I have a sheer knit top with a scoop neckline that I'd like to turn into an off the shoulder top. It has a skinny rib neckband like a regular tshirt, which already stretches to fit around my shoulders, but fits tight and does not stretch anymore.

Normally, I would just cut off the neckband and leave it raw, but it's a semi-nice top and I don't want it to roll. I'm thinking that my only fix is to cut off the neckband and finish it with foldover elastic.

Any other ideas? The quicker and easier, the better, as I'll be handsewing everything and I want to wear the top in a few days!

Hi H-D, I come with questions regarding odors this time :(

# 1 - My parents have left the windows open during the days this weekend (mmm fall) but someone started burning leaves or something today, and now the smell is in the house. I'm sitting here with a bottle of water trying to stymie it, and coupled with obsessively spraying Febreeze every few minutes, I'm doing alright...but overnight, my eyes will likely swell up and I'll look atrocious :( suggestions, please??

# 2 - My pooch is on a fatty acid supplement for her skin, and the bottle leaked all over our countertop. It was wiped up with a wet washcloth and the smell is gone from there...but my mom tossed it into the wash along with the other rags and towels, and proceeded to dry them together as well. Now all the towels, rags, and both the washer and dryer smell like fish oil. It's vomitrocious. I've heard of doing vinegar rinses in the wash, but what can I do for the dryer? And can I do a vinegar wash with the towels and rags in there, or is it already too late for them?

---

# 3 - a non malodorous question! I'm finally getting around to scrapbooking for myself, and I wanted to know how you prefer to print pictures for books/projects. Right now, I just head down to CVS and use the self serve super fast way, but a friend of mine has a few HP printers that she uses to do pics at home. Do you find it's more economical to do this?

By small and small: midnight to four a.m.
by Jack Gilbert

For eleven years I have regretted it,
regretted that I did not do what
I wanted to do as I sat there those
four hours watching her die. I wanted
to crawl in among the machinery
and hold her in my arms, knowing
the elementary, leftover bit of her
mind would dimly recognize it was me
carrying her to where she was going.


Michiko Dead
by Jack Gilbert

He manages like somebody carrying a box
that is too heavy, first with his arms
underneath. When their strength gives out,
he moves the hands forward, hooking them
on the corners, pulling the weight against
his chest. He moves his thumbs slightly
when the fingers begin to tire, and it makes
different muscles take over. Afterward,
he carries it on his shoulder, until the blood
drains out of the arm that is stretched up
to steady the box and the arm goes numb. But now
the man can hold underneath again, so that
he can go on without ever putting the box down.

Jack Gilbert, "By small and small: midnight to four a.m." and  “Michiko Dead”  from The Great Fires: Poems 1982-1992.

Utterly exhausted. An unbelievably long and full day, with lots of superstar names.

900-1130 – Rethinking Secularism a panel with Charles Taylor of McGill University, José Casanova of Georgetown University, Saba Mahmood of Berkeley, and Craig Calhoun of New York University
1145-1245 – Contemporary Islam: The Meaning and the Need of a Radical Reform Tariq Ramadan of Oxford University
100-230 – James H. Cone being interviewed by Cornel West
300-430 – The Commission on Reasonable Accommodation in Québec: Reflections with Co-chairs Dr. Charles Taylor and Dr. Gerard Bouchard
430-500 – A conversation with Professor Greer Anne Wenh-In Ng of the Toronto School of Theology, who I met sitting next to me during the previous presentation, on the subject of Canadian multiculturalism and interculturalism
500-630 – Scriptural Reasoning Group: The Other Within and Without: In Loving Memory of Michael Signer a panel featuring papers and readings from Signer, my Judaism professor at Notre Dame who recently passed away, Peter Ochs of the University of Virginia, R. Kendall Soulen of Western Theological Seminary, Medhi Aminrazavi of the University of Mary Washington, and Steven D. Kepnes of Colgate University
630-700 – Further conversation with Michelle Peterson before saying our good-byes

Add to that my getting up well before dawn, a fabulous interview in the afternoon, and a room service pizza and I'm now going to keel over.

This is silly, but help me out here:

We have a cleaning lady coming for the first time on Wednesday. Obviously we don't want to leave an absolute stranger alone at our house. Equally obviously, I don't know what the hell to do while that woman's here.

Can I get away with just reading a damned book while she does her thing, and switching floors when she does so I'm on the opposite one, you think? I don't want to be rude, but I'm not sure staying out of her way isn't way less rude than following her around babbling a thousand miles a minute, you know?

I don't want to post a word count just yet. I have a couple of hours of prime wakey time to write and I will spend it trying to get caught up.

The characters are all there. The place is sound and I have removed the ball and chain of research from my process for now.

But they stare at me, these beings, these people I have cast from word and imagination. They stand and sit around the bar, lookin at me, cigarette smoke curling around them, blinking, saying nothing. They are waiting for me to tell them what to do next, where to go, what to say. I do not actually know these people, so I cannot put the words in their mouths, so I stare back at them. Being in a staring contest with people who don't actually have to blink is frustrating. I know I'll lose, but I keep staring back at them.

