Sheet Snob

Today was my twice-yearly bed renovation day. I took off the winter duvet cover and dust ruffle and put on the warm weather versions. I also removed the flannel sheets from the bed and washed the mattress cover. When it was time to re-make the bed I remembered I'd received a new set of sheets as one of my birthday presents back in January.

The beautiful new sky blue sheets came packaged in a sturdy plastic bag that had a zipper and a tassel.  When I took them out I was impressed at how soft and silky they were.  When I looked at the label I was surprised to find out that they weren't cotton, but brushed microfiber!

I've always used cotton sheets (percale in the summer and flannel in the winter), so the idea of microfiber was a little strange.  However, I try to be open to new ideas, so I washed the sheets and made up the bed.  The sheets came out completely wrinkle free.  I liked that the fitted sheet had a nice deep pocket, and elastic elastic that went completely around.  The flat sheet was long enough to tuck in securely at the foot of the bed.

I'll have to see how the new sheets wear.  If they're good, I may not go back to cotton.

Five years ago today: Create A Masterpiece, Feed A Family

"Around us, life bursts with miracles"

"Around us, life bursts with miracles, a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there."

--Thích Nhat Hạnh

Five years ago today: BUNCO!

Irritating Insomnolence

Most nights I wake up at least once.  About half of the time I can take care of whatever business I need to and go right back to sleep.  However, on the other nights I'm not so lucky.  I go to bed and slumber for four solid hours, then wake up and spend the rest of the night drifting in and out of consciousness until the alarm goes off.  

I blame the annoying insomnia nights on my crazy middle-aged hormones.  Sometimes I have to go to the bathroom.  Sometimes I wake up because I'm hot, or I'm cold because I kicked off the blankets when I got hot.  Sometimes there's a combination of issues.  Whatever the reason, it's very irritating to lie awake in the wee hours of the morning and think about trying to get back to sleep.

I try all sorts of tricks to relax my mind.  Sometimes they work.  If they don't I turn on the radio next to the bed, which is set to our local NPR station. Overnight they switch to programming by the BBC World Service.  I start to listen to the soothing British voices, which eventually lull me back to slumberland. 

However, until I get back to sleep I'm usually learning random things.  For example, after last night I'm pretty confident I know more about the current elections in India and the fighting in South Sudan than the vast majority of people who live in the Midwestern section of the United States of America.

Five years ago today: Data Detective

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure (Part 2)

Yesterday I told you the story of how we upgraded our weight bench in the basement, then needed to get rid of the old one.  I got some great comments on the post, including one from a.eye who reminded me that instead of sending the bench to the landfill it would be better to give it to someone.  I don't know why that didn't occur to me; I've regularly used Craigslist, Freecycle, and local online recycling forums in the past.)

Resolving to do the 'green thing', yesterday afternoon when I got home from work I carried the bench out to the curb.  I set it next to the mailbox, making sure the large FREE sign taped to the side was easy to see.  As I did, I noticed the bench was still structurally sound but the vinyl on the pads was cracking more than it used to.  It was looking its age.  I figured the worst that could happen is that the bench would still be there in the morning and I'd have to drag it back inside.  Several hours later when I was sitting in the family room watching TV I heard car doors in front of the house.  When I looked outside the bench was gone. 

I didn't realize until this morning  that today's Earth Day, so it's appropriate that the old bench never made it to the landfill.

Five years ago today: Walking Down Your Street

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure

When Son Donald moved back home last year he brought his small collection of free weights.  He also returned the old weight bench I'd gleaned from a trash pile for him about five years earlier. He put everything in the basement, and when the weather was too hot/too cold or we didn't feel like going to the gym we'd use them.  However, the bench was rickety and missing a leg extension attachment on the end.  (Which was the same condition it was when it came into the house, so no surprises there.)

Last fall Hubby Tony noticed one of our neighbors had set out a weight bench with a big "FREE" sign on it.  It was much nicer than the one we had, so he brought it in the house.   We put the old bench in the unfinished area, where it was in the way any time I needed to get something off the shelves.

