Yes, it has been months since I last posted here.
I started this blog more than three years ago, to chronicle my quest for sustainable community in my adopted city. In the intervening time, I have made many discoveries that support my belief that moving here was a good decision for us.
The geographic location was an important prerequisite for sustainable living in a time of climate instability, rising energy costs, and economic uncertainty: temperate climate, good fresh water supply, nearby agricultural land and small farming. Western NY is also an area of great natural beauty. The small city environment of Jamestown is big enough to have all the services we deem necessary (although if you want to debate about the meaning of "necessary," we really don't "need" many of the things we think we do) -- unquestionably boosted by the nearby Chautauqua Institution. But it's at the same time small enough to easily navigate and to make everything accessible -- in the sense that, if you have a question or issue to discuss with somebody like the mayor, go find him and talk to him about it. We don't have as many layers of bureaucracy and gatekeepers here. Everybody knows everybody else.
The upshot is that we seem to have found our community on several layers, from neighbors who look out for and share (food and tools and services) with each other, fellow church members that share all that plus deeper convictions, and friends and acquaintances in the larger community who are dedicated to common goals for improving the hometown we share.
So now I seem to be doing more and writing about it less. Our newest project is the rehabbing of a rental property we acquired for that purpose. In its present condition, it is not habitable. There is no heat, no plumbing, and only in the fast week have we had (limited) electricity. We're currently jumping through the urban renewal agency's required hoops in order to qualify for rebate money (from a community block grant) when our rehab is completed. Today, the lead inspectors are coming.
And a snowstorm is also coming, so we'll need to get out to the store for whatever we need for our quiet Thanksgiving at home. The weather will prevent us from spending the holiday with our grandchildren and their parents this year, unfortunately. I'm afraid it's the new normal.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
High humidity and cool nights
Note: I almost remembered to post this a few days ago. I think I need a little vacation.
If you don't like what the weather is doing, wait a minute. We seem to be having an early taste of autumn now. I love the cooler temps. The garden does not. The fungi have arrived and are wreaking havoc. The tomato plants have been hit with blight. The squash plants are getting mildew. My hollyhocks have succumbed to rust. The rose bushes have black spot. I keep removing the infected leaves and hoping I get some ripe tomatoes before the plants give out.
I keep thinking about climate controlled indoor vegetable gardening.
It looks like the carrots are going to be fine, and I planted some more chard and kale seeds, hoping for a good late crop that I can donate to St. Susan's.
Oh well.
Lucy Fest has come and gone. The summer is flying by. I need to finish my painting projects at the church before September, when services and classes resume at UUCJ. By the way, I was elected co-president of the new church board, so you may call me Madam President. Lately I've been spending my mornings at the church in old clothes with a paint brush in my hand. Stuff needs to get done.
If you don't like what the weather is doing, wait a minute. We seem to be having an early taste of autumn now. I love the cooler temps. The garden does not. The fungi have arrived and are wreaking havoc. The tomato plants have been hit with blight. The squash plants are getting mildew. My hollyhocks have succumbed to rust. The rose bushes have black spot. I keep removing the infected leaves and hoping I get some ripe tomatoes before the plants give out.
I keep thinking about climate controlled indoor vegetable gardening.
It looks like the carrots are going to be fine, and I planted some more chard and kale seeds, hoping for a good late crop that I can donate to St. Susan's.
Oh well.
Lucy Fest has come and gone. The summer is flying by. I need to finish my painting projects at the church before September, when services and classes resume at UUCJ. By the way, I was elected co-president of the new church board, so you may call me Madam President. Lately I've been spending my mornings at the church in old clothes with a paint brush in my hand. Stuff needs to get done.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The heat wave has broken
We've been finding lots of things to fill up our time lately, which hasn't left a lot of time for sitting still and writing about it. Tom and I tend to be very project-oriented workaholics. I may not be employed, but I do work, between my projects here at home, the church, and the food buying club. We don't get out enough to really appreciate why we chose to live here in the first place. But lately, we've been working on it.
On Saturday, we decided to head across the lake to Bemus Point for an alfresco lunch at the Italian Fisherman. I love that it is right on the water--I spent a lot of time on lakes when I was growing up and have a special fondness for that environment. Bemus was bustling. It's definitely where the action is around here for families on vacation with the kids. Swimming at the beach was declared off limits last week because of the blue green
The previous weekend, there was the St. James Italian Festival, which has a good chance of becoming an annual must-do event for us. The food was great, especially the cannoli!
I'm also making more time for garage saling (very dear to my reusing-recycling-repurposing heart!) and visiting the Downtown Jamestown Farmers Market on Fridays. And in the evenings, I read. The books and authors I have been choosing lately have taken me on foreign adventures-- to Ireland, Iran, Afghanistan, Spain. Places I will never see with my own eyes (and in a couple of cases, thank goodness), but the written word has the power to transport us across time and space. Without using fossil fuels!
This weekend, we'll go out some more. The Jammers are playing at home, the long-awaited Brazil Craft Beer and Wine Lounge will be open on Friday and Saturday to preview some of their selections, there's a craft fair in Westfield, and our church is having its summer picnic. The weather looks good, maybe a little rain on Saturday. But if it makes the plants happy, who am I to complain?
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Happy days
Now that summer has finally gotten here, it's flying by.
Our grandkids (and their parents) were here for the 4th of July weekend. (Oh, how we wish they lived close enough to drop over for an afternoon anytime and we could see them more frequently than for three days a couple of times a year.)
The weather sort of cooperated. It was threatening to rain most of the time, but held off when we needed it to -- for grilling and eating dinner on the patio and fireworks, for instance. They had been so impressed by Jamestown's Labor Day fireworks display two years ago, that they were expecting big things. Jamestown doesn't do fireworks for the 4th of July, but most of the lakeside communities do, and there is the tradition of "lighting the lake" with a ring of flares along the shoreline. So we decided to see it all from the vantage point of the rest stop off I-86, with its million dollar view overlooking the lake. It's a popular spot, and the atmosphere was festive with people staking out their spots with blankets and lawn chairs on the hillsides, while kids adorned with glow sticks ran off their end-of-the-day energy. Logan watched them for awhile, and then decided he wanted to lie down and roll down the hill. The whole thing wasn't as impressive as the "right there" effect of fireworks in Baker Park, but it sufficed.
Since he was asleep before we got back home, he missed seeing the large deer standing in our neighbor's yard (on her way up the street to eat my lilies, no doubt)--and he very much wanted to see "animals" while he was here! Well, he got his wish when the whole family took a walk around the neighborhood at 6 am (having young children means you wake up early) and saw the whole herd on their way back into the woods after a night of gourmet dining in residential gardens.
The play tent and bean bag game we had picked up at a garage sale last year were big hits, and so was the Fisher Price dollhouse (another garage sale find, intended for the church nursery, but I hadn't taken it there yet). Grandpa also introduced Logan to the gyroscope, the plasma globe, and the card game of War. We apparently passed the entertainment test. And of course we topped it off with a visit to Peterson's Candies, because grandparents must do what parents frown upon!
Now that the highlight of our summer has come and gone, we're back to the more mundane (but still enjoyable) things like tending the garden. We've been getting a steady supply of snow peas and chard and black raspberries, the kale is just about ready, the zucchini and green beans are coming soon, and I harvested my first beautiful big head of cabbage yesterday. All the rain we've been getting is making the garden very happy, and thank goodness for the superior drainage you get with raised beds.
The college community gardens are also looking wonderful, but the deer damage is apparent in some of the beds (thank goodness I covered mine with the bird netting to discourage them) and the fence has still not been installed.
We heard some very good community news yesterday: Cummins and Wegman's are going solar! Solar Liberty was recently awarded 6.5 Megawatts of Solar Power
Projects from NYSERDA. Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant - JEP (2MW, Roof
Mount System), Wegmans (536.31kW, Roof Mount System) and two additional
2MW customers will partner with Solar Liberty on these solar installation projects.We hope many more will follow the leadership of these forward-thinking businesses. BPU, are you listening?
The weather sort of cooperated. It was threatening to rain most of the time, but held off when we needed it to -- for grilling and eating dinner on the patio and fireworks, for instance. They had been so impressed by Jamestown's Labor Day fireworks display two years ago, that they were expecting big things. Jamestown doesn't do fireworks for the 4th of July, but most of the lakeside communities do, and there is the tradition of "lighting the lake" with a ring of flares along the shoreline. So we decided to see it all from the vantage point of the rest stop off I-86, with its million dollar view overlooking the lake. It's a popular spot, and the atmosphere was festive with people staking out their spots with blankets and lawn chairs on the hillsides, while kids adorned with glow sticks ran off their end-of-the-day energy. Logan watched them for awhile, and then decided he wanted to lie down and roll down the hill. The whole thing wasn't as impressive as the "right there" effect of fireworks in Baker Park, but it sufficed.
