"We can go forward with our life and recoveries, even though someone we love is not yet recovering.

Picture a bridge. On one side of the bridge it is cold and dark. We stood there with others in the cold and darkness, doubled over in pain. Some of us developed an eating disorder to cope with the pain. Some drank; some used other drugs. Some of us lost control of our sexual behavior. Some of us obsessively focused on an addicted person's pain to distract us from our own pain.

Many of us did both; we developed an addictive behavior, and distracted outselves by focusing on other addicted people. We did not know there was a bridge. We thought we were trapped on a cliff.

Then, some of us got lucky. Our eyes opened, by the Grace of God, because it was time. We saw the bridge. People told us what was on the other side; warmth, light, and healing from our pain. We could barely glimpse or imagine this, but we decided to start the track across the bridge anyway.

We tried to convince the people around us on the cliff that there was a bridge to a better place, but they wouldn't listen. They couldn't see it; they couldn't believe.

They were not ready for the journey. We decided to go alone, because we believed, and because people on the other side were cheering us onward. The closer we got to the other side, the more we could see, and feel, that what we had been promised was real. There was light, warmth, healing, and love. The other side was a better place.

But now, there is a bridge between us and those on the other side. Sometimes, we may be tempted to go back and drag them over with us, but it cannot be done. No one can be dragged or forced across this bridge. Each person must go at his or her own choice, when the time is right.

Some will come; some will stay on the other side. The choice is not ours. We can love them. We can wave to them. We can holler back and fourth. We can cheer them on , as others have cheered and encouraged us. But we cannot make them come over with us.

If our time has come to cross the bridge, or if we have already crossed and are standing in the light and warmth, we do not have to feel guilty. It is where we are meant to be. We do not have to go back to the dark cliff because another's time has not yet come.

The best thing we can do is stay in the light, because it reassures others that there is a better place. And if others ever do decided to cross the bridge, we will be there to cheer them on.

Today, I will move forward with my life, despite what others are doing or not doing. I will know it is my right to cross the bridge to a better life, even if I must leave others behind to do that. I will not feel guilty, I will not feel ashamed. I know that where I am now is better place and where I am meant to be."

From The Language of Letting Go

Making your own laundry detergent

Well, I finally got bored enough to try out something I've seen on Pinterest time and time again: making my own laundry soap. 

Ingredients: 

-1 bar of Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap (you can use Zote too)

- Borax

- Washing soda (not baking soda)

That's freakin' it! You can add essential oils if you like, but I didn't bother.

Instructions: 

- use cheese grater or food processor to shred soap

- add to about 7-8 cups of water

- add soap flakes and water together in pot on stove, simmer until dissolved

- remove from heat and add 1 cup of washing soda, and 1 cup of Borax 

- stir until dissolved (make sure you do this well) 

- add to your 5 gallon bucket, and fill the rest with WARM water

*cold water will make it seize up a little bit and result in chunky detergent. still useable, but chunky.

- Mix it well

- Let it sit overnight, it will turn to jello. Use an immersion blender (they're like $12 on amazon) and blend til a liquid consistency. 

- fill whatever containers you'd like to store it in - I had saved up old laundry containers to put it in. 

You'll notice that if you haven't used it in a few days it may separate a little bit, just give the container a shake and it will mix back together. 

This laundry soap will always have a snot-like consistency, but it works wonders and smells wonderful. 

Use a 1/4 cup for HE washers, a little more for non-HE. 

   

Here's the math: 

9.17$ spent on supplies at Fred Meyer (Kroger)

(Baking soda weights about 7.5 oz per cup, I'm guessing the Borax and washing soda were about the same)

Borax = 76oz/7.5= 10.14 uses 

$4.36/10.14= $0.43/use 

Washing soda= 55oz/7.5= 7.33 uses

$3.49/7.33= $0.48/use 

Fels-Naptha= 1 bar per use 

$1.33

0.43+ 0.48+ 1.33 = $2.24 

I made filled  5 Arm & Hammer laundry jugs (385 oz total). I normally spent $6 each or $30 for 5). Holy crap! 2.24/30 = 7.5% of what I normally spend. :) 

Pics below.