Ok, so I used a BK7 today for the first time. Can't say I liked it. It worked fine, but the handle is huge! Way to big for my hands. Used a RAT3 too, and it is great! I love it! But don't think it would be my tool of choice for chopping. Looking for a good machete type knife, long heavy blade, full tang, but with a small handle. Any suggestions?? Maybe a RAT5 or 6. Anybody got experience with these? How big are the handles? Are there any bushcrafting women reading this? Would love to hear from you!
Thanks in advance.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Favorite Quotations
Since my facebook favorite quotes is getting kind of long, I decided to do a blog post on it. I will be doing these occasionally. Feel free to add your own favorites on my Facebook page. :)
**note - I cannot guarantee the authors on all of these. Some are status updates from friends on Facebook, others, just stuff I like**
There Are Eyes That See But Say Nothing At All..There Are Ears That Hear But They Don't Recall..In This City Of Ours. So We Followed Your Man Back To Your Front Door And We're Waiting For You Outside, 'cos Not Everybody Here Is Scared Of You. Not Everybody Passes On The Other Side. No Police, No Summons, No Courts Of Law.. And We Could Spent Our Whole Lives Waiting For Some Justice To Be Done.Unless We Make Our Own. - via Jeff G.
talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand - Jen G.
“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach" - Tom Robbins (via - Jen G.)
Luck favors the prepared. - The Incredibles
“Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I’ve learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep.”
Author Unknown (via Tabitha D.)
its not a cry that you hear at night, its not somebody who's seen the light. its a cold and its a broken hallelujah. - Leonard Cohen
more to come. hope you enjoyed these. leave your favorite quotes on my facebook page! I would love to hear from you.
Peace and Love,
from and swamps of the PeeDee
**note - I cannot guarantee the authors on all of these. Some are status updates from friends on Facebook, others, just stuff I like**
There Are Eyes That See But Say Nothing At All..There Are Ears That Hear But They Don't Recall..In This City Of Ours. So We Followed Your Man Back To Your Front Door And We're Waiting For You Outside, 'cos Not Everybody Here Is Scared Of You. Not Everybody Passes On The Other Side. No Police, No Summons, No Courts Of Law.. And We Could Spent Our Whole Lives Waiting For Some Justice To Be Done.Unless We Make Our Own. - via Jeff G.
talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand - Jen G.
“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach" - Tom Robbins (via - Jen G.)
Luck favors the prepared. - The Incredibles
“Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I’ve learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep.”
Author Unknown (via Tabitha D.)
its not a cry that you hear at night, its not somebody who's seen the light. its a cold and its a broken hallelujah. - Leonard Cohen
more to come. hope you enjoyed these. leave your favorite quotes on my facebook page! I would love to hear from you.
Peace and Love,
from and swamps of the PeeDee
Friday, January 22, 2010
Got Gear?
I've been doing the happy dance all afternoon. A good friend dropped off a couple presents for me and my husband today. We each got a misch metal ferro rod with antler handle and a key chain pill case with cotton balls saturated with Vaseline already inside.
Some of you are not familiar with bushcraft. I know I mentioned gear in "Me and My Multitool". Well, as it turns out, women (at least, this one) like gear too. I love the art of bushcraft, but I am not very good at it, yet. I can build a shelter, I know a few wild edibles where I live, and can start a fire with a Bic, but that's about it.
Not anymore. I have now started my gear collection, and will continue to put together my kits.
Kits, you say. Why do you need more than one? Well, most bushcrafter's have their EDC (every day carry) kit, and then a bigger kit for when they go out into the woods (or into the bush, hence the name, bushcraft). This is not just camping. You don't carry a cooler, you (most of the time) don't carry a tent. You definitely aren't sleeping in an RV. Bushcraft is more along the lines of "tribal knowledge". Old ways of doing things. This is not ultralight backpacking, it's not normal camping.
So far, the only gear I have is a small multi-tool, my new ferro rod, and my vaseline/cotton ball filled pill case. I do not, as of yet, have a pack or a decent knife. I will continue to post as my gear collection and my knowledge base grows. When I learn something new, I will share it (failures and all).
I'm know some of you are wondering why I made this post. Honestly, I just wanted to brag a little. I'm so happy to finally have some gear to call my own, and will be much happier when I have mastered it...though, I'm sure, that is a long time coming.
