It's midsummer and this year our vegetable garden is plentiful.  I started to pick arugula and chard the third week of June.  Here are some pictures of the garden in June as well as the first pick of the season:

Garden Picture - June 23

Chard and Arugula picked on June 23

Sunday's harvest included basil, snow peas, arugula and chard.  These summer greens are thriving and enriching neighborhood dinner tables.   

Each year the garden expands and this year the planted area measures 24' x 4'.  I am trying my hand at growing some new things including snow peas, basil and parsley (planted from seed vs. starts), two varieties of beets, arugula, eggplant, brussel sprouts, and heirloom tomatoes.  Young seedlings persevered early June hail storms and adult plants have escaped detection of the deer that are munching in the yard next door.  The aphids are staying put in the elm trees they inhabit a half block away.    I expect that the beans will be ready to harvest this week.  If the July heat continues we might even have tomatoes by the end of the month!  Brussel sprouts mature later in the year and my research indicates that each plant produces about 80 - 100 sprouts.  With eight plants that will be a yield of 640 - 800 sprouts!  Here is a picture of the garden today:

Wow!  Look at how the garden has grown in the last three weeks!  

I never thought I would enjoy gardening.  When we were kids growing up my parents planted a huge garden to save money.  The yard was about 3/4 of an acre and I am guessing the garden measured the entire width of the back yard x 12' deep.  Besides what we grew, Dad brought home bushels of peaches, apples, cucumbers and other vegetables from the farmer's market.  Every weekend was devoted to pickling, canning and freezing. Standing at the kitchen sink peeling the skins off tomatoes that had been dipped in boiling water, I vowed as a teenager that I would never have ANYTHING to do with growing vegetables in the future.  That certainly did not pan out - the pictures above prove that attitudes and values change with adulthood!

As you read this, maybe you are asking, "How did that happen?"  Quite simply, I found that I care where my food comes from.  A few years ago, I started with tomato plants in pots. The next year, a small plot in the yard.  The food tasted great and it was a hoot to pick dinner from the yard - in my own small way I was taking a stand against everything that Food Inc. represented.  I shared the extras with neighbors and got to know folks a bit better.  At the end of last year, I decided to add another 32 square feet for more variety.  I am having fun with this year's experiment and added new crops.  I intend to hold off on canning and freezing as long as possible... I will keep you updated on that one with later posts as well as sharing how I am using what we harvest.  (Fettuccine with arugula pesto is a current favorite.)

I hope you are having a good growing season!

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Spring is here and it's not too late to get your green on!  As I prepare to plant my garden,  I find myself taking stock of the things I can do to be more green.  Here are a few ideas to green your daily routine:


Green your Laundry Routine

1. Air dry your laundry and reduce your energy consumption.  An outdoor clothesline may not be possible for apartment dwellers or residents of a planned community with HOA (HomeOwners Association) bylaws.  Clothes drying racks, an indoor clothesline, or utilizing a drapery rod in a south or west facing window are great alternatives.  Check out the lingerie drying rack from The Container Store - with 12 plastic clips your undies and socks are easily hung from a shower curtain rod to air dry.  Close your bathroom door to capture the warmth when your furnace turns on to speed drying.  $ Added Bonus - your clothes will last longer.  
2. Use environmentally friendly laundry detergent.  These "green" detergents are phosphate free and biodegradable.
3. Lower the temperature and wash in cold water.  With the technological advances in machines and laundry detergents, cold water will get the job done.  If you are still hanging onto the idea that only hot water "sanitizes" your laundry, bump the dial up to the warm setting.  
4. Wash only full loads.  The same amount of energy is used each and every time you turn on the washing machine.  If for some reason you absolutely can't fill a load, make sure you adjust your water level to the appropriate load size.

Green your Mailbox

1. Go paperless for your bank statements and regularly occurring bills -- cable, electric, trash removal, etc.  Not only will you be greening your mailbox, you will be reducing your energy consumption as you no longer have that big bag of shredding to do.
2. Eliminate catalogs, coupons and other junk mail.  Go to  www.dmachoice.com  and take your name off any and all mailing lists.  If you have bought merchandise from a specific retailer, you may have to call that retailer and ask to be removed from their mailing list.  The site does provide contact phone numbers for major retailers - set aside all the catalogs you get in a week and take thirty minutes one day and make all the calls.  $$ Added Bonus - money saved because your impulse buying triggers won't be activated by the false promises of catalog visual merchandising.

