Potatoes teaching us about hate

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. 


The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. 

Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates. 

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. 

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?". The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. 

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???" 

Moral of the story:

Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. 
Forgiving others is the best attitude to take! 
True love is not loving a perfect person 
but loving an imperfect person perfectly!!

I dream of Dragons

The perception of what is small is the secret of clear sightedness; the guarding of what is soft and tender is the secret of strength. --Lao Tzu

I love to read.  Books have opened doors to many worlds for me, but I have also, discovered that I enjoy making up the stories in my head. It is a habit I have practiced nightly.

Usually, it begins with a dream I find particularly compelling. As I lie in bed recalling the dream the next night, I work out its cast of characters, how the story should begin, and how it should progress. I am always the hero, and no story ever ends...it fades away when a new dream sparks a new story. That way, I can pick up an old story if I think of something new to add to it.

These days I'm Tailyanker, dragon slayer. Except that's just my cover. See, back in the day, humanity saw the majesty, power, and intelligence of dragons and honored them with gifts, thinking this would bring them good luck. The dragons thought the gift giving was utterly illogical, wasteful even, because they had no use for gold, diamonds, crowns, or necklaces too small for them to wear. But they accepted these presents because it would have been rude not to. 

Unfortunately, good luck doesn't actually exist, so when Jack lost his ass on a bad investment in a seed company and Peter's crop of peppers failed (the only thing he planted that year because "they were going to be huge!") and Hansel and Gretel were arrested for burglary and capital murder, they were a little nonplussed. Naturally, none of their problems were actually their fault. Oh, no, it must be the dragons, and just why were they expected to give dragons treasure in exchange for luck, anyway? Something had to be done. 

So they began a smear campaign, and the persecution of dragons commenced. 

That's where I come in. Admittedly, I haven't done much work on the back story (gotta leave gaps to fill in for tomorrow night) so I don't know how I got entangled in this mess, but I know right from wrong and I deplore injustice. So I went in search of the legendary Xpthxzyphnmcz to hatch a plan. Dragon language is unpronounceable to humans, we lack the proper vocal muscles, so you can call him Binky. 

Binky is an electric dragon...his defense is lightning which strikes with surprising accuracy, and his serpentine skin pops and crackles with static. His strangely orange, soulful eyes are home to solar systems, and you can see them when he's curled up resting and at human-eye level to marvel that other sentient beings might be alive on the planets that dot his irides (sorry, can't go back on my Latin roots).

But plans are never easy in fairy tales. First, the hero has to descend into the underworld because stigmatized dragons aren't very trusting. They want proof you're legit. I had to do things...things you don't want to know about...things you shouldn't ask me about (because I haven't made up those parts yet, either). 

I've got mad skillz. So once I had the dragons' trust, I turned them all into house pets (mice, hamsters, cats, dogs, hedgehogs, geckos...those things that are Lao Tzu small) and hid them from vengeful humans forever...right under their noses. How brilliant is that?

Binky  happens to be a grey and white cat. If you want to see the dragon come out, step on his tail. Actually, don't do that. And don't pet his long fur while you're sitting next to the furnace in the winter because you'll see what I mean by electricity and it won't be pleasant for either of you. 

In exchange for protection, the dragons pay me a tithe every year, and I spend three months collecting it from their various lairs all over the world, which leads to all sorts of adventures. In one, I had to save all of y'all from a horrific creature far worse than a basilisk that was going to turn you into stone. You're welcome. 

Tailyanker is basically me: keenly fashionable but with messy hair, kind to animals, loyal to friends, and quick with a defense when wronged. But for a long time, Tailyanker had something I thought I desperately needed.

Fearlessness.

She could hop on a dragon, fly all over the world, collect adventures like they were jewelry, slay demons, rescue kittens...all while I lay in bed in the safety of my little room thinking it all up. 

I couldn't do the things Taily did for one simple reason.

Fear.

For 48 years, I couldn't get on a dragon or a plane without getting physically ill, , take the elevator above the 10th floor, step foot in a glass elevator, look out the window of any room above the 5th story.

I had lived that way since I was a teen and fell out of a tree picking apples.

Okay, that's not true. I DIDN'T know why. The beauty of growing older is that we get smarter (well, most people do). I understand something I didn't understand mere months ago.

Fear is a choice.