Since he was asleep before we got back home, he missed seeing the large deer standing in our neighbor's yard (on her way up the street to eat my lilies, no doubt)--and he very much wanted to see "animals" while he was here! Well, he got his wish when the whole family took a walk around the neighborhood at 6 am (having young children means you wake up early) and saw the whole herd on their way back into the woods after a night of gourmet dining in residential gardens.
The play tent and bean bag game we had picked up at a garage sale last year were big hits, and so was the Fisher Price dollhouse (another garage sale find, intended for the church nursery, but I hadn't taken it there yet). Grandpa also introduced Logan to the gyroscope, the plasma globe, and the card game of War. We apparently passed the entertainment test. And of course we topped it off with a visit to Peterson's Candies, because grandparents must do what parents frown upon!
The college community gardens are also looking wonderful, but the deer damage is apparent in some of the beds (thank goodness I covered mine with the bird netting to discourage them) and the fence has still not been installed.
Monday, June 24, 2013
"I went back to Ohio but my city was gone..."
We lived in Cleveland for 23 years before we moved to Jamestown. But before that, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I grew up in Ashtabula, a Lake Erie port city that was once also a manufacturing center. Until it wasn't anymore, and became another notch in the Rust Belt.
The old neighborhood is riddled with vacant lots where houses used to stand. My childhood home is still there, but barely recognizable, now surrounded by a chain link fence.
Few of the old businesses are still around. Out beyond the (westside) Saybrook Plaza area, which was hurt when someone had the bright idea to construct an eastside shopping mall in the early 1990's, something like a ghost town remains. The McDonalds that stood there for years (the very first one to open in Ashtabula, back when burgers cost 15 cents) is just gone. Gas stations, bowling alley, cinema complex, other businesses -- vacant, boarded up, abandoned, looking ready to dry up and blow away. These days, that mall doesn't seem to be in great shape either. Relics of the 20th Century.
Is this our future in America? Will we discard everything that we deem past its expiration date, seeking newer, bigger, brighter, and shinier, until our entire past is gone and forgotten? Or will more communities adopt the repair, reuse, recycle, repurpose mantra and show some mindfulness and respect for human history, the limits of the planet, the needs and sensibilities of others around us, and those who will come after us?
Thursday, June 13, 2013
In every life a little rain must fall
Well, what did Henry Wadsworth Longfellow know? These days, it's either NO rain (drought) or a WHOLE LOT of rain. I'm wondering if my little annual flowers will survive these repeated soakings. I have dug little drainage canals through my flower beds.I managed to miss out on just about everything last weekend, not because of the weather, but because I was waylaid by a nasty upper respiratory virus. (But I was very pleased with the prompt, professional service I received at 5 Star Urgent Care on Saturday morning.) I'm feeling better now, and hoping for better weather this weekend, for everyone's sake. The weather forecast at the moment says it's going to be just about perfect (with residual puddles and mosquitoes) on Saturday.
The St. Nicholas annual Yassou Festival will be held this Friday and Saturday, 11 am - 11 pm, rain or shine! Maybe getting out for some yummy Greek food will make up for the ribs I didn't get last weekend?
On Saturday afternoon, there is a drumming festival, artists showcase, and Art BURN Auction (everything that doesn't sell will be burned!) at the 100 Acre Woods (it's free), and that evening at 6, Big Leg Emma is playing a free show at Southern Tier Brewing.
Could be some really fun times.
Still waiting to find out if we'll be seeing the grandkids this weekend, now that there's been some talk about postponing their trip a couple of weeks.
Still wondering when Tom will get back from his cycling trip, which has been plagued with downpours, making for less than ideal riding conditions.
Waiting and wondering as I oversee this week's food buying club distribution and sit here waiting for people to pick up their orders.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
June is bustin' out
We waited so long for the warmer weather to get here, and now I've got my hands in dirt most of the time. Hallelujah!
As you can see, my little "farm" has expanded this year. I'm going to have to replant the carrots because nothing is coming up in that spot. It might have been too cold, or too wet, for the seeds.
My neighbor got her garden planted too. Tom built them a raised bed last year, but the first time around didn't go so well because she was late getting things planted and then out of town when things needed watering. With a little "mentoring," I think it will work out better this year.
We also have a bed planted at the JCC College Community Garden. That one will be a "giving garden" for St. Susan's, provided that they get the fence put up before the wildlife finds the smorgasbord. There are beans and greens, squash, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and melons. When a water line on the site turned out to be too costly for the college to bite off right now, Tom constructed a solar-powered system that pumps water from the nearby stream into a cistern. It's pretty cool. There are also rain barrels. Looking forward to spending some time there with the other gardeners this summer and learning new tricks!
At home, I've been reworking the flower gardens a little because, as usual, some things didn't make it through the winter. I've given up on growing butterfly bushes. Just given up. I love them, but can't afford to replant the
m every year. They just don't like my yard. My climbing "America" rose (the pretty coral pink one) bit the dust (the second one to die on me), so I replaced it with a good ole dependable Blaze. I managed to save some of the plants in the corner that was excavated for the water line repair, but lost a rose there too. I'm going to do some more thinking before I replace it, but in the meantime, I'm trying delphiniums again, though I generally don't have much success keeping those from one year to the next either.
My clematis, whatever the heck it is (one of those "we're not telling you what it is" things I picked up on a whim at Home Depot a couple of years ago) is in its usual show-stopping glory, and the smoke bush next to it is looking good too, having recovered from an earlier bout of "crispy" leaves (as nearly as I can figure, they got frost burned).
Now I'm on to a different project. Tom chopped out the old junipers by the front door and I've got a blank slate to work with. I'm increasing the width of my borders too, so I'm out there digging like a terrier every chance I get. (Oh please, don't tell the terrier next door I said that. He may take it as an invitation.)
Before all this playing in the dirt started, we made a quick trip to Boston for Grandparents Day at Logan's preschool. We had fun meeting his classmates and teachers. We got to participate in activities in the classroom, the kids put on a musical program for us, and then we were treated to a nice luncheon. That's me and Tom sitting on the floor reading stories with Logan (blue shirt) and his friend Taylor. When you're grandparents, it's always easier sitting down on the floor than it is getting up to a standing position again.
Next morning, we watched 5-yr-olds playing soccer! This is hilarious good fun. Sorry, we forgot the camera. Logan did score a couple of goals, which were almost as impressive as his celebrations of them.
His baby sister, Quinn, is 11 months old now and a very active, busy little girl. We will have to be vigilant when they come to visit next week...
Jamestown Farmers Market opens this Friday, tomorrow! The Prendergast Library is also holding their annual book sale, and having it at the Renaissance Center this year, so there will be congestion downtown. (We've already been noticing an uptick in the traffic as the summer season approaches.)
The Celoron Rib Fest opened last night with beautiful weather, but today is a damp one. Don't suppose it will stop the diehard barbecue fans. The forecast for Friday and Saturday looks a bit better.
For nature lovers, the Roger Tory Peterson Bird Fest is this also weekend. You can purchase "a la carte" tickets to the different field excursions (which include bus transportation) or buy passes for either day or both, to include meals.
In two weeks, the Jammers will be playing ball again.
Get out and have a good time.
As you can see, my little "farm" has expanded this year. I'm going to have to replant the carrots because nothing is coming up in that spot. It might have been too cold, or too wet, for the seeds.My neighbor got her garden planted too. Tom built them a raised bed last year, but the first time around didn't go so well because she was late getting things planted and then out of town when things needed watering. With a little "mentoring," I think it will work out better this year.
We also have a bed planted at the JCC College Community Garden. That one will be a "giving garden" for St. Susan's, provided that they get the fence put up before the wildlife finds the smorgasbord. There are beans and greens, squash, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and melons. When a water line on the site turned out to be too costly for the college to bite off right now, Tom constructed a solar-powered system that pumps water from the nearby stream into a cistern. It's pretty cool. There are also rain barrels. Looking forward to spending some time there with the other gardeners this summer and learning new tricks!
At home, I've been reworking the flower gardens a little because, as usual, some things didn't make it through the winter. I've given up on growing butterfly bushes. Just given up. I love them, but can't afford to replant the
m every year. They just don't like my yard. My climbing "America" rose (the pretty coral pink one) bit the dust (the second one to die on me), so I replaced it with a good ole dependable Blaze. I managed to save some of the plants in the corner that was excavated for the water line repair, but lost a rose there too. I'm going to do some more thinking before I replace it, but in the meantime, I'm trying delphiniums again, though I generally don't have much success keeping those from one year to the next either. 
Now I'm on to a different project. Tom chopped out the old junipers by the front door and I've got a blank slate to work with. I'm increasing the width of my borders too, so I'm out there digging like a terrier every chance I get. (Oh please, don't tell the terrier next door I said that. He may take it as an invitation.)
