Scenes from a 6-mile Bike Ride

The eco 'burban dad suggested a bike ride on Sunday morning. A bike ride to procure breakfast, a good 3 miles away. For any of you who have lots of children (particularly boys!) you will understand how much HARDER it was to ride to breakfast than it was to ride home from breakfast. Boys do anything better once food is in their stomachs!

We looked like parents of gangster-ducks. There was daddy pulling a trailer hauling the 4 year old. Following daddy was mom bouncing along on a bike (with a rather uncomfortable seat!) that hasn't been ridden in at least 7 years. Following that were three middle school age boys with fierce helmets in shiny chrome, wicked black and oh-so-cool gray that were designed for the skate park and snow board slopes because "they're cool like that". They don't wear regular "dorky" bike helmets you see. Which also means the littlest eco 'burban boy in the trailer? Yes, he was sporting a skater helmet in shiny red with a skull sticker, just to be like the big boys. Their bikes (with trick "pegs" of course) are beat up, muddy and well worn. We are not your average suburban family out for a Sunday ride to experience nature, the fresh air and open trails. We are a family of rough and tumble boys, wearing last year's faded baseball jerseys and camouflage shorts out to ride for breakfast!

We found a rails to trails project in our area that has turned an out-dated railroad into a trail system that connects a watershed and a river throughout our lake system. It's a great 6 mile trail, but we have to navigate a lot of subdivisions, traffic lights and busy roads just to get to the trail head - at least a mile and a half. When we do reach the trail head, the riding is easy, shady and peaceful. I hang back, happy to let the boys pass me and ride ahead, stopping at each trail marker so we all can catch up. There are gorgeous blue heron along the way, signs for deer crossing and water habitat scenic areas with benches and informational signs. The trail runs for 6 miles, but since we traveled a good distance just to reach the trail, we stop at the first town along the route to eat breakfast. Then we turned back, heading for home, proud our first family bike outing was a 6-mile trek - no car necessary.

Tonight, as I write this, my arms and backside are aching and sore. I am sure it will only be worse in the morning. But, as I go to sleep tonight I will hear sounds from a 6-mile ride we took as a family to eat a Sunday breakfast.

"Mom! That was a HUGE pothole! Did ya see it? I jumped it!"

"Dad is faster than you mom, his legs are bigger!" (Ummm, that's OK by me!)

"It fees so much better when we are in the shade."

"That hill we coasted down is going to really suck when we have to ride back up on the way home!"

"I like this trail, mom, it's so much better than the road! There's cool stuff out here!"

"What can we order for breakfast? I could eat like eggs and pancakes and bacon and some strawberries and maybe milk. Yeah, I'm thirsty too."

"Are we going to do this again sometime?"

"Hey, Mom? I didn't know you could ride a bike?!?!"

Check in for Chile

Drumroll, please! It's time to check in for Chile's peak oil addiction challenge.

I am happy to report ZERO air conditioning usage for the week. I must confess, the weather was mild for a few days, so it was easy to bring down the temperatures in the house with some open windows in the evening and closed windows and blinds during the daytime. This weekend got a little sunny and warm, but we solved that by being out on the lake. A little tree swinging over the 75 degree water cools boys right off!

I am also equally giddy to report outdoor drying of a couple of loads of laundry. Even without a drying rack (mine seems to have gone missing... I am betting a few boys borrowed it for some kind of fort or project) I was able to use some patio furniture to dry the doggie bed cover (it met with a little pee-pee accident as the result of ridiculous fireworks. I used some chairs and the boat tube to dry all the boating towels.

Next week I am challenging myself to locate the drying rack and to line dry all the bath towels, sheets and kitchen towels. Baby steps, baby steps people. I am a slow moving suburbanite. Thanks Chile, I appreciate the challenge!

The Unexpected Local Meal

I sat down to think about our dinner tonight and to check ingredients off my list to ensure they were local. Then, I realized something. We had an unexpected all local lunch today and I didn't even plan it. We were in a hurry, I grabbed ingredients from the fridge to quickly throw together something that would make everyone happy and it was gone in a flash.

