Cynthia Quilici

For citrus peels, you can make candied peel. Requires some boiling, then simmer in a concentrated sugar syrup and dehydrate. Add to baked goods. If you have a lot, you might know bakers who would appreciate this as a gift.

Some people remove more of the pith and process long strips which they then dip in chocolate to make candies.

I appreciate the gift-code links, Raven. Since I already have the material in the book, I'll be able to give them to people who might then want to get the book, who knows?

I just got my package of books+towel today, and it also had been opened and the seeds removed/stolen/destroyed!
Towel is lovely, but I am sad about the seeds..

A form was left describing an "Emergency Action Notification"
It listed the offending item ("Linum usitatissimum, PM"). Further down, #16., "Action Required" states, "7 CFR 319.37 Plants for Planting: Propagative material requires a phytosanitary certificate for entry. This shipment lacks such certification. Seeds will be destroyed."

As Nicole says, they are led to open the package because seeds are listed right there on the customs declaration.
However, the statute they cited says **Plants** for planting. Seeds are not plants. I'm not sure whether seeds fall under other regs. They are, in a sense, "propagative material"..  Boh?

Raven, if you find that seeds are supposed to be ok, and if you haven't sent out all the seed packages yet, maybe it would help to print out a page with the regs and include w/shipment.

There is a great series on making clothing in an open-source library I recently found.

A Complete Course in Dressmaking by Isabel De Nyse Conover.
Here's the lesson on making skirts.
https://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/pub/PDF/B-YS104.pdf
It does make reference to skills taught in previous lessons (all lessons are available in the library). While it doesn't give you a pattern, it has a lot of information about structural aspects (eg., grosgrain ribbon waistband) that I think are helpful to making a long-lasting garment (as opposed to today's fast-fashion emphasis).

Though the title says "Dressmaking", it's a basic sewing course and there is a lesson on conventional men's clothes of the era, as well.

For Folkwear patterns, I have found good used deals on Ebay and Etsy; often they are uncut.

Saw the pic of towels in progress via an e-mail update.
What kind of loom are you weaving on?

Travis, I don't have anything to add on the health front.. a lot of interesting suggestions offered here already.

I've also been through major surgery as well as chemo for cancer, so I know what kind of job that does on one's life and on one's hope for a normal energy level. I still have bouts of fatigue and wonder what might be due to previous issues, to old age, or to a possible recurrence. I know what it's like to feel as though someone just took the batteries out of the back of the Energizer Bunny. It's the difference between simply "tired" and "utterly incapable".

What struck me was when you said, "I do not know who I am." And I think that could be an interesting point of exploration. This may not jibe with your christian ethos, but practically speaking we are not so much fixed individuals as Processes.. Processes which (majorly) involve organisms more numerous than ourselves. We are ecosystems. Buckminster Fuller put it this way: "I Seem to Be a Verb."

So I think it's ok to not know exactly Who You Are at a given point, since it's an ongoing and fluctuating proposition—a work in progress, of composition and decomposition both, depending on context. To some people that idea is a relief, to others it's ok.. whatever, maybe, and to others still, it is a terrifying concept which they would reject. I actually find peace in it.

I don't know what else to say except to condemn that thieving logger to one of the lower pits of hell (except he is just one of the ongoing processes, too).

I hope you can find some respite. I really appreciate the frankness with which you've shared your issues. You've always been one of the people I've had in the back of my mind to ask sheep questions of (once we got sheep). That will be a ways away, still, but I will remember your great generosity in this forum in any case.

How about flaxseed oil?

This isn't about toothbrushing, but...
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10787-010-0047-3

Could you use cut-off versions of the plastic pots themselves as measures? Trim them down to the soil height you want, fill up with soil (compacted), then dump into the final sales pots. You might be able to rig them up to do six or nine at a a time, depending on size and how unwieldy that might be.

I want to repeat Nicole's advice, above, about property with existing infrastructure. I bought raw land but it is taking significant amounts of money to develop (driveway, well, required septic, development taxes..). In hindsight we should have looked for the crappiest trailer going that already had those things wrapped in. Instead of paying 2017 prices for a driveway (for example), you end up effectively paying the 1937/1950 /1978 price...

After paying $1500/acre for the raw land, in order to build on my property I had to take a minimum of 2 acres out of the "Current Use" ag/forestry prop. tax reduction program. The town came by and valued the two acres at $50k!! I gritted my teeth and paid because I have just not been in the right headspace to fight the valuation. Meanwhile, if I had gone the crappy-trailer route it would have been a while before improvements would have drawn a great deal of notice...

Well, persuading people is the "right answer", for them...