Eco Challenge

I've always been intrigued by the Discovery Channel Eco Challenge...you know the extreme races in really cool challenging places...I've secretly always wanted to complete an Eco-Challenge...sigh

but, turns out that I'm more than 1/2 way there in completing ONE particular Eco-Challenge
The "Country Living Eco Challenge" (April 2009)
"reduce your enviornmental impact in one month-without giving up modern conveniences"

1) return wire hangers to the dry cleaner (I'm ahead of the game on this one...I stopped USING the dry cleaner.

2) Tighten your gas cap until it clicks 3 times - check

3) Burn Soy Candles - i don't burn candles as much as I used to but YAY for soy candles

4) scrub down your wheels at a car wash, not at home - check

5) burn a fire with an artificial petroleum-free log made from wood fibers and biowaxes - I live in Florida, really?

6) Drive with cruise control on the highway - not an option...sigh but i do let off the gas when traveling down hill :)

7) set your home page to ecosearch.org... will have to check this one out

8) Keep your freezer's temperature at 0 and your refrigerator between 35 and 38 degrees - check

9) Use soft-white compact florescent lightbulbs - check (but be sure to dispose of them properly!)

10) Eat meat-free once a week - check

11) Leave bar soap by the sink - check! Even the kids are using it now...woot woot

12 ) Wear organic cotton clothes - check...at least when I buy new clothes

13) Register to get your name off junk-mail lists - check...and we shred and use whatever slips through in the compost bin the worms LOVE it

14) Stash a pitcher of water in your fridge...good call! Adding this one now

15) Submit your taxes electronically - check

16) serve a 1.5 liter magnum of wine when dining with a group instead of two 750 milileter bottles...  okay

17) put cloth napkins on the table - check!

18) Donate your old cell phone to charity or return it to the manufacturer for recycling - check

19) Plug your devices into powertrips, and turn off the strips when not in use - check

20) Place a recycling bin next tot he wastebasket in your home office - check

21) Read/check your water meter - check

22) purify your air with potted plants on windosills and tables - check! (kitchen herb garden!)

23) switch your computer disply to go to sleep mode after five minutes of inactivity - annoying, but check

24) use your dishwasher's air-dry cycle - I fail miserably at this one...can't stand the spots on the glasses, I'll put more plants on the kitchen shelf to make up for it

25) Stow a reusable bag in your car for errands - check! I even have my hub carrying one around now!

26) have your car's air filter cleaned and tires inflated - happening this week

27) replace traditional shower heads with high efficiency models - check

28) wash laundry in cold water - another one I struggle with coz i have stinky boys so it just aint gonna happen for a while

29) consolidate your errands into fewer trips - check...and once my work schedule evens out I plan to work stuff into my trips home from work and just be HOME when I get home :)

30) use a toaster for simple baking tasks - check!

See at this rate I'm more than half way through my race!

Every day thankful for the little things...

My 14 year old texts me...we have good conversations
My 11 year old hugs me, tightly before bed
My other 11 year old trusts me
My hub thinks I'm hot
I got all the clothes folded yesterday
fresh oregano and basil over sliced cucumber and tomato is yum!

Yup...thankful for the little things
Every day

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation

At the end of the day or the week or the trial
if you realize you are all there is...is that all there is?
If you think you made it through on your own are you all you need?
If all the people that happened to cross your path were just random happenstance
is there no order to things? is there no higher power?
if you realize that you are all there is when you realize this do you cease to exist?
What else is there if "human" is the highest life form
Can it really be? I mean...really? have you SEEN some of the humans out there?!?!

Perhaps I need to think about how my thoughts on this issue play out in printed word
It's so very much a part of my breath
so to be able to express it eloquently in words should be an important component

If everything were logical...there would be no place for faith
We can all pretty much agree that all things are NOT logical...leaving room for faith
so I'll start there...

When cliches seems fitting, how fitting...