I plan on getting my pack at the flea market. Just going to start with a used alice pack. Got my eye on a couple different knives. One I am definitely getting for my EDC is the Blind Horse Knives Patch Knife. Got to find an ankle sheath for it. If any of you out there know where I might find one of these, please let me know. Also, looking for suggestions on a good knife for my pack (I am looking to get a big chopper, and a smaller fixed blade utility knife {think RAT3 - the old style, before it was RC-3}). I like the RAT3 because the handle is short, and fits my hand well, and it is good quality. I would like to find a chopper with a smaller handle, but still good quality, full tang, carbon steel, etc.
Please share your comments/suggestions here or on my Facebook page.
Peace and Love!
from the swamps of the PeeDee
PS - I would not know any of this information if my husband had not become obsessed with Mr. Dave Canterbury 2 years ago, when he started watching the Pathfinder videos on YouTube. So, a big thanks go out to my husband, Ryan, and to Mr. Dave, for sharing his knowledge, and helping us all learn together. Also, a big thank you goes out to Ken for my new gear, and to all the other Pathfinders who have become friends and have shared their knowledge with us all.
*Two is one, one is none.* -Dave Canterbury.
Some of you are not familiar with bushcraft. I know I mentioned gear in "Me and My Multitool". Well, as it turns out, women (at least, this one) like gear too. I love the art of bushcraft, but I am not very good at it, yet. I can build a shelter, I know a few wild edibles where I live, and can start a fire with a Bic, but that's about it.
Not anymore. I have now started my gear collection, and will continue to put together my kits.
Kits, you say. Why do you need more than one? Well, most bushcrafter's have their EDC (every day carry) kit, and then a bigger kit for when they go out into the woods (or into the bush, hence the name, bushcraft). This is not just camping. You don't carry a cooler, you (most of the time) don't carry a tent. You definitely aren't sleeping in an RV. Bushcraft is more along the lines of "tribal knowledge". Old ways of doing things. This is not ultralight backpacking, it's not normal camping.
So far, the only gear I have is a small multi-tool, my new ferro rod, and my vaseline/cotton ball filled pill case. I do not, as of yet, have a pack or a decent knife. I will continue to post as my gear collection and my knowledge base grows. When I learn something new, I will share it (failures and all).
I'm know some of you are wondering why I made this post. Honestly, I just wanted to brag a little. I'm so happy to finally have some gear to call my own, and will be much happier when I have mastered it...though, I'm sure, that is a long time coming.
I plan on getting my pack at the flea market. Just going to start with a used alice pack. Got my eye on a couple different knives. One I am definitely getting for my EDC is the Blind Horse Knives Patch Knife. Got to find an ankle sheath for it. If any of you out there know where I might find one of these, please let me know. Also, looking for suggestions on a good knife for my pack (I am looking to get a big chopper, and a smaller fixed blade utility knife {think RAT3 - the old style, before it was RC-3}). I like the RAT3 because the handle is short, and fits my hand well, and it is good quality. I would like to find a chopper with a smaller handle, but still good quality, full tang, carbon steel, etc.
Please share your comments/suggestions here or on my Facebook page.
Peace and Love!
from the swamps of the PeeDee
PS - I would not know any of this information if my husband had not become obsessed with Mr. Dave Canterbury 2 years ago, when he started watching the Pathfinder videos on YouTube. So, a big thanks go out to my husband, Ryan, and to Mr. Dave, for sharing his knowledge, and helping us all learn together. Also, a big thank you goes out to Ken for my new gear, and to all the other Pathfinders who have become friends and have shared their knowledge with us all.
*Two is one, one is none.* -Dave Canterbury.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Midwives for Haiti
Had to share this. Found it on Facebook. Here's a quote from the Facebook page:
Haiti has the worst maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere. Midwives for Haiti is a non-profit that is changing that by training skilled birth attendants in Haiti to save the lives of mothers and babies.
Haiti has the worst maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere. Midwives for Haiti is a non-profit that is changing that by training skilled birth attendants in Haiti to save the lives of mothers and babies.
- Company Overview:
- American nurse-midwives and other health professionals donate time in Haiti (and fund-raise in the US) to support the program. We train Haitian midwives in basic skills in 6-12 months. M4H now has Haitian staff, textbooks in Creole, and collaborates with other Haitian organizations. We are a baby non-profit, but we are growing!
