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May 21 The smell of cleanI have three teenage athletes at home. This blessing produces lots of extra things in our household, one of which is laundry. My laundry can only be described as explosive. There has been a handful of times when I've caught up with it, mainly when all three children are at camp. Of course on their return I have another explosion in the laundry room and I'm back to where I started.
Doing all this laundry requires a lot of products, but I never go in the laundry aisle in the grocery store. Years ago my daughter developed a terrible skin irritation. It turned out to be from our laundry products. A search helped me find some natural products that didn't cause problems. Then something else happened. When we started using the natural products and went to the grocery store, we were shocked by the overwheming chemical smell of the laundry aisle. It actually was so strong it made me feel ill.
Why is it that we've been conditioned to believe that the smell of chemicals is the smell of clean? Go out to a nice woods and breathe deeply. THAT is the smell of clean. It smells fresh and, well...... like nothing. Mountain fresh air doesn't really have an overwheming smell. April fresh usually smells like moist earth to me. Pine fresh should smell like a pine woods, not like a chemical factory. These smells we are conditioned to associate with clean are actually the smells of chemical contamination. Our reactions shouldn't be "ummmm", it should be "yikes!". Why, because when you smell chemicals it means they are getting into your blood stream via your lungs and skin. This is not a good thing.
What to do? Switch to non-toxic cleaners. Use baking soda and vinegar to scrub your shower and sink. If you need convenience, buy cleaners from a reputable, earth friendly company. If you need help with recipes or suggestions for altenative cleaners, just drop me an e-mail and I will help. Let's bring a real clean to our homes and our planet. May 05 Groceries in your backyardWouldn't it be nice to just go out in your back yard and "shop" for your fruit and vegetables? Well, with some planning now, you could do that in just a few weeks. Start by locating an area in your yard that could be used for growing vegetables. No yard, no problem if you have a porch or deck. Container vegetable gardening is a great way to grow at least some produce.
If you have a yard, preparing the soil can be done by hand or by renting/borrowing a rotatiller. Mark out the area you are going to use and either till or hand dig the soil until it is loose. You can remove the sod to a side area to allow it to compost or you can turn it under, raking the grass and roots out (this can also compost). I would suggest you go to the local cooperative Extension office and buy a soil test kit to see if you need to amend your soil. But if you don't want to do this, you might just want to dig in some organic compost and take your chances. Once you have the soil raked and smoothed, you are ready to plant.
Purchasing seeds is easy. Many stores sell seeds, just read the packages for directions. Seeds like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant need to be started in advance so you might want to go to a nursery to buy plants when you are ready for these. Right now most of us can plant peas, onions, lettuce, radishes, turnips, and swiss chard (to name a few). Just read the package for directions and follow them. Remember to water your newly planted seeds.
March 17 If you're cleaning, you really should know this...You really need to know what is in your cleaners if you are planning to spring clean. You could actually make your home a more toxic place to live than if you never cleaned. If you want a real eye opener watch this. To check your products go here.
Cleaners have become stronger and stronger in an effort to make them more attractive to the busy woman (yes, it's sexist but more women clean than men). We've become a nation paranoid about germs, so cleaners promise to protect our families from these threats.
Some groups are bringing attention to the evidence that the cleaners themselves pose a very real threat to women's health. I thought shredded skin and cracked bleeding fingers was just something that happened to everyone when they cleaned. I think many women experience this,but it is not normal or good. Once I switched to non-toxic cleaners I rarely have any problems with my hands. This was just evidence to me that the chemicals in cleaners were harming me. I often had a headache after cleaning which I thought came because of fatigue. When I switched cleaners I not only got rid of the headaches but found that I had energy to spare after cleaning.
So what is in these cleaners that causes the problems. In cleaners for windows an ingredient called glycol ether has shown harm to animals. Laundry detergents which contain Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), two kinds of surfactants, have been shown to cause harm to fish and tadpoles. Phthalates found in laundry detergent, air freshners, glass cleaners, and fabric softners have been linked to low sperm counts and asthma.
