Countdown to Christmas

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

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

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

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

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

              

Life goes on

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


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


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

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

Earth Screams Louder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You're on your own, buddy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buy products with minimal packaging.

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

Buy things made and grown locally.

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

Turn off lights when you aren't using them.

Plant a tree.

Things that make you go, hmmm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping it real

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

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

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

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

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

Around my neighborhood

 

Another Monday morning

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's all she wrote.