Case in point. Several years ago, a friend  and I were in a rear-end collision. I remember every detail vividly. I saw  tje car coming at us from behind, not slowing down.  My very pregnant friend and I were stopped at a red light and I just happened to look in the rear view mirror.. Bracing my elbows against the back of the seat. Thinking, "This is going to hurt." The feeling of the air bag punching me in the chest. My vision obscured briefly by the bag's fabric. The acrid smell of the smoke emitted from the dashboard. Rolling  into a ditch. Quickly unlatching the seat belt. My friend clutching her stomach.  She left in an ambulance but was ok.  Three weeks later giving birth to a beautiful son.

In all of that, I did not at any time experience fear.

I didn't experience ANY emotion because I didn't have time to.

See, I've come to think that emotions are like orchids that need a lot of tending: if you ignore them, they die.

On the one hand, that's a bad thing because if you forget to take care of your love, it can fade away. On the other hand, if you want to kill your fear, all you have to do is stop watering it.

And I should know.

I am no longer afraid of flying. It helped that I wanted to go to meet my inlaws so bad that I was willing to do anything and that my new husband cluctched my sweaty hand the entire flight. But, ultimately, what it really came down to was deciding that I wasn't afraid anymore.

So, several  flights later, I'm planning my next trip to visit my new family whom I quickly  fell in love with, and I'm thinking about the beautiful dragon turning away from the terminal, firing up her jets, racing down the runway. And that miraculous moment when she leaves the earth...she has left fear behind, she has left what is known behind, she has left all that could weigh her down. She is in the sun rocketing ever closer to the future, to what can be.

She is Tailyanker, and she is April...and she is a Dragon.

Living with Pain

I am in some level of pain every day. Some days it is at atomic levels and just trying to take a step causes pain that shatters me and literally stops me.  On these days when pain in my damaged back, hips and feet all I can do is sit in my recliner and count the minutes of every hour I wait for it to settle down.  The pain meds do not provide much relief on those days.. While other days it is just a tickle of discomfort in various areas of my body, most often my back and hip. I am grateful for the tickle days as it frees up some energy so I can invest in things that I love. Although rare, I do have pain free moments and those are a great gift.

I view pain much like I view my ego. It is there chattering away and doing its best to bring me down. Over the years, I thought fighting, being angry, and resisting the pain would somehow scare it away, which as you can imagine never happened. I have since decided to accept that pain is part of my experience in this life, and although some days it overcomes me, I do my best not to succumb to its darkness.

I am writing this because I am just coming out of two weeks of intense daily pain which included several falls and damaging the pressure sores on my feet.. As I look back, a moment vividly returns. I was in excruciating, blinding pain attempting to make my husbands lunch for work.  I would lay my head on the counter, take a few deep breaths and attempt to put together his sandwich. I pushed through long enough to get him on his  way and then retreated back to bed. This moment reminded me that our struggles can provide such profound learning and discovery.

This is my perspective of how pain has offered me the following character traits I have developed :

1. Determination

For anyone who has been in a twelve round boxing match with pain it can feel like an eternity of blows up against the ropes. What I have learned in my own pain journey is that there is always an opening to strike back. Sometimes it doesn’t show up until the 12th round, but the opening always appears. It takes determination and perseverance to stay in the game and wait for the break, despite the risk of blows. Pain has given me a fighting spirit and I will never give up on life.

2. Stop and slow down

Pain forces me to stop and prioritize. I cannot complete everything that I desire when I am struggling with pain, and therefore I have to pick and choose the most important things in order to survive the day. Pain has given me the gift of taking a step back and investing in what matters rather than just checking off the to do list boxes mindlessly. Pain forces me to slow things down, allows me opportunities to be mindful, and gives me access to presence.

3. Awareness

I am very aware of what is happening in my body at all times. Living with chronic pain has opened me up to an acute sense of awareness and it has also given me a curious spirit when in the presence of others. I understand that there may be much going on behind the surface because most of us who live with chronic pain look 'normal' and healthy, when in reality the suffering is great. With awareness comes a new perspective: compassion and empathy for others and for myself.

4. Gratitude

Living with chronic pain is hard and at times it has worn me down. I admit I have struggled with bouts of depression and often succumb to negativity during the really rough times. What I have noticed over the years is that I am grateful for the pain because it gives me the opportunity to really notice and appreciate the less painful days. I drink in the moments that I can play with my animals  or engage in physical activities without pain. I am grateful that I am able to live fully in the days of less pain. Taking a moment to reflect on what I am grateful for connects me to what matters and this is when I am most present.

Pain is not my enemy. It is my teacher.

Depression and other emotional disorders:

Why is it, that in today’s society, people must feel ashamed to say that they suffer with a mental illness?  It’s not their fault…it is a medical disorder.  Unfortunately it is often times slow to be recognized, especially in teens and young adults.  We blow off the symptoms as “just part of growing up” or the people themselves just hide their feelings, for fear of being “labled” as defective.
Even when they do go for help, it usually takes several attempts with different medications to find the right prescription that will work for that individual, and sometimes they just give up, thinking that they can’t “be fixed.”  Then too, the medications themselves often have such awful side effects, or atleast the reputation as having awful side effects that they do not want to take them.  There are so many mental diseases out there, depression, anxiety, ptsd, bipolar, schizophrenia…many others.  The brain is still a bit of a mystery even to the scientists that have devoted their lives to figuring it out…so, of course how could a teen or young adult figure out their feelings?  Even with a very supportive family, people can frequently feel isolated and alone.  They won’t share their feelings or fears with their loved ones.  They suffer in silence. 

My thoughts and prayers are with tall families who have or are dealing with mental illness.  I am pasting below the symptoms of depression as written by the Mayo Clinic.  Please, if you or anyone you know have these symptoms…don’t be afraid or ashamed.  Call your family doctor or go to the hospital.  There is help.  Life can be better.

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff
Depression symptoms include:

• Feelings of sadness or unhappiness
• Irritability or frustration, even over small matters
• Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
• Reduced sex drive
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Changes in appetite — depression often causes decreased appetite and weight loss, but in some people it causes increased cravings for food and weight gain
• Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
• Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration
• Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren’t going right
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
• Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
• Crying spells for no apparent reason
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

For some people, depression symptoms are so severe that it’s obvious something isn’t right. Others people feel generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.
Depression affects each person in different ways, so depression symptoms vary from person to person. Inherited traits, age, gender and cultural background all play a role in how depression may affect you.
Depression symptoms in children and teens
Common symptoms of depression can be a little different in children and teens than they are in adults.

• In younger children, symptoms of depression may include sadness, irritability, hopelessness and worry.
• Symptoms in adolescents and teens may include anxiety, anger and avoidance of social interaction.
• Changes in thinking and sleep are common signs of depression in adolescents and adults, but are not as common in younger children.
• In children and teens, depression often occurs along with behavior problems and other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Depression symptoms in older adults
Depression is not a normal part of growing older, and most seniors feel satisfied with their lives. However, depression can and does occur in older adults. Unfortunately it often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Many adults with depression feel reluctant to seek help when they’re feeling down.

• In older adults, depression may go undiagnosed because symptoms — for example, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems or loss of interest in sex — may seem to be caused by other illnesses
• Older adults with depression may say they feel dissatisfied with life in general, bored, helpless or worthless. They may always want to stay at home, rather than going out to socialize or doing new things.
• Suicidal thinking or feelings in older adults is a sign of serious depression that should never be taken lightly, especially in men. Of all people with depression, older adult men are at the highest risk of suicide.

When to see a doctor
If you feel depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as you can. Depression symptoms may not get better on their own — and depression may get worse if it isn’t treated. Untreated depression can lead to other mental and physical health problems or problems in other areas of your life. Feelings of depression can also lead to suicide.
If you’re reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, a health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust.
If you have suicidal thoughts
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, get help right away. Here are some steps you can take:

• Contact a family member or friend.
• Seek help from your doctor, a mental health provider or other health care professional.
• Call a suicide hot line number — in the United States, you can reach the toll-free, 24-hour hot line of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to talk to a trained counselor.
• Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.

When to get emergency help
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. If you have a loved one who has harmed himself or herself, or is seriously considering doing so, make sure someone stays with that person. Take him or her to the hospital or call for emergency help.
Of course the other illnesses have their own symptoms, if you have any feelings of suicide, anxiety, depression, worry or stress that seems out of control or is affecting how you live…please call your doctor.

In the still of the night..I hear my own tears....

Well, it’s after 11am, and I just woke up…and don’t want to be up now.  This is a regular occurance due to my chronic pain issues.  Maybe I should just entitle this blog “A day in the life of a pain stricken woman”  The pain is sometimes so intense…you can’t take a deep breath, you can’t move, you can’t even cry.  That was last night.  It feels very much like there is a knife in your belly just moving around cutting and jabbing at your innerds…alongside a blowtorch that is joining in on the fun.  Then add to that the spasming of your feet a the nerves, damaged by a lifetime of diabetes, pulse and throb with each heart beat and the fire that burns in the small of  your back the best  you can do is stare at the clock and hope relief will come soon.

