gardenias

my newest apron

my apologies for the very hasty blog entry, and the lame description of how i make these aprons. here's how it turned out. i used denim from worn out bluejeans to make a wide waistband, and then a very long tie from bias tape that goes all the way around and ties in the front (my hair has grown too long and gets stuck in the bow when it ties in the back). :-) yes, the kids took this picture, and they were fighting over my camera, hence the growly look on my face. hahahaha

new apron!

okay, so my husband had a stain on his shirt i couldn't manage to get out. oh dear! so now his old shirt is my new apron! this is one of my favorite sewing projects, ever. i have a few of these shirt-aprons, i really like them a lot. :-)

first, you cut off the collar and along the seam at the top of the shoulder.



turn the shirt inside out, and using a straight-edge, mark a line along the side-seams, leaving a gap where the sleeve is for pockets. stitch along that line, rounding out the sleeve for to make a better shape for the pocket. if you are real slick, you can topstitch that seam from the front of the pocket all the way down to the hem. but if the shirt being used was an old denim workshirt (they do make wonderful aprons!), don't bother with that step as it isn't really necessary.





other than the little strip of fabric trimmed off from straightening the side seams, this is all you will have left over. (most efficient recycling, isn't it?)

then you just gather the top edge and sew on a strip of coordinating or contrasting fabric for the tie. presto! instant apron!! :-)

and best of all, the hem is already done for you!! does anyone else have such a hard time with sewing hems as i do?

little birds

the maple tree in our backyard is full of these little guys. does anyone know what they are?

dominance theory???

Veterinarians Concerned About Outdated and Confrontational Advice Given by
Cesar Millan The Dog Whisperer

www.AVSABonline.org


In an article written by Timothy Kim for the VIN News Services (5FEB09), an
on-line resource for veterinarians, representatives of the American
Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) have expressed concern about
dog training advice given by Cesar Millan, on his reality TV show, The Dog
Whisperer. The AVSAB is so concerned that they have issued an official
statement (Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior
Modification of Animals - dominance statement pdf ) to counter the unfortunate
pervasive influence of Millan's show.

In their position statement the AVSAB demonstrates that the dominance theory
which is the core of Millan's approach, has been rejected by animal behavior
experts and can actually cause serious fear aggression in dogs. In the
article, Dr. Laurie Bergman, of Norristown, Pa., a member of AVSAB's
executive board was quoted as saying "We had been moving away from dominance
theory and punitive training techniques for a while, but, unfortunately,
Cesar Millan has brought it back."

Dominance theory has typically been presented as the reason for a dog's
misbehavior. Its basic premise is that the dog is a pack animal like a wolf
and all packs are ruled by the dominant alpha male. Millan essentially
believes that in order to counter a dog's misbehavior, or as he sees it a
"grab for power," a person must be the dominant alpha male and must use
force and coercion to get the dog to behave and submit.

The article describes Millan as using a number of assertive techniques
".negative-reinforcement, or correction. alpha rolls (the dog is rolled onto
its back, a submissive position) and flooding (the dog is exposed to
something that causes it anxiety and is not allowed to escape, to
desensitize it). He also has been shown choking a dog on the end of a leash
until it fell onto its side, gasping for air." These techniques are of great
concern to the AVSAB which has also adopted a position statement on the use
of punishment for training animals (avsab position statement pdf).

The theory of dominance hierarchy was set into motion in 1922 by Thorleif
Schjelderup-Ebbe and his research on chickens. It was popularized by the
Monks of New Skete with their publication of How to Be Your Dog's Best
Friend. This now very dated book, takes the premise that if we want the best
relationship with our dog then we should treat them like an adult wolf would
treat a wolf puppy, at least according to the Monk's understanding of that
scenario. Many of their key recommendations focus on fear and physical
punishment.

Thanks to the work of Dr. L. David Mech, a senior scientist with the U.S.
Geological Survey, we now know that dominance theory does not apply to
wolves in a natural, wild (non-captive) environment (Alpha Status,
Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs pdf).
Research by Dr. Ray and Lorna Coppinger (DOGS: A New Understanding of Canine
Origin, Behavior, and Evolution (Scribner, NY, 2001; Univ. Chicago Press,
2002) has helped us understand that while closely related to the wolf a dog
is not a hunter or a pack animal. Dogs are primarily scavengers and when
living feral often live alone or in very loose groups.

