Earthy Views

Making Milk Alternatives

March 24, 2022March 24, 2022 Earthy Views

When you are switching to plant based milks because of digestive problems, allergies to animal dairy, or personal choice not to have animal products, you can make your own plant based milk.

If you have allergies you can work within them with whatever grains and seeds you can safely enjoy. I have not added sweeteners or things like cinnamon or vanilla. That is the cool thing about homemade food. You can enjoy it your way!

This year I started to make my own cashew milk. Others in my family have non-dairy milk too. One of them makes oat milk.

To make any of the beverages you will need:

A good blender.
A bowl
A colander or something to strain with
A clean jar or container
Water
Nuts, seeds
A mesh like cheese cloth, a cotton straining bag or a metal mesh strainer.

Oat milk for sauce or smoothies or just to enjoy!

2 to 1 ratio. How to make oat milk not slimy.

Takes about a min to three in the blender. It tends to be a bit gritty so put it through the cheese cloth. Use it in two days. In about three days the consistency can get a bit jello like. If you put it through the cheesecloth it is less. You can use the fiber left behind in the cheesecloth in baking. Muffins tends to be our go to baked goods Nutritional information on oat milk

Cashew milk my 1 litre jars, I don’t strain my milk, it is creamy not gritty.

In my trials of making cashew milk I used raw cashews from Costco. For a 1kg bag it was $16.99. When we bought the milk premade it was $6.99 plus a 10 cent deposit on the container and a 2 cent environmental fee. For 6 containers in would cost $42.66. Making at home saves you $25.67 you could factor in time energy used, I’m thankful I’m saving and it is fresh.

On with how I made it! I followed a recipe from a blog. 1 cup of cashews to 4 cups of water. I soaked the cashews overnight. Video on how to make cashew milk. Thank you Jerry James Stone!

In the morning I dumped them in the strainer, rinse then toss them in my Ninja tall blender with 2 cups of filtered water. Blend it for about 2 to 3 mins then pour in the other 2 cups of filtered water. The first time I tried it it was too gritty for us so I pulled out the small Ninja mixer and blended it in smaller batches that made it very creamy (amazing in hot cocoa or hot chocolate)

I always put my glass jar in the dishwasher and pull it out of there to make sure it is very clean. Years of canning and food preservation has had me in the practice of cleaning everything sterilized. If you don’t have a dishwasher, wash your container with good warm water and soap. Rinse it well and pour boiling water in and on the lid.

Our milk lasts about a week. By day 3 it becomes a bit thicker so you might want to add more filtered water. We shake it every time.

Cashew Milk Nutrition Facts based on 1 cup of cashews to 4 cups of water my batch makes about 5 cups of liquid.

Calories: 156.
Fat: 11g.
Sodium: 100mg.
Carbohydrates: 10.5g.
Fiber: 2g.
Sugar: 3g.
Protein: 4.5g.
Calcium: 18.9mg.

I’m looking forward to making a white sauce with it. I have used it in creamy broccoli soup. It was so yummy.

You can buy straining bags on amazon many local stores sell them too or sew straining bags

You can use many other seeds and nuts to make your milk substitute. I have not done it yet. If I do, I might do a new blog on the topic.

Have a great week. If you have any great alternative milks you enjoy, It would be cool to read about it and your favorite way to make or use your beverage.

Packing An Adult Size Beanbag Chair

March 17, 2022March 16, 2022 Earthy Views

I finally after much reading about packing a large bean bag chair. No amount of reading on the topic could have had me not learning some different ways to wrangle this beanbag into submission.

The sites I read said to take the filling out of the inside of the chair and put a vacuum bag in a duffle bag.

With how much stuffing there was, that was not an option.

So I put the vacuum bag in a laundry basket. Unzipped the 2 zippers and got a container (a 2L soda bottle with the top cut of) to scoop it out. I thought after a bit of that, this isn’t going fast enough for my liking. Instead of waiting for help I decided how hard could this be? (please note any of my family might tell you to get out while you can, when I have a plan of “ll do it myself”)

In my wise thinking I thought I will clothespin the bag to the laundry basket. Seems like a plan..

