Viable Uses for Pet Hair

One of the blog prompts I got from a dear reader was a challenge to find viable uses for pet hair. I rose to that challenge and aced it! The results of my research are below. Be sure to click on the pic to get the full glory of the project...

Cat toys. Apparently cats like toys made from their own fur. The video shows how to use the hair to make something much like felt.

http://www.catsparella.com/2011/10/crafting-with-cat-hair-book-review-and.html

Make yarn. There are folks who do make their own yarn, and I guess it's not too far a stretch to make it from pet hair. Wouldn't it be an awesome prank to knit a nice scarf for someone who is allergic to pet hair? Tell them how you SLAVED over not only the knitting of the project, but that you made the actual yarn! When their eyes swell up, you can remove the scarf and tell them it was all a joke. Then let the laughter ensue...

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-fashion/spin-yarn-from-cat-hair.html

Compost. Apparently pet hair in your compost is just awesome for your garden. Which then leads to the next project.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf970390.tip.html

Ward off pests in the garden. What you don't use in your compost just cut up and sprinkle around the base of plants to ward off slugs, bugs, gophers etc.

Stuffing for pillows. Another gift idea for that special person you don't like that is allergic. WARNING: it takes a LONG time to get enough. Unless it's a tiny pillow to use as a pin cushion.

Help the birdies. Place a basket in the yard with pet hair, pine needles, bark, leaves and other nest-building materials. If your pet has been chemically treated for fleas/ticks, don't use the hair.

Jewelry. Using the same method for felting, you can make little balls and use wire and make all sorts of really fine jewelry. (Yes, that is sarcasm.)

I HAVE SEEN THINGS LIKE THIS ON ETSY!!! REALLY!!

Fishing flies. FINALLY! Something for the man in your life! I didn't bother looking for a video. If you tie flies, you know how to do it. The big question is: Will it only catch catfish???

September 2015 Book Report

Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch

I was highly intrigued by the mini-series Wayward Pines, which ran earlier this year. A man wakes up after a car accident to find he is stranded in a spooky little town called Wayward Pines. No one is as they seem, and there are cameras everywhere, recording what everyone does and says. If someone gets out of line, severe repercussions take place. I just loved it!

I found out it was based on books by Blake Crouch, and got all 3 in the series with the intention of reading them after the TV series ended. (I hated the TV ending, BTW)

I am SO GLAD I saw the TV show first! If I had read the books and then watched the show, I would NOT have enjoyed it as much. I'm still glad I saw the show, as it gave me more of a “feel” for the place, and it was easier to “see” the people in the book, even though some of the characters looked different.

THE BOOKS WERE AWESOME!!!!! If you saw the TV show and enjoyed it, READ THE BOOKS!!! I would LOVE to see a real adaptation of these books. It would take at least 3 movies to do the job right, maybe more.

The books had a more realistic scenario, I thought, and even though it didn't really have a hard and fast conclusion to the series, I was satisfied. I wish Blake Crouch would continue the story. I really would like to know what happened to all these people after the final book's ending.

The books are:

Pines (2012)

Wayward (2013)

The Last Town (2014)

Even if you did read the books first, if you have a chance to watch the TV show, go ahead. You will make comparisons, yes, and the TV version will suffer, but I think you'll still enjoy it.

Things You Should Never Do Again After Age 50

I read this article from AARP online the other day. It was mostly a tongue-in-cheek thing, as most of the activities listed were in the “Duh” category. Here are my favorites:

Parkour – This came out of military training. Get from point A to point B in the fastest, most efficient way possible. It seems to have become a part of extreme sports in some cases. Even when I was young, I was never agile or balanced enough to do any of this. I could barely roller skate on 4 wheels. The thought of try parkour NOW is sheer folly. I could walk in front of a bus and get the same results. In fact, just navigating the living room at night on my way to the bathroom is about as close to parkour as I will ever get!

Jello shots – I was a little ticked at this one. I have never had a jello shot, but I’m sure it would be OK to try it…right? One or two…? In fact, if you add Metamucil to the jello, it would even be in the “healthy” category. I’m sure I would be OK.

Karaoke after jello shots – Again, for me, what’s the harm? I already stink at singing, so I’d think the alcohol would improve things. And if everyone else was doing the shots, they might even ENJOY my singing! And I know ALL the words to The Lumberjack Song!

Crowd surfing – Now, this one makes sense. Especially if everyone else is around the same age. Can you imagine trying to crowd surf amongst a bunch of folks with bad backs, bad knees, etc. “Here she comes! Get ready! ….oops.”

Collecting owls made of shells/ceramic frogs/etc. – This one offends me. Seriously. Yes, I collect cat stuff. Yes, I have a LOT of cat stuff. But NO ONE is gonna tell ME what is and isn’t acceptable. I have become a lot more discerning with my choices, but I am ALWAYS on the lookout for something new and/or different. So there! BTW, I don’t have a cat nativity set like the picture here, but I sure would like one!

And BTW...sorry for the time lapse since the last blog. Computer trouble. WHAT DID I DO BEFORE I HAD A COMPUTER????