burn first aid

If you tend to get burns when you can -- as I do -- Tecnu First Aid Antiseptic & Pain Relieving Gel is your new favorite thing.  It kills the pain instantly.  Who has time to soak in cold water when there are jars to fill? 

We have had good success when using this on:
* bee stings, mosquito bites, etc.
* nettles
* those scratchy marks that squash plants bestow
* cat scratches -- which are notorious for leaving fine thin scars
* slivers -- makes them stop hurting and swells them up so they ooze themselves out.
* mild hives from food allergies.

It contains Tea Tree Oil and Lidocaine.  I like it so much I'm considering giving it as Christmas presents.

female, respect, deserve

"When Will Female Authors Get the Respect They Deserve?"  Three key words: female, respect, deserve.  I am so weary of this idea that because an individual is a member of a certain group they automatically deserve a certain level of respect above and beyond what they would deserve if they were not part of that group.  Wasn't the whole idea of the civil right movement that we should evaluate people on their individual merits or lack thereof, and not on their status as members of this or that demographic group?

How about "When Will Quality Authors Get the Respect They Deserve?"  That would work for me.

end of summer wardrobe check

One of the things I dread each autumn is going through the kids' clothes and seeing what still fits (not much) and what needs to be replaced.  Not only does it cost me money, but I am stuck in their rooms for hours as they try things on.  Andy is not so bad, but for Juliana, every new article on her body means a new dance routine and conversation.  Even this would not be so bad if she could change clothes and chat at the same time, but she cannot.  She comes to a complete halt and needs eye contact.

The solution:

They bring their clothes down and change behind the divider whilst I make bread, dinner, type blog posts etc.  At least I can get something done during the dance routines.

how to give a dog a pill

Or at least, how to give my dog a pill.

1. Put some plain live yogurt in her dog dish, make sure she sees this.  Maybe give her a lick the first time, so that she knows what it is.
2. Chop up some beefstick or other meat.  Make sure she sees this.  
3. Get out the pill -- antibiotic in our case, hence the yogurt.
4. Set out the yogurt, treats, and pill where she can see it all.
5. With a helper, open her mouth and push the pill down her gullet. 
6. Give her lots of treats, by hand, into her mouth -- you want her to associate your hand in her mouth with good things.
7. Give her the bowl of yogurt. 

The first time we did this, it took both adults and lots of dog-wrastling.  After 5 doses, I can do it alone and she doesn't resist at all.  She has figured out the the pill is the necessary preliminary to the beefstick and the yogurt.

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

This is a must read. Current technology allows for a device that wipes out electrical systems: phones, cars, radios, freezers, thermostats, security systems, everything. In this alarming story, unknown enemies use this weapon on us and we are thrown back to a pre-electric life-style, without the skills that made it liveable. Read The Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the U.S. from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Second Session, Hearing Held July 22, 2004 found at http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/security/has204000.000/has204000_0f.htm

The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper

This is a fun good-vs-evil series with lots of connections to old tales. Wholesome and enjoyable middle grade reading.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Really enjoyed this narrative of Achilles life told from the perspective of his companion Patroclus. I didn't know that Achilles and Patroclus were thought to be lovers, so that was a bit of a surprise.