bits and bobs: A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things
One of my kids tried the “One Chip Challenge“. Have you heard of this? Basically you spend $20 for 1 {ONE!} chip that is coated with hottest chile pepper on the planet, the Carolina Reaper and you pop it in your mouth.
According to the kid {who shall remain nameless} it tasted like death and they wouldn’t recommend it and they wished they could turn back the clock and keep the $20 in their pocket.
The great potato perfume giveaway… how did I miss this? Then again, did I really want to walk around smelling like a bunch of fries?
I’m currently obsessed with the Esse Bakeheart wood-fired cooking stove. We are thinking about building a separate studio building and if we do, I think I’m going to have to have one of these so I can stay warm, bake bread and keep the kettle on all day long while I work on my wool projects. Wouldn’t that be grand!?
My old lady glasses {progressives} arrived yesterday. I only wore them for about 5 minutes because I started to feel a little dizzy and I didn’t want to pass out. Our mail lady has progressives and said they take a while to get used.
Do you have them? Are there any tricks you can share to make adjusting to them a little easier?
And last but not least… if you were the type of person who put avocados in a produce bag, would you also tie the bag in a knot {so you’d have to rip the bag open and destroy it to get the avocados out} or would you leave the bag untied so you could reuse the bag?
Asking for a friend. Okay, so really I want to know if your husband does this too. I won’t even go into the part about how he also puts bananas in produce bags too, let’s just focus on the knot.
Life. It’s all in the details. š
Here’s to a happy and sunny day,
~Mavis
Deborah says
Why isnāt this unnamed person using cloth produce bags?
Gardengoddess42 says
I grew up in the world of Aga, Rayburn, Esse – totally worth their exorbitant prices. I hope you enjoy yours when you get them!
Tracey says
For the progressives…. put them on as soon as you wake up and wear them longer each day. Whenever I get new glasses, I want to wear them on as soon as they arrive and I regret it every time. (dizzy and headaches). I’m usually fine if I just try them on to see if they fit and look ok and then wait until the next morning. Love Zenni!
Jenny says
Absolutely agree with this. I donāt know why but it always works for me. In a few days, Iām totally adjusted and glad for the change. Except going downstairs- thatās always going to be weird and my ophthalmologist says everyone has that if their glasses are set properly for reading and handiwork.
Jennifer says
My eye doc suggested the same thing: start fresh in the morning with any new lenses.
Lesley says
Can’t wait to hear more about that studio!
Progressives *do* take getting used to. You will get there!
Mel says
Most of our produce is delivered unbagged via CSA, so I wrap those items in damp flour sack towels in the crisper, but I definitely tie plastic produce bags for the occasional items we buy at the grocery store. Our cashiers tend to throw items around so much that they really need to be tied to keep stuff from falling out, and I don’t have an issue untying them. And the dispensers for twist ties are always empty. I tried different types of reusable drawstring bags, but I don’t find they work very well.
I don’t remember having an issue adjusting to my progressive lenses, but I’m nearsighted, so I don’t know if that makes a difference.
Katelyn says
If you squeeze the knot in the produce bag, you can often get it to loosen enough that you can untie it. Doesn’t work with the flimsy compostable ones but regular plastic ones often loosen right up.
(I don’t tie mine because I don’t have time for that nonsense but my male other half does!)
Kelli says
Progressives take about a week or so to get used to. (I just got my first pair last year.) Wear them exclusively. Donāt be tempted to wear an old pair of regular glasses. Put them on as soon as you get out of bed. Ugh, the dizziness. I hated it and thought Iād never get used to them.
My husband ALWAYS ties a knot! It drives me crazy. Why????
Lynn says
I never put a bunch of bananas in a bag yet I see people in the stores do it all the time. Curious as to why the need to
put them in a bag??
Janet says
I put bananas in bags because kids stand and sit in the carts and so many people do not use plastic bags for their meat and it is a drippy mess sometimes.
Annette says
People put dogs (service dogs?) In carts at my store.
Kippy says
Favorite Aunty used to knot the bag and then give it two firm shakes up and down to secure the knot. Any home baked treats she sent home with us were packaged like this ā¤ļø
Jeanine says
Hi Mavisā¦..I had a pair of progressive glasses a long time ago and it did take a while to get used to them. Now I get bifocals and donāt worry about the line showing. Who cares! Anyway, I make sure the line is below my eye line. Does that make sense? Watching TV, walking around the house or outside, I can see perfectly fine looking through the top of the glasses. When Iām working on a project, reading, writing a note, etc., I use the bottom half of the glasses. Hereās the dealā¦..I make sure the line is LOW. Otherwise, I get dizzy! Iām farsighted and can see fairly well without my glasses, but I canāt read a label to save my life without my glasses and the bifocal lense. Lastly, I got my glasses at Costco, and bought a pair of sunglasses as well, when they have the sale going on and save $40 on the second pair. I love my sunglasses!! They are bigger and give me a wider view.