So I wrestled the huge bean bag in my grip and aimed the opening of the beanbag to the opening of the vacuum bag and started to pour it in. Things seemed smooth until clothespins started to shoot off and some fell in the stuffing while others flung off in the room. Then the bag was overflowing and I could not see well enough until I noticed the filling was on the floor. (Thinking I should have waited for help) Determined “I can do it!”, I grabbed an empty box and placed it at the top of the laundry basket to steady the bag. That worked ok, or so I thought! More spilled down the inside of the box!. All and all not a total disaster. Just as help arrived I was done. So we put the vacuum bag on the floor and got the vacuum started to get the air out. It was working but it was too big and bulky to pack.

I grabbed boxes to see what would fix it. A medium Uhaul box might work.. We opened the bag again and the two of us fitted the corners of the bag with the inside of the box. Slowly pushing all the stuffing around to fit. Sealed the bag and used the vacuum as we molded the vacuum bag and filling..

It fit! Tape it up and then put the chair bag in a small Uhaul box. Now it is ready for moving day.

I cleaned the mess. Time to think up a new plan of destruction! Please share your moving adventures and the odd things you have packed.

Spring Is In The Air

March 10, 2022March 9, 2022 Earthy Views

As I clean up the rest of my plants and garden in preparation to move, my plants are telling me they are ready for a new year of getting big and strong. Their shoots are perking up though the cold ground. My rhubarb, mint, chives, lovage and raspberry canes have visible growth.

Photo by me, this is my lovage taken March 9th 2022

We will be in the season of spring in Canada about March 20. Even with the title of Spring we can get some temperatures that are too cold for many plants.

We have things like cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) falling, that white flaky stuff is not snow, it can be the bane of many peoples seasonal allergies. The later into spring we get the white fluff covers all the roads in our area, you have to keep the windows closed or it blows in.

This is *Populus trichocarpa* (Cottenwood) This is **Dave Ingram Photography** https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/78699-Populus-trichocarpa

Plants that you might see on the West Coast in late winter still depend on the zone. The zones around me are 7 to 8b. What the plant hardiness zones mean is how cold an expected cold season will be. Annual minimum temperature extreme. So we could start planting cold tolerant plants like primrose plants, some variants of echinacea, marigolds, carrots, onions or beets.

Garden tips for each month in zone 8. We are still dipping below freezing some nights so the few plants I still have are close to the house undercover some are still covered at dusk.

It is so weird being in transition at the beginning of growing season Normally at this time of year I would have seeds starting to get ready to plant late spring early summer. I would have my greens (kale, lettuce, paisley spinach and mustard greens) covered in the community garden.

I took my seeds over to my family in zone 9a so they will start our seeds for the coming year.

If you are trying to grow plants from outside your zone you will need to simulate the requirement they would normally grow like my pineapple, it likes a warmer environment they need 6 hours of sunlight a day. In my climate it is too cold for them most of the year, sometimes on nice hot summer days I can treat it to some natural sun. So I grow them in the house under grow lights. They like humidity. I don’t have a humidifier running in the winter, we are in a temperate rainforest we would get mold.

Sadly I lost my other plant that I was so excited about, that was my curry tree, it got root rot and I’m still trying to revive it but I think it is a goner. I might buy another when I move or try them from seeds.

Photo by me, raspberry canes, March 9, 2022

I would like to read about your spring or what March weather conditions are like for you. If you grow plants, what do you grow and when do you plant your seeds or plants? Happy planting!

Say Cheese!

March 3, 2022March 5, 2022 Earthy Views

The world is filled with amazing foods and cheese happens to be something many parts of the world makes. Cheese have such varieties hard, soft, spreadable, crumbly, and smelly.

