A Greener Life

I have a huge addiction to becoming self sufficient. I can make candles, grow vegetables, build a barn, wrangle cows, and when it comes to chickens, yeah baby, I know how to do that, too.

The thing is, I moved into the city. Living in an urban setting, especially in the North East is a big change and challenge for me. I have been here for a few years and had pretty much given up on trying to grow a 'good' garden. this year I was unable to plant what I had planned on, but I did get some peas in. So we will be hitting the local Farmer's Market and my dehydrator will get to see some use again.

I miss living on the farm. It was so great to just run to the garden if I needed a few extra onions, tomatoes, a head of cabbage, or even okra. The garden was next to the creek which would flood in the spring and fall, enriching the soil. I have some pictures around of it. If I can find them, I'll scan them and post. My heat came from a wood stove, a hundred year old cookstove that saw a lot of use in the fall, winter, and early spring. Our meat was raised by me, though I did have help when it came to loading them up for market or to be buthered. Chickens I took care of myself from hatching to cooking.

I seriously doubt the city would allow me to have a cow or pig on my little lot, though. Ha! We plan to move to the country eventually, though in this climate, living close enough to walk to the store makes sense. We save on gas and get exercise, so it isn't all bad, not at all.

I frequent 'green' blogs, though I have become very disenchanted with most of them lately. They all focus on products. Buy this and you'll be greener! Buy this and you'll save the planet! Buy this and you'll support this person in Whatevertheheckistan.

Sorry, but that isn't green. The greenest thing you can do is try to become as self suffficient as possible. Reduce your consumption of as many products as possible. I respect Freegans and it is a lifestyle I would love to emulate. While I am not able to fully live in the Freegan style, I have decided to change my lifestyle as much as I can to reduce my footprint. This isn't in response to the oil crisis, cost of livingg, or anything like that. This is just something I have been wanting to do before any of this became a popular issue.

So, I've made a small list of changes I will be implementing in July. If you'd like, follow along with me on your own blog, if you have one. If you don't, just post something in the comments here when I make updates.


Changes To Make:

1. Get rid of one thing I do not use a day.
2. Change all bulbs to compact fluorescent (4 down!)
3. Compost
4. Recycle everything possible (already doing!)
5. Line dry clothing (time for a new line)
6. Grow more vegetables
7. Utilize Farmers' Market every time I shop
8. Use reusable bags every trip out
9. Recycle the plastic bags we have
10. Prohibit in laws from bringing in more plastic bags

Well, there it is. My list of changes. Some things I already do, but not enough, others I fell slack on this year. With the recycling I found a very informative list on my city's website on where I can recycle items not picked up in the normal recycling bin the city provided. Turns out that the hardware store right up the street recycles all batteries! Nice!

I did find a new blog that I fell in love with this morning. You might want to check it out if you are into green living or homesteading. It is called Urban Homesteader and has all kinds of great info.

Going Green for Greenbacks

I have had it with people trying to make a buck off of saving our planet. I'll shell out $25 to a woman who hand makes bags from reclaimed shirts, blankets, sheets, and what-the-frig-ever-else she can find.

Why?

Because it is worth it. I don't give a flying flipping frog turd if something is organic, I am not going to pay $40 for a bag. I'm from cotton growing country, if I want an organic bag bad enough, I'll grow my own darn cotton, spin the yarn, and weave it on a cardboard loom reclaimed from a darned cereal box.

You’re probably wondering what has me in such a tizzy. Over on TreeHuggingFamily, Jennifer blogged about this nutball creation of a reusable bag. Having a reusable isn’t nutballish, it is the insane price of this thing. $40 for a bag. Puh-leez! There are other places that sell bags much cheaper and are probably of better quality.

I mean, who cares if Kermit the Frog is on the front (like the $40 bag) or if it is a plain, functional bag. You are carrying things in them. Things that might leak, have a sharp point to poke through the material, or get slammed in a car door to get a grease mark. Grease can sometimes stain forever.

