Happy Earth Day! And Morning Cup of Tea by Walterrean Salley

Thank you to Walterrean Salley for this lovely poem.  It very much captures my feelings about tea in the early morning and fit perfectly with this photo I snapped of a sunrise back in January.

This Land

This weekend I'm celebrating this land...its glorious landscape and diversity, its fertility and multitude of riches, its forgiveness of us when we abuse it, and in the end, its acceptance of us back.

Happy 4th of July!

Earth Day and Tea

Happy Earth Day!  (And happy birthday to Esme!)

Photo taken by Voyager I, 1977

Today, as we sip our tea, let's think about its impact on the earth (and the people who pick and process the leaf).  Tea is not currently grown in any substantial volume in the US.  Simply by purchasing and consuming tea, we are responsible for understanding how that choice impacts our ecosystem.  Tea is flown a long way to get to us (lots of carbon emissions), yet we pay very little for it.  I ask myself - is the price too cheap?  Are we truly paying for the real cost of the production, including the impact to the environment?  I try to buy tea from reputable sources that use sustainable practices and treat tea workers fairly.  This means I pay more for tea.  Yet it's still a very affordable luxury.   

Do you know where your tea comes from?  About the farming practices used to produce it?  About the farm's relationship with the people that tend the leaf?  It can be a fun way to dive more deeply into the world of tea.

Car-Free

A car used to sit in this spot, but it's gone.  We have upgraded to a car-free lifestyle! I call it an upgrade because that's how I experience it.  We've been living car-light for the past 5 years, and my quality of life has increased dramatically.  We walk and bike lots of places (including the grocery store).  We wave at neighbors and notice the yellow wood tree is about to bloom.  We see the trash on the side of the street and pick it up.  We hold hands and talk.  

We're in the midst of preparing for a move to the Pacific NorthWest.  We'll be living where there is great public transportation.  We're giving a car-free lifestyle a try and I'm very excited about this!  Of course, we save money:  no more petro costs, oil changes, new tires and transmissions, insurance, etc.  And we save time:  No more waiting for the oil change or scraping windows.  

Yes, it may take a bit longer to get places, but I'll get there by my own (renewable) energy or on public transit and I'll enjoy the views along the way.  There may be some things I simply can't do because I don't have a car.  That can be a blessing.  ;-)  

I'll let you know how it goes!   

Celebrating Dirt

Happy Earth Day!  Today I'm celebrating dirt, the source of so much beauty.  As my DH, a fabulous gardener, likes to say, "It's all about making dirt." 

Here are a few other nice sayings I found as I was perusing a copy of Mary Jane's Farm magazine at a bookstore.

"A garden is a grand teacher.  It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust."  Gertrude Jekyll

This saying reminds me so much of my grandmother!

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."  Audra Foveo

"I saw an act of faith today.  A man was on his knees, not in a pew in a church, but in a garden planting seeds."  Unknown author

The purple lilac photo is for Esme. Happy birthday!

*Photo from this website http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAGES/New_York/purple-lilac-flowers.jpg

A Posy for My Sweater

I love this red sweater.  Yet, I've had it for a looooong time and wanted to do something new with it.  So I added a posy!  I got the idea for free-style machine embroidery this from the book, Bend the Rules with Fabric (at my library!).  I wanted the flower to look whimsical, like a doodle, imperfect like real life. 

I didn't have the book instructions in front of me, so I winged it (a risky proposition with me and sewing, so I'm pleased it worked!).  I recalled that I needed to reinforce the fabric, so I added a bit of light interfacing on the back side.  I drew, with disappearing fabric ink, the general sketch of the flower.  Then I stitched it, round the stem and each petal twice for the doodle look.  I believe Amy Karol calls for using a free-motion technique, but I don't have that sewing equipment.  So, I just went really slowly.  Two stitches, stop with the needle down, lift presser foot and pivot, and so on. 

I think it makes the grade.  The real joy for me is having something fresh without being a consumer!

He's Hot...She's Not!

The giant comforter above is quite the masterpiece, I must say. It's a homemade down comforter. It's incredibly warm on my side and not warm at all on the DH's side. Just the way we like it. (It's folded in half above.)

