Update on the Mountain Dew colored mouthwash

I finished both bottles off! I'm now using some blue mouthwash, which I like much better.

I'm trying to use up my toiletries before I get more (I used to work in the hospitality business, which means that I have lots of free samples).

Fewer Movies, Less TV

I'm now about at the six week point, and I said that I might post some on my results. I'm spending a lot more time reading (and reading much more non-fiction, whereas I used to read a lot of fiction). I am also spending more time on housework and hobbies, and probably more time working, too.

One of the most suprising things was that when I cut back on TV and movies, I stopped having music on alot of the time. I didn't even really think about it at the first -- I just didn't automatically turn on the CD player or radio every time I had a chance. I'm not sure whether I stopped needing so much stimulation, or if there is another explanation.

I'm not willing to say that I'll never watch movies again (and I'm still around TV some of the time), but I think I will be a lot more selective in the future. (At the moment, I have such a huge number of books that I want to get around to reading, and other projects to complete, that I am not sure when I will take time to sit down and watch anything.) That's not to say that it is always an easy choice -- I am around the ads for new shows and movies and the interviews with the stars, and some of those shows and movies sound interesting.

It's been the start of the new TV season the last couple of weeks, and there have been times when I'd think oh, that show that I used to watch is coming on . . . . I think it perhaps helped to read reviews of the new season, and really consider whether I want to watch shows that, for instance, feature two of the main characters having an affair. It's easy for me to slip into the "Yes, but" cycle that Blest with Sons talked about when I am in the midst of watching a program (Yes, they use foul language, but the main character helps little old ladies across the street!), but if I read and consider the plot in advance, I hope/I think I may be more discerning.

Women's clothing sizes

At one point*, I owned clothing in every size from Small to 3X. And all those clothing items were wearable.

American clothing sizes are weird.

*I cleaned out my closet some, so I may not have every size now. I do still have one size small item (I'm wearing it right now), and one size 3X item.

He makes it sound so easy . . .

"Abstain from every form of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:22, Worrell's version)

Since Paul was evidently writing to everyday, run-of-the-mill Thessalonian Christians (not just the super-spiritual members, or to a minister), that directive probably applies to Christians everywhere. I know that I sometimes reason that I'm doing better than the average gal (or guy) -- Hey, I don't do X or Y! (like some people do) -- but it sounds like there is a higher standard I should be aiming for.

Actually, there are quite a few things in chapters 4 and 5 that seem pretty hard from a human standpoint -- work with your hands, pray continually, rejoice always. Ouch! I know that I'm not there yet.

Almost-Fall Cleaning

I am working on washing and cleaning the things that I don't really get around to very often -- like curtains and duvet covers. I am also polishing some of the furniture around here. I am glad that I like the scent of lemon oil (I don't like the smell of a lot of household products), as I think I will be smelling it quite a bit for a little while!

Blest with Sons' articles on TV

I read Blest with Sons' series on Television: American Idol" earlier in the summer. I read it again a couple of days ago, and probably need to go back again and get yet more from it.

I highly recommend that you read it. I haven't fully been able to take her challenge to take a few weeks and go without TV or movies, because I am around people a lot of the time that love to watch news and game shows. When it is up to me to decide whether to have the TV on or off, I am much more likely now to decide not to have it on. And it has been awhile since I sat down and watched a TV drama or comedy.

It has been three weeks and one day since I checked out a DVD from the library (I live two blocks from a library that has so many DVDs that I could probably check out a different one every day for a decade). I may have watched part of one DVD that I own in the last three weeks -- I know I watched it in the last six weeks, but can't recall exactly when.

I may post in the next few weeks about my results from the break (a delayed response to the Unplugged Carnival that Blest with Sons was talking about doing). And I may talk about ways in which I concur or don't concur with what Blest with Sons has written.

A Time to Cook

I made no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies a couple of nights ago (there are a lot of recipes floating around on the internet, and they are all pretty similar). I thought they turned out a little sweet; I'd like to make them with more peanut butter and less sugar. However, all the recipes I have found have 2 cups of sugar (or more) per batch (or proportionally as high; i.e., a batch that made half as many cookies had half as much sugar). I don't know if I dare mess with the proportions if I decide to make them again.

I also made a French Toast casserole that I thought turned out so-so, but others seemed to have a slightly higher opinion of it. The recipes (I had looked at two similar) said to cook it for 40-45 minutes; I checked it about 20 minutes through and it looked nice. I checked it again at around 35 minutes and it was very well browned.

I also tried two soups (both good) and a chili-ish recipe that I served on brown rice. The chili needed something more flavorwise, but I haven't quite decided what.