Blame It On The Zombies

When I started on this journey to live more sustainably, I knew it wouldn't always be easy and conveniet, what I didn't realize was how much I had to learn. I've been reading different blogs and websites, news articles and of course there is always info to be gotten from Facebook!

I find it fascinating how the lives of so many people who want to live a certain can range from one end of the spectrum to another. You have the people who reduce, reuse and recycle to the extent that they generate virtually no garbage. Also, there are quite a few families that plant such extensive gardens that they can feed their families using very little money. There are websites on how to make your own soap, candles, compost bins, birdbaths, raised garden beds and much, much more. I've seen ways to plant strawberries in old rain gutter and plant tomatoes where they will climb up a trellis.

Then there are the people/families that are trying to live more off the grid. When I say "off the grid" I'm not talking about someone living out in the wilderness with no lights or running water, long beards with all sorts of conspiracy theories (not that I don't enjoy a good conspiracy theory every now and then) and who refuse to pay their taxes or use banks. I'm talking about people who want to be more self-reliant, growing a lot of their own food, reducing what they pay for energy by using solar panels and wind, using homeopathic medicine and reducing their consumption of  "things". They kind of live "off the gird - lite" if you will.

Now I'm sure you're wondering what Zombies have to do with all this. Well you can blame my friends and neighbors who kept insisting that I needed to watch the TV show "Walking Dead". No, I said, I'm invested in too many shows now, I can't possibly add another one. One Saturday a few weeks ago, I was doing some cooking and couldn't find anything to watch on tv and I came across a "Walking Dead" marathon so I started watching it.....and now I'm hooked. I told my friends that I hated them all for getting me sucked into this show.

Anyway......as I watch this show and try to suspend my logical thinking, I wonder about what would happen if there was a catastrophic event (or Zombie apocalypse) and there was no infrastructure, electricity, running water or grocery stores. Would we be able to take care of ourselves? What if we had to find a way to heat our homes, grow our own food, take care of our own illnesses? Would we be able to work with our neighbors and friends and sustain a civilized community where we had to depend on one another to survive and thrive?

Or are we so tuned into our electronic devices, our fast food, our fast cars? We rush to work, rush home all the while our cell phones are glued to our ears, throw some food in the microwave because we have to hurry up and get the kids to ball practice. I'm not innocent of any of this, I like my laptop and my cell phone and cable tv. I'm not above a quick dinner every now and then. But what if we could slow down and as they say "stop and smell the roses".

I don't plan on giving up my cell, laptop or cable, but I do have a yearning to turn everything off now and then and slow down, get closer to nature. I would like to be more self suffient and stainable at the same time. A few years ago, after a windstorm, I was without power for 7 days and it was horrible. Thankfully it was in the fall so the weather was good, not cold or hot, but I lost all the food in the fridge and freezer, I wasn't prepared with batteries or many candles. Luckily, I have a gas stove and waterheater so I could cook and had hot water. But it did make me think about how unprepared I would be if there was a true emergency...or a Zombie apocalypse! Would I be able to survive?

I like the idea of "off the grid-lite", I could probably keep all my shoes that way!


Kathy

Get Ready..Set........

I am just busting at the seams to get started growing something. Just the thought of growing some of my own food will be fabulous. I've got lots of ideas rolling around in my head from things I've read and pictures of different gardening styles on various websites that I just want to get started. As I was out shopping on Friday I came across these.

I went ahead a bought them even though it's not quite time to plant them. But according to the package the time frame for planting in my zone is March thru May, so I thought, what the heck, March is only one week away, right?  I was going to plant them in a small  pot for a few weeks until it seemed safer to plant outside. Although it says that these varieties of raspberries and blueberries are pretty hardy even in colder climates. So after some thought I decided to put them in a large container that I've had outside for several years and if they don't survive until the weather gets a little warmer it will be a learning experience. Also, I haven't gotten my seed catalogs in the mail yet and I also hope to do some plant shopping in April so I  have time to plant.

I realize that they should not be planted like this, but I am just trying to keep them alive, they were already drooping in the plastic bag and box that they were in. Of course, tonight I covered them because the temperature is going below freezing. Tomorrow it will be sunny and in the 50's so hopefully that will help. I know it's a longshot, but I wanted to try and if this little experiment fails I'll know better next time.

Lola was mighty interested in what I was planting.

I think Lola is hoping it is squirrel bait so she can chase them.

My lovely niece works at this plant food company, Monty's, and she gave me all this wonderful plant food for my birthday. She tells me it is all natural and easy to use so how can I go wrong with my garden. Hopefully we have an early spring this year like we did last year.

