isolation, creation: Piney and the Underground Girl Who Saw Light

oh dear mom:

living far away from family and friends is sometimes lonely. after all, i don't have you around to harangue me with demands to fix your phone, which you swear is 'utterly and completely broken', only to discover your rage-oid dog gnawed out the battery compartment while you were sleeping. whoever thought i'd miss that?

strange enough, i do. and i can hear your response as if you were sitting in the room: so what are you doing about it?

why, lots of things! i give myself fake interviews, collect roadside trash, wash myself in cooking supplies and massage my houseplants, for starters.

in the remaining few hours, i try -- and sometimes succeed -- in making art.

i have been collaborating with a wonderful Japanese artist, Takeshi Nakajima, to produce a book, Piney and the Underground Girl Who Saw Light. 

Takeshi, if you remember, was my student. i was supposed to be teaching him English. we began this book instead and have been working on it ever since. 

Piney and the Underground Girl is the illustrated story of a pinecone and a subterranean girl who serendipitously meet.  you see, the Underground Girl has never ventured from her cave and Piney, as all pinecones do, must soon fall to earth. can they possibly help each other with these transitions?

page three: the Underground Girl hears music.

sometimes, i'm really sad to be away from you. but if i hadn't left the U.S., i don't know that this project would have come into being. i'm really pleased with how it's coming along.

page six: the Underground Girl's delicious vision of the world above.

so yes, i'm far away from almost everyone i love... and this is what i'm doing about it.

oh dear mom, i'm learning that isolation can really pay. it gives time to create and space to imagine. know what else pays? having an awesome mom who encourages you to dream.

love always,

Gina

tasty tooth powder, part two!

"and what, exactly, does tooth powder have to do with me? i'd rather hear about something funny. after all, i gave birth to you --- so i must have a pretty good sense of humor!" -- oh dear mom

well! after i recovered from the hysteria induced by sipping from your boundless fount of wit, i decided to take your question seriously. and really, dear mom. this one is easily resolved. i'll do it in two neat steps:

1. if it has to do with me, it has to do with you.
2. see number one.

i do hope this is the last time we have to have this talk.

so last week, American folk hero Erin Gleeson testified as to the awesome powers of baking soda on teeth.  her spot-on suggestion to put a drop of essential oil directly on the toothbrush got me thinking about my own routine.

i always follow up my baking soda brushing sessions with a homemade mouthwash. it gives me a tingly feeling. like when you used to give me a  'good smack in the mouth', but more minty.

how to make the mouthwash, you ask?

• Bring two cups of water to boil.
• Throw two whole cloves into the boiling water and simmer for half an hour.
• Allow the liquid to cool. While the water cools, rummage through your teetering mountain of smelly recyclables until you find that old witch hazel bottle from last month. Or, use a spare jar.
• Remove the cloves. Pour the caramel-colored liquid in the smelly old bottle/shiny clean jar. 
• Add with 15 - 20 drops of the essential oil of your choice. (I prefer peppermint with a dash of tea-tree.)
• Cap the bottle/jar/receptacle and shake, shake, shake, senora!

oh really?

oh ye of little faith! it's easy and refreshing, though perishable. i'm still tweaking my recipe. next week, i'm going to experiment with fresh herbs and alcohol, two mainstays of your hippy youth. but for now, my teeth are shiny, clean and fresh.

coming soon: sourdough, seitan and an interview with my one and only oh dear mom! (that means you. prepare yourself!)

love always,

gina

tasty tooth powder!

O.D. MOM, momming hard since 1983 --

today, i regale you from far, far away with yet another a cherished topic that will make you put down your coffee, scramble for your dollar-store glasses, re-read this post in perfect 20/160 vision and yell "what in god's name!"

like it or not -- betting on not -- here's a recipe for some tooth powder i just made:

• 1/2 c. baking soda
• 10 - 15 drops peppermint oil*
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or more, depending on your love of spice)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. sea salt (optional, used as an abrasive.)
• a pinch of bentonite/green clay

add all ingredients together in a clean, dry jar. mix well. at this point, you can just dip your dry toothbrush in. or pour a tiny bit of powder in the cap and swish the brush around. water will make your tooth powder get all clumpy, so add water AFTER the tooth powder is already on your brush.

* other possible oils are tea-tree and clove...  or you could opt for fresh herbs. whatever your imagination/budget permits!

this has never not been a good idea, so i must insist you disregard this rare lapse in judgment:

exercise caution when smelling your tooth powder!

otherwise, you may end up looking... incredibly stupid.

truth: i've been using tooth powder plus home-made mouthwash for about a year and have noticed a LOT fewer problems -- particularly with my gums. my teeth feel nice and clean afterwards. there are no plastics or detergents or words with too many consonants involved. plus, one batch lasts, like, six months. in case you are quaking with worry, i sometimes still use regular toothpaste. but not often.

oh, and while we're on the subject, i'm really interested in testing a new tooth-care concoction using neem-leaf powder... early birthday present? 

................

what?! um, of course i expect to get birthday gifts forever. what's wrong with that?

mint-flavored kisses,

O.D.G.

ps: i'd love to send you some, but the post office would probably mistake it for anthrax. sorry.