Countdown to Christmas

I guess it's been a little while since I updated this because that thing called life has taken over. 'Tis the season to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off. In fact... okay, I did a quick check and it's still there.

We were out of town for Thanksgiving, spending a wonderful time in Massachusetts with our grandkids and their parents. We couldn't have ordered better weather, and we took advantage by getting the whole family outdoors for an adventure in the woods. This was Logan's first such outing, and he was worried about encountering bears and wolves.  He wore his (dinosaur) hat with teeth just to be safe!  We took our family dogster along for "protection" and only encountered... other dogs. Great fun for all!  

We scrupulously avoided all shopping on Black Friday (that was the day we went to the woods),   although Erin and I visited local consignment shops on  Saturday and scored some great finds. My prizes were a stoneware planter, in which I now have amaryllis bulbs planted and starting to grow, and a long black wool coat -- total for the two items, under $20!  

I have since completed a good deal of my gift shopping. We're keeping it simple. I wasn't organized enough this year, with all the house construction and other disruptions, to work on handmade gifts for everyone (besides,there were those four new babies in four months to stitch birth samplers for!), but I'm hoping that next year will be slightly more sane than this one has been.

The good news is that I actually get a Christmas tree this year! Last two years, I haven't had room, but adding a second story to our house changed things. Somehow I think the cat will be pleased.

              

Life goes on

The way people were carrying on about this election, you'd have thought the world was coming to an end. But it's over, we're still here, and hopefully people will climb down off the ceiling and do something more productive than yelling at each other for awhile. Which they would probably do anyway if they would turn off the noise on the radio and TV that keeps them in such an uproar. Some of the most sane and intelligent people I know do not own televisions.


I'm hemming dish towels today. I know that sounds mundane, but when you consider that they were my learning-to-weave project and I spent most of the year in class working on them, they're kind of special.  Now that I have a rudimentary grasp on the basics, the next project should not take nearly as long. I'm thinking I might like to make a rug, using some of fabric remnants I have stockpiled over the years. I've watched others weaving with fabric, and some of the results are stunning.


The sun is out today, but it's cold, and I'm delaying my dog walking until later this afternoon. We're expecting a warmer weekend, though, and I'm looking forward to planting tulip bulbs and doing some last minute putzing in the garden before we batten down the hatches and settle in for the winter.

That's as deep as I've got for today.

Earth Screams Louder

To my friends: please start now to challenge your assumptions and don't be afraid to think differently.

What happened to the Jersey shore and lower Manhattan this week...has never happened before.

Just because we have always done things a certain way does not mean we can depend on circumstances to remain static, or expect what we currently consider conventional wisdom to work in the future. Even the NEAR future.

We live in rapidly changing times, and most people are so distracted by the politics of the day that they are woefully unprepared for the challenge of our lifetime that is looming before us.

Our earth is warming rapidly, too rapidly. The evidence is clear, and that is scientific FACT.  We're not going to argue about the cause and who or what deserves the most blame, though there is little doubt that our manmade excesses are doing much to exacerbate the problem.  Our "fiddling while Rome burns"  has probably already brought us past the point where we can stop what is happening.

We need to look at the situation we are in and start adapting to it.  Even if you don't think you'll be around long enough to be impacted, think of your kids and grandkids and future generations.

Many people will stick their fingers in their ears, dig in their heels, and refuse to believe their lying eyes until the worst case scenario hits them right where they live. Then, it's too late to prepare.

Our infrastructure is aging and fragile, and the chances are increasing that it will fail when challenged by the power of nature.

No quick fixes will be available.   Start figuring out what you will need to take care of yourself if your power goes out for a very long time.  Because not only will your lights and heat and TV and refrigerator be gone. You may lose your water supply. You may lose your transportation. Gasoline pumps don't work when the power is out.  Your local ATMs will stop dispensing cash. Stores will not have power either, their refrigerators and freezers will not be working, and limited fuel  may keep new supplies from reaching your community.

You're on your own, buddy.

Now is a good time to start evaluating your emergency preparedness, finding out what your weaknesses are, and fixing them.  Truth is, we're pretty pathetically dependent on other people and things for our entire lifestyle. We depend on being able to hop in the car and make a quick run to the store when we're out of coffee or toilet paper. We expect it to be there waiting for us if we just hand over the cash. We don't have a Plan B.

Sandy wasn't the first devastating superstorm in recent times, although maybe the first that made us pay a little bit of attention.  Sandy won't be the last. We're starting to see a new normal. Push away the denial and take a good look. Get ready. And good luck.

A starting point: Are You Ready?  Information, planning, putting together your kit.

Plus, things we can do to conserve energy and produce less CO2:

Recycle as much as you can. Aluminum, metal, plastic, glass, paper, cardboard.

Reuse instead of throwing away. Discard  less. Find new uses for old things.

Reuse and recycle paper. When you buy paper products, buy those made from recycled material. Stop killing trees. We need them to convert CO2 to oxygen and to help regulate the temperature of the planet.

Use regular plates and cups, cloth napkins and towels, and cloth shopping bags.

Keep the thermostat lower. Put on another layer of clothing.

Buy products with minimal packaging.

Use as little plastic as possible. (This is an especially difficult one.)

Buy things made and grown locally.

Walk, ride a bike, car pool, or take a bus.

Turn off lights when you aren't using them.

Plant a tree.

Things that make you go, hmmm

Once you take a step off the merry-go-round, virtually everything once sacred gets called into question.

Early this year, I decided to experiment with making my own laundry detergent as an alternative to commercial brands: one cup of washing soda, one cup of borax, one finely grated bar of Ivory soap, mix well, and you're done in five minutes. It's inexpensive, works great, and I'm still using it.

This summer, I added the solar clothes dryer (translation, clothesline), and although I'm using it all the time, I was reminded how much I loved the fresh smell of sheets my mom hung outside to dry.

The other day, a friend shared with me an article from the UK Guardian that has me taking that thinking even farther. Journalist Susan Elkin writes, It's been one year since I stopped washing my hair.  Well, talk about things that make you go, ewwww. And then, I read the article and was enlightened by what I read. We have totally bought into the idea that we're all dirty and smelly and only copious amounts of sweet selling products will save us from being social outcasts, untouchables. This is one more indication of the artificial bubble we have built and imprisoned ourselves in. My friend has reduced her shampooing from every two days to once a week, and I'm going to experiment with cutting back, too, and giving my poor scalp a break. The key seems to be rinsing your hair (without shampoo) very couple of days.

Which got me thinking about something else in the shower this morning...are we so foul that we really need all these deodorant soaps?  One time when we were camping, several years ago, I made the trek to the showers, stepped inside and turned on the water, only to realize I had forgotten to bring my soap. What to do? Dry off, get dressed, gather up all my stuff, head back to the campsite, find the soap, and start all over again? No. I showered without soap, and nobody's nose was offended. Which has me thinking again. What are we doing to our skin?  There may be another experiment in my future. One thing leads to another.

Last night I discovered something really cool while leafing through the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens: compostable toothbrushes.  Made from a plant-based plastic, this is one more small step away from our petroleum-based products and lifestyle addiction.

This morning I stumbled on another website, MyPlasticFreeLife.com, and I've added a link over on the lefthand side of my homepage. I haven't had the time to really explore all of its nooks and crannies yet, but it looks like a great source of helpful information.

Have a great weekend, everybody. I'm going to be cross stitching and baking cookies and being apolitical.

Keeping it real

I am not watching the baseball playoffs. I'm not watching much football either.  No MSNBC, CNN, or FOX. I've even given up HGTV.  We talk about decluttering our houses and lives, but it really all starts with ending the bombardment of junk on our beautiful minds, freeing up space for the real things around us. You could even call it... deprogramming. Leaving behind the Cult of the American Dream and finding a much better life.

We had a heavy frost yesterday morning, so the garden is pretty much finished for this year. I salvaged a big bowl of green tomatoes (which I have to deal with today), some tiny brussels sprouts (they did not grow well for me), and the fall chard and kale (which I covered up overnight).  But the time is soon approaching for tearing it all down and letting it compost over the winter.  Next year, I will again double the number of garden beds. Growing fresh, wholesome, organic food is addicting.  In a good way,

We had overnight guests yesterday. Marty and Edie cycled in from somewhere around Buffalo, on their way back to Cleveland (have I mentioned that Tom's cycling friends are really hard core?) and we did the bed and breakfast thing for them in exchange for hearing about their adventures. The cat was really getting to like Edie, who is obviously a cat person.  And now that she has left, he's really pretty okay with having his house back to himself.  But friends are good.

Today: weaving class again. Novice that I am, I have now completed two dish towels that I started back in January. It's pretty cool to actually create cloth from thread, and I love playing with colors, but I don't know that this is a skill I will be putting much future effort into because it takes so long and requires a huge loom. Needlework brings much faster results.  I'm also kind of in love with the idea of repurposing old clothing.  I think I'm about to get reacquainted with my sewing machine. Skills are good.

It may be a busy weekend for us. Well, for me, because Tom always manages to be busy even when I'm being bookish. The past two weekends have been a bust because I let the damp weather turn me into such a wet blanket. I missed out on the Busti Apple Festival because I didn't want to get rained on (and then, it really didn't rain very much after all).  Then,  I passed on the fall festival in Ellicottville and a Lakeview Cemetery historical tour because it was cold and wet (but other people had a good time anyway). This weekend's forecast is better. There's another Foods of India dinner at the church on Friday night (we have them twice a year because they're a very yummy and popular fundraiser), and I'd like to do the horse-drawn cemetery tour, followed by the Edgar Allen Poe show at the Spire Theater on Saturday night.  Tom also has a kayaking trip on Saturday with his newly formed outing club at the college.  There's always so much going on if you just put down the remote and get out of the house. That can be a big leap for some people. But stepping out to share in the knowledge, skills, talent, creativity, and good will of the local community can put you in good company and can be incredibly entertaining. And that is very, very good.

Around my neighborhood

 

Another Monday morning

I'm in for a strange couple of days. I'm having my third cup of black coffee because it's one of the things I'm allowed to have. It's time for the screening colonoscopy, one of those over-50 events that we- who- do- not- like- to- subject- ourselves- to- medical- procedures nonetheless subject ourselves to because we've known people who have suffered the consequences of undetected cancers. Today is "prep day" --only clear liquids to eat, jello, broth, apple juice,tea, and then later this afternoon, the liquids get more, shall we say, "interesting."  Tomorrow, I'll be happily sedated for the up close and personal scrutiny of my innards, so I'm planning on losing out on a whole day. I'll resurface on Wednesday! But in the meantime, I thought I'd  get a few words in.  So, I'll include this as a public service announcement: if you're over 50, get the screening. If you are uninsured, check with the department of health to see about a free or low cost screening.  They are offered here in Chautauqua County and in many other locations as well.

Now, to abruptly change the subject, here are some thoughts on climate change. Yesterday's church service addressed it from the perspective of Earth Hour. From it's inaugural event in Sydney, Australia in 2007, it has grown into an international phenomenon of turning out the lights for one hour, 8:30-9:30 pm local time, every March 23.  If that seems to powering down and saving the planet like a crash diet is to weight reduction, well...yeah, my thoughts exactly.  It's good that it has helped to "raise awareness" of climate issues, but anyone who isn't "aware" by now has a brain full of novacaine, and a lot of "aware" people have actually done very little in the way of personal behavior change. It's going to take more than "awareness" and it's got to start happening a whole lot faster. Sure, they've expanded awareness to asking for "commitments" now-- what are you willing to commit to to save the planet?  I'm very concerned about people patting themselves on the back for turning out lights and taking their deposit bottles and cans back to the store.  Next they'll want merit badges.

On the other hand, I also watched the film "The Age of Stupid" last week, and it was pretty dark and depressing. You know what? People are really stupid about this stuff. And it does absolutely no good to tell them they're doing everything wrong and they have to just stop doing it, or face catastrophe. Because they get depressed and shut down when confronted with such bleakness, fingers go into the ears, blinders go on, and you hear a chorus of "lalalalalalala" as they persevere with business as usual WHILE THEY STILL CAN. It's time that somebody started articulating a vision of a much better,cleaner, healthier way of life that is not so dependent on cheap energy and cheap entertainment, and telling people what they can do to make it happen. Because it's not the world we have grown up in. We are not accustomed to doing things for the good of ourselves and others and enjoying the benefits of freedom from over-consumption. We need a new owners manual for our own lives.

