And The Winner Is ....

Congratulations, Anna, from A Virgen A Day! You're the proud owner of an all-natural facial scrub. Please email me your address at bowenemail(at)comcast.net, and I'll send it on its way.

What The DNC Did For Me

Four autumns ago

I got numb to politics.

I froze my anger.

Eight years of being

lied to left me cynical

beyond the cold pale.

The infighting and

scandals among Democrats

made me doubt their strength.

But Democrats got

it together in time

to fight for real "change."

I feel my anger

melting to make room for hope

and love of country.

Happy Labor Day weekend! Click here to read more haikus.

******

These photos depict how the DNC overtook Denver while it was in town. I've never seen this many people before on the 16th St. Mall. Photos provided by The Clothesline's Denver correspondent (i.e., my husband Terry on his lunch break.)

Pomodoro Facial

The next time you need a facial, pull a can of tomato paste out of your pantry and smear some on your face. No, I'm not kidding. Apparently acid in tomatoes help dissolve the bonds between the dead skin cells, making them easier to slough off.

I happened to have some left over tomato paste in my refrigerator, so I decided to give this mask a whirl. I felt pretty silly lying on my bed for five minutes with tomato all over my face, not to mention that I smelled like a pizza. But I was amazed with how soft my skin felt after I rinsed it off. It really worked, and was only a fraction of the cost this spa treatment.

So my Thrifty Green Thursday tip this week is stock up on some 60-cent cans of tomato paste to keep your skin feeling soft and youthful. For more tips, click here.

******

There's still time to enter my bloggy giveaway for facial cleanser. Just leave a comment by Friday, August 29, on this post naming your favorite spa treatment. Thanks!

Drowning In Eco-Guilt

Yesterday I got an email from non-profit organization, Earth Day Network, to try out its new ecological footprint calculator, which measures how much biologically productive land and sea is used by a given population or activity, and compares this to how much land and sea is available. Over the past year, I've made a concerted effort to reduce, reuse and recycle, so I was anxious to see how those efforts affected my score.

The answer was extremely depressing. Even though I hang my clothes to dry, grow a garden, compost, buy mostly used clothes and household goods, and recycle every bit of paper, cardboard, and plastic that I can, it still would take FOUR planet earths to provide enough resources to maintain my lifestyle. But the worst part of the quiz was the suggestions it made to help me reduce my footprint more, like installing solar panels on my home and giving up my car. Yeah, I would love to install solar panels, but I don't have an extra $20,000 in my checking account to pay for it. And public transportation in Colorado is so sparse, there is no way I'm going to drag my two boys from one bus to another to get from home, to school, to the store, etc.

Instead of feeling inspired, I felt angry and frustrated after completing this quiz. All my current efforts to protect the environment are just a drop in the bucket, so WHY BOTHER?? It would a hell of a lot easier, for example, to throw my wet clothes in the dryer instead of a hanging them up to dry.

But I still believe in baby steps are better than nothing. Environmental activism is such a non-issue for the the majority of the population, the folks at Earth Day Network shouldn't be scaring people to death with gloom and doom scenarios. Instead, they should be encouraging small, reasonable changes people can make to improve the environment, and build upon it.

If you're a glutton for punishment, click here to take Ecological Footprint quiz.

Bloggy Giveaway: Facial Cleanser

I wasn't thinking about my health or the health of the environment when I bought md skincare's "All-In-One Facial Cleanser With Toner." I wanted a cleanser that gently, but thoroughly, removed oil and make-up to keep my skin from breaking out. The bottle's label states it has "medical-grade ingredients." Sounds effective, and it is--my face feels smooth and soft after using it. I was a satisfied customer.

But then I came across Environmental Working Group's awesome web site, Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. It rates skin care products based on the toxicity of its ingredients. Out of a scale of one to 10, with 10 being very toxic, "All-In-One Facial Cleanser With Toner" got a moderately hazard rating of three. According to the web site, some of its ingredients have been linked with cancer, endocrine disruption and organ system toxicity.

OK, why is Dr. Dennis Gross, dermatologist and creator of the "md skincare" line, adding possible cancer-causing ingredients to something I put on my face? Suddenly my innocuous white plastic bottle of facial cleanser took on a more sinister look, and I started to lose faith in dermatology.

