Notes from Janice’s Desk
When I was a kid people naturally recycled. I don’t remember garbage being a big problem because we didn’t throw many things away. We didn’t need a food disposal because any left over food wasn’t much and it was given to the dog. Clothes were handed down to younger kids or given to friends who could use them. Baby clothes were passed back and forth between friends until they were worn out. Jeans with holes were patched and then the legs out off for shorts.
My Granny and great-grandmother used old clothes to make quilts. I remember Granny saving the hair when she cleaned her hair-brush. I was very curious about this and was told she would make a “rat tail.” Now she really had my attention. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting any part of a rat, but the bigger problem was how could this be done. I was disappointed to discover that a “rat tail” was a roll use
d for a particular hair fashion. I had hoped to observe the making of a real rat’s tail.
My mom didn’t even throw away old scratch records. Instead, she would soften the record by dipping it in hot water and form it into a holder that hung on the wall. UUM! I’ve not thought about this recycling in sometime. I’ll have to try bending old CD’s. I am not sure how hot the water has to be so this is definitely not for kids–it is an ADULT EXPERIMENT. 
Being conservative is just a way of life for me. I can always find something to do with old stuff or things that require replacement parts that I forget to buy. For example, I bought a floor cleaner with a spray bottle attached and throw-away pad. Not wanting to throw the pads away, I used each until they fell apart. Without pads the tool was useless, so it was set aside. Recently, in a cleaning mode, I discovered the cleaner and experimented with attaching a washcloth instead of a throw-away pad. I wet the cloth and voila’, I now have a mop with washable pads. All mops are made of material that absorb water. For more info about how a mop cleans, see WATER ABSORPTION.
More Later,Janice