Swap Party!

I was at the dentist today, in anticipation of my much awaited root canal and was given a magazine to read. In the Better Homes and Gardens current issue, it suggests hosting a swap party. I think that is a lovely idea.

So, I propose we spend January going through our prospective junk (I mean treasure) and prepare for a shindig during the dead of February when it is cold and there is a lull in the action.

We can bring our items and swap for other items that are being laid aside.

Here are the rules for the swap. One rule is that once you bring an item to the swap it is no longer yours. All left over items will be donated to the Columbus Catholic Worker Free Store.

February 20, 2010 at 3:00 pm. If you are interested, let me know and I will send you along an invitation with particulars. There will be warm drinks and light refreshments provided.

Best Day

Today, I think, was one of the best days ever. Interestingly enough, it was not because it was a perfect day-- for perfection was not achieved, but the day held many pleasures for me. These pleasures were not thwarted by the late arrival to church, the bickering of children, the mower cutting out several times, an acquaintance calling for help when I did not want to leave my garden, or the shower head spraying water all over the bathroom floor as I attempted to enter the stall. I still remain blissful as I recount the day's events. I will try to share them here even though, you may not be able to relate to the wonderousness of it all.

1. Slept in today. I woke around 9:00 am. The sun was shining in the window and by some miracle, the kids decided to not awaken me. The kids surprise me at times at how they believe you are always alert and accessible. I don't get that. It is quite often that one of them will come in and start talking as if I am conscious and fully expect a lucid response.

2. Went to church (albeit late) and grooved to the music, listened to a homily about love, received hugs and kisses at peace time and shed a tear at "Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed". A church lady came up to us after the Mass and gave us the inside scoop that she made sandwiches to eat, next door. She knows I love her cooking and even though I know those sandwiches were for everyone, I could not help that she felt she was sharing a prize secret with me.

3. Went to Oakland Park Nursery. Purchased plants for a gift basket, a few vegetable plants and a couple of seed packets. One of the packets was a splurge-- a mixture of seeds to grow flowers that will pop up all growing season long. I say it is a splurge because it does not involve vegetables.

4. Put laundry on the line outside. Nothing better than the fresh feeling from line dried clothes. It saves energy and I get in a meditative state when I do this task. It is a relatively quiet time, my hands are busy and I can set my mind at ease.

5. Mowed the lawn. Quinn did the bulk of it, I raked up the grass clippings. My yard looks so good when the grass is short. It also feels rugged and unruly even when the grass is cut-- I am trying to think of ways to tame it a bit. I have ivy and brush piles and weeds gone wild in places. Even so, some of the weeds are gorgeous as they bloom.

6. Gardening. Put in cukes, onions and weeded around the broccoli, lettuce, peas and tomatoes. Added manure to the soil to add nutrients. Still a lot to do, but my garden is beginning to look like a real garden.

7. Fire. Burned brush that was in the back half of the yard; left by city workers who cut a couple of trees to clear the alley and wires on telephone poles. A mess was remained there and it made it hard to mow around. We started a fire and chipped away at the pile. The ashes from the fire make excellent compost. We probably burned through about 2/3rds of the pile. The day was crisp and a little chill was in the air, the fire was a nice addition both physically and mentally.

8. Linner. In between tasks, I stopped to make a meal. As I peeked in the refrigerator, I saw that I needed to cook up some pork chops that were waiting to be eaten. I debated whether to spend the time cooking and was tempted to eat out, when I just decided to go for it (knowing going out would cost more and would take time too). I poured a little olive oil in the pan, cut up some sweet onions and peppered the chops. I scrounged around a bit more for added sides and found some pesto pasta in the freezer and some green beans. Within 15 minutes we had a whole meal and to my surprise, the kids kept coming back for more- they can be finicky. So, I earned points for cooking, fixing something the kids would eat and eating the chops before they went bad.

There was much more that made my day great, but I will end with the fact that it is ending with a perfect cup of tea. I try often to achieve tea greatness and often fall short. Tonight, the tea is hot, just enough sugar, a dash of milk and goes down just right.

I hope you will have many a day like this, filled with simple joys and pleasures. Sometimes, I think it is just as important to experience a day like today as to reflect upon it. Many days get passed over in a rush or because we are too preoccupied with other thoughts to truly appreciate what is going well.

I think another reason today was special is that even though I was multitasking, I was able to stay very present with each task.

I went to a lecture at the Columbus Mennonite Church here in Columbus. The lecture was given by David Kline, an Amish farmer from Holmes County here in Ohio. I was hoping to get some tidbits about how to garden better, simpler and more organically. David was a delightful speaker and very refreshing. I learned more about actual farming than gardening but it was still interesting.

