THE LITTLE THINGS - THE COMPOST HEAP

My neighbors have started breaking ground for this year’s crops and I'm in the process of tilling and planting the half acre behind our little home.  It's about time to plant peas, potatoes and other spring crops. Two of the primary expenses in gardening after equipment are seeds and fertilizers.  (If you love gardening as I do, labor isn't a factor - it's a pleasure!) During the halcyon years in the past I gladly spent $300 to $500 on seeds and fertilizer for a garden that would yield perhaps $200 worth of fruits and veggies.  Besides fruits and vegetables that were way beyond the quality found in the supermarket, the effort at gardening helped keep me toned and trim in body, mind and spirit.  Plus there was usually a surplus to share with friends, family and neighbors with the plus that it bolstered these important relationships. Lastly, involving the children in such projects is an essential part of their upbringing.

This year the available budget is about $40 for seed $5 for fuel, with nothing left over for fertilizer.  I'm in the process of building a biofuel manaufacturing system to help escape the horrific cost of fuel, but that's still incomplete.  The seeds are already ordered, and most of them received.  (Does anyone know why Durham wheat is so scarce?) To cut the seed bill I saved seeds from some of the better plants from last year.  In terms of corn, that amounts to all the corn I need to plant this year.  For amaranth, that amounts to a tiny handful from the one spindly plant that survived. (Odd, how a purportedly drought and poor soil tolerant plant like Amaranth failed while fertilizer and water-hungry corn did remarkably well in our poor, dry, sandy soil!?)

For fertilizer we have an abundant supply of horse and turkey manure.  Both animals are quite helpful in that they generally pick one or two spots to deposit their contributions, and from there it easily shoveled up and put in a compost bin.

The trick was in the compost bins - no budget for these.

For the turkey poo I found that I could stack used tires into a hollow column and drop the poo in from the top.  When it had composted or needed to be turned, it's a simple matter to remove each tire and dump the contents in a wheelbarrow or on the ground.  Then the tires are restacked and either the turkey manure is spread in the garden, or returned to the tire column for more composting. I've seen an even more interesting digester design using some PVC pipe and truck inner tubes that captures the methane gas that evolves for cooking gas, but that's for future consideration.

I wanted to build a fancy barrel design composter for the horse manure where I could turn a crank and tumble and/or sift the contents into the wheelbarrow.  But there were insufficient funds and materials for such a project.  However, I did have about 16 feet of chain-link fence left over from building a dog pen.  (The same can typically be found in the scrap yard for a few $s.)  That and a few wooden posts and some baling wire made a fine compost bin.

Rainwater on a compost heap tends to leach nutrients and make the pile heavy and soggy, so I located this one under the eaves of the small barn I built.  Before heaping up the manure, I collected it in one spot and left it out for the chicken to scratch through for a few days.  They shredded it nicely from the round nuggets the horse produces (called "horse apples" by some) and left a product not unlike grass clippings.  This was raked up and heaped into the 4' x 4' x 4' tall square bin.

The first time I built the pile it seemed rather dry, so I added about a gallon of water every six inches.  After a couple months I broke the pile down to see how it was doing.  (This was a simple matter of removing the baling wire ties that secured the fence material to the posts, and slipping the fence off the pile.)  A good couple shoves with a tined rake and the pile was turned.  It was composting well enough, but still a bit dry, so I added another gallon of water or so to each 4-6 inches as I rebuilt it. I also learned that it's better to put the posts on the outside of the fence than the inside because the dead space around the posts is wasted and can create a site where loose compost easily spills out.  Therefore, put the posts outside the fence if you build a pile like this.

Another composting project involves teabags.  If you're a regular drinker of either iced or hot tea as I am, you probably toss those used tea bags away as I did for many years.  Then I was visiting a friend, Irina D., who had a lovely lemon tree growing in a pot on her kitchen window.  It was quite healthy looking and the soil in the pot was rich and dark.  I asked her what kind of potting soil she used to get such good results.  "Chai," she replied simply.


I hadn't heard of such a brand before and asked her where she bought it and whether it was expensive. 


"Here," she said, picking up a tea strainer and dumping the contents out into the pot, "and it's free."