Before all this playing in the dirt started, we made a quick trip to Boston for Grandparents Day at Logan's preschool. We had fun meeting his classmates and teachers. We got to participate in activities in the classroom, the kids put on a musical program for us, and then we were treated to a nice luncheon. That's me and Tom sitting on the floor reading stories with Logan (blue shirt) and his friend Taylor. When you're grandparents, it's always easier sitting down on the floor than it is getting up to a standing position again.
Next morning, we watched 5-yr-olds playing soccer! This is hilarious good fun. Sorry, we forgot the camera. Logan did score a couple of goals, which were almost as impressive as his celebrations of them.
His baby sister, Quinn, is 11 months old now and a very active, busy little girl. We will have to be vigilant when they come to visit next week...
Jamestown Farmers Market opens this Friday, tomorrow! The Prendergast Library is also holding their annual book sale, and having it at the Renaissance Center this year, so there will be congestion downtown. (We've already been noticing an uptick in the traffic as the summer season approaches.)
The Celoron Rib Fest opened last night with beautiful weather, but today is a damp one. Don't suppose it will stop the diehard barbecue fans. The forecast for Friday and Saturday looks a bit better.
For nature lovers, the Roger Tory Peterson Bird Fest is this also weekend. You can purchase "a la carte" tickets to the different field excursions (which include bus transportation) or buy passes for either day or both, to include meals.
In two weeks, the Jammers will be playing ball again.
Get out and have a good time.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Alert the fashion police...I've gone rogue!
I really was planning to get a haircut yesterday. But I stopped and asked myself the question...WHY? Why do I want to subject myself to something I've always hated?
No offense to all of you with the cute, fashionable, shiny do's, expertly crafted, trimmed, colored, shaded, highlighted, curled or straightened, and maintained with gallons of salon products. You look great, I'm sure you're worth it, and you're helping to keep a whole industry afloat.
But WHY? What really shapes our images of who we want to be, what (or whom) we want to look like, and for whom are we really putting ourselves through this?
And all those "products" we're absorbing through our scalp...better living through chemistry, or is it? I cringe when I think of all the perms inflicted upon me in the 80's and 90's, and I'm glad that, except for a few youthful experiments, I never got into the whole coloring thing.
My hair has gotten long. Some would say, TOO long for a woman of a certain age. Where did that notion come from anyway? By letting my hair "go natural," more or less, I save myself a lot of time and trouble (and money) on maintenance, no trims, no "roots" to worry about, very little time fussing in front of the mirror. Clean, reasonably neat (just brush, or pull up into a clip when having it hanging interferes with an activity or otherwise annoys me), comfortable. Not that I was ever a slavish follower of fashion trends, but those are the principles I have come to apply to clothing, too.
Freedom from the shoulds and musts of others' expectations gives us so much more head space to simply BE, and to explore other things that intrigue us and perhaps actually matter in the bigger picture. Life is short and we fritter it away on trends.
I trimmed my own hair.
No offense to all of you with the cute, fashionable, shiny do's, expertly crafted, trimmed, colored, shaded, highlighted, curled or straightened, and maintained with gallons of salon products. You look great, I'm sure you're worth it, and you're helping to keep a whole industry afloat.
But WHY? What really shapes our images of who we want to be, what (or whom) we want to look like, and for whom are we really putting ourselves through this?
And all those "products" we're absorbing through our scalp...better living through chemistry, or is it? I cringe when I think of all the perms inflicted upon me in the 80's and 90's, and I'm glad that, except for a few youthful experiments, I never got into the whole coloring thing.
My hair has gotten long. Some would say, TOO long for a woman of a certain age. Where did that notion come from anyway? By letting my hair "go natural," more or less, I save myself a lot of time and trouble (and money) on maintenance, no trims, no "roots" to worry about, very little time fussing in front of the mirror. Clean, reasonably neat (just brush, or pull up into a clip when having it hanging interferes with an activity or otherwise annoys me), comfortable. Not that I was ever a slavish follower of fashion trends, but those are the principles I have come to apply to clothing, too.
Freedom from the shoulds and musts of others' expectations gives us so much more head space to simply BE, and to explore other things that intrigue us and perhaps actually matter in the bigger picture. Life is short and we fritter it away on trends.
I trimmed my own hair.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Happy days are here again...
It took several days, but the new paint job on the picket fence is done. The wire fence is up around the vegetable garden, and the beds are ready for planting. WARNING: it's still only the second week in May. If you jumped the gun and planted frost-sensitive annuals anyway, COVER THEM UP THIS WEEKEND. The temperatures are going to take a temporary dip again, and yes, it's likely we will have overnight FREEZING temperatures Sunday-Monday.
I hope this doesn't mean another year of no apples for us.
It may be a little damp on Saturday, but it's Spring Cleanup and Recycling Day at our UU Congregation on Prendergast. Although Hands On Jamestown isn't until next weekend, this day was already on our calendar, and we have submitted our team and our project (which will include picking up litter in the neighborhood) to let the organizers know we're on board and doing our part in the community.
Silver Linings Playbook is playing at the Reg this weekend.
There's Friday Night Comedy at the JSB Arena throughout this month. The Ironmen are in the playoffs, and while the games are away this weekend, they will be shown live at the Arena this weekend.
There is live music at multiple venues and art shows and a craft fair at the Fairgrounds in Dunkirk on Saturday and nature and something for everybody all the time. So don't stay at home in front of the TV and complain that there's nothing to do. This is your life. It's not a dress rehearsal. You have to be your own director. Don't wait around for someone else to do it for you.
LIVE! Love! Puppies!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
May Day!
Gentlemen, start your engines. The perpetual droning of the lawnmowers has begun. It's one of those stupid things we humans do.
I keep chipping away at my lawn, little by little, and replacing it with more useful and interesting things. We have two new beds in the vegetable garden this year (one exclusively for herbs). The weather finally warmed enough for me to plant some seeds (cool weather things: snow peas, kale, chard). Now we have to get the wire fencing back in place before those seeds sprout. The rabbits are already queuing up with their little cafeteria trays. And the deer...well, let's just say that the dozen or so tulips I planted outside the picket fence last fall are unlikely to get to the blooming stage. Reminder to self: stick with daffodils. They hate those.
There was a small disruption in the force for the perennial garden last week, because our well head sits in one corner of it, and we were having some issues over the winter. The water pump was turning on too frequently, and we had the well guy out here a couple of times to install new valves. But it was only when the snow melted and the ground thawed, and we were able to see water seeping out of the ground and puddling in the driveway, that the source of the leak announced itself. Surprise! So last Monday the backhoe came and dug up that corner of the yard (I took some plants out ahead of time to try to save them), and the pipe joint causing all the trouble was replaced. The guy tried to be considerate and not dig up more than he had to, though I'm just amazed at the number (and size) of rocks he managed to unearth in that little spot. So I'm having to rework the soil, which is okay, because I wanted to rework the design in that corner a little bit this year anyway.
It turned out to be kind of an expensive week, because the washing machine in our (now rental) house in Cleveland bit the dust. Since we rented the house with all appliances, it was only fair to keep them working, so we bought our tenant a new washer. The joys of being a landlord!
This is always a busy time of year, and this year is no exception. There has been the film series at the college, and Tom and I did the Earth Day service on "The Importance of Less" at church, with some great musical contributions by Ylsa Guiffre. Last Wednesday, Tom and I both had tables at JCC's Earthfest (he for the office of sustainability and I for the food buying club) and it was a lot of fun. BRENDAN: THEY HAD BABY GOATS THERE!!!
This week, Tom is taking the Cornell Cooperative Extension's Master Food Preserver course, so we'll have an expert in the family. If you need help with canning, pickling, freezing, or jelly making, let us know! Master Gardeners and Food Preservers need to share their expertise with others in their communities.
Yesterday, our grandson, Logan, turned FIVE! We were not able to be there in person this year, but we bought our own cupcakes from Wegman's and celebrated with him over the phone as he opened the presents we sent. We have not seen the kids since Christmas, which is too long, but that's reality when they live 500 miles away! We do plan to see them later this month, and the baby will probably be walking by then.
It was really unnerving having family in the Boston area during the bombing episode. They were not downtown that day, and in fact live about 30 miles outside of the city, but it was still too close, especially since there were so many unknowns right up until the time the second suspect was captured. This was a dramatic series of events, and way over-exploited by the so-called news media. But, taken with the constant drip, drip, drip of other incidents (school shootings, including the in-class attempted gunshot suicide in Cincinnati; a grisly home invasion double homicide here in our quiet town; a murdered transgender woman dumped in a pond very near our former home in Cleveland; and the constant acrimonious shoutfest that makes up our public discourse), I can't help feeling that the wheels are starting to come off of our so-called civilization. I know some people think we should barricade ourselves in bunkers and arm ourselves to the teeth to fend off the outside world, but I'm not that paranoid. As always, I think it's good to acquire the skills and knowledge that will prepare you for any eventuality, and the security that comes from knowing you can handle whatever comes at you. And you just keep moving ahead with your life, taking the reality checks in stride. The government isn't the enemy. Other people are not the enemy. Being unprepared and helpless is the enemy. And each of us should know how to fix that.