What do you clean with if you don't want to use conventional cleaners? Well, be careful to do your homework because any product can say it's natural or non-toxic. Look for the research to back up the company claims. You can easily use baking soda, vinegar, and peroxide to clean your home as well. I still like some kind of soap so I've found a cleaner that works, is affordable, and comes from a reputable company. Do your homework and find something that works for you. You won't be sorry and you're home will really be spring clean. March 13 Gardening potpourriI went to the local hardware store and immediately developed gardening fever. It was the smell of potting soil that first got me. Then it was the racks of seeds including a big selection of organic seeds. I went into the store for a chess board and came out with about 25 packets of seeds. At my next stop (since my gardening antennae were up) I spotted seed trays made of recycled paper that were bio-degradable and filled with organic seed starting mix. AND, they were less expensive than the plastic trays that always break anyway. So needless to say that night I was busy starting seeds.
Starting seeds isn't that hard to do. You need the basics, something deep enough to hold soil and seedlings, seeds, a spray bottle, a pencil, and soil of course. I use egg cartons as seedling trays, they work great. Fill your container with soil. Make sure it's full of soil and compact it a bit because it can settle over time. Use the spray bottle to moisten the soil by spraying a mist over top of your seed tray. Spray until the soil is really damp. Use the pencil to poke a hole the correct depth into the soil. Using the spray bottle, spray into the hole a bit. Drop in two seeds (one will have to be sacrificed by thinning later). Cover your seed with soil. Spray lightly one more time and place in a warm spot like on top of the fridge. (I protect my fridge with a piece of cardboard)
Keep your seed trays moist (not soaking) by spraying every day or as needed. When the seedlings come up, move them to a sunny window or use a grow light.
If you have extra plants or seeds, consider hyperlocavore's idea of seed sharing with someone who is a new gardener. You might also consider the idea of yard-sharing with someone who doesn't have garden space. Victory Gardening is also a topic of discussion lately.
It won't hurt anyone to have delicious, fresh vegetables to add to their table fare and share with others. If you are really ambitious, you could learn to can, freeze, or dry your extra veggies. I will be putting up instructions on my website later about these three methods of preserving.
Happy Gardening! March 02 Spring has sprungBoy, it's been a busy week. We were blessed to have a grand child born on Wednesday. She is beautiful. Now we're blessed to celebrate the signs of new life and spring here in Western PA. Despite the cold temperatures, we decided to tap the maple trees this weekend. As we walked in the woods, we saw skunk cabbage polking through the leaves. Even though skunk cabbage isn't exactly edible or nice smelling, it is quite beautiful and unusual. It's one sure sign spring is here.
We stopped at our first tree and got out the drill. We use a hand drill because it makes no sound, we like the peace of the woods. I watched as my teenage daughter put the drill to the tree, centering her drilling above a large root in order to get the best flow of sap. I'm reminded of the many years she galloped and played in the woods with her brothers and sisters as we tapped trees. They'd all take their turn sipping sap from the newly placed spiles and skip off to play again.
She drilled into the tree with practiced skill, going into the tree about 2 - 3 inches and then drawing the frass out by moving the drill in and out of the hole. She picked up a thin twig, using it to remove the rest of the frass and smiled as the sap poured out of the tree and down the trunk. "Give me a spile" , she said. Her father handed her the stainless steel spile and the hammer. Tapping gently, she put the silver tube in firmly. The sap began to drip steadily out of the spile. She bent down and sipped the sap. "Mmm, good", she said smiling.
We hung a bucket and placed the lid. The familiar "ping" of sap dripping into the bucket is a sound I love. We moved on to the next trees, taking turns drilling. We all sipped the sap as it came off the spile. Finally cold but happy, we stood back and looked at the woods. Spring has definitely come, again. February 27 Have space? Share your garden!You know, I believe in lending a helping hand to others when times are rough. Giving money, clothes, time, and other goods are all great ways to help other people. But, have you ever thought of giving someone a bit of soil? Hyperlocavore offers this great idea to all of us who garden or have places to garden. The idea is just to share some of your garden space or yard with other people.