Cheese can be made with many ingredients including animal dairy, nuts, rice and lentils, spices, mold cutlers, vinegars and salt. Making your own cheese is not so hard. Vegan cheese recipe Mozzarella Paneer Cheese Swiss cheese

If you have allergies, sensitivities or dietary preferences be mindful to read about the cheese of choice.

When I was enjoying some swiss cheese, it got my brain asking questions. I have also enjoyed cheese parties. In North America we can buy swiss cheese. We will not be able to get some of the unpasteurized cheeses of the world, this includes proper swiss cheese.

Cheese was accidentally discovered about 8000 years ago when milk was stored in containers made from animal stomachs and separated from its curds.

Edam was used as cannonballs (and killed two soldiers) in a battle between Montevideo and Buenos Aires in 1841.

June 4 in National cheese day!

If you want to know what is in your cheese and where to buy cheese.

Cheese is used in sports. 9 pounds of double Gloucester cheese is 13 cm (5 inches) thick. Its country of origin is England also where they have one of the cheese rolling events. The events take place in the spring on Copper Hill. This crazy event was thought to have started in the 15th century to maintain grazing rights on the commons.

There is also a theory that it was a part of a representation of the new year in the pagan communities.

So the cheese for the cheese rolling it tossed down the hill making speeds of 70 km (43 miles) to 100 km ( 62 miles) an hour then the contestants attempt to chase the cheese down the hill to catch it. The objective is to catch the cheese(never been done) or make it to the bottom of the hill first. I’m not sure the risk of ending up in hospital is worth even the best cheese to me. I read even the spectators are at risk of injuries with this wild out of control wheel of cheesy death.

https://www.newsweek.com/woman-gifted-26lb-wheel-cheese-date-keeper-1583767

Italy has broken many of the largest cheese world records. The Pecorino cheese was prepared using 4,500 liters of sheep’s milk and it took 9 months of storing. it weighs 598.5 kg (1,319.4 lb) and was achieved by Comune di Loculi (Italy), in Loculi, Italy, on 19 July 2020. The metric dimensions are: Ø1.60m (5ft 3in), H.0.28m (0ft 11in).

Cheese on the brain, studies have shown it triggers the same part of the brain as opioid drugs. Like all good things, cheese should be eaten in moderation. One serving of cheese is about the amount of 2 D 6 dice that equals one oz according to the Canadian health guide suggests 50 grams (1 ½ oz) of cheese equals one dairy serving

Hope you enjoyed my cheesy blog topic! Have a fun and safe week. Tell me about cheeses you have tried.

Allergies or sensitivities emergencies and information

February 24, 2022February 24, 2022 Earthy Views

When you are plagued by symptoms and not able to get definitive answers. It is so hard to know what to do when you are not sure what can be done. You can talk over with your family doctor, bring a list of symptoms and possible triggers.

Knowing the difference between sensitivity and allergies can be very hard. When to seek emergency help. If you are struggling to breathe, tuning blue, low pulse, having problems swallowing, loss of consciousness, sudden severe swelling of the face or throat, this response is known as anaphylaxis.

What are food allergies, and why are they becoming more common?

I would advise calling an ambulance once allergies get to that point you have a short time to get medical aid. If the person has an allergy injection (EpiPen, epinephrine), this is the time to use it. If they they are able to self administer it then let them do so, otherwise you may need to do it for them. Then this person will need emergency follow up. They have about 10 to 20 mins before the pen injection effects are wearing down. If the persons symptoms don’t get a some better within 5 minutes or get worse, give a second injection as you wait for emergence response teams, make a note on the times the injections where given and symptoms.

Sometimes when you go to an allergist, you can have the skin test done. That does not always show the full picture. It can be very discouraging when you have the skin scratch test done and you still feel gross when eating the wrong thing or if you are exposed to environmental, medications or chemical irritants.

There is so much that can’t be seen in a scratch test, like how your body responds to things that are not going to have anaphylactic reactions. Like when you are exposed to something that makes your gut sore or worse, have you held hostage in the bathroom feeling something died in your digestive tract or like you were going to have an alien bust though your gut lining doing a song and dance number. Asking for the cheque will not save you from this gross fate. (Yes this is a Spaceballs, the movie reference) It really is how it feels sometimes.

If you have a skin reaction like eczema this also will not show up on the scratch test. Any delayed side effect likely will not be found on your first trip to the allergist.

As many people have allergies and sensitives it is good to talk about this with friends, relatives and colleagues. I often ask if people have any food challenges, sensitives or allergies. Being someone that shares food and space with others. I have friends that have such bad problems with chemical scents that they can be out of commission, off work or school even trips to the hospital if they come an area that aggravates them.

Certain ways that a human can respond to something not agreeing with you can be so debilitating. Loss of senses, over stimulation, gut problems including being farty, bloated, burning, bad bowel habits ( like diarrhea or constipation) can be a crappy deal!

Other things people with other health conditions can go though is inflammation of the joints, swelling in the extremities (arm, legs, feet, hand face)

Congestion, in the nose, chest head.

Migraine or headaches can be result of sensitivities

Vision changes can be a thing, temporary loss or blurry vision starts from the central nervous system gets out of alignment or inflamed. You can experience many eye symptoms with allergies.

Asthma is shortness of breath, wheezing, couching caused by the air ways tightening, many things can trigger asthma attacks. Exercise, allergens, chemical sensitives like perfumes or detergents.

Chronic conditions can be a side effect of long term exposure to something you are sensitive to.

Emotional side effects are very real when your body is under constant attack, anxiety, depression, fear (this is very real when you are eating things and they make you feel sick) You can feel unheard by medical staff. You can feel crazy and lazy.

If you are struggling to get answers, you might need to see an attentive practitioner, that specializes in chemical and environmental and food sensitivities. Naturopathic doctors have gone to medical school to get a medical doctorate degree. They have a different approach, they focus on the underlying reasons you are having a condition. In my experience, a General practitioner does not always have extended training in hormones, or had different conditions such as sensitivities or bowel upset. A general practitioner might say after doing some lab test and sending you to a specialist, here is medication to stop the cramps or the bowel spasms that cause the diarrhea. A good naturopathic doctor will do many more tests. Some of the tests might include bloodwork to see if the things you are having problems with create an inflammatory response in your body. They might look at saliva and urine to check hormones

When making decisions about the care best for you, you must think about cost coverages. Some areas of the world include natural practitioners as part of mainstream medical care. Other areas you might need to pay out of pocket. If you have a medical insurance plan ask for a detailed list of all medical coverages. Some of your natural medications and treatment may not be covered the same as pharmaceuticals.

If you need an EpiPen but can’t afford the high cost please ask your medical provider for a prescription epinephrine. Here is a video on how to draw and use epinephrine. Sometimes you can find a generic epinephrine auto injectors.

Having sensitives really sucks, sometimes it is more of a pain to explain/defend yourself in cases where you look ok with in 15 mins of a scratch test but feel awful. I had had this at my dentist. They said due to covid, you must use this mouthwash, I said I have chemical sensitives, the hygienists was like it it just Listerine. I was too tired to keep arguing with them so I did the swish, and over 24 hours of feeling rundown, sick to my gut, sore throat within 10 mins of doing the rinse. If you have sensitives try your best to advocate for yourself, if you can’t might be time to rebook or find something that feels safer.

Have a safe week!

Eye care Emergencies

February 17, 2022February 16, 2022 Earthy Views

When you get a reminder that sight can be lost in a blink of an eye. This weeks topic might need a larger beverage!

I have not thought about this too much due to mostly using safety glasses when doing jobs that could hold hazards. Knowing about your eye before anything is a problem is a great way to start. Here is the anatomy of the eye.

My family member who always wears safety gear was working on a vehicle and looking up a piece of metal got in their eye under the safety glasses.

They did not realize the same day something got in their eye, it felt like a scratch on their eyelid. After doing an eye rinse and an inspection of the eye they figured out that there was a dark fleck. It was then they realized they needed treatment, there was no crazy pain, sometimes you think it will work its way out. Eyes need extra care, see someone. It took three visits so far to help get the rust and metal out, there will be more follow ups. Everything is going well.

*Human Eye Diagram. Image Credit: Pablofdezr / Shutterstock*

When to go to the emergency for an eye problem as opposed to seeing a family doctor. If you have anything sticking on your eye, burns of any kind, bleeding, redness or swelling after an injury, foreign object, chemical splashes or if you suddenly have loss of sight. Especially if you have had head trauma including falls, motor vehicle accidents or blunt head trauma. If you have had jolting head trauma try not to move your head too much, cover your eye with a clean patch and get a ride to the hospital.

If you have something happen at work, see your first aid attendant. They will often be able to advise you if you need more in-depth medical aid. If they don’t guide you to seek medical attention, follow up and if you feel it warrants medical attention see a doctor. If you have had anything other than minor band aid first aid at work I would always recommend a follow up with your family doctor. Your first aid person might flush your eye or use swabs to gently get foreign objects out. If you have something sticking out of your eye they might need to put something around the eye to make it safe for transport.

Your work might have safety eye protocols and rules. Some places you must have safety approved eye coverings. They have one that fully fits over prescription eyewear too. Some jobs don’t allow for workers to wear contact lenses due to the dangers the job holds.

If you are at home, always wash your hands before doing anything to your eyes.

If you have any major pain or even burning, get someone to drive you. Sometimes eye treatments can seem like “oh I can drive” but you are better to have a ride. The treatments can leave you not seeing so well for a time.

Getting anything foreign in your eye, or anything that could injure your eye or your sight. Do not touch or rub the eye. Unless you have special first aid training do not try to treat an eye injury. You could enhance permanent damage.

You can do a 10 minute eye wash at an eye station provided you have not punctured the eye or the eyelid.

Some hospitals have eye care clinics. If your hospital does not have one, call your family doctor and they will look, they might send you to an opthamologist. This is what happened to me once when we had major construction going on in our building envelope and the stuff in the air created a scratch on my eye.

If you end up going to an emergency your wait time could vary, they are not known for comfortable seating so might want to bring a cushion. If you are able to see well enough, maybe bring something to read. You will be seen by a doctor then will take a look at your eye with their eyes or with special equipment.

You might have medications put in to numb the eye before they do any treatments. After any eye treatment you can feel more tired, you never know how much your sight keeps you alert. Follow the aftercare and rest when you need.

If you have not been recommended to an eye specialist I recommend you make your own appointment or ask about it directly.

When to wear eye protection

Working with any tool that can fling debris in the eye
Working with any chemical / substance natural or otherwise that could splash. (When I make my homemade salsa I use eye protection.)
Working over your head with tools or substances like dust, construction or cutting wires. You’re better to wear something than to not wear anything.
Being in the pool on a daily basis you might want good anti fog goggles; prolonged chemicals from the pool can harm your eyes.
Welding is very key to have ones that protect in many ways.
Extreme weather work or play/sports. Wind, blizzards, sand can affect your eyes,
Medical workers sometimes need face and eye protection.

How to know if you have the best eye protection for the job. For my salsa I use a full coving with vents.

Amazon They are similar to the ones I wear to make my spicy salsa.

Welding or using an acetylene torch you will want to read the safety sheets on the best protection for your job.

There are many projects and jobs where you might want a full shield as well as safety glasses. If you are using grinders you could not only be protecting your eyes but your whole face too

Stay safe out there, get regular eye check ups or if you noted changes in your eyes or vision. Even on vacation you should be mindful of eye injuries. I’m on vacation, this is just here to help you smile.

Let’s cut the cake

February 10, 2022February 9, 2022 Earthy Views

Have you enjoyed cake at a special occasion? Have you ever wondered what’s the history of cake?

https://www.exclusiveitalyweddings.com/blog/italian-wedding-cakes

Cake as been part of history from very early times. The word cake has been in use since 1390’s it was more to do with the shape of cooked dough lumps.