Last year I tried that too, but the tea leaves dried out easily in small pots.  So, this year I'm adding a little soil to the mix.  I have plenty of egg cartons to start the seedlings in, and the bonus with paper ones is that you can plant the seedling 'pot' and all!  I'm going to start lemon, orange, date and olive trees in some Chai and will see how they turn out.

In a week or two I will start planting potatoes in the manure-compost, and by spring should have a nice crop of spuds!

THE LITTLE THINGS - WASHING DISHES

As I wrote before, it seems that whenever income dries up, appliances decide to develop malfunctions or die altogether.  I suppose that if we had a dishwasher, it too would have failed by now.  For good or bad, our rental home didn't come with a dishwasher and obviously we can't afford to buy one now.  That leaves three options.  One is explained in the following joke.

JOKE

A man visits his father who has retired to a small, primitive cabin in the woods.  They eat dinner together and as they dine, the son notices that the glass he's drinking from isn't exactly spotless.

"Dad," he says, "this glass doesn't look clean.  Was it washed?"

Without looking up, the father scowls and replies, "That's the best Cold Water can do son."

As they finish the meal, the son looks at the dishes and remarks, "You know, these dishes really seem rather dirty and the food tasted funny.  Are you sure they were washed properly."

The father goes to get dessert while the son clears the table. "Don't be so fussy.  You know we don't have fancy dishwashers like folks in town.  That's the best Cold Water can do."

Dessert is served and the son looks at his serving with some apprehension.  "I'm full dad.  I think I'll pass on dessert.  Besides, it's late and I should be heading home."

"Suit yourself," the father replies and eats both desserts as the son puts on his coat and hat.  

As the son is leaving, he stops and watches his father lay out all the dishes on the front porch and whistle loudly.  "Here Cold Water, come and get it!" he calls.   A large hound dog lopes up and begins licking the dishes clean.

The son decides he won’t be dining there for awhile.

END OF JOKE

Now, while we have do have a dog, we NEVER let her eat from the same dishes we eat from.

The other two options are to use disposable plates, cups and utensils or to wash by hand.  The former seems like an extravagant waste, so we are relegated to the latter.  I don't like washing dishes and my daughter detests it.  So we take turns, but due to obvious friction, it seems to be more often my turn than hers.

I have learned a few things from this.  

1. wash the dishes after each meal if possible because they stack up rapidly and fill the sink and counter.  Also, left in the open long, the food dries or turns nasty and this makes washing by hand all the more unpleasant and tedious.

2. use good dish washing soap.  I tried cheap brands and I tried making my own.  Spending 20 or 30 cents more for a bottle of Dawn or the like is very much worth the extra cost. 

3. A good sponge, preferably with scotch brite on one side is a great tool. Scrub brushes and metal scouring pads aren't usually worth the extra expense and effort.

4. to clean metal with tarnish or charred spots use baking soda and lemon juice backed up by vigorous scouring with scotch brite. (Copper is easy to clean, stainless steel the most difficult)

5. to clean teapots and other glass or ceramic drinking vessels with deposits in them use a special coffee pot cleaner - Dip It works well if allowed to soak overnight.  Rinse thoroughly after cleaning though or you’ll have a new and startling taste sensation!

6. don't bother drying the dishes if you are not in a hurry.  They will air dry perfectly well in the dish drainer, and have a capacious drainer with a separate slot for utensils and hooks for cups.  Note: dry cups upside down so the water can run out.  Place on a towel if there's no room in the dish drainer.

7. Put the dishes away when they are dry for two reasons:

       a. you'll need the room later

       b. if you accidentally bump a large pile of dishes the result can be highly embarrassing!

8. don't let wooden or carbon steel (like cast iron pans) soak in water, they will rot and rust.  Aluminum pots and utensils should also not soak or be exposed t caustic cleaners.

9. wash cans and bottles you intend to recycle or save.  This doesn't require much more effort and is a kindness to the recycles and provides you with a handy supply of containers. Save labels for the local public school if they redeem them for things from the vendor.

10. replace sponges at regular intervals of a week or so – or else!

Despite being underemployed, I do have a busy schedule and so rather resent the time spent on washing dishes.  For a while I just stood there at the sink and endured this seeming waste of time until I realized that there are some things I can do even when my hands are busy (and my brain isn't!).