Why is this a great idea? Well, in my opinion, while giving is a wonderful thing to do, it can be pretty antiseptic. You never come into contact with the people you're helping. For some people that's OK, but I think you can really make a difference in the lives of others when you give a little of yourself. Sharing your yard or garden will probably lead to building new relationships with people in your community. The more we do this, the less likely someone is to fall through the cracks when they need help.
When you share with someone else you always get benefits back. My dear neighbor from childhood was the first to share her garden with me. She allowed me to help her pick peas and beans (of course I got to sample them) with her while she told me stories and just shared her life with me. That ecperience fueled my own gardening passion as I became a teenager but also the relationship with her gave me an anchor as I went through those teen years.
So, if you own a little piece of ground here's your chance to make a difference in someone's life. You will not only give them a source of fresh, nutritious food, you will give them a new friend. In the process don't be surprised if you get more than you give. February 24 Saving money + going green = workI could spend a fortune going green if I followed the advice of all the magazines out there. Lots of companies seem to be jumping on the green wagon, which is not entirely bad. This means when you do need to shop for something, you might be able to find a less toxic alternative than was previously available. But if you want to make your house less toxic and use earth friendly products, you don't have to go out and buy everything all over again. Actually using money saving techniques, you can do a lot to live a healthy, earth friendly life. For instance, if you want to clean your windows, you can use vinegar and water. Mix half white vinegar with half water, spray or use a cloth to apply to your window and wipe dry. Or you can use a very concentrated environmentally safe cleaner that's also economical. The point is that you don't have to go out and buy expensive green cleaners if you are willing to do the work of mixing them yourself and using a bit of elbow grease. Recycling plays a big part in going green and saving money. Don't buy cleaning cloths, cut up stained T-shirts and other cotton clothes to make useable cleaning rags. Use these in the place of paper towels and just wash them. They don't have to be pretty, they're for cleaning! Keep bread bags and shopping bags. Give bread bags double duty by using them to store foods or wrap sandwiches. Plastic shopping bags can be used to line trash can instead of purchased liners. The bottom line to all of this is that saving money and going green go hand in hand if you are willing to work at it. If you're looking for convenience then going green is probably going to cost you more money than buying conventional products. I'll be adding lots of home made green ideas to my website in the next few weeks. So stay tuned.... February 18 Plant for the futureEveryone is wondering how they are going to stretch thier money just a little further these days. One thing you can do is to use whateverlawn space you have to grow your own food. The time to start planning this is now because seeds for some plants can be started indoors. I received my first seed catalog back in December but more are arriving daily and if you have a computer, you can shop online for seeds from all over the world.
It's not hard to start seeds in your home. Here's what you need:
A garden plan (decide how big you want the garden and how many plants you'll need)
South facing window or grow light that can be raised or lowered
Pots or planting trays
Soil (preferably an organic mix)
Sprinkle type watering can
Seeds
First make your plan. A garden needs lots of sun so pick a place in your yard where you have sun most of the day. You will prepare soil later probably in April or May but you need to know the size of your garden now. Using paper, draw your garden using 1 inch to 1 foot dimensions. Most plants have space requirements. Give plants like tomatoes two feet between plants, peas and beans are planted closer in rows, onions are planted closely, squash and cucumbers need about 6 square feet per hill unless they are trellised. There are many resources to help you plan your garden.
Once you've decided on your garden plan and how many plants you need, order your seed. I like these places (Seeds of change, Pine Tree Gardens ,Johnny's , and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)for seeds because they offer organic seeds and heirloom varieties. One advantage of having your own gardern is that you can have varieties you can't buy in a grocery store.
You could also purchase soil mix and seed trays at this time. You can buy these at dollar stores, home and garden stores, or online. You can also make your own seed containers by recycling things you have at home. Yogurt containers, berry containers, bottoms of water and soda bottles, etc will alll work for starting seeds. Just make sure there are small drainage holes if the containers are plastic.
A grow light is a good investment. You can get these at home and garden stores, stores like K-mart, or maybe ask if anyone has one on Freecycle or Craig's list. I hang my grow light on a make shift frame made from an old clothing rack.
Prepare your planting items the day before you plant. Watering your soil in the containers the day before you plant the seeds is a good idea. Plant your seeds according to the directions on the package and place under the grow light or in your window. Once the seedlings come up, keep them water so they are just damp (not too wet) and keep them in the light.
If you need help with gardening, you can call your local cooperative extension in the phone book under state or county government. They have people there to answer your questions and sometimes classes on gardening. You can also e-mail me or twitter me(@ debbeisel) with your questions. I'd be glad to help, I've been gardening since I was 10 and loving it ever since.
One garden may not save the world or feed you whole family, but you will reap the benefits of vegetables that are fresh. You will get exercise while your are out there in your garden. And if you use no chemicals, you will have vegetables free of pesticides. Good for you, good for the earth.
February 16 Is it really organic/I'm just about to finish a batch of soap. I actually made the soap base a while ago and now will "French mill" the soap. That just means I grate the basic soap, melt it, and add a fragrance. Then I pour it back into molds and let it get hard again. However, just because my soap is handmade doesn't make it organic. I didn't use organic olive oil when I made my basic castile soap. I also don't think I can even find organic lye which is an essential ingredient for soap. So how can soap be organic? Well...according to the standards for organic labeling, it really can't be "organic" unless 95% of the weight of the product (without counting water) is made up of certified organic ingredients. Very few soaps and cosmetic products fall into that category. Unless they have this label they are probably just mentioning organic on their label to make their product attractive to people who are looking for organic products. Still, is my soap better than average regarding safety? I think it is because there are many chemicals not in my soap that are in others. My soap is made of sodium hydroxide (lye), olive oil, water, and lavender oil. That's it. So, even though it's not organic, I know what's in it and can at least feel good about that. Besides, it really smells great! February 12 just checking inWell, just checking in and getting back to blogging about green "stuff". My neighbors just finished a small addition to their house. They framed in part of their porch. This has a southern exposure which in Western PA doesn't mean it will be getting a lot of sun, but it will maximize the sun when it does happen to be out. Anyway, they recycled some insulated windows, an insulated door ,and a storm door but managed to make this very attractive just the same. The temperature of the "room" was 90 degrees yesterday when it was about 60 outside but sunny. The walls and floor of the room are dark brown wood which helps to absorb the sun's heat. They plan to add an opening into their house with a fan to blow the warm air into their house during the winter. A roof vent will help control the temperature in the summer. And, they will use the room to start their summer vegetable plants. Great thinking and use of resources. It has me thinking about our south-facing porch. Maybe a building project is in order..... We'll be tappping trees this week. Spring has sprung. March 03 Clean UPWell there's 12 inches of snow on the ground here in PA, but that doesn't me from encouragin America (and everywhere) to be greener starting March 1st. The Cleaner, Greener American campaign starts on that day and continues until May 31st. Check out their site for information on nationwide kick-off dates. Even if you don't have a kick-off near you, you can do your part. Clean up the road near your house or work place. Have a clean up party, clean an entire roadway and then go back to your house for a nice potluck dinner to celebrate your hard work. Even though I have to wait until the spring thaw, I can still do my part. I'll be using my cloth bags for shopping and recycling everything I can. December 01 The Big ExperimentIf you noticed in my last blog I was complaining that my gas bill was terribly high. Well, I decided to conduct an experiment to see if we really could make a lifestyle change here. I talked with several of my neighbors and we agreed to call each other if we either had appointments in town or if we needed something from town. For instance when I have a appointment, I call my neighbors to see if they need anything or need a ride to town. I also call them if I just need one item to see if anyone is going into town. Today, I will shop for my neighbor. She only needs two items and I have to go to town for an appointment. I'll keep you posted about how this all goes. I also saw on the news that a van service (Coordinated byCommute Info) was getting some real use by commuters from the burbs. Seems like the van is comfortable and a good alternative to driving and parking. It picks people up in a central location (like the bus does). Some enterprising person could start this in a community and do rather well I think. There is also a ride share board for Pittsburgh, this is a great idea for all our areas I think. November 11 The DilemaLiving in the country creates a bit of a dilema for me. Recently it has become more of a mini crisis as I face a 500.00 gas bill for gas for two cars this month. My husband works in a nearby town that is 45 minutes away. He takes his car and I'm left with a car here to transport my three teens to their various activities and to run errands. I've also had to drive to another town to visit an aunt who is ill and separated from her family (I'm now the closest person to her). All this means using more and more gasoline to get to these places.
I love living in the country but I'm seeing that I'll need to begin to make some very tough decisions here. And my children will also have to have a change in their mindset. They think nothing of having to drive to town in the evening to visit friends or go to some activity.
My husband and I have discussed moving to the town he works in but that would mean uprooting our three teenagers, selling our home, and starting all over in another community. His job is such that he can't chose to work in the town closest to us, so he can't move his job. This brings us back to staying here and adjusting our behavior to reduce our driving.
Here are a few things I've realized. We've isolated ourselves with the way we use our cars. Think about it, we used to take trains and buses (with other people obviously). My mom talks about how she used to ride to town with other people who were headed that way. She'd take care of her business and wait until her ride was ready to go. She'd pass the time by visiting with someone, going to the library, or stopping in the local soda shop to have something. Now, I have no delusions that we'll return to that slow paced life. But, things might actually slow down a bit if we have to wait for each other so we can travel together. And we might just develop better relationships with people if we have to spend time riding in the car for a while. We'll have to have much better communication between family members to coordinate errands with other trips to town. Maybe I'll have to see if any of my neighbors will want to share rides to town. And I'll have to plan my meetings to so I'm going the same direction as my children at the same time. I'm not sure but I think this is all a good thing. Uncomfortable yes, but good. September 26 I'm back - PA Renewable Energy FestivalHey, after a long "vacation", I am back. This past weekend I attended the Pennsylvania Renewable Energy Festival near Kutztown PA. I had to drive (unfortunately) 5 hours to get there but it was a great event. There were excellent speakers (so many I had trouble choosing), vendors, and great food and entertainment.
While I was there I spoke with the owners of Heat Shed, Inc. They install solar systems for homes and businesses. I was unsure we had enough sun hours to produce our electricity so he referred me toFind Solar. There I just plugged my state and Electric Co. into their calculator and learned that I had a "good" site for solar system use. I could even see how much a system might cost me and how much I might save in energy costs over the years. If you are thinking about using a solar system, check out Find Solar and then call the helpful people at Heat Shed.
July 07 Fuss not...What's the fuss about? There are some folks getting together to raise awareness about the mess we are making of our planet. They happen to be musicians so they are doing what they do, they are making music. While they are making music, they are going to share their views on climate change.
Music has been used for political messaging since bards sang for kings and perhaps even before that time. Now the musicians of our time are sending a message through their music to raise public awareness to the danger of continuing to pollute our planet. People will listen to that message. People are watching that message. They are watching to see if the performers are living what they are saying.
What the watchers will see is actually the process of change. Some performers will walk the talk by living in a way the conserves energy and preserves the health of our environment. Other performers will not be there yet. They will drive gas guzzling vehicles, forget to recycle their trash, and eat a lot of beef. This doesn't mean they don't believe what they are saying or that their message is any less real. What is does mean is that they happen to be human. And like all humans, change of habit comes slowly.
It's like the person who decides to eat healthier food and then stops at Dairy Queen for a milkshake. Over a whole year, they might do lots of things that improve their eating, but there will still be plenty of habits that won't change so quickly. In any habit change, whether stopping smoking or stopping polluting, awareness and recognition that there is a problem has to come first. Then little by little, the old way of doing things is changed and replaced with new ways. This doesn't happen overnight. And it won't happen at the Live Earth concert overnight for anyone, not even the musicians.