Adventures in "upcycling": this week I learned how to turn plastic grocery bags into "plarn" (plastic yarn) and how to crochet. I am making a rug that can be hosed off when it gets dirty. How is this a solution to our plastic addiction? It isn't. But it's a creative use for some of those plastic bags that are everywhere, more interesting than just taking them back to the store to be recycled into more plastic bags. And until plastic bags are BANNED, it's one of those problems we have to deal with.

Also, a word about the first annual (I hope) Jazzfest Jamestown: WONDERFUL. We are blessed with abundant local talent here. Culture needs to be cultivated, and it is cultivated here, and it's one of the things that makes Jamestown such a great place to live.

This Thursday evening, September 27, Ken Hardley starts a new season of his popular live music and radio broadcast concert series,under the new name of Rolling Hills Radio.  More info is available at the link.

That's all she wrote.

New beginnings

The thing about community building is that sometimes you get so busy doing it that you don't have time to reflect and write about it. I started to write this entry after we returned from our Labor Day weekend in Massachusetts, but was promptly diverted and am just now getting back to this.

Anyway, summer is over. Not quite by the arrival of the autumnal equinox, but Labor Day has come and gone, the kids are back in school, and the nights are chilly.  It's apple and pumpkin and chrysanthemum time. And football, for those who are so inclined.  Okay, let's not go there.

We got to spend a wonderful holiday weekend  with our two favorite little people.  They are our primary motivation for taking a careful assessment of where the world is headed and doing what we can to slow down the destruction so that we leave behind an environment in which they can thrive. They will reach adulthood in a world different from what we have known, but hopefully one in which life is actually LIFE-sized, less frenzied, more in harmony with our Earth instead of sucking every last bit of life out of it.

Even as the growing season winds down and the leaves prepare to go out in a blaze of glory as they turn to fertilizer for the next cycle,  there are new beginnings of other kinds.  The four-year-old, Logan, has started preschool, leaving the family cocoon that has protected him since birth and entering a larger world of outside influences --  teachers and the peer group.  His mom has ended her maternity leave and returned to work, and his baby sister, Quinn,  is now spending most of her waking hours in the care of the nanny who has been a partner in the parenting process of this family since Logan was a baby. Such is life in the 21st century for families in which the parents are fortunate enough to have careers.  For now, at least.

My local community efforts have recently been focused on our church community,  a wonderful group that needs an infusion of younger members to ensure the continuation of this community into the future. Not to mention the fresh ideas and new energy we all benefit from when we welcome new friends into our lives. For my part, I am involved in resuscitating a children's program this fall, something I really wasn't planning to do, but I've managed to make a career as a gap filler. And the kids are a lot of fun.

In the larger community, there is the ongoing discovery of new dots and possible connections and not really knowing where the journey will lead. So many issues, so little time.

This week:

"Addicted to Plastic" will be the film shown and discussed at JCC, the latest in the "Endangered Earth" series for the month of September, Tuesdays at 7 pm in the Student Union.

"God’s Favorite," a comedy by Neil Simon,continues this Friday and Saturday night at the Robert H. Jackson Center at 8pm. All proceeds form this production are being donated to: The American Red Cross, The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, LOVE Inc. and St. Susan’s Center. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling the Church office 483-6405, Ryder’s Cup Coffee 763-5686, Labyrinth Press Company 708-2471, Daniel Pierce 969-7412 or any cast or crew member. There are also 12 great baskets to take a chance on. Tell everybody you know!

On Saturday,  the Jamestown Unitarian Church on Prendergast Avenue will host the First Annual Jazzfest Jamestown from 6:00 to 11:00 PM.  Jazzfest Jamestown is a FREE family event,  partially funded by a grant from the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation and a donation by Jamestown Awning, presented to our community to showcase the outstanding jazz musicians in our area. Popular jazz standard songs from all eras and styles will be performed including blues, swing, be-bop and funk. Area saxophonist, John Cross, will host and narrate the event. Other area jazz musicians will be invited to “sit in” at 10:00 PM with The Babalu Band which has performed for the Chautauqua Lake Idol Competitions for the past 9 years.

Ballpark has gone to the dogs

We've been enjoying a streak of Septemberish weather, which has made spending time outdoors so much more pleasant. Last night was "Bark in the Park" night at the Jammers game.

We left our hound at home because we thought he would be too excited by all those other dogs. Maybe not. They were all very well behaved and nary a bark was heard. One young Lab in particular strutted proudly at the "tail end" of the dugout-to-dugout dog parade, clearly thrilled to be included by his human in this special activity, and could be seen in the stands wagging his tail for the rest of the evening.

Where were you, Jamestown? There were so many empty seats in the park on such a perfect night for baseball. Why would you stay home and watch television instead of going out and watching these "kids" (young men, but I'm old, so it's about perspective) playing their hearts out for their chance to move up the food chain to the big leagues?

Earlier in the evening, we stopped in at the "great unveiling" in Mayville's Lakeside Park of the newly minted Chautauqua County Greenway Plan.   There was information galore from biking, hiking, equestrian, nature and conservation interests -- all of the usual suspects.  Jump on board, Chautauqua county peeps, because this is part of our salvation -- to quit stuffing our faces with high carb and GMO snacks in front of our corporate entrainment devices, and get out and get active and healthy while enjoying the beautiful natural world we have been gifted with.

Between Mayville and the ballpark, we had a healthy dinner at one of our favorite locally-owned and operated establishments, the Labyrinth, which was also pretty darned quiet. I know the summer tourist season is winding down, and kids in neighboring states have gone back to school. But I hear so much crying from some of the locals about what a lame place this is and how there's nothing to do. REALLY, Jamestown? I guess that's true if you never get out and do anything.

