My oldest son is turning 7 on Friday!
To say his birth was life-changing would be a vast understatement. I was 36 years old had been living on my own for more than ten years and in a committed, but not domestic relationship with his father (we each had our own home about 30 min apart).
Prior to the birth, I had the optomistic expectation that I'd have this baby and life would pretty much continue as normal; and that I'd deliver natrually, nurse my baby and have the time and energy during my brief (6-8 week) maternity leave to plan a "mid-summer's eve" wedding.
Well, I had a cesarean section and my breastmilk never came in. I spent several weeks/months trying to breast & bottle feed - which took most of my time and energy and never really worked anyway.
There were many times in the first two months that I looked at this little crying or cooing bundle in my arms and wondered how I'd ever survive to his adulthood.
Blessedly, he did start sleeping from about 11pm-5am at about 2 months. I took the night feeding and his daddy took the daybreak feeding and we both got enough sleep so that we had the energy in July to start to plan for a September 6 wedding. And that little angel who we shared our love and committment with on that September day, loved us so much, that he started sleeping from 7pm to 5am shortly after.
By December we figured we had the parent thing down pat and were ready to think about having another....but that's another story.
This boy has had a history of wanting very active and involved birthdays (he and his mommy that is). Two Blue's Clues parties at 3 and 4, a CARS party at 5, an INCREDIBLE Super-hero party at 6, and this year...we're doing WALL-E....or rather "RRRON-E". It is a rather elaborate party as described below:
“RRRon-E’s Eco-Adventure” at (Our Local) Park will feature the following:
Letterboxing:
An outdoor adventure pastime started in England.
See www.letterboxing.org or www.atlasquest.org for more info.
We will have 3 letterboxes hidden at the park – the “box” will be old wipes containers re-purposed for containing a hidden stamp kit (Stamp, stamp pad, pen and logbook).
Each child will receive an “adventure kit” which will include their own personal initial stamp carved from a wine cork…Decoder ring from milk & oj carton tabs and a couple other things…. The kit will be contained in cleaned out, cut down milk cartons covered with old road maps with a strap threaded through so it can be carried over their shoulders…
Following the party, we will be hiding the party letterboxes in other local parks; if you are interested in continuing the adventure look for them at the above websites in May/June timeframe or email and I’ll provide a clue-sheet.
Wall-E style relay races:
*A race with a plant in a shoe
*Trash/treasure hunt
(The kids will be given child-sized gardening gloves that they can take home with them)
And More
Hot-Dogs and cupcakes will be served on recyclable or re-usable plates and don’t require utensils
Chip bags & drink pouches will be recycled through terracycle.net
All will be bulk-purchased to reduce packaging waste…
Old cereal/cracker boxes will be turned inside-out, decorated and used for goodie bags.
RRR = Reduce/Recycle/Reuse
RRRon-E’s adventure will be doing that in the following ways:
Reduce waste:
Buying party food in bulk reduces the amount of trash created
Not purchasing single-use goodie bags
Not using disposable plates & utensils; using a multi-use table coverings instead of single use party table coverings
Recycle:
Chip bags and drink pouches will be recycled through terracycle a New Jersey business I support through brigade collections. For more information see www.TerraCycle.net.
The goodie boxes are recyclable cardboard/paper. Please place them in your household recycling when your child is done with them.
Re-Use:
Wipe-containers will be reused as our letterboxes
Plates
Milk-cartons; pull tabs, corks, old roadmaps and cereal/cracker boxes
Both the Adventure kits and the cereal/cracker box goodie bags were ideas inspired by Maya*Made.
I'll try to post some photos of both the party and the craft projects.
Happy Birthday Ronnie! I hope your birthday party is as fun and exciting to live through as it has been to plan for.
Post Script...
Over the last few silent months I had planned many a post that obviously became less important than the day-to-day workings of our lives as a family.
I hope to fill in the blanks over the next few months, but I make no promises.
I have been a hap-hazzard blogger at best, and when life is as full as it is at the moment I can't commit to a daily or even weekly edition.
I HOPE to continue to write so that I have a record of my thoughts and life's goings on...
Blessed Be
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Monday, November 2, 2009
I LOVE my CSG!
This was the bi-weekly distribution from my CSG (Community Supported Garden) last Friday.
WOW!
We got 2 Acorn Squash, 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, 1 1/2 lbs carrots, 2 Daikon Radish, 1 head curly endive, 2 heads radiccio (there were other options on the salad front - those were my selections)
a head of chinese cabbage(again there were options), a green pepper, broccoli shoots, a small head of cauliflower, 4 radishes, 1 1/2 lbs onions, a head of garlic, and 1 1/2 lbs of cooking greens - I chose .5 lb of kale, .5 lb Collards and .5 lb of braising greens, 6 turnips with their greens, and fruit!
Yes, again we got apples & paw-paw - which I'll be turning into fruit sauce at my house....
AND my favorite autumn treat - hearty Kiwi!
They are a PYO item and WELL worth it.
The orchard is on the hill behind the distribution house and is BEAUTIFUL.
I can remember the first time I picked kiwi...with Ronnie in the snuggli 6 months old.
The memories just make them sweeter!
This time Evan was with me - running around the orchard and exploring the paths.
The CSG is awesome because even when we get one veggie that doesn't do so well - this year the tomatoes - generally there's something else that balances it out. This year we've been getting truckloads of greens. Over the winter we get to try all sorts of root veggies. Sometimes it's hard finding ways to use it, but soup is usually a good fallback :)
I could never grow the variety we get from the farm in my own home garden...
Over the past couple of years additional pay-in items have been appearing on the CSG shelves....we were bequeathed an adjacent property...another small farm...and with the additional space, our farmer has been busy!
We can now purchase WW flour grown on the farm and we can purchase eggs from our own hens! We used to be able to buy eggs from another farmer who would bring them on distribution days...but this is even better!
We've already eaten half of the eggs. They are quite delicious!
Blessed Samhain!
Hope this weekend found you and yours happily dressing in otherworldly garb...or at least role playing as a super-being/hero.
We had a whirlwind of activity over the 3 day holiday. My eldest son is in 1st grade and had his Halloween parade on Friday. He had been vascilating between going as a pirate this year or wearing the Buzz Lightyear costume one last time. The younger boy's pre-school doesn't do Halloween...so they learned some autumn flavored songs and had a little concert complete with sign language interpretation of the songs.
