Change Isn't All Bad

I just finished the book "Sleeping Naked is Green", which is based on and by the creator of the blog, Green as a Thistle. It was quite inspiring, both in an environmental way and a blogging way. Because of it, I have decided to implement more green ways into my life and I have decided to blog more.

I do lots of stuff that I would find interesting if I found it on another blog. So I have decided to expand this blog beyond it's original intent. I plan to blog about the green changes I will be making, the crafts I do besides beading, general inventiveness that needs to be shared, as well as more personal stuff such as my journey learning to speak Mandarin, my hobby of drinking beer, and anything else I need to get out of my head.

As of right now, I am sick. I believe I have a sinus infection and a left ear infection. I am trying to combat these the greenest and most natural ways I can (though this ear infection may drive me to the doctor in the end.) As it is taking all my energy to write this much, I will post again soon about how I am avoiding the doctor and meds. And hopefully by then I will have raw data on how well these methods worked.

One thing I can post is my down-and-dirty ear warmer. Heat on an infected ear helps tremendously, but though I have been meaning to make some homemade warmers, I haven't gotten to them with the bustle of Christmas. Then this evening I was practically crying from the ache on the left half of my head. I was desperate. Ingenuity kicked in and here is what I created. It isn't pretty, but it works wonderfully!

(Sorry about the horrible photo. I recently got a new computer (really I just inherited my late-husband's) and lost my normal photo-editing software. My friend Pat keeps telling me Photoshop is wonderful, but I have yet to see anything that makes me believe it. Anyway, I feel too horrible to keep screwing with it.)

Take a handkerchief, thin cloth napkin, thin washcloth, or other piece of relatively thin fabric. Lay it across the opening of a bowl (to keep the rice from going everywhere). Measure in 2/3 cups (or so) of rice. Gather up all the sides and corners of the fabric. Using a hairband WITHOUT METAL ON IT (I guess you can use a latex rubber band, though it won't stand up to microwaving well. Sorry I can't test it as I am allergic to latex), tightly wind the band to close the opening, gathering it into a little bag. Leave some room in the bag for the rice to move so you can smoosh it against you. Microwave it for 1 minute. Trust me, that will make it hot enough. All done!