It's warm and sunny here this week, so I'm going to get the new stain on the picket fence before the plants start growing up on it. The dog likes to lay in the grass and just watch. It's a tough life.
I keep chipping away at my lawn, little by little, and replacing it with more useful and interesting things. We have two new beds in the vegetable garden this year (one exclusively for herbs). The weather finally warmed enough for me to plant some seeds (cool weather things: snow peas, kale, chard). Now we have to get the wire fencing back in place before those seeds sprout. The rabbits are already queuing up with their little cafeteria trays. And the deer...well, let's just say that the dozen or so tulips I planted outside the picket fence last fall are unlikely to get to the blooming stage. Reminder to self: stick with daffodils. They hate those.
There was a small disruption in the force for the perennial garden last week, because our well head sits in one corner of it, and we were having some issues over the winter. The water pump was turning on too frequently, and we had the well guy out here a couple of times to install new valves. But it was only when the snow melted and the ground thawed, and we were able to see water seeping out of the ground and puddling in the driveway, that the source of the leak announced itself. Surprise! So last Monday the backhoe came and dug up that corner of the yard (I took some plants out ahead of time to try to save them), and the pipe joint causing all the trouble was replaced. The guy tried to be considerate and not dig up more than he had to, though I'm just amazed at the number (and size) of rocks he managed to unearth in that little spot. So I'm having to rework the soil, which is okay, because I wanted to rework the design in that corner a little bit this year anyway.
It turned out to be kind of an expensive week, because the washing machine in our (now rental) house in Cleveland bit the dust. Since we rented the house with all appliances, it was only fair to keep them working, so we bought our tenant a new washer. The joys of being a landlord!
This week, Tom is taking the Cornell Cooperative Extension's Master Food Preserver course, so we'll have an expert in the family. If you need help with canning, pickling, freezing, or jelly making, let us know! Master Gardeners and Food Preservers need to share their expertise with others in their communities.
It was really unnerving having family in the Boston area during the bombing episode. They were not downtown that day, and in fact live about 30 miles outside of the city, but it was still too close, especially since there were so many unknowns right up until the time the second suspect was captured. This was a dramatic series of events, and way over-exploited by the so-called news media. But, taken with the constant drip, drip, drip of other incidents (school shootings, including the in-class attempted gunshot suicide in Cincinnati; a grisly home invasion double homicide here in our quiet town; a murdered transgender woman dumped in a pond very near our former home in Cleveland; and the constant acrimonious shoutfest that makes up our public discourse), I can't help feeling that the wheels are starting to come off of our so-called civilization. I know some people think we should barricade ourselves in bunkers and arm ourselves to the teeth to fend off the outside world, but I'm not that paranoid. As always, I think it's good to acquire the skills and knowledge that will prepare you for any eventuality, and the security that comes from knowing you can handle whatever comes at you. And you just keep moving ahead with your life, taking the reality checks in stride. The government isn't the enemy. Other people are not the enemy. Being unprepared and helpless is the enemy. And each of us should know how to fix that.
It's warm and sunny here this week, so I'm going to get the new stain on the picket fence before the plants start growing up on it. The dog likes to lay in the grass and just watch. It's a tough life.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Respecting our Mother
I spent a good part of the last three days cleaning up the yard and getting the garden beds ready for planting.
Now, it's time to wait and watch the daffodils and tulips rise from the ground to greet the sunshine.
Last night, we attending the opening film of the new Endangered Earth series at JCC. The evening opened with a screening of Deb Lanni's original short film, Embrace, a beautiful montage of the diversity of life forms sharing our Earth. This was followed by the debut of student filmmaker Cody Delong's original documentary, The Leavers: Creating Community in Chautauqua County. The film is an exploration of the many individuals and organizations who, through individual actions, are building a sustainable community in Chautauqua County. I found this especially fun to watch because Tom worked with Cody on this film (and was named as "producer") and inevitably ended up "in the movies" himself.
Finally, there was a screening of Overview, a short film exploring the perspective of astronauts who have seen the Earth from space and have experienced the "overview effect." The experience is one that enables a transformative perception of the planet and all who live here as travelers aboard a single spaceship in the greater universe.The film also features insights from commentators and thinkers on the wider implications and importance of this understanding for humanity as a whole, and especially its relevance to how we meet the tremendous challenges facing our planet at this time.
Next week's film will be Carbon Nation, Wednesday the 17th at 7pm . in the Carnahan Theatre.
The series will continue with Waterlife on Monday, April 22, and Fresh on May 2.
Last night, we slept with the window open. What a treat.
* * * * *
*We've shut off a lot of the propaganda that incessantly urges us to consume like there's no tomorrow. No more corporate news, or essentially, noise. One of the best pieces of advice I can give anyone is TURN OFF YOUR TV. Tune into the real things around you instead.
*Our attention to recycling (especially since the BPU started accepting boxboard this year) has reduced our garbage to generally one kitchen size bag per week. With more diligent efforts at composting, we can reduce that even further.
*We have dramatically changed the way we eat, with the emphasis on whole foods, plant-based, and local. We started out with a pretty good supermarket here (Wegman's), since they carry a good selection of organic and even local foods. But since we joined the Furniture City Foods buying club last year, we've been able to tap into even more regional and organic resources. My mantra is BUY INGREDIENTS, NOT PRODUCTS. Processed foods tend to be fattening and toxic. "Fast food" now means "grab an apple or orange." We pack a cooler for road trips instead of subjecting ourselves to the offerings at turnpike service plazas.
*Our vegetable garden gets bigger each year. We've done a little bit of food preserving (canning applesauce from our trees, freezing berries, excess zucchini and chopped tomatoes, dehydrating apple slices and experimenting with other things), Tom is taking the Master Food Preserver course from the Cornell Cooperative Extension later this month, and then we'll be set for squirreling away much more of our own food for the winter. He'll also be instructing other people who are interested in doing this.
*We went from two cars to one quite a while ago, and Tom walks or bikes to work, sometimes taking the bus. Yes, there is public transportation in Jamestown, greatly under-utilized, but part of Tom's job as sustainability coordinator at a mainly commuter college is to find ways to incentivize people to drive less. The easiest way to do this is to put four people in one car instead of four people in four cars. It's an idea we're also promoting for getting people to church and other events. An advantage to small city living is that we all live in closer proximity to one another. And we don't have to be lone cowboys. It's okay to do things with friends!
*We are thrift shoppers. When we need something, we try to find it secondhand. We use our libraries for reading material, and I am an avid "recycler" of books -- buying from thrift stores and then donating them back when I'm finished with them.
It's a learning experience and a challenge to wean yourself away from the destructive craziness that we grew up thinking of as "normal" -- that all the resources in the world were there for the taking and he who dies with the most stuff wins. It's encouraging that some of our young people, who haven't yet been totally indoctrinated into conformity and complacency, seem to instinctively grasp how crazy it all is. Hopefully, they will figure out how much better life can be with fewer encumbrances and more cooperation.
One way or another, the future will be different.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Ahem...welcome SPRING, I said!
Winter is tenacious this year. Spring is waiting in the wings, but somebody's gotta grab the hook and yank the Icicle King off the stage. We are so beyond bored with this act.
Indoors, I have some lovely forsythia branches (thanks to a friend) that have been forced into bloom.
^^And these girls stopped by for lunch the other day.
The Easter Bunny also paid us an early visit, via UPS. Apparently, when you get old enough, things reverse and your kids start giving you candy. (Thanks, Brendan and Jenny!) We'll have to hurry and eat it to get it out of the house so we can get back to our healthy diet.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Welcome Spring!
I refuse to let a little thing like waking up to 14 degrees on the second day of SPRING get me down.
I'll admit I stayed home last night rather than driving to Randolph for the Cattaraugus-Chautauqua 4 Clean Water meeting, because when you're under a lake effect snow warning, it's hard to know where and when those bands of snow will hit. You can suddenly find yourself driving blind in a whiteout.
The snow warning has now been extended into tomorrow, so even though the sun is shining at the moment, we can likely expect to get dumped on again several times over the next 24 hours. That's just the way these things roll.
I do plan to attend this evening's presentation at the Prendergast Library on Fracking: Impacts on Environmental, Health, and Society. I hope to see a good turnout there, because this information is so important for people in our area to have. We need knowledge on our side to have even a fighting chance of avoiding the devastation our neighbors "south of the border" in Pennsylvania have seen. People must be aware that there are better ways to meet our energy needs, and create jobs! The event starts at 7 pm, so please plan to be there.