Following the pre-school concert he and I went to pick up our CSG farm share - another appropriate activity for the final harvest holiday.
On Saturday there was Soccer a friend's birthday party and TRICK or TREATing! Ronnie stayed with the Buzz costume and Evan became a SPIKEY DRAGON RAWR! He had been Woody for his dance/gymnastics class earlier in the week, but one of the favorite aunties had brought both boys Spikey hats with tails from her summer trip - and suggested that they were DRAGON hats. Evan decided that was way cool and needed a costume to go with it...so Auntie D made him a pair of fleece pants with a spikey dragon tail built in! We addd a black sweatshirt and away we went. If he decides he wants to re-play this costume next year we may add a chest piece and shoe covers, but it was a last-minute operation this year - and it was WET anyway.
On Sunday - more soccer and the BIG EVENT for me. Our Samhain Supper.
This ritual has been a tradition of mine for 12-13 years. I had participated in it with dear friends who eventually moved far away. I have continued it with my friends and family. The group has swelled and diminished over the years, as I have come to the conclusion that the smaller and more intimate the group the better for this ritual. Our current group is 7 adults and my 2 kids.
The ritual is basic; performed around the dinner table with a candle-lighting portion where we remember our beloved dead, then we use the symbols of pomogranate and apple to talk of about their path and ours. It is short and child-friendly. This year, my eldest lit the candle to remember our Uncle Ray, who died a couple of months ago. Ronnie and Evan had come with us to visit him in the hospital a couple times before he passed, so Ronnie had clear memories of him. Ronnie also helped perform the pomogranat and apple ceremony. Evan, on the other hand still didn't quite understand...
Directly following the ritual we had a pot-luck-supper that we shared with the ancestors, and ate by the light of the candles we had lit.
Blessed Samhain all. May the memories of your ancestors warm your hearts this season.
Blessed Be.
We had a whirlwind of activity over the 3 day holiday. My eldest son is in 1st grade and had his Halloween parade on Friday. He had been vascilating between going as a pirate this year or wearing the Buzz Lightyear costume one last time. The younger boy's pre-school doesn't do Halloween...so they learned some autumn flavored songs and had a little concert complete with sign language interpretation of the songs.
Following the pre-school concert he and I went to pick up our CSG farm share - another appropriate activity for the final harvest holiday.
On Saturday there was Soccer a friend's birthday party and TRICK or TREATing! Ronnie stayed with the Buzz costume and Evan became a SPIKEY DRAGON RAWR! He had been Woody for his dance/gymnastics class earlier in the week, but one of the favorite aunties had brought both boys Spikey hats with tails from her summer trip - and suggested that they were DRAGON hats. Evan decided that was way cool and needed a costume to go with it...so Auntie D made him a pair of fleece pants with a spikey dragon tail built in! We addd a black sweatshirt and away we went. If he decides he wants to re-play this costume next year we may add a chest piece and shoe covers, but it was a last-minute operation this year - and it was WET anyway.
On Sunday - more soccer and the BIG EVENT for me. Our Samhain Supper.
This ritual has been a tradition of mine for 12-13 years. I had participated in it with dear friends who eventually moved far away. I have continued it with my friends and family. The group has swelled and diminished over the years, as I have come to the conclusion that the smaller and more intimate the group the better for this ritual. Our current group is 7 adults and my 2 kids.
The ritual is basic; performed around the dinner table with a candle-lighting portion where we remember our beloved dead, then we use the symbols of pomogranate and apple to talk of about their path and ours. It is short and child-friendly. This year, my eldest lit the candle to remember our Uncle Ray, who died a couple of months ago. Ronnie and Evan had come with us to visit him in the hospital a couple times before he passed, so Ronnie had clear memories of him. Ronnie also helped perform the pomogranat and apple ceremony. Evan, on the other hand still didn't quite understand...
Directly following the ritual we had a pot-luck-supper that we shared with the ancestors, and ate by the light of the candles we had lit.
Blessed Samhain all. May the memories of your ancestors warm your hearts this season.
Blessed Be.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Buy Hand for the Holidays Challenge
* This is cross-posted on all my sites. It seems I've been busier on them lately than here...
When I was a child, I was so excited by Christmas and gift giving. I loved finding what I thought was the 'perfect', gift within my limited means, to give people I loved. As consumerism has become rampant and it has gotten more and more difficult to find and give a meaningful gift I have been more and more unhappy with holiday shopping and gifting.
About 10 years ago I went through a financiallly rough year and gave hand-made toilettries for the holidays. Some people liked them more than others, but the desire to give and receive "consumables" not dust-catching gifts from the $20 and under or $10 and under tables so pervasive in the malls, has spread throughout my group of friends.
For many years now, this group of friends has exchanged gifts that you can't buy at the mall; and some years I've extended that and given hand-made gifts to family as well.
Sometime things that have been given are: concert/event tickets, home prepared meals, jar mixes, toilettries, jams and jellies, home canned salsa, pickles, hand made clothing, quilts, and much more.
Well, this year Deanna over at Crunchy Chicken has posted the Buy Hand for the Hollidays Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to have you do one or more of the following:
* hand-make your gifts
* buy your gifts that are handmade by someone else (like from Etsy or a local craftsperson)
* buy it used either at a thrift store, yard sale, Craigslist or Freecycle, etc.
* barter for your gifts
I'm going to attempt it as much as possible, and I invite you to do the same. To add your voice and officially join the challenge, just click the picture in my side bar.
I personally LOVE home made gifts, and I know my friends do as well....so far, even though my kids do want all the "usual" stuff for the holidays, they also like receiving gifts that were made "just for them".
Let me know if you sign up for the challenge, or if this is something you already do.How do your friends/family receive these gifts? Happily or not?
When I was a child, I was so excited by Christmas and gift giving. I loved finding what I thought was the 'perfect', gift within my limited means, to give people I loved. As consumerism has become rampant and it has gotten more and more difficult to find and give a meaningful gift I have been more and more unhappy with holiday shopping and gifting.
About 10 years ago I went through a financiallly rough year and gave hand-made toilettries for the holidays. Some people liked them more than others, but the desire to give and receive "consumables" not dust-catching gifts from the $20 and under or $10 and under tables so pervasive in the malls, has spread throughout my group of friends.