I'm going to switch subjects here and gripe about something. I've been wanting a bike to ride for exercise, go on quick errands and during the summer ride to work, good for me and good for the environment. I want one of those "cruiser" bikes, the ones with the wider tires, pedal brakes and most importantly a wider seat and not that 2" stripe of hard leather that is on most bikes! 

I saw several bikes yesterday, within my price range that would have been perfect except......the color. I'm a grown woman and I don't want a bright pink bike with white flowers on it, or a bright purple one with curly cues on it. I thought I found one, it was white, not really what I wanted, but I could live with it. But....it had teal pedals, teal on the wheel rims and a paisley seat. No, no, no. Isn't there a bike, in a more muted color without flowers or curley cues or paisley? Jeez, I just want a plain bike, maybe with a basket, is that too much to ask? I'm going to keep looking, but it's making me crazy.

Lola say Happy Gardening (and good luck!)


Kathy

Getting Ready For Spring

Well, I went online today and order two seed catalogs. Even though I'm just going to have a container garden with three or four containers, I want to look at what I can reasonably plant. A friend posted a picture on Facebook last week showing someone growing tomatoes and the plants were growing up a trellis, now that's an idea. I may seriously consider that idea along with my containers. With my backyard being almost entirely sun during the day in the summer, hopefully the container garden will do well, plus I can put a couple on my deck. I also want to grow my own herbs and I was thinking that I have a couple of flower boxes in my basement so maybe I can plant herbs in them and buy some kind of brace so they will hang on the side of the deck.

I ordered one catalog from Seed Savers Exchange, a company whose website declares their mission to be "Our mission is to conserve and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing and sharing heirloom seeds and plants". They also proclaim that all seeds in their store and catalog are untreated and non-GMO. I am looking forward to getting their catalog because that is just the type of fruits and vegetables I would like to plant. Hopefully there will be things I can plant in containers.

I also ordered a catalag from Gurney's Seed and Nursery Co. which will probably be more conventional seeds and plants, probably some genetically modified plants. But I wanted to take a look at what they had and be able to compare the two catalogs. I don't want to spend a lot of money buying seeds this year because I'm not sure what will grow, what won't, it will be trial and error this first season. I would like to have tomatoes, some kind of greens, maybe swiss chard. I'm looking at some blueberry bushes. I also want herbs. I'll have to see what the catalogs have to offer.

Luckily my mom plants cherry tomatoes and she only eats a few so I get bags and bags of them from her every summer and I eat every one. I absolutely love tomatoes. She also plants some green onions and shares them with me. There is nothing like homegrown green onions, the ones in the grocery have no taste compared to these.

Around here the last frost is usually towards the end of April and most people plant their flowers and gardens at the end of April, first part of May. I am so anxious to do it that May seems like a long way away. I know that some things can be planted before the last frost so I will really have to study up on what to plant, when.

I'm going shopping later this week to get a couple more of containers, some dirt and maybe some gardening tools. I'm starting from scratch here. Hopefully by mid summer I will be eating some food that I've grown myself.


Kathy

Why Me?

I had a "system failure" the other day. I was tired, had a busy day at work, I was cold (I'm always cold, my type of weather is summer, 90degrees) and I was hungry. I was at the grocery, doing my usual reading of the labels, checking out the produce, trying to figure out what I wanted to fix for dinner this week. I began thinking how easy it would be to just come in the store, buy some canned goods, instant mashed potatoes, some frozen chicken nuggets, not read any labels, not worry about the plastic bags. I noticed other peoples' grocery carts filled with Little Debbie snack cakes and frozen dinners and they are just breezing through the store. Meanwhile, I'm reading all the labels, buying ingredients to make homemade cookies, getting fresh chicken to make homemade chicken nuggets, looking for the best frozen berries and it seems it takes me forever to do my shopping. Why can't I just throw stuff in my cart and not worry about it? I have to say it was tempting.....for just a few minutes....well maybe more than just a few minutes.

Why me? Why do I care about these things? What makes me think homemade food is better for you, that taking plain greek yogurt and adding my own local honey and fresh berries is healthier, that reusing my bags is the right thing to do?  Why do I think that animals have souls and should be respected whether they are your pet or being raised for food by a farmer who raises them the natural way and not in feedlots? Why do I see beauty and peace in wild spaces and natural settings where other people might see something that needs to be developed into a mall or subdivision? Why me? Why am I different?

What makes anybody believe what they do? Some people might say it is genetics, some say your environment. Or could it be the accumulation of life experiences? I've been this way as long as I can remember and even though I haven't always put it into practice like I'm trying to do now, I can't say what has made me this way.