The DH had the idea for the comforter over 13 years ago, before we were dating. I was complaining about always being cold in the winter. He, always looking for a way to repurpose something, thought up the plan to use recycled down from coats and sleeping bags he picked up at thrift stores.

Fast forward to last summer, when we decided to make the thing. My contribution was the idea of it being full of down on my side only. We used very high thread count sheets. I sewed three huge channels for my side. His side is just the sheet. We stuffed and fluffed, stuffed and fluffed, stuffed and fluffed. Then we did a lot of vacuuming! Mostly of ourselves. We washed and dried the thing in hot temps at the laundry mat. It wouldn't fit in our machines!

It's finally been cold enough to try out, and the comforter is v.e.r.y warm! Some pics of the stuffing and fluffing. We did this on the front porch, a smart move.

Make, Ship, Green

More marshmallows and persimmon-cookie making for me this weekend. Anybody know if these marshmallows will freeze?

With the persimmons, I'm glad to return to the whole wheat, non-white sugar plan. (I used a mix of sourghum and honey, both local).

I boxed and shipped some gifts today. I was reflecting that most of the gifts were handmade or local. I can't say that I planned this strategy, but it shows how the buying local value has seeped into my life. I'm very happy about that!

We're going to help trim a tree at some friends' home tonight. I'm looking forward to this quiet, meaninful evening - minus the holiday hubub and expectations to be twinkly.

Here area few good articles I've read recently. Enjoy!

10 ways to enjoy the holidays that have nothing to do with buying presents

Recycled wrapping paper

E-how to a green Christmas - One caution; I work for a high-tech company and feel compelled to pass this along...be careful with those e-cards. Use only ones from very reputable sources. They are a common spyware carrier. If you're unsure about opening one, check first with the sender.

A Respite at Clifty Falls

I love this photo of me (taken by the DH). I love it because I know I'm happy and relaxed. We spent the early part of last week in Madison, IN. This photo is at Clifty Falls State Park. The few days away were a respite for me, a much needed break.

Here are a few more photos from Clifty Falls. It's a very nice state park. Be sure to eat at the Inn, with birds-eye views of Madison. If you plan to hike, go prepared for mud. There are many natural springs that bubble through the limestone, dribbling across your path.

Big Clifty Falls

Little Clifty Falls

Reduced and Reused Holiday Cards

I'm making all of my holiday cards this year - and the envelopes. Actually, the envelopes (above) will steal the show! These are made from the winter Vera Bradley catalogue. The pages are the perfect size and weight, and they show many festive holiday scenes. My mom and I folded these up recently, when she was over for a visit. Here are the instructions for making envelopes.

I'm making the card inserts from unwanted notebook dividers, those heavy card stock pages with the tabs on them.

I've been thinking about the recycling triangle lately. Recycling is great, of course, but the first two components actually prevent the need for recycling. That's a good thing! It's what I'm trying to do with these holiday cards.

By the way, if you have an extra Vera Bradley catalogue, the big holiday one with wide pages, that you don't want, I would love to turn it into envelopes! Please send an e-mail to stephw7-at-sbcglobal.net.

Give Me Holes in My Apples...

Riddle me this: What song am I referring to in the title of this post? (Answer at bottom.)

Where I live, in the Midwest, it's definitely starting to feel like fall. The temps are cooling, the sun comes from a different angle and changes color, the college football games have begun, and the apple tree in our backyard is dropping its fruit.

I love holey apples! The DH has this big bowl to himself, as I'm out of town. The cider (which he let me have the last of) is from our CSA. It was pressed last week. Wow, yummm!.

Answer to the riddle: Big Yellow Taxi, originally by Joni Mitchell. I love the song!

Are you seeing signs of autumn?

An Earth-Day Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Esme, and Happy Earth Day! One of the things I admire about Esme is her commitment to the local foods movement. Thank you for being an inspiration!