Instead of buying bags, you can make your own. There are plenty of resources online to give you instructions on how to sew a reusable bag. Any bag or tote pattern will work or make up your own. I mentioned a lady (actually two of them) who make bags from reclaimed shirts. They’re called BaggyShirts. You can buy some of these or make your own from clothes you’d otherwise never wear again.

This has me ticked enough to begin another blog just for ranting about this type of thing. Stay tuned.

Springtime On Mars: Book Review

Elisa Schappell, the autor of 'Use Me' is quoted on the cover of Springtime On Mars by Susan Woodring as saying, "Full of wit and charm...Woodring is a writer full of great promise. One to watch."

Not often do I find myself agreeing to quotes on a book, especially from a new author that has jumped into publishing short story collections (correction, this is Woodrings' second book, the first, a novel.). This time I find myself wondering when Ms. Woodrings' next book will be on the shelves so I can run right out to purchase it.

The stories are all set in my home state of North Carolina, so I feel a strong kinship for the author and her characters. Honest, down to earth, and totally believable, I want to know more about them. My only dissapointment with this book is the abrupt endings of stories. I find myself drawn in, immersed in the moments I am able to share with these people, because Woodring makes them into 'people', not just characters to fill pages.

There are endings which will make many readers go, "huh?, I don't get it." But, I get it. Woodring has given us glimpses, stolen instances which we have no right to be in on and made them into wonderfully woven tales that snap shut before we can get to know the characters too well.

Brilliant. My mind wanders on after the end, forming my own idea and finishing the story of their lives. We have taken for granted having the endings pre-made, Susan Woodring brings back the art of allowing the reader to use their imagination.

Thank you, Susan.

Not Enough Coffee On Bloggy Award

I am feeling pretty good right about now. The review confirmed a few things I knew but haven't gotten around to fixing. Since they took the time to give me an in depth review, I guess it is time to get off my rear and fix those things now, huh?

Check me out!

http://www.bloggyaward.com/bloggyaward/not-enough-coffee/

Lab Results Are In

My bloodowork came in and so far, everything looks good. The only thing I'm waiting for is for the doc to review the sonogram to figure out why the one ovary is so much larger than the other. I have to admit, I was a bit freaked out when the sono tech asked me if I had my left ovary removed in the past.

Huh? What? That's something you don't hear everyday. I'm not too worried because there are no signs of cancer in my blood. Good thing, that.

A bright note to today: I felt the baby move for the first time. It was like a little thump, baby must have had a big hiccup or just did some sort of jump to move into another position. In the sono he/she was really wiggly. They didn't take any still pictures, so I have nothing to share. Next time, though.

Blogging For Bri

I don't know Bri.

I don't have a clue who she is and I never heard of her before now.


You might be thinking, "So? Why do I care?"

Bri is a blogger who lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 15 years old and is now fighting the disease herself. If you are reading this, more than likely you are a blogger, writer, or a friend of mine who is involved in writing, somehow.

That's the rub. Bri is a fellow writer. We all know how hard it is to make a living, heck to even get an acceptance in this line of work. Can you imagine trying to keep up with medical bills? Bloggers everywhere are gathering together to help Bri.

If you want to help, please take a minute to skip over to Tastes Like Home where more information is posted about this cause. If you're like me and can't donate rright now, why not post a link and help spread the word to help Bri in her battle.

Special thanks to Marye for posting the link for others to follow and find out about this.

Welcome To Beirut

I have people ask me all the time what it is like to raise an autistic child. I've tried to explain it, but nothing has ever come out that caught the exact spirit of what it is really like. My daughter's speech therapist from Early Intervention sent me a link to a site for large familes and I found this one page there that describes my life with Amber to a 't'.

If you ever wanted to know, follow this link...it is even better than 'Welcome to Holland'.

http://lotsofkids.com/LOK-Parent/SN/beirut.htm