Rainy Days Are For The Birds

I added American robin to the yard's bird list today. There was a flock in the front yard after the rain slowed. I also saw four hooded mergansers at high tide (look in the middle of the photo and squint) and a yellow-rumped warbler clinging to the marsh grass.

A Food Revolution

I have to say, this looks incredible. The first reality TV show in which I've ever been interested. After seeing Food Inc., Mark and I were discussing how can you ever change school system lunches. Here is an example of how. I hope I can watch this online when it starts.

30 Rock Love

30 rock may be one of my favorite shows of all time. I was just looking for an excuse to post a clip - I really enjoy this one, especially for the recycling jokes joke.

Not Martha Stewart, But Getting There

I just found the coolest blog that I wanted to share. Not Martha. It is a blog of do it yourself projects. I recently borrowed Martha Stewart's A to Z Encyclopedia of Crafts from the library, which was a partial inspiration for the soapmaking project. So to find a blog of someone with random, needed do-it-yourself projects online is exciting. I think I am slowly realizing there are a lot of them out there.

This might be the start of something. Last weekend, I was at a baby shower with lots of crafty people that work on craft books. Today, a friend just gave me a sewing machine. I think my life may be getting a little more crafty, if not at the least more self-sufficient.

The soap is finally ready to use. I tried it out today with successful results. I did not realize that store-bought soap removes the glycerin from the soap or is made from detergents. Homemade soap is supposedly more moisturizing; I am excited to test it out.

Belated Frost

Cold weather on the marsh last week - there was frost on the Spartina and ice in the shallow parts of the marsh. It was beautiful, but cold.

Paying Attention

In Reimagining the Good Life, Michael Schuler asks "Is the quality of our attention such that we accurately perceive what's going on around us and inside ourselves?"

Paying attention is something I have been working on for the last year. It is easy to distract myself with the Internet, music, books, work, etc.. But turning them off and just being there makes it easier to put things in perspective and to value what you have.

Since last January, I have been reading a number of Buddhism books and started practicing yoga and occasionally attending group meditations. I also give myself time just to think and be, without having to accomplish anything or be any certain way. I have found that in the past I got caught up in how I "should" live, and this interferes with my enjoyment and appreciation of how I already am living. By being still and pausing for just one or two minutes a day, I find that I am more appreciative and perceptive of how I am currently living my life. I don't get as caught up in what could happen, what did happen, or what is happening to others - rather I can pay more attention to how I am feeling and thinking and being.

I would like to create a stronger meditation practice, but if at the very least I am truly present for at least a moment each day, I do feel a noticeable difference in my perspective and enjoyment of life.

Adventures in Soapmaking

I have been on a kick to make soap for a little while now. I found a great recipe on the internet for Basic Castile Soap. After reading about how difficult it is to obtain lye for soapmaking, I was worried my soap plans would not happen. Apparently, lye is used in methampetamine making also - a less frontier/simple living purpose than soap - so stores have taken it off the shelves along with Sudafed. However, Lowe's did happen to have some, so I bought that, along with olive oil, a soup toureen, wooden spoons, rubber gloves, and a scale. I gathered up all my materials in the kitchen. Wearing my biggest, craziest sunglasses and some stylish rubber gloves as protection, I was ready.

I added the carefully measured lye to water in a designated plastic pitcher, which heated up from the chemical reaction. Once it had cooled back down, I added it to a pot of heated oil and stirred and stirred (45 minutes!) and then added the newly formed soap to some molds (yogurt cups and a plastic food container).

I waited a couple of days and then exposed the soap to the air, which made it harden. I am still in the process of curing the soap, where you let it dry and harden for a week up to 2 months. By photos of the final product, you can see that I am still experimenting with when to cut the bars of soap and what kind of molds to use. In the future, I hope to add oatmeal and honey and other goodies to the soap and experiment with different oils and fats in the recipe. Castile soap is supposedly highly moisturizing, but doesn't lather much. Adding some coconut oil should change that up nicely.

Adventures in Breadmaking

Here's my first attempt at no-knead whole wheat travel bread, from Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook. It turned out really tasty and was easy to make, so I'm hoping to make it a weekly ritual. I have my second batch rising right now.

What I love about the bread is that it is entirely whole grain (and super easy to make). Here's an abbreviated recipe:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 c water, plus a little extra to add as needed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl - add water and stir. The consistency should be slightly sticky, not dry or runny. Cover with plastic and put in warm place (I use the oven) overnight (12 to 20 hours).

Grease loaf pan (I'm using a dutch oven because the loaf pans are packed away somewhere) with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add dough and cover with rest of olive oil. Cover pan with towel for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and cool on rack.

The bread doesn't rise very high, but it lasts for a few days before getting stale and it tastes good.

Mark Bittman has more variations in his book, which I recommend reading or buying. My favorite cookbook on my shelf is his The Best Recipes in the World, and I am hoping to buy How to Cook Everything Vegetarian someday. These are encyclopedias of recipes. I know you can collect recipes online nowadays, but I really enjoy just sitting down with books and recipe magazines and just picking out what looks good.

Laundry List

I took this list from 100 mile harvest's blog, modified it slightly, and filled it out for myself. I've highlighted in green what I already do and in blue what I would like to do. This identifies some places to work on and on things to learn how to make (soap, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies). Good times ahead!

Around the House
-Turn lights off when leaving a room
-Change air filters once a month
-Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
-Use ceiling fans to keep rooms cooler during the summer months
-Replace analog thermostats with programmable, digital thermostats that automatically adjust temperature according to a schedule

Kitchen
-Unplug all kitchen appliances at the end of the day and when leaving the room
-Keep refrigerator full to maximize coolness
-Use microwave only for the minimum –defrost food ahead of time and heat food on a stove or toaster oven
-Eliminate the use of disposable plates and utensils
-Use glass or ceramic containers for food storage
-Use washable cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
-Use water filtration system instead of relying on bottled water
-Run the dishwasher only when full
-Use the dishwasher’s “no-heat” option to save energy
-Replace paper filters on coffee/tea appliances with a reusable wire mesh filter
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies

Bathroom
-Use non-toxic and biodegradable chlorine-free, non-petroleum, phosphate-free based cleaning supplies
-Turn the water off while brushing your teeth or shaving
-Shower instead of taking a bath
-Use a slow-flow showerhead that reduces water usage
-Do not use the toilet as a trash can

Lawn and Garden
-Start a garden
-Use soapy water to get rid of aphid problems on plants and shrubs
-Spread used coffee grounds on ant hills to control fire ants
-Spray a light mist of a solution of hot peppers in water to prevent fungus on plants
-Use crushed, dry eggshells as calcium supplement for plants
-Install sprinkler system for a greener grass, they are most efficient at maximizing watering coverage on the lawn
-When mowing the lawn, use lawn clippings to promote growth
-Water lawns before sunrise, to minimize water evaporation
-Landscape with native plants, which are adapted to the local climate
-Use mulch or lawn clippings around trees, bushes and flowers beds to help retain water

Laundry Room
-Use the cold water setting for every laundry load
-Wait for a full load of clothes to start the washer
-Clean the dryer’s lint filter after every use
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable laundry detergents

Gym
-Bring filtered water to the gym in a reusable bottle
-Bring a personal towel to the gym to help save water and avoid exposure to heavy-duty cleaning detergents and bleaches
-Use cardiovascular equipment that does not draw electrical power. Best options are elliptical machines and stationary bikes - goodbye treadmill
-Choose outdoor exercise when possible

Lifestyle changes
-Support organic farming practices
-Buy food locally
-Structure a diet of mostly vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs
-Eat mostly fruits and nuts with local honey as snacks
-Seek out eco-friendly businesses and support them
-Cut TV usage to 2hrs a week - Not sure I can do this!
-Replace wall-to-wall carpet in the home with wood or tile flooring for allergy control
-Buy books in audio formats (preferably internet delivery rather than CD media) - I'm using the library instead
-Read all products labels, be an informed shopper

Banking
-Enroll in online banking
-Decline ATM receipts
-Request paperless statement from banks and credit card companies

Car
-Keep tires properly inflated to maximize gas mileage
-Re-fuel when tank is half full, instead of nearly empty
-Do not idle, shut engine off if stopping for more than 30 seconds
-Buy a hybrid vehicle
-Carpool whenever possible
-Keep vehicles tuned up
-Use a commercial car wash (most recycle their water)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
-Clean recyclable containers before putting in recycling bin.
-Recycle baby food glass jars – fitted with a tea light candle they make beautiful lanterns when hung from trees during evening outdoor events
-Stop newspaper distribution (read news online)
-Eliminate or reduce magazine subscriptions
-Recycle all junk mail
-Request to be removed from direct marketing mail lists
-Contact companies to cancel non-essential catalog delivery
-Cut old articles of clothing and bed sheets into cleaning rags
-Stop buying bottled water, use a refillable water bottle instead
-Remove caps, lids and corks from bottles before recycling
-Re-use food jars for other storage needs
-Carry reusable bags on all shopping trips - I'm trying to do this!
-Use recycled garbage bags

Office
-Recycle paper, plastic, junk mail and printer, copier and fax cartridges
-Replace all disposable plates and utensils in the office kitchen with ceramic plates, mugs, glasses, and flatware. Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups each year.
-Print on both sides of a sheet of paper
-Use recycled paper in printers
-Reuse paper clips
-Avoid buying/using rubber bands
-Shut down computers overnight - time to stop hibernating and start unplugging
-Carpool whenever possible
-Turn lights off when leaving the office, storage or breakrooms
-Bring home-cooked lunch to work - the perks of a home office!
-Carry lunch to work in reusable ceramic or glass containers
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies
-Use power saver mode on all computers
-Use water cooler to discourage bottled water usage

Rethinking Eating

Watch Food Inc. Full Movie Trailer Online - High Quality - Watch more Funny Videos

This weekend I watched Food Inc. I'd already read Omnivore's Dilemma and Fast Food Nation, so what I saw wasn't new to me. But it reinvigorated me to work on how I buy and grow food. Everyone should see this movie, as it talks about the way food gets to our supermarkets and what we are actually eating.

For 2010, I plan to eat more locally, reduce my intake of processed foods, and grow more of my own food. I've already found local sources of free range chicken and pork, which come to the Charleston Farmer's Market. I also just found a great website: http://www.localharvest.org/, where anyone can look up local farms and handmade items near their homes.

I'm looking forward to planning and planting the garden this year. Last year, we were successful with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, basil, and cilantro, but our yard has the potential for so much more with a side garden and container gardening.

Saying Goodbye to Shampoo?

For Christmas, my sister got me this awesome shampoo from her hairdresser in New York (http://www.amazonbeautysecret.com/), with oil from the Rahua nut from the Ecuadorian part of the Amazon. I had visited her earlier that year, when she told me why she went to her hairdresser. He has worked with the people in this part of the Amazon to develop a sustainable, cottage industry in harvesting the Rahua nut at a fair wage for his product line. And cuts hair in New York. Amazing!

She told me how her hair was greasy for the first 2 or 3 weeks, but after that it stopped being greasy. Given that I have to wash my hair every day because it is so greasy, I was definitely interested. I read the label and saw that it did not have sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or other types of surfactants. I knew that these were the reason for my needing to wash my hair every day, as they strip your hair of its natural oil, and causing it (some say) to need to produce more. However, in the past, when I've used Dr. Bronner's or other natural shampoos, the oil in my hair has built up to where I feel like I have a helmet on my head.

I've been using this shampoo for 2 weeks at this point, and I definitely feel like my hair looks better on the day that I have washed it. The second day, it is still greasy, but not so bad. I am looking forward to getting through this beginning period.

However, maybe I don't even need to shampoo at all. I saw an article on the Huffington Post about giving up shampoo entirely (here). It is one of those things that we have invented for modern life that maybe we never needed. Some people mentioned in the article and linked articles haven't washed their hair in 10 years - and it looks just like my hair. Interesting, but I think I'll most likely be in the "less" rather than "no" shampoo camp.

Changing Seasons and Tides

Part of what I would like this blog to be is a record of the changes in seasons and of our home and how we live.

I am happy to be in residence here at the marsh's edge. So far, I have lived in the house for 12 months with Mark, watching the seasons change over the marsh and in our yard. The tide comes in and out of our yard at various heights. Right now it is low tide, so I can't see the water. At the edge between the salt marsh's smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and our yard, we have sea oxeye daisy, groundsel, and other salt-tolerant plants. Our suburban grasses won't grow where the tides enter the yard, as it is too salty.

In our yard, there is a wild persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana), two live oaks (Quercus virginiana), a sabal palm (Sabal palmetto), and a southern hackberry (Celtis laevigata), which we have watched lose and gain leaves and bear fruits. Mark has been trying to harvest the persimmon fruits to make his aunt's persimmon pudding, but has yet to master the timing. It's too late this year, so we will have to wait until next.

Pet Introductions

Here are our animals: Katy, the black and white dog; Sam, the brown dog; and Moxie, the little black cat with big eyes. All are rescues of some sort and all seem pretty happy to be in residence here along the marsh's edge. Katy and Sam love to run around the yard, ever alert for squirrels and outdoor cats. Moxie has managed to become the queen of the indoor lair, with Katy tolerating her friendly attacks and Sam avoiding her claws on his paws.

Living the Good Life

I regularly "borrow" books from my dad's library, often ones I have bought him as presents. At Thanksgiving, I borrowed Making the Good Life Last, Four Keys to Sustainable Living, by Michael Schuler, a Unitarian Universalist minister in Madison, Wisconsin. My dad has been interested in Stoicism and living the good life for a while, so this book seemed a good choice for him. Having read similar books from my dad's library, I also had to read this one.

Making the Good Life Last focuses on four premises:

• pay attention,
• stay put,
• exercise patience, and
• practice prudence.

Schuler delves into each of these premises for sustainable living, providing context and examples. Pay attention involves such things as meditation and being in the present moment, along with just noticing your life and your community. Staying put argues for staying in one place instead of being as mobile as modern Americans are now. Exercising patience and practicing prudence each apply to so many parts of our lives. They involve such things as being patient with our careers, families, levels of satisfaction with life, material wants and needs, etc. While reading the book, I found that over the years I have learned similar lessons and am in agreement with him.

In the coming weeks, I plan to post on each of the four premises separately. Stay tuned...