Tag Archives: it’s not easy being green

Lessons learned from trees and Chinese food

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The decision was simple: after a rather lengthy meeting of the Public Works committee, yet another emotion-packed set of speeches dividing the neighborhood into tree-huggers and tree-lovers-not, Chuck and I decided on our default plan for supper. We drove to our favorite Chinese restaurant and ordered take-out.

We relaxed a little, nibbled on crab rangoon and sipped our wine while we waited for our order. We shared our story with Charlie, the perpetually friendly restaurant owner and bartender: Trees, no trees, small trees, big trees, red trees, blue trees, any kind of tree. Charlie told us that in Chinese culture, trees do not belong close to a house. Trees and even shrubs interfere with the natural flow of Qi, or life force energy. Charlie said that when he looks at houses, he won’t buy one with a big tree or even with shrubs and bushes clustered around the house. That gave us another whole new perspective on the issue: a big tree close to the house was not just a set of roots destroying the pipes, but an interfering factor in the life force as well.

Then our food was ready, so I swallowed the rest of my wine and we headed home.

The cookie fortunes? I’m glad you asked! Here they are:

Wise men make more opportunities than they find.

Many receive advice; only the wise profit by it. 

I think I’ll ponder the meaning of these – later. The last City Council meeting is tonight.

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Market Day! I’m missing Market Day!

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I’m out of town today, and the downtown Farmers’ Market goes on without me. I will force myself to rest rather than go through withdrawal by thinking about last week’s loot.

                       Last Saturday’s Fresh Foods

See the basket? Here’s another view of these all-important ingredients.

It was a busy few days in the OkayByMe kitchen. We’ll be well stocked for winter.

It was a busy day, that is, followed by a quick trip to the midweek market. I didn’t buy much; I just picked up a few basics.

                        The Take from the Midweek Market

More cukes for sweet pickles, sweet corn, blueberries, and some very pretty bell peppers. What’s that in the basket with the picklers?

                               My new life philosophy

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Like-minded People

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Imagine a busload of people who like Car Talk, get the jokes on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, and know the difference between Michael Feldman and Michael Perry.* This is a bus trip of people who are polite to each other, make friends readily, and enjoy intelligent conversation about issues that matter to you, er, them. Amigo and I took just such a trip last summer and the previous summer. Sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio, the trip goes to tiny Bayfield, WI, where the group takes in a show at the Big Top Chautauqua.

The most recent City Council meeting seemed like it was ripe for conflict. People attended to speak for the trees, speak for the right to raise urban chickens, and support an up and coming project that will turn a former country club and golf course into a large community garden. Despite the differing opinions, all in attendance had something in common.

Last, but never least, I attended two meetings at the local Organizing for America office. One was simply a monthly update of the citywide group, and the second a training in canvassing techniques for the upcoming campaign kick-off weekend.

What do these three have in common? I’ll give you a moment to think. Take a look at the OFA office windows while you’re contemplating.

 

Come on in and pose with the cardboard cut-outs!

Remember the question? I asked you to consider what these three examples might share in common. It’s the people.

In each example, you’ll see a group of like-minded people. The Public Radio bus trip was thoroughly enjoyable because of the camaraderie. In the second example, all three issues had to do with sustainability and the city environment. In the third, all of the meeting attendees were motivated to help re-elect the President of the United States to a second term.

Seeking out like-minded people is one way to stay calm and focused during difficult times. We share experiences, we share attitudes, and we share priorities. These groups will meet again, I’m sure. Trees, chickens, Public Radio, and elections are topics that inspire passion. Finding focus for a passion can lead to making a difference in the world.

Go ahead, readers. Find like-minded people. Talk. Then come back here and tell me: what will you do to make a difference?

Michael Feldman hosts a Saturday morning show on WPR called Whadya Know?. Michael Perry hosts Big Tent Radio on Saturday nights. Good enough?They’re both comics, hosts, and fascinating people. 

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At the market, paper or plastic?

