One Green Generation

Do you ever have one of those days where everything on your To Do list seems totally overwhelming? And overnight, it seems, those days turn into weeks. Even a month or two….

But I am just one person. So as I add new things into my life, like the blog and local community-building, it’s important for me to stay organized, stop doing things that aren’t as important to me but keep doing things that are important to me, and continue to run through my To Do list.

How I Tackle My To Do List….

And Keep From Becoming Overwhelmed

1. Keep putting things on the list. Just because your list is long, doesn’t mean you should stop putting important things on the list. Having them in your head, where you’re trying to remember them on top of trying to get everything done at once - that’s a surefire way of becoming overwhelmed.

2. Prioritize. Give things a priority: Low, Medium and High should be good enough. High priorities for me tend to be the most imminent ones, the ones relating to work (losing a job would cause more problems), and the ones that relate to close friends and family (ie, you don’t want to lose friends because you didn’t have time to do something important for them).

3. Knock off at least one High Priority per day. And two per weekend day. Do it first thing in the morning, before you get started on the rest of your day. Then you’ll relax a little more for the rest of the day, since it won’t be hanging over your head.

4. Keep the Medium and Low priority items in order. For instance, as you knock off one item, the next in line rolls up to be done. As you think of something new, it goes to the bottom of the list. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but the point is that you do not want one item to remain at the bottom of your Medium priorities for eternity. An alternative is to move Medium priorities up to High if they’ve been there more than 1 week.

5. Knock off at least one Medium and one Low priority per week. And if they’re quick ones, do one per day.

6. Don’t stop doing things that are pleasurable. If you’re stressed out and watching a movie lowers your stress level, go for it. But before you watch a movie, stop for five minutes and tackle one small thing on your list. Then check it off and enjoy the movie. You’ll feel better.

7. If life gets in the way for a day, that’s ok. (Notice the rhyme - always allow yourself rhymes!) Some days, things come up non-stop and you just don’t have the chance to get out from under the day-to-day. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But the next morning, make sure you get up and tackle a solid, good item on your To Do list - even if you have to do it as the birds are waking up the neighborhood. You’ll feel better! (And you’ll sleep well that night!)

8. Save time doing everyday things. Do you make pancakes a lot (hmm, I know a few of you who do)? Why not double the recipe one day, and refrigerate the second half for tomorrow’s cakes? Need something at the store? Can you wait until you go on your long grocery trip tomorrow, to consolidate your trips? And even better, when you go shopping tomorrow, why not go to the grocery store, hardware store, library, and any other upcoming errands - all at the same time? That will save you gas and time.

When we were kids, my sister and I we assigned to do the dishes. I’m not sure who thought of it, but we used to challenge each other with “speed dishes”: essentially, do the dishes as fast as you can, without breaking anything of course! Amazing how much faster you can get things done if you put your mind to it. In my adult life, I’ve certainly used this idea for Speed House Cleaning, and just tonight I did some Speed Dishes. My husband and I enact the “Get In, Get Out” rule before going into a store. The idea is to go in, go directly to what you need, pay for it, and get out. This is not always the best way to live your life, but in a crunch, it saves time to do important things on your list.

10. Keep your head clear. Caffeine is ok (and for some of us it’s essential), but don’t binge our you’ll end up with a caffeine low soon afterwards. Exercise helps many people keep their blood flowing and ideas fresh. Stay Healthy (see #10). Breathe fresh air (outside, if it’s fresh, or artificially with a HEPA filter). Make sure you step outside for 20 minutes each morning, for your vitamin D (absorbed through your skin) and your circadian rhythms (stimulated by UV light).

11. Stay Healthy. Eat well and exercise. Don’t forget to take your vitamins and any prescriptions you normally take. Wash your hands before eating. Eat at least 3 meals a day, with whole foods (not processed), in regular intervals. Drink lots of water and avoid sugar and preservatives. Sleep at least 6 hours a night.

What About More Long-Term Lists?

Everything I want to do does not go on a To Do list. For these items, I tackle them differently. More on that tomorrow!

Tags: Redefining Normal, Simple Living

Ok, I’ve mentioned it before. Now it’s time. Come one, come all, it’s time for a local blogger meet-up!