So what does all of this mean? It means that the dominance theory spouted
for years by many in the dog community is a poor model for describing wolf
behavior and is an even worse model for training your dog. Unfortunately,
just like there is still a Flat Earth Society there are still those like
Cesar Millan, who hang on to a dog training model that is erroneous and
based on creating confrontation and fear.

The AVSAB is not the first to question Millan's techniques. On February 23,
2006 the New York Times quoted Dr. Nicholas Dodman [veterinary behaviorist
and director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University] as saying
''My college thinks it [The Dog Whisperer - Cesar Millan] is a travesty.
We've written to National Geographic Channel and told them they have put dog
training back 20 years.'' Later that same year the American Humane
Association stated "The training tactics featured on Cesar Millan's "The Dog
Whisperer" program are inhumane, outdated and improper"

Kim's article concludes with a statement by Dr. Sophia Yin, a member of the
AVSAB executive board, warning dog guardians to avoid dog trainers and
others who: continually tell owners that they have to be the "alpha," warn
owners not to use rewards too much, and uses pinch collars or shock collars
on dogs in a training class. "The AVSAB recommends that veterinarians not
refer clients to trainers or behavior consultants who coach and advocate
dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent confrontational training that
follows from it."

coal ash

the water filter that would usually last a few months, is clogged after having been replaced just a few weeks ago. the water smells funny, and there’s this light-colored powdery substance left behind…. ick



http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98857483

Tennessee Spill: The Exxon Valdez Of Coal Ash?

by Elizabeth Shogren

Morning Edition, December 31, 2008 · There aren't a lot of answers yet about what caused the catastrophic Dec. 22 spill of coal ash from a Tennessee Valley Authority plant near Knoxville. But the disaster has raised lots of questions about whether regulations of coal ash are strict enough.

Coal ash is the stuff that's left over after coal-fired power plants generate electricity and strip out pollutants. Plants produce about 130 million tons of it every year.

"That's enough to fill a line of railroad boxcars stretching all the way from the U.S. to Australia," says Eric Schaeffer, head of a watchdog group called the Environmental Integrity Project. He says he's been watching the growing heaps of coal ash stored at 440 electricity plants around the United States.

In the case of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant, the waste had been accumulating for half a century. The mountain of sludge covered more than 100 acres and rose 65 feet into the air before an earthen dam burst, spilling 5.4 million cubic yards of ash that fouled homes and about 300 acres, as well as a river.

Glen Pugh manages solid waste for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and is in charge of regulating the landfill. He says that despite the accident, the regulations were adequate, and TVA was following them.

"I do think our regulations provide for the proper checks and reviews and evaluations," Pugh says. "Something happened here that was unexpected."

Schaeffer says the accident came as no surprise to him.

"We saw this several years ago in Pennsylvania. A little town named Forward Township got buried in a landslide of fly ash," he says. "We went in and tested the ash, and it turned out to be toxic, also full of arsenic just like the TVA site."

Schaeffer says disasters are waiting to happen in other places because coal ash isn't subject to strict federal regulations that govern hazardous wastes. Instead, it's up to states to regulate it — and some don't. Most treat coal ash as though it's not toxic.

"The prevailing myth is that it's safe," Schaeffer says. "We have EPA buying into that for years and really refusing to regulate this material for what it is, which is highly toxic ash that leashes metals like arsenic, cadmium and mercury into drinking water and rivers and creeks."

In 1980, Congress asked the Environmental Protection Agency whether coal ash should be regulated as a hazardous waste. The agency said no in 1993, but kept researching the question. In 2000, the EPA said it should be regulated, but as a nonhazardous waste. So far, however, the agency hasn't produced any rules.

Matt Hale, head of the EPA's solid waste office, says the agency has been studying the problem for 28 years. It's taken so long because, he says, "there's been a significant amount of technical work. Simply, the process has required this amount of time."

Some people think federal oversight is unnecessary. Jim Roewer of the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group says states are doing a fine job of regulating the hundreds of ash pits around the country.

"I think that we've only seen four of these rather spectacular events over the last 50 years would underscore the fact that this really isn't an epidemic problem or trend that would call for federal intervention," Roewer says.

