Whats the point?

of chasing your tail...

Scream to be green raises an interesting point, I hadn't heard this one before but here is a parable that made me think today.

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 - 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions - then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

I wonder sometimes

a few of my favorite things

I kinda get into a vibe every now and again where I start to define myself in a negative context. Maybe negative isn't the right word, I don't think there is a word for it, but I find myself thinking more about the things I am against than the things I am for. The anti-stuff rather than the pro-stuff. I just left a comment over at onestraw about being vigilant of the public's perception of our movement, revolution, whatever you want to call it. Being somewhat of a political junkie I have noticed a tendency of the media to accuse the genuinely progressively candidates as being angry, anti-this, anti-that, never mind the rightness, they focus on the anger. Dammnit we have a right to be angry, we have been cheated, co-opted, threatend, muffled and generally abused, so why shouldn't we be angry.

But anger doesn't win too many friends, and right now we could all use a few more.
so on with the positive, the following are some of my favorite things in the world. Some of the things I think will win new friends or win over old friends. (gardening was ommitted for the sake of obviousness)

Activities:
duh, I love to be outdoors so anything that involves getting outside the box usually makes me smile, but in particular, I love hiking and mountain biking.
In recent years mountain biking is getting a bad rap for its damage of certain areas. I think responisble biking can be a positive force. We needn't throw out the baby with the bathwater, biking gets more of my generation into the wilderness than they might otherwise, and that is key.

and lets not forget the most recuperative activity of all, falling asleep in the hammock to the sounds of birds chirping.

Books:
this one could go on forever but I will try to keep it short
"The last hours of ancient sunlight" by Thom Hartman. This one starts seriously depressing, but I know it will end on an inspring note. I'm not done with it yet, but I know Mr. Hartman from his radio show and he never ceases to provide positive solutions, not just complaints.

I've read more than a few books on gardening, but thus far "How to grow more vegetables..." by John Jeavons takes the cake.


"Living Buddha Living Christ" by Thich Naht Hanh. A fantastic work that brought me back home from my spiritual walkabout.

The entire "Dune" series by Frank Herber. Its fiction, but strangely prescient. The entire story hinges on humanity's dependence on a single commodity, and its willingness to blindly obey. Fantastic reading and eerily familar.

Honorable Mentions to "Culture Jam" and "Affluenza" more problem oriented than solution oriented, but sometimes it takes some doing to convince people that there really is something wrong.

Movies:

"The Shawshank Redemption" I don't know a single man who wont admit to shedding a tear at the end.

"Seven Samurai" often imitated, never duplicated

"Gojira" (we know it in its watered down, messageless, Raymond Burr injected form...the 1956 movie "Godzilla") In its original form it is a love story, a story of scientific obsession, of self sacrifice, of nature's revenge, a reminder of the horrors of war, and a warning.

Home:
on both the micro and macro level. My house, is smallish and cozy, with plenty of room for changes...a key component for any member of the odious cult of home improvement.

on a larger scale, I am in Central New York long known as an agricultural powerhouse, you name it, we grow it (well, maybe not everything, but a lot) and given the presence of Cornell University's amazing agricultural work we are always well informed about local eco issues.

Food:
This is the hardest thing, seems like every week I find a new favorite. I'm a vegetarian, but I am proud to say I have eaten a wider variety of foods than most omni's I know. I love to cook, and I love to dine with friends and family.

whats yours?

So Far So Good

Two days ago I moved the mint from its spot in the aerogarden to a separate pot, and last night the valerian and lavender got their own winter homes too. Thus far they seem to be doing well, I have them sitting next to the aerogarden to share in some of the light that spills out. The question for my readers (both of you...) Can I just move them to a windowsill for the winter or do they need as much as they can get, given how early in their growth cycle they are.

BTW aerogarden offers a "master gardener kit" with "a year's worth" of foam plugs, plastic baskets, clear domes and nutrient tabs. Um...all I really need is replacement foam plugs and nutrients (eventually). And for almost 50 bucks? No way. I'll worry about nutrients when I run low, but for now I just cut up a piece of sea sponge and stuffed a couple seeds in it, I'll let you know how it works.