For many years now, this group of friends has exchanged gifts that you can't buy at the mall; and some years I've extended that and given hand-made gifts to family as well.
Sometime things that have been given are: concert/event tickets, home prepared meals, jar mixes, toilettries, jams and jellies, home canned salsa, pickles, hand made clothing, quilts, and much more.
Well, this year Deanna over at Crunchy Chicken has posted the Buy Hand for the Hollidays Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to have you do one or more of the following:
* hand-make your gifts
* buy your gifts that are handmade by someone else (like from Etsy or a local craftsperson)
* buy it used either at a thrift store, yard sale, Craigslist or Freecycle, etc.
* barter for your gifts
I'm going to attempt it as much as possible, and I invite you to do the same. To add your voice and officially join the challenge, just click the picture in my side bar.
I personally LOVE home made gifts, and I know my friends do as well....so far, even though my kids do want all the "usual" stuff for the holidays, they also like receiving gifts that were made "just for them".
Let me know if you sign up for the challenge, or if this is something you already do.How do your friends/family receive these gifts? Happily or not?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Saying Good-bye to Uncle Ray
It's been a while since my last post...sorry about that. I'll try to catch up over the next few days.
Late-summer was a whirlwind of activity of all kinds, but one thing that made us stop and think was Uncle Ray Yaros, my husband's uncle.
When my husband and I met, both his parents had been gone for quite some time. So, when he introduced me to Uncle Ray and Aunt Eve, it had the same kind of weight as "meeting the parents". At the time, Uncle Ray was in his 70's but looked and acted far younger. He still had a 14' fishing boat that he took out on the bay to fish...by himself, he still had a decent sized garden and cooked regularly.
In 2003 Uncle Ray and Aunt Fran (his twin sister) turned 80. That was also the year Ronnie was born, Clark and I got married, and Clark's cousin (Uncle Ray's granddaughter) was married.
Then, between Christmas and New Year, Aunt Fran died, and soon after, Uncle Ray started his down-turn.
Over the course of the last 5 years he had several small strokes, falls, and generally a down-turn in his health and according to him, his quality of life.
We hadn't seen Uncle Ray and Aunt Eve regularly for a while, they had made it to Clark's 50th birthday party, but not Clark's niece Missy's wedding.
We got a call Memorial Weekend, that Uncle Ray had had another fall, and was in a rehab center recouperating and could we come visit. Of course, we did. We brought the feisty boys with their leapsters and a ton of photos and visited.
Uncle Ray was sad, depressed really. There was nothing wrong with his memory, he told me clearly how much turning 80 had been a terrible thing. Dispite having been able to witness granddaughters' graduations from college, weddings and two great-granddaughters' births. He was tired of living with the pain, and with the physical limitations.
It was not an overly optimistic visit, but neither was it overly pessimistic. We figured Uncle Ray would be home in time for his July birthday and we'd go have a nice dinner with him.
It didn't work out that way.
He did go home, but only briefly.
Clark called the house to wish him a happy birthday a day or so after the date. Aunt Eve told him that Uncle Ray was back in the hospital, so we decided to go for another visit.
What Aunt Eve left out, was that Uncle Ray was on a feeding tube and was mostly not with us anymore.
Clark and I don't want to overly sheild our boys from death. It is a part of life and it is good for them to understand it. But, I think we probably would have left them with a sitter for this visit, had we known. We did give our love to Uncle Ray; held his hand, spoke the words, smoothed his hair...
We did get a couple of moments of eyes opening and clearing as if in understanding.
We went home understanding that Aunt Eve was already alone. After 65 years. And just wanted the pain to be done for her lover, her friend, her life companion.
We lit 2 candles in the window every night for two weeks with clarysage, lavendar and rosemary. One for each of them....asking Bridgid to heal, to love, to embrace.
Uncle Ray passed from this realm on August 6. We said our goodbyes on August 9 & 10.
Ray Yaros - a good man, who lived a good life. 2 great-granddaughters, 2 granddaughters, 2 sons, 1 wife for 65 years, and an assortment of nieces and nephews. The last of his siblings to go (I think there were 5 or 6).
You will be missed, you will be remembered, by Clark and I of course, but even more importantly, by Ronnie and Evan.
Late-summer was a whirlwind of activity of all kinds, but one thing that made us stop and think was Uncle Ray Yaros, my husband's uncle.
When my husband and I met, both his parents had been gone for quite some time. So, when he introduced me to Uncle Ray and Aunt Eve, it had the same kind of weight as "meeting the parents". At the time, Uncle Ray was in his 70's but looked and acted far younger. He still had a 14' fishing boat that he took out on the bay to fish...by himself, he still had a decent sized garden and cooked regularly.
In 2003 Uncle Ray and Aunt Fran (his twin sister) turned 80. That was also the year Ronnie was born, Clark and I got married, and Clark's cousin (Uncle Ray's granddaughter) was married.
Then, between Christmas and New Year, Aunt Fran died, and soon after, Uncle Ray started his down-turn.
Over the course of the last 5 years he had several small strokes, falls, and generally a down-turn in his health and according to him, his quality of life.
We hadn't seen Uncle Ray and Aunt Eve regularly for a while, they had made it to Clark's 50th birthday party, but not Clark's niece Missy's wedding.
We got a call Memorial Weekend, that Uncle Ray had had another fall, and was in a rehab center recouperating and could we come visit. Of course, we did. We brought the feisty boys with their leapsters and a ton of photos and visited.
Uncle Ray was sad, depressed really. There was nothing wrong with his memory, he told me clearly how much turning 80 had been a terrible thing. Dispite having been able to witness granddaughters' graduations from college, weddings and two great-granddaughters' births. He was tired of living with the pain, and with the physical limitations.
It was not an overly optimistic visit, but neither was it overly pessimistic. We figured Uncle Ray would be home in time for his July birthday and we'd go have a nice dinner with him.
It didn't work out that way.
He did go home, but only briefly.
Clark called the house to wish him a happy birthday a day or so after the date. Aunt Eve told him that Uncle Ray was back in the hospital, so we decided to go for another visit.
What Aunt Eve left out, was that Uncle Ray was on a feeding tube and was mostly not with us anymore.
Clark and I don't want to overly sheild our boys from death. It is a part of life and it is good for them to understand it. But, I think we probably would have left them with a sitter for this visit, had we known. We did give our love to Uncle Ray; held his hand, spoke the words, smoothed his hair...