Love the stove! No way would I buy a chip for $20! And I donāt tie a knot in the bag.
Nancy S says
I knew a number of people that got progressive lens when I got plain basic bifocals. They never got used to them and would wind up getting two pairs of glasses. I never had trouble with my plain jane bifocals.
Angela D. says
I’ll second the point of being aware how the prescription sits ~for you.~
I was still struggling to adjust to my first pair of progressives until I had a
technician that actually used to place the prescription on lenses. He suggested
that my prescription was placed too high (or was it too low??)
Anyway, the difference was in the fitting: I had been sitting across from the
salesperson and when I stand I apparently hold my head at a different angle.
This resulted in me not looking through the prescription properly when I was
out in the world— shopping was the worst: couldn’t read anything and felt
moting sick! My lenses were refitted with me standing (I lift my chin a bit,
a habit from my old choir days.)
When they remade the lenses and lowered or raised the prescription (can’t
remember which it was) then I quickly loved my progressives! The lens technician guy told me that I likely wouldn’t have received than insight from
just the sales team that fits a person for new frames. Food for thought!!!!
Carole says
I use reusable produce bags I got on Amazon. Breathable fabric you can wash and reuse. As for avocadoes, buy the greenest ones, leave them unwrapped on the counter for one to two days, just until they start to give a little. Then put them unwrapped in the fridge veggie crisper bin. They will still ripen but very slowly. OH and they will turn black on the outside but will be luscious on the inside. We do this in south Texas all the time. I can keep avocadoes for almost ten days this way. But they usually don’ last ten days!!
Progressives take a few days to get used to, but well worth the time for that.
Jamie says
Hmnnn, I got progressives a year ago and still can’t get used to them. I think I got too narrow of frames. I only wear them at night watching tv and looking down at my phone when I’m not walking around!
Suzanne Shaw says
I totally enjoy you and this blog so much!
Rosemary Calhoun says
I have had progressives for a lot of years and I love them. The key is to move your head in the direction of the object you are looking at. Example: if you need to look at something higher up ā move your head, donāt just move your eyes. ā that way you are always looking thru the correct ālayerā of the lenses. (this is especially true with going down stairs)
When I got my glasses, the technician made sure that the layers lined up correctly – I had to try them on and look directly at them so that they could line up the center of my eye with the center layer of the lenses. If you continue to have problems, the lenses may need to be adjusted.
Progressives limit your ability to see peripherally and that takes some getting used to. Put them on when you wake up and leave them on all day. Once you get used to them, you just might love them!
Jim D. says
Exactly :)!
Susan says
Yes!!! Second the moving your head versus just your eyes. Stairs can be tricky until you master this step. Also, find the sweet spot for computer using. After a few days, your head automatically knows where to look.
I adore my progressives!
Mary3M says
I wear progressives and have for years. When I needed bifocals, my opthomologist said he wouldn’t prescribe bifocals. He said it was hard enough for women in the business world to be taken seriously and prescribed progressives so I wouldn’t age myself. Very wise man!!! They took 2 days to get used to but now – even with cataract surgeries – i still wear them. Much cheaper than a face lift!! And Mavis – inquiring minds want to know – why, if you bought a wooded lot, are you choppping down trees. THey are needed to prevent erosion, to provide cover for birds and provide cool in the heat of summer. And provide absorption in case your water floods. And are you going to get lobster pot licenses?? Inquiring minds want to know!!
Linda says
Do you like Zenni.
How do get adjustments to fitting with mail order?
I know they are a lot less money but I am just not sure.
Thank you for your help.
Linda says
It only took about 30 years, but I finally broke the hubby of tying a knot in the BREAD BAGS. He did a good job too.. oh the years I’ve wasted prying the knots apart with a fork. lol
Elle says
I try not to use produce bags at the store at all-wash it before eating it. On those items where a bag is necessary, no I do not tie it. If I take plastic, I try hard to reuse it to death!
Angela D. says
Yay, Elle!!!! Thank you for reusing single-use plastic! Me, too— as often as I can. I even rewash ziploc bags, which is something my grandma taught me back in the early 70’s. She was ahead of her time.