In honor of both Esme and the Earth, I'll share with you some of the behaviors I'd like to improve, to lessen my drain on our earth's finite resources. The DH and I are already pretty conscientious about this. We do wild and crazy things like wash and reuse the plastic veggie bags (and now we have some muslin ones), have a bucket in the shower to catch the water runoff before it's hot, and walk/bike as much as possible.

Here are the places where I need to improve:

• Lessen shower time. Ooooh, this is a tough one for me! I LOVE to stand in the shower and just boil, for a long time. I really need to shorten my showers. I just gotta do it.
  


• Incorporate more vegan meals into the diet. Have you read Skinny Bitch? It's a hoot, and a serious book all in the same. The potty-mouthed authors make a real case for vegan choices, both for our health and the planet. Read this book and your relationship with food will never be the same!
  
  
• Turn off the PC power. I forget to power down and unplug at night. Need to get better at this.

Where else should I focus? What are your goals to help save the planet?

To Market, To Market...

To buy a fat [bag of watercress]!

I look forward to the opening of the farmer's market each year, so I can have my annual watercress on baguette meal. Oh, it's heaven. I'm lucky that watercress grows in my area! (Note: It's important to find a clean source. It's so sad, but many of the natural waterways where watercress grows are polluted from agricultural runoff.)

Well, Saturday was the first market and it was sunny and warm and - once again, heavenly. The DH and I enjoyed some gardening and lunch in the back yard. Lambic and watercress sandwiches.

Using Old Calendars

If you're like me, you still have a couple of beautiful 2008 calendars around. Instead of sending them to the landfill, reinvent them into lovely things. You could use them as wrapping for small gifts, make wallets like I did here, or make envelopes.

For making envelopes, you'll need:

• Pretty calendar pages
• An envelope template - mine came from Stampin' Up, but others are on the market
• A pencil
• Scissors
• Rubber cement (my preference) or glue

Step 1: Pick your page. Here, I am using a flower calendar page. I want to focus on the word simple.

Step 2: Place the template. You'll want to play around with the template placement to get the best visual display of calendar elements.
Step 3: Trace around the template. Don't forget to trace the fold lines. (Once you get used to the template, you may not need to trace the fold lines.)

Step 4: Cut and fold. Cut out the envelope. I find that small scissors work best. Then fold on the lines. I'm not a patient person, but I've learned that it saves me time in the long run if I take both parts of this step slowly.

Step 5: Glue three edges. Leave one edge open for slipping in the letter or notecard. I prefer using rubber cement because it doesn't dry immediately. Also, if I have any extra that smooshes out, I can rub it off. You'll get a feel for how much room you have for the glue. Be careful that you don't inadvertently glue the envelope shut! The trick is to keep the glue on the flaps, but not the inside of the envelope.

Step 6: Let the glue dry. I like to press my envelopes under a heavy book.

Step 7: Make a corresponding notecard. Write a letter and send off to make someone's day!

Did you see the moon?

Did you see the moon last night? It was full and closer to the earth than it has been for 15 years. Read more. If you didn't see it last night, get yourself outdoors tonight. It is spectacular!

The DH and I bundled up for a nice walk through the University, enjoying an art exhibit. But nothing could compare to the moon.

Natural Cleaning

Today's living simply theme is natural house cleaning. The DH and I made the switch to natural cleaners over the past several years. As one thing ran out, we just didn't replace it. Now, we clean with baking soda, water, and vinegar. I have a bottle of store-bought natural wood and all-purpose cleaner that is about out, and I plan to make my own with a bit of olive oil and lemon going forward. It's a comfort to me to know that I can ingest the things I clean with.

I also stopped using synthetic air fresheners. Now, I can hardly stand their unnatural smell. Instead, I use essential oils in a diffuser. I became so aware of the badness of these synthetic fragrances from a colleague whose daughter is highly sensitive to chemicals. Think of an airport bathroom - it can certainly give me a headache with that syrupy-sweet masking scent. Unfortunately, for those with chemical sensitivities, it's much more serious. The chemicals can cause this girl's fragile body to have a seizure.

It's easy to give up the expensive and harsh chemicals and clean naturally. Here are some great resources and recipes. Do you have a favorite home-cleaning recipe? Please share!

