Just feeling random and chatty today. Here goes:
1. The discussion continues on my last library post on whether parent or child ought to choose the books.
Don't get confused.
Censorship is when the government asserts its power over citizens, restricting the free exchange of ideas. It's a wrong perpetrated on free adults who have a claim to the world of ideas, directly, without reference to the desires of the state.
For some who have been given the trust of administering the law to use force to monitor people's thoughts and interactions is an abuse, rightly resisted. (And note well that while some authorities simply ban what has been written, in a sort of tacit acknowledgement of the limits of their power, others insult the universe by trying to force the people to refrain from writing, speaking, or even thinking in the first place. That is political correctness, the very worst kind of censorship there is.)
Providing your children with good reading material while cleverly distracting them from the bad is quite, quite different. It's forming them carefully according to your principles, which in turn are based on the true, the good, and the beautiful. Not only is this your God-given privilege, it is the very process by which you ensure that they will become alert citizens who won't be vulnerable to censorship. Among other things.
If you were to refrain from imposing, and I use that word lovingly, your standards, it's not that then your children will grow up free.
On the contrary.
They will be very much slaves; not to put too fine a point on it, they will be so stupid that they will believe anything they are told and buy anything offered to them.
Clearly the challenge becomes staying one step ahead of them so that you yourself have the discernment necessary to give them the best. We hope to help with that here. Will you goof? Of course. No biggie. The good will force out the bad, and in a sort of anti-Gresham's Law of truth, goodness, and beauty, all will be well.
2. Speaking of good and bad and standards, what is up with dish towels that are coated, impregnated, or otherwise imbued with some substance that prevents them from absorbing moisture?
What. Is. Up.
Is it that people generally use paper towels and consider the dish towel an ornament, not called upon for actual use? I use paper towels. But I need my cloth towels to dry things. Too much to ask? I think not.
I have a stash of dish towels that is getting tired.
It's a carefully curated stash, purged of anything lacking in absorbency. But it's a tired stash. I go to the Marshall's and the T.J. Maxx and refrain from the cutesy and the seasonal. I resist. I have criteria. My favorites are waffle weaved. I like potato sacking okay, but, thin. The simply flat-woven doesn't measure up. It's damp here. I want my hands to feel less moisturous after a wipe. I want my dishes to be lacking in damperosity after contact with a towel.
So I find some towels that seem promising. They are big. They are beefy. Some are waffle-woven, albeit only partially — a dubious characteristic that makes me tremble at portents of future distensions.
But I spring.
Well, so far, not so great. I am boiling. With rage against the unjust treatment of cotton, yes, but also literally, with water on the stove, in an attempt to rid myself of this Bad Coating of Water Resistance and provide myself with New Towels that Dry.
3. The garden is getting there, but it's a brave resolve that's needed to step into it. Mosquitos. We were all good until the rains came, and now I'm just scared. Today is drier (hopefully as dry as a soft waffle-weave towel) and a bit breezy. I will tackle.
4. Deirdre is getting closer to her due date, and so is Rosie!
Babies!
In a baby round-up, Francis is walking!! and Pippo is talking. A lot. He gets on speakerphone and tells me about the frogs and the dump trucks. Then he says, “Bye, Habibti!” and he's off.
And Bridget, my baby, is at a summer program for two weeks. I'm sure it's a ton of fun and I'm not feeling abandoned by my BABY!!
Anything random and chatty going on with you? I want to hear!
NB: {pretty, happy, funny, real} is still open!
Krista says
I need to know about the dish towel thing, too. It's driving me crazy. Every time I go to use one to wipe up a spill- and I have five kids under 10, so this spill wiping is a daily event- the water is simply repelled from the towels!! It beads up and runs off of them on to the floor! Sigh. I have been resorting to paper towels, which I rarely buy and use infrequently because of cost and waste, because I just need something that will quickly and effectively wipe up that spill!!
Anna says
I often use used hand towels to wipe up spills. For example, when I change the hand towel it goes in a bin (make sure it is not damp though!). When there is a spill I go to that bin and pick up a used hand towel. Our everyday hand towels are not really pretty, so it doesn't bother me, but works really well. Perhaps if you had some old bath towels you could cut these into decent sized pieces for just this purpose, if a hand towel is not something you'd like to use.