I’ve had the wonderful pleasure of meeting the Shibaguyz. And Laura. And Lesley. I have plans in the works to meet with the great Crunchy Chicken. But I know there are a lot more of you out there, and I am dying to meet the rest of you! Crunchy Chicken and I have been discussing the idea of a regional meet-up for a while, as have Laura and I.  And since I previously mentioned the idea, a few of you have emailed me with great interest….  So, how about it???!!!

Date

Worldwide, bloggers will be getting together on August 24th. That’s actually Kitchen Gardener’s Day and I know not all of us are gardeners, but that seems like a good a time as any. However, we’re up for whatever works best for everyone!

What Say You?

Let us know what you think! Yay or Nay? Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas?

Feel free to spread the word on your own blogs, and ask your readers if they’re interested - the more the merrier! Just make sure your readers make their way here, so we can see how many people are truly interested.

Tags: local living, Seattle

When Matt and I moved to Seattle, we knew we wanted to live in a dense urban area of the city - one that was highly walkable and that was central to public transportation, friends and family (who live on opposite sides of town). We found such a place in Capitol Hill, just a couple blocks outside of downtown. And, despite my telling myself a year ago that I would never, ever live in an apartment again, here we are!

We moved from a house on 1/2 acre, with a garden that was nearing 2,000 ft², to a small one-bedroom apartment with a fire escape garden. I have put myself on the waiting list for a neighborhood garden allotment (they’re called p-patches here). But the waiting list for most plots is upwards of 2 years. Sigh.

I was complaining about this to my mother two months ago, and she said, “well, garden here!” “Really?” I asked. “Yeah, sure, why not!” she said, with a faint bit of excitement in her voice. I was surprised. And happy. And boy howdy, I took her up on her offer!

Container Garden - One Half

(Note: clicking on any of these photos will enlarge them for more detail)

So for the past two months, my mom and I have been combining her beautiful ornamental and herb garden with the fruits, vegetables, and herbs I brought from our garden in Geyserville. We’ve amended the soil, we moved a lot of things around and got rid of a couple ornamentals my mom didn’t really like. We picked and chose from our way to many tomato and pepper seedlings, we planted all of the potatoes (yikes!), we seeded the squash seeds Tina sent us (thanks, Tina!), transplanted the garlic, grapes, huckleberries, passionfruit, currants, raspberries, and fig. And then we planted a whole lot more - including, I’m proud to say, several bean seeds I saved from last year!

Wine barrel filled with potatoes - one of four!!

Soybeans - Left 1/2 is from saved seed, Right 1/2 is from purchased seed

(If anything, I think the saved seed grew slightly faster and more robust)

The plot is pretty small, so we expanded a bit, to the deck on the second floor. On the left side of the photo below, you can see the hose we ran up the side of the house. It’s a temporary solution, but not bad!

Since my mother is planning to build some raised beds next year, we didn’t want to buy expensive pots for just one year. So at my mother’s suggestion, we bought pots made from recycled pulp.

Deck - Right Side

Deck - Middle

Deck - Left Side

Because the deck gets the most sunlight, we put peppers and tomatoes up there, with some wildflowers to draw the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

One more photo I wanted to share with you - I think some of you will appreciate this. The other day I took the bus to go do some gardening work, and I walked up to the sight below: Mom reading Square Foot Gardening. Yes, I’m a proud daughter!!

At long last, you’ve finally seen our garden. It had a late start because we moved here late and we had a lot of soil amending and such to do. But we’re hoping we’ll still have a decent harvest, just a bit late in the summer. Wish us luck!

Are You Growing Your Own Food?

If you’re not growing your own food, I encourage you to start - The Growing Challenge is about to start up again as we enter into the next growing season. Won’t you join us?

And for all you veteran growers, how is your garden growing? I’m sure most of your gardens are much further along than ours - what are you harvesting? (Until our garden starts producing, I’m looking for some vicarious growing here - help me out!!)

Tags: garden, Redefining Normal, sustainable living, The Growing Challenge, urban living

Every Wednesday I take my grandfather and his wife out to lunch. “Wait - his wife? Isn’t that your grandmother?” you ask. Well no, she’s his second wife. On Sunday the whole family got together to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They’re 97 years old.

Yes, when they were 87, they called both families together, paid for a lovely dinner, and then at the end of a wonderfully eloquent speech about the family and how much they loved each of us, they said in unison, “… But, we wanted to let you know that we’re spending your inheritance!” And for the next five years they literally traveled around the world together.

I can’t decide which item to buy: the inexpensive one or the nice one. What would my grandfather do? He’d first decide if he really needed it by making sure he didn’t already have one, and then figuring out if he could make do with something he already has. If he still needed to buy it, he’d buy the one that will last forever.

I have a family member who is hard on his luck right now. What would my grandfather do? He’d help him get back on his feet, any way he could.

I have a friend who is ill. What would my grandfather do? He’d go visit, and he’d bring some nice home-cooked food for the family.

What do you think?

Do you have someone in your life like this? Do you think about the “old ways” of doing things? Am I too nostalgic for a time when these things mattered to most people? Will we all live this way again: deliberately, happily, frugally, sustainably?

Tags: frugal living, Grandfather, Redefining Normal, Simple Living

That’s it: the whole shebang! This is my featured meal for One Local Summer this week. And WOW was it good. Local yoghurt with local strawberries. Plus locally roasted coffee that was organically grown in the shade, fair traded, and then roasted using green power. All you who aren’t in the northwest, I’m sorry you can’t partake in our mouth-watering strawberries… in the 15 or so years since I lived in Seattle, I often daydreamed about these little beautiful pieces of fruit. A sweetness unmatched by any other… sublime...

I usually post recipes for this challenge, because I like to share the love when I - or most likely Matt - finds a good recipe. But in truth, it’s not the gourmet recipes that seem to be continuously searched for on Google or passed around the blogosphere. It’s the simple ones: Roasted Vegetables. Bread. Custard. And Pancakes. Yes, pancakes! Since I don’t come up with a totally original recipe very often, I am very proud to say my yummy pancakes have made their rounds around the blogosphere: Green Bean, Eco ‘Burban Mom, Arduous, Heather, Beany, Carla… all have made them, enjoyed them, and passed them on! (Note Chile has also tried them and called them “very tasty”, but also said she can do better… mmm hmmm… Somehow, someday, we’ll duel it out. And when that happens you’re all invited!)

Style vs. Content

All bragging aside, I’m serious here. There is a lot of pressure to make local meals beautiful, but they don’t have to be. What matters is not the stylization of food. Flavor, nutrients, and caring about what goes into your body - these are what matters. What goes into our bodies should reflect who we are and how we want to be. Our ideals should be as pure in our minds as they are when running through our veins as proteins and nutrients. By eating anything, we are making choices about how we interact with the world and how we interact with our bodies.

So, when you’re shopping for groceries, I encourage you to go beyond shopping for your one weekly local meal. While you’re shopping, find a product you use every day, and seek out a new local source. Or if not local, organic. If not organic, seasonal. If not seasonal, small business… you decide - whatever it is that you believe in. In this way you will slowly start stepping into the world of eating conscientiously, and eating sustainably.

Last year Matt and I cooked close to every meal using mostly local ingredients. For several months I wrote about them every week. Most of those meals weren’t gourmet meals, but they were tasty! (Most of them were tasty, that is!) So if you need some inspiration, check out posts like this one, this too, and even this.

If you haven’t yet taken part in a local food challenge because you’re intimidated, stop being intimidated! This is not about the showiness, it’s about the content, it’s about taking another step toward living a deliberate, sustainable life.

Organic vs. Local?

I go back and forth about which is better: organic or local. I try my best for both, but if that is not an option, I try to calculate in my head:

a. whether I really need it;

b. which of my options would have the lowest impact on our planet; and

c. which one would have the most positive impact on my body.

It’s an individual choice. When Matt and I drink wine, for instance, we prioritize organic over local because of our experiences. As long as you are making a conscientious decision, whatever you decide will be the right decision for you.

That’s My 2 Cents. What About You?

What do you think about the whole debate between organic vs. local vs. who cares? Do you try to eat locally-sourced foods? Are you having a hard time finding them? Are you growing your own? Or do you not have enough time in the day to deal with it?

Tags: Eating Locally, locavore, One Local Summer

Our first harvest! Hilarious, isn’t it? This sage went into Matt’s Polenta with Tuscan Vegetables the other night (yes, recipe is coming, Eco ‘Burban Mom!).

Ok, so don’t forget that this is just a fraction of our growing. My mom and I have planted a decent sized - but still urban-sized - garden at her place about 3 miles from here. We’ve heaved and hoed and dug and planted a heck of a lot of containers, pots, and some in situ stuff too. But that’s for another post.

Drumroll…

Our fire escape garden on 6-25-08

Our fire escape garden on 7-14-08

Thyme, Rosemary, & Sage

Parsley & Mint

Basil & Catnip

We have bread seed poppies, bell peppers (from seedlings carried up from Geyserville), scarlet runner beans (saved from last year’s beans), oregano (carried with us from LA, grown by Matt from seed), mint (cutting from mom), black cherry tomatoes (carried from Geyserville), red leaf and genovese basil, and mixed greens with beet greens. Window boxes include basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, nasturtiums, catnip, and more greens. And a red geranium, because I’ve always wanted a window box with red geraniums.

It’s not an amazing amount of veggies, when you compare it to our old 2,000 ft² garden (the fire escape is around 12-15 ft²). And I honestly don’t know if we’ll get a whole lot of beans, peppers, or tomatoes, because I planted late and we have a north-facing fire escape (not a whole lot of direct sun). But it’s something, and it makes me happy. I’m looking forward to our fresh greens - there is nothing like your own greens. If you haven’t grown them yet, do! The depth of flavor is completely different than store-bought lettuce.

Most of the herbs are perennial, so we’ll have them for a long time. Considering how much cut herbs cost these days, that’s a big money-saver! I truly believe growing our own food is an important part of a sustainable lifestyle, for many reasons. So if you aren’t growing food yet, I encourage you to try growing something. There are many things you can still grow from seed (in the Northern Hemisphere). If you are unsure about what to grow, feel free to ask me and I’ll offer up any advice I can.

So there you have the tour (finally)! Soon I’ll post about our bigger garden. I hear things have grown enormously since I saw it just a few days ago….

Here is the street view of our urban garden. One more window basket will be going into our remaining window this week, soon to be full of extra greens….

Are You Growing Your Own Food?

What are you growing & harvesting? Anyone have a smaller garden, or have experience with balcony gardens? I could always use some advice!!

Tags: apartment life, garden, sustainable living, The Growing Challenge, urban living

This is a photo of my bicycle, gathering dust in the apartment building’s boiler room. Why is it gathering dust? Well, for one thing, I have been walking most places I need to go. For another, I admit it: I have biker’s block.

What is biker’s block?

Well, it starts with excuses. I’m in terrible shape, I have asthma and I may get an asthma attack, there are too many hills in Seattle, I don’t need to bike because I can walk, I’m just not feeling perfectly up to it today, moan, groan, groan…

Do you have this problem? How do I get out of it? Help! Because truth be told, there are many places I could bike. I ride the bus to my garden, but if I biked there, I would get exercise and emit zero fossil fuels instead of just less with the bus.

Here’s what’s worse: according to Biker’s Magazine, Seattle is one of the top five cities in the country for biking. Hiding my head in shame…

Bikeability Score

Joyce, Adrienne, Sarah, Eco ‘Burban Mom, Katie, and Becky all mentioned that their neighborhoods would score higher on a bikeability score than the walkability score. This is a great point. I searched for a similar tool, but couldn’t find one. (If you find one, please do let us all know!!) The closest I can come are these links:

• 11 Most Bike Friendly Cities in the World
• The Best New Cities For Cycling (in the US)
• Bicycle Friendly Community Awards (in the US - note, though, that a city has to apply in order to be awarded)
• A Resource to Rate Your Own Neighborhood

Any time you see such a listing, you have to take it with a grain of salt of course. Those of you living in rural areas or small towns and cities, you inevitably get left off such lists, as they tend to focus on large cities. But for what it’s worth, it’s fun to check it out.

What Would Get You Off Your Duff?

Do you bike? If you don’t why don’t you? And what do you think would get you to bike?

Bicyclinginfo.org has these tips for motivation in case they might help you get out there…. For me, I think peer pressure is one thing that might help. Getting in shape is another. And thirdly, maybe it is like writer’s block, where I just have to get off my toosh and bike down the block one day. Then I’ll be more inclined to do it again the next day, and the next, and so on.

For those of you who do bike, any words of wisdom to get me (and the rest of us) out there?

Tags: local living, Seattle, sustainable living, urban living