Board members include Terrie Glass, Stephen Eads, Ken Heatwole, Jessica Jordan, Brenda Burgess, Stephanie Shareck Werner - Mission:
- Reduce maternal mortality and improve the health of women and infants in Haiti by training skilled birth attendants.
- Products:
- Our vision: All Haitian women will have access to prenatal care and deliver with the assistance of a skilled birth attendant.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Pet Product Review: Arm & Hammer Essentials Corn Fiber Cat Litter
I know some of you probably aren't cat people. My husband isn't really a cat person either. The only cat he ever liked was his cat, Slater, who unfortunately passed away shortly after we got married. Since that time, we have not had an inside cat...until now.
One of my hubby's childhood friends (still a current friend) and his fiance (congrats J. and A.) so generously gave us a cat. When we got her, I went out and bought some normal dollar store cat litter. That was the worst idea ever! The cheap stuff is just that, CHEAP. No clumping, no odor control, no nothing. Worst dollar I ever spent. So, while at Wal-Mart earlier this week, I looked for some good quality litter.
Why spend good money on something that your pet is just going to poop in? Well, I wanted quality stuff, that would be easy to use, wouldn't smell, and did not cost a fortune. I found it.
Arm & Hammer has a line of products called Arm & Hammer Essentials. The cat litter is corn fiber. It is a super-clumping formula, controls odor so well that you wouldn't know we had a cat, and isn't too expensive. An 11lb bag is around $8, which is about the same as a 20lb bag of regular clay litter. Seems pricey, but it's supposed to work so well, that you don't have to completely change the litter as often. So far, it has lived up to it's claims. And our cat seems to like it; no adjustment period or problems at all. I know cats can be a little finicky...they were once worshiped as Gods...and they have never forgotten this. :)
I am very impressed with this product and would recommend it to anyone with a cat. For the tree-hugger's out there (no offense to anyone...I consider myself a tree-hugger!) it is biodegradable. I would not recommend putting it in your compost pile or anything (as cats can carry some pretty nasty diseases) but if you have a field or some woods near your house, then you could just dump the leftovers out. They will break down.
Hope you found this review helpful. If you know of anymore eco-friendly pet products, let me and my readers know in a comment here or on my Facebook Page.
One of my hubby's childhood friends (still a current friend) and his fiance (congrats J. and A.) so generously gave us a cat. When we got her, I went out and bought some normal dollar store cat litter. That was the worst idea ever! The cheap stuff is just that, CHEAP. No clumping, no odor control, no nothing. Worst dollar I ever spent. So, while at Wal-Mart earlier this week, I looked for some good quality litter.
Why spend good money on something that your pet is just going to poop in? Well, I wanted quality stuff, that would be easy to use, wouldn't smell, and did not cost a fortune. I found it.
Arm & Hammer has a line of products called Arm & Hammer Essentials. The cat litter is corn fiber. It is a super-clumping formula, controls odor so well that you wouldn't know we had a cat, and isn't too expensive. An 11lb bag is around $8, which is about the same as a 20lb bag of regular clay litter. Seems pricey, but it's supposed to work so well, that you don't have to completely change the litter as often. So far, it has lived up to it's claims. And our cat seems to like it; no adjustment period or problems at all. I know cats can be a little finicky...they were once worshiped as Gods...and they have never forgotten this. :)
I am very impressed with this product and would recommend it to anyone with a cat. For the tree-hugger's out there (no offense to anyone...I consider myself a tree-hugger!) it is biodegradable. I would not recommend putting it in your compost pile or anything (as cats can carry some pretty nasty diseases) but if you have a field or some woods near your house, then you could just dump the leftovers out. They will break down.
Hope you found this review helpful. If you know of anymore eco-friendly pet products, let me and my readers know in a comment here or on my Facebook Page.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Me and My Multitool (or...the inner workings of the male brain, from the female perspective)
If you are married, I'm sure you've seen some crazy stuff. I know I have. Here's a short list of some of the weird things I've seen, heard, or just noticed (repeatedly) after 6 years...
1)Men like tools. Multiple tools, many of which perform the same function. However, they will only use a few of these on a regular basis. There will be 1 favorite (in my experience, it will be a multi-tool or a knife)
2)A man will use said favorite tool for everything, from working on his vehicle, to cleaning under his fingernails (or, as I have personally witnessed...multiple times...pulling off a dead toenail/fingernail that was damaged due to improper tool safety)
3)Men have a different definition of clean than women. To a woman, clean means clean, freshly laundered, hung up or folded and put away. To a man, clean is the equivalent of warm...hence the putting of dirty clothes in the dryer for ten minutes before wearing (for the 4th day in a row).