Donna L. says
Hi Auntie Leila,
I am with you on the sizing or whatever it may be on new towels. I have had some success washing them in twice the detergent on the hottest water setting, and then adding a generous amount of apple cider vinegar for the rinse. I like them fluffed in a hot dryer, so they are softer, but line-dried works also.
My garden is growing well, but I'm afraid the weeds are growing even faster!
First yard sale today, I have not ever had one, so I don't really know what I'm doing–we told the kids because they were such amazing refinishers/organizers/labelers-that all the proceeds would be theirs. I hope it goes well!
I love your *chatty* posts because they are such fun to read–and I appreciate when you read what others share, and then comment and clarify. Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Erin says
I'm so glad I'm not alone in my frustration with dish towels! Drives me crazy. I have had some luck finding un-treated towels at a farm supply/hardware type store. I'm curious on your waffle weave preference. Around these parts, waffle weave type towels are for use drying hands and drying dishes is left to the plain cotton sack type towels and the two shall never meet! Is that unique to my area?
Lisa G. says
I use terry towels for hands, and other for the dishes – my mother always said the terry will leave lint on glasses, etc., and I guess it sunk in because I still do it.
_Leila says
Erin, I don't know about the area, and my only criterion is that the towel absorb some stinking water. And not leave lint behind. I like the waffle weave because it goes a long way, dries quickly (unlike terry), and has a nice texture. I will take other kinds… if they work. Flour sacking just gets too thin and hence, sodden.
Kathy@9Peas says
I've been complaining about the scotch-guarding (what I call it) of dish towels as well. I do not use paper towels and my collection of hand towels for kitchen use is terribly worn. I finally got some regular hand towels for the bathroom and the work better than those with that coating *blek*
I love the chatty in this post and had no idea a conversation was still taking place on the library post, I'm off to go read!
Robin says
Regarding library choosing and censorship et.al., you have once again articulated everything that is in my head about this subject. Thank you!
Dish towels: I just had to swap all of mine out because of the tendency of people, in this house, to dampen their hands and wipe them on my dish towel, thereby removing the dirt (and transferring it to the towel!) when drying their hands. So efficient, they say. Anyway, I gave up on trying to de-grunge them. Also, I second the rinsing in vinegar to remove the force field on the towels. And I gave up using fabric softener years ago, once I realized it was just adding a chemical layer to my clothing that I didn't need. Never looked back!
Margaret says
I hope boiling does the trick for your towels. You can add a squirt of dawn dish soap- that's how I prep my cotton diapers.
Rain says
Hi Leila!
I haven't posted in awhile. I too love it when you feel chatty and can catch up with you. Yay for babies!
I have found some absorbent dishtowels at Tractor Supply. I also buy vintage linen ones at tag sales or thrifts when I see them.
What's new in our garden? Japanese beetles! I pay the children a penny each to dispose of them in soapy water. But this gets expensive, last year it cost me $20. That is a lot of beetles!
We are deep in swim lessons and the library book reading program. And we have been picking and freezing cherries. I also harvested my garlic some are very very small and some are a respectable size.
I also wanted to tell you I will be doing the RCIA classes at our local parish this fall.
Blessings,
_Leila says
Rain, I am so happy about the RCIA!
Anne says
Please update us on your progress with your dishtowels. Obviously many of us have the same issue. SO annoying. I have recently been toying with the idea of using bath hand towels in the kitchen…
Sarah K. says
Ah, dish towels. My favorite ones came from Bowl and Board from when I lived in Cambridge 10 years ago. I do like the Williams Sonoma ones, but they took a long time to break in! I second the dawn dish soap (the regular blue one)- also used that for prepping and stripping cloth diapers.
I hope you new grandbabies arrive safely. Babies just make the world a better place, don't they?
Amy M. says
Regarding towels, has anyone tried just hemming terrycloth from the fabric store? I've made this project ( http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2010/5/22/mol… ) for several babies, which leaves me with long strips of 8-10″ wide terrycloth left over. I just fold a long piece in half and sew the long sides, then turn it right side out and stitch the final side closed. This way you make a towel the length that you want and it is nice and fluffy without being frilly (overdecorated) or fuzzy (leaving lint everywhere, which is my bigger problem with my towels than lack of absorbency).