We did get a couple of moments of eyes opening and clearing as if in understanding.
We went home understanding that Aunt Eve was already alone. After 65 years. And just wanted the pain to be done for her lover, her friend, her life companion.
We lit 2 candles in the window every night for two weeks with clarysage, lavendar and rosemary. One for each of them....asking Bridgid to heal, to love, to embrace.
Uncle Ray passed from this realm on August 6. We said our goodbyes on August 9 & 10.
Ray Yaros - a good man, who lived a good life. 2 great-granddaughters, 2 granddaughters, 2 sons, 1 wife for 65 years, and an assortment of nieces and nephews. The last of his siblings to go (I think there were 5 or 6).
You will be missed, you will be remembered, by Clark and I of course, but even more importantly, by Ronnie and Evan.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Happy Harvest!
August 1 or thereabouts, we celebrate the 'First Harvest'. Symbolized by the harvest of grains (corn/wheat etc), but certainly represented by any harvest ocurring now (early vegetables...beans, zucchini, cucumbers etc).
This year, however, mama nature and the spirit of the maple had an additional harvest in mind at my house.
This was about 1/3 of the canopy that came down...but it is highly likely that the whole tree is too diseased to stay.
He came down on Lammas eve ( overnight Friday - Saturday). My husband and I were awakened by the crack and swoosh...
Funny thing is...that when I heard that crack/swoosh I recalled having heard it the previous night too...but my husband doesn't have that same recollection. I wonder.....
Anyway, when we were looking at the photos we had taken, we found this....
Look closely at the bare wood...and see the sad old face.... so we thanked the tree for its shade, its witness over the passage of time and for the harvest of wood it would be bringing us.
My oldest had a harvest of his own this weekend too...his first "naturally" lost tooth...
Happy harvesting!
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Summer Music "Tour"
So, in the past, I've mentioned our family tradition of compiling a list of free summer concerts within easy driving distance...this is our third summer of concert going, after attending one or two free musical events/festivals the summer of 2006.
Sometimes the boys even sit and listen to the music- while multitasking coloring or playing with matchbox cars, of course! Especially if we are at the Sparta concerts where the playground is at least 50 feet away, behind the viewing area, through a grove of trees....
There are so many wonderful things about these concerts:
Some of the concerts take place at historical sites....like this colonial manor:
(Shippen Manor, Oxford,NJ)
This site hosts Sunday evening concerts on the terraced lawn. In the past the programming has been primarily olde timey and blue grass. This year they seem to have branched out a bit...still with traditional music, but they have some other ethnicities represented.
We attended a Celtic performance.
We attended a Celtic performance.
This venue is the most "serious" we've attended.
It is - as I said - at a historical site, so there is no playground...the kids attending do run around, but it is not as accepted as at other sites.
Many of the concerts take place at local parks that have band shells, gazebos or other small shelters to use as performance spaces. Most of these also have play areas close by.
This is one (above) that we go to frequently. The kids love this park and the play area. It's very family friendly, close to a small lake, and you can see the whole park from wherever you sit.
This play area is at a new venue for us this year. The band shell and play area are close together, but the town planted big bushes between the "viewing" area and the play ground, so you can't watch your kids AND the band.
Sometimes the boys even sit and listen to the music- while multitasking coloring or playing with matchbox cars, of course! Especially if we are at the Sparta concerts where the playground is at least 50 feet away, behind the viewing area, through a grove of trees....
There are so many wonderful things about these concerts:
Exposure to all kinds of music...the kids don't care how good the performers are, they just like dancing to the music!
Outdoor dining opportunities!
Outdoor dining opportunities!
Making new friends at every turn....
Interacting with nature...hot weather, cool weather, sunset time changing, fireflies lighting up the dark - and sometimes crawling on our fingers (above pic).
In the past 3 weeks we've seen 10 FREE performances at 7 different locations, and the concert schedule for the coming weeks is full.
Will we see all of them? Probably not, but what a wonderful adventure!
If you're looking for some other good reasons to go check my first post about this family tradition.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Water Conservation - Serendipity
I always love it when things come together in mysterious and magical ways.
Earlier this week, it felt important to me to write about water conservation this week. Enough that I had 2 or 3 posts worth of information that I wanted to write about. And that's a lot for me.
And, when I started to write my first post I almost stopped, because it seemed weird to be writing about water conservation during a month-long deluge.
Today, I had an oppertunity to listen to one of my favorite NPR talk hosts interviewing Robert Glennon who has written a book called Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It .
He was talking about many of the things I have concerns about, but certainly did not touch on everything. You can listen to the podcast of the interview HERE if you are interested.
Earlier this week, it felt important to me to write about water conservation this week. Enough that I had 2 or 3 posts worth of information that I wanted to write about. And that's a lot for me.
And, when I started to write my first post I almost stopped, because it seemed weird to be writing about water conservation during a month-long deluge.
Today, I had an oppertunity to listen to one of my favorite NPR talk hosts interviewing Robert Glennon who has written a book called Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It .
He was talking about many of the things I have concerns about, but certainly did not touch on everything. You can listen to the podcast of the interview HERE if you are interested.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Water Conservation - If it's Yellow let it Mellow!
Ok...I've got two young boys so potty humor is at an all-time high in our house.
Truth be told, though, when it's just the four of us at home we definitely try to conserve water by making multiple uses of the water in the bowl - as long as it's yellow - before flushing it down.
It started as an overnight noise curtesy, but we don't have the most modern water-efficient fixtures and really can't afford to replace what we've got at the moment, so it has evolved into a water conservation habit.
And besides, even if we had the 1.5 gallon per flush fixtures, why waste 1.5 gallons when all four of us need to go at the same time
BUT, with the kids being little, getting it across to them, that when we've got company the multi-use rule is NOT in effect, is sometimes problematic.
Also, since implementing the multi-use rule, I've come up with some additional corollaries about single use flushing:
* If you use an upstairs bathroom and no one else is immediately using it, FLUSH.
* If you use the downstairs bathroom and we're leaving the house, FLUSH.
Because, letting it mellow all day long is just too yukkie for words and means more frequent cleaning will be needed.
Along with intentional flush frequency reduction, I have collected a number of links which use grey water or rain water for feeding a toilet. Some are quite ingenius! Enjoy!
