I love the Old Farmer’s Almanac.  It just seems that the “old wisdom” depended less on technology and chemicals, and more on the laws of God’s nature and simple common sense.  Not that the folks at OFA don’t enjoy some old wives’ tales thrown in, but for the most part they have a lot of useful information.

Like how to deal with fruit flies.  Those little critters bug-bug-bug me; my goodness, they’ll fly right by my mouth as I’m taking a bite!  The solution at Old Farmer’s Almanac online is simple: 

“You may want to try trapping the flies by inserting a paper or metal funnel into the mouth of a quart jar baited with bits of overripe fruit.  The flies will get into the jar, but they will not be able to get out.”

See?  Simple!  I actually have OFA online as my homepage.  I enjoy the tidbits of information that I never knew I needed  :)  They have an Old Farmer’s Almanac for kids, too, that I’m going to suggest to the grandparents for Christmas.  It’s got facts that kids would find interesting, like the part of a cricket’s body it uses to listen, and directions for activities like how to make a sunflower house.

I didn’t want to expose Kyra to more embarassment due to her poison ivy, but I had to pick up a friend from out of town, at the mall.  We ended up staying to eat lunch in the food court, and I noticed two things:

First, that people looked at Kyra’s face, a lot.  Her poison ivy rash hasn’t responded to the treatments yet, and it looks like a huge burn or a massive birthmark on her face and neck.  I was probably more aware than normal, but I know Kyra was self-concious, too.

The second thing I realized was that people were so… considerate.  Some looked away quickly, but most made a point of smiling at Kyra.  Several people made comments to her, like, “You’re holding your tray of food so well” and, “Hi, Sweetie” and “Aren’t you a pretty girl!”  It’s not like we’re normally ignored or anything, but there was a noticeable, intentional reaching out to Kyra specifically.

It just made me feel good, that so many people were thoughtful and kind to my daughter, and made an effort to make her feel normal and capable and pretty.  

It’s very easy for me to get caught up in what’s negative in our world, with emails and movies and television reports on the news of bad people doing bad things… And I forget that there are a lot of good people, too.  Yesterday’s trip to the mall was a much-needed reminder of the kindness that is out there, that there is a decency within most people and a desire to do the right thing and show compassion.  I’m thankful for that reminder, and thankful for the kindness of strangers.

For more Gratituesday, visit Heavenly Homemaker.

Poor Kyra got poison ivy on her face– across her forehead, along her nose, around her mouth, behind her ears, down her neck.  She must’ve touched a plant when we were weeding for friends, and she scratched and rubbed for a day before I realized what it was.  Her face is deep red and leathery and swollen, and though it doesn’t hurt and barely itches, she’s embarassed because people keep looking at her; it is startlingly red.

This is the third time she’s gotten poison ivy this summer.  Her skin is so sensitive that she reacts with any amount of exposure, and even afer the rash is gone the area stays red for weeks.  And this summer, in about a month, she goes to camp for the first time, meeting tons of new friends…  And she’ll have a splotchy red face.  Ugh– I hurt for her!  I want to take it off of her body and smear it all over my own, just so she won’t have to deal with the stares and questions.

I told her that— that I’d take the rash and the allergy and put it on my own body if I could, so she could have her soft smooth skin back.  She pulled back and looked into my eyes, as if to see if I was telling the truth.  And then she smiled, and her eyes… it was like I could see how content she felt, how loved she knew she was.  That is a cherished moment for me.

I know that I would do anything for my kids.  I would die for them without even thinking about it!  …But do they know it?  Part of the beauty of unconditional love is the recipient being aware of that love, of the immensity of it.  I’m not saying to go tell your kids you’d die for them; it’s too overwhelming and beyond their comprehension.  But when was the last time you told them something deeper than the foundational “I love you”? 

I show my kids my love for them on a daily basis: the cooking and cleaning and training and activities and snuggling and treats are all because I love them.  But don’t we all need to hear it in words, too?  I love the special times that Nate brings me flowers, but to be honest it’s what he’s written in the card that fills my heart.  Try to find a way this week to tell your kids how much you love them, beyond those three little words.   

The no-rinse hand sanitizers have always bothered me.  It’s the thought of putting chemicals on my hands to kill germs but not rinsing them off… then I rub my itching eye or lick the chocolate off my finger…  I don’t know, it’s just doesn’t seem healthy.

But I like the concept, a lot.  If we’re on a trip and stop at a gas station to use the bathroom, I just can’t believe there’s any part of my body with worse germs and bacteria than what’s on the doors and faucet and doorknob of that bathroom.  In the past I’ve kept baby wipes to clean our hands after using a nasty public restroom, but I like the idea of a hand sanitizer much better– something that will actually kill the germs!

I found this recipe online, and I can’t wait to try it out!  It calls for ingredients I need to purchase so I haven’t made it yet, but I’ll let you know how it goes when I try it out.  If you make it before me, please share your results!

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

• 1 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 tsp rubbing alcohol
• 2 tsp vegetable glycerin
• 8-10 drops tea tree or lavender essential oil

Check out the full information here if you are interested in making your own hand sanitizer!