This technique is suitable for any floor that has either a drain or an open side where water can spill onto the ground. I learned the cleaning technique at Girl Scout camp, and years later I realized its wonderful compatibility with those "still very soapy on the inside but with not enough soap to pour" … Continue reading How to Clean a Basement or Porch Floor AND Use Up the Last Dregs of Liquid Laundry Detergent
Month: November 2009
Fevered Imagining
I've been sick off and on for a couple of weeks, and the thermometer claims I have no fever, but I think I must because of the dreams. For example: The flowerbeds of the little plaza a few blocks away turn out to be a rich source of earthworms. Nicholas and I spontaneously decide to … Continue reading Fevered Imagining
Learning from Old Clothes
Learning about the history of clothing fashions is an activity I've done with Girl Scouts several times. It's part of the Art to Wear Try-It and badge, Listening to the Past Try-It, and probably a few others. It's always been fascinating. Clothing is so intimately a part of our daily lives that thinking about what people like ourselves wore … Continue reading Learning from Old Clothes
Why aren’t we married?
Three years ago, Daniel and I were interviewed by Redbook magazine for an article called "The Changing Shape of the American Family" which profiled several different family structures. The Alternatives to Marriage Project referred the reporter to us as an example of a stable couple raising a child without being married. The final article [which, … Continue reading Why aren’t we married?
Layered Bedding
Something that really works for me in cold weather is putting layers on my bed, just the way I put layers on my body. I'm one of those people who's easily chilled and very bothered by feeling cold, especially when I'm tired, so having a cozy bed is very important to me. Daniel and I … Continue reading Layered Bedding
My Favorite Invention Name Changes of 1997
One of my responsibilities when I was a technical writer at an invention-marketing company was to keep track of changes to the name of an invention (that is, the inventor had changed his/her mind about the name under which the concept should be pitched to manufacturers) so that we'd be sure to use the correct, … Continue reading My Favorite Invention Name Changes of 1997
Client Service Notes
Here's another thing I saved from my long-ago job at an invention-marketing company: A letter I distributed to the client service representatives on my last day. These were the long-suffering people who spoke with the inventors by phone and did their very best to speak to these people as if they were sane and reasonable. … Continue reading Client Service Notes
Knee-bouncing Games
These two games have been enjoyed by little children in my family for at least three generations. They worked for me when I was little, they've been favorites of my four-year-old son since he was about nine months old, and I look forward to trying them on his younger cousins this Thanksgiving! These are the … Continue reading Knee-bouncing Games
The Earthling's Handbook 