Cleaner Coffee ?

Cleaner coffee immediately conjures up the organic and Fair Trade theme that has had such a big impact on my buying habits.  Not this time.

I was looking at my reliable little Hamilton Beach Brewmaster that has graced my kitchen counter for several years.  On this particular day ... I saw only plastic, brown plastic.  Unsure if the plastic was made of dangerous components, most of which begin with either P's or B's, I went online to do some reading.

Much to my chagrin, there was more than B's and P's to think about.  Discussions about the unseen trails and tubes thru which the water travels to get heated and ultimately reach the fresh ground coffee to extract its goodness caught my attention. My mind suddenly filled with images of  the unseen water pathways that are ... well, unseen.  I suddenly yearned to buy the modern looking manual drip glass and wood coffee carafe (so practical and artsy it was obviously out of my price range) that I had seen on my friend's counter. Time to google USA made glass coffee presses, hopefully an affordable option to replace my apparently toxic Hamilton Beach electric drip coffeemaker.

The search results for 'glass, coffee, and USA' quite pleasantly brought up the lovely glass carafe I'd seen in my friend's kitchen.  Much more pleasant was the affordable price.  Chemex, the name of the exquisite glass coffeemaker I had assumed was out of my price range.

So desperate was I to taste a pure clean mug of black coffee ... I did the unthinkable ... I went to a shopping mall !  Crossgates .... hell on earth for we ' mall haters.'  As if that were not bad enough - I went to the preppy DINK (double income -  no kids) store, William Sonoma ... and was assisted by a couple of delightful sales clerks ... and smiled all the way out of the mall, my new Chemex in hand.

Unbleached folded square coffee filters, coarse ground organic Fair Trade coffee, purified boiled water, and my USA made glass Chemex.  Home-brewed coffee never tasted so divine !

For $36, I'd even consider buying a spare.

The Truth About Denial

After my recent adventure of coloring my hair with henna, I felt liberated in having survived the arduous task and ridding my body of yet another source of chemical exposure.  It felt invigorating !  But it didn't last long - because deep inside was a nagging, r-e-a-l-l-y nagging voice forcing me to face another demon .... wine, red wine.

It is no secret to those who know me that I love my red wine - every night.  Even if I get home late in the evening, after 9P, 10P, or even 11P - there is always time for a glass or two of wine before I turn in.  

Hopefully, no more.

Wine is alcohol and it is sulfates and it is grapes laced with pesticides (because the organic wine is too expensive).  These characteristics go against the very core of what I attempt to eliminate from my lifestyle ... TOXINS.

Denial.  Living with denial .... Guilty!   My physician said "Whatever you are doing, keep doing it.  Your health is great."  To which I quickly inquired, "Does that include drinking wine?"  The elated feeling of receiving an affirmative answer 'justified' wine was OK, and allowed the denial to continue.  In 2012, following the scare of a tick bite, a precautionary trip to a cardiologist ended with a resounding, " Your case file is closed.  There is nothing wrong with you or your heart."  This great news once again provided a 'free pass' to ignore the facts and justify drinking my daily dose of healthy red wine.

The magnificent cleansing feeling of the henna experience was tainted by that nagging voice inside.  The voice was getting louder and louder and louder.  "You are still knowingly filling your body with toxins, DAILY.  Stop the red wine habit."  Truth.

The truth:  

I know about the composition of red wine.

I know of the toxicity of too much red wine on the body.

I know I have 'knowingly' been denying the facts - the truth.

This morning I dumped all my red wine down the drain of the kitchen sink, followed by a shopping trip to buy a case of San Pellegrino (in glass bottles, of course) and a box of outrageously expensive Numi Chocolate Pu-reh tea ($9.00+ for 16 tea bags).

Can I make a "clean break" from red wine?  Think positive. Think non-toxic. Think about the truth ... of denial.

The Last Frontier in My Chemical Free Quest *** Henna

I have been researching hair dyeing with henna for several months now.  The recurring catch phrases "messy" and "smelly" in addition to "stains everything" gave me 'justification' for not undertaking the task.  But - as happens frequently at the beginning of every new year, a little voice inside starts prompting me to get rid of the bad chemical stuff in my life and take better care of my aging body.  And once again, I decided to listen to that inner voice.