Pattern note- I have also upsized this gift for toddler big siblings and just cut the main square as long as the fabric is wide. This eliminates dish-towel-sized leftover pieces, but the difficulty there comes in having a wide enough strip left over to cut a sizeable triangle for the hood. I'm sure the answer to that is just buying a longer yardage of terrycloth!
Laura Jeanne says
I don't understand the dish towel thing, either. Even the ones from the dollar store are coated with something. I find that any dish towel I buy needs to be washed at least 10 times before it becomes absorbent. And they don't really become good until they're at least a year old. It's insane! Somebody somewhere must have decided that dish towels are for decorative purposes only.
I never thought to boil them though, that seems like a good idea.
Lisa G. says
Are they truly one hundred percent cotton, and they put a coating on them? Stupidest thing I ever heard. I bought a bunch on sale at Williams Sonoma years ago, and they're still good.
Sarah says
I am a dish towel snob. I like them to be not cute, absorbent, come reasonably clean when washed, and be big enough to also wrap salad greens. I ruthlessly return to stores what doen't work. I say, “These don't work.” My current stash are from Williams Sonoma and I bought an even dozen. They come in packs of three. Every evening I crown the clean kitchen with a fresh dry towel. I've had my current dozen for two years now and they're a little stained and a little thin but not yet embarrasing. It's one of those financial outlays that is worth it to me.
magistratrium says
I just received some new dish towels as a wedding present and that coating is driving me crazy! I must try boiling water and vinegar. What good is a towel that doesn't dry?
I agree about books and “imposing” our values on our children. If we don't teach the children our own values, the world will be all too happy to fill that vacuum with trash. I always had veto power when we went to the library and more than once a library book went into the return bin before we left. I am loving your library project posts.
Kate says
I saw a photo of Bridget with her fiddle on the Thomas More College facebook page! Hope she enjoys her two weeks there.
_Leila says
Kate! I wish the photos were better 🙂
Sarah @ ALT says
Loved your library post. I've written a few posts on cultivating the moral imagination and what it comes down to, it seems, is a thoughtful culling of what we allow our kids to feast on. Your post was excellent!
Dish towels. This is a serious problem. Did boiling help? Inquiring minds want to know.
knowingonesplace says
Evil water repelling towels! Here's what I do: Hot wash with at least a cup of vinegar. Follow with another hot wash with baking soda (again – about a cup). Follow that with another hot wash with a squirt of blue Dawn dish soap (only about a teaspoon…not much!). That should do the trick.
I am overrun with Japanese beetles. They destroyed my beautiful rose bush. Nothing I've tried has deterred them! I'm considering a flame thrower at this point. For the beetles, not the rose bush.
salomeellen says
You could try buying waffle-weave fabric by the yard — they sell it for bathrobes — and cut it to your preferred size, plus a hemming allowance all round. Easy sewing, and the fabric won't be coated.
No matter where one gets towels, dish- or bath- or hand-, they should NEVER be washed or dried with fabric softener. It makes them fluffy and pretty and useless!
_Leila says
salomeellen, I would NEVER. But I think that softener is what's on them to start with. UGH.
salomeellen says
I knew YOU wouldn't, but I thought other readers might not know. 😀 I did find this link, which recommends epsom salts to remove softener residue. Maybe it'll work on the new ones! http://www.ehow.com/how_2272815_remove-fabric-sof…
_Leila says
Heh. I like how it starts off with donating the towels in your closet you're not keeping! Why not start the tip off with something like, “Make your bed, feed the dog…” 🙂
I will try vinegar and epsom salts. I am invested now in 8 towels and need them to be drying things STAT!