Today is the last day to see the "Andy Warhol: Acquisitions and Jamestown Nexus" exhibition at the Weeks Gallery at JCC. Hours are from 11 am - 5 pm, and admission is FREE.
Tomorrow and Saturday, the Ironmen will be back on the ice at the JSB Arena (with only two more scheduled home games after this, next weekend). Currently in second place in their division, the Ironmen are shooting for a first round bye in the playoffs. Support our local hockey team!
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If you like classical music, the Jamestown Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Prendergast will be hosting a Music Salon with guitar soloist James Piorkowski on Sunday at 7pm. Admission is free, although donations to help cover costs are gratefully accepted.
Daytime events: The GROW Jamestown Garden Fair will be held on Saturday downtown at the Renaissance Center from 10 am- 2 pm and will include vendors, workshops, and prizes. Think Spring! It's coming! Admission is free and downtown parking is free on weekends.
Meanwhile, at the Audubon Center, it's "Eggstravaganza" (learn about all sorts of eggs, birds to insects) from 11 am - 3 pm. (also Saturday) Cost is $7 ($5 for members). You might want to take along your snowshoes or skinny skis and enjoy the nature trails while you're there.
It's also Maple Weekend in New York, and the sap is running! In Chautauqua County, there are three producers that will be holding "open house" for visitors on Saturday and Sunday: Big Tree Maple in Lakewood, Clear Creek Farm in Mayville, and Fairbanks Maple in Forestville. Click on this link for details and directions.
Get out and do something! get your blood moving! We have options here, people!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Things to do on a cold March weekend
It's snowy and freezing out there again this morning. What to do, what to do?
Well, fortification with good strong coffee is always the first step. And local eggs scrambled with sauteed mushrooms and greens was the next step.
I know, I know, I'm flirting with danger of becoming the "Food in Jamestown" blog. But eating is something all of us have to do every day, and having fun with your food makes it even better.
Yesterday morning I attended an interesting meeting sponsored by the Southern Tier West Regional Planning & Development Board, the regional planning entity serving Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties. They have received a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant to assess various capacities related to the aggregation and distribution of food and food products produced within the three counties. The grant was awarded to retain an expert food system consultant to provide a 3rd party analysis of supply and demand factors, with special focus on the development of new markets for local and regional products.
This consultant is Anthony Flaccavento of Abingdon, VA, who is a commercial organic farmer and planned and launched one of the nation’s first local food aggregation and distribution enterprises: Appalachian Harvest. This effort, labeled as one of the first contemporary models of food hub facilities, became the model for food hub facilities that is now trending nationally. He is an interesting and knowledgeable guy!
Yesterday he was in Jamestown to gather information from local food producers, community stakeholders, planners, and food system advocates. I was there as a coordinator of a food buying club as well as my interest in and advocacy for all things local.
It will be interesting to see the report this summer. My amateur takeaway was that there is a very big piece of the puzzle missing here -- the aggregator -- which I hope can be solved at some point in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, it was made apparent that there is much we can and should be doing on a smaller scale right now here in Jamestown to ramp up our farmers market, to improve access (parking!) for customers and make the whole thing more worthwhile for farmers to participate in.
There is also much more that needs to be done in the way of educating people about the benefits of local food. Because most people still do their shopping at the grocery store.
To be continued.
Next week I'll be attending a meeting of the Food Security Taskforce (the east side of Jamestown is an official "food desert," but last summer's brief trial of a farmers market on that side of town was a big FAIL, so it's back to the drawing board), a meeting of the newly-formed Cattaraugus-Chautauqua 4 Clean Water anti-fracking group, a Critical Discussions presentation at Prendergast Library on Fracking --Impacts on Environment, Health, and Society, the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair at the Renaissance Center on Saturday 10AM - 2PM, and a little dinner with some members of our church.
But, today...
New Leash on Life animal rescue is holding an adoption event at the Lakewood Tractor Supply. If you've been thinking about getting a puppy, or an older dog, you might want to head out there 9AM - 2PM and meet these people, and get some wonderful warm wet puppy kisses!
Chautauqua Suites is holding another Indoor Yard Sale today. Admission $1, it's not out in the cold, and you never know what you might find!
If I decide to put down the coffee and get out from under my blanket, you might even see me there!
I know, I know, I'm flirting with danger of becoming the "Food in Jamestown" blog. But eating is something all of us have to do every day, and having fun with your food makes it even better.
Yesterday morning I attended an interesting meeting sponsored by the Southern Tier West Regional Planning & Development Board, the regional planning entity serving Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties. They have received a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant to assess various capacities related to the aggregation and distribution of food and food products produced within the three counties. The grant was awarded to retain an expert food system consultant to provide a 3rd party analysis of supply and demand factors, with special focus on the development of new markets for local and regional products.
This consultant is Anthony Flaccavento of Abingdon, VA, who is a commercial organic farmer and planned and launched one of the nation’s first local food aggregation and distribution enterprises: Appalachian Harvest. This effort, labeled as one of the first contemporary models of food hub facilities, became the model for food hub facilities that is now trending nationally. He is an interesting and knowledgeable guy!
Yesterday he was in Jamestown to gather information from local food producers, community stakeholders, planners, and food system advocates. I was there as a coordinator of a food buying club as well as my interest in and advocacy for all things local.
It will be interesting to see the report this summer. My amateur takeaway was that there is a very big piece of the puzzle missing here -- the aggregator -- which I hope can be solved at some point in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, it was made apparent that there is much we can and should be doing on a smaller scale right now here in Jamestown to ramp up our farmers market, to improve access (parking!) for customers and make the whole thing more worthwhile for farmers to participate in.
There is also much more that needs to be done in the way of educating people about the benefits of local food. Because most people still do their shopping at the grocery store.
To be continued.
Next week I'll be attending a meeting of the Food Security Taskforce (the east side of Jamestown is an official "food desert," but last summer's brief trial of a farmers market on that side of town was a big FAIL, so it's back to the drawing board), a meeting of the newly-formed Cattaraugus-Chautauqua 4 Clean Water anti-fracking group, a Critical Discussions presentation at Prendergast Library on Fracking --Impacts on Environment, Health, and Society, the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair at the Renaissance Center on Saturday 10AM - 2PM, and a little dinner with some members of our church.
But, today...
New Leash on Life animal rescue is holding an adoption event at the Lakewood Tractor Supply. If you've been thinking about getting a puppy, or an older dog, you might want to head out there 9AM - 2PM and meet these people, and get some wonderful warm wet puppy kisses!
Chautauqua Suites is holding another Indoor Yard Sale today. Admission $1, it's not out in the cold, and you never know what you might find!
If I decide to put down the coffee and get out from under my blanket, you might even see me there!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Fun with food
I meant to post an update last week, but with all the other things going on -- my attention to the food buying club, yoga, weaving, reading, and especially the additional time in the kitchen chopping vegetables -- it just didn't happen.
So, March roared in like a lion, right on schedule, resulting in the predictable crankiness about the staying power of winter. Right now it's thawing before it freezes again -- if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes. I did see an Amish farmer out in his field with his horses and plow over the weekend -- a sure sign of spring!
We've gotten through two weeks of the diet change, with very little slippage. The goal is not to be perfect ( there's going to be a little chocolate here and there, count on it), but we're enjoying our healthier food choices rather than feeling constricted by them. We're actually eating a much larger variety of foods than before. Salads have become much more interesting with the addition of nuts and seeds and sprouts. More fruit in the house means more fruit flies. Hey, the more the merrier!
I'll be overseeing my second distribution for the food buying club this week, and so far so good. It was fun meeting some of the other members for the first time, and getting new ideas about what to order in the future. I took a big leap and added some tofu to my order this time. I've never been a big tofu fan, but I have to admit that the recipes I've tried from Dr. Fuhrman's book have been delicious, so I'm willing to try the tofu ones, just because. In order to like certain foods (kale, for instance), you have to give them several tries and learn the best ways to prepare them. I like having fun with my food.
Usually not THIS much fun, though:
But if you feel inspired, go for it!
So, March roared in like a lion, right on schedule, resulting in the predictable crankiness about the staying power of winter. Right now it's thawing before it freezes again -- if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes. I did see an Amish farmer out in his field with his horses and plow over the weekend -- a sure sign of spring!
We've gotten through two weeks of the diet change, with very little slippage. The goal is not to be perfect ( there's going to be a little chocolate here and there, count on it), but we're enjoying our healthier food choices rather than feeling constricted by them. We're actually eating a much larger variety of foods than before. Salads have become much more interesting with the addition of nuts and seeds and sprouts. More fruit in the house means more fruit flies. Hey, the more the merrier!