But environmentalists say the TVA ash slide will become the Exxon Valdez of the coal industry — and force government to finally regulate coal ash storage.

got some things to talk about

Whoa, oh, what i want to know
will you come with me?

www.longestwalk.org

trying to get anybody excited about helping out the Longest Walk is the most discouraging endeavor I have ever undertaken. (undertaken? does that make me an undertaker? haha)

seriously, some people have offered to bring some food, and there's one person, Tammera Hicks, who has been a HUGE help. She found the campsite, after I kept running into brick wall after brick wall, she got it taken care of, and I couldn't thank her enough for all the help she's been. I honestly thought this was such a big deal that there'd be hundreds of local volunteers signed up to help out, and I was the only one here in town who did. I never intended to do more than help prepare food. Nobody else stepped up to the plate, but there's plenty who have problems with the things I have done. well...??? uh...

anybody reading this? well, we need volunteers to help out with food when the Longest Walk comes through Chattanooga. All I'm trying to accomplish is getting together enough food to feed about 200 people. that's all. I figured a pot-luck would be the cheapest, easiest way for people to contribute. Anybody can cook a pot of beans, you would think.

yesterday, in the garden...

toxins found in "natural" products

CONSUMER ALERT:CANCER-CAUSING INGREDIENT FOUND IN LEADING "ORGANIC" & "NATURAL" PERSONAL CARE PRODCUTS

A newly released study commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and overseen by environmental health consumer advocate David Steinman (author of The Safe Shopper's Bible), revealed the presence of the undisclosed carcinogenic contaminant 1,4-Dioxane in leading shampoos, body washes, lotions and other personal care and household cleaning products claiming to be "natural" or "organic". The study results, to be released this weekend at the Natural Products Expo in California, are already sending shockwaves through the "organic" and "natural" body care industry. Laboratory tests showed that products certified under the USDA National Organic Program DID NOT contain this toxin, but most of the best selling personal care products claiming to be "organic" (but not USDA certified) contained the cancer-causing ingredient. All leading self-proclaimed "organic" brands have at least a few individual "certified organic" ingredients, but for most of these top-selling brands, the product, as a whole, is not USDA organic certified, thereby allowing the presence of synthetic toxins. Similar studies have revealed the presence of this toxin in conventional personal care products, but this is the first study indicating the presence in misleadingly labeled "organic" and "natural" products. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/comingclean.cfm



HOW TO AVOID 1,4-DIOXANE IN YOUR PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS:

Some of the products found to contain 1,4-Dioxane: JASON Pure Natural & Organic, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Kiss My Face, Nature’s Gate Organics (see a full list of OCA's study results here)

Remember that just because a personal care product labels itself with the words "organic" or "certified organic" doesn't mean it meets any specified organic standards.

Look for products that are certified under the USDA National Organic Program (or a similar German program) and products that bear the "USDA Organic" seal.

Search product labels for ingredients with the following in their names to avoid products containing 1,4-Dioxane: myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, any other eth, PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol.

In general, avoid products with unpronounceable ingredients to be sure to avoid synthetic toxins and carcinogens.

good morning, sunshine!

daffodils!

to those of you in colder climes:

neener
neener
NEENER

couldn't resist taking a photo of the sweet iris, too.

looks like I'll have flowers in bloom by my birthday!! :-)

springtime already?

There's dafodils about to start blooming. The breeding pair of red-shouldered hawks have returned and are taking nest materials to all of the tall trees nearby. Didn't think they'd want to raise their babies with the red-tailed hawk's feeding platform nest in my front yard (no babies, seems she just uses it to eat the critters), but they don't seem concerned with her. I love them, they sing to each other all morning long. Glad they came back again this year. Maybe we'll get to see them raise some more babies.

The Longest Walk 2

The Longest Walk 2 (if link doesn't work, make sure the www is in there)

On Feb. 11th, Longest Walk participants will embark on a 5 month journey from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. arriving on July 11th. The Longest Walk south route is being led by AIM co-founder Dennis J. Banks. It is an extraordinary grassroots effort on a national level to bring attention to the environmental disharmony of Mother Earth, sacred site issues, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original longest walk.

...

The Longest Walk is open to people of all nations and cultures. You will be asked to fill out a registration form and abide by the code of conduct/guidelines/principles of unity.

The Longest Walk 2 – Southern Route is being organized and led by American Indian Movement co-founder Dennis J. Banks, elders and original 1978 Walkers. Communities welcoming the Longest Walk 2-Southern Route are: Rumsey Wintun, Three Rivers, Santa Rosa Tachi, Mojave, Chumash, United Farm Workers, Navajo Nation, Houma Nation and the Choctaw to name a few. The Nipponzan Miyohoji Buddhists from Japan will be joining The Longest Walk 2 - Southern Route.

