A welcome back gift from the garden

It's Mid-march in Utah. It will surely snow again, and again and again. Last year it snowed in June. But, this past week has been as sunny and wonderful as any spring day can be. The soil is workable. The last snow storm has melted nearly completely. The tulips are breaking the surface and my perennials are breaking dormancy. The garden beckons and as tempting as it is to get out there and dive in head long, I know better. I had a failure or two last year, resulting directly from my haste to rush spring along. patience, they say, is a virtue. And what gardener isn't full of virtue? So, I must wait. But we did take advantage of the workable soil. We dug out a new flower bed, divided perennials, transplanted a few plants from last years 'nursery' to this years flower garden, planted cold weather crops: broccoli, brussel sprouts, chinese cabbage, spinach, kale, chard, lettuce etc.; and laid down the compost crop in this year's fallow bed. I started to prune last years dead growth from a few perennials but resisted the temptation to continue further. Last falls cold weather crop bed is bursting with life. I was actually able to make a salad with chinese cabbage and carrots. And that brings me to my point: carrots are an interesting crop. Carrots can be stored under ground through the winter. The colder it gets, the sweeter they are in the spring. So here we are in March, much too early to enjoy mounds of homegrown organic produce on the counter, yet pounds and pounds of enormous sweet carrots are piled on my counter. How delightful! A little gift from the garden, a welcome back gift of sorts.

Larry's Beans

As you know, coffee is very important to me. I plan vacations accordingly. Okay, I plan my whole life accordingly. I consume an unhealthy amount of coffee. I have been on a quest, seeking a coffee that is affordable, organic, fair trade, shade grown, and delicious. I would also prefer my coffee be produced by a company that only produces coffee that meets these requirements rather than producing several conventional coffee varieties and one that happens to be triple certified. And, it would be nice if I really believed in the company and truly wanted to support them. I am insanely loyal to Organic Valley dairy products, for example, because I really believe in their company. I want to fill my morning cup with coffee and cream I can believe in! Yesterday I discovered Larry's Beans. This morning I experienced Larry's beans. Then I researched Larry's beans. I think I'm in love! I am enjoying the 'Frank Sumatra' variety today. It was 7.99 for a 12oz bag. The beans are organically grown in the shade and purchased at a fair price. Then they are roasted using passive solar energy in a warehouse that is operating at nearly 100% sustainability. The beans are packaged in a biodegradable bag that will become compost for my garden at some point. The company delivers coffee locally(not here unfortunately) in a van fueled by veggie oil. This company is so committed to it's ideologies they created a separate website on sustainability. My favorite aspect of this company? These guys have a sense of humor. Check out Larry's Beans by clicking on 'Larry's Beans' at the top of this post! Now, this is coffee I can believe in!

Sorting items for disposal: a mentally taxing task

It's a phenomenon as old as my obsession with green living. Friends come over, often unannounced, which is perfectly delightful! They come armed with a case of beer and a bag of chips. We open a bottle of wine and start a fire and sit cozily in the living room (or on the patio) enjoying the ambiance of orange flickers, good music, and fabulous company. When the evening draws to a close, my counter is simply impossible to find. It is camouflaged by beer bottles and cans, chip bags, candy wrappers etc. Why? You ask. Don't you have a garbage can? You ask. I indeed have a garbage can. I have several garbage cans - 4 to be exact. One for paper and plastic, one for glass, one for compostable material, and one for anything that can not be recycled, reused, or utilized in any way - garbage. Apparently, my dear friends and family aren't sure into which can items should be deposited. When I discovered the gravity of the 'garbage on the counter' problem, I labeled each garbage collecting vessel in the greatest detail possible. This method of simplification seemed only to compound the frustration and confusion surrounding the seemingly simple act of throwing something away. So, I recently created signs with no words at all. No reading necessary. Even individuals in altered states of consciousness can identify a picture right? I placed a large full color picture of cigarette boxes and water bottles on the recycling bin, a picture of bottles on the glass bin, a picture of vegetables on the compost bin, and a picture of a recycling can with a big red circle and slash around it on the garbage bin. This did not prove to be an effective strategy. Sigh. So, I finally pulled all 4 cans out from under the kitchen sink and lined them up in front of the kitchen table at a recent gathering. That worked! Earlier this week, three friends who were present at the previous gathering came to visit. I gave no thought to my garbage cans. I thought, surely, they are all now well acquanted with the cans. Alas, I was wrong. Still my counter was littered with garbage upon their departure. I laughed. I suppose I would prefer everything is left on the counter for me to sort if the alternative is improperly sorted garbage. My dear friends and family clearly respect my green living ideologies and the very thought of mis-sorting their 'garbage' items in my home is simply too much bear. I find this all to be a very amusing and interesting study of human nature. I've decided to embrace it, so please, if you're not sure in which bin your item belongs. . .leave it on the counter. I'd be happy to sort your items appropriately. - Thank-you, the management.

A little peak at spring

Although today is gray and dreary, the beauty of yesterday lives still. Golden sun rays exploded through the sky and whispered a forecast of spring. I went outside in my t-shirt and jeans. The sun penetrated my skin and warmed my soul. My dogs chased and played like dogs do. They rolled in the grass and laid on their backs. The sun warmed their souls too. The tortoise, whose life couldn't be more depressing in the winter, showed visible signs of delight. His eyes opened wide. He stretched his limbs and stood as tall as he could. His neck stretched aaall the way out of his shell, and I can't be sure, but I think he smiled. My task of the day: The great spring poop round-up - a decidedly unpleasant task. But, I didn't mind in the least. My muscles quickly fell into the familiar routine of raking and bending and lifting and squatting and all the movements associated with yard work. It felt wonderful to have my old gardening gloves on - the leather perfectly molded to my hands. Those gloves are well acquainted with the handle of a rake, and immune to the torment of my singing. My next door neighbor is very particular about his yard. Last year, we beat him to the first official yard task of the season. But, he was out there the very next day. I glanced over his fence and noted he hadn't yet started spring clean-up. I wondered if he would see my rake and misinterpret my task as "yard work." Although tempting, the piles of melting snow and an ominous forecast of at least one more good snow storm discouraged me from considering starting any "projects." But, it didn't discourage my neighbor. He was outside first thing this morning with a rake and a snow shovel. Yes, he literally shoveled the snow off his grass to rake it. I chuckled to myself. "well, then. Let the yard wars begin."