On these many nights being on the pain rollercoaster, I try to read or do needle crafts…if I can concentrate through the pain.  Or surf the net trying to find pain control ideas.  Or just lay and pray.  Alot of praying.  Trying to make “deals with my deity”…you know, like “Please Goddess..just end the pain that I am in!  If I am not doing any good on Earth, please just take me home with you!”…so far She hasn’t taken me up on that offer, so either She believes I am or will be of some good on this Earth.  I try the meditation techniques…the deep breathing is hard because it hurts to take really deep breaths…but I do what I can.  Visualization is nice…I picture laying on a warm sandy beach with the waves lapping at the shore, smelling the salty air, sipping a cold margarita, watching the tanned surfer dudesssssssssssss…uh ahmmmm….never mind….lol.

These nights of pain are very lonely. VERY lonely.  I sometimes feel like I am the only person on the planet dealing with this suffering.  I know of course that I am not, but at night it sure feels that way.  I have friends on facebook  who also suffer with various chronic pain conditions…and I thank the Goddess for them everyday!  This is why the computer has become my lifeline in a sense…they are the only people I “know” who are like me.  With only two exceptions, No one in my real world suffers with the intense pain that I do on a daily basis.

 Pain year after year changes you as a person.  You have to live differently.  You can’t always do what you want to do when you want to do it.  You are a slave to your pain.  You may want to go take a walk…but your body says “No way sweetie!”…you may want to go shopping, and you DO!  Then about 20 minutes in your body goes “PUNISHMENT TIME!” and there you are, standing in the middle of WalMart with a cart of stuff and you suddenly can’t move due to the pain…so you stand there with this look of constipation, not moving…sweat breaks out…you begin to panic, wondering how you will manage to walk up to the registers and check out…or just ditch the cart and get to the car…I feel embarrassed…like others are staring at me…so anxiety kicks in, the adrenaline makes me move slowly to the register as if nothing is wrong with me…I check out and make it to my car and start to cry as I drive home…and cry all the way…not caring that the people in cars beside me can see.

On the days or nights when I am having a pity party…I feel like living with “Invisible Diseases” is very different from other ailments…If I have my legs amputated….people can see it and feel empathy…if you have cancer people KNOW what that means.  But with Adhesions, Fibro, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Neuropathy, tendinitis, plantar faciitis, hernias, degenerative disk disease, arthritis, migraines, diabetes….people can’t SEE these illnesses…they may not even know of them…and when you are like me, who have more than one of those ailments you feel like a lonely little freakshow, that no one understands.  I often get mad at The God and the Goddess, , I am ashamed to say…and I scream “Why me? Why do you hate me? Why so many health problems at once? “…I keep feeling there is a reason for all this physical suffering….and I am on the path to figuring that out.  I could deal with most of the issues…it’s the damaged nerves and joints that cause me the most horrible pain….but, as just about everyone  says, Your Gods  wouldn’t let me deal with all this trauma if he didn’t think I could handle it…so they  must REALLY have confidence in my inner strength!  lol!

I just dream of being normal again.  Of being able to make plans with friends a few days in advance, and not having to cancel due to pain levels…you do that enough with friends, and they stop trying to make plans with youl.  Tired of being asked “How you feelin today?”…because the way I feel rarely changes…although there are “tolerable days” “bad days” and “horrible days” so I guess I have  a few to choose from.  I wish I c ould eat a big juicy steak with corn on the cob followed up by a huge slice of strawberry pie washed down with pure sweet southern tea.   I wish I didn’t need the scooter , wheel chair or power chair to move..  I wish I didn’t have to swallow 11 pills or more every day.  I wish I could be more active, without suffering afterwards.  I wish my belly didn’t buldge out.  I wish even SOME of the pain would go away!

I worry too about the consequences of taking all these meds I am on.  I am only 46 years old…taking all these pills for the next 30 years isn’t gonna make my liver very happy…not to mention, my body will build up a tolerance to these pain meds…then what happens?  I am on really strong doses already…what do we go to in 10 or 20 years?  It’s these things and more that fill my mind at night.  But, then its daylight again…I suck it up and pretend to be one of the “normals” and go on with life.  There are people out there worse off than me for sure.  Atleast I have a roof over my head, food to eat, family/friends, clothes, and this computer to keep me in touch with friends!  With all this crap that I whine about, I do know that I have much to be thankful for and I thank tmy God  and Goddess each and everyday for all of it.  I guess my deal is, I just wish for a way to make others understand what people with invisible illnesses are dealing with…little daily activities that some take for granted…are a struggle for us…shaving your legs, getting in and out of the  car, getting clothes in and out of the washer/dryer, standing and doing dishes, carrying a case of soda, going to the bathroom (yes I just told that), walking for more than 5 minutes, picking up small children/animals, reaching for something above your head, bending to pick up something off the floor, pushing a vacuum, dancing, just getting up from bed (I must roll onto my side and grab the rail to pull myself up), blowing your nose, sneezing, crying…and worst of all laughing.  I love to laugh…and now when I do…it brings physical pain.  I used to laugh until I cried…now I try to avoid that, because it hurts so much.  .I still laugh of course…and once in awhile even to the point of tears…but its painful.