4)Men hate doctors. To avoid going to the doctor, a man will go to any lengths. This includes, but is not limited to: duct tape, lighters/hot knife, super glue, fishing line, or animal fat. Yes, I said animal fat. I have a friend, who, when he gets a deep bad splinter (read: large shard of wood - he's a carpenter), he will take raw fat back and rub into the wound. This causes an infection, which in turn, pushes the "splinter" closer to the skin surface making it easier to remove. Once removed, one of the above methods will be used to close the wound. Band-Aids are very seldom employed for such an injury, and antibiotics are out of the question (because that would require a trip to the doctor).
5)Men like gear. Gear is different from tools. Gear refers to tents, tarps, packs, cordage, knives (knives fall into both categories of tools and gear), canteens, old metal coffee cans, scrap pieces of wire (for modifications to gear), and anything else that a sane female would probably consider trash. The gear does not have to be in good condition.
6) Men like modifications. This is why gear does not have to be in good condition. Even if it's brand new, a man will always find a way to make something "better". They will take a perfectly good pair of pants and cut the bottoms off to make shorts, and then cut the pockets off the bottoms to attach to another piece of gear.
7)Boots and Cars. These two would normally require a whole blog to go over, but I wanted to provide a brief overview. Boot are expensive, and when they get the ones they have drooled over for months/years, they will not be quite right...ever. Cars are not expensive. The modifications made to these cars, however, will be. The key to cars (so to speak) are: big motors, big tires, negative gas mileage, and loudness.
This is just a random sampling of stuff that I have noticed. If you know of something that should be on this list and isn't, PLEASE leave a comment here, or on my Facebook page. I like to know in advance what I am getting into. :)
Hope you enjoyed this.
Peace and Love,
from the swamps of the PeeDee
1)Men like tools. Multiple tools, many of which perform the same function. However, they will only use a few of these on a regular basis. There will be 1 favorite (in my experience, it will be a multi-tool or a knife)
2)A man will use said favorite tool for everything, from working on his vehicle, to cleaning under his fingernails (or, as I have personally witnessed...multiple times...pulling off a dead toenail/fingernail that was damaged due to improper tool safety)
3)Men have a different definition of clean than women. To a woman, clean means clean, freshly laundered, hung up or folded and put away. To a man, clean is the equivalent of warm...hence the putting of dirty clothes in the dryer for ten minutes before wearing (for the 4th day in a row).
4)Men hate doctors. To avoid going to the doctor, a man will go to any lengths. This includes, but is not limited to: duct tape, lighters/hot knife, super glue, fishing line, or animal fat. Yes, I said animal fat. I have a friend, who, when he gets a deep bad splinter (read: large shard of wood - he's a carpenter), he will take raw fat back and rub into the wound. This causes an infection, which in turn, pushes the "splinter" closer to the skin surface making it easier to remove. Once removed, one of the above methods will be used to close the wound. Band-Aids are very seldom employed for such an injury, and antibiotics are out of the question (because that would require a trip to the doctor).
5)Men like gear. Gear is different from tools. Gear refers to tents, tarps, packs, cordage, knives (knives fall into both categories of tools and gear), canteens, old metal coffee cans, scrap pieces of wire (for modifications to gear), and anything else that a sane female would probably consider trash. The gear does not have to be in good condition.
6) Men like modifications. This is why gear does not have to be in good condition. Even if it's brand new, a man will always find a way to make something "better". They will take a perfectly good pair of pants and cut the bottoms off to make shorts, and then cut the pockets off the bottoms to attach to another piece of gear.
7)Boots and Cars. These two would normally require a whole blog to go over, but I wanted to provide a brief overview. Boot are expensive, and when they get the ones they have drooled over for months/years, they will not be quite right...ever. Cars are not expensive. The modifications made to these cars, however, will be. The key to cars (so to speak) are: big motors, big tires, negative gas mileage, and loudness.
This is just a random sampling of stuff that I have noticed. If you know of something that should be on this list and isn't, PLEASE leave a comment here, or on my Facebook page. I like to know in advance what I am getting into. :)
Hope you enjoyed this.