This is not to say that I won't ever buy a can of corn or some Little Debbie snack cakes, but I will live the 80/20 way. That means I will be good and follow my concious 80% of the time and maybe be a little looser or splurge a little the other 20%. Hopefully, over time, I can make it 90/10.

So.....my little moment of  "system failure" passed and I bought the things that I needed and wanted and felt better for it. Although, I did have my moment of rebellion when I got home, still tired and cold, and I threw my three plastic bags in the garbage instead of cleaning them out to reuse later. I did feel bad about it ....later, but I just needed that right at that moment. But I'm back to my recycling, plastic bag saving, grocery store ways.  It was just a small crisis.

Kathy

Locality..Locality..Locality

I had hoped to post yesterday, but it turned out to be a busy, yet fun, day. By last night I couldn't even watch TV without nodding off, so I missed the end of every show I tried to watch, finally I gave up and went to bed.

The other day I was reading a copy of Whole Living magazine that had been given to me and I saw an interesting reader comment. Apparently the magazine had put out this question "How do you encourage others to be eco-friendly?" The following comment from Sheryl C. in Cedar Rapids, IA, was this month's winner...

"When I see family or friends purchasing items with a lot of wasteful packaging or throwing away things that can be recycled, I remind them that "away" is a place. When you throw something away, it doesn't just disappear; it usually ends up in a landfill. I carry my own shopping bags and keep a reusable cup in my car, always remembering that away is a very real, very ugly place that I don't want to contribute to."

I just love that explanation of  "away".  I think people just think it's gone, me included, and forget that it has to go somewhere. While I try not to "remind" people that there is a better way, I would rather lead by example and then if they ask me why I do something I will be more than happy to explain. After all, I'm not always perfect and I need to be reminded sometimes myself. I really like the idea of carrying a reusable cup with me. I am going to try that and see if it makes any difference in trying not to waste paper or styrofoam cups. I wonder if coffee shops would let you use your own cup?

Yesterday I was reminded of all the things that our "garbage" can be reused for. One of my good friends invited me to go with her to a festival, showcasing a revitalized area of downtown with stores, antique shops, art galleries, wine shops, candy shops, a "green" store and plenty of others. A few of the shops had jewelry and candles, some made locally some not, but all seemed to be handmade not like in the big box stores. One store had items made out of discarded concrete, candle holders, frames and other odds and ends, now that is repurposing!

In another shop there was wonderfully, repurposed cardboard. One item was a deer head, like you would mount on your wall but it was beautifully made of cardboard and it was collapsable for easy storage or moving. There were other very imaginative wall hangings made of cardboard. I wonder how people come up with these ideas?

There were shops with vintage furniture that had been saved and vintage clothing and others with handmade scarves and purses made from any number of repurposed or out of the ordinary material. Of course one of my favorite stores was the local, homemade candy store. Such a variety of chocolates and other confections, naturally I had to buy some. I bought my always favorite dark chocolate covered peanuts and some wonderful cashew brittle. It's been hard not to sit down and devour it all at one time, but I've been pacing myself.

We have several areas in our city that have unique shops and stores that sell local and/or handmade items. I  believe there are several other "green" stores also. There are independent record stores and bookstores which you don't see much of anymore. I've been to the bookstore and it is wonderful. There is at least one locally owned grocery store that I know of because I shop there quite often, maybe more. We are also a restaurant town, with tons of locally owned spots and quite a few of them use at least some local ingredients. 

A popular motto around here is shop local. I am going to make more of an effort to do that, especially for gift giving occasions. I urge you to explore your town and see what kind of local and unique shops you can find and patronize. It will do those stores some good and I think you will feel good about it also.


Kathy

Time To Reduce

I've been working on filing my income taxes and those of my son. Fun times! Also, I've been working on the FAFSA form to apply for financial aid for my son's sophmore year in college next fall. More good times! Every year I put all my paperwork needed to fill out all these forms in a safe place where I will remember where they are. And....you got it, it's never where I think it is and  I can never find everything I need without practically tearing the house apart. This not only happens at tax time, but almost everytime I put something where I will remember, and then I never do.

I did realize something as I was looking for everything that I needed, I have too much stuff. Most people have a junk drawer somewhere in their home, I think I have about four. I'm an avid reader and I have stacks of books in my bookcase, a box in one closet and another box or two in the basement. I'm not sure why I'm holding onto all of them, there are only a handful of books that I would even read a second time. I love to cook and I have quite a few cookbooks, but I only really use three or four of them, the others are just collecting dust.

