Testosterone

Here is a link to a fabulous podcast from This American Life about Testosterone. It is VERY eye opening. There are stories from a man who lost his testosterone, a woman who transitioned to be a man and endured the resulting mind bending effects of testosterone, and a testosterone contest, to find out who has the most and least testosterone of all the staff at This American Life (men and women).

Hope you enjoy. And if are one of those people who don't know how podcasts work, it's basically just a radio show that you download for .99 cents or stream for free off the internet. They might change your life. 

Props

I am pleased to say that I have just ordered a mamamour doll. these are dolls which can give birth, and the resulting baby has a detachable umbilical cord and placenta! They also have snaps for the mouth so can breastfeed! If you want to see these dolls in action, click here for pictures, and maybe order your own amazing custom doll, click here.

Also someone mentioned vulva puppets today. They are also awesome!This is a video of a girl demonstrating the wonderous vulva puppet, this is the kind that I saw Kerri Isham use. The one in the video is pretty big, but there is also a "mini" version. Check them out here and purchase here. 

I also found this other one, the vulvalicious pillow...which looks more anatomically correct to me but is also a whopping $360 US!!

Interested to hear your impressions. 

In my search for an equally interesting penis puppet I also found this hilarious site which has combined the quirkiness with retro crochet and managed to raise money for cancer too! amazing. Those damn puppetry of the penis guys seem to have foiled my attempts at finding any kind of anatomical penis prop. Maybe someone else has a lead on this? 

Elderflower and early Spring Harvest

I have been impatiently awaiting the harvest season, and can officially say that it has started!

Doug and I have been collecting elderflower blossoms to make some kind of beverage with. When you have a brother who works at a U-Brew, the options are almost limitless. Two years ago we made a sparkling wine, and this year we are thinking maybe a liqueur. Thanks to Randy for sharing his recipe with us. He used this one, but said he added a little more sugar and kept it at a cooler temp.

Other things that are out right now are spruce buds, also used for making beverages (My brother made a prize winning Spruce tip beer last year).

In the garden we are eating greens, especially Kale, arugula, and lots of Rhubard, which is so delicious stewed up or in coffee cakes or crisps (AKA crumbles).

The Juiciest Tomato

Turns out that Vaginas have a similar pH to Tomatoes....Tomatoes, a theme in my life. At any rate, check out this interesting article to find out more about how to understand and regulate your "tomato". In a nutshell, the author advises women to pee and/or flush with hot water after sex and avoid using soap directly on the vaginal area as it is self cleaning, and Meg Hickling describes it as "one of the cleanest parts of the body", if left to it's own devices. Sugar and carbs that feed undesirable bacteria can also be a problem. I would add that I have heard it can also be useful to work on the male partner's ecosystem by monitoring sugar/carb intake as they can be affecting and re-introducing unbalancing elements into the system of the woman. For both men and women, eating natural yogurt, garlic and cranberries to your diet can help too.