As the lecture began, a member of the church was invited to come up and lead us in two songs. The first song was sung acapella and must have been in 5 part harmony. It was quite amazing and it did not appear that there were "special" singers in the group. In fact, when asked how many were not from the Amish/Mennonite tradition, most hands went up. Many folks came from the food co-op (Clintonville Community Market) or some other groups. The second song was Morning has Broken and I belted that one out (remembering my favorite artist-- Cat Stevens).

The lecture was interesting in terms of learning more about Amish culture. David had many jokes and many one liners that caught my attention. I could not capture them all but I wrote down a few:

• Best health insurance is to eat food grown on fertile soil.

• Plowing on a 75 degree day is pure pleasure-- it is almost sinful.

• We grow the most wonderful oatmeal-- sometimes, I don't even cook it-- just eat it straight. If you want some, come by the farm -- I think it is 70 or 80 cents a pound.

• Work is a privilege.

• Always be careful about statistics. (Told a story about how it was reported in the paper that folks in Holmes county are less healthy. He knew that could not be true given that he knows that there is less incidence of heart attacks and other ailments. Turns out they said this in the paper because Holmes County has a low participation rate in health clubs).

David has written a book called (among others):

If interested you can read a review of the book here.

The big concept he shared at the lecture is that by having horses and cows that eat the hay, create manure, feed the soil -- all the while working the farm, you get the best yield and best product.

Random Thoughts

• I wonder how I, alone, can create a sink full of dishes? How many cups must a girl use in one day? From this day forward, I pledge to reuse the dish I start out with. What a concept.
• I am hoping to build a chicken coop, housing 4 hens in the backyard. Soon I will be posting a wish list if anyone has materials that they are willing to donate to the project. Having fresh eggs, unprocessed and free from antibiotics is a cool concept. I am equally excited about my children learning where their food comes from.
• Alea is selling girl scout cookies, if you must have some, let me know and she will hook you up.
• I am trying to learn guitar, if anyone out there has something to teach me, I am open to it. I have appropriately formed calluses and I am willing to use them.
• The wind has been ferocious tonight; lights have flickered and the rain is tapping on the window. I am simultaneously experiencing feelings of awe and fear. Rarely am I spooked, but tonight, adrenaline is present. My mom would make us hide out in the basement when a storm would come. I usually am the person getting a blanket and watching the storm, while others are hiding away. For some weird reason- not tonight.
• We have a guest living in our house-- a mouse. Saw him today. That will need to be dealt with. Also went into the garage loft and found a cat visiting there. What is up with my animal energy?
• Kye asked today if we are sideways. When I inquired further, he said, "You know Mom, on the Earth. You know the Earth is spinning, are we sometimes sideways?" I let him know that yes sometimes we are sideways, and sometimes, we are almost upside down. I then went into an explanation of gravity. The conversation seemed to fizzle from there. But, I am encouraged that this kid really thinks about things. I can only imagine what other thoughts he is having in there. Wouldn't it be neat to climb into some one's brain and really see what is going on? I think Kye's brain would be a fun one. I am beginning to wonder if my brain would be a boring one. Hmmm.......

Go Green!

I applied to have our household become a Green Spot here in Columbus. It was quite easy and it served as a reminder about how we can make small commitments within our local influence that can make a big difference in the bigger world. Below are the specific commitments that we are making as a family. Businesses can apply too. If you are interested in becoming a Green Spot or seeing what makes households Green Spots in Columbus click here.

Here's how I will conserve energy
I will replace my regular incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency compact fluorescent ones.
I will purchase foods, goods, and services that are grown or produced close to home.
I will turn my thermostat up in the summer, and down in the winter.

Here's how I will conserve water
I will water my yard only once a week.
I will install a rain barrel in my yard to collect rainwater, and use it to water my plants.
I will run my dishwasher and washing machine only when they're full.

Here's how I will reduce, recycle and reuse
I will carry reusable bags when I shop.
I will choose products that use less packaging and less harmful material.
I will avoid one-use items such as paper plates.
I will buy small amounts of items that have a short shelf life and bulk amounts of items that don't go bad quickly.
I will donate unused or unwanted items instead of throwing them away-and explore thrift stores instead of always buying something new.
I will recycle paper, steel, glass, and plastic by using my local curbside subscription program.
I will separate my yard waste (like grass clippings and leaves) from other trash, and leave it by the curb on my assigned day.

I am committed to becoming a GreenSpot.