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

THIS WEEKEND
 Tonight and Saturday:
7th Annual Celtic Festival & Gathering of the Clans
Lakeside Park, Mayville


Friday through Sunday
44th Annual Fredonia Farm Festival in Barker Commons
Craft and trade show, music, food vendors, children's activities

Saturday 10 am - 4:30 pm
Monarch Butterfly Festival
Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary
1600 Riverside Rd.

Jammin in the Vines III at Willow Creek Winery with Rusted Root
 Special Guests: Big Leg Emma, Red Wanting Blue, & Gina Vecchio with Coaltrain

2627 Chapin Road
Silver Creek, NY 14136

Gates: 2pm
Tickets:
$25.00 Advance
$30.00 Day of Show
Available @ Winery Box Office & Tickets.com

Camping:
$10.00 a couple

Saturday night, closer to home
Serpentine Fire (Earth Wind & Fire Tribute Band) at Bemus Bay floating stage  8 pm

Perfect Day

 It was 75 and sunny today, my idea of perfect summer weather.

We've been having some miscellaneous work done on the house by a friend who does those things, and I've been trying to keep the dog and cat out of his way.

I had lunch with Tom on the lawn at the college while reading over and discussing the climate action report he has been writing. I wonder how many schools that signed on to the 2006 commitment to reduce their impact on the planet understand the challenge at their feet.  Even the right wing climate deniers are finally having to admit that our planet is burning up with a fever that is manmade.  So when is the reality going to dawn on people that they need to change their behavior -- we're talking a major cultural shift here -- and when are our so-called leaders going to break the news? Surely not in an election year.

Alas, I will enjoy the 75 and sunny days while we have them, before humans resort to living in caves again (or something) to beat the heat. I worry about the world we're leaving to our grandchildren.  A world in which harvesting rainwater is becoming illegal in some places.

Speaking of rain, we finally had some. Big, beautiful, nitrogen-producing thunderstorms that didn't cause any damage.  And now, the grass is starting to grow again.

We still have too much lawn. I'll definitely be adding another raised bed, maybe two more, for veggies next year. It's great having fresh food just a few steps from the back door.  While farms have been suffering from the dry summer, our much smaller "farm" has been manageable. The deer have discovered that they can reach over the fence and nibble on my pole beans (note to self: plant those farther away from the fence next time), but we are now harvesting carrots, beets, cabbage, tomatoes, and enough zucchini to feed a small African nation.  Time to plant the fall crop of kale, chard, and arugula.

As is usual for summer in Chautauqua county, there's lots going on--it's Lucy Fest time again, Gerry rodeo time, Italian Festival time, and the Jammers are playing at home.  I've been keeping myself entertained with a couple of church-related projects, and most people seem pretty occupied with summer travel and family activities. So there hasn't been a whole lot of activism going on here, except for a brief and amusing anti-fracking protest episode, which included a brief and amusing encounter with a sheriff's deputy. It was actually a very pleasant conversation with a dedicated public servant who confirmed the completely legal nature of the protest. With our country rapidly turning into a police state, it's a good idea to cultivate mutual respect and avoid stunts like fishing with donuts.

P.S. I wrote this yesterday and forgot to publish it. DUH!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

We're not close to done chewing what we've bitten off with this project home of ours. But I finally hit my limit for tolerating chaos and called a halt to mess-making with impunity--at least until we clean up some of the disorder. We've had a really bad case of college dorm room going on here.

After a good deal of vacuuming, mopping, dusting, putting away tools, and general tidying up, I'm enjoying a heightened sense of serenity, temporary though it might be. We now have a functional second bathroom, with a beautifully tiled floor and shower, though we still need to prime and paint the walls, install baseboards and towel bars, and work out the storage shelf thing. Alas.

And the summer is just flying by.  The general lack of rain here means I've been developing my muscles from hauling the watering cans around, but overall the garden has been doing well. The snow peas just finished up when we got back from Boston (I was surprised that they lasted so long in the heat), chard is about done, and now it's The Attack of the Giant Zucchinis. I'm finding it a surprisingly good addition to omelets and stir fry.  Our diet is skewing more and more towards vegetarian just because of the abundance of, and need to use, fresh ingredients.  Almost daily I peruse the internet for new ways to prepare these things and am rewarded with new favorites. By happenstance I ran across some recipes for veggie burgers that I decided to try (I always found the store bought kinds unexciting) and have become sold on them.   Now, I see lots of green tomatoes, baby jalapenos, and lots of cilantro...there is definitely fresh homemade salsa in our future.

This morning I nearly stepped in something that leads me to believe the black bear cub sighted in our neighborhood paid us a visit last night. Just passing through, I guess, because there was no damage. The blueberries were left untouched. But I'm expecting to see astronomical growth in my potentillas.


LOTS going on here, as usual. The Westfield Antique Show is this Saturday and Sunday. There is also the Scandinavian Folk Festival at the Gerry Rodeo Grounds, and a juried art show at the Village Park in Bemus Point.  On Saturday evening, Chautauqua County Roller Derby's Babes of Wrath take on the Rubber City Roller Girls from Akron, OH at the Allen Park rink. The whistle blows at 7 pm. And next week is the County Fair.  You people who think small towns are boring...are you really enjoying your traffic jams that much?

Our grandaughter has arrived

We've just returned from a quick trip to Boston to meet our new grandbaby, Elizabeth Quinn Schweppe.  Here's a short video introduction to Quinn and her proud big brother, Logan.

Why some people don't need dogs

I'm really upset about some man-on-dog behavior I witnessed on my walk this morning.

These people who moved in a few months ago have two smallish dogs that are often (not always) tied outside. And today, which is rather warm, they were tied on the front porch, sheltered from the hot sun. Good.

They bark when we walk by. Almost every dog in the neighborhood barks when somebody walks by. That's what dogs do. They serve as an early warning system for their owners.

And we usually hear "SHUT UP!" yelled from inside the house.

Today the guy came out on the porch and was screaming at the top of his lungs out of control at them for barking. And then, I think he hit one of them. I had turned the corner and didn't see it, but I heard a yelp. And then he screamed (at the other dog, I assume, hopefully not his wife), "YOU WANT SOME TOO?"

I think I'm mostly upset with myself for not walking right up there and offering, "If you don't want to deal with these dogs, I'll take them off your hands right now."