Talk to me, Joonie's. Talk to me.

The Master Speed by Robert Frost

No speed of wind or water rushing by
But you have speed far greater. You can climb
Back up a stream of radiance to the sky,
And back through history up the stream of time.
And you were given this swiftness, not for haste,
Nor chiefly that you may go where you will,
But in the rush of everything to waste,
That you may have the power of standing still --
Off any still or moving thing you say.
Two such as you with such a master speed
Cannot be parted nor be swept away
From one another once you are agreed
That life is only forevermore
Together wing to wing and oar to oar.

Bowery Blues

by Jack Kerouac

The story of man
Makes me sick
Inside, outside,
I don’t know why
Something so conditional
And all talk
Should hurt me so.

I am hurt
I am scared
I want to live
I want to die
I don’t know
Where to turn
In the Void
And when
To cut
Out

For no Church told me
No Guru holds me
No advice
Just stone
Of New York
And on the cafeteria
We hear
The saxophone
O dead Ruby
Died of Shot
In Thirty Two,
Sounding like old times
And de bombed
Empty decapitated
Murder by the clock.

And I see Shadows
Dancing into Doom
In love, holding
TIght the lovely asses
Of the little girls
In love with sex
Showing themselves
In white undergarments
At elevated windows
Hoping for the Worst.

I can’t take it
Anymore
If I can’t hold
My little behind
To me in my room

Then it’s goodbye
Sangsara
For me
Besides
Girls aren’t as good
As they look
And Samadhi
Is better
Than you think
When it starts in
Hitting your head
In with Buzz
Of glittergold
Heaven’s Angels
Wailing

Saying

We’ve been waiting for you
Since Morning, Jack
Why were you so long
Dallying in the sooty room?
This transcendental Brilliance
Is the better part
(of Nothingness
I sing)

Okay.
Quit.
Mad.
Stop.

I've been trying to switch to only natural bath products. So far, I've gone no-poo (baking soda & ACV), have continued using Tom's of Maine toothpaste, and have gotten adjusted to using Tom's of Maine deodorant.

However, my face is and has always been a huge problem.

I tried OCM, but it made my face break out like crazy. I tried getting off the topical prescription medication I have, but my face looked awful.

Right now I'm using Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap at night, prescription cream overnight, and Aveeno natural moisturizing bar in the morning.

My question is: What kind of moisturizer do you guys recommend? I tried using a bit of OCM oil, but it didn't work. All the Burt's Bees stuff at my Walmart costs upwards of 15 dollars. I'm definitely not willing to pay more than 10 dollars for moisturizer. Have any of you tried pure Vitamin E? Before I started trying to go natural, I was using Dove moisturizer, and that worked wonderfully.

This is unrelated: I mentioned Tom's of Maine deodorant. This stuff is wonderful. I've been on prescription antiperspirant for a while, so I was really wary about going off it in favour of a deodorant. I think that since my body isn't having to deal with toxic aluminum, I'm not sweating as much. It's wonderful. My dad even uses it now, and he's always had excessive sweating. Highly recommend it!

The boy and I got married last weekend. On our registry we asked for Calphalon Contemporary Non-Stick 10-Piece Set from Bed Bath and Beyond. At our wedding we received from Target, the Farberware Affiniti 12-pc. Cookware Set.

I know we need new pots and pans since the one's we currently use are from when I was in grad school and are dying but I am clueless as to what type/kind of pots/pans will be a good investment for the long term. As for cooking, we are average cooks, nothing to fancy. It would be nice to put pots/pans in the dishwasher but quality and longevity are important to me right now.


At BBB, the person helping us recommended getting the 10 piece set. Looking at both the Calphalon and Farberware sets, some of the items, we wouldn't use. With each set(description below for each) they are two very different materials. I'm more than ok with buying different pieces, I just don't know what materials are needed for what type/style of cooking.


The description for the Calphalon is-
-hard-anodized outside and non-stick inside combine durability and performance
-long, stay-cool handles,
-Glass covers
-Hand wash.
-Lifetime warranty.
Ten-piece set includes 8" omelette, 10" omelette, 1 1/2-quart covered saucepan, 2 1/2-quart covered saucepan, 3-quart covered saute pan and 8-quart covered stockpot.

The Description for the Faberware is
Pan-Pot Material: Aluminum
# Handle Material: Silicone
# Lid Material: Glass
# Set Includes: 1.5-qt. Saucepan with Lid, Slotted Spoon, 3-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 11" Skillet, 10" Skillet, Slotted Turner, 6-qt. Stockpot
# Care and Cleaning: Hand-wash Only

Does anyone know and can post, a poem about living on the ceiling? Maybe there are even a couple. Many thanks, ps

A few years ago for Christmas  I made these for some younger girl cousins (im in my 40s there are lots).They are emeragancy kits for their car.