Rain Barrel to Toilet Installation - a practical how-to guide
I really want to do this someday!
Grey Water Recycling systems for the Bathroom
and
Sink-Toilet Combination fixtures
Here is a system available for collecting grey water from the kitchen sink.
There are also systems available for washing machine and shower water...just google Greywater System or Greywater Recycling.
Truth be told, though, when it's just the four of us at home we definitely try to conserve water by making multiple uses of the water in the bowl - as long as it's yellow - before flushing it down.
It started as an overnight noise curtesy, but we don't have the most modern water-efficient fixtures and really can't afford to replace what we've got at the moment, so it has evolved into a water conservation habit.
And besides, even if we had the 1.5 gallon per flush fixtures, why waste 1.5 gallons when all four of us need to go at the same time
BUT, with the kids being little, getting it across to them, that when we've got company the multi-use rule is NOT in effect, is sometimes problematic.
Also, since implementing the multi-use rule, I've come up with some additional corollaries about single use flushing:
* If you use an upstairs bathroom and no one else is immediately using it, FLUSH.
* If you use the downstairs bathroom and we're leaving the house, FLUSH.
Because, letting it mellow all day long is just too yukkie for words and means more frequent cleaning will be needed.
Along with intentional flush frequency reduction, I have collected a number of links which use grey water or rain water for feeding a toilet. Some are quite ingenius! Enjoy!
Rain Barrel to Toilet Installation - a practical how-to guide
I really want to do this someday!
Grey Water Recycling systems for the Bathroom
and
Sink-Toilet Combination fixtures
Here is a system available for collecting grey water from the kitchen sink.
There are also systems available for washing machine and shower water...just google Greywater System or Greywater Recycling.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Water Conservation - Washing the Veggies
I'm going to start a weird topic for my area this week....Water Conservation.
This June has been one of the wettest I can remember. I don't think we've had more than 1 or 2 days where we didn't get at least 1 shower, and most days were completely grey and rainy.
Gardens are waterlogged, Lake Hopatcong is actually full...when on Memorial Day there were many lamenting how empty it still was from the winter lowering.
So, before June, we were in a drought.
And, summer drought has become common in our area in the last 10 years, I've heard announcements about lakes and reservoirs being at record lows frequently. And the building boom of the late 1990s and 2000's has not helped.
I have posted on my garden site about wanting a rain-water capturing system that we just haven't been able to afford yet, so that I don't have to feel nervous about watering our garden from our well. Nor have we been able to find a source for clean used barrels...
We've never had a problem with our well, and as far as I know, no one around us has either.
It's just that when you think about the dryness around, lakes lower, less rainfall in the highlands, etc it makes you take note, so I'm going to blog about conserving water, even after a month with 10+ inches of rain.
We get most of our produce from the biodynamic Community Supported Garden (CSG) at Genesis Farm.
Some of it comes home pretty dirty, and for years I was washing it all under running water.
For the past year or two, though, I've been trying to do as much as I can with less water.
I start by putting the veggies in a big bowl or use the salad spinner and letting it fill half way, scrubbing the veggies using the water from the bowl; setting aside each scrubbed veggie until the dirt is off and I have a bowl of brown muddy water.
Then I use that water to water plants, and get the benefit of all that biodynamic soil, rather than letting it run down the drain along with gallons and gallons of water....
After getting rid of the "mud", I give the veggies a final rinse, now free of most of their dirt, it only takes a slow stream of running water, again captured in the bowl...and use that for the plants too.
There have been times when I've been "too busy" to do it this way, but when I don't capture the wash water and let it run even a little, I feel guilty.
Water is a precious resource.
This June has been one of the wettest I can remember. I don't think we've had more than 1 or 2 days where we didn't get at least 1 shower, and most days were completely grey and rainy.
Gardens are waterlogged, Lake Hopatcong is actually full...when on Memorial Day there were many lamenting how empty it still was from the winter lowering.
So, before June, we were in a drought.
And, summer drought has become common in our area in the last 10 years, I've heard announcements about lakes and reservoirs being at record lows frequently. And the building boom of the late 1990s and 2000's has not helped.
I have posted on my garden site about wanting a rain-water capturing system that we just haven't been able to afford yet, so that I don't have to feel nervous about watering our garden from our well. Nor have we been able to find a source for clean used barrels...
We've never had a problem with our well, and as far as I know, no one around us has either.
It's just that when you think about the dryness around, lakes lower, less rainfall in the highlands, etc it makes you take note, so I'm going to blog about conserving water, even after a month with 10+ inches of rain.
We get most of our produce from the biodynamic Community Supported Garden (CSG) at Genesis Farm.
Some of it comes home pretty dirty, and for years I was washing it all under running water.
For the past year or two, though, I've been trying to do as much as I can with less water.
I start by putting the veggies in a big bowl or use the salad spinner and letting it fill half way, scrubbing the veggies using the water from the bowl; setting aside each scrubbed veggie until the dirt is off and I have a bowl of brown muddy water.
Then I use that water to water plants, and get the benefit of all that biodynamic soil, rather than letting it run down the drain along with gallons and gallons of water....
After getting rid of the "mud", I give the veggies a final rinse, now free of most of their dirt, it only takes a slow stream of running water, again captured in the bowl...and use that for the plants too.
There have been times when I've been "too busy" to do it this way, but when I don't capture the wash water and let it run even a little, I feel guilty.
Water is a precious resource.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Summer Music Season 2009
This will be our third year of doing the summer "Music in the Parks" scene.
I have been busy this week making the tour of local town websites to put our calendar together, and the excitement begins this friday night!
In the past two years we have enjoyed dozens of free musical performances...some exquisite and others just average, but under clear skies and with a picnic dinner and fun-bag for the boys all have been wonderful family experiences.
Some towns do outdoor movie nights as well...we saw Madagascar that way last summer....although that was a tad later as it required full-dark to get going. The musical programs usually start around 7.
Some towns don't have their calendars out yet, but some do - enough for us to get started!!!
Look for these programs in your town or nearby towns. They are almost always free (or very inexpensive) and child friendly.
Yippee!
I have been busy this week making the tour of local town websites to put our calendar together, and the excitement begins this friday night!
In the past two years we have enjoyed dozens of free musical performances...some exquisite and others just average, but under clear skies and with a picnic dinner and fun-bag for the boys all have been wonderful family experiences.
