I Have an Apple Crisis! Help!

No, not APLS, but there's another topic that I have been lagging behind on. Whew, between kids, jobs and being sick I am really behind! Anyway, make sure to check out the APLS blog to find out more about our local Great Lakes APLS. I plan a quick post later today welcoming everyone back to our region for fall. And, I need some local answers for THIS:

What do I do with all these apples? See, I was hoodwinked. Tricked. Scammed. By my own sister! My mother, yes the one of peaches fame, was kind enough to bring us a couple of bushels of apples from Northern Michigan. My sister was supposed to take half for her family. Does that look like my half to you? I didn't think so. I think she took five apples out of the bag and sent the rest to me!

I will can applesauce, I will freeze apple pie fixin's but how in the heck am I going to store the rest? I don't have a root cellar, we unplugged our extra refrigerator over a year ago and I don't really want to plug it back in just for apples. Help me create a root cellar or rent me a storage space somewhere! I am drowning in apples. Thanks, sis.

Mom Down! Mom Down!

I'm sick. I should have seen it coming. Two of the eco 'burban boys were hit with a nasty case of bronchitis and sinusitis last week, requiring mom to dispense medicines, get up in the middle of the night and prepare special meals for the sick ones. Guess who's got it now...??



Two boxes of tissues, countless tea bags and lots of TV watching and I'm still not feeling any better. What have I noticed about being sick? It's not green. Not even a little bit green. This morning I am still single-handedly destroying trees and forests with my tissue usage, styrofoam take-out containers litter the fridge (eco 'burban dad was in charge of feeding the restless natives...) and cardboard bagel buckets reside in my recycling bin. Ugh.


Well, you win some and you lose some. I'm off to toast my leftover bagel in the office kitchen. However, it will be spread with my own homemade jam and some local butter. I guess I'm on the mend!

Please Push the Reset Button

What is wrong with the world? We have this. And this. And even rocket fuel in our water.

And, yes, this too is a crisis that could lead to the US's demise as an economic superpower, but is the only worry we have right now the death of banks that really shouldn't have been giving out these kinds of loans anyway?

What are we as a nation reading these days? News of former teen star Lindsay Lohan becoming lesbian tops news the Arctic Circle has dwindled to it's second lowest level making polar bears so desperate they resort to cannibalism.

Even political news is dominated by eye glass trends and email scandal. Doesn't anyone in government, politics or business care that our environment is in crisis too? That in 30 years it really won't make a difference what type of eyeglasses our president might wear or that former teen-queen junkies are unfit parents? Because our earth might be too hot or too unstable or too unsafe for our children to inhabit?

Big surprise, people, big surprise. Don't tell me you didn't see it coming. You didn't care. Today's news stories ranking as most popular? Nicole Kidman is crediting a waterfall she swam in with her fertility. Our possible, shudder, future Vice President likes to pose for pretty pictures, but prefers to dodge and hide when it's time to answer tough questions. Why aren't we reading about health care strategies or renewable energy plans? What about education for the poor, healthier school lunches or animal rights?

I'm screaming inside. I feel sick. Yes, I care about our financial crisis and the election too, when the candidates aren't bickering and pointing fingers anyway. But, that doesn't mean I stopped caring about the environment, education, our children, the Arctic Circle or animal rights. Will someone please press the reset button on the media? On the government? On the political parties? Thank you.

And Darkness Falls...

As much as I love fall, the changing of the seasons can be a drag. Just when I'm at my tiredest (back to school time really sucks the life right out of me) the darkness of winter begins to creep in. It's so hard to jump out of bed when it's cold and dark and your brain is telling you to go back to sleep. Walking the dog in the pitch-black, chilly morning doesn't have that same invigorating feeling as it does in the bright sunshine of an early summer's day. Watching darkness fall at 8:00 in the evening when just a month ago children were playing baseball, swimming and swinging at that same time makes you long for a comfy bed and a down comforter.

So, to make a long story short. I'm tired. Really, really tired. I am drifting back into bad habits. Three cups of coffee for breakfast. Meals eaten on the run. Dinner haphazardly thrown together. Laundry piling up around every corner. Doggies staring forlornly a their leashes hoping for a walk. Yesterday, I used a paper towel. I was too tired to make my way to the linen closet for a clean dishtowel. It was my first paper towel in weeks, maybe even months.

How do I get back on track? Or am I just on a slippery slope backwards into a life of un-greenness? I managed to wake up early today to walk the puppy, thinking I was getting back in the game. Wandering through the dark streets I stepped into a pothole, wrenching my back. Figures. At least no one else was awake to hear cursing and muttering. Is it just another sign to simply stay in bed? Maybe...

Maybe...

Actual proof that maybe the world is coming around. Just when I thought I was too tired, too stressed out, stretched too thin. A sunny afternoon, a circus show, kid's crafts and low and behold - recycling, water bottle refilling stations, local food and drink and an afternoon spent with a 4-year old. Maybe I won't give up the fight today.

Thrift Store or Toy Store?

Last month I was busy hitting all the thrift stores around town for back to school clothes. I scored pretty big, but picked up a couple of extra items along the way. The littlest eco 'burban boy tagged along on one trip and managed to hit the toy jackpot.

From the corner of the store I hear a little boy squeal of delight. Out of the depths of a basket he pulls a large monster truck emblazoned with "Grave Digger" in neon green lettering. I gamely try to talk him out of the toy, begging him to think of all the other trucks and cars stashed in his bedroom.

No dice. He's in love with monster trucks, much to my chagrin. (Ummm, I know very little about monster trucks, but something tells me they're NOT eco-friendly?!?) I check the price tag - $2.99. A bargain really, considering it most likely cost a good $30 or more with it's flashing lights and motorized actions. Grave Digger came home with us, and now takes up the most prize parking spot in the eco 'burban boy's bedroom.

This week is "My Favorite Thing" week at his preschool. Rather than choose an expensive remote controlled car, a fancy brand-new truck or even a favorite blankie, "Grave Digger" is going to school. I smile as I pack the truck into his backpack. Who knew $2.99 for a reused toy would bring him - and me - so much joy.

Make no mistakes, the thrift store isn't just for clothing. Sometimes it's the "Favorite Toy Store" too.

Thanks, Ike

Thanks, Ike, for the havoc and disaster in Texas. Millions without power, hundreds of thousands unable to return home. Many dead, many more injured and dreams crushed. Homes, schools, businesses, infrastructure, parks and gardens damaged beyond repair.

Ike reached us all the way in Michigan. We got more than 8 inches of rain in 24 hours. (Following steady down pouring rain unrelated to Ike the entire day prior) Lakes and rivers reached historical heights, roads washed away, basements flooded. My 65 year old lake cottage home sprung a leak in her original foundation that held tight through many families before my own.

Warming, Ike screamed! Warning! Ice caps are melting, ocean temperatures are rising, storms are strengthening. Take heed and protect your family. Protect your planet. Protect your fragile ecosystems.

As I listen to the hum of our two dehumidifiers, one fan and one clothes dryer motor continuously in our basement I understand the power of a storm that started near the equator and reached as far north as the Canadian border. I also realize how lucky I am to be warm, safe and dry with electricity connected and water flowing.

For those of us safely out of the path of hurricanes, tidal waves, tornadoes and monsoons, it's our responsibility to protect those directly in their wake. It does take a village to raise a planet! For those able to donate to the victims of Hurricane Ike, please visit the Red Cross and give to those in need. For those unable to donate, please protect our planet. Reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink!