tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67558050308959795982024-03-13T21:51:22.310-05:00Living Green in Wichita FallsA discussion of events, organizations, businesses, products and services in and around Wichita Falls, TX which help people live a more sustainable lifestyle.Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.comBlogger384125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-50277551537073816942024-02-26T20:06:00.000-06:002024-02-26T20:06:06.258-06:00Upcoming Events<p>We (the Texas Master Naturalist chapter and a couple of other interested people) got that mess cleaned up on Rathgeber Rd, and the city did us a solid and picked up the bagged trash. We cleaned up about 35 - 40 lawn bags of trash in that short stretch. I need to go by to take a picture for a before and after.</p><p>This weekend is the semiannual compost giveaway by the city. Here are the details from their news release:</p><p>"<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700;"> Residents who participate in the Choose to Reuse Program can pick up a free load of compost at the Wichita Falls Organics Facility. The City of Wichita Falls offers a variety of alternatives to diverting reusable waste from the city’s landfill, including organic collections. The organics collections are offered to both residential and commercial customers and can accept yard waste (grass, leaves, and branches), paper (newspaper, office papers, shredded paper, magazines, phone books, tissue paper, and paper bags), cardboard, chipboard, wood, and food waste. Organics recycling saves money, is environmentally friendly, and creates nutrient-rich compost that can be used to enhance soil for lawns and gardens. The compost giveaway will take place Saturday, March 2, 2024, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Wichita Falls Landfill on Wiley Road. The compost will be loaded by city employees for residents. There is a limit of one pickup truck or 4x8 trailer load per person. To pick up the compost, residents must provide a City of Wichita Falls water bill showing the $3.00 recycling program charge. By State Law, all loads must be covered to ensure no blowing debris on roadways. City employees are required to see the participants cover material before loading the compost. No dump trucks, commercial vehicles, or oversized trailers will be loaded. Commercial operation compost purchases can contact the Wichita Falls Landfill at 940-631-8274. Landfill Address: 10984 Wiley Road Wichita Falls, Texas 76307 Directions to the landfill: • Take Seymour Highway Southwest toward Seymour on Highway 258. • At the Kamay “Y,” proceed West on Highway 258 toward Kamay. • Travel approximately one mile to Wiley Road and turn right (North). • Remain on Wiley Road for two miles. The entrance to the landfill is located on the left. For questions or more information, please contact the Sanitation Department at 761-7977. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13px;"> "</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13px;">In addition, the annual plant swap, organized by the Wichita Falls Backyard Gardeners is coming up on April 6, 10 AM - noon. It will be at the Park Place Christian Church. Bring cuttings, seedlings, plants you have too many off, or other gardening items to swap. All of the guidelines are on the group's Facebook page. If you need a table, you need to let them know in advance.</span></p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-33995781487602831442024-02-04T12:31:00.002-06:002024-02-04T12:31:20.853-06:00Some Days I Hate People<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gagPMXzHbz1h4TgKyTR9ayZLZ6gwIDjyYdgvS3of0D-liL44Wgmn_nGtFXoNuP44hTMsawVwBK_L53wh8uiHKhI91vH0x1v6t56xzj7xs6Z5vKjx7QZlIyJizFOCkvIA3YzrG9IiM1lyJ9-mNiGSKMUHV4ISUPbwQDlYoZ2lO3vz4wNACUtGKZ7OMLa1/s4000/20240204_095156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gagPMXzHbz1h4TgKyTR9ayZLZ6gwIDjyYdgvS3of0D-liL44Wgmn_nGtFXoNuP44hTMsawVwBK_L53wh8uiHKhI91vH0x1v6t56xzj7xs6Z5vKjx7QZlIyJizFOCkvIA3YzrG9IiM1lyJ9-mNiGSKMUHV4ISUPbwQDlYoZ2lO3vz4wNACUtGKZ7OMLa1/s320/20240204_095156.