Margo says
I have a trifocals progressive lens. Took about a week to get used to them, but Iāve been wearing them for years now and wouldnāt go back to regular lined glasses.
Stacie says
I remove all my produce from the plastic bags and put them in the crisper drawer of the fridge except for bananas, tomatoes and citrus which go in bowls on the counter in the pantry. I find avocados keep longer in the fridge. You can also mash them and vacuum seal them and put in the freezer for future guacamole making.
Jennifer Bouknight says
I live in NC, grew up in SC, so the pepper has been well known for years. There is a video on You Tube of these 2 teenaged girls bragging that they could eat one whole. One bite in and they are red faced, gagging, crying, nose running, etc… Wouldn’t be funny if they hadn’t been so ” this is nothing” beforehand.
I do the knot that can be undone – think a crochet or knitting starter stitch. I absolutely hate to tear into a bag because what if I wanted to reuse it?
Marcia says
I tie a knot in the produce bags and wear bifocals with a line. Donāt really care about either. Guess I am the odd man out today
Julie says
Love the stove and the thought of a day spent in a cozy room crafting with tea and fresh baked goods! Sounds like a wonderful weekend!
RE the knot: the spin-and-tuck method is faster and then you can reuse the bag! Drop in the produce, holding from the top of the bag, spin the produce in the bottom, then tuck the ‘tail’ inside itself like hair french braid tuck under.
Kelly Jo says
Never would I tie the knot; reusing the bag is too important to me. However, if you have sloppy cashiers at checkout I can see why you may knot the bag. I dislike it when my produce, which we all know bruises easily, is swung carelessly and ends up out of the bag and on the dirty belt!
KC says
A separate studio would be lovely to spread all the wool out in! Make sure to bake-in snow access (a path that can be snowblowered clear or something) and some sort of wheeled access (for heavy loads or things like replacing a kiln), insulate like crazy, bury the electric lines if that’s possible, and think about communication between house and studio in case anything goes wrong in either place, either in foul weather or fair (for aging in place)(if you’ve got reliable strong cell service even in the worst of storms, probably not as necessary, but if it’s occasionally dicey, then maybe a personal phone line between house and studio would be good to bury along with the electric wires).
Would you be putting a toilet in, do you think, or hitting the house for personal needs? I could see advantages to semi-forced check-ins with each other during a “work” day, but also advantages to having a toilet out there. š (if you’d be doing fabric dye in the studio, the drainage for that would be worth considering)
HollyG says
I tried progressives and eventually switched back to regular bifocals. The ‘sweet spot’ for readying was small and when I scanned left or right on the page, I seemed to move into the blurry zone. I was a librarian, so there was a lot of reading. For me, the sharp delineation of the regular bifocals was much a better fit.
I love that stove, it’s gorgeous
Virginia says
That was my experience as well. I’ve tried progressives twice, the latest attempt being the “new” lens version which was supposed to be better. Nope, didn’t work for me. Trying to read with them was infuriating. There was only a very tiny area in the center of the lens that was clear, and the rest was blurry. I was constantly moving my head around when I read in order to find the “sweet spot” you referred to, and everything around that spot was out of focus. An experienced optician once told me if you get comfortable with bifocals, you’ll never get used to progressives. I don’t know how much much truth there is to that statement, but it certainly was the case for me.
Karen says
Be sure to plan enough room to teach classes, have a craft store, toilets for customers, kitchen area to make tea and lunch, plus parking places! Anything else?
I adjusted to progressives in one day. Enjoy.
Karen says
Covered porches would be good with rocking chairs or Adirondack chairs, hanging flower baskets, and a nice sign to advertise your shop!
Linda Sand says
I got new glasses that made me dizzy just as were were leaving on a train trip. I took Dramamine for the trip. Then I realized my new glasses had stopped making me dizzy. You might want to try Dramamine for yours.
Delores says
I cried when I first got my progressives… I hated them. I still don’t like them, so much is still blurry and I have to turn my head. But after so many years I tolerate them. My husband lives his.
Anne Radesi says
Turn your eyes not your head.
Jim D says
Hi Mavis/Anne,
I used progressives for several years, before I had cataract surgery (and got 20/20 vision as a result).
Actually, my eye doctor said just the opposite; turn your head to look at something squarely, keeping your eyes straight, rather than through the side of the lens.
Note, the side of the lens deforms the image into kind of an hourglass shape (mine did, anyway) as you look through it, so it can be really disorienting.
Good luck with them in any case, and great idea about the studio!
