Risk Realized

A couple of weeks ago, I took a risk and planted some herbs, tomatoes and chiles.

Our last freeze is traditionally Mother's Day, which is tomorrow next week.

That risk was realized last week.  It snowed a couple of days ago and froze last night.

Most of the plants seem to be doing well with the exception of the Basil and Jalapenos.

The tomatoes are holding on, but I may need to replant them as well.

edited: yes, I know how to read a calendar, I just don't know what day Mother's Day is.  ;-)

Fiber Arts Friday - Knitting Cables

For me, knitting cables is like riding a roller coaster.  It looks really scary and only the experienced amusement park goers do it.

Eventually though, the curiosity got to me and I had to try it.

Like the roller coaster, I couldn't wait to make another cable.

I couldn't get enough and took as many coaster rides as time would allow.

I finished six cables last night.  I hope it doesn't cause the same stomach issue that a multiple coaster ride day causes.

Enjoy more Fiber Arts Friday fun at Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

The Nissan Leaf

Have you heard about the Nissan Leaf?

It a new, electric only car that is supposed to be affordable.

I saw one at the Denver Auto Show a few weeks ago and didn't think too much about it.  I noticed there was a new model, similar in style to other sub-compacts but didn't realize it was an all electric car until I read an article in Mother Earth News.

Then I heard a story about it on Minnesota Public Radio earlier this week.

In the early 1990's I worked for a lobbying organization.  I was privileged to prepare and present an opinion in Washington DC on the California Air Resources Board's goal that 10% of all new vehicles sold in California would be electric by 1998.

CARB's position was that electric vehicles would reduce average vehicle air emissions and therefore increase air quality in Los Angeles.  Having lived in LA since then, I would agree that anything that improves air quality should be considered.

The part that disappointed my idealistic mind was that much of Los Angeles' electricity was derived from a coal fired power plant near the Grand Canyon.  I did not find information about how the air quality in Arizona or the view across the Grand Canyon would be affected.  I did not find information about how batteries would be recycled or reused.  There was some information regarding how the infrastructure would need to change to support electric car charging.

Twenty years later, the conversation is different.  The conversation has expanded beyond the tail pipe.  Which I find remarkable.

The Nissan Leaf takes a full charge from a standard household outlet in eight hours or a "quick" charge to 80% in 30 minutes.  It is a lot longer than the few minutes it takes to fill up a tank of gas, but it has come along way.

The Leaf's is range is only 100 miles per full charge.  This car is not intended for travelling.  It is intended for running errands and going home every night.

Nissan is talking about offering the car for sale, but batteries for lease.  This is supposed to make the car more affordable and also ensure the batteries are properly recycled.

Certainly time will tell, but I am please to see how the conversation has changed.

As a side note, when parking for the Auto Show, I noticed spaces reserved for electric vehicles in the garage complete with outlets for charging.  I wish now, I had taken a photo.

Pack as Little as Possible

After I Tweeted that a TSA screener said I was a "Smart Traveller," I got a couple of inquiries as to what my secrets were.

As I have mentioned here and here, my incentive is to pass through the checkpoint as quickly and painlessly as possible.  Which means my mantra has been to "pack as little as possible."

Here are a few things I consider when packing for a business trip.

Fluids contain water and water is heavy - long before the ban and then limitations of fluids for carry-on luggage, I've been bringing smaller amounts in re-usable plastic bottles.  Today, most of my bottles are two-ounce oval bottles rather than the three ounces that are allowed.  The oval bottles pack together more tightly than round bottles, so there is less wasted space.  I've realized recently that in some cases I use less than half of the product I've been bringing, so I have moved some of the product to one-ounce bottles.

Shoes take up a lot of space - Shoes are bulky.  They take up a lot of space.  If you really need more than one pair, you can roll up underware and socks and stuff inside the shoe to save some space.  I plan my clothes so I can wear the shoes I will need for the entire week.  I do go back and forth regarding running shoes.  Now that the weather is nicer and I'm not bringing bulky sweaters, I may start bringing the running shoes again.

Ensure all of the clothes can be worn together - If I plan my clothes well, they will all match the shoes I wore on the plane and each other.  Then if there's a mishap with one outfit, I can mix things up and don't have to go shopping or pay emergency laundry fees.

No Laces - since most of us have to remove and replace our shoes when passing through the security checkpoint, I wear shoes than can be slipped on and off easily.  There is little more awkward than trying to remove cowboy boots or put on laced shoes in a moving line with few places to sit.

