Edible landscaping link

Here is the website for the guys who are doing edible organic landscaping. I am busy and sick with pollen allergies and moving soon so - I haven't checked much into the community thing yet. I found some leads I will follow, but if none of them works out, I want to find someone who will help me make it. So, not much to say, I just want to get that website link up.

Garden of Eatin'

The Garden of Eatin': A Short History of America's Garden from roger doiron on Vimeo.

I love this video. I know a guy who is doing pretty good business planting vegetable gardens for people, hopefully the time of the victory garden has come again. Now I just have to find a solution for people like me who do not have yards.

Please sign the petition here.
And let me know what you're growing!

A piece of land

When I chose my new home I had to pick between a bigger more expensive place with a balcony with a nice view and bathroom with a window and a smaller affordable place with neither. I decided to be practical and get the efficiency sans garden space (a bathroom is a great place for plants, and a window really helps). I really really wanted the place with the balcony - it looked like it got a lot of sun and I could have grown some vegetables and some other things. Few things make me as happy as being out in a garden, and a patio garden would have been something.

Now, the perfect solution to my no garden plot dilemma would be to rent a bit of land to garden in... on. When I lived in Germany I often passed a large area that had little gardens sectioned out all over it. They were small - maybe 10 x 10 - and had a little shed or something on them. I forget, maybe they had a fence around them. As much as I loved living in Germany, I missed playing in the dirt, and often thought that if I could have one of those I could be happy. I have read that people have done similar things with vacant plots in Chicago and in New York. So, why not here? I would gladly pay a small fee every month to have my own little space to garden in.

I am an idea man, not an entrepreneur. So, will someone please take this idea and run with it? I really think its a great idea - even in these hard economic times. I think a lot of people would pay $20 a month (I don't know what it should be) to have a place to grow their own vegetables or roses or whatever. Especially as people are hearing more about salmonella infested fruits but can not grow their own because they live in small apartments. Maybe the idea would have to be sold a bit, its popular in other parts of the world, and our grandmothers would do it, why not us? There are a lot of empty lots or worn down buildings around here that could be converted into a garden.

time to move on

After four rooms found through craigslist.org I am finally through. I still think craigslist is really helpfull and a great tool. There are all sorts of jobs there and you can sell stuff or buy things and if your bored or whatever for a good laugh its fun to read the personals. Seriously though, just for fun - never date anyone from there, they're all quacko. I don't even think its bad getting or renting a room there - I met two great people that way (one by moving into her house, and the other was her friend) and a friend of mine just found the best deal on a condo there.

But, I am through searching for awhile. There are a bunch of great deals on craigslist, but I took the easy way. I went to an apartment complex and rented an efficiency. Its in a safe clean neighborhood so I don't think I will be too nervous starting this next phase in my life - the part where I (just before I turn 30) finally live on my own! Up until now I've lived with my parents, lived with "men friends" or rented rooms at stranger's houses. I would be nervous if the area wasn't safe, or was loud or something, but I think it will be ok. (While there I met an elderly lady on her way to play bingo in the club house - it doesn't get calmer than that).

It will be like renting my room (because its just an efficiency, so its like a big room plus kitchen and bathroom) - but the Hello Kitty Pinkness will extend beyond the bedroom! Haha! Plus, since it will finally be all mine - I can finally entertain (a little). Unfortunately this means I'll have to keep a little cleaner, but my excuse has always been that I haven't had enough space to be clean, so we'll see if that turns out to be true (I plan to get a raised bed and kick everything under there).

Oh, just in case your keeping tally - this will be my 2nd move this year (unless you cound the brief time I'll stay at a friends in between there and here) and my.... 8th home since I moved back to Florida. Woo! I blame it all on my dad, because as partial Navy brats we led the lives of gypsies.

