R eats a candy bar and taunts me: "Ummmm, tastes like a hydrogenated dream."

I've dithered around with water filters a long time. For years we bought water by the 5 gallon drum from a reverse osmosis store---they have those in Texas. I could never see my way to a Brita because, eww, so much plastic. Lately our (totally plastic) under-sink filter has gotten too expensive, both financially and environmentally, to replace. So I researched relentlessly until I found a stainless steel and charcoal setup known as the Big Berkey and known in our home as Black Berkey even though its silver. It took me a while to actually buy the Berkey. I didn't want to shell out the cash, have such a big thing on my counter, or look at its bigness everyday. I'm so sorry I waited. We love it. It works great, has almost no plastic, and it matches my milking bucket and dairy stand. Hey, style matters too, right?

Suddenly, Berkey awareness is all around me. I see them on other mother's blogs. I found out my best friend's partner invented charcoal filtration in the early 1960s---and was compelled to sign over rights for the patent by her professor because "it wasn't appropriate for a woman to hold." And just today we met our brand new neighbors. (Who are AWESOME, thank you, God.) The dad is a geologist who is worried about arsenic in the water around here. I told him we use a Berkey and he just nodded before I could even explain what that is. Apparently Berkeys are The field filtration system used by earth scientists all over the world. I love knowing the thing will work during power outages and can be used on river or rain water. You can pour tea in the top and drain clear water out the bottom. To test the system you put a few drops of food coloring in the top and make sure the bottom runs clear.