I decided a hand-made, all-natural facial cleanser may be what I need. I found a recipe by the esteemed Greta Breedlove of shampoo fame that looked promising. It consists of oats, oat bran, poppy seeds, almonds, dried herbs and cosmetic clay--hey, take out the clay and you could make muffins out of it.

I tried it out yesterday. I mixed a teaspoon of it with water and rubbed it all over my face. The process was a little messy, but when I rinsed it off, my face felt great--smooth and soft. Plus, I got a little rush knowing that I wasn't washing toxic chemicals down the drain.

So if you don't trust your facial cleanser any more, leave a comment on this post by Friday, August 29, and you'll be entered to win your own batch facial cleanser made by me!

Reaping The Harvest

The other day I rooted around my pantry, trying to find something to make for dinner that didn't require a trip to the store. I found a bag of bulgar buried on the bottom shelf. Why did I buy this? It had a recipe for Tabbouleh on the back label--oh, yeah, that's why I bought it. I haven't had this Middle Eastern salad in years, mainly because it requires a lot of produce I don't usually buy, like mint and cucumbers. Then the light bulb went off--I've got all the ingredients for Tabbouleh--tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and mint--growing in my garden!

I grilled some chicken breasts to go with it, and dinner was served! Now if I could just get my boys to eat it.

Tabbouleh

2 cups presoaked bulgar*

3 cups finely minced parsely

1/4 cup finely chopped mint, or 4 tsp dried mint

3 scallions, finely minced

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

2 tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tblsp. lemon juice

3 tblsp. oil

2 cucumbers

In a large bowl, gently mix together all the ingredients, except lemon juice and oil, with a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice, toss and chill for one hour to blend the flavors. Before serving toss again with oil. Scatter cucumber slices on it before you serve.

*To presoak bulgar, place 1 cup of bulgar in bowl. Pour 1 cup tap water over bulgar and let stand 30 minutes. Yeilds 2 cups presoaked bulgar.

School Bell

Come on, come on now!
We push along the path like
fish swimming upstream.

Backpacked kids on bikes
and knots of parents talking
clog our way to school.

Bringg! My son slips in
line and winds his way to class.
Chaos dissipates.

Want to read more haikus? Click here.

Suckered By Mini Solar Panels

Terry and I would love to take advantage of Colorado's 300-plus days of sunshine by adding solar panels to our home, but don't have an extra $20K in the bank to pay for it. That's why I splurged and paid $100 for this little gadget instead--the Solio universal charger. Using solar panels, it recharges most gadgets, including most cell phones, PDA's, Apple products and digital cameras. I figured getting off the grid for even a little bit is better than nothing.

Unfortunately, Solio's lack of reliability makes me regret this purchase. We keep the gadget propped in our bedroom window, where it gets plenty of sunshine to charge. But, for whatever reason, I've had about 50% success rate for charging my cell phone with the device. Even though the device says it is fully charged, sometimes when I plug my phone to it, nothing happens. Plus, it takes twice as long to charge my cell phone with Solio than with a conventional charger.

So my Thrifty Green Thursday tip is put your $100 in savings for solar panels instead of buying a Solio. To learn some more tips, click here.

Has This Happened To You?

You go to a store you're not familar with to look for environmently friendly feminine hygiene products, and the only store clerks you come across to help you find these products are MALE?

Snow On The Mountain

Driving home from our last summer getaway in Glenwood Springs, the temperature dropped from 75 degrees to 55 degrees, and snow dusted the peaks above 10,000 feet. The night before it rained in Denver and the central mountains, which turned to snow in the higher elevations. Looking at those swollen gray clouds made splashing around in the pool and soaking up the sun a distant memory.

We're Back

Our family just can't get enough of Glenwood Springs. Get in that warm mineral water pool once, and your body begs for more. We planned a "last-weekend-before-school-starts" trip there.

My parents wanted in on the fun, so they joined us.

Keeping up with Ethan and James in the pool gave them quite a workout.
And what better way to end a day of swimming with two young boys than with a little vino on the patio of our hotel room while the boys watch Spongebob Squarepants. Salut Glenwood Springs!

