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19th century book club
Mar. 2nd, 2011 08:51 pmOn 26 March we are doing Ethel Turner's *The Family at Misrule* (1895).
Mar. 2nd, 2011
I have nearly got Pearl's grown up bed set up. My aim was to get something that would not have toxins or chemicals which could potentially harm her. An added bonus would be if getting her bed didn't harm the environment or the workers who made it.
So, the bed was one from my parents' house. It was made by my father for one of my sisters about thirty years ago, using parts that had been thrown away. It is seriously over-engineered, as is everything he makes and will undoubtedly last another hundred years.
Any toxins on it were off-gassed a lifetime ago, and it's environmental impact must be close to zero. Plus, of course, it was free.
The mattress, on the other hand, has cost a fortune. I have ordered it from Organature. It has yet to arrive but should be OK, mostly organic wool and made in Australia.
The mattress protector came from Nido Organics and is made of wool felt. It's not as water proof as a plastic one, but it also is not made of PVC stabilised with lead.
One set of sheets are an environmental disaster. We bought them new, made in China, no doubt full of toxins, but very pretty and with butterflies as chosen by Pearl.
Another set will come from my parents. They hoard everything, so their house is full of the belongings of my deceased elderly relations. They have already found me several sets of used pillow cases, and I am confident that more linen will come there. It will no doubt look like the pillow cases (that is to say, hideous stuff bought in the 1980s) but the good part of the used linen is that is used. The toxins have already been washed out through years of use.
I have noticed this before - green things are either very cheap, repurposed stuff or they are vastly expensive, made specially for the purpose things.
So, the bed was one from my parents' house. It was made by my father for one of my sisters about thirty years ago, using parts that had been thrown away. It is seriously over-engineered, as is everything he makes and will undoubtedly last another hundred years.
Any toxins on it were off-gassed a lifetime ago, and it's environmental impact must be close to zero. Plus, of course, it was free.
The mattress, on the other hand, has cost a fortune. I have ordered it from Organature. It has yet to arrive but should be OK, mostly organic wool and made in Australia.
The mattress protector came from Nido Organics and is made of wool felt. It's not as water proof as a plastic one, but it also is not made of PVC stabilised with lead.
One set of sheets are an environmental disaster. We bought them new, made in China, no doubt full of toxins, but very pretty and with butterflies as chosen by Pearl.
Another set will come from my parents. They hoard everything, so their house is full of the belongings of my deceased elderly relations. They have already found me several sets of used pillow cases, and I am confident that more linen will come there. It will no doubt look like the pillow cases (that is to say, hideous stuff bought in the 1980s) but the good part of the used linen is that is used. The toxins have already been washed out through years of use.
I have noticed this before - green things are either very cheap, repurposed stuff or they are vastly expensive, made specially for the purpose things.