A couple of months ago I decided to do my part to help the environment by no longer buying paper towels. Being well supplied with rags and old linens, I figured that this would be an easy switch. I found out, though, that there are some cultural norms that it is hard to psychologically escape. Drying lettuce with a dish towel, after washing off the dirt, seems somehow unsanitary. And, I'm sorry, when the cats york up on the floor, I am not going to use and wash a rag (digging through the recycling, I found some old newspaper to deal with that). I started wondering how clean rags and towels actually get in the wash - are the germs and filth just recirculating and somehow ending up back in the household food chain? I stopped using bleach quite awhile ago, so no back-door sanitation can be achieved that way. Yet what sort of toxins exist in paper towels? They just look clean! I have always believed in the "five second" rule, anyway.
Interestingly, I have had no health problems of any kind that relate to an unclean environment. We all have been brainwashed to buy products to secure the illusion of protection from ....what? Our bodies are adapted to the world around us. Some people believe that allergies and other autoimmune symptoms are directly related to over-exposure to cleaning agents and household chemicals.
Dusting is one of those "quarterly" chores that I get to only when extreme boredom sets in. Cleaning the bathroom is another general area of neglect in my life. I get down to bedrock only when I expect students in the house or when I am hosting band practice. Lately, though, I have discovered a couple of quick fixes to keep me ahead of the game.
Dust with your dirty laundry. When in transit with your loaded laundry basket to your washing machine, grab whatever item is on top and use it to dust the stair rods, bookshelves, piano, and whatever else you encounter in passing. Then just throw it in the wash!
After you shower, use your wet, soapy washrag to clean the sink and toilet. Yes, I know this sounds gross, but after all, you just throw it in the wash afterward. And your bathroom will be clean (or at least look clean) all the time!
It's all a matter of perception.
More anon.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Bluing - Amazingingly Cheap, Effective, and Environmentally-Friendly!
I recently "discovered" bluing - a liquid laundry additive that dramatically whitens whites and brightens colored fabrics. Made of blue iron powder suspended in water, a nontoxic amount of a pH balancer and a biocide to prevent the buildup of algae and bacteria, bluing achieves striking results while being environmentally-friendly. It also does not destroy fabrics, like bleach will do. Bluing was a standard laundry product from 1883 up until WWII, when laundry detergents hit the mass market.
Each washload requires just a few drops of bluing (pre-mixed in a half-gallon of water, to prevent blue streaks on clothing), and it is amazingly cheap - a bottle will last forever. Amazon.com and other on-line sources ratchet up the costs dramatically - your best bet is to go straight to the source (see link below), where you can get it for $4.00 per 8 oz. bottle:
.http://www.mrsstewart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PLST&Store_Code=LFCMOMSB
My opinion is that bluing largely disappeared because:
1. repeat purchases were too slow for marketers and profit margins too low
2. bluing worked too well and would cause unfavorable comparisons with products that cost more and had a higher turnover.
Great for the poor fiddler's budget!
More anon.
Each washload requires just a few drops of bluing (pre-mixed in a half-gallon of water, to prevent blue streaks on clothing), and it is amazingly cheap - a bottle will last forever. Amazon.com and other on-line sources ratchet up the costs dramatically - your best bet is to go straight to the source (see link below), where you can get it for $4.00 per 8 oz. bottle:
.http://www.mrsstewart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PLST&Store_Code=LFCMOMSB
My opinion is that bluing largely disappeared because:
1. repeat purchases were too slow for marketers and profit margins too low
2. bluing worked too well and would cause unfavorable comparisons with products that cost more and had a higher turnover.
Great for the poor fiddler's budget!
More anon.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Ads That Pay Off and Those That Don't
Just a piece of advice for those of you needing to market yourselves or your business enterprise. I have found that reader ads in the local shopping guide give a much better return for money invested than display ads in the weekly entertainment section of the regional newspaper. For some shopping guides, you can run a single ad distributed in three separate regions for one set price.
My friends in folk radio have been great boosters for me, announcing my fiddle classes, but regretfully I have yet to get any inqueries from these. Facebook is a good launch site, but unless you keep re-posting your classes or events, people will forget that they are there.
I am working on developing e-mail subscription newsletters, and once I give these a shot I will let you know how effective they are as a marketing tool.
Onward and upward, fellow independent workers!
My friends in folk radio have been great boosters for me, announcing my fiddle classes, but regretfully I have yet to get any inqueries from these. Facebook is a good launch site, but unless you keep re-posting your classes or events, people will forget that they are there.
I am working on developing e-mail subscription newsletters, and once I give these a shot I will let you know how effective they are as a marketing tool.
Onward and upward, fellow independent workers!
Friday, December 24, 2010
All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir....
One of the "perks" of being a musician is being frequently asked (begged sometimes) to plug a gap in someone's musical line-up. If you have a seasonal specialty, e. g. being a Celtic fiddler around St. Patrick's Day, suddenly everyone will be pounding on your door for gigs, or to ask you to come in as a side-man to make their jazz or old-time band "sound Irish" for a couple of weeks.
