SkippyB's Profile

If anyone wants to witness true hoarding, please come visit Alaska. That seems like a wild generalization, but I feel that I am being fair. I grew up in a pack-rat, hoarding household in the Midwest and have rebelled against that upbringing.

It is now very interesting to live in a state where nearly every person I have met is a self-proclaimed pack-rat. I do realize this happens because material goods are so expensive here and so hard to obtain--yet the amount of stuff in every garage, house, shed, yard, etc. is mind-blowing.

I just went through a blizzard, two volcanic eruptions, an earthquake, and a wildland fire in the last 2 months. Keeping stuff around for "emergencies" is the last thing I want to do. The stuff would have just gotten in the way!

Smoked salt. I just CAN'T use plain anymore (except for non-savory baking). I start to get the shakes when it gets low...

absolutely stunning. I really admire the owners' impeccable taste and their (and their designers!) ability to converge iconic mid-century design with more modern touches. Beautiful!

Whoo hoo! Homer, AK made the list. It is pretty nice here!

I've made seitan using the Candle Cafe cookbook. Very labor intensive but delicious. I do think the flavor of home-made seitan rivals store-bought--and it's MUCH MUCH cheaper to do it at home.

-Sweep the kitchen after cooking and doing the dishes
-Wash the (simple cotton) curtains once a month. The kitties like to sit in the (damp cabin) windows and there is curtain of fur after about a month.
-other things, too, but I think I have a little OCD when it comes to cleaning. :)

The removable sink would be great for those of us in Alaska without running water! Many folks in my area have a regular stainless or ceramic basin, sans faucets--the water is poured out of a 5 gallon jug with a spigot. The water then drains into a 5-gallon slop bucket under the sink.

I think that the sink would be more manageable. I'd be more likely to use one "sink" of gray water on plants & trees, rather than let all of the water mix in my 5 gallon bucket for the day...some of which may have greasy food particles or too much vinegar & soap for plants.

Please read the rest of this manifesto. Cleary Sterling is a techno geek and an elitist. Reading it several days ago had me frothing.

While the quote above seems enlightened and intelligent, the rest of his writing is based on purging items and then accumulating again by purchasing expensive items justified on our "needs."

Alaskan raspberry chipotle (on toasted sourdough bread). And our friends' homemade hot pepper apple jam (straight out of the jar on a spoon!).

Ditto to kimg924--I want to picture myself in the house I'm trying to buy. So if I see personal stuff, even books, I can't picture my OWN books, my OWN rugs, linens, furniture, artwork, silly magnets, etc in the space. I want to inject my own picture on the canvas.