Market Day!

Saturday at the market! If I’m of town or unable to go on a Saturday, I get upset. I go through withdrawal. Chuck was at the car dealer getting an oil change in his vehicle, so he came downtown later, when I had half the shopping finished. He met me at Starbucks (a central location, no comments needed from the peanut gallery) to finish the job. We came home with these goodies.

                          Market Day!

The ordinary goods are in their places – carrots, lettuce, parsley, berries du jour (cherries). We picked up a few imported peaches (Georgia) and greenhouse tomatoes since our tomato plants aren’t fully mature yet. I have enough peas (even Amigo likes them!) to freeze for the future, so I bought beans. But wait – there’s more!

More than just fresh produce!

It’s easy to get tempted to buy something different, like an artisan infused vinegar or a local honey. While I waited in line to rehydrate with a pomegranate-cherry smoothie, Chuck slipped into a small local deli and bought a mozzarella salad, cheese, and a Belgian Red from New Glarus. I picked out two flavors of pasta, both local and organic, to make dinner more interesting and tasty later in the week. Somehow, impulse buys at the farmers’ market are much more palatable than, say, an impulse buy at the shoe store.

After-the-fact shopping list.

  • Fresh vegetables, delicious and nutritious.
  • Fresh fruits unavailable in the backyard garden – at least for now.
  • New adventures in food, organic and locally made
  • Priceless. All of it.

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Canning: The Aftermath

I’ve begun posting my Farmers’ Markets adventures each Saturday in order to share with you my own locavore experience. Spell check still doesn’t recognize Locavore; must work on spreading the word, er, this word. Buying local produce is easy in June. After bringing home (reusable cloth) bags full of fresh goodies, what next?

Let’s see: What else?

A Very Happy Locavore's Kitchen

If it looks like a mess, well, it is – sort of. I do get it together eventually. My kitchen is too small to play host to this kind of pile-up for long.

The Aftermath, ready for next week

The carrots and lettuce ended up as bunny food and salads for the humans. Peas were delicious mixed with the last of the corn from the freezer, last year’s booty. Pea pods joined the lettuce and some of a local restaurant’s bacon dressing- yum. And finally, most of the berries became jams. The remainder were frozen or incorporated into ice cream or tossed on breakfast cereal. The jams are finding a home in the storage cupboard, and the tools are ready for next week’s market – whatever I might find.

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Where to Keep the Canned Goods

There must be a better way.

This is the “before” picture. I’ve increased my repertoire of canned foods every year, and with that increase in recipes came an increased yield. Then comes the question: where do I keep all these provisions? And after we finish each jar of pickles or jam or applesauce, where will I keep the reusable jars? Above you see the dilemma in June: a partial shelf of pickles and jams and applesauce and rhubarb waiting for their day on the table, surrounded by empty canning jars and freezer containers.

Something here must go.

Step 1: I cleaned out half the books at the top.

Step 2: I gathered boxes for a thrift store donation (shelves out of sight on the left).

Step 3: I relocated the crockpot and reorganized the jars by size.

Step 4: Move in!!

Ah. That’s better.

Readers, this is the “after” shot – the “after” shot for June. After I’ve canned my way through June and July and even part of August, this cupboard will look very different. I’ll be sure to show you then. Remind me. Really. And while we’re at it, readers, tell me about your summer reorganization projects. Canning supplies? Books? Thrift donations? Leave a comment.

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Actual conversations

Daisy: I’m going downtown to volunteer for a few more hours.

Chuck: You know, honey, the recall election is over.

Daisy: We’re looking ahead: focusing on August and November. Senate, Congress, and state assembly, and of course, re-electing President Obama.

Later conversation:

Chuck: I’m not hearing any buzz for the Democratic candidates.

Daisy: You will. We’re out there. We Dems don’t have the billionaires and their Super PACs on our side.

Chuck: So the appearance is that the Democrats don’t have any money, and therefore don’t have broad based support.

Daisy: That’s not it. Our backers don’t have the billions to spare. We’re supported by others, those who have fewer bucks to donate. Our candidates don’t have as many television commercials because they’re expensive. We concentrate on grass-roots, people to people campaign tactics.

Chuck: But with less money, it appears that the Democrats have less support. That may not be true, but money does buy a lot of exposure.

Daisy: Well, we already know from our recall experience that money can buy an election. Sigh. 

In summary, people, I still volunteer. I will continue to offer my time and knowledge and expertise to the less-wealthy candidates that seem to understand and support the issues that matter to me. We public servants lost one battle, but we’re still fighting the good fight..

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What is normal? Who is normal? (Encore presentation)

This post first aired in November of 2009. It still seems timely. Perhaps it’s just timeless. Here you go, another Daisy Classic.

