er71479's Journal

2:46pm: The Mim’s FO

 

Show Off

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:55am: Plans

1. Finish Amelia this weekend. I’m on sleeve #2, which means I have the rest of that sleeve, the yoke, and finishing left.
2. Buy yarn for Christmas presents and start knitting! It’s the middle of October.
3. Start exercising again. I don’t normally talk about that kind of thing here, but it’s been months and I feel like a slug.
4. Spin the wool from the festival. I’ve been knitting and neglecting my wheel.
5. Make the banner for “Dear New England” and make that blog prettier!

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

5:57pm: Quick and Easy Pillow

Made for my recently relocated sister in law and fellow “Dear New England” blogger.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:04am: Creeps, Cheeks, and Christmas

Creeps

Yesterday we went to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Despite arriving late for completely valid reasons that had nothing to do with selfishness and everything to do with the practicality of needing more yarn, we had an excellent time at the Festival (n.b. My Bay Area folks - you know the “traffic calming”? IT’S NOT WORKING. If you need to go into the city, do not drive). We saw Natalie MacMaster, Richie Havens, Gillian Welch, and Steve Earle, but missed Steve Martin and his banjo, which was a bummer.

The people watching was just as good as the music. One dude was handing out “free hugs and high fives,” then started swearing at people when they didn’t take him up on it. Frustrated that his tempting offer was repeatedly declined, he shouted “Lift your f%cking arm, people.” We were among the decliners.

There were people dancing - some with the aid of artificial stimulants, some without, and all of them really letting loose. There were kids and families and couples and teenagers and gray hairs and just about everyone you could imagine.

Pan models how some partiers looked by the end.

When we arrived, it was comfortably in the 60s. It soon became cold. But, after having lived in the Bay Area for over four years, and San Francisco itself for two, we knew to come prepared. We sat under a tree, protecting us from the wind, and under a blanket, protecting us from the cold. I was knitting.  As the air got colder and more acts left the stages, the crowds began to thin - relatively speaking. People were still streaming past us, but spaces near us cleared up and we were no longer on top of our neighbors.

Then I noticed the guy in the white hat, a hat stolen from Gilligan then decorated with buttons in order to disguise it. I don’t just mean a little flair, here. The hat must have weighed five pounds. He began to walk by us, looked at us, kind of smiled in a creepy way, and turned around to watch the stage. He remained about five feet in front of us while Phil and I whispered about the sly, appraising look we had both caught.

Then I stopped thinking about him. I had completely forgotten about him for ten minutes when he approached us, held up his iPhone, and said, “You two are too cute to not take a picture of.” We both told him no, no thanks, no go away, and everything in between. He just kept smiling and said “oh no,” continuing to hold up his iPhone. We threw the blanket off, sprang to our feet, and began yelling at him. I have no idea what Phil said, because I was too busy shouting “We said no - get the hell away from us,” but I think he may have dropped the f bomb quite a few times.

He just stood there, not reacting, smiling, and said “OK” but he didn’t leave until I yelled a final “please leave” (why did I say please? sometimes in the heat of the moment we do weird things) into his smug little face. He just sauntered away. We picked up our stuff and moved at my prompting, because I soon imagined this guy circling back following us out.

I’m going to admit something. I sometimes overreact when people get in my space. And, let me tell you, when you get into it and yell at people, they most often yell back, or are offended, or anything. This guy just smiled. And I’m pretty sure he had time to take a picture. This guy was a total creep. Even reading this over I can tell I haven’t conveyed the real “creep” feel we got from him. Some things are just instinctual.

So, If you are out on the internets and you see a picture of Phil and me huddled under a blanket, please retrieve our souls, which have been stolen from us.

That guy’s lucky Toby wasn’t there to kick his ass.