Lots of Lemons this week, I wish I could say they've all come from our garden, but our garden has not yielded much (if any) fruits and I'm trying hard not to read into that. Lots of proverbial lemons...but the Proverbs offer the perfect lemonade recipe...and from where I'm sitting, it tastes pretty darn good.

However...I won't be so bold as to ask for a better harvest of lemons any time soon! ;)

My next home

I want a community of THESE!
Thanks to one of my fave bloggers for sharing the link!

I believe life is better when it's simple
when neighbors are neighbors and needs are met
the wants become more social and less socially motivated
I want a yard where kids can play
a community garden
a circle community school
finding joy in the gifts we have and can share
I want to bake for my neighbor and share meals together
I want to can (more than just pickles)

If we ALL would live with what we need
the EVERYONE's needs could be met
and we ALL could LIVE

I made pickles

Okay...ever since I read Gluten-Free-Girl's post about making pickles, I've wanted to make pickles.

I tried to get everything together before I left for Texas but the cukes I bought at the market weren't very good so I scrapped the idea for a later date

today was that date.

I made up my own pickling spice recipe

and think next time I'll add some of our pepper creations to the brine.

But for now, the jars are resting...waiting to be eaten in a few days!

newest addition to the garden!

YAY!

I came home from an all day training to see our rainbarrel in the yard!

The hub and the wee's finished it today

I'm sooo excited

I think I might paint some swirlies or retro flowers or something on it

then again, maybe I won't

I can't wait for it to rain!

'poo free update

I have never loved my hair more!

It's soft, it's shiny and I can go a WEEK between washings!

the pics are a little fuzzy but you get the picture ;)

Her Room is DONE

It took a while to get the 'decor' done but I LOVE that she wanted to get the Rugrats inParis movie banners down again

I got them for her when she was a baby and 'secretly' introduced her to art :)

Two Birds, One Stone

My boss's boss asked me today what would make our business more profitable.

He didn't mean the theme park itself...he meant our little corner of the business.

I told him we don't market our services

If we just included information in our print ads

or had a spotlight article about our services in the local paper

our target community is loyal

once they know you provide a service...they frequent

We've been providing amazing service at unheard of levels and haven't been telling anyone about it

If you tell them...they will come

So he said he'd work on the copy in print ads...he's got more clout

And he asked ME to write an article

something he can float down the line to the ones who make things happen

me...he says I'm a good writer and know the niche intimately

Me

So see both of these things (print ad, article) are on my list of professional goals to be completed in 2009.

And one of my personal goals is to be published...thought I had accomplished that one with my guest appearance in a tattoo mag...but maybe not...maybe this is a chance for the whole 2 birds one stone thing

Now I'll just not question my writing abilities and go...

(inhale)

Bm the constant note

I want to play a game

You'll have to do this with me

I want juice

Do you know how to play spyder

Can I come with you

Aren't we all eating together?

Big, doey, brown eyes

Last night my daughter did everything in her power to say she needed time with me without just coming out and saying she needed my attention

I put her off

I promised her that today (my day off) she could teach me how to play her game and we'd find a better way to put the patches on her vest but right then, I had some last minute things to do and then it was going to be 9 and I was ready to just sit.

She didn't really need to do the things she was asking

She needed some attention

I think Father's day is hard for her

She loves my husband very much but in some ways she's still trying to figure him out

I know she thinks if she loves him too much, her brothers will be mad

And she loves her brothers too

So what's a girl to do?

SAY HOW SHE FEELS AND LET THE OTHERS DEAL WITH THEIR OWN DANG FEELINGS that's what I say...but I can't even do that all the time.