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />This is W. Rathgeber Road, as you turn off Kemp Blvd. It always looks like this. 99% of this is glass bottles that could be put in the city glass recycling (although it is recycled into sand, but that works). I was birding, so only stopped for a photo. I wonder if I clean this up, how long it will last? <p></p><p>If anyone would like to lend a hand, email green.wichitafalls@gmail.com (put TRASH in the subject, so I don't delete) in the next day or two. I plan to tackle this project.</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-39019536051401648762024-02-03T18:27:00.004-06:002024-02-03T18:27:43.985-06:00They Multiply in the Dark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSk9CkfPmi5QTpQWDvOWm_8XURpesY4DJoLjfm2mn_ANtDnpcv2RKNufyDKlpwBYKbLf6LhbSmligLnf-UNJpFfLheY6-7BDEJw0fyKXuBzuJYuOgPsbb71oYR-6asqlu38YZeojFm0m4yzG229snwhHekzdJ5n5vBdxfBRbffmxDhNinZE0K_6dolXx4/s4000/20240203_104420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSk9CkfPmi5QTpQWDvOWm_8XURpesY4DJoLjfm2mn_ANtDnpcv2RKNufyDKlpwBYKbLf6LhbSmligLnf-UNJpFfLheY6-7BDEJw0fyKXuBzuJYuOgPsbb71oYR-6asqlu38YZeojFm0m4yzG229snwhHekzdJ5n5vBdxfBRbffmxDhNinZE0K_6dolXx4/s320/20240203_104420.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />I swear that plastic grocery bags breed. I do my darndest not to get plastic shopping bags, but they keep showing up in the house. Of course, I try to use them again at least once--as trash can liners and for carrying litter I pick up on walks. In spite of that, I still have bags.<p></p><p>I use the plastic bag recycling container at United Marketstreet and wondered if bags placed in there were really recycled. So I called on my friend, Google, and apparently, yes, they can be. We don't have a city plastic recycling that takes plastic bags, so you need to use the grocery store bins specifically for these bags.</p><p>Less than 10% of the plastic bags in the US are recycled. Some plastic bags and other plastic film are recycled into composite lumber. Most is shipped to other countries, although much of that is burned for not-so-clean fuel. A small amount is recycled into other plastic products.</p><p>However, the best thing we can do is to try to avoid getting the bags to start with, although my own experience is that it is hard to avoid them altogether. Producing 1,500 plastic bags consumes 33 lbs. of fossil fuels and 55 gallons of fresh water, and produces 15 lbs. of solid waste and 0.04 tons of CO2.</p><p>Keep your reusable fabric bags in your car and remember to use them. If you are buying just one or two items, refuse a bag and carry your purchases out in your hands. Reuse the bags you do get at least one more time, and remember to take bags back to the grocery and place them in the recycling bin by the front door. </p><p>I truly wish the city would ban plastic shopping bags as some other cities do, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Much of the litter I pick up on walks is discarded shopping bags. As much as I don't see an outright ban happening here in Wichita Falls, it won't hurt to bring it up now and again with your City Council representatives. I am not aware of anyone currently on the City Council who would be a champion of such as issue, but one never knows. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-9486412129740464222024-01-24T15:47:00.005-06:002024-01-24T15:47:52.220-06:00What Do You Know About Eggs?<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuE7e8bTP5l6pm8UvVoBvlM3vs4q7umgIlC50fbEwJedfk6qEEcTs2aYv3Ol4lg7m4_00t65jPPyfz45syau52fOuA6XCIgxf4vzeHyHtCS5rYlciGaaIpVaL6sSGV3XZMUcLEVkhTgXPWsDqNEDM2V3oAUeCJdvweM-TtLW8CBEJmeQmoBSmt9TBMdE2/s5616/kelly-neil-omEpnvmwWz0-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5616" data-original-width="3744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuE7e8bTP5l6pm8UvVoBvlM3vs4q7umgIlC50fbEwJedfk6qEEcTs2aYv3Ol4lg7m4_00t65jPPyfz45syau52fOuA6XCIgxf4vzeHyHtCS5rYlciGaaIpVaL6sSGV3XZMUcLEVkhTgXPWsDqNEDM2V3oAUeCJdvweM-TtLW8CBEJmeQmoBSmt9TBMdE2/s320/kelly-neil-omEpnvmwWz0-unsplash.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@baconandbaileys?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Kelly Neil</a><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/dozen-eggs-on-tray-omEpnvmwWz0?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I eat a lot of eggs, and I am picky about which eggs I buy. And, the ones I buy are more expensive than those I do not. Why pay more? Because it makes a difference to the hen, and it does make a difference in the egg.