Singing!

I sing base in our church choir and am not yet one of the best choralists. So I prop up a hymn book on the window frame and sing while I scrub the pots and pans.  Progress is slow, but there has been significant improvement in my skill since beginning this program.  Playing accompanying music on the CD player also helps.  Admittedly, hymns can become a little monotonous at times too.  So, I throw in some ballads and folk songs now and then.  They are easy and simple and repetitive, so not too challenging for an amateur like me. 

Lastly, we don't forget the dog.  BEFORE washing the dishes, we scrape the leftovers into a feeding bowl and let her contend with the turkeys for the scraps.  Between them nothing remains, not even potatoes peels!

Someday I hope to have a dishwasher again.  The thought that I shall use a bit more electricity or water does bother me, but by then I should have reached my peak as a singer and will look forward to respite from the sponge.

BOOK REVIEW - FASTING BY SCOT MCKNIGHT

I love to read and the current budget crisis has meant looking for alternatives to retail book stores for quality reading.  A friend of mine told me about programs where you can receive books for free in return for reading them and writing reviews.  The first one I signed up for that sent me a book was Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson Publishers). As usual, things didn't turn out as simple or easy as I'd hoped.  I expected to either like or dislike the book and be able to read it through once and write a simple review explaining why.  The book, Fasting, by Scot McKnight turned out to be a very weighty book with some significantly good and bad points. The exercise to read and review it was far in excess of the value of the $12.99 cover price, but the effort was well spent.  For it forced me to think critically about an important subject and produce a review worthy of a piece of quality literature.  I shall do this again. To fulfill my obligation and give potential readers a good overview of the book I submit the review below:

BOOK REVIEW

Author: Scot McKnight

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN

Contributing Author(s): Forward by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor, Ancient Practices Series

ISBN: 978-0-8499-4605-9

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES:

Price: $12.99 USD

Reading Time: 4-5 hours

Format: Paperback

No. of Pages: 198 pages (forward 3, introduction 11, body 169, study guide 5, acknowledgements 2, recommended readings 1, notes 7, biography 1)

Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.0 x 4.3 cm (8 3/8 x 5 ½ x 9/16 in)

Weight: 197g (7.0 oz).

Cover Design: color cover by Casey Hooper

Illustrations: none

Maps/Inserts: none

Appendices:

     index: none

     bibliography: yes

     biography: yes

     glossary: none, one neologism - benefit-itis

     Other: acknowledgment, recommended reading, notes

                     

Other books by author: A Community Called Atonement 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed  The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible A Companion Guide to the Jesus Creed  Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels  Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels  Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us  The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research  Finding Faith, Losing Faith: Stories of Conversion and Apostasy  Galatians  The Historical Jesus in Recent Research  Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels  Introducing New Testament Interpretation  Jesus And His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, And Atonement Theory  The Jesus Creed Devotional  The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others  Jesus in Early Christian Memory: Essays in Honour of James D. G. Dunn  Light Among the Gentiles: Jewish Missionary Activity in the Second Temple Period  A New Vision for Israel: The Teachings of Jesus in National Context  Peter 1  The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus  Rzim Critical Questions Discussion Guides  The Story of the Christ  The Synoptic Gospels: An Annotated Bibliography  Turning to Jesus: The Sociology of Conversion in the Gospels  Who Do My Opponents Say That I Am?: An Investigation of the Accusations Against Jesus  Who Was Jesus?

Rating 8/10

SUMMARY: This is a book in a series on ancient Christian practices and is focused on fasting.  It is written primarily from a Protestant viewpoint, but includes relevant material from Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox teachings and practices. The main theme is on voluntary limits on food and drink and addresses abstinence in general more peripherally. The material chiefly presumes Biblical precedents and principles and draws almost exclusively from mainstream Christian sources. The author is a degreed theological professor with multiple books published on Christian topics.

