Tereza Okava

I saw this early this morning and figured I'd come back to a flood of responses, I'm shocked!!

Many of us who lived in tiny Japanese apartments used them to make all sorts of things- pasta, sauteed stuff, steamed bread, or to reheat anything that could be reheated by steaming. To this day I make my thanksgiving stuffing in the rice cooker, because I like it moist with a bit of burned crust on the bottom.

Nowadays, with a real equipped kitchen I don't need to use it for other things, but I occasionally make bread in it, this recipe is good and super easy. I don't remember if she put sesame seeds in the pot to stop the bread from sticking, but if she doesn't, it's a nice touch. Shake off any burned ones if they scorch.


you might also find this interesting- they talk specifically about pasta (and who knows what else, i only got about halfway) https://www.reddit.com/r/RiceCookerRecipes/comments/15w3njm/besides_rice_what_can_i_put_in_a_rice_cooker/

Welcome Rachel, sorry to hear about your second bird.
Not sure where you are, but a scorpion might also be a possibility- went to eat it and missed the mark, got a sting in the face.
A friend lost a horse to a snakebite, it definitely happens as well. A bird wouldn't have much of a chance, I don't think.

I'd suggest considering this from a permaculture perspective as well- groups grow, mature, sicken, weaken, and eventually die, a life cycle. Very few groups are giant sequoias or groves of bamboo that live for ages. I used to run a few groups: social, professional, identity-based, and only one lived through the pandemic. I'd venture it's not just the US either.
Life is busy happening for the people around us, and everyone has to choose their priorities and balance them against their goals, challenges, and fears. I try not to take it personally and do what I can, trying to notice life cycles and potential improvements.

i needed something to eat all week and work was up to here, so Monday morning I made a big pot of red beans (for red beans and rice, recipe https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice/ ) in the crockpot. At the end, made some rice in the cooker. Almost no effort for a week of food.

i'd say bunny, from the foot, clumps of hair, and bits of feces.

they're also cyclical for us (along with snails). I am in an urban setting with a lot of walls so they are many hiding places. I trap with the old board or lettuce leaf in the garden, come out in the morning to get them all. I also go hunting at night with a flashlight if it's wet outside and things are getting too wild.
I have no ducks or chickens but I will drown them in soapy water and then throw them out for the other birds to get.

There are a lot of people out there looking for access to libraries online- good ones offer not just books but also memberships and discounts (to museums and attractions) as well as online resources of all types.
Some smart cookie type libraries have started charging for this access, which I think is a decent solutions. Others have started closing the gates or making access more difficult. I know my mother, when she moved from NJ to PA, had a hard time accessing the library in her new town, and had to have someone bring her and vouch for her (which I found absurd).
If it were me, I'd go back and get to know the library, and decide whether they're worth wanting to join or not. If they are, I'd spend some time there, at activities, and maybe volunteer until they could be my references.

I love libraries, even used to work in a few, but staff and resources cost money. Some libraries have even moved away from public funding as politics speaks loudly and starts to get in the way- the library that challenged my mother is a private library, and they make their own rules.

our weather just turned and there's been no sun (hard to make a rainbow with no sun) but I remember when I lived in New England, a rainbow was a Big Deal.
Here in South America, they're practically commonplace (when it's not winter...). They are still delightful, though!

are you using it for joint pain? muscles? just thinking about inflammation to target.
I do find for joint pain that I enjoy "tingly" oils much more- menthol or capsaicin, ginger and turmeric. For muscles I'd probably be thinking more arnica.
I also really love using sesame oil for skin stuff.

we live in a place with bad mosquito borne illnesses (dengue is the worst, but there are about 4 more). The first thing is always to hunt for any place with standing water, and that can include trash or places where rainwater lingers. Cover your rainwater collection things with screens. There are some good threads here about traps using buckets as well.
Mosquitoes need water that stands for a few days, so if you're dumping your chicken water every day that's good. As for your pond, encouraging birds, frogs, fish, and whatever else might eat insects and larvae may help. there are dunks that people put into ponds and other bodies of water, I don't have experience with them though. Covering up and using repellant is important for me here: I steep cloves in high-proof alcohol and use it as a spray. needs to be reapplied frequently, but gentle enough for kids to use (if they don't get it in their eyes or drink it).

The first few posts in this thread are really helpful: https://permies.com/t/53531/permaculture/Permaculture-solutions-Zika-Virus-Dengue
another good one: https://permies.com/t/122283/Mosquito-population-control