In the 3 empty spots are hyssop, chamomile and lemon balm.

Growing Challenge: preparations

I'd like to add a couple of seed sources I have done business with in the past who have been excellent.

First, (and where I get the majority) Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I think every item is open pollinated, heirloom, and grows well in NYS despite the fact that they are a Virginia operation.

I have done well with Victory Seed Co. and Garden Medicinals and Culinary as well.

Being a part of the Growing Challenge was easy, I have sooo many new additions that only one seems like cheating.

Really for me this year involves two major goals:

1.) Implement a succession and intensive planting strategy based on the FANTASTIC "How to grow more vegetables..." book by John Jeavons.

2.) Turn the northwest corner of the backyard by the pond into a lush sanctuary of herbs (mostly perennial).

As it stands I have 3 lavender bushes, purple and white coneflower, rosemary (which might not survive the winter), garlic chives, and common sage. The north side of the pond has a dwarf ornamental cherry that was transplanted last year.

I have seed either here or in the mail for
Red Plantago, Fennel, Anise, Wormwood, Angelica, Basil (Genovese, Purple, and multicolor holy basil), German Chamomile, Valerian, Feverfew, St John's Wort, Black Cohosh, Mint, Creeping Thyme, and Lemon Balm.

I am looking for a good Butterflyweed to add as well. I understand that in addition to butterflies it attracts soldier beetles as well. I need the hired guns in a bad way. Every spring the hordes of cuccumber beetles descend upon my poor beds and lay waste to everything and anything curcurbit. I refuse to resort to insecticide, and I have seen the occasional soldier beetle near my sunflowers, so I am hoping the poor garden residents can hire some badass warriors to come and defend the crops a la The Seven Samurai. If that doesn't work I have some Amaranth I am going to plant too, I hear they like that.

And since I first wrote about the Aerogarden I have realized a major mistake...planting so early. I had terrible luck starting perrenials from seed historically and now they are growing too fast. I am going to need to move the Mint, Valerian and Lavender to small pots very soon as their roots are getting dangerously close to tangling. I will certainly update on how they take the move from hydroponic to soil.

Convincing Pt. 2

Just when you think you are alone in your crazy eco-freak delusion...

My wife explained to our daughter why we don't put things like plums in her lunch during the winter. I never brought up the idea of food miles in the house. And usually (due to her enormous work load from her job) she has little time for "recreational reading." I didn't ask where she came across food miles, I just smiled.

Now thats hot.

The Gauntlet has been thrown down

Elements In Time has created a "Growing Challenge" (link to the right).

I have answered that challenge. (bragmode:on) While there initial requirement is only one new variety planted from seed, I am endeavoring to quadrouple that requirment with veggies, and at least 5 times that in new herbs.
my bonus challenge will be saving more seed from the harvest.
(bragmode:off)

seriously though I think its a great thing and I will let everyone know how it goes here.

Success!

The soup was well received! Our daughter commented at bedtime that one of the good things that happened in her day (a post prayers/pre sleep ritual here) was that she got to try french onion soup for the first time and it was good.

I can't begin to express the joy. One of the hardest things about foster and adoptive children is that they come in to your home with all kinds of habits which may not jive with your particular outlook on what is or is not healthy. In her case it was not that bad thankfully, but there are some things I wish she had never tasted, i.e. fried chicken, and all manner of prepackaged embalmed garbage. I think I'm a tad more sensitive being a vegetarian, but I have to remember that I have habits to amend as well.

Still, when she ask for things like kiwi, plums, and apples with peanut butter in her lunch its all I can do to keep from hugging her and crying for joy. I have to constantly remind myself that the key to this transition is to not make it seem sudden or weird, so that means curtailing the urge to join drum circles and sing kumbaya...;)

wow, something good in my day? I remembered all the things we've accomplished so far.

Goodnight all, I leave you with the poetic response I gave to the question "What's a biennial?" on the discussion of beets.

"You can harvest the first year,
and most people do.
But it won't produce seed,
unless given two."

That does it! I wrote a poem about beets, I've officially crossed the line!