But he was a scary, screaming dude. What the hell, maybe he's protecting an illegal home enterprise. And what right do I have to intervene anyway?  Do dogs have the same rights as kids? And aren't people allowed to yell at and spank their kids?  Back in my days of adventures in social volunteering, I wasn't sure that children's rights were anything but words on a piece of paper. I knew a mom whose toddler helped herself to garbage from last night's dinner plates in the roach-infested kitchen while Mom slept in. The same mom sold her 15-yr-old's virginity to a crack dealer for the price of the monthly washer/dryer rent. And I remember the overwhelmed caseworker telling me, the kids are clean and clothed, there's food in the house, there's nothing I can do.

I'll keep an eye on those dogs when I walk past that house. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm watching.

So, how does your garden grow?

I forgot what this is. But I like it.

Bonica

America

Good, dependable Knock Out

The peas are very tall

It's a jungle out there

One of my pots

A nice spot to sit in the afternoon

Feeling summer

Tom and I attended a public input meeting this week at which consultants presented a draft of the City of Jamestown Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. Coordinated by the Chautauqua County Health Network's Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play project, which promotes a more healthy and active lifestyle,  the focus of the plan is finding out how to safely and comfortably connect key destinations (for cyclists and pedestrians) such as schools, shopping, services and parks with neighborhoods and downtown Jamestown. There was a good-sized crowd there, including Team Hollyloft, and it seems quite possible to quickly implement some of the recommendations if interested parties work with city officials to make them happen. (Too often people sit back and wait for somebody else to do something.) Enhanced crosswalks with more visible paint and additional signage, for instance, are an easy and inexpensive way to increase pedestrian safety. The "walking school bus," where children walk to school together with an adult chaperone, just needs volunteers to come forward. Other things like bike lanes, and especially a bike track that traverses the city, will take extensive effort and the location of funding sources in order to be accomplished. The vision is there, and now we need to see some follow-through to put the usual grumbling naysayers in their place.

****

I wanted to say something about the "working poor," since I see quite a few of them around these days and the stereotype of  "lazy, unmotivated" people who get food stamps is just WRONG.  In fact, I know some very hard-working young people who piece together two or three part-time jobs (because full time hours with benefits are not offered) and perform important (but low paying) functions like assisting disabled and elderly persons, or standing on their feet for hours and cashiering/bagging to help you on your way with your groceries.  Some of them take classes in addition to working, although one cashier told me she doesn't have the money to spare for college right now (it has gotten quite expensive, if you haven't noticed). Some of them are frightened off by the crushing debt some of their peers are incurring in pursuit of degrees which no longer guarantee employment that will cover both living expenses and loan repayment.  Oh, the two or three part time jobs these "lazy" people are working don't amount to a living wage either, so they find themselves accepting food stamps as well in order to feed their children. But of course they make just a little too much to qualify for Medicaid, so if they get sick, they're on their own.

Why have we become so mean-spirited towards those who don't fit some arbitrary definition of financial success?  I think about this a lot, because I grew up in a hard-working family, in a different time. My father came from a large family with immigrant parents. His father died when he was still a child and he had even younger brothers. So when the Great Depression came, he was forced to quit school after the 8th grade to help support the family. Fortunately for him, our government came to the aid of its struggling people with civilian jobs and job training, and a military that taught marketable skills in exchange for service, and he was eventually able to support a family of his own, become a homeowner, and build a successful business.  Because life handed him some formidable challenges, he lacked formal education, and he accepted government assistance, but nobody would have called him lazy and unmotivated. Nowadays, life is still handing out all kinds of challenges, but rather than extending a hand (via our tax dollars, which we would rather see spent on low interest loans to Wall Street tycoons and unmanned aircraft that kill people, I guess), we kick people to the curb, expecting them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they can't afford boots.  Farewell, humanity.

****

We finally figured out our tile pattern for the new bathroom, and that will be our project this weekend.  Hopefully, we'll also have time to take a break and check out the Yassou Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Good baklava is hard to find. I'll be thin in my next life.

June isn't exactly bustin' out

Our heat wave has been followed by something that feels like October, without the colorful foliage.

It's 42 degrees this morning. It's been warming into the low 60's during the day, and we've been getting some rain, for which the garden is very grateful. But this isn't June as I have been accustomed to. Alas, the global weirding continues.

William Baffin rose

The garden looks good. The indoor projects are still coming along.  We still have a big decision to make about flooring, and maybe we'll have it figured out in a year or so. The sheer number of decisions, small and large, that you have to make when you take on a remodeling project of this magnitude can be overwhelming. We are essentially doing a complete makeover of our entire house.

 But, I make a point of getting out and about in the community, supporting local events and looking for ways to make a difference. After church on Sunday, we went to the fundraiser for our locally owned low power radio station, WRFA, at Southern Tier Brewing Company. (In the true spirit of community, they host quite a lot of these fund raisers for local groups, and contribute a portion of the proceeds from food and beverage sales to the beneficiary.) The light rain failed to dampen the turnout, and our stellar local musicians had the place rockin' for the afternoon. 

Blueberries are growing!

This week, it's strawberry picking, the library book sale,  and the Rib Fest.

I want to say a few things about the working poor, and the not-so-poor who control the BPU, but I'll save that for my next entry.

Wish my kids were here, but life is really pretty good for these times.

Another heat wave

We've been roasting here, and it's not even officially summer yet. (I still need to get into the attic and find my summer clothes!)  The extra insulation in the house has been keeping us cool, though, without a/c.  You just have to remember to keep the doors and windows shut when it's hot outside. 


We've almost finished the interior painting.  There's still plenty of other stuff to do, but it appears we're near the point when we can arrange the furniture, organize our storage, and stop bumping into things (displaced bookcases, ladders, paint cans) cluttering up the middle of every room. I'm hopeful for a summer that can be enjoyed -- there's so much to do here when work doesn't get in the way, and it's been too long since I spent an entire afternoon reading for pleasure.


So, bring it on, June!  


