mjgoeglein’s Recent Comments

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  Just had to say that I get a great deal of pleasure out of hanging our clothes on the line. There is something very satisfying about hanging up the damp sheets and shirts, on a sunny day, while rejoicing that we live in a neighborhood where the community association could care less about regulating people's laundry choices (or paint choices, gardening preferences, etc.) Since childhood, when I would run around in the sheets on the line in the backyard, I have been convinced that nothing smells better than freshly line-dried sheets at the end of a long day. I typically dry one load of towels, undies and socks in the dryer and the rest outside. I've got some super-sensitive eczema-afflicted skin in the household, and it is easier for me to keep the peace with some dryer-softened towels. No softener sheets--just vinegar in the rinse water. Now that winter is coming, I am trying to rig an indoor line that can be raised up to the ceiling to get it out of the way (we chose a small house and space is hard to come by!) Anyone have any suggestions? I have seen a few in old-timey catalogs but haven't yet been convinced that I can't just make something with dowel rods and pulleys....On A surprising sneak peek at the clothesline revolution posted 5 days, 6 hours ago 32 Responses

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  First thought:  Wow.  A world without brothers and sisters.  Imagine that future conversation:  "Mommy, what does this word 'brother' mean?"  "Well, honey, back before we ruined the planet and had to live in this tunnel and eat roaches...."  (and before you population-control fans start sharpening your knives, please note that I didn't make a moral judgement about the existence of siblings--k?)

  More to the point, underlying the population argument is the concept of consumption.  I recently had my eyes opened to the reality that it isn't "third world" cultures who routinely have huge families that are ultimately the problem; it is "first world" consumption habits.  What is the ratio again?  One US citizen consumes the equivalent of 30 citizens in India during the course of a year?  The math here is pretty obvious. While huge families are, in the long view, unsustainable, it surely behooves us in the West to take a deep breath and look at our navels before we start casting stones.

  Imagine being the woman in the culture where her worth is established by the number of offspring she has, in order to insure that someone will care for her in old age and keep the family afloat in the meantime (i.e., high childhood death rate, no government support or retirement plan, no female education, family planning, or option to have a career).  Now imagine that one of us Western, resource hogging folk come to her village and explain that she needs to stop having so many kids so that we can continue to use the world's resources at the rate to which we have become accustomed.

  How about we a) start educating and empowering women, since that is the only way to shift a culture from viewing children as economic windfalls to economic liabilities and b) make damn sure we fix ourselves before we look elsewhere.

  Just a thought.  I agree that there are way too many of us, but I also think that this issue, like so many others is a minefield and has many many different aspects to be examined.  It is so important to try to grasp the big picture!

  On Ask Umbra on big families posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago 48 Responses

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  Ok, so I have a question:  will this film (and/or the standard winter window stuff) affect my houseplants?  I know from starting seeds, that plants need "full spectrum" light for optimal growth; if I am blocking out the UV rays, is this a problem?  I've always wondered...anybody know?

  On Ask Umbra on low-e window films posted 4 months ago 4 Responses

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  love the word

  and before everyone jumps in to argue raw milk, etc:  zealot is such a great word.  thanks for using it.  

  actually, thanks for all of your exuberant vocabulary.  we word geeks appreciate it (almost as much as a tall glass of ice-cold....)On Umbra on incendiary topics posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses

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  great article!

  Just wanted to chime in with my thanks for this article, and to second (third? fourth?) the idea that "not having enough time" is usually  more a matter of lacking experience or creativity.  I grew up watching and helping my mother masterfully run her kitchen:  we ate great food, we had healthy diets, and I swear she NEVER threw out spoiled food like I do, so she had some leftovers-magic as well.

  I agree with Lindi, above...as a 31 yr old that cooks, I feel like something of an oddity.  However, the satisfaction that I get out of taking a few simple ingredients, combining them, and creating a yummy meal is better in every way than the guilt I feel after stuffing my face with fast food.  There are a bunch of cookbooks out there geared toward quick, easy meals...and devoting a Sunday afternoon to recipes that heat up well later seems to me to be an investment.  Making big batches of soups, stews, etc., and then freezing some creates just about the easiest meals imaginable...a quick grilled cheese while you defrost the soup in the microwave!    

  Baking bread is probably my favorite thing to do in the kitchen, and although the total time needed is several hours, at least two of those hours are free time while the bread is rising and baking.  And nothing smells as good!!On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses