Trowel and Error

Sometimes I feel that a blog is hardly worth writing anymore.  There are so many out there! Everyone is busy writing them, so who is reading them? There are so many voices and topics to choose from that it is impossible to believe that anything I say or think hasn't already been said or thought  - and probably expressed more eloquently. Is there nothing new under the sun?

Planet Earth Video Link

Maybe not.  But, there is probably alot of old stuff we don't know anything about - or new ways to do old stuff. The ultimate in recycling. That's why I like Pinterest. There is no craft, skill, artistry, trade or clever idea that hasn't been investigated, photographed and documented for you to look at and try. 

    

Garden "Flower"

 

Garden Wind Chimes

Tire Caterpillar Planters

I don't know how many more slaps to the head with the exclamation of "Why didn't I think of that?" I can make. I am absolutely addicted to Pinterest! And if I wasn't wasting so much time looking at it all, I might have time to actually do some of the things shown to me.



Tomatoes



Eggplants

 

Roasted Veggies with Cheese - Yum!

If there is nothing left for me to show and nothing new I can tell, then all I can do is record events as they unfold.   A journal?  A diary?  I'm not Ann Frank. I'm not even Mia Thermopolis. I last kept a diary when I was in 8th grade.  I still have it and let me tell you -it makes for some pretty boring reading!  If I could go back in time and speak to my 14-year-old self what I would say? 

 

 

 



I'd say " Quit whining. All the things you worry about will never happen.  Things you never imagined will.  All the friends who are so important to you now will disappear from your life and it won't matter.  All the people and things you take for granted now will prove to be what is important."  I'd tell myself that I am stronger than I think I am, smarter than others think I am and that it is always a good idea to be kind. 

 

From Lunch to Landfill Video Link

 

But, it doesn't really matter what I'd say because (at that age) I wouldn't be listening!  And if perchance I did hear, I wouldn't understand or believe it anyway.

 

Most of Mankind is like a 14-year old child too. We are old enough to see what is going on around us and certainly intelligent enough understand the implications, but only concerned with that which affects us directly.  We may hear what others are saying, but we don't really listen - or care. We are selfish and ignorant.

 

 

 

 

 

One change that is needed is the way we view food and its production, but as philosphers have noted  “People don’t change because they see the light; they change because they feel the heat.”  

If we were to divide the Earth equally among all humans it would give us about 4 acres per person.  However, only 3/4 of one acre would be livable.  We would have to share some of that 3/4 acre with other non-human animals too.  The tiny portion that is our "fair share" has to be able to produce food for everyone.  I think it is probably safe to say that we have overshot the carrying capacity of our planet.

Per Michael Pollen, in order to make the most of what we have available to us we need to eat REAL food, LESS of it and make sure it is mostly PLANTS.  We have a limited amount of grain to feed the world, but we are using 60% of it to feed animals that we in turn eat.

 

What can you do? 

Buy food locally, buy organic and buy in season. Know what is in your food. Read labels. Plant a garden. Raise chickens. Cook and eat at home. Get involved.  Know the issues. 

Community Garden
  

Organic Farming

  

Fight to make sure that healthy meals are being served in public schools, write to your representatives, and insist that local Farmer's Markets accept food stamps. Why? Healthy food needs to be affordable for everyone.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.

Is there nothing new under the sun?  Just our future.

 

 Books available at Chesapeake Public Libraries 
CLICK ON GREEN LINKS TO SEE

The Good Food Revolution: growing healthy food, people,and communities  by Allen, Will 

The mini farming guide to vegetable gardening by Markham, Brett

Stand up and garden by Moss-Sprague, Mary
The one-block feast: an adventure in food from yard to table by True, Margo
World without fish: how could we let this happen? By Kurlansky, Mark
The eco-neighbor’s guide to a green community by Johnson, J. Angelique
Earth friendly shopping by Gosman, Gillian
Earth friendly food by Gosman, Gillian
Encyclopedia of organic, sustainable and local food by Duram, Leslie
Do it gorgeously:how to make less toxic, less expensive and more beautiful products by Uliano, Sophie
Made by hand: searching for meaning in a throwaway world by Frauenfelder, Mark
In the green kitchen by Waters, Alice
The story of stuff: how our obsession with stuff istrashing the planet, our communities, and our health-and a vision for change by Leonard, Annie
Shift your habit: easy ways to save your money, simplify your life, and save the planet by Rogers,Elizabeth
Your eco-friendly yard: sustainable ideas to save you time, money and the Earth by Girolamo, Tom
The self-sufficient life and how to live it: the complete back-to-basics guide by Seymour, John
True Green Home: 100 inspirational ideas for creating a green environment at home by McKay, Kim
Green Metropolis: why living smaller, living closer, and driving less are  the keys to sustainability by Owen, David