Some towns do outdoor movie nights as well...we saw Madagascar that way last summer....although that was a tad later as it required full-dark to get going. The musical programs usually start around 7.
Some towns don't have their calendars out yet, but some do - enough for us to get started!!!
Look for these programs in your town or nearby towns. They are almost always free (or very inexpensive) and child friendly.
Yippee!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Learning to Drive on my New HHR
In June I traded in my 2003 Subaru Outback for a Chevrolet HHR
My Subaru had been to our mechanic for a serious repair and before that repair could be done the mechanic, a good friend of ours, found another, more serious problem...a head gasket leak......
So...to avoid that costly repair - while I was still making payments on the Subaru, we decided it would be better to just trade it in on a more efficient, new car.
The HHR, while not in the MOST efficent category (most of those are generally unavailable these days - or WAY too costly) is rated at 24 MPG City 30 MPG Highway...and I have been seeing those estimates hit in real life.
I also got a NO interest loan...which made it really affordable...and not only that, but it is COOL too!
And, little did I suspect when we bought this beauty, but she's teaching me how to drive again.
How is this possible when I have been driving since I was 16 1/2? Let me tell you how...
This car - as many of the Chevrolet/GM models do - has a driver information center that gives the driver a whole lot of information...most importantly an INSTANT fuel usage reading and an average fuel usage reading.
I am using the instant readout to learn how to drive more efficiently...and let me tell you that in the 6 weeks I've owned the car my driving has changed signifigantly. One big thing is simply taking my foot OFF of the gas pedal, it's former default position.
When doing that going down a hill the following readout is possible
So, in general I have been averaging 25-27 mpg over all - not terrible when considering the amount of traffic I have to fight if I take the main highway to work...the number of stop lights on the back way to work. On the rare occaision the highway is clear I have averaged more than the advertised 30MPG for the duration of the trip. How do I know this? I reset the Average reading as I pulled onto the highway when I saw it was clear!
My Subaru had been to our mechanic for a serious repair and before that repair could be done the mechanic, a good friend of ours, found another, more serious problem...a head gasket leak......
So...to avoid that costly repair - while I was still making payments on the Subaru, we decided it would be better to just trade it in on a more efficient, new car.
The HHR, while not in the MOST efficent category (most of those are generally unavailable these days - or WAY too costly) is rated at 24 MPG City 30 MPG Highway...and I have been seeing those estimates hit in real life.
I also got a NO interest loan...which made it really affordable...and not only that, but it is COOL too!
And, little did I suspect when we bought this beauty, but she's teaching me how to drive again.
How is this possible when I have been driving since I was 16 1/2? Let me tell you how...
This car - as many of the Chevrolet/GM models do - has a driver information center that gives the driver a whole lot of information...most importantly an INSTANT fuel usage reading and an average fuel usage reading.
I am using the instant readout to learn how to drive more efficiently...and let me tell you that in the 6 weeks I've owned the car my driving has changed signifigantly. One big thing is simply taking my foot OFF of the gas pedal, it's former default position.
When doing that going down a hill the following readout is possible
So, in general I have been averaging 25-27 mpg over all - not terrible when considering the amount of traffic I have to fight if I take the main highway to work...the number of stop lights on the back way to work. On the rare occaision the highway is clear I have averaged more than the advertised 30MPG for the duration of the trip. How do I know this? I reset the Average reading as I pulled onto the highway when I saw it was clear!
True North
Wow! Another post from FoodShed Planet really hit home today.
Finding True North really spoke to me.
Sustainability - Eco-conciousness - there have been so few for so long trying to bring awareness to the myriad issues of what we are doing to the environment & our food supply and what it is doing to ourselves. But it seems that the tide has finally turned.
People who, not 5 years ago would never have been heard talking about "local" or "organic" or even thinking twice about eating another meal from a cardboard box have modified their lives at least a little.
Some use canvas shopping bags - or better yet - homemade bags.
Some hang laundry.
Some mow with a reel mower and muscle power.
Some join CSA's.
Some buy local.
Some drive smaller cars.
Some turn off lights/appliances.
Some use fans instead of air conditioning.
But it is out there in the collective concience now.
Blessed BE!!!
Finding True North really spoke to me.
Sustainability - Eco-conciousness - there have been so few for so long trying to bring awareness to the myriad issues of what we are doing to the environment & our food supply and what it is doing to ourselves. But it seems that the tide has finally turned.
People who, not 5 years ago would never have been heard talking about "local" or "organic" or even thinking twice about eating another meal from a cardboard box have modified their lives at least a little.
Some use canvas shopping bags - or better yet - homemade bags.
Some hang laundry.
Some mow with a reel mower and muscle power.
Some join CSA's.
Some buy local.
Some drive smaller cars.
Some turn off lights/appliances.
Some use fans instead of air conditioning.
But it is out there in the collective concience now.
Blessed BE!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Inspiration - Add 2 More
Inspiration comes from many places......
Nature, reading, music, my boys...
Lately a lot of my inspiration has come from bloggers.
My daily favorites being:
FoodShed Planet, Wisdom of the Moon, and Farmgirl Fare.
There are others as well, but I find these three to be a great daily dose of inspiration.
And a couple of nights ago I had a dream which seemed so real that I tried to google the idea that it spoke of.
Pattie of FoodShed Plant, and I have had some dialog about things we have committed to doing being hard, or getting difficult. And it's true. Sustainability and living in an eco-concious way can seem difficult and in fact can be difficult in the certain contexts.
In my dream my idea was to get people "on board" by getting them to Add 2.
Just Add 2 things to your lives that will make a difference.
If you are already doing things to be more sustainable and they have become habit, a part of your life...stretch yourself to Add 2 more. If you haven't started yet, pick 2 things that are doable for you.
You could try re-using your plastic grocery bags/ double them up so they don't tear so quickly and instead of dropping them in the recycle bin on the way into the store, (I know you recycle them :) ) use them again...and again...and again.
Or when you wash your produce you could wash it into a basin or bowl to catch the wash water and re-use the water to water your indoor or outdoor container plants.
Or anything that fits closely with your lifestyle. The idea is to just start somewhere...and then to keep it going.
My current challenge is to find a way to reduce my fuel use. That's one of the Add 2 that I want to focus on next. I need to find people to car-pool with and make a concerted effort to do that. I do already trip-chain and try to shop weekly or bi-weekly instead of daily...but I need to find driving buddys to take it one step farther.