April L says
I strip my cloth diapers of detergent buildup by washing them on hot with a Tbsp of original Dawn (apparently only original Dawn will do), and 1/4-1/2 cup of bleach, depending on the size of the load. Line drying seems to add a little more oomph to this process, though in the winter I just pop them in the dryer and they still come out fine, and no longer repellent of moisture. Don't know how it would work in the “scotch-briting” though. What a great idea…to sell a product coated with something to keep it from doing its job. ::rolls eyes::
Lauren says
Leila,
I love your blog! And I am so excited to add something that might be helpful! I used to struggle awfully with dish towels that would not soak up anything. But, then I found Flour Sack towels at my Sam's Club.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/flour-sacks-30-x-38-…
They come in a pack of 12 and are inexpensive. You can find them in the restaurant supply section of Sam's.The towels seemed a lot thinner than the dishtowels I was used to at first and I was worried they would not by much use. But, they soak up so much liquid!!! They are durable and I can even use them as an apron. I LOVE them and bought some for my MIL too. She loves them as well. I bought a second set to use in baking. Anyway, they are my favorite and I thought I would share. If you don't have a Sams perhaps you could find them online or somewhere else.
But, I must warn you, they are the perfect size for little boys to use as capes. My boys are always trying to steal mine. 🙂
Kathy@9Peas says
Gosh Lauren, I never thought of that – thanks for the tip. Our local Sams has a whole isle dedicated to catering and that is where I buy large packs of utensils like forks etc.. I'm going to get the towels now, great idea!
Breanna says
People with Japanese beetles need chickens or ducks! Borrow them from someone who has them and sit back and watch the carnage.
Re: mosquitoes–you can get safe, all-natural mosquito dunks for rain barrels, and I have heard people use them in ponds. I wonder if you could crush them and sprinkle them around to where you think your mosquito larvae are?
_Leila says
Breanna, it's true — we didn't have beetles when we had chickens! 🙁
Dixie says
I got these cheap ones recently http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-white-kit… Yahoo! They are so absorbent I can even put them under my dishrack. And they're plain white, so I can bleach them.
Laura says
I'm a fairly new reader and I love your blog! THANK YOU for pointing out the difference between actual censorship and a parent's right and duty to screen reading material for their minor children. I couldn't agree more about the necessity to do so. We wouldn't let them watch just anything that floats across the TV, why should books be different? Anyway, loved that library post and loved this one as well. 🙂
Melissa Diskin says
I thought you might like something chatty and thrifty (chifty?) My fridge died overnight — hours after I'd bought $150 of organic meat, dairy, and more. Shameful. I dragged 3 kids in the pouring rain to 3 places looking for a new one…which won't arrive til the middle of next week. So I took all my milk and cream and made ricotta cheese with it. Used the whey to make 9 loaves of bread. My neighbor let me store my meat and cheese in her basement fridge. Hooray for good neighbors! …What's sad is that the dead fridge is only 2 years old, and it's the 3rd time it's died in 2 years. But after an hour of sad rage and ineffectual pushing around of warmish groceries, I had a WWALD? moment and decided to make lemonade out of lemons (or cheese out of milk, and bread out of whey, at least)!
_Leila says
Melissa, you are indeed making do in a heroic way! Why do things like that happen? The universe gets into smite mode…
I have to say (and I have blogged about this), it is worthwhile to buy the extended warranty for the newish (not under one year) appliances. Just because we rely on them…
I am flattered that you thought of me. Don't know that I would have been that resourceful!
Mary says
Yay for talking toddlers and babies learning to walk!! so exciting! I can't wait to “meet” the newest additions.
Dishtowels…I buy the ones from Williams and Sonoma because they are the only ones I have found to be absorbent and very useful for all my kitchen tasks. They are expensive and my husband usually puts a new set in my stocking every year. I have also found some at Target that are OK…not as think or long lasting as the expensive ones.
Pippi says
My husband's extended family is in England so occasionally we put in the request for someone to bring us back dishtowels from their travels. The classic British ones always work the best for me — though it can be tricky to find a supplier!
Cathy says
I know it is not as environmentally friendly as vinegar but try adding powdered dishwasher detergent to the load when you launder the tea towels. It is great for removing stains and whitening whites. #mynewlove
_Leila says
Cathy, the dishwasher detergent has bleach in it! I do recommend cleaning towels with bleach in our damp climate — a little, added to the warm water and detergent.