The purpose of the Southern route is to continue and carry the message from the Longest Walk of 1978: "The Longest Walk is an Indian spiritual walk, a historical walk; and it is a walk for educational awareness to the American and the world communities about the concerns of American Indian people." The Longest Walk 2 is walking to create awareness about the environment. We are walking to protect sacred sites in our country. We are walking to promote positive change in our world.

The Longest Walk 2 is a peaceful, spiritual effort to engage with the public about restoring harmony with the environment by leading an effort to clean up the lands surrounding our highways. We will be launching The Clean Up Mother Earth Campaign where our Longest Walk participants will work together to clean up our country's highways and roads by collecting debris found along the Longest Walk route. This monumental task will engage Walkers in a global effort at a grassroots level to promote harmony with our delicate environment. A rotating team of walkers will pick up trash along the way with trash pokers leaving a healthy trail in their path.

We take up this task to walk in a manner befitting our nations. We shall walk for the Seventh Generation, for peace, for justice, for healing of Mother Earth, for the healing of our people suffering from diabetes, heart conditions and other diseases.

We are Cleaning Up Mother Earth mile-by-mile, village-to-village, city-to-city, state-to-state and shore-to-shore from Alcatraz Island to Washington, D.C. We walk with the message: All Life is Sacred.

...

If you are interested in walking please be sure to read the following pages on our website:
FAQ's
Walker Resources Page
First-Aid Zine for Walkers (Right Click to download 1.4mb pdf)
If you do decide to register for the walk you will receive an orientation packet upon completion of your registration. Currently we are registering only volunteers, who can walk the whole way as well. You can fill that out online here.
Here is a Link to the Northern Route Overview

SNOW!

it's quickly melting now, but I snapped some quick photos last night...





neat, huh?

it's that time of year again

*sigh* No matter how many wonderful things are happening in my life right now, I feel like I'm drowning sometimes. And it looks like we'll have to use plastic to pay for the kids to have a nice Christmas. It goes against everything I believe in, but I don't want to disappoint the children. Our grocery bill has gotten simply outrageous lately! Hamburger, the cheap stuff, is up to $3 a pound. WHAT??! yeah, wasn't that long ago you could find it for less than $1/lb on sale. We gotta eat. And we can't eat just anything, it has to be gluten-free, so there's another added expense.

Think I'll give etsy another try. At least sewing will keep me busy, it's lots of fun for me, and that's one hobby I have plenty of supplies without going out and spending any money we don't have on it.

diapers and potties and such

it's simply amazing to me, how different my girls are, them having the same parents and same environment and all. Littlest one is no longer wearing diapers during the day. Unlike big sister, though, she's been having accidents sometimes. When my oldest daughter stopped wearing diapers, that was it, no accidents, she was totally ready. Little one is doing things her own unique way, and Mommy is cleaning up the mess. But at least I'm not washing those dirty diapers every day and maybe, just maybe, I will soon eliminate that mountain of laundry that never seems to go away.

How to Make a Solar Power Generator for Less Than $300

link
...pretty neat!
and while you're there, check out Gardening as an Anarchist Plot

weird hawk behavior

I don't know much about hawks, really, practically nothing at all. But they seem to be acting funny, two of them at least. Laying down with wings outstretched, spread out like roadkill or something. Not a very threatening hawk-like posture. Though one of them seemed to be dancing with another for a while, and perhaps it isn't one family of hawks but rather two breeding pairs? I don't know, but they sure are interesting animals to watch (and in my own backyard no less)! I'm fairly certain they are red-shouldered hawks. They constantly vocalize to each other and seem to hunt in a pack. All four of them are guarding my garden right this very moment, two of the four laying down all stretched out in the sunshine, one on the ground under the clothesline and the other on top of the girls' swingset.

edit:
link "Red-shouldered hawks are solitary and territorial. They do not form flocks, even in the winter."

hm... well they certainly do hunt cooperatively. They call out to each other with a cheecheecheecheechee that tells the others their position. One will distract, with a loud screech, potential prey from noticing another hawk poised to swoop down on it from a different direction. I've heard at least five or six different distinct calls they make to each other that I would presume each communicates a specific idea to the other hawks. ...fascinating

in response to my earlier question, Aunt Valerie (she knows lots about birds) says they are probably sunning themselves. :)