Going green when you're seeing red

As our corn casseroles baked side by side, Bluestem and I drank coffee in her lovely solarium and chatted about menstruation. Yes, everything was cast in a pink glow and in soft focus, and we both wore long flowing dresses and floppy garden hats...

My male readers, please bear with me, and maybe you'll learn something about your dear sisters. We are indeed stronger than you.

There are some things about having my period that really irk me. #1 is having to spend somewhere around $6--$7 for a box of pads, and I go through a box each period, now that I've turned 40 and my female parts are rioting. Pads are wasteful; I don't even want to think about the landfill I contribute to each month. I am not the kind of person who enjoys destroying the environment, but I also want to get through my period with relative comfort and ease, and by that I mean, I don't want to kill anybody. I've thought about using reusable pads, but the thought of washing them over and over doesn't appeal to me. So I continued to buy box after box of Stayfree, literally bleeding my money away.

Then Bluestem told me about the Diva Cup, which is a silicone cup that you insert in your vaginal canal that catches your menstrual flow. In other words, it's a little plastic thingie you cram into your cooch which catches all that icky blood flowing out. It's reusable, it's easy to use (after you get used to it) and it's a green alternative for the red time of the month! I am dying to use it! I ordered one from South Coast Shopping. It was $22.34 including shipping and handling, so I will have recovered the cost in just three menstrual cycles. I can't wait to try it! I will of course blog all about it!