REVIEW

The review of this book should begin with well deserved praise. Scot McKnight has done the prodigious job of summarizing much of the broad subject of fasting presented in scripture and in classical and contemporary literature in a systematic fashion, and presented his findings in a very readable and well organized book.  He has uncovered the fundamental principles and ultimate goals of fasting and more or less stated them in plain, understandable language.  That alone is a significant accomplishment.  That iT has reached publication in a readable and manageable book is even better.  Moreover, he has done this while remaining true to his Anabaptist tenets and largely resisted temptation to yield to the common but questionable practice to inject trendy ideas and purulent content to enhance sales.  Overall it is an intermediate level book on fasting, cautiously and conservatively drawn with no great surprises but some interesting research and useful insight and opinion.

To use an analogy, the production of this book could be compared to the situation where a mechanical genius was presented with a great heap of mixed aircraft, helicopter, truck and tractor parts (plus a lot of trash), sorted them out, discarded the irrelevant ones, repaired the damaged parts, fabricated a few missing ones and miraculously assembled a functional helicopter.  However, he hadn’t charged it or fueled it and was afraid to fly it. So the builder was content to let it be inspected and admired by others, on occasion to play with the controls and swing the blades round once or twice a year by hand. As can be guessed from this analogy there are some things missing from the book and a great deal of potential not realized.

The analogy is explained as follows. Initially Scot defines fasting as “…a natural, inevitable response of a person to a grievous sacred moment.” Then the author also at first confines the topic to food and drink and sets a twelve-hour limit on fasting for most practical purposes. Thirdly, the author confidently asserts that the body and soul are integrated and at the same time frankly admits he can’t clearly explain the difference between soul and spirit.  The last point suggests to me that Scot has yet to thoroughly study the body/soul/spirit subject in depth and similarly has not yet had a truly profound spiritual experience.  This means both that he has some very amazing and wonderful discoveries ahead of him, and that a main theme of the book, that the body is the primary focus of fasting, should be revisited when he has.

The commitment to defining fasting in terms of grief also causes the book to tell only half the story.  The other side, joy in fasting, is only addressed very briefly and lightly. The miraculous experience of prolonged fasting in communion with God without thirst or hunger and without the need for food or water is not developed at all. This is a great loss to both author and reader alike. These narrow definitions also create some difficulties for the Scot later in the book when he must deal with Isaiah 58, where social justice is equated with fasting.  This is patched up by lumping other forms of fasting into abstinence and recasting social justice as a product of what is termed “body poverty.” Which is a round about way of saying compassion and social justice are the products of food and water fasting, which doesn’t stand well on its own. This leads to further unnecessary complications where justice and solidarity and holiness are made “companions” of fasting father than facets of fasting. It would have been better to leave them as legitimate, stand-alone expressions of fasting.

McKnight goes to great length to avoid three errors he calls: instrumentalism, dualism and rigorous fasting.  Instrumentalism is trying to manipulate God or people through fasting. Avoiding this subject means that the use of fasting to receive God’s provision by this means is also neglected and a source of great transforming power to the believer ignored.  Dualism in the book means regarding the body and soul and separate and unequal. The assumption that they are integrated and equal highly simplifies the approach to fasting for the sake of the book but it means that very useful functional distinctions between physical and spiritual aspects of fasting remain unrecognized and unaddressed.  Scot plays safe by downplaying rigorous fasting both from a theological and medical viewpoint. This means that while no great harm could come by someone following this book, neither would any great benefit occur either.

There are also a few places where Scot assures the reader that the scriptures support a premise of the book – these should not be passed without carefully checking the facts. Lastly, the author treats some of the great church fathers and reformers rather lightly. While it’s his book, I think that when writing from the relative safety and stability of academia, special care should be taken when judging the lives of those who lived in less enlightened times and who can no longer defend themselves in print.  But these last two are a subjective points and leaving it at that, I conclude with some more good points about the book.

Scot McKnight surely spent time in prayer and listened hard for the answers because the conclusions he arrives at are very much on target regarding the material he presented. “Encountering God’s utter holiness,” he writes, “and deep love prompts fasting.” (pg. 121) is an acutely perceptive observation given the role of grief in fasting. He also recognizes this joyful side of fasting when he writes on page 149, “There is joy in simply communicating wholly with God. Communication with God is, in my opinion, the intent of fasting.”  He is right on the mark with this.  The author also provides the reader with a good test for whether fasting is working or not. “If your fast does not lead you to deeper love for God and others or to a more complete holiness, your spirituality is leaky!” (pg. 138) and “If you are not discovering some moral improvement, you are not fasting aright.” (pg. 139). “The singular marks of piety in the New Testament are these: loving God, loving others and living in the Spirit.” Well done!