Green your Kitchen and Cleaning Routine

1. Minimize the use of cleaning fluids and chemicals.  If having that lemon fresh pine scent is the only thing that convinces you your housekeeping is complete, make sure you are using environmentally friendly cleaning supplies.  Not sure which green cleaners work best?  Seventh Generation, ECOS - Earth Friendly Products, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, and Method are a few of the brands regularly cited in lists of environmentally friendly cleaning products.  The Green Guide at National Geographic has a video demonstrating the use of everyday pantry items like baking soda, white distilled vinegar, and lemon juice for your cleaning tasks.  Start small and make changes as your existing products run out.
2. Green your cookware.  If you are like me, you probably replace your non-stick skillets about every five years.  It seems non-stick skillets (Teflon) all have a maximum heat point.  The coatings flake off from over heating or overuse.  Aluminum, stainless, copper and cast iron cookware are options to non-stick cookware, however, metal leaching is a possibility.  Well made ceramic cookware has been cited as a green alternative.  Check out Xtrema by Ceramcor or Mercola Healthy Chef Cookware.  To read user reviews, go to  Chowhound.com  and search for Xtrema and follow the discussion forum.  
3. Green your utensils.  Plastic utensils are often made from petroleum derived plastics.  As the plastic gets scratched, heated and used, it can leach into your foods.  Bamboo utensils are a better option as they are manufactured from sustainable materials and are easy to clean.
4. Use less paper and plastic.  Paper towels, a convenience that one can become addicted to, are huge generators of landfill waste.  Google the topic and you will find articles stating that nearly 3,000 tons of paper towel waste are added to landfills daily.  Try microfiber towels and cleaning cloths - not only will you be reducing your landfill footprint, but you will be saving money.  Microfiber cloths are super absorbent, dry quickly, and according to some fans, can be used for chemical free cleaning (the tiny fibers produce light and safe abrasion taking the place of chemical cleaning products).  I am currently trying out the SKOY clothes which are an eco friendly alternative to paper towels.  One SKOY cloth prevents fifteen rolls of paper towel going to a landfill.  Food storage is a big culprit to plastic usage - consider glass containers as an alternative.

Making these changes to your everyday routines are easy ways to get your green on.  Going green becomes a matter of awareness; once you make a few changes and find out that it is easy and painless, you will start to think about greening other areas of your life.  Greening your landscape (using less water, growing vegetables), greening your personal care routine (seeking out non-petroleum based soaps and shampoos) and putting your electronics on a juice diet (eliminating phantom power consumption by using a power strip) will come naturally as you green your thinking and doing.  Heck, you might even find yourself opting for pedal powered transportation one day of the week!

Have a green product you love or a tip to cut down on use of plastic?  Know of a good resource for green home renovation?  Join the conversation and share how you are getting your green on!

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Do you feel like you are running up a hill and no matter how far you get, you will never make it to the top?  Have you ever felt like no matter how much you did, it wasn't enough? Is there a Monster for More, with an insatiable appetite for more stuff, money, power, beauty or strength lurking in the shadows?

Many of us today are running so fast to keep up that we have lost track of just what we are trying to keep up with.  Stream of consciousness messages about having more or being more dominate our economic, political and social landscapes.  Our jobs demand us to put in extra hours to achieve more sales or more profitability.  Our kids seem to need more to prepare them for the world of tomorrow.  Getting, having and being more is choking the life out of us.  And most likely our planet.

"ENOUGH already," you scream in frustration and despair at the end of the day.  How do I battle this Monster for More that meets me around every corner?

I grappled with this question for the last couple of months.  I succumb to the "more trap" as easily as the next person.  Our neighbors went to an RV show and suddenly I found myself looking at slick RV brochures.  Retailers target my e-mail with messages telling me to spend $50 now and get a $10 savings.  Even the best intentions, adding yoga to my fitness repertoire, demand spending on a yoga mat and appropriate attire.  Of course all of these wants and needs require funding, and that translates to stellar performance at work (maybe I am a type A personality).  Keeping the Blackberry within arm's length at all times starts to make sense.

Did any of this make me happy?  I believe we all know, somewhere deep in our intuitive and spiritual selves, more is usually not the answer (assuming basic needs for food, shelter, etc. have been met).  The proverbial hampster on the wheel becomes reality and getting off seems impossible.  Here are a few resources and ideas to manage the Monster for More:

• Get some good information that hits home for you.  "Twelve by Twelve:  A One Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream" by William Powers tackles the question of what is enough.  Living a smaller, simpler life in harmony with nature is encouraged.  Powers provides examples of societies and people living with enough - enough food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.  These are people who are contributing to their communities and are enjoying happy and supportive relationships.  Amazingly, 60% of the worlds' population lives with what they consider enough.  20% live with more than enough and 20% with not enough.  Other books suggested the ideas of nurturing creativity, taking a mini retirement, and considering that everything we strive for (want) requires an exchange of life energy. 