Shedding Stuff Responsibly

It’s so easy to gather stuff for your kids—clothes, toys, baby equipment—but it’s a monumental challenge to get rid of the stuff responsibly. I’ve tried many routes, including selling to consignment stores or posting items on Craigslist. These services are great for getting stuff at a good price, but it can be more work than it's worth to sell stuff. Plus, I have to separate all the clothes and toys that won’t sell and donate them myself.
That’s why my Thrifty Green Thursday Tip of the week is to sell things through Just Between Friends sales. It combines the best of both worlds in that you have the option of donating the items that are not sold.
These sales happen in many states throughout the country. Each franchise does a spring and fall sale. If you consign, you get 65% of the price you set. Plus if you volunteer to work the sale, you get 70% of the price set. In addition, consignors and volunteers get to shop before the sale opens to general public, getting first dibs on the best stuff.
It’s a lot of work to get things ready for the sale, but worth it because the sales have high traffic. I’ve sold more than half of the stuff I’ve listed at higher prices than when I’ve listed things on Craigslist. For example, I could only get rid of children’s clothes on Craigslist if I priced each item at $1.50 a piece. But at JBF sales, I’m able to price clothes starting at $4 per item. Plus, they automatically donate the stuff that doesn’t sell, so I never have to see it again.
So if your closets are bursting with baby and kid stuff you no longer need, consider get checking out JBF’s web site and find a sale near you. For more Thrifty Green Thursday tips, click here.

A Trip Down Neurosis Lane

Yesterday I played around on my computer until the clock struck 10:01 am. Then, trying to breathe normally, I logged onto Ticketmaster and scrolled down to the Weezer show. I found last week that in October Weezer was going to play at an auditorium about 10 minutes from my house, and I had to go. I'm not sure why this event became so do or die--midlife crisis perhaps? Or maybe it's because I haven't seen a rock concert in seven years? Probably both.

At any rate, I thought of nothing all morning except the moment I would buy my two Weezer tickets online. I saw that American Express cardholders could buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public on Friday, and I've got an Amex card! I clicked on the "look for tickets" button. I then typed in the security word and clicked the "continue" button. I watched a row of rectangles flash across the screen, then a message appeared: "You're order could not be processed, try again." So, I did. I got the same message. I tried again, and again, and again.

These are times when I wished I worked, because then I would have a boss looking over my shoulder, keeping me from fixating on these tickets. But, since I keep my own schedule, I can put everything else aside and drive myself crazy clicking buttons, typing in security codes and getting the confounded "try again" message over and over again.

I called my husband and bitched to him about it. "Why don't you try calling Ticketmaster?" he asked. Oh, yeah. That snapped me out of my delusional state.

After talking to a machine and still not getting tickets, I hit the star key for a customer service assistant. I told Laura my problem, that I couldn't get Weezer tickets even though I have an Amex card. "Oh, this offer is only for Blue cardholders," she said. "You'll have to wait until Friday when tickets are available to the general public."

What??? I tried to keep my voice from raising two decibels. "If that's the case, why does the web site say tickets are available for ANY American Express cardholder?"

"Oh, let me check." After a few moments, she said, "Sorry, it's just for Blue cardholders."

I wanted to strangle her through the phone. So Ticketmaster can post certain information on its web site, and have its customer service assistants give different information, and there's nothing I can do about it. At that moment, I knew I just had to let it go.

But thank goodness for blogging! Today I went back on the Ticketmaster web site to walk through the horrible ticket buying process again so I could write about it. But after I clicked the "continue" button, a new screen popped up. Two tickets were available! I had 2 minutes and 15 seconds to accept them. I looked at the page again to make sure I was reading it correctly. I managed to regain my composure and secure the tickets before the clock struck 2:15.

So all's well that ends well, and I'm going to the Weezer show after all. But it'll probably be another seven years before I go to another concert again. Ticketmaster took me to hell and back yesterday, and I'm just getting too old for that kind of stress.

Nobody's Fool

My 5-week-old niece, Josie, has it made. Check out her bouncy seat. It looks more like a papason chair than a bouncy seat. In fact, that's what it is--Fisher Price's version of a papason chair. I love all the comfy padding that keeps her head from flopping to the side. Looking at it makes you wonder how babies of yore survived the first bouncy seats, which were basically a sheet of cotton suspended on a metal frame not much thicker than clothes hanger.

The chair is so comfy looking, you'd think Jose would want to while away her days in it, freeing up my sister to get some things done around the house. But fluffy pillows are nothing compared to being held all the time.