TinaZ says
Yes, this is what the Optician told me to do too. Learned that moving just the eyes made me nauseated. But looking directly at what I want to see, avoids the car sick feeling and makes it easier to see.
There are lenses made that don’t one doesn’t need to move their head and can look sideways with just the eyes, but they are very expensive.
Takes a while to get used to progressives, severely nearsighted and
Eye Drs don’t recommend bifocals for me.
Mavis, I am a produce bag knotter. No clip, or twistie tie thingie to mess with and less trash to dispose of. Not in an area that has easily accessible recycling.
Cindy Miller says
Absolutely right, Anne. You do not drop your head or turn your head, you drop your eyes or turn your eyes. (that sounds strange, lol). I love, love my progressives. I tried the line bifocal and nearly broke my neck on stairs and just could not make them work. Keep at it Mavis. Your gonna love them. š
Sue says
I switched to progressives years ago and it took me *months* to get used to them. I used to take walks out on a dry lakebed, perfectly flat, but with those new glasses I kept tripping over nothing. I don’t remember feeling dizzy though, so if I experienced that it didn’t last long at all.
And an encouraging note — I just recently got new glasses with a slightly adjusted prescription but still progressives. They told me not to drive away wearing them but to put them on the next morning and wear them from then on, and I’ve had zero adjustment issues. So you only have to do the hard adjustment part once, I think!
Katherine says
You should invest in or make some cloth produce bags. I love mine.
Lana says
My Hubby double knots everything! It drives me nuts!
judy says
We both usually put a light knot in the produce bags, that way they can be reused as bathroom garbage can liners.
Diana says
Ummm… (raising hand)… I kinda tie a knot in my bags too. I mean, if you don’t, then the produce could fall out all over the place when the bag is put in the back of the truck, while driving home. Ask me how I know.. lol…
As for that chip, sounds like something only the male of the species would do on a dare. I’ll bet you had a good laugh at that Monkey Boy of yours, lol..
Leslie says
Knots in those produce bags is one of my pet peeves. My hands have such a hard time opening them.
I do bring my own cloth bags usually to stores. But with produce I just put the darn things in the cart. Bananas have skins! They don’t need a bag for sure. Neither do most other produce. If they don’t get peeled, then I wash them. I keep them away from meat and so do the grocery baggers, if I have one.
I refuse to get progressives. I have 3 pairs of glasses. One for distance, one for computer use and then readers. My favorite readers are prescriptions. But if I’m at a store I can usually just lift up my distance glasses to read. Ninety percent of the time, I only need to look through one kind of lens.
Lynda says
Iāve worn progressive lens for years and have had no problems at all with them. If you are, go back and be sure theyāve been made correctly. The one pair I got wrong were immediately replaced..
Mary Neathway says
You all have husbands who do the grocery shopping? Rejoice in that, and not whether there is a knot tied or not! And, you have check out clerks who pack the bags for you? Another cause for rejoicing! We pack our own and have for quite a few years.
Amanda says
Slower head movements may help in the beginning. Lol I can’t do anything slow but I think we gives ourselves vertigo until we get used to them. I don’t think I’ll get them again.
Best of luck!
Vicki in Birmingham says
About that knotted bag, I do a slip knot in mine. It is always easy to open with just a pull!
And about progressives, I have worked in the “eye business” since the last century and the way we always told our patients to get used to their progressives was to point their nose at what they were looking at. Turn your head rather than your eyes. It will fall into place for you and you won’t even notice that you are now turning your eyes rather than your head. They will become second nature and I think you will love them!
I do have a suggestion for close work (arms length out). If you are doing it for lengthy stretches of time I would have a pair of computer glasses made. Zenni’s single vision glasses cost a song and dance, so there isn’t much money for the convenience and I noticed your frames aren’t deep so it makes that middle sweet spot in progressives harder to find. I take my own advice…I have a pair of computer glasses I leave at my computer at home and one at work for my computer there…it makes life easier.
Good luck with them!
Dot K. LeClerc says
I started years ago with the lines ones. Word for three days and didn’t like them got progressive one. Out them on and had no trouble. Love them. Love your stories etc. Great idea for a workshop. Thanks for all you share. Have learned a lot. Tried lots of receipes.
Susan says
Never got used to the progressive lenses. The blurriness other than the “sweet spot ” drove me nuts! I have regular bifocals. I can always tell when I need a new prescription because my neck gets sore from using the lower bifocal area too much!
Chris M says
I love my progressive lenses! I actually have progressive computer glasses with 3 transitions geared to the computer distance. Love those too!
