Monday, June 6, 2011

"Lettuce" Look at Where You've "Bean"...

DAY 29 (Year Two)

I don't "carrot" all that you "beet" me to the punch! A little garden humor to start your week - hahaha. I find that I am funnier later in the day and after a little caffeine...hope you agree! Could not think of a way to fit "zucchini" and "garlic" into the pun however...I just added tiny little Ajíes dulces pepper (Puerto Rican Sweet Peppers)and green peppers for sofrito thanks to my friends at Henry Hudson School- Jessica,Marisol and all the kids! Will work on more garden "pun"ishment for you in the next blog unless you tell e not to.

The garden is growing! Everything is up - healthy evidence of beans,tomatoes, melon and squash...will keep you posted. Oddly, one little bit of lettuce came back and one sprig of cilantro...a Festivus Miracle (Seinfeld reference) as neither of those are perennial. A good omen me thinks. Turns out what I thoguth was a miracle carrot as well only looked like a carrot on the above ground side...it was just a root below...oh well!

I purchased special red compost worms this past Saturday - very exciting! They were very worm-y when I put them into my bin...heeby jeeby-ish because they were all in a lump and moving around...shudder. I left the lid open for a bit so that they would burrow down into the stuff to get away from the light...no sight of them now...the idea is that they eat the compost and keep things rotating along especially because the kind of compost bin I have does not allow sunlight in. Can't make it too wet- I have strict instructions from Renee with Vermi-Green at the Farmer's Market (Fairport) to spritz only if needed. The worms breathe through their skin and could drown if it gets too wet. I feel responsible :)

Have plans for next year's garden already in the works - I picture a garden double the size it is now, with a white fence all around to keep the bunnies out...oh and a trellis arch doorway entrance with a swinging gate. Plenty of space between raised beds to walk and room on either side to mow...oh and out in the back - room for a pony!

Meanwhile, I am working hard on eating local...froze 2 quarts of strawberries and am enjoying a few with local honey in my Chobani yogurt (made in NY!).

Have gone almost 3 weeks with no tv - even in the hotel and at friend's...I am no longer missing it or interested! The "no Starbucks for a year" has been harder...especially on the road...but do-able. (I got into a bad SB habit the past month or so and needed to quit. At over $4 1-2 times a week for my iced grande caramel macciato...it was not a good expenditure...imagine average $6 a week x 52...$312! Bad.

More to follow - have a Nothing New Day!

Kristin

Thursday, June 2, 2011

What's on TV?

DAY 12 (YEAR TWO)

Ideally, I would be watching TV whilst enjoying my Chipotle take-out (in this quaint, peaceful theatre district hotel in New Brunswick, NJ...alas, my decision to watch NO TV for one year precludes me from doing so. Instead, I am alone (not lonely :)) with my veggie Burrito Bowl in recyclable container and my To Go Ware bamboo utensils - greening it up baby!

The quiet room is a welcome change to the past 24 hours spent in NYC, I must say! I was working with a talented and lively group of Orientation Leaders at Pace University and then drove to my next stop for a training tomorrow here in NJ. It took me almost an hour to get OUT of the city and into the Holland Tunnel...good times. There are so many cars and people! "It's a wonder more people don't get picked off in the streets by cars!" I spoke out loud to myself in the midst of it all. A lot of honking and not a lot of smiling.

So...no TV for a year. The Time-Warner dude said "Wow, good luck with that", as we cancelled my cable. There is no option at home to even turn the boob tube on in the first place so that will be easy to manage. The hotel TV temptation is a little more challenging. I resisted last night and actually got a lot of loose ends tied up via email, caught up on a staying in touch with my people connecting on Facebook (not giving that up) and had a long phone call with a great friend...I think NO TV is going to be a good thing...

Not only will I "get" more time...my call to Time Warner will save me $96 a year! I also reduced my land line plan in the same call...another $240 a year or so saved for a total of $336. OK then! What could you cut, change, reduce in your life to unclutter your time, your space or your finances??? Check out this cool blog by ...reposting Erin Rooney Doland's website here:

http://unclutterer.com/

Going to get ready for tomorrow and enjoy the silence....Have a Nothing New Day! Kristin