The final and most profound truth about fasting is tucked away on chapter 10 where McKnight cites the Eastern Orthodox church’s teaching that “’The aim of life of each and every Christian, the Orthodox teach, is union [henosis] with God and deification [theosis].’” (pg. 128) It is in that union with God and the deification of the believer that grief turns to joy and communion replaces other needs with the fullness of God. That, in essence, is what fasting celebrates and looks forward to.

In closing, I do not recommend this book to new or lightly experienced believers because some of the above mentioned deficiencies could lead them on unprofitable tangents or discourage them from deeper efforts into fasting.  It is very useful to the mature Christian for its insight and scholarship.  This book is also a good foundation for a more exhaustive work and I’d really like to see that get off the ground.  Overall this is a well done book deserving of more thought and commentary.  So I will post a more in-depth review on my blog, www.falken-farm.blogspot.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

2011 TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL INAUGURATION - THE TEXAS CENTURY

As a contributor to the Perry Campaign, I received an invitation to Texas Governor Rick Perry's historic and unprecedented third inauguration at the Capitol in Austin yesterday.  It was my first time at a live inauguration and it lived up to all my expectations.

My daughter and I arrived an hour early to be sure of finding parking and getting a good spot to watch the event.  After parking, we browsed the capitol building, made of sunset red granite and dedicated in 1888.  The restoration work on the capitol I had seen on previous visits had been nicely finished and my daughter remarked how beautiful the building looked inside.  We picked up some souvenirs at the gift shop and headed out to the front to wait for the ceremony.  I've lost count of how many times I've passed through the rotunda and am always impressed at the size and spaciousness of this grand room.  That day it was packed with visitors and more than the usual complement of Texas State Troopers. My daughter remarked how imposing the tall peace officers looked in their gray uniforms and distinctive cowboy hats.

The weather outside was cool and overcast.  We walked past the National Guardsmen with the cannon borrowed from Camp Mabry and picked a nice spot on a small rise under s tree where we had a good oblique view of the stand.  The crowd was gathering and included a full spectrum of people from well dressed elites to curious street people.  Most of those gathered were middle aged adults, typically couples in coats and hats.  We didn't have special seating arrangements, so we stood near gate IV of  the VIP section where the fence had acquired a layer of onlookers about three people deep.

A little before the ceremony, an announcer instructed the media representatives to set up their cameras on one of the two scaffold set up for them there.  In reporter from KVUE came by and asked my daughter and me if we'd like to be interviewed.  My daughter felt unprepared, but I offered to do so.

The reporter, Jade Mingus, asked my why I had come and mentioned the high profile nature of the event and the recent shootings in Tucson and asked me if I was concerned for my safety.  This brought to mind my experience back in 2005 when I was an MP in the Texas State Guard and deployed during the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  We had been ordered by Governor Perry to provide security and relief operations for the evacuees.  During the two months I was deployed we worked in shelters and distribution lines that involved dealing with the full spectrum of people from very bad to very good, with most somewhere in between.  Many had come from the chaos in New Orleans and had expressed amazement and deep gratitude at how secure and orderly the shelters were in Texas.  There had been plenty of potential for trouble, but I hadn't seen it get very far.  I knew the governor and his people ran a tight, professional operation and had few worries then.  I wouldn't have brought my daughter to the inauguration if I'd thought there was any danger that morning.

After a moment of thought, I explained how we'd come from our home town in East Texas to show our support for the governor and witness the historical event.  Then I pointed out that besides the Governor's normal security detail, there were the State Troopers, DPS and National Guardsmen.  I added that I expected Perry, as a Christian, to give the matter to God in prayer and said that, in a word, the matter was covered and I wasn't concerned.  I thought I'd also recognized some Texas Rangers I'd met before in the crowd, but didn't want to give that away.  As expected, the event went quite smoothly.  I didn't see my comments in the final broadcast.

