100th Post!

So, this is my 100th post and I was trying to think what to write and I was starting to get way to nervous about it.  Instead of getting totally freaked out and worrying about messing up, I decided to share an assortment of links with you that I found interesting.

First, I love THREADBANGERS.  This is a online show that celebrates all things handmade and handsewn. I found an episode about how to make your own skin care products.  This combines the themes I’m exploring in my life, and with this blog, so check it out.

I like the idea of sewing but I have never had a lesson on how to sew and I don’t have a working sewing machine. Threadbangers makes me want to try.

There are a ton of blogs I like.  Recently, Green Phone Booth, Crunchy Chicken, Allie’s Answers, and LunaPads had some great posts.

I’m gonna have a full post about this later, but Jackson State University recently planted seventy trees on campus as part of Campus Tree Tour 2008.

Speaking of trees, I recently planted the seeds I got from Bottle Tree Plantations.  I put two seeds per jar of dirt. Yes, jar.  I am using quart mason jars instead of terracotta pots.  I had them on hand, and I can see at a glance whether the dirt is still moist or dry.  As soon as they sprout, I’ll be posting pictures.

I think that’s it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

LED Lighting

Just read a great post about LED lights. Throwing Light on the Future. Go check it out.

Conservation Pays Off

I know I have mentioned before that I started turning off my hot water heater during the day, and during the week when I am gone for work.  This month, I got my electric bill and it dropped from 80 dollars to 59!  I am so freaking amazed! This is including the fact that this is the month the rates went up!  There was an insert with my bill explaining why the rates went up, who my power company gets their power from and how the money I pay is used.

Now, I think the hot water heater is the biggest payoff of the changes I have made to conserve energy, but there are others as well.  I have not had to run the AC during the cooler fall days. I completely sealed the leaks around my front and back doors.  When I am gone overnight or longer, I unplug everything except my fridge and freezer.

I still line dry my clothes and plan to continue this practice as far into the late fall and winter as I can.  I have a rack for inside drying and I may add a second, just so I can avoid using the dryer.  I have to say, I love the energy I am saving, but right this moment, I am thrilled with how low my bill is.

Have you seen such an impact from any of your green living changes?

Building a Local Food Supply

I wanted to share a link with you about building a local food supply. This is from One Green Generation’s Blog.

Walking

Last week I was in Hattisburg MS.  I liked where my hotel was located because within walking distance were three very nice restaurants and I was staying three nights.  On my last day, I commented to a local that I had walked to supper each night.  She expressed great surprise.  She said, “You know, Hattisburg is not a walking town.”

Boy do I know it.

To get to the first restaurant, I walked up a steep flight of stairs, across the parking lot of a closed restaurant, and to my goal.  The second and third eateries, I had to cross a busy four lane road.  This was an access road off of the highway, and luckily, there was a stoplight.  Since I went to dinner early each night, there was not much traffic out and about.  There was not one sidewalk, or walkway from my hotel to anywhere I wanted to go. I walked along the side of the road, or in the grass, or across parking lots to get to each place.

I was determined in my walking, but I can see why almost no one else would be.  Had it been raining, I certainly would not have walked.

The city where I am based is making strides to improve sidewalks and bike paths so that more citizens can walk. Today I read about the Safe Routes to Schools project.  The goal is to build pedestrian and cyclist safe paths from where children live to where they go to school.  I think this is a great idea. Hopefully, once adults see how wonderful it is to walk or ride, they will demand similar paths so they can walk or ride to work.

I like to walk. I like the calm pace and the chance to truly see neighborhoods and shops that I pass.  If more of us could walk to work, or to the store, or whereever it is we want to go, then we would not need gym time or workout time.  Our commute time would be our workout time. How great would that be?

Ag High

Listening to public radio, I heard a great report about Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences that is a working farm as well as being a high school. Here’s the link to hear the report.

What I loved about this place is that it seems like such a great way to teach young people about the connection between the land and our lives. Many people think food just comes from the grocery store. At this high school, kids are learning where food comes from and how they can have a real connection to what they grow. I loved how they sell much of what they grow at the farmers market and two of the students are planning to go into business for themselves, selling products made from what they grow.

My favorite quote from the report: Some students confide that friends in their urban neighborhoods mock them as “farmers.” Those friends don’t understand farming as a modern, scientific and cosmopolitan enterprise that teaches improvisation and persistence.

Reports like this one give me hope. I think our food system, and our system of consumption, is broken. It seems to me that more and more people are rediscovering the joy of eating what they grow. I think more people are narrowing their focus. Instead of looking for the exotic and rare that comes from ‘away’ they are learning the joy of local. Our local food, our local products, our local culture, and our local everything does have value. There is wonderful variety right here at home, you just have to look.

Fire

So, it occured to me that it’s been a while since I shared any fire pictures with you.  I love a good bonfire and that’s part of the reason I chose fire to be in the name of this blog.  Enjoy

These are all from last week when I stayed with my friend and her husband.  They just recently built a house and as a result, they had a huge brush pile to burn.  It was so lovely. We sat out there and watched it burn, or they sat and I walked all around taking pictures.  I love the last one because the leaves and limbs in front of the fire remind me of decorative wrought iron.