Then there's her bio father

it probably didnt help any that my pants pocket called him on Friday so he called back

(probably freaked him out because my number hasn't called his number in well over 3 years)

She just wants to love and be loved

me too

and when I wasn't, I got a little testy with her

I got snippy with her ...the one person who was trying to give me what I wanted

sigh

I was able to tell HER how she made me feel and why

but that's really not what she needed right then

I realized it about 15 minutes after we all went to bed

After I tried to gingerly say to my hub I ate the cheese because you sat in your chair

It hit me...she needs to feel like she belongs

I'm the only one she "technically" belongs to and sometimes the boys let her know that

maybe a bit of attachment disorder going on there

so I got up...shuffled down the hall in the dark, tapped on her door and told her I'm sorry for not listening when she needed my attention

I'm sorry I missed all of her cues

maybe next time she just needs to say "mom, I need some attention!"

we both giggled,

hugged

and I was walking out the door she said

Thank you

long, comfortable, sigh :)

I told you it was a tradition

http://curiousgeorgeandhollyhobby.blogspot.com/2008/06/happy-birthday.html#comments

yup

sang it LOUDLY this morning in the living room after the wee one's made me breakfast

AND

a long lost buddy posted it on my facebook page

AND

I still wanna be Johnette

or maybe just cover Johnette when my angel finally cures her dyslexia and notices I was supposed to be a siNGer not a siGNer

:)

how does your garden grow

with strawberries, topsy-turvys and marigolds

2 bananas, pineapples and olive tree

and peppers all in a row

You don't love God if you don't love your neighbor

We visited our old church today

We were married here

I started my path toward my calling here

I learned what it means to move "from glory to glory" here

because my glory left me behind...and waited for me ahead.

It was a bit weird driving back...we haven't been in that neighborhood in such a very long time and a lot has changed (construction, etc). We weren't sure what it would be like walking back in ...it's been 2 years since we left, I've never met the new pastor (we left during the interim upheaval) and we've had contact with just a handful of friends since then.

Walking in was a pleasant surprise

Pastor M was thrilled to put a face to the Babs name

and turns out hub is Louis-of-the-Roof

hugs and hellos from many who walked in and saw us there

tears from some

can't take my eyes off you stares from others

it was nice to see how much of what i started while there has taken root (funny too because the message today was about planting seeds)

felt good to see that i guess i knew what i was doing because the things that they do now that work, were my seeds

gives me hope that we've been moved to our new congregation with purpose

We also realized we really love our new church

yes, it was great to see some old friends

if they were friends ...then wouldn't they still be...but I digress

#1son apologized for liking the old place better than the new...the old place definitely has a youth thing going on...but later #1 said the youth thing was good because of what I did to it

so I could do it again where we are now

that felt really good

I haven't put myself forward as a youth leader in our new place coz, well more than 1/2 of the youth live in my house...and i didn't think they'd want me as a youth leader...they have to deal with me enough...but, there was a resounding request from the back seat today as we drove

gave my heart a squish :)

But...

even though both congregations belong to the same denomination

our new one is more in line with our spiritual walk

more organic

more open

more affirming

more inclusive

more about what is outside of our 4 walls instead of who is inside

our mission field IS our ministry

we're SMACK in the middle of a not so great part of town

down the road from a shelter

across the street from day labor

one of our main ministries is feeding and assisting the homeless and on any given Sunday while walking into or out you will find someone posting up with his shopping cart or her sleeping bag...and that's okay.

Christianity is our path.

and we celebrate some sacraments in the way Jesus did

but we honor the Divine in all forms, with all names and recognize that all who seek will find.

I don't want to go back

I can very easily step back into my role there tomorrow if I wanted to

heck, I could've grabbed a microphone today, someone asked me why I didn't

but it's not where we're supposed to be

my Glory is in another place

and I love it

energizer bunny

still going...

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my juicer?
(yes, we'll check back in a month to see if the newness has worn off but i'm thinking NOT)

I LOVE my new juicer
it kicks butt! especially for a little 70 dollar model tucked away amongst the hundreds-of-dollars-models

I'm juicing every morning and I'll say it again...I cannot believe how satisfied I am
all the way through till lunch...without even CHEWING yet

I love my new juicer

oh oh...and our new plants arrive tomorrow or Friday...strawberries, bananas and an olive tree

so now I'm off to the yard to start clearing space!