Planned overs

Another food related entry!
A week ago Publix had Hormel meat stuffs on sale - those beef tips in gravy and pot roast and stuff - so I bought a few and froze all but one. So, for dinner I made a bunch of Texmati rice I wanted to use up (it was a really good whole grain blend with brown and red rice and pearled barley and rye berries) and the beef tips, and a bunch of frozen mixed vegetables. I had too much rice so I froze a bunch in a pyrex type container and divided the rest into the rest of my pyrex type containers. I later thawed the rice and used it for another similar meal, so I saved even more time!
Voila! 2 lunches and a dinner or 3 lunches or whatever. I like the smaller containers because its better portion control (Then I'm not too full for a piece of chocolate!). Maybe sometime I'll get more containers and freeze some and then make another meal and freeze that and I'll have variety!
I know its not very exciting, but it beats the lunch of the guy who eats lunch next to me - every day a can of soup and an individual microwavable mac n'cheese. Even though a lot of this is instant - frozen veggies, premade beef tips - its got to be a lot healthier and cheaper.
Next time I'll have to figure out the cost breakdown. $4.99 for the meat, um, $1.50 for veggies? (didn't use the whole bag) rice my mom gave me so say $1 (used a fourth of it) so... $7.49 for four meals.... Woo! $1.87 each! Can't be too off, right?
Oh, note to veg heads - mushrooms and gravy would be good too. Or whatever.


So, in review - healthy, cost effective, and relatively quick!

Adulthood

My mother was a good mom who trained us children well. I don't know if we ever had fruit loops, rarely had junk food and most of the time I remember eating well balanced meals at the table. But, the best thing about being an adult is ignoring that. Now that I am off into the wilds of the world I can drink milk out of the carton, have cookies for breakfast and chocolate pie for dinner. Oh, and meals based on chocolate soy milk. And of course, the poor person's staple: ramen noodle soup.
Oh, and while I am making confessions my bed doesn't even have a "made" state. Made is when all the covers are on the bed and sort of cover the mattress.

Its a horrible sloppy college style life I am leading - and a little late into my life to begin it. I can only hope that one day my mother's training will come back to me, and I will remember how to live like a grownup should. Until then, I shall enjoy my chocolate based diet, and sloppy ways.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 36th Anniversary Roe v. Wade!

There are two ways of looking at this anniversary - it is either a celebration of a ruling that has helped thousands of women have safe abortions and avoid births that could endanger their lives, or the life/health of the child, or put them in a situation they were simply not ready for. Or, it is a sad reminder of the thousands of children who are not alive today - unwanted, or unhealthy, or orphaned or mistreat or maybe even adopted into a loving home.

Of course I see it as a celebration of a ruling that has helped many women. I know several women who had done their best (outside of abstinence) to avoid pregnancy and had an abortion because they were simply not ready to have children. Some of those women have children now - when they can properly care for them. I do not see a young fetus as a thing with a soul and rights (above mine) that can feel pain etc. The body aborts or miscarries eggs/embryos that are either unhealthy or that the body cannot sustain and this is just a step beyond that.

I wonder if the anti-choice side is all christian. Would any other group mind?

I am currently doing (almost) everything I can to avoid a pregnancy, but I know I am not ready to have a child - I can hardly support myself, and I know I'm not taking as good of care of myself as possible. Should I let a child "mess up" my life? Or change the path I'm on? I have heard people say that if you accidentally get pregnant you should "accept the consequences", but a child is not a punishment and it should be a choice. One should choose to have children if and when ready. If one is not ready I definitely believe you should try your hardest to avoid pregnancy, but there are accidents and tragedies. I do not know how anyone (except Sara Palin) could defend a pregnancy that could cause the death of the mother, or is caused by a crime (rape or incest).

I suppose there are three reasons to support abortion; it is a women's choice, in case of harm to the mother or due to crime, and because there will be abortions regardless of legality. If it were illegal women would continue to have abortions using a variety of methods and some of the women would die or become injured, and some children would be born sick or deformed.

I joke about abortion a lot (because I don't like people joking about me having kids "oh, why don't you have kids? Your life is meaningless without children" "oh, your sick, you must be pregnant, haha") but I would give it serious thought if I did become unintentionally pregnant, and I would not take it lightly and I am sure for most other women it is not any easy out, or a method of birth control.

Perhaps if we improved our sex education in the United States we might experience less unplanned pregnancies. I do not think abstinence only worked for Bristol Palin.

Here is my can of worms. Luckily, not too many people read this so the chance of my being slammed for my opinion is minimal. But, why must it be so emotional and polarizing? I am happy as long as you do not take away my right or the right of other women, and I will allow you to do what you want. I am not forcing you to abort your baby for whatever reason, so why be so angry? I have had a woman tell me that her friends have a baby they love with down's syndrome and if he'd been aborted (something, I forget where she went with that). But, that's ok, allowing other women to choose whether or not to have a child does not stop someone else from having theirs.