• Think twice about going out.  If you have to go out for something, make sure you have somewhere to be at a non-negotiable time.  That sounds crazy, but for most of us, our urban environment is filled with impulse activated spending opportunities.  Going to the bank and picking up the dry cleaning we grab a latte along the way.  The $5.00 Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon expires today and wouldn't those placemats be just-oh-so-perfect for the brunch you are hosting this weekend?  If you HAVE to be somewhere, you stay focused on what you really NEED to do.  If you don't go out,  your not so urgent errands collect on a list.  When you finally go out, your own natural desire to knock out that list and not spend hours on end chasing from place to place creates its own non-negotiable time limit.  

• Walk or bike instead of drive.  You will be amazed at how your perspective changes about what you need when you have limited carrying capacity.  Side benefits include getting exercise and saving on gasoline.

• Wait a day to buy anything that is outside of the basic essentials (e.g. food, gasoline, health care).

• Consider the opportunity cost.  The most valuable things in life are your health, the people you love, and time.  Are you giving up these things to pursue more of something else?  Taking on an extra assignment at work, to get promoted, to earn more money may require more time away from home and your family.  More money might seem important, but consider the stress of missing your kid's ball game and having your partner feeling like you are an uninvolved parent.  That example may be oversimplified, but you get the point.  Know your priorities and develop a sense of mindfulness about the choices you are making.  

None of us is perfect, and I don't expect that many of us want to or can live like Mother Teresa.  I know that I will always fight the battle between being content with what I have (or am) and thinking I need more (or to be better).  I know in the moments I have chosen to be content with what I have (or am), I have felt deep satisfaction.  I feel a sense of peace that recognizing enough(ness) offsets the other times when wanting more has won out.

Do you have a technique you use to battle the Monster for More?  Post a comment and share with others your ideas on this subject!

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A lot of people have asked about the photo of Lucky doing her favorite thing on my about page.  I think it is a great photo as it captures Lucky totally immersed in one of the things she is passionate about -  squirrel gazing.

Squirrel gazing?  You betcha'.  Lucky has an incredible capacity for watching a squirrel in a tree.  Of course her first love is to chase the squirrel up into the tree, but after that is achieved, she will keep an eye on her bushy tailed nemesis for an extended period of time.  In fact, I often have to curtail her squirrel viewing time.  After an hour of looking up into the tree tops, I become concerned that she will develop a stiff neck.

There is more to this photo than meets the eye.  Yes, it is a great photo of Lucky, clear and with wonderful contrast.  What makes it really awesome though is the message about life Lucky shares with us in this photo.  A singular focus.  Being in the moment.

I have learned a lot about life from Lucky.  She has been a wonderful teacher and I am most grateful for the bond I have with her.  The subjects of focus and being in the moment have always struck a chord with me.  Everything I have read indicates that focus and being present in a moment are deeply rewarding.

Achieving a singular and present focus has always been just outside of my reach as a participant in today's 24/7 plugged in multitasking culture.  Lucky's focus is what I strive for.  It is the best visual cue I have for what it looks like to be totally in the moment.  I hope that you might find Lucky's lesson of a singular and present focus to be of value in your life.  

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After six days into the New Year are you keeping your resolutions?  Or, are you a person who does not make resolutions because you either know your enthusiasm will wane or you are always working on some form of self improvement?  Whatever your particular circumstances may be, this post is about one resolution that is certainly worth making and keeping.

Regardless of what side of the political debate you are on, it seems that nearly everyone has at some time or another been outraged by the taxpayer financed bailouts of America's big banks.  Maybe it is the bonus payouts for executives regardless if the bank profits or withstands a loss.  Or perhaps it is the news of improper foreclosure proceedings that has sent you over the edge.

Many of us have received some kind of notice in the past year of increased fees and decreased services from our friends at Bank of America, Citibank, Chase, Wells Fargo or other big name institutions.  If you are like me, your initial outburst of a few expletives fades as you walk to your shredder, insert the correspondence in the slot and listen to the whirring blades.  My only consolation is protecting myself against identity theft as I struggle with my feelings of helplessness and anger about the banks that are "too big to fail".

But, not any longer.  It's a New Year and I have found a way to fight back.  Watch this video below to see what I have in mind:

Rather than waiting for Washington to regulate Wall Street, individuals like you and I can do something. Moving your money to a local bank is truly exercising your means to vote with your dollars.  The tools on the Move Your Money web-site will help you to find an independent bank in your community.  One of the tools uses a risk rating system by Institutional Risk Analytics (IRA) which only shows banks with a score of B or better.  Another useful site for bank ratings is BankRate.com.

As you set your goals for 2011, take the pledge and join the over two million Americans (as of April 2010) that have moved their money.  This is one resolution worth keeping!

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