Sonja Draven

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since Jun 23, 2018
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Recent posts by Sonja Draven

On my way!

I love you.

You're doing great.
6 months ago
Every promotion I have received (and there have been many over my career including earlier this year) lagged behind me actually doing the extra work. This year I even had to write my new job description because my job has morphed so much from when I started. Hah

If you have a good boss and you're a good worker, it's easy to ask for a promotion.  I always go prepared with the support for why i think i deserve one, and end with, if you disagree, please let me know what you would like to see from me to receive what I'm asking for. It's the same for asking for a raise.

If you have a shitty boss and/ or work for a shitty company, then focus on updating your resume.  But you still want to put extra work in so you can document all that stuff and use it to leverage a better position.

So I agree, John. It's not impossible to get a job without showing you can do it, but it's definitely easier if you're willing to show initiative.
7 months ago
Paul,

I'm so sorry you're dealing with that! Cancer runs in our family too, regardless of diet, location, lifestyle choices, etc. It sucks so bad. It's been really painful watching my brother deal with it this past year. And hopeful as he's found treatment and protocols that help. I'm glad you're also seeing progress.  

I hope you feel the love and support around you.  And I wish you patience for dealing with everyone thinking they know what will cure you, why this happened to you without knowing your story, and how you should live your life. Good for you for continuing to learn, adjust and live as you choose.

Sonja

When I wear nail polish, I use piggy paint. It doesn't stink and it comes off with rubbing alcohol. It stays on really well if you cure it with a hair dryer after applying. I wear it on my toes and I can't speak to how well it strengthens but it's all 1 or 2 on the toxic meter. I wish it came in more colors but I'd rather safe than toxic.
1 year ago
Erotic is using a feather.

Kinky is using the whole chicken.
You're picking up small pieces of trash in an area you're reclaiming, and your salvaged bucket is already full, so you grab a scrap of bark to use instead.
1 year ago
Hi Bethany,

Welcome to permies! think it's great how you've jumped in and started participating and making this place your home.

You've asked a great question and it's SO nuanced it's hard to answer without writing a book (and in fact people DO write books on this topic). This is just my attempt to briefly answer your question based on my experience.

I think most people agree that animals are capable of feeling and thinking, but for lots of different reasons, most eat them anyway. In my later years of being an omnivore, I focused on eating items labeled as free range, humanely treated, organic, etc. (I've learned since that most of those labels are essentially meaningless as far as the way animals are treated or whether they died in fear and pain.) When I ate animals and their products, I enjoyed the taste, but mostly did so because I believed it was necessary for my health. Essentially I was choosing me over them. I think a lot of people are in that place.

I stopped eating any animal products except honey almost six years ago. I made that decision, after a lot of research, for health reasons. My health is better than it's ever been even though I'm almost 50, so it was the right decision for me. The fact that I'm not directly causing animals pain and death adds to my overall joy and peace, especially when I see documentaries about how conventional animals are treated. Or during those times when I start thinking about something higher up the food chain caging, killing and/or eating me the way many of us do animals.

From my experience with permaculture people who participate in animal eating, there is knowledge that something with feelings died and there is appreciation and reverence for that life.  There is belief that eating animal/products is healthier (at least for them). There is consideration that small-scale, local, personal animal raising and eating is less harmful to animals as a whole than things like clearing land for large-scale farming would be. Practically, it is definitely harder to raise / grow all your calories if animals aren't part of the equation and a lot of people here really care about self-sufficiency.

Ultimately, I feel guilt is a wasted, harmful emotion. I think it makes sense to keep evaluating if one's diet and way of life works for them. I think if someone is living life well, they are passionate about things. It sounds like your son is passionate about veganism and that might be a temporary or lifelong state. I don't think it's possible to live life perfectly, to truly harm no one and nothing. I think we all need to choose how we spend our energy and our passion. It sounds like you and are your son are both sincere, loving people and you're currently passionate about overlapping but different things. That's not a bad thing. And there's a place for you on permies regardless of where you fall on the diet spectrum. 

Sonja
1 year ago
I'm guessing it's both. I believe that the mechanics of boiling liquid causes pressure to build in the jar that when cooling shrinks and seals the lid. I believe too little liquid would mean you wouldn't get enough hot/ wet sustained pressure to create a seal. Based on my instant pot experience where I've added too much contents and it just steamed all over my counter and wouldn't seal, I believe the opposite would be true with jars that were too full. They'd also be more prone to exploding since it's glass or boiling the contents out and contaminating the rubber so they wouldn't seal.

I've done a lot of canning and I never measure exactly. I basically fill to the top of the shoulder (give or take). There's a rough sweet spot.

Note all the "believes." I don't KNOW all that to be true but it's my best stab at answering your question
1 year ago

Christopher Weeks wrote:Sonja, your location is listed as PNW. If you have access to a car or truck and are in range of the ocean, you can bring home seaweed to compost and make your own fancy-expensive soil amendments for free!



Thank you so much for this suggestion!! Somehow I never heard of this option. I can definitely get seaweed. And after researching, it seems like a great solution.
Thank you all for responding!

Dave, I looked that up and it definitely seems like it's a factor for camp fires as they can easily get up to 1200+ degrees and exploding can occur at 1000. Not something I want to risk, so I'll use the concrete for something else.
2 years ago