"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.

I had an occasion (a funeral) to return to my hometown on Saturday, and couldn't get Chrissie Hynde out of my head. (Way. To. Go. Ohio.)  My high school is gone. All that remains is a grassy field. At least they had the decency to leave the tall, stately trees that once framed the front walkway.

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? 

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. 

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 them 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.

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.

Happy days are here again...

It doesn't take much. Give me a little sunshine, moderate warmth, and apple blossoms, and I'm a happy camper.

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.

It's also the USPS's Stamp Out Hunger food drive day, so be sure to leave a bag of nonperishable foods by your mailbox for collection by your carrier. Locally, these donations will be used to help stock the food pantries of the Salvation Army and Joint Neighborhood Project. You can also make a financial contribution by leaving a check, with "Stamp Out Hunger" written on the memo line, in an envelope for your letter carrier to collect. Let's get in touch with our humanity and show some kindness to those who, for whatever reason (it doesn't really matter), are having trouble providing for themselves and their families. Our communities are stronger when everyone has enough.

After our cleanup chores on Saturday, some of us will be heading over to the newly restored Gateway Train Station to celebrate National Train Day.  In addition to the festivities and displays, the station will be open for tours, and those of us who missed the ribbon cutting back in October will have a chance to inspect those renovations we've heard so much about. Currently, the building serves as a hub for  the Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System (CARTS) junction, bus transfer station, a visitor information center and (supposedly) a site for occasional excursion train rides. To help support the station, the concourse is also available to host special events such as weddings, reunions and concerts. There are those who envision all kinds of future development, which of course remains to be seen, and then there are those who hope that someday passenger train service will be restored! 

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!

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.

Respecting our Mother

It's Earth Month, and the April showers have arrived to start greening everything up

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.

* * * * *

I've been thinking about our own transformation (always a work in progress) since our deliberate decision to "downsize," move to a smaller house in a smaller town, embrace all things local, and reduce our destructive impact on the earth. It's not always easy swimming against the tide. But I think we're making good progress.

*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.