What will your Add 2 be??
Nature, reading, music, my boys...
Lately a lot of my inspiration has come from bloggers.
My daily favorites being:
FoodShed Planet, Wisdom of the Moon, and Farmgirl Fare.
There are others as well, but I find these three to be a great daily dose of inspiration.
And a couple of nights ago I had a dream which seemed so real that I tried to google the idea that it spoke of.
Pattie of FoodShed Plant, and I have had some dialog about things we have committed to doing being hard, or getting difficult. And it's true. Sustainability and living in an eco-concious way can seem difficult and in fact can be difficult in the certain contexts.
In my dream my idea was to get people "on board" by getting them to Add 2.
Just Add 2 things to your lives that will make a difference.
If you are already doing things to be more sustainable and they have become habit, a part of your life...stretch yourself to Add 2 more. If you haven't started yet, pick 2 things that are doable for you.
You could try re-using your plastic grocery bags/ double them up so they don't tear so quickly and instead of dropping them in the recycle bin on the way into the store, (I know you recycle them :) ) use them again...and again...and again.
Or when you wash your produce you could wash it into a basin or bowl to catch the wash water and re-use the water to water your indoor or outdoor container plants.
Or anything that fits closely with your lifestyle. The idea is to just start somewhere...and then to keep it going.
My current challenge is to find a way to reduce my fuel use. That's one of the Add 2 that I want to focus on next. I need to find people to car-pool with and make a concerted effort to do that. I do already trip-chain and try to shop weekly or bi-weekly instead of daily...but I need to find driving buddys to take it one step farther.
What will your Add 2 be??
Welcome to Chaos!
I've been trying to start this thing for a long time now.
It is very easy to think about what I want to post and get so overwelmed with ideas that I feel I can't get them down.
I've also wanted to bring over my archives from Yahoo360 which went up in smoke almost a year ago now.
It's been easier to segregate my food journal from my garden journal from just life, but I am going to make a concerted effort to get everything in here - including the archives...so this may end up being just another post amid many (I hope)...but at any rate, WELCOME to my home on the web.
It is very easy to think about what I want to post and get so overwelmed with ideas that I feel I can't get them down.
I've also wanted to bring over my archives from Yahoo360 which went up in smoke almost a year ago now.
It's been easier to segregate my food journal from my garden journal from just life, but I am going to make a concerted effort to get everything in here - including the archives...so this may end up being just another post amid many (I hope)...but at any rate, WELCOME to my home on the web.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Mothers Day 2008
Last year a friend emailed me a mother's day greeting that said something like:Happy Mother's Day - you know, that holiday where your family pretends to give you the day off and you pretend to take it.
Well, that's pretty much been my experience up to this year - not to say I didn't do ANY housework today - I still had laundry to do and had to assist with the dinner, but.....
let's start this explanation with yesterday(Saturday). RC has been getting up regularly at 6:30 for several weeks - yesterday was no exception - and it came up in conversation that I said to him he might want to try to "sleep in" on Sunday.
He answered "No Mommy, I need to get up early tomorrow to make you a special breakfast" I really didn't put much thought to that - thinking he probably meant he'd be pouring me a bowl of cereal in the morning....
However, I woke up this morning to rustling noises in the kitchen, then a slamming cabinet dooor...then the smell of coffee...
My 5 yo son RC got up at 6:30 and made the coffee himself - he had "helped" daddy and me make the coffee so many times in the past that he knew just what to do.
He also "prepared" breakfast for everyone. Breakfast was some almonds, yogurt raisins and for daddy and brother ER a whole unpeeled banana each, and for mommy a whole unpeeled grapefruit - "because that's your favorite, Mommy".
After my scrumptious breakfast I got to GO SHOPPING (for my own Mother's Day plants) ALL BY MYSELF and got to pick out exactly what I wanted.
THEN - I got to come home and PLANT THEM!
After supper - which as I mentioned above, I did have to help with...I got to put my boys to bed.
It was the best Mother's Day ever!!!!!!!
Well, that's pretty much been my experience up to this year - not to say I didn't do ANY housework today - I still had laundry to do and had to assist with the dinner, but.....
let's start this explanation with yesterday(Saturday). RC has been getting up regularly at 6:30 for several weeks - yesterday was no exception - and it came up in conversation that I said to him he might want to try to "sleep in" on Sunday.
He answered "No Mommy, I need to get up early tomorrow to make you a special breakfast" I really didn't put much thought to that - thinking he probably meant he'd be pouring me a bowl of cereal in the morning....
However, I woke up this morning to rustling noises in the kitchen, then a slamming cabinet dooor...then the smell of coffee...
My 5 yo son RC got up at 6:30 and made the coffee himself - he had "helped" daddy and me make the coffee so many times in the past that he knew just what to do.
He also "prepared" breakfast for everyone. Breakfast was some almonds, yogurt raisins and for daddy and brother ER a whole unpeeled banana each, and for mommy a whole unpeeled grapefruit - "because that's your favorite, Mommy".
After my scrumptious breakfast I got to GO SHOPPING (for my own Mother's Day plants) ALL BY MYSELF and got to pick out exactly what I wanted.
THEN - I got to come home and PLANT THEM!
After supper - which as I mentioned above, I did have to help with...I got to put my boys to bed.
It was the best Mother's Day ever!!!!!!!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
First Letter to Santa
R.P. (First & Last names spelled out so santa knows who it's from)
Dear Santa
I have been good.
Please bring presents.
Thank-you, Santa
Dear Santa
I have been good.
Please bring presents.
Thank-you, Santa
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Catching-up Some - Potty Training
OK - I was looking back over my older blog posts (yeah I've got a few minutes on my hands as I wait for 110M files to save) and I was realizing I hadn't kept up with a few topics.
POTTY Training for one.
Well - except for a few accidents here and there let me just say WE ARE DONE WITH POTTY TRAINING - YAY!
We started trying with ER again over the summer. Actually - HE started going on the potty at school - and WE would praise him when we saw it marked off on his day sheets.
The first week that he had "potty success" almost daily on his sheet - we tried for it over the weekend but he wasn't interested. After the second week of success at school - we tried over the weekend and he did GREAT! And, on Monday morning while getting dressed he asked to wear big boy underwear - so I packed a bag full of extra underwear and pants and off he went to school!