Taming The Beast

Molly is not the most friendly or trusting of cats. Most of her time is spent hiding in the basement or under a bed. She flies up and down the stairs so fast she looks like a yowling gray banshee.
The only person she trusts to touch her is me, which makes Ethan so sad. "Why doesn't she like me?" he asks. "It's not you, she's just skittish," I say. "A skittish pain in the butt," says my husband.
But Ethan wouldn't give up on Molly. Every morning when she bolted out of her basement lair, he'd wait for her in the living room. I told him to sit still and hold his hand out. She'd usually run by him. But I guess his persistance paid off, because one morning last week she skidded to a stop in front of him and rubbed her head against his hand. "She's so soft!" Ethan said. Then, like a hummingbird off to the next flower, she was gone.

Maybe Terry's glares were getting to Molly, and she felt like she better expand her circle of friends to keep on living here. Whatever is her finicky reason to give in to Ethan, it meant the world to him.

Making Every Morsel Count

I gingerly pull
the container out of the
back of the frig.

Eek! Gray-green fuzz coats
the remains of refried beans
like a wool blanket.

A potential meal
enters the landfill, not fit
for any of us.

Maybe it's the higher cost of food and gas, but I've made a more concerted effort to use up all the food in our refrigerator. It's a deceptively easy goal. I'm not the most creative chef, so sometimes I'm not sure what to do 1/2 a cup of leftover cooked rice, and soon find myself forgetting about it until the dreaded "clean out the frig" day arrives.
But, practice makes perfect, and I'm becoming more adept at using up food. I add extra ingredients, like the aforementioned rice, to enchiladas, just to use it up. Plus, I'm trying new recipes. Instead ignoring the mango in the bottom of the refrigerator until it turns black and wrinkly, I've tried a mango salsa recipe that goes great with grilled chicken.
Now, when my refrigerator shelves are only half full, I rejoice.

In Case You Didn't Know

I was tagged by Jennie of The Soapdish to write six boring, useless facts about myself. So here it goes:


1. My new favorite author is Jodi Picoult. I'm actually going to bed early to read one of her novels instead of watching Bravo TV.


2. I've resorted to eating raw zucchini just to keep up with the hyper-productive plant in our garden. It's really not bad.


3. After six years, our house is finally diaper/pull-up free!!


4. My day just wouldn't be the same if I didn't start it by watching back-to-back episodes of "Clifford The Big Red Dog" with my boys.


5. A pen exploded in my purse and stained my cell phone and I-Pod blue.



6. I was wasting time in the computer yesterday, and learned that Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes are not siblings, but were actually married when they started the band. They had me fooled!



OK, Angela from The Parsons Family, you're next!

Today's Version of "Rag and Bone"

I wonder if Jack and Meg White from The White Stripes were inspired by Freecycle when they wrote the song, "Rag and Bone"? Probably not, but I always think of Freecycle when I hear their song, which is essentially about America's love of consumerism.
I buffer my guilt from bouts of wanton consumerism through Freecycle. It's a great way to get rid of stuff that still works, but you don't want anymore. I joined our local chapter a couple of years ago, and every week I receive emails from other members advertising things they want to unload. Plus, you get the brazen folks whom post, "I just moved into a new apartment and would love some new dishes, a kitchen table, pots and pans, a bed." I wish FreeCycle was around when I got out of college and was making very little money. But, even though those requests are tacky, they're still legitimate, given how many folks' homes are overflowing with stuff they don't want anymore.
Fair warning: giving away stuff through the site can be a lot of work. Last week I posted our crock pot, which we got more than 10 years ago. It still works, but it's basic, and we wanted to upgrade to this model. Anyway, the second I sent out the offer via email, my inbox was flooded with 15 responses: "I'd love it, can pick up today!" "Is this still available? I just got a divorce and my ex got the crock pot." To be fair, I respond to the first email--Natasha--and ask her when she can pick up. She says she can pick up the next day. I email her my address, and then email all the other people saying the crock pot is promised, but will let them know if it becomes available again.
The next day I put the crock pot on my porch, and wait for her to pick it up. She never does. I'm a little miffed--doesn't she realize how hot this crock pot is? Now I got to scroll through all those emails to find the second person who emailed me so I can offer it to that person. Then Natasha emails, "So sorry I didn't pick up the crock pot. I had a horrible headache yesterday and didn't leave the house." OK, OK, I'll give her another chance. She promised to pick up that day. I wait and wait. Then I get a phone call, but was busy with the boys, so I let voicemail get it. When I finally listen to the message, it's her. She has an Eastern European accent. "Cathy," she says, "I'm driving around in circles and can't find your house! Please give me a call." I phone her back, but get her voice mail. I'm about to give up on her, when I check my porch again--the crock pot is gone! Natasha came through!
I hurry to my computer and post an email on the FreeCycle site that the crock pot has been taken. Natasha emails me back, "Thank you! Thank you!" My junk just became her treasure, and that feels good.

