I’m definitely gonna learn to play banjo,
It’s been a long and good week. So much fun catching up with an old friend. We thought it was funny how incredibly pooped we were at the end of each day- especially because we’d planned to just relax and not overwhelm ourselves with plans. Regular ol’ life can be tiring! I dropped her at the airport yesterday morning, and now the house is super quiet and still. We had fun, even through the immobilizing heat and humidity, through the late nights talking about love and relationships and god and the nature of the universe. Until next year!
I am sure glad that Jeff understands computers. I would call myself a competent user, but when it gets all fried I haven’t the slightest clue what to do. I get so frustrated when that stuff doesn’t work (probably because I don’t know how to fix it or what’s happening), it makes me wonder if I’m too dependent on this technology. Then Jeff swoops in, spends an afternoon fiddling around under the desk, and I can do other things and feel assured that it’ll work eventually. Were it up to me I think I might have thrown it out the window long ago. I think Jeff would be surprised by his actual patience. He always feels like he can’t handle situations, like he gets too stressed out. However, I see him consistently dealing with problems and doing very tedious work on a daily basis. He may not have a smile on his face, but he goes to work without question, doesn’t complain, and works until he needs to stop. I hope he realizes his strength and ability. Anyway. He fixed it. We think.
Gretchen’s birthday. I chose this photo on that day because Gretchen said the sweetest thing. She said that she didn’t care much about celebrating her birthday, but the fact that Tuula is here is a good enough reason to. We all went out to dinner and she looked adoringly at her little bright girl playing with all the food. I hope someday Tuula knows how lucky she is to have such an amazing mom.
July 10th:
Sewing. I’ve been having fun with my old clunky machine. A project is soon to be revealed.
July 11th:
The July backyard shot. I think I’ll do a post where I show the growth of the whole garden, not just this strip that I can see from my bedroom window.
July 12th:
My old jade plant had a leaf knocked off of it, so I set it in dirt. It shriveled up and looked completely dead. A few weeks went by and soon enough a little sprout popped up. Now I have this baby jade plant that I’m almost as happy with as I am with it’s mother. I love succulents.
July 13th:
We had a garage sale over the weekend with some friends. It went well. We got to hang out and sit outside all day- which is my favorite thing to do anyway. My friend had put this hat in the sale and we took pictures of Vera in it. 
July 14th:
I visited the other garage sales in the neighborhood when we were having ours. Those things are the best places to get fabrics and stuff. Seriously, for like 50 cents you can get what you would get at a fabric store for tens of dollars. I also got some earrings and some great curtains. I’m having no trouble with the not buying new thing, with the exception of pants. I knew I would have trouble with pants…
July 15th:
Squash blossoms. I plan to cook with them tonight for dinner. 
July 16th:
Marya and I went down to the Art Fair on this day. It was HOT. I actually started feeling faint and had to sit down. We took it easy and hung out in shops to keep us cool. Marya bought me some great earrings and the art was beautiful, as usual. My friend Katy and I were laughing about how every year the art fair is almost unbearably hot, or it rains, and really takes away from the experience. Then she said that it’s their fault they keep putting it in the middle of July. I think we may write them a letter about this.
July 17th:
Gretchen has been putting Tuula’s hair up like this to keep her hair out of her eyes. She reminds me of Cindy Lou Hoo.
July 18th:
The first tomatoes! They were fabulous, of course. So far we’ve been getting a couple of these sungolds a day, along with a zucchini every couple of days. I see a banana pepper that’s almost ready. The greens are in need of replanting, I’ve used them up I think. Overall I’m pretty happy with my garden this year. I’ve definitely strengthened in certain areas. I’m also totally still learning. I wonder if I’ll ever really know my stuff. Either way, we’re soon to be eating very very well. 
July 19th:
Sometimes just a few flowers on the table make all the difference.
July 20th:
A couple of days of rain and things just sprout like crazy everywhere. Even the compost looks pretty to me.
I started this “no poo” thing. I’m starting with the baking soda/apple cider vinegar thing. I’ve been meaning to for a while, but I was scared. I have such thick, long hair that I get scared thinking about not having conditioner. Despite my fears, I dove in. It was fine. My hair feels clean, it doesn’t feel gross or unmanageable like it did when I didn’t use conditioner with the other shampoo. So, I’ll update in a few weeks on how it’s going. I think my hair will probably go through a little bit of a detox, but I hear people swear by this. Jeff’s doing it too because he’s got this painfully itchy scalp. I set up a treatment for him with tea tree oil, then he followed it with the no-poo method, and he said his head feels great. I’m hopeful. Plus, I get so excited thinking about all the crap that I don’t really need that I thought I did. We are more free than we think. No more poison in or on my body, no more unnecessary plastic waste, NO POO! Yay!
