Oh charcoal is so lovely in soap (and cleansing) — I am drying some lavender from my garden for soap making, but I haven’t experimented much with oatmeal since it can accelerate soap — I am still very much a novice but want to learn how to use it since it has so many nice soothing properties.

Here is my pug Dracula stylish as always for the eclipse (I’m in Idaho, but we weren’t in the path of 100% totality — just 97% — I was surprised at how light it was, although it did get appreciably colder)

If I could bake such a concoction be reassured that it would not last long enough to have a picture taken for posterity hahaha

I haven’t done lemon verbena yet but it is on my list — lemon verbena grows like a weed int yard, so I’ve been pulling the volunteer plants up and drying them so I can use the leaves (which admittedly don’t hold much scent when dried, so I will need to use some fragrance oil to supplement).

I’ve done similar but in the grocery store with carts. The whole situation with carts makes me cranky, but x100 when I’m PMSing.

That is so cute! So much respect for anyone who knits; I attempted it in the past but had such a hard time finding a good left-handed tutorial I gave up. So, fiber arts are not for me, but anything with chemistry (soap, baking, darkroom photography) is generally fun.

I wish I had advice but I can just offer you some company in this boat. I’ve lived in my current area for 5 years now and as an introvert have made a few friends in this area (who unfortunately have all moved away, so, back to square one). The best thing that’s worked for me is to befriend one super extroverted person…

Hi all, I’ve been trying to come back here to comment more although it seems to go in waves (when you’ve been grey for years it is sometimes hard to keep posting, although I know that posting is of course what will change that). What is everyone else making this weekend? I’ve been on a soap making kick lately; this…

As an Idaho resident I should explain that we hold an informal annual statewide competition for who can say the stupidest garbage and remind everyone that Idaho is MORE than just potatoes; it is also home to racists and really scary fundamentalist types!

Please be my guest! The more folks who use terms like this, the more quickly these groups lose their power to scare and intimidate.

My husband and I have started referring to Neo-Nazis and Alt-Right as “lil’ cuties” — mostly so we can talk about them in a coded way in public (we live in a VERY red state) and also because it’s ridiculous, demeaning, and a vague reference to tangerines (“orange skin-heads,” aka mini-Trumps)

Every time another person or group publicly embarrasses Trump I find joy in gifs of Nelson going “ha ha!”

Ahh I’m so envious! I would love to see them live. I actually picked up the album at a sale when our local Hastings was going out of business, if heard a few songs but listening to the whole album absolutely blew me away. My husband and I have listened to the whole thing at least once a month since we’ve had it for a…

Ahh I’m so envious! I would love to see them live. I actually picked up the album at a sale when our local Hastings…

I received a response back today actually. The HR person said that they would use this as an opportunity to talk to her (and all of their staff) about how important it is to comfort the community in times of crisis, how social media is rarely appropriate for that, etc. No firing that I’m aware of.

There is something weird going on in the inland NW where racists keep moving here like it’s some anti-government paradise. I suspect a great deal of it has to do with the survivalist culture, low cost of living, and demographics (roughly 98% white).

One of my better flea market finds is a hard-bound copy of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” from 1990. Trump’s house looks like a parody of the nouveau riche — think Mary Fisher’s (played by Meryl Streep) house in She-Devil. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

I wish we could afford it . . . I was priced out of Denver about eight years ago before I married my spouse. My current job is directing a federally funded TRIO program to help rural low-income/first-generation students go on to college. My heart is with helping disadvantaged students, but the pay isn’t enough to…

Ah, before we moved here my husband and I were stationed at Fort Polk, so we’re familiar with that region’s brand of racism as well. One year a KKK group from Tyler spread pamphlets around Leesville. Ugly, gross stuff.

Do you live in N Idaho or Spokane? Because same here and it drives me fucking crazy. There was a woman who works as a funeral attendant at a local funeral home posting memes about how counter protesters deserved to be run over. I took screen shots and sent to her employer, because goddamn! you’d think someone whose…

Cut Copy “Zonoscope” — the transition between ethereal pop influences is dreamy and happy and vinyl is the perfect medium to require listening to — and appreciating — each track and their transitions into each other.

Cut Copy “Zonoscope” — the transition between ethereal pop influences is dreamy and happy and vinyl is the perfect…