I went to a thrift store and got glitzy evening  purses for about $5 each (bought on sale, and brightly colored or metallic thats important so they are easy to find in the dark and cute helps when you are in an emergency it reminds you are loved. )

I then filled them with emergency supplys  different mixes for different people, you can adjust it to where they live and how much you want to spend. (most of mine ran around $20)

a first aid kit, sewing kit, small flashlight, a few hard candy's, a granola bar,a small can of tuna, packs of condiments and salt, small bottle of water, lighter,  adjustable screwdriver, folding knife, small note book, pen, a small amount of duct tape, a few ziploc bags, emergency cell phone charger,  one trash bag,  two pairs disposable latex gloves, a small tube of crazy glue, baby wipes, thermal blanket, gas card, phone card, quarters, $10 bill, and a tampon and pad.

I also added a list of what was in there so when they use things they can replace them and a list of phone numbers and addresses if their cell phones dont work.

most of the stuff can be bought at a doller store or in bulk.

(ill be posting more Christmas gift ideas later if anyone wants it)

ash

Hi there,

I recently found a spot of ringworm on my leg (maybe due to a razor that I left in the shower.) I have been to the doctor and was prescribed prescription strength antifungal cream that I am using. However, I'm also wondering if other ongoing issues that I have been having with my skin, such as severe seborrheic dermatitis, could be tied to an overabundance or imbalance of skin yeast. I'm handwashing like lady MacBeth and using medicated dandruff shampoo as shower gel on top of using what the doctor recommended, as well as hitting the B-complex pretty hard. Is there anything else I can do do to perhaps get things back into balance as far as my skin is concerned?

And do I have to give up coffee and peanut butter? Some of the sites about candida are recommending this, and those are pretty much staples for me. D:

I went out to pick up the morning paper yesterday and was surprised to find this car in the ditch behind my hedge.
( Photo here )

Of all the streets that blur in to the sunset,
There must be one (which, I am not sure)
That I by now have walked for the last time
Without guessing it, the pawn of that Someone

Who fixes in advance omnipotent laws,
Sets up a secret and unwavering scale
for all the shadows, dreams, and forms
Woven into the texture of this life.

If there is a limit to all things and a measure
And a last time and nothing more and forgetfulness,
Who will tell us to whom in this house
We without knowing it have said farewell?

Through the dawning window night withdraws
And among the stacked books which throw
Irregular shadows on the dim table,
There must be one which I will never read.

There is in the South more than one worn gate,
With its cement urns and planted cactus,
Which is already forbidden to my entry,
Inaccessible, as in a lithograph.

There is a door you have closed forever
And some mirror is expecting you in vain;
To you the crossroads seem wide open,
Yet watching you, four-faced, is a Janus.

There is among all your memories one
Which has now been lost beyond recall.
You will not be seen going down to that fountain
Neither by white sun nor by yellow moon.

You will never recapture what the Persian
Said in his language woven with birds and roses,
When, in the sunset, before the light disperses,
You wish to give words to unforgettable things.

And the steadily flowing Rhone and the lake,
All that vast yesterday over which today I bend?
They will be as lost as Carthage,
Scourged by the Romans with fire and salt.

At dawn I seem to hear the turbulent
Murmur of crowds milling and fading away;
They are all I have been loved by, forgotten by;
Space, time, and Borges now are leaving me.

---
I'll happily admit that this is my first time posting here, after having spent the better part of the last two hours looking back through entries, reading and enjoying myself. But I am looking for poems that have to do with the sea: the ocean, the tides, sailing, beaches, boats and ships in general, water, underwater, what-have-you. Anything would be much appreciated.

So, we live in a condo, and we have little space for extra crap. I have a daughter who will be turning two in December, and combine that with Christmas, that means an influx of toys all at once.

My family understands that we have little space for toy storage, and we've done a few creative things to keep her toys in check,  like using two storage ottomans for toys and as our coffee table. But while we have found ideas for SMALL toy storage, we're having trouble thinking up ideas for BIG toy storage.

I know for a fact that my daughter is receiving at least three large plastic toys (for example, a plastic riding toy, a little people garage and things like that) and I have no idea where I'll store them. I'm thinking I'll re-arrange her closet and add some shelves, but I was wondering if anyone had any other novel solutions. We could potentially put up some shelves in her room, but I'd rather be able to hide it away rather than have it out in the open.

In the meantime, I've been trying to encourage my family to buy her books and coloring books and crafty things, but they all seem to think she "needs" these big plastic things. Ugh.

Concord Street, Nashua, NH

We're thinking of buying a fryer for Thanksgiving this year. I've been browsing online to learn about it, but I'd love to hear any real life product reviews, specifically the propane fryer versus the oil free infrared cookers. I love the idea of having the extra space in my oven for all of the side dishes and thought frying to be the way to go. I just don't know anything beyond that. Thanks!