Peace and Love,
from the swamps of the PeeDee
Saturday, January 9, 2010
How to Boil an Egg
I know what some of you are thinking....how hard is it to boil an egg. Well, trust me, it's harder than you think. But after years of watching the cooking shows on PBS, I finally got it down. So here it is...How to Boil an Egg (the Jaque Pepin way).
Place your eggs in a pan with cold water. Make sure the eggs are completely covered. Salt the water if you wish.
Put the pot on the stove and turn it to High.
Wait for the water to start boiling good.
Put a lid on the pot, and turn the eye off. Set your timer for 8-9 minutes.
When the timer goes off, immediately take the eggs off the stove and submerge them in ice water. This will stop the cooking process.
Keep them in the ice water until completely cool (of course, you can eat them while they are still warm, but do not let them sit and stay warm, as they will over cook.)
Once they are cool, store in the fridge. I don't let boiled eggs sit in the fridge for more than about 3 days. I've had food poisoning more than once, and do not take chances. If you find some info on exactly how long it is safe to keep boiled eggs in the fridge, please let me know.
If, when you peel the eggs, there is a green line around the yolk, then the eggs are overcooked, and will have a slightly off smell. You can still eat them, but they will not be as good.
Hope this helps.
Peace and Love,
from the swamps of the PeeDee
Place your eggs in a pan with cold water. Make sure the eggs are completely covered. Salt the water if you wish.
Put the pot on the stove and turn it to High.
Wait for the water to start boiling good.
Put a lid on the pot, and turn the eye off. Set your timer for 8-9 minutes.
When the timer goes off, immediately take the eggs off the stove and submerge them in ice water. This will stop the cooking process.
Keep them in the ice water until completely cool (of course, you can eat them while they are still warm, but do not let them sit and stay warm, as they will over cook.)
Once they are cool, store in the fridge. I don't let boiled eggs sit in the fridge for more than about 3 days. I've had food poisoning more than once, and do not take chances. If you find some info on exactly how long it is safe to keep boiled eggs in the fridge, please let me know.
If, when you peel the eggs, there is a green line around the yolk, then the eggs are overcooked, and will have a slightly off smell. You can still eat them, but they will not be as good.
Hope this helps.
Peace and Love,
from the swamps of the PeeDee
Monday, January 4, 2010
Got Kids??
Well, the holiday's are over. Presents unwrapped, decorations put up (if you're lucky), and things are starting to get back to normal. My question is, what to do with all this stuff?
We have 3 kids, our oldest just turned 4, our middle child will be 3 in February, and our youngest is almost 6 months old. So we got A LOT of stuff for Christmas.
We hosted Christmas Eve at our house this year, for the first time. For about 3 days, our house (at least the visible parts) were cleaner than ever before. Now, 2 weeks after Christmas, we are living in C.H.A.O.S. all over again (for the non-Flybabies reading this, CHAOS is Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). So what to do.
I am interested in all ideas. How do you find time to clean, cook, spend quality time with the kids, quality time with your significant other, run errands, keep up with laundry, and all the other things that come with being a mom. Please, I am begging!! I love the FlyLady site, but it just is not working for me (or maybe I am not working hard enough...because the site makes it seem so simple). Our house is constantly a wreck, I am constantly behind on laundry, dishes, general cleaning....
Any and all advice will be more than welcomed.
Thanks in advance.
with love,
from the swamps of the PeeDee
We have 3 kids, our oldest just turned 4, our middle child will be 3 in February, and our youngest is almost 6 months old. So we got A LOT of stuff for Christmas.
We hosted Christmas Eve at our house this year, for the first time. For about 3 days, our house (at least the visible parts) were cleaner than ever before. Now, 2 weeks after Christmas, we are living in C.H.A.O.S. all over again (for the non-Flybabies reading this, CHAOS is Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). So what to do.
I am interested in all ideas. How do you find time to clean, cook, spend quality time with the kids, quality time with your significant other, run errands, keep up with laundry, and all the other things that come with being a mom. Please, I am begging!! I love the FlyLady site, but it just is not working for me (or maybe I am not working hard enough...because the site makes it seem so simple). Our house is constantly a wreck, I am constantly behind on laundry, dishes, general cleaning....
Any and all advice will be more than welcomed.
Thanks in advance.
with love,
from the swamps of the PeeDee
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