I'm not a Fashionista - I don't think I'm a dolt when it comes to fashion, but I'm certainly no fashionista.  My style is simple.  Black, white and taupe with very few other colors or patterns.  My hand bag is simple and durable.  My jewelry is simple and almost always the same.  My hair is worn down.  This works for me because it's easy and eliminates the need to pack additional accessories or worry about the safety of jewelry in my hotel room.

Electrons weigh less than paper - I keep as much of the information required to do my job as I can on my computer.  This is definitely a work in progress for me since I like to write things out by hand.  As a youngster I learned journaling as a way to organize my thoughts.  So for me there is something more direct and satisfying about using a pen and paper than a keyboard and computer screen.

Travelling Clothes - Along with my slip on shoes, I wear a pull-over sweater and comfortable but not loose pants. The TSA screeners will ask that cardigans, metal watches and belts be removed. I also make sure my pockets are emptied into my hand bag.

Leave some space - If you leave a little space in your bag, then it will be available when you find something you want or need to bring home with you.

Bring some fun - I do bring a magazine or book and knitting with me.  Magazines are heavy for their size and books are bulky, but they give me something to do during take off and landing and usually I learn something when reading them.  Knitting is my little bit of home.  I usually knit a little each night because when I feel the texture of the yarn between my fingers I feel more connected to my farm at home.

These are just a few that come to mind.  Do you have any tricks that work for you?  Please share them.  I'm always trying to pack more efficiently.

Things that Work: Neti Pot

I've been using a Neti Pot for years.

I'm not really sure how or when I first learned about Neti Pots.  I remember I thought about it for quite a while before I bought one.  Then it sat on my shelf for a very long time before I mustered the courage to give it a try. 

My allergies were especially bad that day and I needed some relief.  I figured running salt water through my sinuses could not make me feel any worse.

I read the instructions, prepared the water, lifted the spout to my nose, bent my head over the sink and poured.  Water went everywhere.  Most notably from my nose to my mouth.  I started coughing and I felt claustrophobic.

I stopped, cleaned up and re-read the instructions.  Finally, I took a deep breath and tried again.  This time?  Success!  I could feel the salt water in my sinus behind my eyes.  It was moving the gunk and relieving the pressure.

I now use the Neti Pot most days after completing farm chores.  I do still use allergy medicine occasionally, but the Neti Pot goes a long way toward keeping that hay fever at bay.

Fiber Arts Friday - Earth Day Edition

This was my favorite sweater.  It had big holes in the sleeves.

I first noticed a little hole in the left elbow last fall.  I was disappointed, but love a well worn sweater.  So I kept wearing it.  In fact, I loved the sweater so much, that I wore it most of the winter. It was a comfy sweater for hanging out.  Perfect for lounging with a cup of tea after doing farm chores.

I thought about darning and patching but just didn't get to it.  So there I was with giant holes and a little idea...

Many of the yarnies I listen to recycle yarn.  They take the yarn from an old garment and give it new life.  So when I realized the holes had become too big to patch, I decided to disassemble my sweater and use the yarn to make socks.

My sweater was knit in sections and then sewn together.

I've only unravelled the cuffs so far.  I have three types of yarn as a result;

pieces that are long enough to wind into small balls,

teeny tiny pieces that could be stuffing, and

pieces that are somewhere in between.

I have a lot of unravelling left to do.  Then I need to find a set of sock needles and a pattern to try.  I would love recommendations for easy, first-timer sock patterns.

Remember to go find inspiration from the other Fiber Arts Friday Folks.

Earth Day Post

We are always trying to be more mindful about the choices we make. Which is one reason why I like the idea of One Small Change.  It's never too late to start making a difference, so why not do it a little bit at a time?

After I wrote this post, I realized it sounded like the reusable bags were the first and only thing we had done.  So I thought it might be good to share all that we are doing, attempting to do, struggling with and are definately not doing to reduce our impact on our environment.

Cleaning:

• We use a "green" dry cleaner and always return the hangers.
• We buy milder and organic soaps, shampoos, conditioners and lotions.
• We could make better choices with our household cleaning products.
• We've been hand washing our dishes for almost a year.  I would like to say it was to lessen our impact, but it's because we haven't had a working dishwasher during that time.  In our previous home, we always used the air dry function on our dishwasher with the intent of conserving energy.  When we do purchase a new dishwasher for our new place, the air dry function will be very important to us.