Take Your Own Bag, A Dilemma

Groceries in my own shopping bag

Sunday I went to Wal-mart and I took my own shopping bag. I only bought a few things, certainly not a cartful. The last time I took my own, I did self check out. This time I went through the line, and since Wal-Mart SELLS bags promoting bringing your own instead of using plastic, I figured it would be fine.

When I got to the cashier, I told her I had my own shopping bag, and I told her before she starting ringing me up so she would not have to unbag anything. After all my items were bagged, she said, “Are our bags not good enough for you?” Right at that moment, I was in a good mood and I knew I threw her off her routine. I smiled and said there is too much plastic pollution and I am trying to cut down on my plastic consumption. She looked at the sunglasses perched on my head and said “Sunglasses are made of plastic too.” Still smiling, I said, “that’s certainly true.” I gathered my one bag and left.

When I got to the car, I started to get really, really pissed. I know not everyone makes the steps I do and I know I live in a hick town and I probably blew her mind having my own shopping bag. HOWEVER, I have worked retail for years. I have been a waitress, a cook, a salesperson at several places, and a title clerk in a car dealership where part of my job was to great customers. In all those jobs, I NEVER talked to a customer like that cashier talked to me today. I know customers get on your nerves and I KNOW the things you think. But I also KNOW you are not supposed to say them. I was nice as could be. I could have thrown a fit right there in the store from just her first comment. I could have raised hell, and got a manager involved, and demanded an apology and I have seen customers do it for much, much less.

So, should I let it go to a girl having a bad day and forgetting whatever hold she used to have on her tongue? Or, should I email Wal-Mart and let them know about my experience? I have my receipt which shows a wealth of identifying information. If this happened to you, what would you do? Also, I want to know if you have had any negative experiences while trying to live ‘green’. How did you handle them?

Another Use for Plastic Shopping Bags

I’m out of garbage bags. Those white plastic bags, 13 gallon size that fit a kitchen garbage can. In the past, I would have put that on my shopping list, and next trip to the store, picked up a new box.

Now though, I think, do I really need another box of 30 white plastic bags that will sit forever, embalming my trash in a land fill? Well, no, I don’t need NEW plastic bags for that. I still have LOTS of small plastic shopping bags from previous trips to the store. The problem is these are too small to fit my kitchen can. So, what to do?

My garbage bag

Here I have two bags tied together. They hang halfway down in the can. They fit the sides well and since they are tightly tied together, they do not fall down into the can as they fill up with garbage. Also, when they are full, I tie them off, leave them down in the can and put two fresh bags in place. When the can is full, I put all the bags in the outside can that goes to the road for the garbage truck.

I thought about getting rid of the bags all together, but my garbage service now requires garbage to be bagged. Since I have been more careful about packing and what I throw away, my garbage output is much less than what it used to be. It takes me a week to a week and a half to fill up my two little bags. I normally only take my big can to the road once a month.

When my bags completely run out, I’m not sure what I will use to hold my garbage. I finally started taking my own cloth bags to the store, so I’m on my way to eliminating the plastic I bring home. I’m thinking about using my dog food bags to hold garbage. They are big enough, but tying them off will be a challenge.

What repurposed bags are you using to contain your garbage?

The Joy of Pets

The news is all gloom and doom and I know most of us are worried about what is going to happen in the days and weeks ahead.  There is plenty of information out there about how to survive the current financial crisis.  I want to tell you a personal way to take your mind off your troubles and shift your focus to happy thoughts.

Pets

Pets bring so much joy into your life.  My dog makes me laugh almost every day.  For example, this morning he woke me up at 5am scratching on the back door.  He knew I was asleep, and it was early for him to be scratching.  I cracked open one eye and was immediately blinded by the dazzling bolt of lightenig that burst at that exact moment.  I hopped out of bed and let him in so he would be out of the rain.  When he came in, he gave me a look that said, “Thanks momma, I hate to get wet.” I laughed and told him he was welcome, now go be quiet while momma sleeps another hour.

I enjoy brushing my dog.  Recently, I taught him to let me vacuum him with the hose attachment on the vacuum.  He liked it because it pulls cool air through his fur and I like it because it gets hair off him like nothing else.  If your dog is not skittish, I reccomend trying it.

Pets help lower your heart rate, (unless they just threw up on the carpet), provide compainionship, and love you no matter what.  Pets are not judgemental.  You can were the same outfit for a week and your pet never cares.

My mom came over yesterday and brought her little dog and big dog with her.  We had a nice time watching her dogs and my dog chase each other around in the yard. Bo is almost completely healed from his accident this summer and watching him run on four legs just made my heart soar with happiness.

So, feeling down? Feeling scared?  Don’t know what the future holds?  I say get a pet and bring new joy into your life.