Molly` says
The censorship/parents responsibility issue is so delicate. I, too, want to help guide my children into good read materials and away from twaddle, but not to the point that I risk denying them the opportunities to stretch their logic and debate skills. While I don't see the need for them to devour every last trashy paranormal romance book, I do want to give the the freedom (at the right points in their lives) to delve into works that will challenge them to understand others' points of view while being able to defend and stand strong in their own personal beliefs.
That being said I will be the type of parent to divert away from twaddle, but encourage a good amount of “banned and challenged books” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned…
_Leila says
Molly, it's all about their stage of development, isn't it? The very young simply have to be formed. We have to surround them with beauty and a strong connection to the collective memory. We have to protect them from the banal, the flashy, the trashy!
As they get older, we gently lead them and keep it firm yet conversational. When they show discernment, we wisely let them make some mistakes (within reason). Like the child learning to ride the bicycle — he has to fall, but we would never set him off on the highway!
Molly says
Absolutely – I think the key is also that our children know the why's behind our decisions and always have something to fill that void. It's one thing to say “No” and walk away and another to say “Here's the reason …. and here's a book that I think you'll be much more satisfied with.” =)
Amanda says
Regarding dishtowels, I've got two words- Williams. Sonoma.
I bought a 3-pack when I got married. 5 years ago. Those things are still going strong. Pricier? Worth it.
Becky says
I love how you put “the” in front of Marshall's and TJ Maxx. Must be a New England thing, because I remember folks doing that in RI where I grew up. I do it here in Illinois but it doesn't seem to be catching on.
I see that Lehman's has flour sack dish towels – I'm thinking of trying them…
Margaret says
I use cloth diapers to wipe up spills and dry dishes. Also, I know some people like to knit dish towels out of 100% cotton yarn. Good luck!
LMS says
Oh, dish towels! I've noticed the quality getting progressively worse over the 38+ years I've been keeping my own home. I've also noticed most fabric in general is getting thinner & thinner, and suspect manufacturers are trying to “economize” by weaving or spinning less or thinner thread into fabric. I wonder if the non-absorbent, sizing type issue everyone has been discussing is an issue of same manufacturers coating thinner thread or fabric to prevent breakage, especially with cotton, which is weaker than linen/flax. I recently found vintage unused oversize linen napkins at a thrift shop ~ they are amazingly strong, absorbent and lint-free. I'm contemplating looking for older linen tablectoths and sewing up a large batch of cloths. Just had a discussion with older son, who's a history buff about the ways in which the fabric industry has changed (deteriorated) through the years! Ladies, raid the thrift shops, rescue those linens from the backs of drawers & cupboards ~ we don't have to settle for inferior tools in the kitchen!
Deanna says
First, thank you for your excellent explanation of censorship!
Second, I have been happy with 'bar keepers' towels I have purchased at Target. Very absorbent and they are white and easy to keep clean!
Molly says
I love your light blue teacups! Where did you find those?
_Leila says
mollyocon, I found them at the Goodwill! I love them too 🙂
Sara says
Thanks, again, for explaining so clearly what is wrong with censorship and what is right about parental guidance!
Ha! Just saw your (Rosie's) tweets on the sidebar. I think we housewives are passionate about dishtowels because we don't have time for anything that wastes our time and effort!
I totally hear you on the baby growing up issue. My baby is only 11, and there are not grandbabies on the wind, but I hate to see her getting so big and hanging out with the big girls at the beach!
Melissa H says
For dishtowels I prefer those sold as “bar mops” that are made of ribbed terrycloth. They hold up well to bleaching once they have become dingy. My favorite dishcloths are the ones I knit myself with 100% cotton yarn – Sugar n' Cream brand. I think it is sold everywhere, I live in Georgia and see it at all the chain craft stores.
The question I have is how to cure my husband of drying his clean hands with a paper towel??
olivia0330 says
My mom and grandmother worked in sewing factories, and I've always heard that fabric is treated with a “dressing” (who knows if that is the proper term), to prevent it from staining while being shipped around. It's why new clothes (especially cotton) have that new smell. Ew. I have good luck with putting a little squirt of dish soap in the load whenever I wash something new, but who knows what that is doing to my washer's innards.