The Portal to Boomeranger World

Gardening: Mary's Little Eggplant

Friends by Proxy Dirt

In the nursery rhyme of my child hood, Mary had a little lamb. But my new friend and gardening buddy, Mary has a little eggplant. And she is as proud and loving of it as if it were her woolly cuddly lamb.

Mary came to me this spring through a mutual sister gardening pal and

in response to my invitation to have someone or a few someones share my yard for gardening.

As our young publishing company and www.thimbleberrypress.com (and please, become its fan on facebook) has begun to develop, my kid grow up and need more of my time during her teen years, and the demands of this blog increase, my gardening time has diminished. I have sat longing to go outside and get my hands on the dirt...but other duties at the keyboard and steering wheel have called. So I have been thrilled to have Mary come to garden.

Mary is a dear. And a brilliant dear--who is also a medieval scholar. I love to look out my bathroom window and see her folding bike parked beside the sheds and see her loving her plants--herbs, flowers and vegetables into bloom and fruition. I sometimes feel that I am out there with my hands in the dirt instead of hers. We are friends by proxy--proxy dirt.

That Dear Little Eggplant

Mary sent me these eggplant photos two days ago and I was as thrilled as if I were at a birthing! Here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through the magic of the internet..and it does seem magic to me still, I can share in the thrill of that first vegelette transforming from bloom to tiny egglette. That is Mary's love and the trans formative amazement of dirt, rain and sun on a tiny seed to nurture it into its fulfillment.

Gardening has done that for me--even proxy gardening--taken the little seed of possible, and nourished it into becoming.

I think I will always be a becoming...we all always are really. It is a false premise that we become and then are finished. No--like Mary and my friendship and the little eggplant--we are all always becoming. And that is a delicious thing.

Hope in One Small Seed: Food Security and Yard Sharing

Gaining Food Security

My friend Dave has articulated a central issue that I'd not heard described other wise: Food Security. In the Keweenah Penisula, it would take a trucking collapse of only two weeks to starve the population of the entire peninsula, unless there were alternate local food production methods.And in a climate that regularly has winter about 7 months of the year--that is an important issue. How do you make people secure in their food supply? http://foodsecurity.org/

We have all seen those late at night Save the Children ads of starving kids in third world countries, but have you considered how close we are to being in that situation ourselves? http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsec/ ; http://www.answers.com/topic/food-security , http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/measurement.htm How long would your food last if there were a power outage of weeks? Could you manage? I would for a few weeks--on my pantry, but then what?? I am not secure as were my grandparents who grew almost all their food, canned it and had supplies in the winter. But even they were dependent on stores for grains and sweetners.

Hope in One Small Seed

I feel the counsciousness shifting here in America. We seem to be growing and growing up after a prolonged childhood of bigger and more toys. Our unending greed for more and more toys has nearly destroyed us, but at the brink, we seemed to have pulled back. I see this as a small seed of hope that might be planted in the earth and in our hearts and minds to grow. 

I have offered my yard to people in my town who are in apartments http://eqtvconnect.ning.com/group/yardsharing; http://www.yardsharing.org/; http://www.wasatchgardens.org/yardsharing.html; . I have way too much and I want to share it with others to have a place to grow food http://www.sharingbackyards.com/. I have a small garden and want to share my earth abundance with those who don't. This year for the first time I have some one who is interested. this is a small seed planted and a small flowering of hope. There are so many people who are in apartments and so many people who have huge lawns. And lawns are a luxury and a waste. I am hoping that others will take me up on my offer and come share my abundance with me.

This is hope in one small seed.

Breathing Clear by Going Green: Boomers Take Heed

Air Quality and Green Living

 

I am sharing the below press release Air Report Card from The American Lung Association especially because as we Boomers age, air quality and the state of our lungs is an increasing concern. So I want to emphasize that  adopting green practices at home is really really important.

Add More Indoor Plants

This year I added more indoor plants even though my 100 year old house is constructed with deep eaves and a wrap around and deep porch to exclude sunlight in the summer and hopefully reduce heat, in the winter it is pretty light inside. In the depths of winter having green in my BR was really uplifting mentally. I was also cheered by the little bit of extra oxygen it emitted. My office has a huge south facing window that gets lots of second story sunlight in winter. A great gardening friend gave me celery seedlings that are now just about ready to plant out. In the midst of all my office paper mess, their little green heads were a very pleasant sight. And this summer they will be really delicious to eat. If I can protect the plants adequately this winter, I may be able to harvest some then as well.  

Did you know that English Ivy and Peace Lily are among the top five plants for cleaning indoor air of noxious chemicals harmfull to humans? http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/10/top_5_plants_fo.php

Bamboo palms and spider plants http://www.cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html are also excellent air cleansers and spider plants are very hardy as well. They take a great deal of neglect and reproduce prettily providing you with free off spring to plant in other parts of your house or give away to friends.