Tonight, Christmas Eve, I have been called to the Episocopal Church because I can sight-read and sing alto. There are two of this denomination in town - one known for it's beautiful music and professional presentations and the other with a brilliant and thoughtful pastor, but a small choir (many of which members have decamped for the holidays). Each year the former church is packed to the rafters for the midnight service while only a few folk drift in to the latter. These are a scattering of mostly elderly people who favor substance to style in their Christmas celebration. About an hour from now I will be singing for them.
Happy Christmas (as they say in the British Isles) to all of you.
More anon.
Tonight, Christmas Eve, I have been called to the Episocopal Church because I can sight-read and sing alto. There are two of this denomination in town - one known for it's beautiful music and professional presentations and the other with a brilliant and thoughtful pastor, but a small choir (many of which members have decamped for the holidays). Each year the former church is packed to the rafters for the midnight service while only a few folk drift in to the latter. These are a scattering of mostly elderly people who favor substance to style in their Christmas celebration. About an hour from now I will be singing for them.
Happy Christmas (as they say in the British Isles) to all of you.
More anon.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Gift That Keeps On Giving?
I will be teaching four different levels of fiddle classes beginning in January. The e-mail inquiries coming in are quite interesting but, in some cases, alarming.
Two people have contacted me to register for other people that don't know they are being signed up! This scares me because it is like buying someone a pet without their knowledge. Will they resent it? Feel obligated? Or, just not come at all?
This brings to mind a strange occurrence from one of my early beginning fiddle classes at a local community college. An elderly, confused gentleman appeared on the first day with a banjo in hand and an absolute conviction that I was going to teach him to play. "But this is a fiddle class," I protested, helplessly. "I don't teach banjo." Taking a seat in the front row, he flipped open the latches on the case. "I'm sure the college will give you a refund," I persisted. "This is a mistake." He looked up at me mildly, picked up the banjo, and sat at attention. Out of ideas, I let it go and resumed my focus on the rest of the group, all properly equipped with the right instrument. He kept coming back week after week, ignoring my explanations, then half-way through the third class abruptly jumped to his feet, bawled, "I'm not learning anything here!" and stormed out. I made sure he got his refund, but it was unsettling.
Why learn to play fiddle? Because it’s the greatest thing in the world to do! I’ve been playing fiddle now for 36 years, as a solo performing musician, as a band member and as a teacher. My job is to share my joy and enthusiasm and to show others how to get there.
Make sure, then, that those for whom you buy the ticket really want to take the trip.
More anon.
Two people have contacted me to register for other people that don't know they are being signed up! This scares me because it is like buying someone a pet without their knowledge. Will they resent it? Feel obligated? Or, just not come at all?
This brings to mind a strange occurrence from one of my early beginning fiddle classes at a local community college. An elderly, confused gentleman appeared on the first day with a banjo in hand and an absolute conviction that I was going to teach him to play. "But this is a fiddle class," I protested, helplessly. "I don't teach banjo." Taking a seat in the front row, he flipped open the latches on the case. "I'm sure the college will give you a refund," I persisted. "This is a mistake." He looked up at me mildly, picked up the banjo, and sat at attention. Out of ideas, I let it go and resumed my focus on the rest of the group, all properly equipped with the right instrument. He kept coming back week after week, ignoring my explanations, then half-way through the third class abruptly jumped to his feet, bawled, "I'm not learning anything here!" and stormed out. I made sure he got his refund, but it was unsettling.
Why learn to play fiddle? Because it’s the greatest thing in the world to do! I’ve been playing fiddle now for 36 years, as a solo performing musician, as a band member and as a teacher. My job is to share my joy and enthusiasm and to show others how to get there.
Make sure, then, that those for whom you buy the ticket really want to take the trip.
More anon.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Living Outside the Box
Christmas is coming - the geese are getting fat, but not me! It has been four months since I departed the scene of my last traditional job. You know, the one with the hourly wage, health insurance (overpriced, but there), and TIAA-Cref retirement plan. Now I am marketing myself to the public solely as what I am, a fiddler, a performing musician, and a teacher. It is taking a little while to get off the ground, but positive things are beginning to happen. I am having the time of my life.
Of course one has to get creative to keep ahead of the bills, and one of these things involves Triage Cooking 101. It is amazing how one can gather the remnants and detruitus of the refrigerator and pantry and stretch the meals on and on and on. A bushel of apples at .49/lb, a couple of handfuls of dried cranberries, and a good scoop of walnuts, dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg will make quarts of the greatest applesauce you ever had. Core a few more apples, wrap in a bit of tin foil, and stuff with nuts, raisins, and a drizzle of honey. Bake for half an hour and you have a dessert to die for.
Being perforce unable to buy ready-made products at the grocery store, I am finding that I can enjoy a wide range delectable food, made by me, sweets included, and lose weight. More on this anon.
Of course one has to get creative to keep ahead of the bills, and one of these things involves Triage Cooking 101. It is amazing how one can gather the remnants and detruitus of the refrigerator and pantry and stretch the meals on and on and on. A bushel of apples at .49/lb, a couple of handfuls of dried cranberries, and a good scoop of walnuts, dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg will make quarts of the greatest applesauce you ever had. Core a few more apples, wrap in a bit of tin foil, and stuff with nuts, raisins, and a drizzle of honey. Bake for half an hour and you have a dessert to die for.
Being perforce unable to buy ready-made products at the grocery store, I am finding that I can enjoy a wide range delectable food, made by me, sweets included, and lose weight. More on this anon.
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