Ouchie!

After a few days of pain in my abdomen, my doctor sent me for a CT scan Wednesday afternoon. They discovered that I had an inflamed appendix. The radiologists called my doctor and she said to "get it out" that night. When I got over to the ER the surgeon said well, we could just treat it with antibiotics and watch it or take it out now. Now, my doctor had said to get it out and she is usually pretty aggressive in my treatments. So, I spent Thanksgiving Eve and the better part of Thanksgiving Day in the hospital. It turns out it was a good thing they took it out when they did. So I am thankful for my doctor, my husband who went home that night and made the dressing for the turkey, and hospital personnel who made the stay special for every one who had to be in the hospital on Thanksgiving Day. The nurses were very cheerful, sweet and attentive even though they had to work on the holiday. They also had a husband and wife who had brought in their "therapy" dog for all the patients. He was a very sweet poodle. However he was very distracted by my tuna sandwich. The owners said he had been trained using tuna for a reward. I would have shared it with him, since I had no appetite, but of course the owners said "no". I'm thankful Mary and Brian cooked the turkey and good part of the dinner and had Thanksgiving dinner at their house and sent home leftovers that are so yummy. Thanks to Percocet I am feeling quite well!

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Many of you may already know this. I had heard of it, but did not have the recipe.

At our last Enrichment Night, we learned how to make our own laundry detergent. It only costs a few pennies a load (depending how much you use). It is supposed to clean well and make your laundry really soft. You need not use liquid fabric softener or fabric softener sheets. I guess a lot of people make their own for various reasons -- cheaper, hypoallerginic, and because the fabric softener sheets have oils in them which clog up your dryer vents and can cause I fire. (I did not know that!)

Others dilute it a little and put some in a spray bottle and use it as a spray and wash stain remover for clothes, carpets, etc. (Carpets stains need to be rinsed with a clean white wet wash cloth and then dabbed with a dry cloth to remove moisture.)

I've decided to try it and will let you know if I find it worthy! But, since opinions are subjective I thought I would share this for all who are looking for ways to save money!

Here are the instructions we received: (Makes 3 gallons)

Liquid Laundry Soap (use 1/4 cup per load)
1 bar Fels-Naptha soap, grated. (makes 2 cups),
1 1/2 cups Washing soda,
1 1/2 cups Borax. (These ingredients may be found at Market Place, Winco and Fred Meyer)


Boil 1/2 gal hot water, add grated soap, and dissolve.
Keep stirring add other soaps and dissolve.
Take off of stove and keep stirring.
Add 1/2 gal cool water and stir. This stirring process will keep it emulsified.
Add 1 gal cool water and stir about every 15 minutes with a mixer or stick blender. At this point you have 2 gal of water.

(If needed transfer to 5 gal bucket and add the last 1 gal cool water - 3 gals total).
Keep stirring with a long handle spoon.
As soon as it will not separate put in containers. (i.e. 1 gal milk jugs)(Someone I know goes to the dollar store and buys cheap 1 gal plastic containers)
1/4 cup per load.
This is safe for front load washers.
Before use give it a hard shake.

My friend, Alberta, says she buys 4 of the Fels-Naptha bars and 1 box each of the powdered detergents and she has her years supply of laundry detergent for her family of 5.