Twice a year our city has a bulk trash collection. The spring one is this week.  Guess what we're setting out to get rid of?

Old bench

New bench

Five years ago today: Appeal To The Masses

If There Is A God, He Did Not Mean This To Be So

Moses: No son could have more love for you than I.

Sethi: Then why are you forcing me to destroy you? What evil has done this to you?

Moses: The evil that men should turn their brothers into beasts of burden, to be stripped of spirit, and hope, and strength - only because they are of another race, another creed. If there is a god, he did not mean this to be so.

 The Ten Commandments

Five years ago today: Root The Crown

Superstar

Several years ago I started a Holy Week tradition of listening to the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in the days leading up to Easter.  The two are a perfect fit, because the opera (one of the earlier works by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) is loosely based on the Gospel accounts of the last week of Jesus' life. 

There are three versions--I have the rock opera one from 1970 (as opposed to the Broadway cast recording from 1971 or the movie soundtrack from 1973.)   When the album first came out my religiously traditional mother thought it was sacrilegious and banned it from the house. In her mind Biblical stories should not be set to rock music!  That just meant that instead of playing it at home I listened at my friends' houses. 

It wasn't until years later, though, when I got a copy on CD that I really began to appreciate the complex themes, lyrics, and music of the disc.  Now, driving around in the car I can crank up the volume and feel like I'm in my own personal concert hall.

The only problem with listening to the infectious songs, though, is getting them stuck in my head. At different times during the week walked around singing different snippets.  First it was "Hosanna" (Hosanna, Heysanna, Sanna Sanna Ho).  Next was "King Herod's Song" (So you are the Christ/You're the great Jesus Christ/Prove to me that you're divine/Change my water into wine.) and the latest has been "This Jesus Must Die" (What then to do about this Jesus-mania?/Now how to we deal with a carpenter king?/Where do we start with a man who is bigger/Than John was when John did his baptism thing?)

I could probably have worse things stuck in my head, though.

Five years ago today: It's Still Rock and Roll to Me

Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts from my first grass cutting of the year:

--The bangs I got to go along with my new hairdo are now long enough to fall into my eyes, but too short to tuck behind my ears.  I'll have to get a haircut soon.

--I wonder what type of bird had sported the small pile of feathers I found scattered next to the maple tree, and what ate the rest of the bird?

--It's a shame the 'turf authorities' have deemed that violets and dandelions are weeds that shouldn't be allowed in lawns.  Their purple and yellow flowers go so well together.

--If they also reclassified chickweed and henbit as acceptable lawn additions, our yard would be one of the best in the neighborhood.

--I stepped on several fresh mole runs in the far corner of the back yard.  Someone once told me you'll only find moles in fertile soil with lots of earthworms.  Wonder if that's true?

--The neighbor's fence has wide cedar slats mounted on both sides of the rails.  One of the boards on our side has broken off and the piece is laying on the ground.  Would they appreciate me letting them know about it, or would they think I was fault-finding?  (If the shoe was on the other foot I'd want to know).

Five years ago today: Who You Gonna Call? FurBusters!

Tax Day 2014

Am I the only one who hadn't realized the two spelling permutations?

Source

Five years ago today: The Big Switch

Bloomin' Delicious

Photo by Greg Hume

I recently read an interesting article about native trees and shrubs that you can use for edible landscaping and was surprised to find out that I had one of them, a redbud tree, growing in my back yard.  The article said that the flowers of redbud trees were "tasty and attractive additions to salads, pancakes, and muffins".  Since the tree just started blooming a couple of days ago the timing was perfect to find out if they really were.

Tonight after dinner Son Donald and I went out and collected about two cups of redbud blooms and buds.  Our redbud tree is about 20 feet tall, but it grows right next to the deck and the branches are easy to reach. I sorted and washed the blooms and added them to my standard muffin recipe. When it was mixed the batter looked stiff and lumpy, but the finished muffins were dense and moist, with a vaguely fruity taste.

Wikipedia told me that Native Americans consumed redbud flowers raw or boiled, and ate roasted seeds.  There just might be another redbud project coming several months from now.

Five years ago today: Apologies In Advance