Carla Burke

Timothy Norton wrote:I have been really fond of the noise cancelling technology certain headphones have these days. It is amazing how some can filter normal conversation to audible levels but cut out anything loud. If the wife or I are going to be particularly loud we utilize these technologies. Now comes the quick safety note. Most noise canceling headphones are not a substitute for actual hearing protection if the noise level is high enough to cause hearing loss/damage. I'd steer you to hearing protection products if you are planning on running a chainsaw or something similar.

I'm also a fan of background music in my house when possible. I have a record player, some audio equipment, as well as sometimes just singing something random while tootling along. Sometimes having something to focus on can help not pay attention to things that are more bothersome.

I agree, on all points, and now you have me wondering if my 'ears' for shooting could help. They're designed to allow normal talking sounds, but cancel loud sounds. I know they work amazingly well for gunfire, but I'm not sure about vacuum cleaners, loud machinery, etc.

I notice that many of these sounds are difficult to avoid. So, what is everyone doing to mitigate the irritation? Ear plugs can be a great help. Avoiding the places can be a good way to go. But, (rather than simply grumbling & living with it) what other strategies have you developed for dealing with the noises that bother you, when you can't avoid it or use ear plugs?

Edited to add: One thing I do, is if, for example, the problem is a caterwalling child, as I described above, I'll watch for a couple minutes, and if it seems like it would be welcomed - or at least not anger the adult with the child, I might talk gently to the child. 'You seem to be having a rough time, huh? I wonder if it's going to rain, today - what do you think?' Almost anything a stranger says to a child will get their attention, and stop the noise, simply because they're not expecting it. One little boy - maybe 4yrs old - was screaming and running from his obviously frazzled mom, running around and around a display, to escape her. After watching for a minute, as she went one direction, and he was about to turn again, and go the other direction, I stepped in front of him, and gently, but firmly said, "oh no you don't. You go back to your mom, right now." He was startled into immediately quieting and going straight back to her. The poor woman breathed a sigh of relief, and got hold of him, and strapped him into the shopping cart, as she thanked me, profusely.

I sometimes do paper mache, but also use it as temporary fixes for steadying furniture, filling gaps, safely containing/moving broken glass, file dividers, creating a cushion under furniture feet or heavy items that sit on scratchable surfaces, temporary pet beds, blocking bases, for crochet, felting, etc, creating a 'blind' around/between critter crates or pens, blocking intrusive light, and (the saddest) the occasional funeral pyre material, for livestock, *if* the livestock can't be otherwise utilized...

Granted, most of these are temporary uses, but it's still at least one more use, before the stuff is destroyed.

r ranson wrote:This is scary.  We have very few smaller fabric shops left here, mostly quilting and one very old fabric shop that is all the way downtown.  Most fabric is sold at the giant box store.

Exactly my thought. I'd much rather support a local, small business, as well as being able to see and touch the fabric, in person, ensure the material content, and get the mental/emotional 'feel' for the fabric, before I lay down my limited funds.

I'm very prone to sensory overwhelm, much of the time...

Children crying may or may not irritate me, depending on how long it goes on, *how & why* the child is crying, as well as their age. If they're over 2 and caterwalling because they've been told 'no', I lose patience far more quickly than if it's an injury, or if they're under two, hungry &/or tired. An adult baby-talking to the former is also FAR more irritating than the same adult baby-talking to the latter.

John's tv & video preferences - and the volume he prefers - also can be grating.

Certain music can drive me to the brink, but the vast majority, I love.

The damn racetrack (that wasn't here, when we bought this place), 5 miles down the (otherwise very quiet) road, all day on Saturday & Sunday mornings invades my peace and ticks me off ROYALLY, as does the (often badly done) live music from the new campground, a mile away, that overpowers my own, every Friday & Saturday night, all summer.

People smacking their lips, as they chew. It can (if it goes on) actually nauseate me to the point of losing my appetite, even if I felt very hungry, before.

My dogs digging, in the house. It's partly about the potential damage, but it's equally the noise.

Anything very repetitive (after 3 or 4 times, I'm truly DONE), high-pitched, or... loud growly/screamy (is this a new word?) - which takes me back to certain music, btw.

When I fear I'll reach the overwhelm, I usually either use earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones, with my own music, or find some other means to distract myself, so I don't start growling at people.

Start with a protective balm, before you even go outside - preferably one with a beeswax base. It will fill those cracks as well as moisturizing them, and both of those actions will make it much easier. When cleaning, a good nail brush will also help.  Some folks will wear gloves to do everything. I'll wear them when it's possible, but I can't wear them, for everything - they get in the way, and often make it more difficult to do small things.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:It's time to get in gear when the redbuds are blooming. Last frost here is near April 15th. I'm sowing some turnips and kale tomorrow. Evidence of my first asparagus spear quickly vanished today!

I'm debating today, whether I have the spoons to go out & harvest & process enough redbud blossoms to make the tea, to make redbud jelly. Last year, I ran out of spoons halfway through picking, so only made the (delightful) tea, but didn't have enough to make the jelly.

I would *think* is after the last expected freeze date, but in reality, for me, it's when my does kid. I always wait until early to mid- December, to breed them, so they'll freshen in early to mid May.

Not really sure what this style of log home is called - but the garage is on one end, the greatroom on the other, and the deck is off the greatroom...

John loves the Ninja coffee maker. Meh. I am a French press kind of gal. I tried the pour-over, but just don't have the patience for it, *particularly* before I've had coffee. We both enjoy the (couple hundred?) espresso machine, but we don't really use it, much. We bought an electric kettle, and take that & the French press with us, when we travel, because I've seen too many videos of what some folks do to/with hotel coffee makers. I'd love to get an aeropress, like Thomas has, too. It would be much less tempting to buy those expensive coffee shop lattes,  if I knew I could make them, in the hotel, for a one time $35, plus the beans. Thing is, working in the coffee shop, even though it was only for 8 months, I got pretty dang good at making them with the big, ancient, commercial machine. Learning to use simpler, modern home equipment was a bit of an adjustment.