Germans culture is believed to have made the first birthday cakes in the medieval times

Cake in many cultures is a decadent dessert to be shared. Because the ingredients in cake were some of the finest and quite expensive they were not made often.

Cake has traditional aspects too. Many places feeding people cake at a birthday or wedding is believed to be a loving act. Cutting the wedding cake together symbolizes the first act the couple shares in doing together.

Brazil: The birthday boy or girl is given the first piece of cake, but they do not keep it for themselves. They give it to the most important person in their lives. For kids, that’s usually the mom or dad. I found this on The word for cake world wide.

My grandma and other grandmas used to bake cakes with coin money in it. I read that it was lucky for whoever found the money, not sure if that is why she did it, I would have to ask someone in my family. My family shared that grandma would make angel food cake with icing, that was a very special treat. Gluten free angel food cake

My grandpa’s sisters made a cake with lots of butter and fruit like plums or blueberries baked on top. They are of German descent so it was called Kuchen. They were very set on how it was done, I had the blessing of making it with the 3 of them.

Not gluten free but so pretty. https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/angel-food-cake/6e31de9e-e150-4078-84b6-7bed0bccbca6

Blowing out candles, I have heard everything from if you blow them all out you will have luck to how many people you will have a relationship interest in.

During or after the war people were dealing with rations so people became creative with what they had and Wacky cakes were made. Boiled Raisin Cake was an other one we ate in my family.

At that time they did not have a lot of icing or frosting because egg milk and butter were very hard to come by so they would use powdered sugar on top a little went a long way. This one was used after world war one!

The world record for the longest cake is held by India on July 15, 2020 by: Bakers Association Kerala

If you eat cake do you have any special memories around that? Does your family have any special traditions around cake? What type of cake do you really enjoy. For me it is carrot cake followed by a rich dense German chocolate cake with a raspberry topping. Being gluten and corn free for years I have learned to make many lovely gluten free cakes.

When your sick and living with others

February 3, 2022March 18, 2022 Earthy Views

Whatever your views are, being sick is not pleasant for most. Now we have this pandemic. Any sneezes, sniffles, cough or sore throat has me wondering what is next. Before the pandemic normal things like a mild sore throat would not have me stressing. Now it is like, what is going to come to this will we need medical care.

https://www.mercyone.org/health-and-wellness/health-answers/is-it-the-flu-or-a-cold

So what happens if you live with other humans if you get sick?

You need to think is there a way to reduce the chances of them getting ill too.

You can do your best to avoid close contact
Wear your mask when you’re not in your own closed space.
Wash your hands if you touch your mouth, nose or eyes for any reason.
If you can sleep apart from your bed mate might be an idea.
You can drink warm water to help if you have phlegm.
Order groceries online ( you will likely need a credit card. When your healthily and if you have some money to spare you can buy a prepaid credit card.)
If you have someone that is willing to make a meal and drop it at the door. Do no contact drop offs.
Keep meds on hand.
Write your care card number down incase someone else needs to call for aid for you
If you need to go by ambulance or to the hospital, leave all valuables including smart watches at home.
Read about warnings to take yourself to the emergency.
If you think you have covid your area might have an online screening to see if you are eligible to get a covid test.
Have a garbage bag for used Kleenex that you can tie off.
Clean high touch points
Open the windows let fresh air in.
Don’t share cups or utensils anything that goes near your mouth including vape equipment and cigarettes

Doing. Your part to keep yourself and others as healthy as you can.

Things my home keeps on hand.

Fenugreek and thyme (helps with phlegm and congestion)
Lemons for hot lemon tea, with honey and ginger.
Cold and flu decongestant
Fishermans friend (lozenge)
Pain medication like Tylenol, ibuprofen and aspirin
Neti pot to do a nose rinse (use cooled boiled water, not tap water)
Kleenex (tissue)
Anti nausea meds
Diarrhea meds.
Humidifier
Magnesium (aids sleep and helps with body pain)

It is very difficult to share a home or connection and not be able to hug or sit close for meals even to wear masks the whole day. What measures have you taken to keep people you care for safer. Hope you are staying healthy, If you are not feeling well please stay home and rest, have a plan if you or your family get ill. Do your best to feel better.

Hobbyist leather care

January 27, 2022January 26, 2022 Earthy Views

Owning leather can be something to own that is functional. Like leather gloves in the winter. You can also learn to care for your leather gear. Sometimes people buy something but don’t put thought into the care.

My friends in services like the military can tell you so much about caring for leather. Your boots are part of your life line.

I have been caring for and treating leather for a long time. Not sure where the interest came from.

To care for leather there are many steps to keep it in good condition.

If they are going to care for leather you will need a kit.

A basic kit can run you $50 sometimes less or possibly many times more. Being a person in the art of leather care many ask “can you fix this up?”

Someone that does leather care is often referred to as a bootblack or shoeshine. In earlier days they were much more in demand. When things were created by a cobbler or leatherworker. Before mass production. The world used to be built on craft. People did not have much disposable income so more care was taken to preserve what you had.

Things to include in your kit. (I keep mine in my little leather bag with many pockets) I have a dream of getting a really nice wooden bigger kit, maybe with cherry wood design and a handle. Wood art would be such a great addition for my leather care.

A brush to brush of heavy dirt.
Soft brushes (there are many kinds of brushes)
Toothbrush to get into the seams and stitching.
Clothes that you don’t care if they get dirty
Scissors cut of loose threads
A lighter for frays, heating wax
A spirit cleaner like rubbing alcohol
A good conditioner ( I have Huberd’s) I have used others and will buy more.
Saddle soap (I have read that using this can strip the oils)
Dye
Polish
I keep extra laces and paracord. (Great if something breaks on a nature walk.)
Non abrasive cleaner.
Tooth picks
Round nail care sticks ( great for poking mud or grunge from the eyelets)
Small bowl for water
Spray bottle with water
I also have a waterproof washable drop cloth.

When you start a leather piece you want to clean it first, brush off excess loose dirt and grime. The brushes to use will depend on what leather piece is being worked on. If it is a soft leather like sheep skin you will not want to use anything coarse. If it is a saddle or boots a firmer bush might be a better choice. If you are unsure, the internet has lots of information. You are always better to err on the side of caution. Identifying leather before you start

You can clean almost any leather, from your furniture to animal gear bags and garments.

Clean it with leather safe soap like casters soap or saddle soap is a good choice. You do not want to wet the leather for long so clean it and dry it. Some leather, especially softer leather will get water marks. So try to keep the cleaning even.

If you are dyeing an item completely or doing touch ups you want to go with professional grade leather dye. They will bleed less. My friend gave me that great tip. You might also want to wear disposable gloves. Dyeing is not always needed, sometimes just a good polish will do all you need it too. Dyeing can be very messy, not something you want to do without a drop cloth that stuff will wreck things if splattered or spilled.

This is a project a family member took on. Looks so good. You must set aside many
hours for a project this big. Before is to the right,

If you use dye let it dry then you can condition.

Conditioning is a very personal choice, I have had the opportunity to use a variety of products. Things like mink oil or other animal products, or a bee based conditioner, depending what you are conditioning and what results you want. There are mixed feelings about products.

One thing I do is take before, during and after photos.

The shoe on the left is finished. Photo by me.

If I’m doing garments or boots for others the photos are very key to doing lacing the same way. People value when you take the time to return things with the same lace pattern.

I hope you have fun cleaning your leather, if you have questions please leave me a comment. Would also love to read your tips on leather care. I always have room to learn. Have a good week.

MRI what to expect

January 20, 2022January 19, 2022 Earthy Views

Likely you or someone you know has needed an MRI. Might be interesting to know more about what it is and why someone might need this kind of imaging.