Get Rid of Harsh Cleansers

Forget the scare tactics of commericals--just use the simple cheap cleaners that are proven.Years ago I stopped using clorines and other harsh and posionious cleaners. I grew up on the old cleaners of vinagar, soap and baking soda. We were pretty poor and Mom also thought these were healithier. Who knew at that time...???  Her instincts were certainly right. So now I still use those old cleaners and they are really good and CHEAP. here is another story about the same topic http://www.consumer-action.org/hcop/articles/old_fashioned_cleaners_sweeping_into_homes. See this story that expands on it http://www.sacbee.com/livinghere/story/1678417.html.

There is a book and a company about clean living http://www.mrsmeyers.com/.

My vinegar and baking soda is supplemented by Thieves, an exssential oil mixture made from plants grown and distilled by Young Living Essential Oils http://www.youngliving.com/history.faces. I SWEAR by this blend--for cleaning and for staving off colds and sore throats. I'm going to write a post just about Thieves. this blend and the Purification blend are amazing for killing molds as well. But mroe on them later. Now take a look at this report card from the American Lung Assoc. Where there is breath there is life!

 

And , people are always saying to me--You smell so good. I think this is one of my secret friend magnitizers!

Air Report Card

Today, the American Lung Association (ALA) released the State of the Air 2009 report card on air quality, ranking cities most affected by outdoor air pollution.  Click here to see where your city ranks in outdoor particle pollution: http://www.stateoftheair.org/

While improving outdoor air quality is important, indoor levels of some pollutants may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels, according to the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA). In fact, the EPA has identified indoor air pollution as one of the top five urgent environmental risks to public health, though a survey commissioned in December 2008 by 3M Filtrete filters, revealed that:

• Three out of four homeowners believe the air outside their home is more polluted than the air inside their home.

• More than 50 percent of homeowners are not concerned about indoor air pollution; however, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) are concerned about outdoor air pollution.

Below please find tips from Neil Schachter, M.D., Medical Director of the Respiratory Care Department of the Mount Sinai Medical Center and past president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York, on simple changes to help improve your indoor air quality and make your home a healthier place to live.

Neil Schachter, M.D.
CREATE A HEALTHIER HOME FOR YOUR FAMILY
Tips for Giving Your Home a Clean Air ‘Check-Up’

ST. PAUL, Minn. – April 24, 2009 – Most of us are aware that outdoor air pollution, such as vehicle exhaust, ozone, dirt, soot and smoke, can create significant environmental and air quality concerns.  However, indoor levels of some pollutants may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified indoor air pollution as one of the top five urgent environmental risks to public health .

“Many people don’t realize that their home can be a breeding ground for allergens, such as pollen, dust mite debris, mold spores and other particles that may be airborne.  Other things in the air, such as chemicals from everyday household items like furniture, carpeting, paints and cleaning products, can also contribute to poor indoor air quality.  For people who are sensitive to these types of things, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness and fatigue may result,” said Dr. Neil Schachter, M.D., past president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York and author of Life and Breath.  “A ‘home health check-up’ combined with some simple changes can help make your home a healthier place to live.”

Follow these tips from Dr. Neil Schachter to give your home a healthier boost:

 

1. Avoid cleaning products with ammonia and chlorine –Some household chemicals may be irritants to the respiratory tract in people who are sensitive to these chemicals.  They can cause watery eyes and sore throats and even can trigger coughing and shortness of breath.  Choose milder yet effective cleaning aids like those that use baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and citrus oils.

 

2. Houseplants...a clean air ally – Some common indoor houseplants, such as bamboo plants, English ivy and peace lily, can provide a natural way to help fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution by absorbing some potentially harmful gases .  A six-inch potted green plant can clean a room of excess carbon dioxide in eight hours .

 

3. Lay area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting – Wall-to-wall carpeting can attract and hold indoor dirt, pollen, pet hair and mold spores and many contain chemicals.  Vacuuming can remove some surface dirt, but often, the vacuum can actually push pollutants deeper into carpet fibers.  Area rugs are best since they can be picked up and cleaned thoroughly. 

4. Use high performance air filters – Use a high performance filter, like the Filtrete 1” Advanced Allergen Reduction Filter from 3M, to help capture particles such as pollen, smoke, dust mite debris and pet dander from the air that passes through the filter.  Be sure to change your filter at the start of every season.

5. Restrict your furry friends – People who are allergic to cats and dogs are actually allergic to the dander that pets shed.  To help minimize exposure to pet dander, keep pets out of the bedroom and especially off the bed. 

6. Turn up the air conditioning – Air conditioners not only cool the air in your home, they can also help reduce humidity levels.  During the warm months of the year, turn up the air conditioner to help keep humidity levels lower, which can help keep mold from growing. 

7. Turn off the humidifier – Room air humidifiers are moisture-generating sources that can spread bacteria, mold spores and chemical deposits into the air in your home.  Keep relative humidity between 30% and 50% to help prevent mold growth.

8. Leave shoes outside – Avoid bringing outdoor pollutants indoors by removing your shoes before entering the home.  Wearing shoes indoors can track particles that can become airborne, including animal dander, mold spores, pollen and bacteria. 

Test your knowledge of other indoor air quality facts and blow away some fictions by playing Clean Air Fact or Fiction at www.filtrete.com/factorfiction.