Friday, October 13, 2023

Buddha in blue jeans, laundry soap, cold cases and and stitching

I planned to do laundry yesterday, found I was out of detergent, thought, no problem I'll just make a new batch. Then I checked the recipe and found, not so fast, it has to sit for 24 hours. New plan, yesterday I made a gallon of laundry stuff, today I'll do laundry. Upcycled handy container.

I've blogged about this before. Much cheaper than buying detergent, and it has the added advantage that you know what's in it, because you put it there. Grated castile soap, washing soda, borax, water. It works just as well as the fancy stuff. To get the proportions, you'll find several prairie ladies on YouTube, looking a lot more glamorous than you'd expect, with their recipes. 

The other good part about making this recipe is that it leaves the pots and grater cleaner than they were before you used them.

Back in the studio, well, the sofa,  really, I did some stitching,



while listening to another Martin Walker about the Perigord police chief who's a great cook, horse rider and tennis player, interested in the history and culture of his region.  This one involves prehistoric research techniques and a cold case.

I find that unless I'm working on something, my attention wanders from listening and I miss a lot of the action. Or I imagine I can listen and check email, same result. 

This morning I remembered a little ebook I have on my Kindle, and thought if you don't know about it, you might like to.


And here's a sample page

It's very brief, kind and I find it useful. Just a thought.

And here's a salute to the Canadian black bear


I watched the video, politest bear, he just strolls around checking the shelves, no pulling stuff out, until he selects one pack of gummy bears and leaves. 

It seems so appropriate, and I wonder if he'd promised the kids, like a human Dad bringing jelly babies home. 

Happy day everyone, knitting group later today, so I'll take along the current sock.





32 comments:

  1. Good for you for making your own laundry detergent. Perhaps I should try that.
    I think that sitting and stitching (of any sort) while listening to a good book is one of life's best simple pleasures. Don't know if it leads to enlightenment though.

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  2. Such a polite black bear! Unfortunately, not all bears in Canada are so nice. A couple of weeks ago, a grizzly in Banff National Park killed two campers and their dog.

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    1. Grizzlies are a different species, fearsome when encountered. Black bears, of which we have a lot locally are more of a marauding pest.

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  3. And the people at the gas station were calm, mostly concerned that he didn't pay. I mostly listen to books now. I enjoy being read to. I looked up the physio you posted yesterday and subscribed. I did the toe lifts, sort of. My right foot worked, the left wouldn't lift. I will keep trying, but how weird I can't lift the left toes!

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    1. It's interesting to see how your body works. Or doesn't.

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  4. Canadian bear are so polite!

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  5. I am not in the least surprised that you make your own laundry detergent. American culture is so messed up, you have to be producing All The Time! take time out to just sit and enjoy and you're lazy and feel guilty.

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    1. We do tend to consider whether we've been productive, that's true. I also make my own mouthwash, tired of the expense and plastic bottles from buying it.

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  6. I wonder where that bear learned to prefer gummy bears! I like the advice in you Zen book - might get a copy. (These days we use that laundry detergent that looks like pieces of paper. Comes through the post in a thin cardboard envelop.)

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    1. Pieces of paper? I'm not familiar with this.

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  7. Oh no. You cannot read emails or Facebook or play games while listening to an audiobook. You definitely need to be crafting or gardening. I can listen while cooking as well. So if I have a big day in the kitchen, like in the autumn, I hit play
    I love audiobooks. Best invention ever.

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    1. I use them a lot, but you're right, I need to be making while listening.

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  8. Great bear story...very smart guy that one! Wish I could find that book at the library (they do lots of ebooks, but maybe not kindles). Love the page you shared.

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    1. It's a very brief book, worth tracking down.

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  9. I listen to books while working and can become so engrossed I quit working.

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  10. I think we use different parts of the brain to listen and create. Two pleasurable activities at the one time. Perfect.

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  11. I'm not much for multitasking, probably why I prefer reading to audio. Thanks for the book suggestions.

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    1. There's a lot to be said for holding a book or reader, doing one thing at a time.

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  12. Thank you for introducing us to Buddha in Blue Jeans. That's a page worth pondering. I tracked down the author's website (http://www.taisheridan.com/) and found that there's a free Kindle download, and (for those of us Kindle-less) a video of a very soft-spoken woman reading it, as well as a link to buy a hard copy.

    The stitching is coming along beautifully. Thanks for the audiobook recommendations to go along with handwork. My listening is during cooking and housework.

    What kind of fall weather are you having these days?

    Chris from Boise

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    1. Beautiful weather till today, sunny, and today is rain.

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  13. You even make your own soap. Next, I expect you to make the ingredients that go into the soap. 😁😎✔

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  14. Love that bear story. It made the national new this past week.

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    1. It was pretty comical. I liked the care he took choosing his favorite.

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  15. I can't manage reading that way because my attention wanders and I either forget what I'm supposed to be working on or (most often) lose complete track of the book. It's annoying because I'm finding that the local library is getting more and more of those sorts of books ignoring those of us who far prefer the paper versions. Sometimes they're able to request a paper copy for me but it's getting rarer.
    Of course Canadian bears are polite!

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    1. It's so much easier for libraries to handle electronics rather than paper books, but I hear you that it's nice to have a book in your hands.

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