This article is part of The GOOD (and ReadyMade) Guide to Slowing Down, from GOOD Issue 18. Read more of the guide here.Travelers to the coastal resorts of Mexico-Tulum, say-might have already experienced the world’s single best piece of furniture. Consisting of a mattress supported on a wooden platform swinging gently from four lengths of rope, a Mexican swing bed looks like the product of an illicit bed-hammock union, and there’s no better place to spend an afternoon. Because luxurious beach vacations don’t happen every day, we taught ourselves how to get the swing bed, without the Mexico. This should give you an idea of how to get your bed together.The Steps1. Procure a mattress. We recommend a full.2. Cover the mattress completely in waterproof fabric. Fix the seams with waterproof tape.3. Construct a platform of two-by-fours to support the mattress. Use sturdy bolts as fasteners.4. Tie a length of strong rope around each corner of your platform.5a. To suspend your glider from an existing structure (such as the ceiling of a porch), fasten four large eye hooks to sturdy areas of your structure. Tie the other ends of the rope to them, hanging your platform at the desired height. Set the mattress on the platform, hop on, and unwind.5b. To make a freestanding glider, you need to build supports. This means digging holes and pouring concrete to anchor four sturdy vertical beams (which should be at least eight feet tall). Cut a notch in the top of each vertical beam big enough to seat two additional beams to run parallel to each other, from the head to the foot of your mattress platform. Once the vertical beams are in place, bolt the upper beams to them. Tie the other ends of the rope on your platform to the upper beams, suspending the mattress platform at the desired height. Use bamboo or tiki-hut thatch to build a shade-providing ceiling, if you like. Put the mattress in place, and then jump up there and take a load off.6. Close your eyes and picture an undulating shoreline of white sand with tiny, cerulean waves…Our Good Guide to Slowing Down was a unique collaboration with our friends at ReadyMade magazine. Check out their good work at ReadyMade.com, and follow them on Twitter at @ReadyMadeTweets.Illustration by Tim Lahan
Tags
advertisement
More for You
-
Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
-
14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
-
Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
advertisement
New research says that if you want an entrepreneur to be successful, tell them they will fail
These seven simple phrases could be the secret to deepening trust and romance in your relationship
His memory resets every 30 seconds. A look inside his 1990 diary shows what he never forgot.
Sign Up for the Daily Good!
Advertisement