KVUE BROADCAST IN INAUGURATION SECURITY

We also didn't see the scheduled flyover of F-16s, but there was an extremely unprofessional pilot who flew a single engine plane overhead trailing an advertisement for a company I shall write a scathing letter to.  The noise of its engine interfered with the governor's speech.  I understand they have already apologized.

The band began to play a little before the dignitaries came out and were introduced.

Lt Governor David Dewhurst was sworn in first and gave a good speech that referred to his rise from humble origins as a model for what's possible for Texans, while giving due credit to his wife's loving support.  It was a passionate speech which was aptly summed up in Dewhurst's quote from Ronald Reagan, "There are no easy answers; but there are simple answers."  It was a speech about fiscal responsibility by government and personal responsibility by the governed. It was bold and impassioned.  I could only wish he'd finished the quote from Reagan with "We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."

Later at the barbecue I had a chance to talk with Pat, one of his neighbors, who sincerely described the Dewhurst family as decent and personable people.  I had expected that, but was glad to have a first hand observation.

Next Governor Perry was sworn in and gave his speech.  It was a strong challenge to the administration in Washington to do better on the Texas model.  It was as great in its vision for Texas as Dewhurst's speech was passionate about Texas.  I especially liked his perspective on history how the attention of the country over time had shifted from east to west, and now looked to the gulf coast.  In the 21st century we hear much about the rise of China and Islam, which I think are way overdrawn.  It was refreshing to hear the governor of a state of 25 million people state emphatically that this is the Century of Texas.  It wasn't list on me that Sherry S., a Chinese student from Berkeley in California had come to see the inauguration and stood by us in rapt attention trying to peer over the crowd to watch Governor Perry as he spoke. Texas is doing things right and the world is watching.

Upon the conclusion of the speech, the mens' choir sang and the National Guard fired a twenty-one gun salute that startled not a few in the crowd.

After the speech we were invited to a barbecue lunch courtesy of billionaire Red McCombs who had paid $100,000 for an estimated10,000 people to eat on the capitol grounds.  The food was good and abundant and the lines moved remarkably quickly for so many people. We met a woman in line, Catherine R, who was blind.  We helped guide her through the line and to a table where we ate lunch together.  She told us about her work for a local oil company and her activity with the Republican Party.  Her best story was how, as a recent member of the party, she had volunteered for the county and then state delegation and eventually went to the national convention where she met President Richard M. Nixon.  After the barbecue we gave her a ride home and made the long trip back to our own much missed home.

It was also nice to know in a time of tight budgets that the $2 million cost of the modest inauguration had been covered by donations. I went away with the feeling that the "best is yet to come."

THE LITTLE THINGS - MAKING A LAMP

I had built a coop for the turkeys when one of the three hens (the best) disappeared suspiciously close to Thanksgiving.  I hope it was just a coyote.  I imagine God must regard it rather poorly when someone says grace to Him over a Thanksgiving turkey that was stolen. With the arrival of cold weather, the problem of frozen drinking water in the poultry watering cans became a problem.  I had three waterers and only two lamps.  I take it as a given that all we need to meet our needs is at hand, we only have to recognize it and find a way to use it.

Sure enough, at about the same time I found a discarded painters' lamp and a discarded monitor power cord for a computer. I wonder sometimes at those people who can casually discard an item that still has utility like these.  The lamp had a broken power cord, but was otherwise in workable condition.  I already had the necessary items to fabricate a serviceable lamp:

1. 1 lamp body
2. 1 power cord
3. solder
4. electrical tape
5. soldering torch
6. matches
7. tile
8. light bulb
9. knife

So, I set out the materials and tool, and then proceeded to repair the lamp as follows:

1. trim the ends of the lamp cord and power cord and remove insulation to expose the bare wired about 1/2 in long.
2. test the lamp and power cord for conductivity and twist the appropriate ends together.
3. heat up the joints in the wire and solder them together.
4. When the joints are cool, wrap them individually in electrical tape using about 2 inches of tape for the joints, and then wrap them again with another 4 inches of tape.
5. Screw in a working light bulb, 60W
6. Test the lamp

Cost - $0, a little butane, solder and tape and about 20 minutes labor.

The lamp was soon installed with a few screws in the coop and a safe warm, well-lighted haven was ready for the turkeys.

THE LITTLE THINGS - LAUNDRY PART II - DETERGENT RECIPES

Earlier I wrote how we cut costs by putting up a clothesline to replace our defunct dryer.  Not only did that cut our power bill (and hence our modest contribution to related issues like pollution and oil imports), but it had the added benefit of making the laundry smell fresher and be well sterilized by the ultraviolet radiation generously and freely provided in sunlight.

Well, we needed to cut further and I was irked at how the prices for laundry detergent have risen in the recent past.  It’s mostly borax and washing soda, so I can't understand why it's so expensive.  I assume much of that is packaging and advertizing, neither of which I care much for.  So, I decided to begin the adventure of making my own laundry detergent and found a large number of homemade detergent recipes on Tipnut.

TIPNUT - 10 HOME MADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT RECIPES

I bought the following items at the local supermarket:

Borax -                 76 oz @ $4.29

Washing Soda    55 oz @ $2.99

Glycerin               16 oz @ $5.00

I also needed bar soap, but had plenty on hand.

Equipment needed:

1 grater

1 pot - 5 gal

1 sauce pan

1 large spoon

1 strainer

1 large dish

1 metal can for measuring out the detergent

I had all these things but the 5 gal pot.  That was a find at the local scrap yard.  They don't seem to make them like this anymore.

I tried several recipes from the above link with the following results:

Liquid Detergent - Recipe #1

Ingredients                                   Cost

1 quart Water (boiling)                  $0.01
2 cups Bar soap (grated)             $0.78
2 cups Borax                                 $0.56
2 cups Washing Soda                  $0.54

Electrical power (heating)            $0.05

Labor 0.30 hr                                 $6.00

Total                                              $7.94

Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.

• Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
• Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
• Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

This recipe took about 15 minutes to prepare from grating the soap to heating up the water to mixing up the whole batch in the pot.  It yielded 2 gallons of detergent that I used for about 20 loads of laundry.

It cleaned moderately well removing ordinary dirt, some grease and most food stains.  I stored it in the 5 gal pot for convenience and it did gel, which was unpleasant.  I used the gel off the top for washing as the remaining water below the gel was not useful for laundering.

Powdered Laundry Detergent – Recipe #4

Ingredient                                                                           Cost
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap,* finely grated                        $1.56

1 cup Washing Soda                                                         $0.27
1 cup Borax                                                                        $0.28

Labor 0.05 hr                                                                      $1.25
Total                                                                                    $2.36

*[I used ordinary bath soap, an acceptable alternative]

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.

• Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

This was the cheapest, fastest and easiest to make, but also the poorest performing detergent.  The grated soap did not fully dissolve in the wash water and the clothes emerged flecked with white bits of soap.  It also removed only the most vulnerable dirt, and I used more like half a cup per load to obtain anything that could be seriously described as clean.  I made about 10 loads from this.

Liquid Detergent with Glycerin - Recipe #6

Ingredient                             Cost

2.5 gallons Water (hot)         $0.01
1 Bar soap (grated)              $0.78
3/4 cup Washing Soda        $0.20
3/4 cup Borax                        $0.21
2 TBS Glycerin                      $1.26

Labor 0.30 hr                         $6.00

Total                                       $8.46

Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.

• In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted soap mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
• Use 1/2 cup per full load.

This cleaned adequate and didn't gel.  I’m still working my way through this batch and will see how things go.

But the point is that, even with labor factored in, this homemade detergent costs a small fraction, about 25% of the off the shelf variety detergent.   Hopefully the latest batch will be better and I can tweak it from there.  I expect to have about 25 to 30 loads from this batch.

With detergent running about $10 for a 10 load bottle, this is only about a $4.00.  However, the learning opportunity is priceless and I get to keep the cash in my pocket.  It's even better when I make the detergent while working in the kitchen since everything is at hand and it really adds very little time to normal activities.