The second annual Chautauqua in June series of learning experiences is underway, and the "summer people" are arriving. We've seen them in Wegman's in their bermuda shorts and sunglasses, studying the layout map of the store. While these workshops, classes, and events are, in general, not as costly as the regular Chautauqua season events, it has occurred to me that perhaps there should be a parallel, free or minimal cost series for those who would like to learn how to grow an garden or to make compost, how to cook using fresh ingredients (rather than opening a can and heating the contents), or how to repair a bicycle, but lack the disposable income to partake of these lessons.



Yes, there are some wonderful programs going on in the city. Case in point, the community gardens program offers raised bed garden plots for the season for a small rental fee (6' x 4' for $5 or 12' x 4' for $10). 

That will help a few people anyway.   


Jamestown Renaissance Corp., a partner to the community gardens program, also offers the Block Challenge for homeowners who want to improve the curb appeal of their block by offering matching funds and discounts from local hardware stores and garden centers, as well as design assistance. A neighborhood near us, Royal Avenue, has used this program to not only spruce up appearances, but to foster a sense of community among neighbors. They host an annual street sale that is not to be missed.  This year, the number of applicants for the Block Challenge has doubled. 


The downtown Jamestown Farmers Market, in Foundry Alley next to the Renaissance Center, will be open every Friday from 10 am till 4 pm, bringing farm fresh food to the people who live downtown but don't have cars (a large number of elderly) and everyone else. I've heard complaints from some people about the market being open on a week day and closed by the time they get out of work, and I don't know if this can be addressed.


The Street Jam charity basketball tournament is this weekend. The sponsorship has changed, but this has been a very popular event, bringing in a large number of people from surrounding areas, and the proceeds help provide services for people with disabilities.

Jamestown Community College will be once again hosting the 2012  NJCAA National Golf Championship at Chautauqua Golf Club June 4-8. The 72-hole tournament has qualifiers from over 20 states and 40 colleges.  Tom will be helping out with this one.


The Celoron Rib Fest will be held June 6, 7, 8, and 9 at Lucille Ball Memorial Park. Enjoy the beautiful lake and live music while eating some great barbecue.

Roger Tory Peterson has their annual Birding Fest June 8-9. 

Prendergast Library will be having their 33rd annual Book Sale June 8-9 also.


Merritt Estate Winery in Forestville has the Strawberry Festival June 9-10.


June 15 at 6 pm, an ArtParty at JCC Weeks Gallery marks the opening of Barbara Proud’s exhibition, First Comes Love: Radical Spirits, Civil Rights, and the Sexual Evolution , which we do not want to miss.

 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church has their annual Yassou Festival June 15-16, 11 am - 11 pm, all day food and entertainment. Tom and I need to get to this one and see how it compares with the St. Demetrios Greek Festival in Cleveland. (It's a tough act to beat.)


June 15, 16, and 17 is also the weekend of the LakeArts Foundation Film Festival, "Politics Goes to the Movies."

The Jamestown Jammers, our single A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, open their NY/Penn League season on June 18 at 7:05 pm. Their games are always fun for the whole family.


On Saturdays during the summer, the Fenton History Center holds walking tours of the city's historic neighborhoods (members $5, non-members $10).


The 2012 Chautauqua Institution Season runs from June 23 - August 26.



Live music for the whole summer: Popular local band Big Leg Emma is playing a free, all ages show on Saturday, June 23 at 6:30 pm at the Southern Tier Brewing Company.  Riverwalk has free concerts on June 28, July 12 and 26, and August 9 at 7 pm. The 2012 Big City Concert Series on the patio behind Jamestown Arena kicks off on June 22. The Bemus Bay Pops 2012 Concert Series kicks off on Sunday, June 24. Dunkirk has bands playing every Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30 at City Pier Park.  


This is in addition to the very vibrant music scene always on display at local clubs.

I really don't want to spend my whole summer doing home improvements.  


I really don't understand the people who complain that this town is lame. 


I guess people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Too busy to update

Spring cleaning and planting have been keeping me very busy. Things that take me out of the house take me away from my computer.  Here are a couple of snapshots in lieu of words.

It's almost planting time

Wow, long time no update.  We just got the construction crew out of our house--which means I'm dusting and mopping and scrubbing, though it might take the rest of the year to get rid of all the drywall dust. And I still can't prime, paint, and start putting things in their proper places until our builder comes back next week to finish up a few details.  I'm getting a little edgy.

Meanwhile, we've been to Boston and back.  We celebrated our awesome little grandson's 4th birthday, and learned all about Super Heroes and Transformers!  The indoctrination sure starts early.

The arrival of grandchild #2 is just a couple months away now, and our petite daughter is looking like she swallowed a basketball.

Tom has sort of un-retired and has started a new part-time position at the college as their Sustainability Project Manager. He rides his bike to work. I don't expect him to be too popular with the faculty and commuter students when he tells them they all drive too much, but so far he's having fun and glad to have a project he can sink his teeth into.

Our Occupy group had its first public appearance at the college's Earthfest--we set up an information table and made some new friends. Then we had our second public appearance--a May Day CommUNITY Celebration in lieu of the "general strike"that most other Occupy groups were having.   We had some of Jamestown's most talented musicians and artists entertaining us throughout the afternoon and evening, vendors from local independent businesses, yummy food by Planet Earth Catering, kids getting their faces painted and dancing around a maypole, hooping and fire hooping, an alternative energy display, the Earth Awareness student group from the college, and lots of great conversations. The weather (unfortunately damp and chilly) kept the attendance down a bit, but we still had a great time. It's amazing what a few creative people can do without spending a whole lot of money. Admission was free, our entertainers volunteered their time and talent, and vendors were not charged a rental fee for their space. It was definitely a success. And we made more new friends. See how this works?

Pictures are at Occupy Jamestown The Blog.

Local power

 The title is a double entendre, but not particularly risque unless you want to stretch the meaning and say that coal is dirty. Which it is, regardless of all the "clean coal" propaganda.