And yes .... it was MESSY  (thank goodness I lined my bath tub with plastic & leaned over the edge of the tub to apply)

And there was nothing glamorous about it  ..... I spent 8 hours looking like this.  And what you don't see is how much it dripped and ran down my face and neck.  UGH!

In an effort to prevent my drains from clogging while rinsing the henna "muck" from my hair, I used two buckets and the handheld shower spray to remove the henna.  As you can see .... this would not be good going down the pipes.  And yes, THAT is what was on my head.  Imagine taking your hand and scooping up the muck on the bottom of a grassy pond .... now take a whiff .... Get The Idea Now?

Ahhhhhh but the end result makes the process worth it.  In low light, my hair is a shiny chocolate brown (top photo) and outside it takes on an auburn hue .... lucious.  I can only imagine the red highlights on a sunny day.

What I did learn for next time to ease the pain of dyeing with henna (and pain in the literal sense) .....

First - do not pile hair full of henna on top of your head.  It is HEAVY !  I woke up (yes, I slept with it on my head all night) with the most excruciating headache.  For once I think I was able to imagine why folks become incapacitated by migraines.  IT HURT LIKE H--L.  Note to self ... w-r-a-p hair around head under cellophane, do not pile hair on top.

Second - cover ALL surfaces.  I did pretty good, but got some dye on a couple of pillows.  I did not expect the henna to be so drippy after application.

Third - while toiling through the henna process - keep remembering how beautiful and chemical free your hair will be when done.  Within an hour after finishing the task and clean-up .... I was online ordering my next batch of henna.

The New Year is starting off OK and I hope 2014 continues bringing more new discoveries .... even messy ones.

Year of Loss

Every year, folks experience loss.  It may be a job, health, financial security, friends, pets as well as other less obvious occurrences that cause grief or sorrow.

This year, I lost Alice.  You may have read about her in one of my blog posts back in 2009.  She was an extraordinary woman who was comfortable with herself, spoke genuinely, and gave her opinion if you asked.  She also loved animals.  All animals - domestic and wild.  I wish I had sent her just one more card or note.  Just one.

You are missed Alice. 

 

 

My second loss was of my dear Norland.  I wrote previously about the loss of pets in "Pet Passages" when I was hurting over the loss of Duri ... the most beautiful cat I have owned. (my apologies to the others).  Norland was a ball full of mischief and knew how to be naughty .. all the while making me laugh.

 

On October 26th of 2013 - a Saturday - I hadn't seen Norland for a bit and opened the front door to call him.  I immediately heard Norland - I couldn't see him - and his 'meow' sounded unusual.  It took a moment to realize he was in the storm drain on the street corner.  I ran over - lifted the heavy metal grate - and Norland hopped out as if he'd been expecting me.

 

He went in the house - ate - then immediately started carrying-on at the front door to go out.  With great reluctance, I let him out, knowing I was heading out to run errands.  As Spike and I walked to the car, Norland was on the step across the street watching me.  At that moment I sensed I may never see him again.  And I haven't. 

 

This is the last photo of Norland as he waits by the door to go back outside on October 26, 2013.  Hope you didn't suffer ~~

 

Every year there is loss.  2013 will always be remembered for the loss of two very dear souls in my life.

 

A Deliberate Act, or .... ?

There are people in my life, friends, who periodically "act against" my vegan lifestyle choice.  Is it really deliberate ?

Example #1:  While at a friend's home helping out with a sewing project, lunchtime rolls around.  "I am making us some soup.  I bought organic chicken broth.  You'll eat that, right ?  I made sure to get organic."  (What part of no animal products is unclear !?!?)  So yes - I eat the soup - reluctantly - all the while my innards cringing.

Example #2:  I arrive at the office or return home only to find a dish of food laden with eggs or cheese or whipped cream or other 'forbidden' ingredient.  The attached note " I didn't want to waste this - I cooked too much of it at home last night."  (Guilt) In many of these instances, I can discard the offensive fare un-noticed.

Maybe sabotage is too strong of an 'accusation.'   However, these examples are quite similar to what is referred to as 'diet sabotage' by a friend when someone is attempting to lose weight.

I may be off base, but just a thought ...