Monday!
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
If you'd like to be part of the Itzl Alert Network, please leave a comment asking to join, or send us a message asking to join. We'd love to have you. The bigger our network, the less likely someone will be stranded all alone.
I've been working on ideas and things for the Junior Sprockets to do, researching things children did in the ears that Steampunk harkens back to and hen steampunking them up.
One thing was building sand castles at the beach. The first mention of sand castles in print as in 1838 and by 1900, sand castle building competitions were common at seaside resorts.
So - steampunking up sand castles...
There's a modern "toy" called "moon sand".
Add in aether ships that fly between the planets and stars, and suddenly, we have a steampunk idea - sculpting the sands of the Moon. That means we can make it in bright, non-sand colors, and the Junior Sprockets can make it themselves.
Basically, it's half, half, and half - 4 cups play sand, 2 cups cornstarch (or tapioca starch if cornstarch is an allergen), 1 cup water. Mix the water and cornstarch until it's smooth, then add to the sand and mix until it's fully incorporated. Then mold and play.
Another version is to mix flour and baby oil: 9 cups flour and 1 - 1 1/4 cups baby oil.
Powdered tempera paint can be added to either for color, the amount depends on the color you want to get. I'd start with 1 tablespoon and work up.
It can be stored in zip lock bags or an airtight container.
So I have to mix up both at the same time to compare them and see which feels more "moon-y". And compare costs to find the cheaper one.