It starts in puberty for all females and ends with menopause, our monthly cycle. It is simply a fact of life as well as a right of passage. We know when it begins we are becoming women and when it ends we are at the end of our production cycle and becoming wise women.
For me living green is the same as living sustainably. Have you ever considered how much money is spend on the disposables we use for this common fact of life? To much if you ask me. There are alternatives however and if you are interested in being more green, sustainable, or you are just plain frugal then here are two options.
Cloth pads
You can either purchase these online or make them
yourself. What ever suits your needs. I found a great site that can
assist you if you wish to make your own, Make Your Own Cloth Pads - DIY.
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There are also other resources online where you can purchase pads. Some come with plastic sewn in for a leak barrier and some do not. They are as different and vary as we do as women.
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They are comfortable simple to clean. No more buying those plastic things that simply eat away at our pocket book and fill up the landfill.
Menstrual Cups
Another Eco method is the menstrual cup. The cup is fitted around the cervix to capture the menstrual discharge. The cup is emptied and cleaned then reinserted. This is a real money saver not to mention safer than the disposable commercial methods. You can read more about it at, Wikipedia on Menstrual Cup.
When deciding which one is right for you please do research. There are many available in the US and outside of the US. Some ship in and some do not.
Not only are these options good but they just make since. I feel they should be a necessity of the BOB also. (Bug out Bag or Emergency Bag) Women, let's face it. It is something we will have to deal with for a very long time. It is better to be prepared. I can only imagine what we would do if we didn't have these options. The thought of no toilet paper is horrifying enough for me.
September 4, 2011 a fire broke out within two miles from our house. Thank God the wind was from the NE and did not blow it in our direction. It is known as the Clemanis, Aster, or Dahlia rd Fire depending on who you talk to. I was shaking all day long while I was trying to figure out how to evacuate myself and my animals with only a prius. I know, when we bought it we didn't know we were moving out here. We still lived in North Texas.
MDR, I have learned from you however dang if I had not put in in place. Procrastination can be your enemy. Other than lives I had no clue what I wanted to take with us. What was really important to try and get it ready to be loaded along with whatever animals we could take? I realized in the real life situation that your choices change. I didn't go for pictures. I got the rifle that was my biological fathers and my handgun, meds, "the flashlight" (Blackhawk), computer backup hard drive and that was pretty much it. My main focus was on us and the animals.
That leaves me to the dilemma of how to actually pack the bag. Depending on the emergency would depend on what to have in the bag. Guess I will be pondering this and sorting out what is truly important.
Another thing that happened as a result of the fire outbreaks is I started 3 pages on Facebook. After the first day being once again frustrated at the media's lack of coverage of the area to notify people of important information that they needed in order to keep themselves as well as their loved ones safe.
Upshur County Emergency Citizen Communications
Upshur County Citizens Volunteering Evacuation Assistance
Upshur County After Emergency Donations
In our area the media coverage is sloppy to say the least. I have a computer and a scanner so I went to work. With the help of others who joined the page we were able to keep the public informed enough to ease their panic. It was also a good channel for all my stressed out energy for having a fire so close to me as well as other family members here in the area. I think all Counties would benefit from pages like at least the upper two.
During the past 4 days we have covered the following fires:
Clemanis/Dahlia/Aster Fire
Diana Fire
Llama Rd Fire
Toad Rd Fire
All fires at this time are contained. The Diana fire is the only one active. The rest are just hot coals that have and still can flare up. Thank God the wind has died down.
Our prayers now go out to Cass/Marion County. This fire is out of control. Responders are protecting lives and structures at this time and are allowing it to burn its self out. There will be much devastation.
There are also fires in the counties to our south in Gregg, Smith, and Rusk. Unknown containment at this time however my parents live in Gregg. The community where I grew up has seen a lot of damage due to a wildfire there as well as a girl I grew up with lost her 18 month old granddaughter to the fire just a few days ago.
Keep Texas in your prayers. Thank the many men and women both on the line, on the sideline, and the home front for their sacrifices. Be grateful for your local VFD. They are wonderful people doing a dangerous job. Many of the ones around here have depleted their budget and they are in need of gas money in order to keep doing what they are doing. Let us not forget those people who are there for us when we need them most.
God bless you all.