“But you seem so normal!” It was a phrase in a post from Deafmom, a post she titled “You’re not really deaf, are you?” This one got me thinking – a dangerous pastime, I know.

Normal = neuro-typical, non disabled.
Normal = typical, following the norm.
Normal = expected, unsurprising.
Normal = cool forehead, no fever.
Normal = just another sheep following the herd.

Is Normal good or bad? Is Normal something in between? Is Normal static or a constant state of change? Is Normal a comfort level, don’t rock the boat, or is Normal that’s-the-way-we’ve-always-done-it?

  • Does Normal have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)?
  • Does Normal need an adapted cell phone?
  • Does Normal stay in the background or insist on action?
  • Is Normal pink, red, or mauve?
  • Does Normal get on the right track, just stand there and wait to get run over?
  • Does Normal slow for yellow lights or speed up?
  • Does Normal walk to school or take her lunch?

The last one is the really telling question. “Normal” in the sense of non-disabled or neuro-typical is a label that doesn’t really make sense. It implies that the disabled person is someone out of the norm, out of the mainstream, off the track. It implies that the person with a disability isn’t one of the crowd, sticks out, doesn’t belong.

“Normal” doesn’t need to be eliminated from the language. Normal is, after all, a city in Illinois. But all of us, not just the so-called Normal folk, need to think before we speak. Telling a disabled person that they are not Normal is inaccurate, hurtful, and just wrong.

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Have laptop, will travel.

Ah, dear friends and readers, you might have wondered, “Where is Daisy? When will she return to Compost Happens?” My ever-so-trusty laptop gave up the ghost and needed to be (gulp) replaced. It had traveled with me by car, by plane, by train, and by ferry. It had gone to multiple states and two foreign countries. My old portable friend had a screen that no longer worked thanks to a failing video card in the motherboard that would be expensive and labor-intensive to repair.

So here I am, people, on my new ASUS model, transferring bookmarks and double-checking files. Meanwhile, the farmers’ market booty awaits in the kitchen along with a big bowl of fresh spinach from the garden.

In the green living line, the old laptop will get recycled soon. I will use a case that I already own, one stored in the attic or in my walk-in closet. And for now, I’m logging off to go play in the kitchen. I’ll show pictures later.

 

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Fit in or Stand Out? (encore presentation)

This post debuted in April of 2011. Rereading it, I wondered what started my thinking along these lines. I was recovering from a severe depression at the time. Was this part of a relapse? Was it part of the difficulty I had in documenting my hearing loss under ADA for my employer? I honestly don’t remember exactly what kind of trigger led to this post.

“Why do you try so hard to fit in when you were made to stand out?”

This quote turned up again, this time in my Plurk network. It struck me in a sensitive place, as always.
I am different.
I have a hearing loss.

I wear two hearing aids.
And…

I teach.
I am educated.
I am articulate.
So which is it? In education we claim to value differences. However, I see more pressure to conform, pressure to follow the same path and be just like the others. We differentiate and adapt for our students, but not for each other.
Being a teacher and being different do not mesh well.
I may not always hear you perfectly, but when I know what you’ve said, I can address it and answer you in complete sentences. My hearing loss didn’t stop me from earning an undergraduate degree from a Conservatory of Music and a graduate degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I can write a research paper and quote the studies that support each point I make. I can write a letter that’s short and succinct and yet complete enough for the newspaper to publish. I can write a grant application that brings my class and my school much-needed money.
So which is it? Square peg or round hole? Fit in or stand out?
I still don’t know.

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Thoughts and Questions post-election

The atmosphere is settling a little now, two weeks past the recall vote. Make no mistake, however. The grassroots organizers are determined to keep our state on a progressive path, despite the results at the polls. I share with you thoughts and observations (For what its worth) from family and friends and coworkers (and Daisy’s reactions, of course):

The Journal Company endorsed Walker and they own WTMJ, an NBC affiliate—

  • NBC was 1st to come out with calling the race in favor of Walker.
  • WTMJ was extremely invested in their coverage at the Walker site. They spent most of their live time there with multiple crews and cameras while Barrett coverage was one crew that was on the air a little.  If Walker had lost, then WTMJ would have covered that angle, not the Barrett win. Hmmm…
  • Do I sense a bias in the Milwaukee media? The J-S editorial panel endorsed Walker, despite their news reporters’ investigations into the governor’s illegal activities. The right hand at the JS doesn’t seem to know what the left is doing. Their credibility took a hit, that’s for certain.

Did the number of votes not for Walker (Barrett and Trevoli sp? combined) at least equal the number of people that signed the recall petition? No; this was a grave disappointment. There were rumors of phone calls claiming incorrectly “If you signed, you don’t have to vote.” I hope no one believed it. 