Men Really Are From Mars

My dear friend is on vacation this week, so I have no one to make snarky comments with about celebrities. It's killing me, to the point where I actually tried to talk to my husband about the state of Madonna's marriage to Guy Ritchie.

Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Did you see the picture of Madonna on the Comcast home page? Do you think she's really sick, like they said, or do you think they just tinkered with the photo to make her look sick?

Him: I don't know. (In other words, WHY are you asking me this???)

Me: Don't you look at the celebrity photos on the Comcast home page?

Him: NO.

I'm thinking--Well, what DO you read about on the Comcast homepage--politics, for Christ's sake?

Instead, I say: Well you've heard about Madonna's rumored affair with A-Rod, haven't you? Maybe that's why she looks sick?

Him: NO.

Me: Oh, well, she supposedly has had this steamy affair with A-Rod. He's currently going through a divorce over the affair, and the press says he has sent letters to Madonna saying he can't live without her.

Him: So???

OK, I get the hint. No point in putting our marriage on the rocks over some silly celebrity's affair. I count the days for my friend's return!

Climate Matters Video Contest

Middlebury, Vt.-based Brighter Planet, an organization dedicated to improving the environment, has launched its latest climate change awareness campaign. It has teamed up with 1Sky, an environmentalist activist organization, to create the Climate Matters video contest.
To enter the contest, create a 30-second or 60-second video to help to inspire our next president to take action on climate change. You have until September 22 submit a video. First prize is a $3,000 Visa gift card; 2nd place will receive a $1,000 Visa gift card, and 3rd prized receives a $500 gift card. Winning videos will be be broadcast to a potential audience of more than 50 million homes, as well as members of Congress.
The video below was submitted by a 10-year-old. To learn more about the contest, as well as view more submissions, click here.


"Save It" Global Warming message by 10 yr old from 1skycampaign on Vimeo.

Do The Mojito

When you've got copious amounts of mint growing in your back yard, you've got to make some mojitos. Here's my husband's recipe:

1/2 a lime

7 fresh mint leaves

1 tblsp sugar

1 1/2 oz light rum

crushed ice

club soda

Put the mint leaves and lime in a glass and muddle it. Then add the rum and crushed ice. Add sugar and club soda and stir well.

You can't beat drinking one of these in the dog days of summer.

Little Daredevils

James, Ethan and I picked up Terry from work yesterday evening. We were going to drop them off with a baby sitter and have a grownup dinner at Le Central--yeah!! I even wore heels. Terry works in downtown Denver. The first thing the boys did when we got to his office was scramble onto top of the credenza to take in the view from the 43rd floor. I would have done the same thing when I was a kid. Now, in my old age, getting so close to the window makes me a little queasy, so I stood at a safe distance away from the window to take this picture.

Anxiety

The thoughts in my head
unravel like a ball of
yarn into a cloud.

I try to wind them
back into a neat ball, but
thread coils into knots.

It takes much effort
to untie my thoughts without
breaking the thin thread.

IzzyMom's heartfelt posts about combating anxiety and depression read like a chapter out my own book. I felt depressed more than anything as a teenager, and finally sought help in college through therapy. Before therapy, I thought I was fucked up. I'd see my peers make friends, get good grades and have fun with seemingly little effort. I, on the other hand, blundered my way through life, stressing out about every test, every sports team tryout, every social outing. As much as I would have liked to have a boyfriend, talking to boys, let alone dating one, was way too scary.

Therapy, and I'm talking YEARS of therapy, helped me realize that my struggles stem, in part, from my genetic makeup. I shouldn't hate myself because I wasn't born with enough certain brain chemicals to keep me from worrying myself into a frazzled mess. Antidepressants, along with exercise, help take the edge off by feeding my brain those chemicals. But what helps most of all is accepting that this is who I am, and that's not a bad thing.