Sandy, Yes, it's been really cool here and rainy. About 1 out of every 7-10 days is nice. Really yucky spring, and so I can see why I'm not seeing much action in the way of butterflies. I didn't discard the eggs, although at this point I have very little hope of them amounting to anything considering that they were laid over two weeks ago. The Monarch eggs are outside on potted tropical milkweed plants on the porch, so they're not in the warm. I brought in several Black Swallowtail eggs when she laid them on the 11th, so it's been 6 days for them now and they still didn't hatch. They're in the laundry room, which is warmer than outside but cooler than the rest of the downstairs. I still have hopes for them. I can see that the eggs have gotten to be a darker color than what they were when I brought them in. Kind of off the subject but do your false nettle plants kind of look sickly for awhile after you plant them? The ones that I started from cuttings that I took last year really look pitiful. I hope that they make it. They really looked nice insider here over the winter but they sure don't now. I don't think any Red Admirals would want to lay eggs on that unsubstantial foliage. The FN plants that are in the milk jugs from winter sowing are just teeny tiny little plants, which makes me wonder if they'll even get big enough this year at all to plant outside in the ground. I don't think they're any higher than the white part of my fingernails (and I keep my nails short!). I might end up bringing the plants inside over the winter if they don't step it up. My cardinal flower plants look the same...very tiny. I'm glad that I started some NJ tea bushes inside this year so that I might be able to get some more of those planted this year. I think only one made it over the winter that I started last year. Those were wintersown. NJ tea grows really slowly, so I'm thinking it might be best to have them going inside to give them a head start. The ones I planted outside last year were only about an inch high. Sorry that was off the subject. I'm thinking of the slow-growing plants that I have. Cathy

Ok so I'm the newby around here but I love this thread you started (apart the squabbling) because if someone has a reason for hand washing they should have somewhere to discuss it. There are plenty of reasons to hand wash things: Travel, Unexpected Trips, Unexpected Delays, Loss of Washer/Dryer, Lack of Access, Global Concerns, Minimalist Living, Avoiding Chemicals.. etc. I have long stints where my only access to washer/dryer are in a communal situation where many of the people have quite a different lifestyle than I do. The management is good about replacing the units as needed but being the one coming behind the sick person or the guy who partied/smoked all weekend is out of luck. I really enjoy the idea of doing things on my own terms in my own time and that is greatly affected when you have a few hundred other people to work around. It's more fun to take one's self out of that hectic/annoying equasion. I'm highly chemically sensitive as well so imagine the courage it takes me just to walk down to that laundry room praying that no one is running chlorox in their loads. (It could be months before I could come across a time when that isn't going on.) After seeing various shows about what lives in the water of most any washer (even privately owned ones) I can't imagine doing my laundry with anyone elses now. Dust mites, Fecal Choloforms among other things are just some of the common things found in water that cause rashes and other problems even on supposedly 'clean laundry'. Because of that now, I don't wash anything without Grapefruit Seed Extract because it's the one of the only things that kills that stuff. I was drawn to the thread also because I was looking for an easier way to handwash items with a low footprint ie.. In a small space to have multi-purposeable items that are easily stored goes a long way. My biggest concerns are: * Avoiding CRUNCHY or STIFF laundry (after all that work). * Finding a way to adequately spin/mangle the water out (without killing the hands completely as I have early onset arthritis)... I am currently using a 6 gallon drink tub with a handle and spiggot so I can move it around and do it wherever I want to and drain most of the water out before moving again. I realize I'm going to need to find a hose of some kind to hook to the sinks though. (Not as easy in the bathroom...) I also want to get a rolling plant stand or something for it so I can move around easily enough, which might actuall work out for agitation of some kind. The lid fits very tightly so it winds up having a wider opening than the WOnder Washer and holds more as well. AGitation? I'm going to look at the agitator on the Lehman's page but for right now I have one of those 'grabber' devices that people use to reach things when they can't bend over safely. Spinner verses Wringer/Mangle? Does anyone have any ideas on which is better in the long run? I've read extensively about two 'small' electrical spinners as well as the 18 inch type hand wringers and I just wonder about the benefits of either item. BOth wind up being a little pricy (@ $150 or more) and I can't imagine spending that kind of money on things that will not work on towels or sheets... Where does all that water go? Do you literally sit inside your tub? As for hanging to dry I have a single pole curtain rod from Ikea but I may go get the double one and put a rod on it without a curtain to drape the larger items over when I wash them. It allows for about a 1.5 inch space between curtains so I figure it will not affect the light weight curtain much if at all. It's right near the cieling fan as well so as long as it's well wrung it should dry quickly. I may post this kind of thread as well under another type of title about being chemically sensitive to see if more people who relate to that might have some experience with what to do. Thanks for any thoughts. I'm so tired of things coming out stiff - like socks, etc. Thanks GG