TEXAS SNOW & A RECEIPE FOR ICE CREAM

Texas is a huge state, and was once an independent republic.  Its population of 25,145,581 (2010 U.S. Census - and yes, I helped with the count) and land mass of 261,797.12 square miles (at low tide)  makes it the second most populous state in the Union and would rank it as the 47th largest country by head count (between Saudi Arabia and N. Korea) and the 76th largest country by land mass (between Gabon and Guinea).  Texas stretches across eight climate zones. (we live in zone 8a)  Precipitation varies from desert in the southwest to near tropical in the south east.  We live in East Texas, which is in the upper right of the attached precipitation map.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map  

We are blessed with a long spring (mid-March through the end of June), and a long autumn (late September though late November.  The rest of the time it's either too hot (with more than adequate humidity) or too cold. (with inadequate snow)  About once each winter, occasionally more, we have meaningful snow.  It's usually two inches or less, but on special occasions we receive more snow.  This week we had snow.  Wonderful snow! It was a classic snow day.  Joy and happiness filled our little home!

As my daughter and I ate breakfast on the morning of the 10th I called the local public school district and relayed the sad news that school was closed.  Though she loves school, she loves snow even more.  Within bare minutes breakfast was done and she was outside reveling in the wonders of snow.  It was still dark-thirty so I delayed leaving the relative warmth of the house to put away the breakfast things.  I had barely cleared the table when she returned and presented me with a handful of snow to taste.  It was both cold and fresh.  It was snow ice cream time!

I checked on our animals while my daughter made snow ice cream.  The cat and horse are seasoned veterans of winters and were indifferent to the snow (the cat was even more indifferent than the horse, though younger by five winters), but it was a first for the dog,  the sheep and the poultry.  Birds are birds and they cared only that foraging was impeded by the snow and  this made their demands for feed more strident.  As I dug corn from the metal bins in the small  barn, I looked at their alien-like three toed tracks in the snow. I marveled that they could walk barefoot on the snow apparently without discomfort.  They could have perched in the barn or lain comfortably in the hay stored there, but instead were out and about as briskly as ever.  Perhaps hunger overrides comfort in avians due to their lightweight, streamlined but inefficient digestive system's voracious need for food.

Goldilocks, our young golden retriever, had not seen snow before.  She ran and pranced in it, tasting it, rolling in it and gradually overcoming her initial awkwardness with its slick coldness.  The sheep always follows the horse's lead and though a bit perplexed, made no special attempts to enjoy or exploit the new phenomena.

A batch of snow ice cream was soon ready.  The ingredients are basically:

1. a large bowl of clean, fresh snow

2. 2-3 oz of condensed milk

3. 2-3 tablespoons of white sugar or fructose

4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

This is mixed together in the large bowl and eaten immediately.  It can be kept in the freezer, but tends to turn to solid ice over an extended period of time.  We tried several variations including chocolate snow ice cream made without the vanilla and with about a tablespoon of cocoa powder added and varied the proportions of the flavoring ingredients in a variety of ways.  It was all good. :)

Next came the snow balls.  They were small and then big and all light, round and pristine white.  We intended to have a snow ball fight as is traditional,in the family but ran out of daylight later after fort building.  I saved some snowballs in the freezer for later use: ;) My daughter did use the turkeys for a warm up practice session and since they were raiding the dog's food, this seemed a legitimate, defensive use of snow balls.

The snow wasn't deep enough to form large balls by rolling across the lawn, so we raked it into piles and packed it into a cardboard box lined with a plastic bag.  This made handy brick s from which we built a low defensive wall for the snow fort.

With temperatures so low, the animals' drinking water was freezing and with the precipitation the birds were getting wet and bedraggled looking.  So I fashioned some heat lamps from odds and ends lying about and installed them in the barn and coop.  

We snapped some pictures that day and the next as the snow melted and icicles formed on the eaves and such.  It was beautiful but cold.  I had to ask the landlord to summon his A/C repairman because the undersized A/C unit was failing miserably at warding off the cold and the pipes were in danger of freezing and bursting.  He had ignored us all summer, but the prospect of burst pipes brought out the repairman within a day.  So I am doubly thankful for the snow day.

That night after the snowfall I lay in the darkness under thick comforters with Tabby, the soft ,warm cat, held close and thought how nice it is to be able to enjoy the cold, stark beauty of snow and then retreat to the warm comfort of a well made bed!