I donāt knot the produce bags and only bag the absolute necessities. Iāll put multiple non-weighable produce in the same bag (e.g., green onions, radishes, cucs).
Tammy says
I was at a craft fair a few years ago, and someone was selling hot sauce. They were giving out little samples, and since I have always wanted to die (I mean, try Carolina Reaper peppers), I tested out the Carolina Reaper sauce. I loved the flavor but I stood there choking with tears running down my face. LOL I wouldn’t pay $20 for the experience but if there’s ever a next time I’ll take a tinier taste. Hahaha
Wendy Hooper says
Dear hubby always ties the produce bags in a knot, prefers to not use the twist ties provided by the store, a pet peeve of mine. But hey, he does the shopping most of the time.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
Move your head like a chicken. Point your nose to what you want to read. It will become second nature. Don’t switch back and forth with your old glasses.
I have worn progressives for 30 years and at first I worried I would fall down stars and fall when walking. Look down at stairs. Don’t trust they are where they seem to be.
It took me two days to become accustomed to my progressives. If they are a problem like you say, they are wrong. The line is in the wrong place. Get them changed.
I don’t need mine for distance, just to read. I could not wear glasses like yours in progressive lenses. They are too small top to bottom. I still wear fairly small glasses, but larger than yours.
Check back with the makers of your glasses and have them remake the lenses as it sounds like they are not right for you and your eyes.
One time, the new lenses did not help my vision. I went somewhere else to have them checked. The “line” on one of the progressives was lower than the other. I went back to have them redone, which they did. Then, my vision was just as bad. It turns out the woman put the lens crooked because my glasses were on crooked. So, I went elsewhere from then on and have never had another problem.
Susan says
Yes!!! Second the moving your head versus just your eyes. Stairs can be tricky until you master this step. Also, find the sweet spot for computer using. After a few days, your head automatically knows where to look.
I adore my progressives!
Pj Teuman says
I gave up progressives and went back to single vision glasses. I only need them for distance mostly so Iām winging it and have been for several years.
Fell out laughing over the produce bag knotā¦ I think thatās a universal husband thing.
Gigi says
We have not done the one chip challenge, but we do like the Pacqui variety pack. Very flavorful and not just spicy.
Lace Faerie says
Iāve been using progressive lenses for quite awhile now. The tips offered to put them on in the morning as soon as you open your eyes and leave them on until you canāt put up with them any longer, is spot-on. Also, close your eyes when putting them on and place them in the correct spot on the bridge of your nose. If you also have astigmatism, which is corrected by prisms, looking through them as you put them on, your are much more likely to feel carsick. It is important that the glasses sit up high and close to your face for the prisms to be in the right spot in your field of vision. Soon, without even thinking about it, you will make slightest head movements up and down to put the item you are focusing on in the proper place to bring into sharp focus. Be patient and be careful on stairs!
Amy says
Keep your head up. Donāt look down with your whole head, just move your eyes. Iāve had progressives for years. When I first got them I kept looking down with my whole head (like a normal person would) to see things. I couldnāt even figure out how to sign my receipt at the optometrist. The receptionist told me to look down using only my eyes. To begin with it feels like youāre sneaking a peek at something. It takes a bit of practice, but it works. Youāll eventually just do it naturally. The only issue I still have is when I hike and am going down a steep hill since I want to see where my feet are going.
Linda says
I have worn progressives for quite a few years. My recommendation is not to depend on the lowest cost maker of your first pair of progressives glasses, and the small cat eye frames may not be the best size to use for your first pair of progressives. Perhaps you’d be better to get that first pair at Costco where they will measure you to get the correct placement of the progressive, and still save money.
Lori S says
On the rare occasion I would use a produce bag (canāt think of the last time I did) I would tie the bag but in a super loose slipknot that would be easy to untie or take the two top ācornersā of the bag and tie it that way.
I even save the bags my lunchmeat comes in from the deli. They are great to put open packages like hot dogs or breakfast sausage patties when I donāt use the whole pack.
Jennifer says
I put a loose knot in produce bags if I use them. I do this at the store and at home. If I reuse produce bags for, say, a load of homemade bread or something, I knot it the same way. No reason to ruin it with a tight knot that makes some people wanna rip up the bad.
SARA DE LANCEY says
No knots for me……..I’m not 20 anymore and packaging is getting harder and harder to deal with. I re-use all bags in one way or another…….
Mrs. M. says
Did you find a retailer for the Esse in the U.S.A.?
I’m definitely interested!