Remembering Memorial Day

Having a wonderfully calm and enjoyable Memorial Day, making a pinata for DG's birthday next week. Tried to get DJ involved by making it a shark, but after he decided the paper mache goo was too yucky, it began morphing into...a dolphin? A birdfish? Not sure.

Thinking about the soldiers who have fought for our country in many thankless, violent wars. Like my dad, who fought at Guada Canal during WWII and lived like a junkyard dog in the jungles, never really fully recovering mentally or physically from the experience. And also thinking about my friend and mentor, Russell, who died this past December. Russell fought in France during the same war; he went into the army a mathematician and left as an artist.

Update: The old man informs me that the pinata is an Icthyosaurus.

How to Make a Poncho from a Shower Curtain (with video) - wikiHow

How to Make a Poncho from a Shower Curtain (with video) - wikiHow

wikiHow has been on fire, lately, with the recycled items. I just posted another wikiHow on how to make flip-flops from an old yoga mat.

Hey, and the video says it's also from ThreadBanger! These guys are great!

Need-a-Bag Project Update 05.16.09 -- Remote Post

Note: The Need-a-Bag? project was created to promote sustainable bagging at the Hwy 441 Alachua County Farmer's Market each Saturday morning. We supply reusable tote bags reclaimed from thrift stores and garage sales. The Need-a-Bag? project also utilizes old tank tops as tote bags by sewing up the bottoms (these are called t-totes). We invite you to read the other posts on the project by clicking the "Need-a-Bag? Project" label at the bottom of this post.

Due to my son's 7th birthday celebration, I was unable to attend the farmer's market today, but DG reports that it was busy, there was one bag left from last week, she put out a ton of bags from the Peaceful Paths Thrift Shoppe (because they are a seemingly bottomless pit of cheap tote bags), and was given some tote bags from our intrepid garage sale guru and Need-a-Bag? Project Associate, Jean. Thank you, Jean!

DG also reports that the drop box (the saga of which I have detailed here and here) is now located next to the citrus and caladium booth (that's right, folks, get your caladiums!) where Erika-of-the-fine-and-tasty-citrus-and-now-caladiums can keep a close eye on it. No empty donut bags going in there, I'll tell you what!

Did you know that some dishliquids go bad?

...At least Seventh Generation's Lemongrass and Clementine Zest dish liquid does. We bought some for the house and I guess we had it for about 3 months or so, and it started to turn brown. I didn't think anything of it, and then started noticing that the sink stank more than it usually does when it's full of dirty dishes. When I used the liquid I noticed that the smell was getting a little sharper...and finally, it was just plain rank. I started to use it this afternoon, realized that the ever-present stench in our sink was indeed coming from the bottle of dish liquid, and when I opened up the top, discovered that a fine patina of mold had coated the ENTIRE inside of the container. Out you go!

So, until I can get a bottle of the Lavender Floral and Mint (which did not seem to go bad), we're using the Dawn Dish detergent I was reserving for oil-based stains on clothing and really, really greasy dishes. I posted about Dawn here.

USB Charger Using a Bicycle -- I say, yes!

How to Charge Any USB Device by Riding Your Bike - More DIY How To Projects

Make Flip Flops from a Yoga Mat - wikiHow

Make Flip Flops from a Yoga Mat - wikiHow

as I will never learn how to use a scroll saw or a hack saw or whatever extremely dangerous power tool you would need in order to cut through radial tires for a pair of home made sandals like they used to wear in post-WWII Germany, I've decided that the only alternative would be to make these awesome flip flops from an old yoga mat. So, when I wear out my old yoga mat from all that yoga I'm doing (so, like, in 50 years), I'll turn them into an awesome pair of flip flops!

Got the pic from the above wikiHow article