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I bring my own bags. I even get snippy if the sellers and cashiers insist I take theirs. At the Farmers’ Market, however, it’s becoming a problem. I use my own collection of bags, but I still come home each week with a few plastic bags, and I can’t seem to avoid them..

Market Goodies, July 7

That weekend we had plastic around the bread and the cookies, the organic pasta (oh, it was good pasta!) and the seafood.

Goodies from the July 14 trip

The lettuce was packed in plastic to make it easier for the vendor. Each bag was pre-weighed. I took the carrots and onion without a bag. I handed the vendor my own bag in which to weigh the peaches. But after buying sugar snap peas, green beans, blueberries and raspberries,  I still ended up coming home with this.

                Too many bags!

Okay, the green one on the right is mine. It stays in my purse stuffed into its own tiny storage sack most of the time. But the rest? The only solution I’ve found so far is to hand the vendor a bag and say, “Use this one, please” or “Let’s reuse this one; I don’t need a new bag.”

Thoughts, readers? Ideas? I look forward to your input. I’d love to kick the plastic habit to the curb. I’m on the way.

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Rain! Rain! Come to stay, but….

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Rain! We had rain! Do you know how to tell the difference between an optimistic environmentalist and a pessimistic environmentalist? One sees the rain barrel as half full, the other sees it half empty.

Hint: my tomatoes are happy. The pepper plants aren’t so sure; I think there’s a mole tunneling beneath that part of the garden. But back to the rain – we had rain twice in recent history. The first shower only lasted long enough to inconvenience Chuck, and didn’t even top off the rain barrels.

Sing it – I’m grillin’ in the rain, I’m grillin’ in the rain!

The steaks, by the way, were delicious.

The next storm was more substantial. My rain barrels are now half full, and the garden soil is soaked. This storm also brought with us a little entertainment in the form of loud noises. I thought the wind had knocked over my deck table or stolen its umbrella. Nope. Look again, Daisy.

Do you see what I see?

Here, look more closely.

Wow. Just wow.

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To Market, to Market

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Tuo market, to market, to buy – you fill in the blank. I didn’t buy pork, so the original “to buy a fat pig” doesn’t really work.

It was a typical Saturday, mostly. I woke up later than intended and ended up going to the downtown farmers’ market by myself. Chuck had a commitment that he couldn’t miss, so we didn’t go to market together, as is our normal Saturday. I picked up my usual collection of bags and found my way to our parking ramp.

Then I stumbled and twisted an ankle. Ouch. I stepped on it gingerly, determined it was a minor pain, and continued into the marketplace called College Avenue, our town’s equivalent of Main Street.

I bought my usual goodies  quickly, and didn’t dawdle for more. I wanted to get off my feet (and ankle) before overdoing and causing myself trouble.

Of course I took pictures!

Many Pleasures from The Market

A close-up will show what I have planned for later this weekend.

Pickling Cucumbers!

You can see I’ve already made one batch of bread and butter pickles. Last year I made two, and we went through each and every pickle. Yum! Maybe I’ll grind up the ends for relish instead of compost. Maybe.

But first, I settled into the recliner to watch my Milwaukee Brewers play their hearts out at their home field, and rested my silly twisted ankle.

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The trees! Save the trees! Or… or… not.

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Observe: one of the trees that our neighbor wants to save. She circulated petitions and called our alderman and forced a review of the situation. Unfortunately, she’s not thinking logically. 

A blustery day in the neighborhood

It’s a big one. The branch cracked and fell due to a wind gust – just a gust of wind on a clear but windy day.

Big tree, big branch.

In conclusion, the trees are lovely, and they’re lived good lives. Saving these trees (and tearing up the roots with the road construction) isn’t a logical decision.

Remaining limb – and proximity to wire

 

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Non-Consumption – guidelines to make it possible

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I enjoy Mother Nature Network. I scan the articles, peruse the photo collections, compare the graphics, and more. Sometimes I see inspiration for changes in my own life. My family and I tend more toward the locavore than the globavore, as illustrated in this graphic. I do buy organic and free trade coffee from outside the local range – it doesn’t grow here – but I like to buy it from small grocers or local delis whenever I can. We grow quite a few vegetables in the backyard, and we buy a lot of produce from the downtown farmers’ markets. All of this improves the quality of our diet and our carbon footprint.