Now I do believe a girl can never have too many clothes or shoes, but....I have clothes packed away that I've had for years, clothes I no longer like or they longer like me! It's time to let go. Don't be mistaken, it's not cluttered like "hoarder" cluttered, but I could definitely reduce my stuff.

Reduce, it's really a big word, it's letting go of stuff that we think is important or things that we think mean something special. But when you really start looking at all your stuff you might discover that things you thought were important really aren't. At one time I wanted to collect rabbit figurines, I collected a half dozen or so and then lost interest, but I still have those knick knacks sitting around.  They seemed special at the time, but now they are just more things I have to dust when cleaning. And then there are the cookbooks I just had to have to make fabulous meals, but I've never used some of them. I think I need to get rid of a couple of junk drawers.

Living a "greener" life is really a big undertaking, you, or at least I, have to reevaluate everything that I do, and change how I look at things. From reading different magazine articles and various other blogs, reducing not only entails reducing what you buy, buying things with less packaging, but also reducing things in your space. There are things that I will never get rid of, some glass knick knacks that belonged to my grandmother, some little treasures that my son made for me when he was little, framed photos of family and friends and pets. I don't intend to live in a home where there is nothing personal or special sitting around.

So part of my spring cleaning this year will be donating the clothes that don't like me anymore to the Goodwill. I'll be packing up several boxes of books that I've already read, along with the cookbooks that I don't use, and sell them to the secondhand book store. The knick knacks that have no special meaning will be given away or given to the Goodwill. I'm going to organize my paperwork, cleaning out my drawers...so to speak! I'm going to pare down, make my space "cleaner", more functional, less cluttered and be surrounded by happy and special memories, not just stuff.


Kathy

Slow It Down

Have you ever felt the need to turn off, slow down and just take a deep breath and center yourself? I do sometimes. Even though I couldn't get along without my cell, laptop and cable tv, it's nice to get away from all of it for a day or two, or even for just a few hours. I know it's hard sometimes because a lot of us use these things for work and school and keep tabs on your kids. But just try a day at a time every so often, it really is nice to not always be plugged in. One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday afternoon when I have no other obligations is to cook or bake all afternoon, either to eat that night or freeze for another time. While I'm cooking I like to watch old black and white movies on TCM.

Another way to slow down is to eat a leisurely meal with your family. When I was growing up we always ate dinner, a home cooked meal, together as a family at 5:30 every evening.  I kept that up while my son was growing up also, even though eventually it was just me and him, we ate together at the table most of the time. Of course when he became a teenager and was involved in sports and hanging out with his friends it wasn't always possible, but I tried to make sure we ate together a couple of times a week. To sit down with your family or friends to eat a home cooked meal at a leisurely pace with lots of conversation and laughter is priceless.

Have you heard of Slow Food? In Italy, in 1986 Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement as an alternative to fast food and to preserve tradional and regional foods and encourage farmers to grow food native to their region. They also advocate forming seed banks to preserve heirloom crops, make people aware of the dangers and problems with factory farming and agribusiness. It also encourages people to buy local, buy organic and if possible to grow some of your own food.

The Slow Food movement is about taking the time to make your own, homemade food with fresh, local and ethical products. It's about sitting down, connecting with your family and friends, eat good, healthy food and taking the slower path. I think it is also about saving our artisanal foods and local businesses. Another advantage to eating local is the food travels less miles, is fresher and lessens it carbon footprint.

Slow Food has many, many chapters. There is a Slow Food International, Slow Food USA and quite a few cities and states have their own chapters. Also, many other countries have chapters also. You can find one near you by looking online. Wikipedia has a lot of information you may want to look into. In my opinion, if you try the Slow Food lifestyle, you might find others ways of slowing down your life, of appreciating the small things, and taking the time to really look around you and notice all the wonderful things there is in life.

I really like the idea of this and it makes a lot of sense, but it's not something that I can change overnight. I have to "lean" into it, take small steps. I already buy eggs that come from a farm a couple of hours away, where the chickens are raised humanely, on pasture and aren't treated with antibiotics or hormones. They also come in a container that is recyclable. Yes, I pay a little more for them, but to me it is worth it and I believe they are better for me than conventional eggs. I also only buy honey at the farmer's market that is local. It is said that local honey is good for your allergies because you can build up a tolerance for the plants that the bees feed on. Also, I have seen news stories that conventional honey can have more stuff in it than honey. And most importantly, I buy wine from a fairly local winery! I plan on incorporating more local foods into my pantry as time goes on.

I hope this has given you some food (haha) for thought. Maybe you'll try to start taking life a little slower, watch the geese fly overhead, notice the flowers when they start blooming in the spring, cook a meal and sit down with the people you care about, eat slowly and enjoy.


Kathy