I've now been to a couple of board meetings at the Jamestown BPU to observe and  learn how things work. I understand that the current coal-fired power plant is obsolete and in the process of being decommissioned. I understand that a large amount of our electricity comes from hydro-power via Niagara Falls. I understand that there are natural gas turbines generating power to meet the rest of the demand. I understand that shortages can be addressed by buying additional power off the grid.  I understand that there are issues with the reliability of transmission lines here, as everywhere, in a country that has dangerously neglected its vital infrastructure in pursuit of short-term and short-sighted gains. I understand that the BPU board has an obligation to continue providing its customers (particularly its business customers) with reliable and affordable electricity. And that, if the funding were available (which it isn't), they would elect to build another dirty (while insisting it is clean) coal plant in a heartbeat to keep that power flowing.  Because to have the courage and vision to move Jamestown into a renewable, clean-energy future would be...uncomfortable.

It's interesting because I was reading a couple of weeks ago about the people of Boulder, Colorado, who have voted for public ownership of their previously privately-owned utility in order to provide for their energy needs with wind and solar. And here we already have a public utility and... crickets.

There is a handful of environmentally-conscious and concerned citizens who, for years, have basically been a thorn in the side of the board. Having now been to a couple of the public board meetings, I have observed the members' annoyance at having to endure public input and questions while they're just trying to do their jobs.  I can't say I blame them. Public input is such an unusual and unheard of thing. What are these people thinking?  They're like mosquitoes at a picnic. I really would like to see MORE of the public become conscious and concerned enough to share their input, so the board members would get used to having to consider them.

Which brings us to the other "local power" in the title: if you're sitting at home and kvetching about something, you're helpless. Those who show up are the ones with the power.

Short note on a crazy week

The first night we had a frost following the early warm spell, I covered my new daffodils (planted last fall) to protect them. Now that things are clearly back to more "normal" for spring, I've decided not to fight nature.  So far, the daffs are proving to be pretty tough little buggers.  Glad I held off on planting any of my vegetable seeds, but the peas will probably go in this weekend.

The house is pretty torn up at the moment and we had to spend a couple of nights in a motel. Now the plumbing is back, so we can sort of live here again, as long as we make ourselves scarce during the day when the crew is working.  By tonight we will have stairs.

Today, I'm planting a cherry tree and shopping for shrubs.

Of cabbages, kings, maypoles, and witch burning

First of all, I did not win the Mega Millions jackpot.  Oh yeah, I never even bought a ticket. I figured I was more likely to get struck by lightning. I don't know what I would ever do with a lot of money anyway. People who win jackpots often blow it all on stupid stuff and end up back where they started.

Summer is over and we're back to, is it spring yet? Is it...yet? How about...now? 

I've been busy. I'm learning just how many balls you need to keep your eyes on when you decide to accept your responsibility as an active citizen in your community. I love Jamestown, but there are issues...as in any community. And we can sit back and ignore them (and complain about how awful things are) or we can put on our hip waders, engage, and figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

As I said, I've been busy.

My involvement with Occupy Jamestown, which I wrote about a while ago, is pretty satisfying right now. I'm working with some really good people, reaching out and finding even more really good people, and together we're planning an event for May Day--which may or may not involve dancing around a maypole, we haven't worked out all the details yet. What it WILL be--is a gathering of some of the elements that make this a potentially GREAT community. Everyone is welcome to decide that they want to be a part of that.  This is about unity, not partisanship, not militancy, not radicalism.  It is about working for the best possible lives for our families now and in the future. We have musicians, we have artists, we have farmers and gardeners, we have geeks, dreamers and realists, and together we have great ideas about how to make Jamestown a resilient, sustainable community that can handle whatever life throws at us. We're full of positive energy and looking forward to a very good event. While other Occupy groups may be striking and protesting (and Lord knows there's plenty of injustice to stand against), we're attempting to take the next step and move forward and do things better.

You will definitely be reading more about this. Occupy friends--I love you guys!

Now, about some of those other things we need to keep our eyes on...

I met the new library director last night at a forum. And I asked her, point blank, why do you think they hate you so much?  She came to town and took over four months ago. A firestorm promptly ensued. She apparently has a controversial "past"...I will just leave it at that. She has been thrown into the unenviable position of coming in as an outsider to pick up where decades-long local leadership left off, in an era of rapid changes. People hate changes. There have been communication issues, and longtime employees have been grievously offended. Rumors have swirled and grown into mushroom clouds. City council members have been deluged with phone calls.

Really,  who knew there could be so much drama around librarians?  I don't say this disrespectfully.  I have always loved libraries and books and revered the people who labor to make them and keep them temples of learning. I have just not ever run into a situation like this before, and it perplexes me. As a relative newcomer to the community myself, I realize my perspective is not the same as it is for people who have lived here longer,  some of them for their entire lives, and I cannot put myself in their shoes and receive an instant update on all of the history, experiences and nuances they have lived here in this community. I feel the discomfort of my friends and the general "disturbance in the force" caused by the arrival of this stranger in the community, and it makes me uncomfortable.

There is a great deal of fear about "what is going to happen to the library"--a VERY excellent library that nobody wants to see reduced to just another pop culture outlet, managed from afar by some McLibraries R Us outfit. But, is there evidence that anything like this is happening? Is there a way to keep it from happening without resorting to witch burning?

March Madness

Maybe it's the shape of things to come, but right now we are having what seems like unbelievable weather for mid-March. It's still late winter, officially, but it's sunny and balmy. No jackets needed. Kids out in the streets on their bikes and skateboards, even after dinner when it's getting dark.

It's 72 degrees on St. Patrick's Day, which I seem to remember as a time when we kept marching (Girl Scouts in the parade) to keep from freezing solid. For some reason unknown to me, Jamestown celebrated last Saturday, a week early. Maybe they thought they'd trick Mother Nature into an early spring. Actually, I have no idea and pulled that one out of my hat, but this is a city of Swedes and Italians, so what can I say.  I don't think they dye the Chadakoin River green either, but what do I know.  I missed the whole thing.

But I'm way ahead of schedule with my garden cleanup and rose trimming this year. The raised beds are just about ready for planting, but I'm not doing that for a while because this is not normal.

Besides, we're having some more work done on the house in about a week, so I need to get busy and select light fixtures, bath fixtures, tile, and stuff like that. Chaos may be contagious, because Ronnie and Sheryl next door are turning everything upside down in their house too. 

How many of you read the title and thought I was going to write about college basketball?

Springing forward

This week we had a brief taste of spring. This morning it is 18 degrees. March is like that.