My advice (for what it's worth), watch the concert, "mind your own back porch" as my mom would say, and fuss not lest ye be found out to be just as inconsistent in some area of your life. June 12 Take a BreakIn the great rush of life, we often forget how important it is to take a break. Recently I had the chance to do just that and it was well worth the small effort. Every state has a state park system, but I think that people forget or don't know how wonderful a state park can be for a mini-vacation.
We recently visited several parks in North Central Pennsylvania. The first was Cherry Springs State Park, a designated dark park. There are no lights in this park at all and since it is on a mountain top and removed from surrounding towns, it is one of the darkest spots in PA. Light pollution is a problem for serious stargazers and an annoyance to those of us who just want to see the sky at night.
Cherry Springs boasts an amazing astronomy field with concrete pads to set up telescopes and weekend programs to help those who are astronomically challenged. The park is rustic so there are no showers or sinks. There are very nice composting toilets and running water at the water spigots.
Wildlife is plentiful. We saw bears, red tailed hawks, deer, cedar waxwing, and downey woodpeckers. As we lay on our backs in the field looking at the stars, we heard the howls of coyote and the calling of barred owls. The place was amazing. There are plenty of good fishing spots and clear streams for wading.
We also visited the Sizerville State Park, a park with a very small campground (I'd stay somewhere else), but a very nice free swimming pool and a great nature center.
So if you need a break, try a State Park, you might be surprised what you find. May 25 When the going gets tough...I've been thinking, maybe a dangerous thing to do but it all started with a post on Organiblog entitled "Self-Propelled Engine". As I read this post I thought, "well that would be OK if I lived in town, but I live about 4 miles out of town with some pretty steep hills along the way. How would I bring back groceries for five people on a bike?" As I searched for some answers I came across this cart. Hmmm, now the impossible becomes the possible. Could I actually make it to town and back with something like this? The only thing really holding me back might just be my own reluctance to expend that much energy. Still with gas at $3.09 a gallon, I think I might be bike shopping very soon. May 14 Is your food safe?It was only a matter of time before we had to face the problem of food tainted with some substance. We've gone from purchasing food that is grown and produced locally to having absolutely no idea where the ingredients for our food have originated. A few years ago, the company I work with was producing a ginseng product and importing ginseng from another country. Since they test every batch of ingredients, they came across fungicide. They sent that batch back, but every batch after that ,even from other suppliers, was contaminated. Finally they went to the country to see what was going on. There had been a very damp, rainy season and when the ginseng was being stored it was getting moldy, so the warehouses sprayed fungicide. That year, this company stopped making products containing ginseng until they could find an uncontaminated source. Other companies did use this ginseng, marketing to consumers who had no idea what they were getting. My point? Buy from the most reputable company you can. Know where their ingredients come from. The less processed a food is, the less ingredients you have to worry about. Buy locally when possible. May 01 Simplify!Some mornings when I awake I am immediately overwhelmed by the day. My calendar looks like the scribblings of some mad scientist, with notes, arrows, and various drawings taking up every bit of free space. Every now and then there is a blank space. I love the blank spaces because they are like a window I can throw open to take breath after breath of air. When I was young, my life was filled with blank spaces. I had long wonderful days with nothing to do but lay in the yard and watch the clouds go by. What happened?
Americans are busier than ever. We work more hours than almost every other nation. But are we happier? I don't think so. People who are busy tend to use more disposable items, recycle less, and produce more CO2 gases. In addition, our obsession with work costs the environment. We are stuck in the rut of production and consumption.
It is time to simplify. You might start by "taking four windows of time" over the next 6 weeks. This would be a few hours, on 4 different days, where you did not schedule anything. We can also begin to change the "rules" of our approach to time. Let me know what you did, I might just watch some clouds. |
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