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Dean has a friend over today; it's mid-way through school vacation week and we've yet to have a decent day to be outside. Oh, do wish me luck for a warm, sunny day by the 28th, when we're having Dean's birthday party here in our yard!

I've got banana muffins in the oven, and am making the boys pizza for lunch. Yesterday we made soft pretzels and we can heat some up for a snack later if they haven't totally had enough of the carbs by then. The combination of being at home without a schedule and the cold, damp weather apparently brings out the baker in me -- also the sense that I should be doing something special for Dean. I've got all kinds of craft ideas in mind, should the boys be casting around for something to do later on, although Dean and his friends don't seem to have the same passion for sitting down and making things that I did when I was their age. Not sure if that's the girl vs. boy thing going on or what.

I will get some sewing done today -- cutting out some pieces for that quilt I talked about yesterday and finishing up another shirt for me. I tried to make a skirt yesterday -- without a pattern, and using up a piece of fabric I've had forever -- but the gathered waist and drape of the material made me look a good 20 to 30 pounds heavier so I gave that up and used it to cut out a blouse pattern instead. The fabric is some kind of synthetic; it has a lovely feel, it goes into the wash and comes out without needing ironing, but I'm feeling weird about the synthetic part. I wish it were possible to stop producing new petroleum-based products and to continuously recycle all the plastic already on the planet. I love organic cotton, but then I wonder if it would be better for the planet, or not, if all that land were being used to produce food crops instead. I think polar fleece, which I love, is partially made from recycled plastics (have to check that). I really don't like silk all that much just because of the difficulty of caring for it (and I refuse to do any more dry cleaning). I feel that it's ridiculously hard to get at clear answers on these topics because the various research efforts are generally funded by someplace with an agenda to uphold. I guess "buy used" is one answer. Reminds me that earlier this week I dropped off the best of Dean's outgrown clothes at a resale place; in a week or two I'll get the call with how much $$ I get for the lot and the proceeds go into our vacation fund (where we put all our "found" money). Anyway, if you haven't thought of it before, I can recommend taking in your child's cast-offs to sell or going in to buy their used stuff at great prices if you got one of these resale places in your area and don't already have friends/family with whom you share outgrown clothing. Meanwhile, I'll see what I can find out about recycling and the manufacturing of synthetic materials.