I keep looking ahead though.  The future is gonna be better.  I learn ways of dealing with all of it.  I know when to rest (mostly)…luckily I love to read and play on the puter!  I am learning to not mind being a “homebody” for some people that would be unbearable. I try to focus on my wonderful husband and the family he brought into my life.  They accept me as I am even with the limitations, love me and support me, not everyone has that.  I am not alone, even in the night I can hear my Mutty breathe next to me, reach out and rub my leg letting me know that while he might be sleeping he is there with me if I really need him.  I have more than once woken him up because I was hurting and just needed him to sit with me for a while or to take a day off work to spend it in the house with me simply because I could not bear being home alone that day.  I have a wonderful friend who also suffers from a silent illness that makes time every day to see how I am and does not get upset if I have to cancel an event due to my disabilities.  She dropped her life to be with me when we thought the surgeon was going to take my leg.  She climbed onto the bed and sat holding me as I cried my heart out --weeks and months of being in and out of the hospital with 8 different surgeries finally becoming just too much to deal with.

So, that’s how I will end this blog.  I don't know if I will push the publish button sometimes that is scarier than the pain--opening up and saying to the people who only see the side of you that pretends all is well all the time is really a fake costume just like my Halloween Witch Outfit.  Opening myself up to be torn apart by people who don't understand or who think they are better than I am because I cannot work anymore--if I could I would be right back out there working 60 hours a week and loving every minute of it but  when your body is breaking down and you can no longer stand up without having to talk yourself into it then it is time to consider the safety of those around you in the workplace and sometimes that means saying goodbye to co-workers and in my case, patients whom I dearly loved.  Sometimes a person needs to surrender and accept. Surrender comes when y ou no longer ask, “Why is this happening to me?”  Acceptance of the unacceptable is the greatest source of grace in this world.I am not quite graceful yet, but I am trying to work towards it.  Slowly and painfully.

To bomb or not to bomb; that is no longer the question.