Quote of the day:
“All our progress is an unfolding, like a vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowlege as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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tuula is so adorable and vera looks like an sweet cow girl with her big hat!
i have been so lazy with my garage “saleing” this year. I keep saying i’m going to go then something comes up, i’m starting to get annoyed because i LOVE garage saleing, I could do shop through peoples junk ALL DAY!
Haha! I know, aren’t they little dolls? Your baby is almost too cute for me to look at… almost.
You should put one on with the JSTOR ladies. I can see you guys having fun in the sun with lemonade and lawn chairs… I’d totally come buy something.
oh and i have started “less poo” i’m going to try shampooing only every few days instead of every day. I only conditioned yesterday and today. 🙂
When it comes to my hair, I’ve always had a ‘no poo’ rule.
I wish I could have made it to that yard sale… that hat is great. I probably would have bought it.
Throwing a computer out the window is bad for mother earth. I know, because she told me. She also told me that waffles will bring about the apocalypse. So, ya know, beware of waffles.
Hahaha. I have to go do those riddles!
You can use oils and such like leave-in conditioner (such as olive oil or coconut oil or the like) in very small amounts. I use emu oil and it works great and helps reduce/eliminate the inflammation and eczema on my scalp.
I haven’t quit gone no poo yet but it’s something I have seriously considered.
That’s a good idea! I’ll definitely keep you all updated. Maybe I can take a once a week photo of my hair and post it at the end of the month. 🙂
no poo
remember when ya’ll came to visit? well i said i would and i did the no poo thing also since your visit. i did use some natural bar soap that has like 3 ingredients so i thought that to be alright. anyways i used it like every other shower. but whoever figured it out is right….your hair does balance out.
funny i say ‘whoever figured it out’ when its about figuring out that stupid products ruin our hair and our health…products that we grow up thinking we NEED. psha. good luck with it, cant wait for an update. i think i may have decided to grow dreadlocks again……..i think my hair is asking for it.
i am bummed i missed you during my visit. did you ever get my message? i really want to see vera and how much she has changed. and tuula too, she was napping. please come visit soon!
Re: no poo
That’s awesome! It’s so great to hear that it’s really working for someone I know.
I’m so bummed too! I just left you a comment saying the same thing. She’s getting her bottom two teeth! She’s way different than last time- I bet Eli is too. Sooooon!
Oooh let me know how the no-poo thing goes. I’m really tempted to give it a try but I’m scared as my hair is really really thick and unmanageable 🙂
I love the photos you post. I’m getting quite tempted to start doing this photo a day thing myself after looking at yours.
I will. I think I’ll document it and try to convert people. Less poison and pollution and production= happy Grace.
I would LOVE it if you posted photos more! It’s actually really fun, and it keeps me posting (which I think is really good for me) because my photos will get backed up if I don’t make the time. I know it’s become kind of a photo journal, but I just kind of hope that someone enjoys it. I love positive reinforcement. DO IT THOUGH! For real, do it.
No-poo = AWESOME!
I don’t know if it’s because we have hard water, but I used to have a difficult time rinsing the shampoo etc out of my hair. It seems to me that the baking soda/vinegar rinses out much more easily, and it’s easier for me to brush afterwards.
As a bonus, my mother (who has gently made fun of me with my newly found crunchy-hippy-green ways) distinctly remembers having vinegar poured on her head after baths to help with detangling.
That’s so cool! It’s funny because it seems increasingly more common for me to find out that these “crunchy-hippy-green ways” are mostly just going back to the way things were. Things that weren’t broken and were better for everyone, changed in the name of convenience, but only to be rejected in the end. Viva la Revolucion!
Those squash blossoms are GORGEOUS!
Oh yeah, and the babies too :).
I can’t wait to take baby beach pictures tomorrow!
Your baby is too cute. Seriously, too cute.
Your garden is one to be envious of.
And, I love your vase.
You are so sweet! I love that vase too. I actually have two of them- I got them at a garage sale for like 50 cents. Gotta love it!