream monster, but I'm not sure what the blanket represented inside his dream world. I finally persuaded him to get back into bed. He stayed asleep throughout, though he did realize I was there and talked with me a little bit. As usual, when I asked him about his dream in the morning, he didn't remember it at all.