New Door part Deux

The door is once again red you may remember this from before and be thinking, "wait, wasn't the door already red?"

Why yes, yes it was...then we bought a new door. 

So once again, the door is red AND the new hardware is in!

oh yeah...and i think i mentioned a post or few ago that Bm's room is complete

I don't think i posted any pics...the bed belonged to my parents and is from Sears (way back before there was ever a Roebuck so it's OLD...and for the record, friggin HEAVY).

The surfboard will be mounted on hooks she can retrieve it from when she hits the beach but keep it out of the way when she's home...and the posters have since been stuck to the wall. You can't see the other corner because, well, her clothes are all over the floor...it's one of those "battles I've chosen not to pick" right now :)

mmmmjuicemmmmm

Well i didn't get the mac daddy fancy schmancy will juice anything, make nut butters AND milks juicer that I wanted...but I DID get one

I opted for The Sharper Image Super Juicer at Bed Bath and Beyond because it was 70 bucks AND THEN the cashier gave me a 20% off coupon coz I left mine in the junk drawer in our kitchen...

This morning I made juice

yummy juice

carrots, an apple and a pear

OMG it was delicious and I was AMAZED how satisfied I felt all the way through mid morning

Out topsy turvy garden is 1 1/2 for 3...one japanese cucumber plant is doing FANTASTIC, our tomato plant just so so and the other cucumber plant just died :( the hub thinks the wind broke off the stems...I think it was an animal, but either way we'll have to find a replacement plant

We bought the pieces we need to complete our rain barrel, we have a design for our compost bin, and we have 25 strawberry plants, 2 dwarf banana trees and one hardy tree on the way.

We also got some seeds this weekend. I've been saving toilet paper tubes for seed starters and the plastic containers our strawberries and spinach comes in for mini greenhouses so I'm going to start our brocolli and zucchini inside so they're ready to plant in July...we're going to put the corn and beans (2 different varieties) along the back fence line

I heard a story this morning on npr about grey water harvesting...sounds interesting may check into it. We already "recycle" water through our central air conditioning unit to water our lawn. Our A/C unit is a water cooled system and we divert the run off through a hose and sprinkler...so whenever the A/C runs, the lawn gets watered. We'll eventually get to a system that is programmed and switches zones on its own...for now we just move the sprinkler every once in a while.

We've also decided to use the side yard for a patchouli garden. We've figured out the best way to grow from cuttings and the side yard gets the perfect amount of sun/shade etc. I think I'll try to distill my own essential oil and I know we'll sell plants through the couple that gave me my very first cutting.

Okay...time to cook dinner

maybe I'll juice mine...i'm saving the pulp for some soup i'm starting from the fresh pork shoulder the hub smoked last week....yum

Creations

The lil me wanted to make pepper sauce of her harvest from the tabasco plant

and me...well I decided to get creative as I pruned the basil and oregano :)

we'll let you know how it tastes in a few weeks!

Oh...and you should keep reading

seems as though several of my posts over the past week went to 'save' rather than 'publish.'

All caught up now :)

yummmy!

Today is our oldest's birthday

we did breakfast up right!

I made belgian waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash...the works ...everyone just picked and chose at their faves.

For me, I made gluten free apple cinnamon waffles with homemade cinnamon ricotta (who KNEW how easy it was to make!) Fresh strawberries, Bananas and REAL maple syrup

OHHH it was heavenly!

Garden updates...

We planted our topsy turvy garden today

japanese cucumbers and tomatoes

We also put some peppers in the ground AND I treated myself to a new lavender plant...and YES those ARE the patchouli cuttings flourishing in the background!

Definitely time for a good book and a lazy afternoon on the porch!