Eating local has become so commonplace and easy, it's now just a part of the routine. Our dinner tonight is going to be a bit more fancy and quite exotic, but I am a little more proud of our lunch. We ate it already of course, so the meal is gone and I can't photograph it. In place of our lunch photo, I am posting a picture of what remains of the Farmer's Market potatoes which will be part of our meal tonight.
Our lunch today - Potato, egg and green onion bake topped with Gouda cheese with a side of cinnamon chip french toast with maple syrup and butter.

Potatoes - Farmer's Market
Green Onion - Farmer's Market
Butter - Calders Dairy
Eggs - East River Organics
Raw Gouda - Grassfields Organics

Cinnamon Chip Bread - Great Harvest Bread (at Farmer's Market)
Eggs - East River Organics
Cream - Calder's Dairy
Butter - Calder's Dairy
Maple Syrup - Currey Farms

p.s. - Have you noticed we eat a lot of breakfast foods? So have I...

Having a Fabulous 4th!

Today is the 4th of July, everyone is still sleeping and the house is quiet. It's a holiday and, for once, I am amazingly calm. I haven't been running around buying all sorts of extravagent treats, red, white and blue cupcakes, packages of hot dogs, cans of soda or paper decorations. I am not stressed over schedules, parties, games and special menus. Shhh... it's a secret, but even I slept in today!

Why? Well, I'm relaxed. We are having a lighter celebration today. I found a lovely "red, white & blue" bread from our local bakery. The red is cherries, the blue is blueberries and the white is the bread. That will make a lovely french toast or snack. We have a freezer well stocked with hot dogs, bacon, steak and hamburger - all local and organic - for grilling whenever we choose. I have eight homemade popsicles all ready to be popped from their molds at a moments notice. Yesterday, I made cookies and enjoyed it because it was really the only chore I had to do. I have potatoes and veggies galore from the Farmer's Market for salads and crunchy snacks. The lemonade is ready, the SIGGs are full, the sun is shining.

What am I waiting for? Today there are no rules. No set time for eating, no set time for relaxing, no schedule, no rigid menu or recipes to fuss over, no watch-glancing. There will be book reading, boat riding and all-around fun without worry. So, get out there, have a happy fourth of July, relax in the sun and recharge your batteries! We all need to do more of that and today's the day!

See you in a day or two with my One Local Summer meal and scenes from 4th of July with 4 boys! Happy 4th everyone!

Expansion of the Farmer's Market

Lately I have noticed a change in the small Farmer's Market I visit on Wednesdays. It's growing. Is this due to the demand for locally grown and produced goods? Or is there another, more pressing reason for this change?

More and more Michiganians are looking for work. State officials with the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives noted that our unemployment rate jumped to 8.5 percent in May, hitting its highest monthly mark since October 1992. It's also the highest in the entire nation. The state's overall civilian labor force - those working or looking for jobs - included more than 5 million people last month and that number is expected to grow. The Big Three (commonly how we refer to the three automakers in Detroit) are closing plants, posting record lay offs and offering buy-outs and early retirement packages. There are a lot of us out of work and not a lot of jobs to be found. While the rest of the country is just beginning to feel the pinch of a recession, our state has been crippled for months.

Does this mean out of work former automotive executives might decided to have a lemonade stand at the Farmer's Market? Maybe. Today, for the first time there was a husband and wife team making and selling fresh lemonade and limeade at the market. I love fresh squeezed limeade, so I wandered over. I ended up buying three glasses (Two of the eco 'burban boys were tagging along) at $3 a piece. At first, I balked. Three dollars?? Doesn't that seem like a lot? But, what was wrong with my logic? A mere six months ago, before becoming a lighter consumer, I would have happily plunked down $4.29 for a Starbucks Mocha made by a crabby 17-year old "barrista". I am going to hedge a bet that the barrista wasn't worried about making her mortgage payment either.

$9 later, we were walking back to the van with three icy-cold lemon and limeades made with pure cane syrup and by a real person we chatted with for several minutes. Doesn't that taste good? My kids raved and slurped.

Since last year, when our market was mostly farmers, bakers and nursery folks, we have seen the addition of a horseradish guy, tortilla chip woman, herbal tea lady, bees wax cosmetic person and jam ladies. Today, the newest addition was the lemonade couple. Of course, I don't ask why they are there, but as you wander the market you see it. For every $5 that changes hands you hear, "Thank you. Thank you so much, I appreciate your business." You see all the vendors watching, hoping and waiting for a record day at the market.

Are these people former GM executives? Factory line workers from Ford? Office assistants from Chrysler? Maybe, maybe not. They would never tell and you would never ask. We have a sense of pride here in Detroit, always keeping a stiff upper lip through riots, gas crisis, corrupt mayors and economic free fall. We do what we can to survive, pay our mortgages and put shoes on our kids.

So, who am I not to buy that $3 lemonade from someone who appreciates my business, chats with my boys and thanks us kindly? Of course I am buying, and, as our money changes hands I say, "Thank you, this looks delicious. I hope to see you next week!" We take care of our own here in Detroit, one lemonade at a time.

A pretty face just in time for the 4th of July

I changed my facial care routine awhile back, because the idea of the chemicals and plastics that were in my traditional facial care products were pretty much creeping me out. Add to that, the plastic bottles and wrappers they came in and they were pretty much an eco-sin. Though, a good green girl scout that I am, I waited until I squeezed every last drop out of my old products. Waste not, want not!

I was a little nervous about switching. I really didn't want to go to work looking like an adolescent eco 'burban mom. So, I crossed my fingers and held my breath. And?? So far, so good? Maybe even better!

At night I wash with an all natural Earth Mama Goat Milk soap I get from my favorite local soap maker that is wrapped in recycled corrugate - no plastic whatsoever. Then, I apply a nice pomegranate night cream that I got from Burt's Bees in a glass jar. In the mornings I wash with the same soap and use the same cream, but in the day time version - also in a glass jar. I did buy a blemish stick from Burt's Bees in a little glass vial, but haven't really needed to use it yet. From time to time, at that time of the month and even more so in the sweaty summer months, I feel like a 14 year old again. So, I figured I would buy it as cheap $8 insurance.

Overall? I am fairly happy. No crazy break outs or dry, scaly patches. Frankly, though, I have some funky looking pores on my nose that just don't look squeaky clean, so I might invest in the Burt's Bees toner to help that little problem. I have drastically reduced my plastic consumption, all the while switching to natural alternatives for a nice chemical free face. And the cost? Significantly less than my other brand name routine. I know buying all of these products may not seem technically greener, I am sure I could make my own soap and use vinegar as a toner or something, but if this keeps my skin looking nice and clean and is better for the environment, I am rolling with it.

Next on my list? Toothpaste. Any ideas? Wait - any ideas that I can actually get my kids to use too? Wacky bubbling baking soda is NOT going to fly with them!!

Greenfluencer? Or Just Green?

Last week Arduous wrote a post about the idea that certain sustainable people can be called "Greenfluencers" based on research done by Porter Novelli. I agree with Arduous, the concept makes sense, though the name is a little dorky. Especially since I don't like to be labeled.

So, I read the article and it got me to thinking. Do I consider myself a "Greenfluencer"? What I have done that would categorize me under this label? Do I think I am educated, intelligent, family-oriented, practical and a voter? Yes, but I think I would be all of these things even if I wasn't "green". I was all of those things before making this change to a lighter, greener lifestyle. Maybe those are the qualities that lead me to choose this lifestyle? Hmmmm, which was first? Chicken or egg?

Do I consider myself stylish, a trendsetter, adventurous? Um, sure. Though not everyone might agree. I write letters, I volunteer and dabble in a little community activism. So, I guess I can check those boxes too.

But, have I influenced anyone? OK, other than my children, they don't count yet. I know I influence them, they don't really have a choice! :o)

Here are two things I think I have done as a "Greenfluencer":

1. Little League Recycling Program - I influenced, sometimes forcefully, the league to recycle. I gathered up some volunteers, got some free recycling carts from the waste company and collected some trash. By the end of the season, the carts were full and the "trash lady" jokes sort of subsided. Did some of that carry over into the personal lives and habits of the 250 families in the league? Let's say yes!

2. I write some posts for our local food buying club blog reviewing products, recommending new ones, writing local food recipes and that sort of thing. Based on my recommendation the owner decided to carry some new soaps which helped a local business get more business. I guess that's "Greenfluencing."

What have you done to consider yourself a "Greenfluencer"? Or, do you think it's just a load of bunk?

Do you run a food buying club? Start programs to provide girls in Africa products they need to make sure they can go to school? Host a green book club? Jam sessions? I would love to hear what everyone else does, I think I have a lot to learn about "Greenfluencing"!