Cheeks

I learned yesterday, as we sat in traffic and watched crowds stream by us, that there is something that happens in San Francisco yearly formerly called “Love Fest” and now called “LovEvolution.” As far as I can tell, this means you get dressed up in weird or weird-sexy clothing and walk around SF disrupting traffic. Then you feel like you did something for the sake of humanity because LovEvolution is somehow a non-profit with a vague mission (I encourage you to go read about it and marvel at its meaninglessness).

From guys in full pink leotards to blue-haired girls in fairy wings to Betty Page look-a-likes, there were serious outfits. I feel, after at least an hour spent in study of this crowd, that it is my duty to inform you that if you are going to go to a downtown dance party celebrating love and having sex in public (I imagine), there is only one look that will be a sure crowd pleaser this year. Let your ass cheeks hang out. Whether you have to wear your underwear without benefit of the overwear, cut some jean shorts even shorter,  or roll your dress up very high, you should aim for at least five inches of butt to show. You don’t have to be a super model either - oh no. From tiny to flat to budunkadunk, any ass is OK to wave in the wind at LovEvolution.

Pan models my reaction to seeing the people going to LovEvolution.

Christmas

I’m taking on three knitting projects for Christmas and want to finish Amelia first. Wish me luck.

‘Nuff said.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

6:59pm: Dear New England: Psychic Reader

Head over to “Dear New England” for my latest post: Psychic Reader.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

11:57am: You Really Boil My Bagels

Fresh, homemade bagels

Made from this recipe yesterday, proofed in the fridge overnight, and boiled and baked for Saturday brunch today.

The smeared with your choice of cream cheese, salmon, and capers,

or…butter.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:50am: Incredible, Edible, Eggplant

 After a discussion with Dianna about the mysterious eggplant, I decided to dedicate a post to making this enigmatic vegetable. Eggplant isn’t so much harder than other vegetables, but if you haven’t cooked it before, it seems like it is. After all, you can’t chop it for crudites or boil it like a potato.

Preparing

Most commonly people complain about how bitter eggplant can be. All you need to do is a little prepwork, about an hour in advance of cooking, and you can have a tasty eggplant.

First, peel and slice the eggplant. Slicing is extremely important as eggplant should be not too thick, and not too thin. I’d say about 1/8 inch is perfect.

Next, toss the sliced eggplant in a bowl with coarse salt until it’s coated. put the eggplant in a strainer over a bowl, and cover it with another bowl or towel.

1 hour later, rinse the salt off. The bottom bowl should have a dark liquid in it. There’s your bitterness, bitches.

Cooking

After you’ve rinsed off the salt, pat the  eggplant dry. Preheat the oven to ~375 and grease a cookie sheet. Then, tar and feather the eggplant in this order: flour, milk, breadcrumbs. Put the eggplant in the cookie sheet in one layer, and cook about 15 minutes, or until all of the eggplant can be pierced easily by a fork.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

8:58am: The Boonies

When I am finally recognized for my beauty, invited to take part in the Miss America pageant, and asked to describe my perfect day, I might come up with something like the day I had yesterday. The basic components, boiled down, are wool, rabbits, beer, goats.

Wool and Rabbits 

Upon hearing about the California Wool and Fiber Festival, I intended to make a weekend of it and include hiking and camping into the agenda. Then I dropped the ball and didn’t book a campsite in time. Phil, being the hero he is, agreed to go with me to Booneville which is about 2 hours away, for just a day. And who is Bethro to say nay in the face of such gallantry? So, we took a day trip to the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show, which held the fiber festival.

He even posed for me next to pumpkins in which he and I could happily abide, with room for the cats. Posing for blog pictures is one of the ways the modern husband shows his love.

All of his good will paid off. He ended up quite glad we went because of this.

An English Angora Rabbit, whose fleece is about to be sheared and then spun right in front of our eyes.

The rabbit was blown out with a machine that looked like an old school vacuum that emitted instead of took in air. Then, and here’s the kicker, put into that bag and spun instantly. No carding. We watched this presentation for over an hour, so fascinating was the process and so cute the rabbits. In fact, we took a break (did a wine tasting) and came back to see the shearing, something Phil insisted on. And why not, when we got to see that bunny go from huge fluffball to this

and then eventually this.

I sat and knit and watched and sat and knit and watched…

…and got up to touch all the fleeces every so often.

Turns out, I was essential to the California Wool and Fiber Festival because not only did rabbit-man ask me how long it took me to knit a sweater to help him demonstrate the amount of work it took to get from rabbit to Angora sweater, but someone made a  prize-winning scarf with the yarn I am using for Amelia.

We spent three hours at the fair and enjoyed every minute of it. It helps that we get up about two hours earlier than most Californians and enjoyed a mostly crowd-free, cool part of the day at the dusty fairgrounds. With the sun and the excitement, we were a little tired.

No napping for us, though. We went on to…

Beer and Goats

I’ve been playing up Phil’s sacrifice in driving four hours to indulge my fiber needs, but in truth, Booneville has another draw. One we discussed with enthusiasm before our little road trip.

We got to Anderson Valley Brewing Company a little after 1:00, took a look at the schedule, and decided we likely wouldn’t stick around for the tour at 3:00. Killing two hours at a visitor’s center just didn’t seem that likely. So, we each got a pint and sat in the beer garden.

Phil’s got a Poleeko Gold Pale Ale, delicious and hoppy, like much of the micro brews in California. In my glass you see Brother David’s Triple Abbey Style Ale. Originally, I was going to get a pale ale, because I likes em hoppy, but Phil talked me into the ale. You see, it has 10% ABV, and he was driving but wanted a taste. And, it was one of the best beers I’ve had recently. Sort of sweet like a barley wine, but not too sweet. It had that taste I always think of as “Christmasy” that you find in also in Pacific Coast Brewing Company’s Gray Whale Ale and Unibroue’s Fin du Monde.

Anyway, at 10% ABV you can bet I made that beer last over an hour. I was sipping (and enjoying it) at room temperature about 1/2 hour after Phil’s Poleeko Gold was a thing of the past. When the last bit finally went down the hatch, we sauntered out to the front where we had spied some…

Pygmy goats! And yes, that’s an adorable little baby there in the back. By the time we were done feeding the goats some delicious dried fodder just outside the fence, Phil’s watch read ten of 3:00.  With the fates smiling on us, we took the brewery tour, one of the better tours I’ve been on. Some things we learned:

• Not only does AVBC produce 65% of their energy with solar panels on site, they sell the old grains to local farmers for livestock feed.
• “Boontling” is an old language of Booneville that the locals used (and a select few still use) to confuse “bright lighters” or outsiders. Their beers are often named in a combo of English and Boontling. E,g, “Poleeko” is the Boontling word for “Philo,” a nearby town.
• The brewery has two small kegs that employees can use to experiment and do their own brews on when they like.
• They’re offering some new, small batch, unfiltered beers in only a few days at the brewery. But! We might be able to find them at the Toronado. Woo!

After the tour we got our tasting, and I had the Cerveza Crema (which I’d had before but the season’s almost over, so…) and Brother David’s Double. Phil had the wheat (good, but not all that wheaty) and the Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.

All in all, by the time we left we were approaching dinner time. So we stopped in Santa Rosa, ate pub food (I had a Racer 5 as well, since I wasn’t driving), and collapsed on the couch.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

6:56pm: New Endeavor

Writing on a blog we call “Dear New England” with my SIL (we haven’t done any designing yet, so please excuse the spartan quality). Any other ex-patriots want to contribute? Jen, I’m looking at you.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:51am: Romance is Dead, or, Amelia

When it was young, my romance with knitting was filled with more passion than skill. I admired every too-small hat and ill-fitting tank top like the deformed offspring of a true love match. Now that the honeymoon is over, I neglect beautiful, growing sweaters as if I’m a Valium-addicted, tennis-playing, pool boy-loving housewife.

Knitting and I need to go on a romantic getaway. Deep down, after all, I still love it. We have our good moments: at the beginning of a pattern, when a new yarn is purchased, at interesting decreases or complicated colorwork sections. Maybe if I could stop focusing on the sister sirens, sewing and spinning, I would remember that ardor and renew my vows.

For now, I’ve had about nine inches of Amelia knit for two months. I pick it up and work a row here or there, but more with a sense of duty than excitement.

When I plow through this, I want an exciting pattern to bring back the love. Suggestions? Non-knitters feel free to weigh in with garment suggestions.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

6:34pm: Win a Prize

But not here.

Liana has a challenge for the food and garden lovers out there. Identify her herbs and see if you can win!

Go here to see what the hell I’m talking about.

ETA: What “hump” yielded was so obscene, I’m not putting it here. Those who speak to me on the phone may ask, should they so desire.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

8:15pm: Is It Hump Day Yet?

(wonder what “hump” will yield for spam)

Things I Hate

• When people say “pictures don’t lie”
• Commercials
•  All drivers but me (except Phil (because we are always in the same car))
• MTV
• Foodies (except the kind that also like Spaghetti-Os)
• Hipsters
• Tomatoes (unless pureed)

Things I Like

• Pan
• Dresses
• The “Road To” movies
• Books
• Netflix
• Sleep
• Knitting
• Spinning
• Food (most kinds (except tomatoes))

How about you?

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

9:04am: Bay Area Benefits

One of the quandaries of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is knowing there are weird, interesting, and unexpected things to do and places to go, but not knowing how to find them. Furthermore, you can bet that the average person is only going to like about 50 percent of those things to do and places to go, and not the same 50 percent for everyone. So how do you not only find them, but find the right ones? Additionally you can bet a curmudgeonly, sour-faced, judgmental Bethro with interests limited to books, fiber, and the occasional stroll in the woods is going to not even come near 50 percent.

The good news is, sometimes there are things of interest one finds haphazardly, and I experienced two of them last weekend.

I hadn’t been to Alameda Antiques Fair in over a year, and we decided, because of this fact as well of lack of better things to do, to visit it last Sunday. The Antiques Fair runs the first Sunday of every month, costs $5.00 to get in, and is completely worth the time and money even if you don’t buy anything. It’s like a giant Americana museum with no plaques or docents, just people trying to push old, heavy, non-working Singers on you, and you consider them because they are so pretty. Then you realize many booths have working Singers of the same type for only a few dollars more, and some of them are even hand crank! But your husband and your better sense prevent you from buying them because even though they are small, they are heavy and take up more space than your small apartment has.

I first heard about the fair through a friend (that’s the “haphazardly” part), and have since visited just a few times.  This is one of those events that isn’t well-publicized or on the lists of “hot things to do in the Bay Area,” but it should be. Phil, Dianna, and I walked around the Fair for two hours and didn’t even make it close to the whole way through.

I get a different experience every time I go, and not just because of the ever-changing vendors and items. Attending with various friends means that they’re eye will be caught by nostalgic, practical, or pretty things I wouldn’t have noticed on my own. Dianna drew our attention to cameras, license plates, and lady-like purses and gloves. Phil stopped at every musical instrument we passed, and often investigated the function of tools he didn’t recognize. In addition to a half a dozen antique Singers, I spied a working antique spinning wheel (which I left there, making me officially the most self-sacrificing person in the world) and quite a few hats.

We next went to a venue I heard about on Twitter. It’s a…free book store! Every weekend this El Cerrito book exchange opens to the public, who can bring in their own books to leave, or take whatever they are interested in, as long as they “checkout” so the people who work their can keep track. Ideally, they do both and keep the balance of the exchange. We stayed for about a half hour, because that’s how long it takes to browse the completely unorganized stacks. I came away with just an upgrade of Middlemarch because, sadly, the book exchange had a nicer copy than mine. I’ll drop mine off next time.

As far as I know, there is no place on the internet that concisely and usefully aggregates and categorizes all of the events, regular and otherwise, in the Bay Area. SFGate is a joke and Yelp is only so helpful. If you know of one, please let me know! If you even just know of a fun thing to do on the weekends, drop me a line.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:42am: A Saucy Wench-Ro

20 lbs of tomatoes, sold bulk, brought to where we pick up our veggies every week anyway. Such an offer could not be passed up.

I do make my own tomato sauce regularly (note I don’t call it pasta or pizza sauce since I use it interchangeably. My grandma used to say “you know what the difference is? The name.” Of course, she also used to buy cookies, put them on a plate, and pass them off as her own as well. And make gnocchi from potato buds. She did things what she called “the zubbida zubbida way”). I don’t, however, usually make it from scratch. I make it from puree. In fact, I’d never made it from scratch when I saw the CSA offer for 20 lbs of tomatoes.

But, hey, opportunity knocks and sometimes you have to answer. Besides, my first venture into fresh tomato sauce had to start sometime. 2 lbs, 20 lbs, what the hell. All it takes to cook is equipment, ingredients, and some balls.

Ha. Balls.

So I cobbled together the following recipe and directions from my own preferences, prior cooking experience, and the suggestions that came with the tomatoes. It came out delicious. And abundant.

Bethro’s Slapdash From Scratch Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

20 lbs tomatoes

5 heads of garlic

2 bunches of parsley

2 bunches of oregano

2 bunches of thyme

2 bunches of basil

2 bay leaves

3 yellow onions

5 carrots

3 red peppers

1 Assload salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preparing the tomatoes Boil a huge pot of water. Blanch the tomatoes (about one minute)

and then put them in a bowl of ice water.

Peel the skins,

cut them in half, and strain the juice and seeds into a container.

When all 20 lbs are done (2 hours later), strain the seeds out but keep the juice. The tomatoes and juice can store in a fridge if you don’t have the time to make the sauce right away.

2. Cooking the tomatoes In a pot bigger than your house, boil the tomatoes and juice together until they reduce (approximately 2-3 hours).

If you like your tomato sauce chunky, leave it. If, like a sensible person, you prefer it smooth, take your hand blender or beloved Thunder Stick to it about 1 hr in with the chopping blade.

3. Making the sauce Peel ALL that garlic and peel and seed any of the vegetables that require it. Blend all of the other ingredients except the thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and salt and pepper.

Put the blended vegetables in with the tomatoes.Tie the thyme and oregano together, and throw them in the sauce with the bay leaves and salt and pepper.

Cook for about 2 more hours. If you have opted for the smooth sauce, take the hand blender to it again, this time with the puree blade, about 1 hour into cooking.

Take out the bay leaves and the  skeleton of the tied herbs. Can or freeze, depending on equipment and level of energy.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

9:20am: A Hummus Recipe for your A$$

And, really, the rest of you as well.

As mentioned recently, I try to cut down on how much plastic I purchase. Combine that with my love of cooking from scratch and making things that most people purchase (there, I said it: I like to be better than you), and I decided it was time to add hummus to my repertoire of culinary accomplishments.

I found a recipe I liked online, and started making and tweaking and tasting and tweaking. So, now I bring you

Bethro’s Perfect Hummus

You can read that “Bethro is perfect hummus” or “The perfect hummus of Bethro.”

They are both accurate.

Ingredients

3 Cloves garlic
2 Cans chickpeas
4 Lemons
1/3 Cup Tahini
1 Tsp salt

Directions

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a pot and cover well with water. Boil. While that shit’s going down, peel the garlic and put in a blender with salt. Chop. Add the Tahini and the juice of the lemons and puree. Stop when it is all very white. When you can easily squish the chickpeas with your fingers (careful, it’s hot, stupid). Take them out of the water and put them in the blender.Save 3/4 cups of the water they were cooked in. Blend the crap out of them.  When it is very smooth, add the water and blend a smidge more. It will look runny, but will firm up in the fridge.

If you like your hummus thick, don’t add the water or add less water.

Almost still life with cat and laundry

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:08pm: This Guy I Know

You know This Guy I Know?* He’s a jerk. He never re-fills the printer paper tray, he answers his cell phone in the movies, and he never uses his blinker when he’s driving.

Some people say when they’re talking about this guy I know that he’s “a nice person, but…” Those people are wimpy losers. They really hate This Guy I Know, but are too afraid of his loud, intrusive voice to say so.

This Guy I Know doesn’t call his mom on mother’s day. He thinks that will make her expect a call every week, and he can’t promise that. He’s too busy trolling for tail.

This Guy I Know is an ad salesman at a giant PR company.

This Guy I Know loves kittens and volunteers at an animal shelter.

Instead of having conversation, This Guy I Know quotes the Jackass movies and then laughs uproariously.

This Guy I Know thinks Las Vegas is Mecca.

*This Guy I Know is copyrighted Bethro, 2009 and is purely fictional. Any resemblance to a real life person is probably because that guy’s an asshole.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

8:46pm: The Country Bear Jamboree

It kind of feels like a cheap shot. Like making fun of a dude who just fell over because he was kicked in the balls and possibly he’s got some kind of handicap.

But, the people have spoken. Discuss TCBJ, I shall.

When I was little, my parents took us to Disney World a lot. As a middle middle class environmentalist, I should be ashamed of this. But I’m not. In fact, My parents and I are thinking of going to Disney Land in March. Take that, Al Gore.

Also in  fact, I went my freshman year of college with the ‘rents and my brother (then in high school).  Joe (bro) and I still talk about how awesome that was and how the lady on New Year’s eve who was way older than he, was trying to get a video of dancing with him and how we went on the Star Wars ride multiple times because it was really fun and there were no lines and how I laugh on roller coasters (not weird, I claim, because laughing is enjoyment and roller coasters are enjoyable). He went to Disney World for part of his honeymoon just two weeks ago and was dismayed Space Mountain was closed but loved the Toy Story ride (thanks, Bethany and Adam for the tip, he says).

So, in Disney World as a tyke, I did go to the Country Bear Jamboree. And I watched the bears blow into bottles with the letters “XXX” on the side and I listened to their songs about thanking God they were country boys and I was much amused.

I didn’t know what XXX meant. Now I know it means bootleg liquor, or really kinky porn (except I don’t know (and don’t want to know) what’s kinkier than regular porn), or possibly Vin Diesel.  I’m guessing it meant liquor for the bears, although that’s not very comforting when I think about my 8-year-old self. Poor little Bethro, exposed to alcoholism at an early age.

So in conclusion, the Country Bear Jamboree is a corrupting influence and should be on the next ballot with Proposition 8.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

6:16pm: Making String, Using String, and Pull the Strings

Making String

After my first spinning lesson I felt empowered. Like I could spin clouds into silk thread or barbed wire, depending on my mood. Like I could avenge Arachne and challenge Minerva herself.

Perhaps that didn’t prove quite true, but the lesson did give me a few “aha” moments and the realization that my wheel needed a few tweaks. The latter helped a good deal.

My most recent yarn - washed and skeined. The smaller one is the one I made during my lesson. The blue is some fiber I bought after my lesson. It has many flaws, but I love it anyway. Sort of like Tobes.

Using String

I’m working on Amelia, at the recommendation of Kristina. Now, Kristina is my BFF, and one of the remarkable things about our BFFness is how we have grown together: from annoying 12/13-year-olds who think they know everything, to charming 29/30-year-olds who stopped trying to know everything…as long as they can be elbow deep in the fiber arts. She started Amelia, and said, “heads up. You should knit this.” I was in between projects so I said OK. I purchased yarn, visited RI, and saw we had purchased almost exactly the same yarn. Green Cascade (not what the pattern called for). Now, I hear we are stalled at the same part - a few inches above the waist. Next time you sacrifice a goat, petition some inspiration for the two of us.

I don’t have a picture for you, so here’s some more yarn.

Pull the Strings

You may have noticed my absence lately on this fine blog (the way you would notice a gaping hole in your side that forces your insides to flop out). I’m just low on ideas. I need inspiration in knitting and blogging. So, I’m asking you, my fans (right, Jean?) to vote on what my future posts should say. What current, historic, or innocent topic should receive the blessing of my wit and superiority complex?

Blog Polls

I’m watching you, people. Let’s not have a fiasco like this time.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

8:57pm: Updates Soon

Working on a sweater and first spinning lesson tomorrow!

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

5:27pm: Dear Spammers

If getrickquickideadotcom really worked, you would not be attempting to link build on my site. You would be rich.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:46am: Sustainable Habits

As some of you know, I work for an organization that brings me in constant contact with environmentalists and nature lovers (and it’s not going too far to say I am one as well). In addition to being fulfilling on its own, this has the pleasant side effect of showing me how others have made adjustments to their every day life, sometimes minor, sometimes not so minor, to reduce what is now known as their “carbon footprint.”

It also has the side effect of increasing my already substantial guilt and fear about these issues but my psychology is of likely of no interest, here.

While I think the greatest changes will happen as a result of big business changing majorly (Check out the ridiculous organization in this news article. These are the kinds of special interests groups that make me despair. How someone measure’s “worse for the environment” can be so misleading and plastic can’t be 100% recycled like glass or paper and birds on the ocean feed it to their babies or eat it themselves, and then choke. OK. Done on the rant, back to the fun part.), taking on some personal responsibility has the effects of 1) representing another consumer to help change the minds of big business, 2) better life quality and 3) easing some of that guilt.

So, not intended as preachy (expect maybe that part about plastics above), I was thinking about some of the ways I (and we) have made fairly easy changes to our lives.  The are habits that help us achieve sustainability, and that I find easy to sustain.

Please note that in all the below, my “arguments against it” section is completely focused on reasonable arguments. The “there is no such thing as global warming” crew can move along and continue writing letters to their Kansas state reps about how the immigrants are taking all our good jobs while shooting their guns in the air and driving pick up trucks to the 4-h to brand some cattle and then ride it in a Rodeo.

Wow, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be so ridiculous. Of course the letter writing part is not likely to happen. I think they just give money to the mega-church to do that.

Distractingly cute cat picture!

1. Use cloth napkins, hankies, rags

What it does. Eliminates the waste of paper napkins, tissues, and towels and the packaging of them.

Arguments I’ve heard against it. It wastes washing water. It’s hard to wash so much (especially in laundromats).

My response. I have a hard time believing that the plants that make these products AND their plastic wrapper use less water than my washing of these items, which goes in a big load every other week or so (you have to make sure you have a lot of napkins). But, to be fair, I don’t have the numbers. However, while it’s hard to measure resources against each other, I’d take an extra gallon of water per person (if it turns out the water thing is true) over the plastic wrapping for these, which will be around well after my other impacts on this earth are over and done with. As for the convenience factor, even when I went to the laundromat, I didn’t find it hard to throw in the napkins with the other kitchen linens every other week. We keep a separate bin for the kitchen linens and one for the rags, and they are washed when full enough for a load. All you have to do is remember to bring them.

2. Use re-usable grocery bags

What it does. Eliminates plastic and paper grocery bags.

Arguments I’ve heard against it. They aren’t as convenient.

My response. Although it took me some time to remember the bags every time I go shopping, I’m finally there. Now that the habit is established, I actually find these bags more convenient since they just go back in the car after the groceries are away, instead of being in a big plastic-y pile in my closet. As far as the “economic” costs that previous article talks about, with some bags costing only $1, I find it hard to believe that there are lasting economic impacts. Check out Ireland’s recent success in eliminating plastic bags.

3. Buy less plastic

What it does. Eliminates, er, me buying more plastic.

Arguments I’ve heard against it. It’s hard to do!

My response. Extremely true. It seems like everything has plastic. I try to think about every choice (yesterday my roving selection came down to which one was in a huge plastic bag, and which just had a teeny bit of paper) and have 100% stopped buying plastic water and soda bottles. Luckily, beer comes in a can. The good kind, does, anyway. Well, PBR does.

In that picture of Pan above, you will see the box of a new video game. Video games and DVDs have so much packaging and I haven’t brought myself to completely eliminating those purchases yet, but I think with down-loadable games and movies, I am on the way.

4. Use re-usable wrapping for gifts

What it does. Eliminates wrapping paper.
Arguments I’ve heard against it. I don’t think any. Maybe because it’s not a popular topic.

My response. Well, nothing to respond to, of course. Just to say that using and then re-using gift bags has cut down on my holiday costs and my holiday waste while taking nothing away from my gift-giving (adding to it is more likely with my gift wrapping skill).

5. Drive less

What it does. Cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Arguments I’ve heard against it. Mostly convenience and in some locations, no public transit, etc.

My response. This is the hardest one for me and I empathize. I’m probably 20% successful at commuting by transit or bike to work and 50% on the weekend for leisure or shopping. So I guess I don’t have a response. If you have one, let me know!

6. Get crafty!

What it does. Reduces store-bought clothing and gifts which has HUGE impacts. I’m too lazy to name them all, but consider only cutting out one part of the manufacturing of something made in a factory and that’s a big emissions reduction.

Arguments I’ve heard against it. Can’t craft.

My response. Go to Etsy and find something handmade. Of course this is my favorite sustainable habit so I’ll take your commissions on happily.

Well, I know some of my friends are going to call me a hippie (Jen) after reading this. Of course I’m not a hippie. I’m far too hot.

Also, I don’t smell bad and my feet are clean. I hope I get hate mail from both the climate change deniers and some hippies. I’d feel good about that.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:24am: Spinning Is My Crack

Or is crack not the thing to use anymore and I should be saying “Spinning is my meth”? Crack has meant “highly addictive substance” for so long now. I’ll stick with it.

We were away at a super-fun wedding extravaganza this past weekend, and in addition to causing some displeasure among the wildlife (she’s saying “we are not amused”), it made me jones for my spinning. So, last night, I sat down in front of the old Kiwi and went to work.

So it’s getting there. I haven’t mastered the whole “how many wraps per inch is best” thing, but it’s getting there.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:59pm: Day 7 Spinning Progress

I can’t believe I didn’t have a spinning wheel this time last week. How did I live without it?

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

8:30am: And Always Twirling Toward Freedom

Like every other hip, cosmopolitan birthday girl, I was hoping for one thing for my birthday. And, unlike other, less lucky, super cool, newly thirty urbanites, I got it.

That bad boy is my new Ashford Kiwi.  Just FYI, spinning, not something I inherently knew. Not something stored up just waiting for this wheel to come along and free it from its confines.

A bit of an unfair comparison since the brown is 2 ply and the others are just the first ply. The brown is also my first attempt at bringing the plys together.

I promised my Twitter friends pictures of the dress I recently made myself. Yesterday I wore it, but Phil and I were both super cranky and couldn’t get a good picture. For the sake of our marriage, I postponed the dress pics. Next time I wear it, I’ll whip out the camera.

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.

7:01am: Now That I Am Thirty

Things I Can’t Do Anymore

• Make 1 million dollars before I am thirty.
• Become a child savant
•  Check certain boxes on forms
• Have bar fights (according to my friends)

Things I Have To Do From Now On

• Be infuriatingly condescending to people younger than me by starting sentences with “Well, when I was in my twenties.”
•  If people tell me that thirty is the new twenty, refuse drinks because I am under age.
• Call everyone “dearie.”
• Use the word “new-fangled.”

Originally published at My Own Two Cents. You can comment here or there.