I'll be overseeing my second distribution for the food buying club this week, and so far so good. It was fun meeting some of the other members for the first time, and getting new ideas about what to order in the future. I took a big leap and added some tofu to my order this time. I've never been a big tofu fan, but I have to admit that the recipes I've tried from Dr. Fuhrman's book have been delicious, so I'm willing to try the tofu ones, just because. In order to like certain foods (kale, for instance), you have to give them several tries and learn the best ways to prepare them. I like having fun with my food.
Usually not THIS much fun, though:
But if you feel inspired, go for it!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
New Discoveries
This brings me to a recurring problem we are always running into as we adjust from a metropolitan environment to a "small town in the middle of nowhere" environment: communication is different here. And some of our habits are hard to change.
There are no local TV stations. There are local radio stations. But my radio is usually set to NPR, and around here, the public radio station is out of Buffalo and the "local" news is Buffalo-centric. However, in the past year, I've become acquainted with Jason Sample of WRFA, the local low power "radio for the arts," and I do hear about lots of things via his Facebook postings. So, I guess this is a case of "whom you know."
The local daily newspaper leaves a lot to be desired, and I don't regularly scan the weeklies. I miss the Chautauqua Word, the indie paper that I loved, but it fell by the wayside after losing Steve Lafreniere as editor.
There is no single website that serves as a "go-to" place for all things happening local. In fact, irritatingly enough, most websites here do not get updated in a timely manner and cannot be relied upon for correct information if you want it in a hurry. In Cleveland, there was a regular collection of local blogs I could scan daily for important information. Not so much here. So, for people like me who have come to rely on being plugged into the information highway via the internet, a clunky and time-consuming process of surfing is required. And the result: "I find out about a lot of things I would have liked doing only after they happen." Wish I had a quarter for every time I've heard somebody say this.
Anyway, now that I've discovered the fish fry, I'd like to go to one, but our new diet may pre-empt it. My interest in nutrition and health, and my friend Bonnie, have led me to Dr. Joel Fuhrman and EAT TO LIVE, a high-nutrient, high-fiber (mainly) plant-based way of eating that is touted as an answer to the obesity epidemic and remedy for other lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. We've been trending veggie in our food choices for quite a while anyway, and I'm old enough and heavy enough to be motivated by a chance to throw away my blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications. The bonus in this book is some great recipes for combining veggies in new and delicious ways! I was always a sucker for new recipes.
After the first few days...it's great. I find myself spending a LOT of time in the kitchen right now...chopping veggies. There are frequent trips to the store for MORE GREENS, and the nightly soaking of the dried beans. My food processor, seldom used until now, has become my new BFF. Eating involves a lot more CHEWING and savoring. And this is the really cool part (and it doesn't necessarily happen this fast for everybody): I'm not having any cravings for the things that have always tended to bring me down: sweets, ice cream, mac and cheese (with white pasta). I'm loving the new variety. I'll let you know how it's going later. After all, this is Week 1, and the novelty hasn't worn off. But these foods MAKE SENSE. And I feel good.
Finally, without reasonable segue, a word about our local hockey team, the Ironmen. I confess that we haven't been to any of the games. Tom and I rarely go out in the evening, but I hear lots of complaining about "nothing to do" in Jamestown, which is just wrong, and probably actually means, "I'm not getting laid." Whatever. We have this minor league team that's WINNING, and an opportunity to watch some future stars of the NFL in action, tickets are reasonably priced, and yet they're having trouble filling up the seats in the arena. What is wrong with this picture? There's still time to catch a game or two this season: they're playing on the road now, but will be back in town for the last two weekends in March. So, gather up your friends and make it an outing. Do something different for a change.
We're going up to SUNY Fredonia this afternoon to hear Dr. Anthony Ingraffea from Cornell present some actual facts about fracking. Meanwhile comes the news that the Chinese Petrochemical Corp. is buying a 50% share of Chesapeake Energy assets. Any questions about who will benefit from the destruction of our environment?
Monday, February 18, 2013
Waiting for Spring
What I've learned about rug weaving so far: I'm still not ready for prime time. In fact, I'm not even actually weaving the rug yet. I am still correcting mistakes I made in threading the loom. Loom weaving is not for sissies.
We're having another cold snap here -- 7 degrees this morning. Tom has the day off for President's Day, and is out in the back yard in his tent, testing the performance of his really, really cold weather camping gear. Seriously.
I may go shopping (!) today, just to see if I can find myself a new pair of boots on sale.
It seems like this winter is going by much faster than last winter. Maybe we're just busier now than we were last winter. I've started plotting out my garden (on paper). Square foot gardening worked well for me last summer, and I'm going to stick with it. Hanging strawberries might be fun to try, too. Community gardens will be expanding this year as well, with the new project at JCC ready to go.
I've been added as a coordinator for the Furniture City Foods buying club, and I'm going to be exploring ways of using communication and customer service to improve the ordering process for members. As much as we love Wegman's, it feels really good to be tapped into a distribution system for locally and regionally sourced foods. There's peace of mind in knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced. Unless you don't mind poisoning yourself and your family, of course.
Speaking of which, we became aware last week of two sites across the lake in Ellery where fracking permits will be issued when the statewide moratorium is lifted. This is alarmingly close to one of the wells which provide the water for the city of Jamestown. Reading through the comments on pro-fracking sites online, it is apparent that people are woefully ignorant of what fracking will mean for our area. This is NOT the same kind of well drilling that has been happening since 1947. This is a process that will industrialize what are now quiet rural areas and bring in an incredible amount of truck traffic, noise, and of course deadly pollution. It is important for people to learn the facts. There will be two opportunities next week when Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, shale oil expert from Cornell, presents facts at SUNY Fredonia and at the Cornell Extension Facilities in Portland. Do yourselves a favor and give him a listen.
We're having another cold snap here -- 7 degrees this morning. Tom has the day off for President's Day, and is out in the back yard in his tent, testing the performance of his really, really cold weather camping gear. Seriously.
I may go shopping (!) today, just to see if I can find myself a new pair of boots on sale.
It seems like this winter is going by much faster than last winter. Maybe we're just busier now than we were last winter. I've started plotting out my garden (on paper). Square foot gardening worked well for me last summer, and I'm going to stick with it. Hanging strawberries might be fun to try, too. Community gardens will be expanding this year as well, with the new project at JCC ready to go.I've been added as a coordinator for the Furniture City Foods buying club, and I'm going to be exploring ways of using communication and customer service to improve the ordering process for members. As much as we love Wegman's, it feels really good to be tapped into a distribution system for locally and regionally sourced foods. There's peace of mind in knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced. Unless you don't mind poisoning yourself and your family, of course.
Speaking of which, we became aware last week of two sites across the lake in Ellery where fracking permits will be issued when the statewide moratorium is lifted. This is alarmingly close to one of the wells which provide the water for the city of Jamestown. Reading through the comments on pro-fracking sites online, it is apparent that people are woefully ignorant of what fracking will mean for our area. This is NOT the same kind of well drilling that has been happening since 1947. This is a process that will industrialize what are now quiet rural areas and bring in an incredible amount of truck traffic, noise, and of course deadly pollution. It is important for people to learn the facts. There will be two opportunities next week when Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, shale oil expert from Cornell, presents facts at SUNY Fredonia and at the Cornell Extension Facilities in Portland. Do yourselves a favor and give him a listen.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
An uneventful week
It's been an uneventful week. And when I say uneventful, I mean I've been in full couch potato mode.
Despite my best efforts to avoid illness, I came down with a cold. Since I rarely get colds (I think this one attached itself to Tom at school and snuck into our house to get me), I'd kind of forgotten how miserable they can be. So most of the past week has been a bendryl-induced haze. Good timing, really, because the outdoor temperatures haven't climbed out of the teens. And the dog has been pretty patient with me, considering. I finally came out of the fog, with the help of some homemade chicken soup, and this morning I think I'll go back out in the world, to my yoga class. Props to my immune system, and the chicken, for a job well done.
One of the things I observed over the past week is that when my mind is freed of all those "gotta do" messages (because my body put the brakes on, full stop, and declared it was not going anywhere or doing anything, and that was that!), my more creative thoughts come in and have a party. They've been creating an expanded children's program for the church, a plan for subgroups in the food buying club, writing the Great American Novel, and exploding with new craft ideas.
I even had some pretty profound thoughts about the advantages of small town living in a place like Jamestown in the kind of future we're heading into. I wish I had written them down, because this is a theme that needs to be articulated until all of the people who live here appreciate the jewel they have in their hands. I am grateful to the people who understand this and work every day at nurturing and improving our community for ourselves and future generations.
Of course, now that I have returned to able-bodied status, the "gotta do" voices are back, and my time for all the fun and profound stuff will be reduced, alas!
One of the things I observed over the past week is that when my mind is freed of all those "gotta do" messages (because my body put the brakes on, full stop, and declared it was not going anywhere or doing anything, and that was that!), my more creative thoughts come in and have a party. They've been creating an expanded children's program for the church, a plan for subgroups in the food buying club, writing the Great American Novel, and exploding with new craft ideas.
I even had some pretty profound thoughts about the advantages of small town living in a place like Jamestown in the kind of future we're heading into. I wish I had written them down, because this is a theme that needs to be articulated until all of the people who live here appreciate the jewel they have in their hands. I am grateful to the people who understand this and work every day at nurturing and improving our community for ourselves and future generations.
Of course, now that I have returned to able-bodied status, the "gotta do" voices are back, and my time for all the fun and profound stuff will be reduced, alas!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Dinner for six in a two-person house
We had our first real sit down dinner party in this little house on Saturday, and it worked.
We've had family and out of town cycling friends here in the past, but those were mostly outdoor patio and lawn chair affairs with plates balanced on laps.
This time we were hosting the first of the church Little Dinners, with four guests who had never been in our home before, and no dining room.
What we're finding in small house living is that often things have multiple purposes. We managed to pull together enough seating from all through the house. My large desk moved to the center of the whatever room and dressed with a tablecloth served as the table (with warnings to our guests to watch their knees). The food and the company were very enjoyable. The dog almost behaved. (He is accustomed to quiet evenings and having his parents to himself, so his patience with "invaders" wears thin after a while.) We may even do this again! I may even decide to swap out the desk for a table that also serves as a desk, who knows! We really haven't figured out what that room is anyway. It was the bedroom before we added the second story, and now it is the room next to the living room.
We're about to have our second "January thaw," so I'm having a last look at the pretty white snow before it turns to slop this afternoon. I'm seeing a predicted high of 57 degrees on Wednesday, followed by a drop back into the teens on Thursday. Strapping on my seatbelt now for the wild barometric roller coaster ride! Looks like the snow will be back in time for the Audubon center's annual Snowflake Festival on Saturday, whew. I go just to see the sled dogs. If the snow is good, we may pack our snowshoes.
I'm enjoying the quiet today. My only immediate plan is to tear an old sheet into strips, which will be repurposed into a rug at my weaving class starting this week. Banzai!
We've had family and out of town cycling friends here in the past, but those were mostly outdoor patio and lawn chair affairs with plates balanced on laps.
This time we were hosting the first of the church Little Dinners, with four guests who had never been in our home before, and no dining room.
What we're finding in small house living is that often things have multiple purposes. We managed to pull together enough seating from all through the house. My large desk moved to the center of the whatever room and dressed with a tablecloth served as the table (with warnings to our guests to watch their knees). The food and the company were very enjoyable. The dog almost behaved. (He is accustomed to quiet evenings and having his parents to himself, so his patience with "invaders" wears thin after a while.) We may even do this again! I may even decide to swap out the desk for a table that also serves as a desk, who knows! We really haven't figured out what that room is anyway. It was the bedroom before we added the second story, and now it is the room next to the living room.
We're about to have our second "January thaw," so I'm having a last look at the pretty white snow before it turns to slop this afternoon. I'm seeing a predicted high of 57 degrees on Wednesday, followed by a drop back into the teens on Thursday. Strapping on my seatbelt now for the wild barometric roller coaster ride! Looks like the snow will be back in time for the Audubon center's annual Snowflake Festival on Saturday, whew. I go just to see the sled dogs. If the snow is good, we may pack our snowshoes.
I'm enjoying the quiet today. My only immediate plan is to tear an old sheet into strips, which will be repurposed into a rug at my weaving class starting this week. Banzai!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Back on the Planet Hoth
Globally speaking, this may be the warmest winter on record, but at any given time, some of us find ourselves caught in the extremes of this whole climate weirding process. Australia's Bureau of Meterology has added two brand new colors to their temperature maps to reflect the record-breaking heat. The brushfires are so widespread that they can be seen from space.
Here in western NY, we're on the not-quite-so-extreme other end at the moment. We're talking single digits and wind chills in the minus territory. Mr. Winter Outdoor Adventurer caught a ride with the neighbor instead of walking to work (or even walking to wait for the bus) this morning. It's actually warmer today ("warmer" being a relative term) than earlier this week, when the whole town basically shut down, but I guess he wanted to get to work earlier than usual.
He had some adventures this past weekend, backpacking with a couple of buddies on the Westside Overland Trail. Here, I'll let him tell the story:
Hiking through the hurricane. The Westside Overland Trail is usually a placid, gently rolling trail running for 24 miles north to south in western Chautauqua County linking several state forests with private woodlots and fields. The only hills to speak of are the valleys into and out of the small stream crossings like the Brokenstraw, Wing, and Prendergast Creeks. This is usually a quite hike. Usually.He had a blast. Clearly, he loves this stuff. I had two white-knuckled drives: avoiding deer and Amish buggies, in the dark, in the middle of freaking nowhere, on the way home from dropping him off Friday night. And again on Sunday morning, in 60 mph wind gusts and white-out conditions. I guess you could say we both had winter weekend adventures.
Three of us, Marion from Canada, Garrett from Buffalo, and I camped at the southern end Friday night planning to hike north for 20 miles over Saturday and Sunday. There was a high wind warning and it started howling around 7. By 8 we were snug in our tents thinking the huge hemlocks we were under had seen many storms and were not going to fall. It was cold with a light coating of snow and despite the noise, we slept well. The wind was still raging in the morning, ripping through the trees, but with no alternative, off we went.
The winds dropped throughout the day and by afternoon it could only be called breezy and the temp had risen into the upper 30. Our camp for the night was in a deep glade of old growth hemlocks on Prendergast Creek. The evening was quiet and the sky showed moon and stars. I warned the others to expect snow by morning. We fell asleep listening the the brook.
At 3AM the wind started raging again, more ferocious then the day before. It was obvious that we had passed through the eye of the storm overnight and were now on the backside. Unzipping the tent, I shined my light up into the trees overhead and watched them twist and sway under the starry sky until icy pellets started falling. I zipped back up and snuggled deep into my nylon and down cocoon. I never did hear that creek, flowing right next to the tent, again.
The wind increased still more, screaming through the trees and battering the tent. At one point I rolled onto my side, one ear pressed into the stuff sack of spare clothes I used for a pillow and that pressed hard into the ground. I heard the wind screaming in the upper ear and a strange wailing sub-tone, fainter and in a higher key, but in tempo with the raging noise above. I don't know what caused it, maybe my air mattress was picking up the vibrations but is seemed like the earth itself was wailing and it was spooky.
I got up at 6 and in the dark and began to boil water for breakfast. By 6:30 I started to wake the other two when Mother Nature gave us a wake up call. A nearby tree, we could not see where in the dark, succumbed to the wind and came thundering down. We broke camp quickly, ate a fast breakfast and were off by 7:30 but not before another nearby tree came crashing down. Our pace was pretty quick. We had to climb over or around several other new windfalls.
After a couple of miles the snow began in earnest, not falling, but flowing sideways. We left the woods for an open field and I commented to Garrett that it was good to get away from the trees. He replied, "yeah, but now we might get hit by a cow." It was a crosswind and with the packs kept blowing us sideways. Within an hour it was all white and visibility was quite low, the temp had dropped 10 degrees since breakfast to 21. My wife, Susan, was to pick me up at the hike's end but we all agreed to call her and pick us up a couple of miles short of our planned destination. As they headed toward Buffalo, Sue and I turned toward home and had to drive around several road closures and accidents.
It wasn't enough for him. Monday he went out there again to ski. I stayed home. I wasn't worried. The LAKE EFFECT WINTER STORM WARNING wasn't in effect till that evening. There were flurries when he arrived back home--immediaitely snagged as he got out of the car by our elderly next door neighbor, who was frantic: her daughter and grandson, returning home from a weekend in Canada, had been in a bad accident on the Thruway. The daughter had borrowed a phone long enough to say they were okay, despite her head slamming into the door, but we had to wait for details on the situation. Tom got on the phone to the state police, but they were busy sorting things out--accidents were shutting down the Thruway from just west of Buffalo all the way to the PA state line.
We finally got the news that Catherine and Ian had been taken by ambulance to the hospital in Irving (about an hour from here in GOOD weather) to be evaluated for her concussion. Around 7:30, she was judged good to go...nowhere. The waiting room. The car had been totalled, hit from behind by a semi and spun around into other cars for a 6-vehicle pileup that looked like this:
Almost miraculously, there were only minor injuries. But Catherine and her 10-yr-old son were still an hour away, and the weather situation was seriously deteriorating. So, on a night when normal people stayed home, Tom and I got back in the car for another adventure. We had the good fortune of getting behind a plow in both directions over the treacherous ridge. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to know where the road was. Happy ending for all concerned.
Tuesday, we stayed home and Tom baked bread.
It's cold. It's snowing. It's winter. It's okay.