Photo From: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/mri

Let me start with what MRI stands for: Magnetic resonance imaging.

It always amazes me that big spinning magnets can play such a huge role in helping diagnose a medical problem.

Doctors send patients in for MRI’s for all kinds of health concerns things like organs and the depth of bones can be scanned. They can see very deep details of things like nasal cavities to the whole brain. MRI’s can be used to detect if someone has abnormal tissue or a blockage in their veins. It can even be used to see the capillaries in the brain! I don’t know the medical science behind MRI’s but they can give layered information about the body. The radiologist will look at it and give a report to the doctors. Sometimes the specialist will look too.

Photo from https://www.kjronline.org/ViewImage.php?Type=F&aid=535394&id=F2&afn=68_KJR_16_5_973&fn=kjr-16-973-g002_0068KJR

One of the amazing things I read about was how In Canada they are working with MRI technology to help with treatments in Parkinson patients. It is still in the trial stages where they use the MRI that directs an ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier to administer medications and treatments right in the brain. This is very key to helping treat certain conditions.

*© iStock/Trifonov_Evgeniy* Photo on https://www.healtheuropa.eu/extending-the-reach-of-mri-with-new-portable-brain-imaging-scanner/104143/

I read they have even used MRI technology to find out things like dating and finding out medical information from archeologists. They can often find out cool things from the remains, lab and other DNA tests.

If you have never been in an MRI, they are very noisy. Even with earplugs. They are like a construction site. Sometimes it sounds like industrial fans or a wind tunnel. I thought it was like a really bad Tron Video game without the cool light or gameplay. I find the round opening feels like going into a paper towel roll, kinda cold, noisy and cramped. You must stay as still as you can and breathe normally, with a mask due to covid.

Things to expect. Before you even go in, you will be asked important screening questions. They might seem weird but they are really key to your safety. You will be asked about any metal in your body even tattooed on makeup, clips, surgeries. There are many areas that they use metal that you might not even think about. Implants like glucose meters.

You will be asked to change out of your clothing including underwear, take off all jewelry, hearing aids, glasses, anything with metal (leave all but my glasses at home). I once asked why, they said “Many fabrics have metal fibers woven in the clothes”. I thought wow, never would have thought about that. Even hair ties can be a problem so I just use a plain rubber band.

You will then be put in a position sometimes with wedges or other things to help you stay in that potion for what seems like forever pending on what they need the image of. They give you a call bell in case something is not right, they also sometimes will talk to you when you’re in the machine. I will close my eyes or keep them open and think of a tranquil place, I will really think about the small details like how it smells, sights of sounds that I would experience there. Like the beach on a warm day. My friend is from India and I say “think about how the roses look and smell or how the air smells when the jasmine flowers open”.

Some people are lucky enough to have a nap in their MRI others have a harder time. If small spaces are not a positive place for you or cause you anxiety you might want to talk to your doctor about medications that might aid you through the process

Other things that can be a setback are if you are a bigger body type you might feel very uncomfortable. Please advocate for yourself. One of the singers I really enjoy just had a negative experience due to her shape trying to get her MRI. You have a right to be as comfortable and you can be in any medical experience. MRIs are not the most comfortable medical process to begin with.

You also can feel a bit weird after being still in one position for sometimes 45 min more or less. When many people I know have had their spine done they felt sore and really weird after. It seems to jar the inside even though the motions in and out of the machine are smooth, the big magnets move quite fast inside the tube you are in.

Photo from: https://www.pearl-technology.ch/en/nuclearmedicine

To be an MRI tech requires many years of school, you need a background in science before you can train to work in the MRI department. It can take 1 To four years depending on the program with a practicum. And many prerequisites.

I hope you are still able to enjoy what you love, the last few weeks have been a new set of covid lockdowns in my part of the world. It’s a good thing I love writing my blog, I can do that from the comfort of my own home. Take care till next week.