Clean and Green: Natural Homemade House Cleaners

Eartheasy

*Image from free online image sources.

Winterizing Stephanie

It's been into the 20s at night around here, and frost is on the pumpkin. That means it's time to winterize Stephanie. The DH (dear hubbie) and I keep the house temperature between 65 - 68 degrees. The DH loves it at 65 (or lower) and I love it at 68 (or higher)! To compromize, from now until March, I wear layers. Sweaters and thermal underwear. I just purchased a new long underwear set, which I love.

I spend most of my work day in my little office. With the addition of a small space heater, which looks like an old radiator, I am cozy and warm. I keep the temp in here a smidge warmer than the rest of the house. Each of these things makes for marital peace, a lower heating bill, and less use of non-renewable energy.

How do you winterize yourself or your home? Any tips you can share for saving money and energy, while enjoying the cozy months? Of course, we can always wrap our hands around a warm mug of tea!

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

--First stanza of When the Frost is on the Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley

Changing Gears

If you're in town, I hope to see you at Nick's on Thursday at 7 pm to see off Andy and Melissa! These two folks are behind the really cool plan to bike from Indiana to California, learning about sustainability along the way. Read more on their website: http://www.changinggearsmovie.com/.

Their blog is an interesting read, and features topics from insurance to wedding proposals.

Best wishes to Andy and Melissa!

Eating Locally

In addition to enjoying the farmer's market, the DH and I joined a CSA this year. CSA stands for community-supported agriculture. We bought a share of a farm and receive weekly produce. (Actually, for the two of us, we got a half share because we also have a garden.) It's so much fun! Our produce arrives on Saturday, and it's like Christmas each week! We joined to support the plan to get as much food as possible from local sources. Rather than having my spinach travel from California, why not get it from a farm less than 10 miles away? Think of all the transportation costs that are gone! Plus, the money stays local, I know the folks that grow the food, and the food has an increased nutritional value because it doesn't get picked too early and travel a great distance.

Our CSA bounty from last week (pictured above) included: salad greens, turnip greens, radishes, young garlic (like green onions), incredibly yummy pasta sauce, and watercress. As the produce changes with the seasons, so changes what we receive. It's a great way to stay in tune with what nature delivers to us in our own locales.

About the only way to eat more locally is to grow it ourselves, which the DH does so well! Here are a few garden pictures.

Sugar snap peas

Broccoli rabe, bok choy and spinach

Lettuce from our Feb. 14th scattering of seeds on snow

Strawberry patch; I spied one strawberry starting to turn red yesterday!

The thing that is cool about our garden is how much produce we get from a tiny little lot in town! I think it's very pretty, too, how the DH mixes the food plants among the flowers. It's just lovely.

If you'd like to find a farmer's market or CSA near you, check out http://www.localharvest.org/.

Earth Day Tip #3 - Go on an Appreciation Tour

I got this idea of an appreciation tour from one of Alexandra Stoddard's books, most likely Living a Beautiful Life. The idea really stuck with me and is something I try to do from time to time. Her idea is this: Go on an appreciation tour of your own home. Re-train yourself to see the beauty that you have - the things that you love but no longer see because they are ever-present. She takes the idea further and encourages us to rearrange things - put them in new places, so that we see them anew.

I think this is a brilliant idea! And it relates to positive environmental karma in the following way: If we are to see our existing possessions and appreciate them, hopefully that will help calm the beast of consumerism in us. When we appreciate what we have, surely we will have a lessened need for more new stuff.

There are some eco-decorating ideas in this Martha Stewart post. I particularly like the arranged bottles idea (photo at the top). Cost: $0. It's beautiful and great reuse of stuff! (On a side note, I used to make fun of Martha Stewart, but I really like her magazine these days. My library carries it! Wahoo! I see in her magazine a strong alignment toward positive environmentalism. For example, when talking about plants, she recommends nontoxic fertilizers and natural pest deterrents.)

Quoting Sheryl Crow's song Soak Up the Sun (she may be quoting someone else, I'm not sure): "It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got." Makes sense to me!