If you are a pet owner you will probably already know that the spring and summer are when the flea population multiplies. Fleas are annoying and can irritate and bite both you and your pet which can lead to scabs and skin lesions. Fleas are the most troublesome in the spring and summer as this is when they begin breeding outside and start jumping around the grass eventually making their way into your home. If you have an indoor pet you are still likely to develop a flea problem on your furniture, carpet and pet. There are many different ways to get rid of fleas but as a pet owner, I have a concern for using a chemical-based product due to the potential toxins this creates in the house. Looking up information on the Internet about how to get rid of fleas naturally inside my home has lead me to a simple and inexpensive remedy. Salt and baking soda was something I stumbled upon and thought that this was an inexpensive and safe way to remove fleas, but I was very skeptical of this. If you have a flea problem in your house and want safe alternatives to get rid of them, using salt and baking soda might just be a solution. Salt and baking soda are two common household items that you can find just about anywhere and you can get them both for about 4 dollars. It is a good idea to buy the bigger containers of salt, any kind will work but Morton's is one of the best brands of salt for this flea treatment. For this natural indoor flea remedy you are going to also need a broom so you can push the salt and baking soda into the carpet. Using natural remedies to kill fleas in the carpet is something I was interested in since most flea products are toxic chemicals. When you have a flea infestation in your home it can really become a nuisance because they multiply within days and can get all over your furniture and bedding. To eliminate fleas from your home you need to remove them from your carpets while killing the eggs and the adult fleas as well. A lot of products do not end up killing both the adult flea and the eggs but baking soda and salt seems to really work. You can mix the two products together in a container or you can apply them separately to your carpet which is what I ended up doing. You also want to remove your pet from the areas you are going to treat especially if your pet likes to lay on the carpet. A pet on the carpet of the treated areas might become irritated and have a burning sensation occur on their fur if they have open flea bites coming in contact with the salt.
The first thing you want to do when you are using the baking soda and salt treatment to kill fleas is remove all of your furniture from the carpet you want to treat. Take the salt first and sprinkle it fairly heavily onto your carpets going from right to left, applying liberally. I used about one-third of the big salt container for each flea-removal application so depending on the size and number of carpets you treat will determine how much salt to use. Make sure you cover the whole room in a light salt drizzle so that you will be killing the fleas from every aspect of the carpet. Then you want to use the same process for the baking soda, applying liberally from one corner of the room to the next corner. You do not need to use as much baking soda since it can be a hassle when it comes time to using the broom but you want to make sure you sprinkle it throughout the carpet. Once you have both products on the carpet, take your broom and sweep from right to left so that your carpet is absorbing the salt and baking soda. The key to killing the flea eggs is to get deep into the carpet fibers where the flea eggs are most likely to be so make sure you sweep firmly into the carpet. You can leave this flea treatment on your carpet anywhere from 12 hours to a week depending how severe the flea infestation is inside your home.
The salt and baking soda works by basically dehydrating the flea and eggs so they are unable to survive, which will eventually kill them. Since flea eggs hatch within about three days, it is important you keep repeating the salt and baking soda treatment everyday for at least three to four days. Personally, I would put the concoction together on the carpet in the evening and leave it overnight until the next afternoon but it can be done at any time within the day. After you have left the treatment on the carpet for a while, you need to vacuum the fleas up so that you can get rid of the dying or dead and start the process over again. If you are using a vacuum that has a bag with it, you need to empty the bag or throw the bag away immediately following the cleaning. Using a debris canister on a bagless vacuum is easier than throwing away bags but again you should empty the contents immediately following the cleaning. You want to throw away the contents of the vacuum outside in your trash can as opposed to the one in the house because fleas will jump out of the inside trash can and infest your carpets all over again. When you are vacuuming it is important to use the tile setting or bare floors setting because you want the vacuum to get deep into your carpets, even if this makes it hard to push the vacuum.
If you repeat this process for about four days or a week, you will be one step closer to getting rid of the fleas for good. I have been doing this for a week and after being reluctant to drizzle salt all over I have realized it really does work. The only bad thing about it is that when you apply the salt and baking soda, it makes the fleas very active since they are trying to get away from the treatment. During the treatment on the carpet, you might want to wear slippers or shoes because the fleas will end up jumping on your legs left and right. This process does work however it will not essentially kill all of the fleas. The most important aspect of killing fleas is vacuuming the carpet everyday whether you use a natural remedy or not. The salt and baking soda flea treatment is great because it is not toxic to people or pets and it is very inexpensive to buy. Products like Raid cost about eight dollars for a spray bottle and might only last for one application depending on the amount of carpet you have. Raid and similar products are also very toxic and can harm both you and your pet if ingested or inhaled which is a common concern for people with an indoor pet. Using salt and baking soda is actually one of the best natural ways to get rid of fleas because it kills both the flea and egg so reproduction is not likely. If you are looking for a safe, natural and inexpensive way to get rid of fleas in your home and on your carpet, then this is something you should start doing.

Pumpkin pie cupcakes

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup half and half (or evaporated milk)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half until well combined. Add in dry ingredients and whisk until no streaks of flour remain and batter is smooth.
Fill each muffin cup with approximately 1/3 cup of batter.
Bake for 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan. They will sink as they cool.
Chill cupcakes before serving. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

This cupcake recipe is based on an impossible pie recipe. Impossible pie is a concept that is a popular “back of the box” recipe for baking mixes, like bisquick. These “pies” have a little bit of flour in their mix that turns into a firm, crust-like outer layer around the filling in just the same way as this crustless quiche recipe. I incorporated enough flour and leavening into the cupcake batter that a firmer shell forms around the more custardy pumpkin pie center, make these easy to eat and handle, but delivering that familiar pumpkin pie texture and flavor.

The cupcakes will fall as they cool because of their slightly dense pumpkin pie center, so don’t worry as you seem the start to deflate after you take them out of the oven. I prefer these chilled, just as I like my pumpkin pies. As soon as they’re at room temperature, pop them into the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Serve these topped with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Granted, the real pie is a little bit more custardy and I do like the crispness of a good crust on a pie, but you can’t beat the ease of being able to take a portion of pumpkin pie wherever you go. If you have silicone cupcake liners, you’ll be able to pop the mini pies out easily, but they can also be served with regular paper liners (easier to handle).