 The piece I saw this week was a list of questions to help make purchasing decisions. Instead of mindless consumerism and buy-buy-buy, asking these questions can point a consumer in a different direction. My friend Green Girl commented that “No one leaves the Farmers’ Market with buyer’s remorse,” and I agree. But regular stores? That kind of remorse is more likely. Check out the list below.

1. Is this purchase something I need? Need, not want. There’s a difference.

2. Do I already own something that will serve the same purpose? Example: clothing. I don’t need a new pair of jeans. I need to wear out the jeans I already own. I’ll let you go on, readers, without my interjections. 

3. Can I borrow one instead of buying new?
4. Can I make something that will serve the same purpose?
5. Can I buy a used one?
6. Would someone be willing to split the cost and share this with me?
7. Can I buy or commission one made locally?
8. Can I buy one that was made with environmentally responsible materials?
9. Can I buy one that serves more than one purpose?
10. Can I get something human powered instead of gas or electric?
11. Can I compost or recycle it when I’m done with it?
12. What is the impact on the environment of the full life cycle of it?
13. Does the manufacture or disposal of it damage the environment?
If the answers to these questions still suggest making a purchase, the buyers will know that their money will go toward valuing our environment rather than spoiling or damaging the natural world. I wonder – if I copied this list into my tiny purse notebook, could I avoid spending money unnecessarily? Probably. Could I make a more positive impact or at least a lesser impact on my home planet? Likely. I tell myself that I limit my consumption in a lot of ways. This list reminds me that I can do better.
Readers, which question is the hardest to answer? For me it’s number 13. I find it difficult to do the research involved in answering questions about the manufacture or disposal of commercial items. How about you?

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The Daisy Reality Show: why it isn’t really TV worthy

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A reality show of my life would have a lot of boring moments for viewers. Consider the following:

Director’s Assistant: Daisy, you snore.

Daisy: What?! (starts coffeemaker and turns her bleary eyes toward the annoying assistant) I thought my bedroom was off limits.

Assistant: Well, we leave the cameras off when you and Chuck are changing clothes or doing anything, um, private.

Daisy: (moans) I have a terrible sinus headache. No wonder – the two go together. If I can’t breathe through my nose, that means I’m sawing wood all night. If I’m rattling the floorboards in my sleep, I probably have sinus troubles. Let me get into the bathroom and see what I can do about it.

Assistant: But we can’t use bathroom video, either!

Now, readers, we move from boredom to TMI – too much information.

Daisy: I took ibuprofen already. It’s not helping. Next: I’ll flush out my nasal passages with my Neti Pot. I’m sure viewers don’t want to watch my saline solution flowing through my sinuses and washing out –

Assistant: Stop! Stop! I get it.

Daisy: Speaking of flushing, my left ear aches. I had the wax flushed out of it yesterday.

Assistant: Doesn’t a Q-Tip work? He had to ask.

Daisy: No, no, no! Q-tips just squash the wax and make it more tightly impacted in the ear canal. Anyone with hearing aids has wax troubles. In most people, the earwax finds its own way out. With a hearing aid in the way, the earwax builds up and needs to be removed by a doctor two or three times a year.

Assistant: Oh. (Looks suspiciously at Daisy) Does that hurt?

Daisy: It’s uncomfortable. Sometimes I get pain after the procedure because my middle ear is tender and sore. Then I function without the hearing aid on that side for a while to reduce the pressure and let the skin heal.

See what I mean, readers, TMI! True, but somewhat icky details, are the daily grit of my life.  But the show must go on.

Director: Sorry I’m late! Daisy, did you sleep all right last night? You look like you have a headache.

Assistant: Don’t. Even. Ask.

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Market Day!

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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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