Contest

The other day I was talked into entering a garden contest. The judging is going to be in July and I am all excited. I usually don't think my garden is much of anything. It pleases me and yes, sometimes I blog about it but entering a contest is usually nothing I would think about. I don't think it is really that good. 

It took the picture below the other day before the I spoke to the person.  I showed it to the person who was asking me to enter. She apparent thought is was good enough and said I should enter. Now I am all worried about what needs to be done. There is a lot on my mind and. I have been going through it slowly. I also ordered some plants online and hope they are situated enough when the time comes. It is two months after all.

I have also enlisted the help of my husband, which actually helps because he always needs a kick in the pants to finish anything. He has been working steadily on the rain barrel collection system since this weekend so maybe that's helping. I think it will be finished soon. So wish me luck!

Recycled Art

I went to an art show the other day. It was sponsored by the DEP and Waste Management amd featured thebwork of Norristown Area School District children who had been involved in a project to make art out of trash. More specifically art from recycled items. It was fascinating, a d this picture is of one of my favorites. It is made from water bottles that were colored and then cut up to spiral and then attached to the panel. I love its bright, yet suble, coloring.

I think it is great that an art project like this is done. I hope it showed the kids that everything doesn't have to be thrown away, but can be useful in another way. We are such a disposable nation and are paying for it with the existance of land fills and increased pollution to the planet. Some of the kids said tney were doing projects at home because of this experience.

I know a simple project like this is not going to change the world, bjt it can have an impact. When the children learn that things you buy can have another life it puts a thougt into thier heads to spark their creativity. I hope it also sparks their thinking as to how we can create things that do not make trash, but that has value in and of itself.

From Blah to Fab

 I had a great time this weekend sprucing up my yard and one of the things I did was to paint some patio chairs that were looking old and outdated. I think I was inspired by a posting on Facebook of someone who had done something similar. I think they turned out great.

I used spray paint that said it adhered to plastic which I think is important. Regular spray paint I think will run, but this didn't. It stayed where I put it. First I washed them carefully with a scrub brush and a sponge with a scrubber side with just regular dish washing soap. Then I let them dry in the sun. Then I sprayed. 

I think they make a great impact to my patio and really make it something special and unusual. I will be curious to see how long the paint will last, but a friend told me about two seasons. I did get extra paint so a little touch up later shouldn't be a problem.

Sustainable Agriculture

Last night, a fellow council member and I attended a sustainable agriculture workshop. It was held at the senior center and sponsored by Temple University. The students there are undertaking a study about how a community can improve sustainability and picked Norristown. On one hand. I was thrilled that they picked us, and on the other hand. I was sad they picked us.

I met some very interesting people who are very interested in making Norristown better and it was good to be in a room with kindred spirits. These people understood that access to fresh produce and a variety of good quality food is important to the health of the community. However it is frustrating to note that there was not a large showing.

There are some places where people can get fresh produce, but it may not be organically grown produce, and they are few. We discussed things like CSAs (of which there is one really close), community gardens, education opportunities, and getting children involved. The students will go back and do their analysis and come back to us with suggestions. I will post when that happens.food

A Little Fightening

Last night I attended a viewing of GMO OMG. I came home more disturbed about this country than ever. The powerful people at Monsanto, along with other chemical companies, are not only destroying our health but our environment all in the name of money. I am not surprised, necessarily, but shocked at the gall.

If you have an opportunity to see it, please do. I did not stay for the panel discussion but I am sure it was interesting. There were several people there who are doing what they can making sure we are educated, informed consumers and know that our food items have GMOs in them by labeling them. This is something that Monsanto and the other do not want. They interviewed a European scientist who said that they have been labeling for a while and no one wants the GMO stuff. All we are asking for is the choice and the knowledge that we are putting quality - or not quality - food in our bodies. What could be wrong with that?

I'll tell you what's wrong. The more educated a consumer we are, the less likely we are going to purchase their product  and the poorer they will be. I am sorry, I am all for the rights of workers, but companies who make this stuff are criminals in my book, and all they are doing is making their employees accessories to the crime.

My Winter Garden

Over the weekend I started my first piece of yard work for the season. We had a tree fall just before winter hit and had not had the chance to stack the wood better.  I love this time of year when you can see the new plants poking their heads above the sol to make an appearance for the new season. It is so exciting to push aside some brown dead leaf and se something green. It makes you aware of the circle of life.

After working for about two hours I then sat back and surveyed the property. There are a few things that I definately want to get, plant-wise as well as otherwise. I would like to get a piece of sculpture for the new tranquility garden, and of course this year I will be needing to lay down the flat stones and get to planting the creeping thyme or other fragrant plant between them. 

I am getting very excited for the start of planting season. I do have some things started in my little basement greenhouse with the grow lights. I swear the neighbors must think there is some funny business going on down there. But there really isn't unless eggplant and veggies are illegal. Spring is here even though snow happened yesterday.

Global Climate Change

I follow a vegan cook named Christina Pirello. I have blogged about her before and shared recipes with several people. I am truly inspired by her story; curing herself of cancer after following a vegan diet. It truly points to the fact that we are what we eat and what we eat impacts us and our surroundings.

Her March newsletter went so far as to talk of this global climate change we are experiencing and the fact that even though we are currently shivering through a very snowy and cold winter, our earth is getting warmer. You see as the atmosphere contains more greenhouse gases, some areas are getting wetter and others drier.

While it is hard for us individually to change the use of fossil fuels, there is one thing we can do and that is to eat less meat. I did read elsewhere that raising cattle, and even poultry to some extent, does contribute to methane gas production and that there are more heads of cattle now than ever. Makes sense to me and one reason why I am going to stick to eating less, or even no, meat. Not only is it good for my health, it is good for the planet.