Monday, January 14, 2013
January Thaw
It seemed like a normal winter around here for a while. Lots of snow, followed by a thaw.
But the "thaw" was unusually warm, and all of the snow (except for the big piles left by the plows) went away. Temps were in the 60's yesterday. It was comfortable to go out without a coat -- I even had a window open for a bit -- and the birds were singing like it was springtime.
Which it wasn't, of course. Overnight, the cold front blew through and the temperature dropped by 30 degrees. It's still dropping. Back to the illusion of normalcy, for now.
I thought it might be fun during the winter months for our congregation to hold a series of Little Dinners. We did these all the time when we lived in Erie (many years ago) and it's a great opportunity for small groups (6-8 people) who normally only see one another at church to meet at someone's home for a potluck style dinner and get to know one another a little better over good food and conversation. Well, enough people agreed it was a good idea and I am now in the process of setting these up. The first dinners will be on the 26th. We'll be hosting one here, which may require some rearranging of the furniture, but we're looking forward to it. Our church attendance is up this year, and we've welcomed several new members and regular visitors, so there are many more good conversations to be had!
The seed and flower catalogs are arriving, which always gets me excited. I haven't sat down to draw up my new garden plans yet (there's still plenty of time!), but I have lots of new material to get my imagination working productively. I read earlier in the week that, properly motivated, Americans grew 40% of their own food in their backyard "victory gardens" during WWII. So why on earth do we accept produce out of season from other continents, picked too soon because it has to be shipped thousands of miles, and it ends up tasting like crap? Are humans getting dumber as time goes on? There are some difficulties with our less than year-old food buying club (an effort to buy more regionally produced, and better quality, foods at bulk prices) because of the need for people to change and coordinate their buying habits. I really hope that members will hang in there because the food really is better and it makes more sense to plan and shop this way. For those of you who live in and around Jamestown and who still are not aware, this is Furniture City Foods I am talking about. C'mon and get on board! Everybody wins when we work together.
My adventures in cooking with new recipes will continue this week. I have learned that rolled oats and shredded zucchini are good additions to meatloaf, and I've discovered several winning recipes for quinoa-stuffed peppers. (I actually did a mash-up of three different recipes.) I'm looking for more recipes with quinoa and some new ones for lentils because I have a lot of both on hand.
But the "thaw" was unusually warm, and all of the snow (except for the big piles left by the plows) went away. Temps were in the 60's yesterday. It was comfortable to go out without a coat -- I even had a window open for a bit -- and the birds were singing like it was springtime.
Which it wasn't, of course. Overnight, the cold front blew through and the temperature dropped by 30 degrees. It's still dropping. Back to the illusion of normalcy, for now.
I thought it might be fun during the winter months for our congregation to hold a series of Little Dinners. We did these all the time when we lived in Erie (many years ago) and it's a great opportunity for small groups (6-8 people) who normally only see one another at church to meet at someone's home for a potluck style dinner and get to know one another a little better over good food and conversation. Well, enough people agreed it was a good idea and I am now in the process of setting these up. The first dinners will be on the 26th. We'll be hosting one here, which may require some rearranging of the furniture, but we're looking forward to it. Our church attendance is up this year, and we've welcomed several new members and regular visitors, so there are many more good conversations to be had!
The seed and flower catalogs are arriving, which always gets me excited. I haven't sat down to draw up my new garden plans yet (there's still plenty of time!), but I have lots of new material to get my imagination working productively. I read earlier in the week that, properly motivated, Americans grew 40% of their own food in their backyard "victory gardens" during WWII. So why on earth do we accept produce out of season from other continents, picked too soon because it has to be shipped thousands of miles, and it ends up tasting like crap? Are humans getting dumber as time goes on? There are some difficulties with our less than year-old food buying club (an effort to buy more regionally produced, and better quality, foods at bulk prices) because of the need for people to change and coordinate their buying habits. I really hope that members will hang in there because the food really is better and it makes more sense to plan and shop this way. For those of you who live in and around Jamestown and who still are not aware, this is Furniture City Foods I am talking about. C'mon and get on board! Everybody wins when we work together.
My adventures in cooking with new recipes will continue this week. I have learned that rolled oats and shredded zucchini are good additions to meatloaf, and I've discovered several winning recipes for quinoa-stuffed peppers. (I actually did a mash-up of three different recipes.) I'm looking for more recipes with quinoa and some new ones for lentils because I have a lot of both on hand.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Happy New Year!
Well, hello again, you survivors of the Mayan apocalypse! Whew, that was close, but the world didn't end, and we had to pay our hotel bill after all.
We traveled to the east coast for Christmas with the kids and grandkids, and our daughter's in-laws. It was a joyous occasion. When you have kids on both coasts and you live in the middle, the whole family unit doesn't land in one place too often. When it does, there is much eating, drinking, and merrymaking.
And now I have resolved not to step on a scale for the entire month of January. After three post-Thanksgiving weeks of disciplined, healthy eating (minimal sugar and breads, lots of veggies), I started my Christmas baking and it was all over. There are some family traditions you really don't WANT to let go of, ya know? I have now successfully made kolache, a wonderful, almost sacred, Hungarian nut roll confection that was once my mother's exclusive territory. My kids grew up having it for breakfast on Christmas morning, and we will continue that tradition. Only once a year!
Speaking of traditions, I haven't completely thrown out the Christmas card one (as many people have), although I'm afraid they are going to be New Year's cards this year. The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.
Tom and I started out the year with a snowshoeing excursion. It is a winter wonderland here, and there are few things to match the peace and beauty of a snowy woods. Channeling Robert Frost! The dog had a good time too, although not on snowshoes. He ran wide circles around us, springing up like a porpoise, tunneling into the snow with his nose when he needed a get a particularly good sniff, and leaving lots of messages. And he wasn't as tired as I was afterwards either.
For the past couple of days, I've been staying indoors, putting away the decorations, cleaning up files on the computer, and doing some cooking. Yesterday it was a big pot of chickpeas with several meals in mind: chana masala for dinner, a batch of veggie burgers for the freezer, and some freshly made hummus on the side. We're getting ourselves back on the track we fell off of a few weeks ago.
This morning, I made a quick trip out to get a flu shot, reversing my earlier decision to avoid it this year, after reading about the 181% increase in flu cases statewide over last year. It appears to be a particularly nasty flu, too. No thanks, I don't want any. I got the shot.
Though I haven't been posting here frequently lately, I have updated the calendar, and will be adding some new links, so bookmark and check back frequently. It was my intention from the beginning to make this site a source for information about local events and resources, as well as sustainability in general. I hope that people will use my site as an index for accessing those links and not just come here to read my postings. There's so much more here for you than that!
Happy 2013, here we go!
We traveled to the east coast for Christmas with the kids and grandkids, and our daughter's in-laws. It was a joyous occasion. When you have kids on both coasts and you live in the middle, the whole family unit doesn't land in one place too often. When it does, there is much eating, drinking, and merrymaking.
And now I have resolved not to step on a scale for the entire month of January. After three post-Thanksgiving weeks of disciplined, healthy eating (minimal sugar and breads, lots of veggies), I started my Christmas baking and it was all over. There are some family traditions you really don't WANT to let go of, ya know? I have now successfully made kolache, a wonderful, almost sacred, Hungarian nut roll confection that was once my mother's exclusive territory. My kids grew up having it for breakfast on Christmas morning, and we will continue that tradition. Only once a year!
Speaking of traditions, I haven't completely thrown out the Christmas card one (as many people have), although I'm afraid they are going to be New Year's cards this year. The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.
Tom and I started out the year with a snowshoeing excursion. It is a winter wonderland here, and there are few things to match the peace and beauty of a snowy woods. Channeling Robert Frost! The dog had a good time too, although not on snowshoes. He ran wide circles around us, springing up like a porpoise, tunneling into the snow with his nose when he needed a get a particularly good sniff, and leaving lots of messages. And he wasn't as tired as I was afterwards either.
For the past couple of days, I've been staying indoors, putting away the decorations, cleaning up files on the computer, and doing some cooking. Yesterday it was a big pot of chickpeas with several meals in mind: chana masala for dinner, a batch of veggie burgers for the freezer, and some freshly made hummus on the side. We're getting ourselves back on the track we fell off of a few weeks ago.
This morning, I made a quick trip out to get a flu shot, reversing my earlier decision to avoid it this year, after reading about the 181% increase in flu cases statewide over last year. It appears to be a particularly nasty flu, too. No thanks, I don't want any. I got the shot.
Though I haven't been posting here frequently lately, I have updated the calendar, and will be adding some new links, so bookmark and check back frequently. It was my intention from the beginning to make this site a source for information about local events and resources, as well as sustainability in general. I hope that people will use my site as an index for accessing those links and not just come here to read my postings. There's so much more here for you than that!
Happy 2013, here we go!
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