Sorry to read about your hair problems. I am not a hairdresser by any means - hair challenged if anything. But I owe the state of my hair at almost 56 to not over-processing during the years. I greyed in my 20's (iron grey unfortunately - natural shade being auburn). I single processed it over the years to its natural auburn. Note that I have dry, coarse, naturally wavy, extremely thick "Irish" hair. I did not do highlights - actually hair is porous as it is due to coarseness so I appear to have highlights. What is your natural colour - can't tell from your post if it is indeed blonde. Frankly, I think at age 16 you need to give your hair serious rest. I know you won't want to hear this, but I think the best alternative is to cut your hair - as short as possible to still look feminine and to suit your face shape. The fact that your hair is thin makes over-use of the chemicals harder on your hair. I know a woman my age who also had easy access to hairdressers thoughout her life but at age 50 she was told enough was enough - perms, highlights and drastic changes in hair colour - had taken their toll and basically her hair was toast. I would hate for this to happen to you. I see 8 year old kids at the hairdressers having their hair highlighted - by my age, despite the gentler formulas available these days, hair will not be in good shape. I would start first with the haircut and then work from there. And I would steer clear of the black - if it is too start against your skin now, it will be even more so later in life - many black haired ladies go dark brunette. I too am very pale but with a serious yellow undertone. My sisters inherited the gorgeous Irish blue-black hair - how I wanted it - but during 50s and 60s they peroxided it blonde - well they ruined their hair. Actually they didn't even suit the blonde. I once tried on a black wig and laughed so hard - this is when I realized I had such a yellow undertone so had I been born with the black hair, it would not have suited me. So then I tried on a blonde wig - and I thought the black looked bad. This was during the days when everyone wanted hair like Farrah Fawcett's - but did not have the basic necessity - the proper hair type. I have the proper hair type - but don't suite the colour/styles. I really hope you can sort your hair out - it will take some time - this is for sure - but a year from now things won't seem so bad. Just too bad about your prom - so I would do whatever is necessary to start the fix-up now. When I was 5 I had a Toni permanent - my hair looked like Shirley Temple's before the perm - hairdresser should have refused to do it. Had to have it because my cousin with the straight hair refused to have one unless I had one too. My hair, which had been to my waist had to be cut to about 1 inch in length - while my cousin of course was pleased. I have hated going to the hairdresser ever since. And Saturday is hair dye day - can hardly wait. So best of luck to you - and since it is always on my mind - please watch what you use on your skin as well - take it easy on the acids/retinols as they are not for everybody - especially me.

Okay - I had not heard that so had to look it up. This is from some laser hair removal site: Hair Color The second factor that helps to determine the outcome of you laser hair removal procedure is the color if the hair to be treated. Let�s take a look at each hair color type and the result it is most likely to produce. Dark hair - Dark hair, such as black or dark brown, is going to be the easiest to treat because it contains the most pigmentation which allows the laser light to be absorbed to a greater extent. Also, dark hair tends to be more coarse which will produce a better result. Medium hair - This is most often light or medium brown hair. This hair type is going to be easier to treat than lighter hair colors, but may require more procedures than candidates with very dark brown or black hair. Also, not all medium hair is also coarse, some can be very fine and thin, so it goes without saying that those with coarse medium hair will produce better and quicker results than those with fine medium hair. Light hair - There are many varying degrees of light hair, more than any other hair type. Overall, light hair is the most difficult to treat and will require more time, money, and procedures than candidates with other hair color types. The easiest to treat would be dark or medium blonde hair, with light blonde and red hair both being the hardest to treat. This is because they contain phemelianin pigment which makes them less able to absorb the laser light. White or grey hair - It may be almost impossible to treat those with grey or white hair. It contains no pigmentation and therefore can not absorb the laser light enough to heat the hair follicle. -------------------------- Maybe the number of treatments has something to do with the hair color? tina