This weekend is "Maple Weekend," the first of two here in NY.  [EDIT: I'm a week early! It's actually NEXT weekend! Can't blame me for anticipation!]  It's going to be nice and sunny, if not exactly warm, so why not head out to Big Tree Maple and learn (taste!) more about one of our great local (and natural) products. Sorry, Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima, you lose out by a landslide to "the real thing."

The forecast for the coming week is even better, so much so that I am planning to  turn over the soil in my raised beds and start marking the squares. I've decided to try "square foot gardening" this year, and have been doing lots of reading and drawing diagrams to get my plans in order.  I have some seeds left over from last year, and some freebies I picked up at last weekend's garden fair, but there are some "decisions, decisions" yet to be made about what varieties to plant! I am loving my Seed Savers Exchange catalog--gorgeous color photos of so many varieties of heirloom veggies that tempt me to plow up my whole yard and turn it into an urban farm.  But...the dog needs room to run, and I no longer wish to destroy dandelions, having decided that they're going to be part of our diet.

Turn your clocks ahead tonight as Daylight Savings Time returns.

When communication fails

Can we talk? Technology will not save us.

The rapid development and expansion of the means of communication has opened up never before seen possibilities for reaching out and touching people almost anywhere, any time, instantaneously. Minds are crammed with information overload. Our lives have become noisier and more immediate. We hear something on the radio or read it on the internet or get a text message, and zap off an instant reply. It's so easy to skip over fact checking and time for careful reflection when we can simply blurt. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, and the rapid response mindset it has brought with it, human error is also compounded and amplified. Words cannot be bitten back because they're already halfway around the world. The genie cannot be put back in the bottle.

We don't take the time to ask whether the message we received was the message sent, or the message intended, or to seek further information. And corrections are too little too late, because the original damage has already been done.

Technology will not save us from our human communication failures.

High wind--the new normal?

We're under another high wind warning today. (It's tempting to blame Rush Limbaugh, but I'll leave it alone.) Considering the tornado destruction to our south the past few days, this is only a minor problem for us. But it did cause some minor damage to our house overnight, and is probably just a taste of what we have to look forward to this spring and summer.

At the moment we're fortunate to be on the northern side of the colliding air masses--the low dipping jet stream, which is going to bring us a bit of snow and overnight lows in the teens over the next couple of days, and the warm air rising from the Gulf of Mexico. This collision is responsible for the violent storms ripping through the south and midwest. And since the Gulf of Mexico is now warmer than usual, the conditions are ripe for stormier than usual weather. We may lose some tree limbs and roofing shingles this year. And watch out for those flying cows.

Anyway, this is probably a good time to review your emergency preparedness.

*****

We had a really good discussion the other night following our third film in our social action committee series, "The Power of Community." First of all, it provided a view of Cuba most of us had little awareness of, given our political weirdness about that little island. Seeing how the Cuban people were able to respond to their low energy crisis by decentralizing education and healthcare, while transforming their communities into glorious, green, petroleum-free food gardens, was inspiring and thought-provoking. The degree to which our lives are dependent on oil is shocking. But what if we started getting more of our food locally, grown organically without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides? What if we stopped relying so heavily on each person having their own private automobile and started sharing rides? What if we farmed tilapia here instead of importing it from farms in South America?

At the same time, the newly reconstituted "Occupy Jamestown" group has begun holding meetings, with a focus on "occupying" our community and working to strengthen it. I hope this continues, because the idea of occupying a park or having a protest march to get attention in a city the size of Jamestown is kind of ridiculous. Can't we just find the people we want to send a message to and TALK to them? That's the beauty of community. But you have to build those personal relationships. I know there are people who favor more militant approaches to changing the world, and good luck to them, they can bang their heads against that wall if they want to. There are always protests and marches in bigger cities, campaign craziness to indulge in, petitions and boycotts to join, whatever. I may, from time to time, be inclined (as an individual) to support some of these things. But I see most of them as a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. I'd rather take a hands on approach to building something that will yield tangible results in the place that I live. I'd prefer to foster a climate of cooperation instead of maintaining and intensifying the awful polarization and quite uncivil adversarial environment we've come to accept as normal. (Do you really wonder why we have perpetual war?) I think I've found some people who agree with this approach. But we'll have to wait and see what develops.

Today, there's a spring garden fair downtown. Tom and I are going to check it out. It's still going to be a little while before garden season arrives in my backyard, but I'm making my plans.

Is it still only February?

We took an early spring break and spent a week in Oakland, CA visiting our son. He is an amazing host and kept us wined, dined, and entertained in style the whole time we were there.

And what a great city! Overshadowed by its big sister across the Bay, Oakland usually only gets attention for its riots, on and off the football field. They actually do a lot of things right.

There are neighborhoods wonderfully walkable and alive with a great variety of small independent cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and shops, driven by the Oakland Grown localization movement. Fresh food is grown in back yards and community gardens and offered for sale through CSA's, farmers markets, and local grocers.

There is public transportation and there are bike lanes--unfortunately, there are still too many roads and cars and people. You can't blame people for wanting to live in such a naturally gorgeous place with a mild climate and beautiful architecture. But the crowding makes living expensive. The climate makes the streets a haven for the homeless.

By the way, do you think these cranes gave George Lucas any ideas?



We had a great vacation, but we're glad to be back home. Even though it's cold here and it will be months before we can dig in the garden.

Meanwhile, good things are happening here. We're very satisfied with our first order from the buying club, Furniture City Foods, and encourage everyone to join (free) and check it out. There are no minimum requirements for personal ordering, and you may find yourself as delighted as we are with the variety of healthy, high quality, and regionally produced foods available.

"The Power of Community," will be screened on Wednesday, February 29th, at 7 pm at the UU church on Prendergast. Turning to localization out of necessity when they were cut off from the Soviet Union in the 1990's, the people of Cuba have managed to turn their country into the only sustainable one in the entire world. There are some wonderful lessons here and I'm looking forward to the discussion. This is offered free and open to the public.

Finally, I've gathered some info and posted a Local Banking page here as a resource for people who want to move towards greater freedom from corporate rule over their lives. Bon voyage!