Travelling:

• I use small re-usable plastic bottles for all of my "fluids."
• I leave a re-usable coffee mug and grocery bag at my client's office that I use when I'm there.
• Carpooling - I take a shuttle to the airport and share rides at my client site when we have multiple people on a project.
• Combine and order errands to minimize miles driven.
• I do still buy plastic water bottles when I am travelling.  I think bringing a reusable bottle would be better, but the TSA checkpoint has been a mental block until a few days ago.

Re-cycling and Re-using:

• We recycle paper, plastic, glass and aluminum.
• We reuse grocery bags and food storage containers.
• We use the plastic shopping bags we do have to collect doggie poo.
• I check consignment shops first when looking for new clothes.
• We have reusable water bottles that we use around the house and when we're out for local errands or events.
• We are migrating to non-plastic food storage and haven't purchased any new containers in over a year.
• We piled our alpaca manure over the winter and have started using it in the flower beds on our property.
• Wear clothes and use bath towels multiple times before washing.
• Our trash bin is mostly empty each week, but our recycling bin is quite full sometimes.  Which makes me think we can make better choices about the packaging that comes with the products we purchase.

Food:

• We buy local and organic as much as possible.
• We buy in bulk as much as possible.
• We buy from farmer's markets when they are open, May to October.
• We are looking for other options for local, organic, food during the off-season, October to May.

In the House:

• We turned the heat down and wore more sweaters and blankets in recent winters.
• In Albuquerque, we installed ceiling fans so we did not need to use the swamp cooler during the summer.
• We bought a low water washing machine when we moved into our new place.

Future Plans:

• Planting an organic garden.
• Purchasing a freezer, so we can buy local, organic meat in bulk as well as store the produce from our garden and local farmer's markets.
• Harvesting rain water.
• Installing solar and/or wind power.
• Adding insulation and improving seals on our doors and windows.
• Installing more ceiling fans.
• Building a compost bin for food and yard waste.
• We have a clothes line in the back yard, so I am thinking about line drying our clothes on warmer days.  This will be interesting since we live in a farming area and sometimes the aromas are quite earthy.

Here's a great list from my cousin who is especially awesome at living lightly.

• compost
• recycle (we throw away one small bag a week partly because we are vegeterian so we compost so much and also because we buy a lot of our grains, pasta, honey, herbs in bulk where we bring our own container)
• Make at least one vegeterian meal per day.
• Save AC condensation water, rain, and shower water to water plants. I grow my own organic veggies and herbs so I use a lot of water, all recycled.
• Flourescent light bulbs
• Unplug a lot of your appliances, electronics...never leave your computer on
• Support local farmers
• When purchasing anything, think of how it was made and which materials are more renewable
• Make your own beans (bpa is in all the canned stuff) and freeze them
• Pack your lunch in a cooler and use glass or steel containers.
• Don't buy bottled water
• My husband bikes to work/school and I have a small car.
• Plant native plants that do not require as much water
• Set your heat/AC on a timer so that it's not always working full blast especially when you are not there
• Install low-flow shower heads and toilet thingies.
• Why always flush? Whats the saying "if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down."
• Put a timer in your shower
• Use curtains to filter light when its hot and to keep drafts out when its cold
• Bring your own bags shopping everywhere, not just the grocery store.
• Don't forget to turn off your lights
• Don't use detergents and soaps with chemicals in them...they end up in our rivers. You can purchase chemical free ones from most stores, buy it in bulk at others, or make your own :)
• AND educate others :)
• etc....etc...etc...there is so much you can do, but nothing happens overnight, especially with a budget. We re-budgeted our funds and got rid of cable so that we could grow our food and the rest we buy from companies that don't have crap in it.
• There are some great resources out there to make your house more energy efficient. You can contact your local gov't utilities department for an evaluation. We got the materials we needed for our shower head and for our rainbarrels for free from the city.
• Check out your local extension office to learn about native plants and gardening. You don't have to live in a hole in the ground to make a difference. I feel like it's all about trying.  Every little thing counts, when you think about how many households there are. All these chemical free items will someday be a little cheaper if more people buy it...it's already happening.

Finally, here are links to One Small Change, Hip Mountain Mama and No Impact Man for more ideas on how to lessen your impact on our environment.

Do you have anything to add?  What successes and failures have you had?  I would love to know what other people are doing.

Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd.