Harvest Time

Time to dig up the food before the monsoons arrive. Last year I waited too long and all my carrots split and the onions rotted.

This year the onions are in good shape, but way too small. Not sure why they didn't like the hot spot on the deck. These are red onions, too. Last year's were twice the size but yellow onions.

The carrots are magnificent. Ginormous! Beautiful! No bugs! Yummy!

Well, I have one that looks like a human. LOL I know there is a reason it grows that way but I can't remember.

And I'm still getting some that are developed only on one side. I don't know why this happens. Only about 1/8th are affected. They are still usable in stews chopped up, but they are ugly. (Next time I pull one up I'll take a photo and post it.)

Last Days of Summer

Oh, how I love summer! The rainy season started a couple weeks ago, but we are getting one last splurge of heat. It should be in the 80s today. I noticed the sun glaring down my staircase for the last time and thought Oh, this looks like heaven smiling on me!!! Or summer saying good-bye!

Good-bye sunshine, until next year!!

Life is a Party!

It's been a while since I worked on my incredibly fun party series furniture painting. I've been too busy with protest posters and house painting.

I've been toying with the idea of becoming a foster parent. Yeah, it does sound a little crazy with my restrictions on air quality but I just feel the need to contribute to the well-being of innocent children in our society who through no fault of their own are homeless, parentless, and vulnerable. I'm tired of reading about parents killing their kids, abusing them, neglecting them for their drug addictions, or any number of atrocities. However, how will I be accommodated in training sessions or meetings or teacher conferences or doctor's appointments? Besides the fact I have to work and we have absolutely no childcare in our area. Hmmmmm...this might be nothing but a fantasy, but it's a fun fantasy. For now.

Anyway, in preparation I've started looking around to assess what I would need for children. Which bedrooms to use and furniture and supplies I might need, besides the long list of requirements given to prospective foster parents by the foster care agency. I've started watching Freecycle and I posted requests for twin beds, bunk beds, car seats, baby equipment (they need a lot of stuff!). This is a bit scary because I don't want filthy, bug-ridden, garbage in my house, but buying new purchases soaked in formaldehyde is impossible so this is my only option. Sometimes one can get really good stuff off Freecycle.

My first bite was someone who had booster seats, in good shape, used briefly until her children quickly grew out of them. I pick them up and they STUNK of mold. I had them in my car for about five minutes before I couldn't breathe and got rid of them fast. So frustrating. Why would anyone think dirty, moldy items would be fine for children? People are stupid. I realized I needed to ask more questions and be very specific about my needs, but the weird thing about Freecycle is people often won't tolerate questions. They just go to the next person if you are too picky. But I'm also learning people who are trying to unload garbage will bend over backwards to avoid giving information. It's such a game. Sometimes I hate people.

The next bite was someone with a twin mattress. Totally clean, kept in a mattress protector in storage, no stains, no stink, no bedbugs, no animals, no smoking. Could a mattress be that perfect? No. The stains were very faint, but it stunk to high heaven of perfume which is a clear indication it must have smelled. I am so incredibly tired of people thinking Freecycle is a really FreeGarbagePickUpService! My frustration level was climbing.

Shortly after the mattress disappointment someone offered a twin mattress, again, perfectly clean and good shape including a really stupid photo of the SIDE of the mattress. No stains aren't usually on the SIDE. I reprimanded him, "Is is really clean? Or does it have stains, stink, bedbugs, animal dirt, and second hand smoke saturation? I'm so tired of people thinking Freecycle means Free Dump Service! If it's really clean, I'd love it." Needless to say, he didn't even respond to me, but my frustrations were released. Poor guy.

My next encounter was someone wanting to unload two dressers. Oh good! I was wondering where I'd put kid clothes. One of the dressers was beautiful and huge. I couldn't move it by myself so I passed. But the other dresser was a small child-size, white, with six drawers. It had problems. A few of the drawers were coming loose at the seams and had some glitches in the wood. At least the people were honest and they had me come directly to their house which is a sign of trust. I was hopeful. I took it.

I cleaned it up, repaired the drawers, glued the seams, and fixed it the best I could. Then I painted it! I really tried to stay away from dots, but I couldn't help myself! I'm an addict!  As you may remember from previous posts I have dotted furniture all over my house with titles like "Fiesta" "Confetti" "Celebration" and "Spree"...this dresser because of its tropical-looking leaf pattern is called:

LUAU

Unfortunately, I don't even want to use it as a dresser now so it's still sitting in my kitchen as a display shelf for my colorful, garage-sale-find-fifty-cents-each ceramic collection! LOL!

So cheerful!

Bumper Sticker of the Week Award

Buckle up. 

It makes it harder for aliens to suck you 

out of your car.

(This made me laugh so hard...)

NONessential Oils

My post on essential oils is popular, probably more popular than any other topic I discuss. I also receive comments on it. Some try to bully me into using essential oils. Others are telling me they are being bullied into using essential oils. My question is WHY? Why would anyone want to stink to that extent? Why do people want to pay money to stink? Why are bullies so intent on sucking me and their friends into their addictions?

I recently ran into a friend at a local store. I know he is a fan of organic foods and based on our few discussions, he is a health aficionado. He keeps me posted on new places to get organic food and I like people who are health conscious. During this visit we jumped on the topic of essential oils. I can't remember how we got there but he said on occasion he uses essential oils. This is going to sound sexist, but why does a man want to stink like that? I asked him why and he shrugged, muttered, but didn't really give an answer. I came right out and told him essential oils were totally unnatural.

He began defending them like an addict, "Oh no, you can get the organic kind!"

I tried to explain my very bad reactions to essential oils, and he countered it with, "You must not be using the organic kind!"

I assured him I had and it doesn't matter. But more importantly, how does he know they are organic? Anyone can label anything organic as long as it has one ingredient that is organic. How does he know those organic herbs aren't mixed with additives, stabilizers or preservatives? Toulene is in every perfume. How does he know manufacturers don't slip in some Toulene to help liquefy the oils? Does he know how the essential oils are processed? If they are so natural, why do I react badly to them? I'M CHEMICALLY SENSITIVE! I'M A CANARY!  He didn't have any answers although he assures me he's read articles and the oils he uses are organic and healthy and natural. 

Of course, I countered that with my standard defense: essential oils are natural like plywood is natural. The analogy went right over his head.

"Oh, no, plywood isn't natural."

To which I replied, "Why not? It's wood!"

"No! There are fillers and glues and processing." Really. He still wasn't getting it. This is the mindset of an addict.

In the past I did a lot of reading and research on essential oils. I thought I'd give it another crack and see if I can find updated information. Here's some tidbits of information although nothing new:

There are many ways essential oils are processed. Distillation is currently the most trendy. There is also "solvent extraction" which is preferred for herbs and flowers that are less stable. Yes, CHEMICAL extraction. If that one doesn't tickle your fancy essential oils can be processed with "Florasols extraction". Florasols is another solvent originally developed as a replacement for Freon. So I'm wondering, can an essential oil manufacturer use organic plants but use chemical extraction for processing and still call the product organic? Hmmmm...

Flammability. Essential oils have a flash point temperature that causes them to combust. You'd think this would be around 100 degrees...200 degrees. Some spontaneously combust at 60 degrees. Why are they flammable?  Perfumes are flammable, too. The post office won't mail them for you because of this safety hazard. Hmmm...

If you are pregnant or nursing, don't use them. It could lead to abortion or premature births. Hmmm...

People with health problems such as asthma, epilepsy or hypertension shouldn't use them. Hmmm...

They are a danger to pets as their livers can't process them. Well, what about human livers? Granted we are bigger, but if a pet can't process them why is it assumed a human can? WHY would a human want to? Dogs are used for medical research because their physiology is so close to humans. So if essential oils are not safe for pets, why are the considered safe for humans? Hmmm...

Some essential oils are photo toxic creating photosensitivity which makes the wearer vulnerable to sunlight. Where have I heard that before? Oh, that's right! Pharmaceuticals are also photo toxic as well as chemical-laced lotions and beauty products. Why? Because they have chemicals in them. If you've read my posts on skin cancer, you know I believe chemicals cause cancer NOT sunshine. Hmmm...

Do not put essential oils in eyes, nose or ears as it could lead to chemical burns. Chemical burns? But I thought they were natural? Ingesting too much oil can burn one's stomach walls. This is anything but natural. It might have been natural as a sprig of lavender, but it's not natural as a bottle of poison. Hmmm...

Doesn't this sound like the warning label on any number of chemicals? So why do people think they are so natural and healthy? What is the point in using essential oils anyway? More importantly,
why do I react to essential oils as if I'm being poisoned if they are only natural plant materials, healthy and organic?

Today I ran into another acquaintance who I really like, who is always very elegant looking with beautiful hair and make up,  and who had a bout with skin cancer not too long ago. However, she doesn't wear perfume. She tells me it bothers her and wonders how people can wear so much of it so often. I introduced the idea of chemical addiction...perfumes and colognes are chemicals. She hadn't thought of that. At that point she discloses she rather enjoys a dab of essential oil now and then. After all, it's natural, isn't it? Again, I pull out my arsenal of defense: PLYWOOD. It's such a great comparison. She seems to get it, but she's not having it and decides rather than listen to the person who is chemically sensitive, who has bad reactions to chemicals, and who has bad reactions to essential oils (Logic 101), she decides she'll have to consult the grocery grunt who stocks shelves because of course that imbecile must know way more than someone who is actually chemically sensitive. I think the unenlightened will do anything to justify their bad habits and find anyone who would support them before actually questioning the facts. I think I'd be less insulted if she'd just come right out and say, "I don't give a shit what you say or how sick my stink makes you, I'll wear my stink. Fuck your health."

I usually do really like my unenlightened friends. I tolerate their bad habits. When they arrive at my house stinking of chemicals I keep my mouth shut and adjust my position upwind. However, this constant attempt at educating them is absolutely exhausting. They know me. They know I'm chemically sensitive. Yet they still use toxic laundry detergents, soaps, hair products, lotions, make ups, and...essential oils. They just don't get toxic products are toxic to everyone. Just because they don't react doesn't mean it's not affecting them. Or they just don't care.

From another blog post of mine:
Unfortunately the term "natural fragrance" or "essential oil" on an ingredient list doesn't necessarily mean it is safe. In a study analyzing 35 top selling products, green, natural and organic fragranced products emitted just as many hazardous chemicals as regular fragranced products. That's because most essential oils in consumer products are processed with a toxic solvent. In addition, essential oils containing terpenes such as pine and citrus oils react with ozone in surrounding air to create secondary pollutants such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, and ultrafine particles.

To all you out there who are so self-centered that you use essential oils (or any fragrance or scented product or chemical) and persist in poisoning innocent bystanders...STOP! Please STOP! It does not make you smell good! It makes you smell desperate for attention, lacking in self-esteem, and stupid. When your body overloads, you, too, will join the ranks of the chemically sensitive! Yes, I wish chemical sensitivity on EVERYONE. Then everyone would be forced to be fragrance-free.

Italian Prunes

Italian Prunes are ripe! 

YUM!