It took about a month more before he had the poopie under control - and many soiled undies - though he was sometimes more civilized and went in his overnight pull-up. But by the time of his third birthday party the accidents were very far and few between!
We're still doing pull-ups overnight, but after our vacation, when the pull-ups run out NO MORE DIAPERS FOR US!
YAY!
POTTY Training for one.
Well - except for a few accidents here and there let me just say WE ARE DONE WITH POTTY TRAINING - YAY!
We started trying with ER again over the summer. Actually - HE started going on the potty at school - and WE would praise him when we saw it marked off on his day sheets.
The first week that he had "potty success" almost daily on his sheet - we tried for it over the weekend but he wasn't interested. After the second week of success at school - we tried over the weekend and he did GREAT! And, on Monday morning while getting dressed he asked to wear big boy underwear - so I packed a bag full of extra underwear and pants and off he went to school!
It took about a month more before he had the poopie under control - and many soiled undies - though he was sometimes more civilized and went in his overnight pull-up. But by the time of his third birthday party the accidents were very far and few between!
We're still doing pull-ups overnight, but after our vacation, when the pull-ups run out NO MORE DIAPERS FOR US!
YAY!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Budget Season
One of the reasons my writing has been so sporadic over the past month is that it is budget season at work. AND to complicate matters we've been working with 4 financial systems.The General Ledger system (PeopleSoft) and three management reporting systems: Hyperion Essbase which we went live on in August and have been Parallelling since then; Khalix - which my group has been using for several years and are looking forward to moving off of; and Hyperion Enterprise which the folks in the Corporate Reporting department have been using for MANY years and are looking forward to moving off of.
Managing the data flowing between the systems, the what/where/when, has depended on me for 3 years now. One of my reasons for looking forward to the new system is that ALL of the reporting would come from it and my job of manipulating the data from system to system would become less involved.
Unfortunately complete adoption of the new system did not happen in time for the beginning of the budget season. This meant frantic creation of processes to move data from the new system ( which we were using for budget) to the old systems ( which corporate was still using).
It also meant that many nights I had to come home, feed the family, get the kids to bed and then log back on and do work until 10 or 11. AND it also meant that my Holiday (Halloween) and VACATION days were interrupted by work calls several times and that I had to work from 8pm to 2AM on the last vacation day - HALLOWEEN - due to a last-minute budget call due Nov 1.
Thankfully over the past week - things HAVE calmed down a bit...Corporate is now using the new system...and I'll be trying to play catch-up with blogging.....except that, well, I go on my first REAL vacation in 5 years in 4 days!
DISNEY WORLD HERE WE COME!
Managing the data flowing between the systems, the what/where/when, has depended on me for 3 years now. One of my reasons for looking forward to the new system is that ALL of the reporting would come from it and my job of manipulating the data from system to system would become less involved.
Unfortunately complete adoption of the new system did not happen in time for the beginning of the budget season. This meant frantic creation of processes to move data from the new system ( which we were using for budget) to the old systems ( which corporate was still using).
It also meant that many nights I had to come home, feed the family, get the kids to bed and then log back on and do work until 10 or 11. AND it also meant that my Holiday (Halloween) and VACATION days were interrupted by work calls several times and that I had to work from 8pm to 2AM on the last vacation day - HALLOWEEN - due to a last-minute budget call due Nov 1.
Thankfully over the past week - things HAVE calmed down a bit...Corporate is now using the new system...and I'll be trying to play catch-up with blogging.....except that, well, I go on my first REAL vacation in 5 years in 4 days!
DISNEY WORLD HERE WE COME!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Samhain 07
Since Halloween fell on Wednesday this year, and the boys are still little enough to be pretty cranky if you try to let them stay up late....especially if its a mostly adult thing they're staying up for....we celebrated Samhain on Sunday.
This year's group was back down to "the usual" friends/family- a gathering of 9 including the kids. Not the extended group we had experimented with last year. It had just gotten too crazy.
Samhain is one holiday I have maintained tradition with for about 10-12 years now. I use the same ritual every year - it's one that the friends I started celebrating with had adapted for use with their kids. It's short and to the point - and everyone gets to light at least one candle to represent the people/pets they want to remember. The celebration uses the symbols of the apple (death with the promise of rebirth - star inside when cut crosswise) and the pomegranate ( life who's shadow is death - seeds kept Persephone in Hades).
This ritual is also closely linked with dinner - so things usually go like this :
I'm busy preparing dinner and I ask my husband to print out the ritual - I know it's the one we always use, so I haven't even looked at it since last year. I run around picking the ancestor pictures from among the others around the house; try to find candles and other things we'll need for the altar...folks start arriving.
We get the ritual going around the dinner table and are calling directions when I remember that South and West are switched from the way we usually call the directions and think - "Oh well I'll fix it for next year".
I get choked up on reading about remembering family and frieds who have passed through the veil.
Someone inevitably has trouble lighting a candle - this year it was DH who commented that his ancestors probably wanted to tell him to pay them more attention!
This year we replaced the usual candle altar - I've used an old vanity mirror/tray and free-standing votive candles for a long time. It was great if you wanted to try and scry in the patterns of the candle wax - however it was a MESS to deal with. Several years it "leaked" the candle wax onto the tablecloth below it and last year the mirror cracked when I was trying to clean it up. It's still in my holiday bucket, but this year I purchased a candle chandelier which can hang or sit on the table - each candle is enclosed in glass. We sat it on the table during ritual and then hung it from the ceiling while we moved on to dinner.
We set the usual ancestor spot and gave them a little of everything we were having...Turkey, stuffing, pasta primavera, and cranberry apple pie. A bit more traditional than the Morroccan style Mabon celebration!
As usual it was good food, good friends and a celebration of the season. Right now, the boys don't participate much - even as far as listening to the stories of their grandparents & great-grandparents, but it is good practice for years when they will finally take an interest and ask questions about those who have gone before us and who played such an inportant role in making us who we are today.
Another thing to mention in relation to the holiday, serendipity etc...
We had recieved a forecast for the first frost - for Sunday or Monday night, so - appropriately - I went out Sunday with the ladies and we harvested the last of the tomatoes and peppers in the garden - two large baskets of green and lightly-colored tomatoes and a couple of bell peppers.
Blessed Be!
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