If it is less then you have to ask what happened…Were there people who signed the petition that didn’t vote?  See above; there were voter suppression efforts that may have knocked off a few votes. Were there people who signed the original petition that voted for Walker in the end? Unfortunately, yes. Our canvassers spoke to people who had felt coerced into signing petitions at their workplaces or in their neighborhoods. They even talked to a few women who said they “had to” vote the way their husbands did. WTH?!? 

Will there be legal wrangling regarding the vote suppression campaigns and the media contacts with voters standing in line? I hope there will be an investigation, if only to stop any interference from happening in future elections.

Is Wisconsin now a regressive state? Action in Madison certainly doesn’t look progressive. Frightening thought. There’s more truth in that quick statement than I care to admit. 

The Walker win must at least be telling the national parties that Wisconsin is no longer a lock for the Democrats and that the state is up for grabs.  Will we see an endless parade of Obama and Romney visits to our state between now and November? Sure. Wisconsin is known on the national scene as a “purple” state: neither fully blue nor fully red. Exit polls imply that many who voted for Walker plan to support Obama in November. Now if Rep. Paul Ryan gets the nod to be Romney’s running mate, Wisconsin citizens might as well turn off their TVs and unplug their phones. 

And why does Spell Check recognize “Romney” as a valid word? (My computer doesn’t flag it as a misspelling like it does with other proper names.) Now that’s just plain scary. 

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What’s Goal Ball? (Encore presentation)

What’s Goal Ball? I asked the same question. Amigo explained the playing techniques, but I still couldn’t picture it. I looked it up online and found out that goalball was developed after WWII as a sport for blind veterans. Today the unique game is part of paralympics, and many schools for blind students have a competitive team.

Amigo’s team lost a close one, a heartbreaker of a game in overtime, to eliminate them from the conference competition. The coach arranged an informal scrimmage with the team from Iowa so that both teams could play a little more. These pictures are from the scrimmage.
First: Amigo is not sleeping. He is in ready position with his arms and legs stretched out to cover as much space as possible. If the ball comes his way, he will block it.

You may have noticed the gear. Players wear hockey shorts, the padded kind, along with knee and elbow pads. All players also wear covered goggles or sleep shades to eliminate any residual vision they might have. The goggles prevent a player with some vision from having an advantage over a totally blind competitor. All players compete totally sightless.

The ball itself is soccer ball size, hollow, with bells inside it. Players track the ball by listening intently. They keep track of their positions on the court by calling for a “tap” – a player to slap the floor. In this photo, Amigo is the right wing. The girl in the middle is the center. Before he rolled the ball, he called, “Center Tap!” and she slapped the floor so he could hear where she was and plan his throw. All this happens quickly; the team must get rid of the ball within ten seconds.


Here goes the throw – or more precisely, a roll. If the ball appears a bit blurry, that’s because Amigo rolled it quickly. In fact, he rolled it so low and so quickly that the bells were effectively silenced – a technique that makes blocking difficult. He scored on this one. Yeah, Amigo!

Goalball. It’s unique, it’s fun, it’s competitive. And when the competition is over, the team members socialize with an awards ceremony and a dance. The tournament? Great. The opportunity to socialize with other teenage blind athletes? Priceless.

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Notes on the First Farmers’ Market of the Season

Note to self: Go early. By 10:15 all the asparagus was gone, and strawberries supplies were selling like hotcakes. Not that hotcakes are a bad thing; Chuck turned 3 peaches into a fruity pancake lunch.

Note to self: hold wheeled bag close to self. Three other shoppers ran into or over the bag. One said, “Excuse me,” but the others glared at me. ?$@#!? I wasn’t the only one with a bag on wheels or a wagon – not by a long shot. I was run over by a toddler’s stroller and a fast walker. The women with a wheelchair was more polite than either of the others.

Note to self: Take time. Inhale. Egg rolls, roasted corn, strawberries, and more decorate the air. There are at least three coffee shops on the main drag, too. Mmm.

Note to self: Overrule Chuck when necessary. At first he wanted to buy strawberries, then he didn’t, and eventually I made the decision myself. Self, trust self’s opinion and experience.

Note to self: Make notes. Bring a list. Take inventory on Friday nights. Sorghum, honey, maple syrup, fresh cheeses – all are available downtown at the Farmers’ Market. Be ready to buy!

Note to self: Take time. Listen. Buskers, young violinists, and more musicians dot the avenue and provide entertainment.

Note to self: bring more bags. We came home with three plastic bags today in addition to using our own cloth. Where did that vinyl book bag go? It was perfect for berries because it washed so well.

Note to self: Enjoy. See below.

The take, spread out in the kitchen.

Note to self: View the afternoon to-do list – see below. Ah, it’s summertime.

Strawberries!

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