</p><p>I'm an omnivore. I recognize that eating lower on the food pyramid is generally better for modern humans and for the environment. But I also recognize that there are tens of thousands of years of evolution in which people ate all kinds of food, and morally, I don't have a problem with eating meat. That being said, I prefer eating meat from animals that have been treated humanely before they end up on my plate.</p><p>This brings me to eggs. What do all of the various labels mean and what difference does it make?</p><p>If you see the term "natural" on the label, it means nothing. All eggs are natural. Eggs are not processed to be ready for you to eat.</p><p>If eggs do not have "cage-free", "free-range", or "pasture-raised" on the carton, you can rest assured, the eggs come from a battery cage system. The vast majority of the eggs sold in the US come from battery caged hens. They are the least expensive eggs, but birds held in these cages have a horrible life. They have about 67 square inches of space (think an 8 x 11 piece of paper of floor space). There is no ability to do things that chickens do. The chickens are very limited in their ability to move and suffer high stress and also more commonly develop osteoporosis.</p><p>The next level up is cage-free eggs. Hens in this environment have more space and can move around, flap their wings and engage in normal chicken behavior. They still don't have a lot of space and they are not outside.</p><p>Free-range eggs are from hens that do have access to being outdoors, although they don't have to have a lot of outdoor space.</p><p>Pasture-raised eggs hens have the best commercial environment with more access to the outdoors. Since they can forage, they can eat bugs and other green plants they would not have access to indoors.</p><p>What about organic eggs? This just means their feed is organic (no chemical pesticides). </p><p>What about vegetarian eggs? I am not a fan. This means the chickens are fed only plant food. Chickens are also omnivores and love insects and grubs.</p><p>We can easily see how the method of egg production can affect a hen's quality of life, but does it make a difference in the nutritional value of the egg? Well, yes it does. Personally, I think there is a big difference in the taste of a caged egg versus a pasture-raised egg, but taste is one of those things that you can argue is subjective. Nutrition, not so much.</p><p>Studies have shown that "the average free-range egg in comparison to caged eggs show a quarter to a third less
cholesterol, a quarter less saturated fat, two-thirds more vitamin A, three times more vitamin E,
seven times more beta-carotene and twice the amount of omega-3 fatty acids (Gaia). Other tests
performed have found that free-range eggs have nearly six times the amount of vitamin D and
significantly more B vitamins in comparison to store brand eggs." <a href="https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/45132/PDF/1/play/" target="_blank">Source</a></p><p>Given options, I prefer buying eggs from local small farms or homes that allow their chickens outside to be chickens. If I am buying them in the store, then I go with pasture-raised eggs if they have them. Cage-free is the minimum I will go.</p><p>Pasture-raised eggs are expensive. One place you can find them a little cheaper is at <a href="https://www.naturalgrocers.com/store/wichita-falls" target="_blank">Natural Grocers</a>. If you are a member of their Npower rewards, you can buy them even more cheaply. Always check the sale area of in cooler case where the dairy products are. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes you can find some eggs beyond their sale date for super cheap. They are still perfectly good to use.</p><p>Our everyday purchase choices matter. I know some people just don't have the income to be picky, but most of us can help raise the bar a little bit on eggs.</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-28821537053366791312024-01-02T07:31:00.000-06:002024-01-02T07:31:28.282-06:00Kitchen CompostingHappy New Year!<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CdJWhK0FdRS39CgloVfHZQrg6wju02MHHkv4eE8KkKFOG0KCZ_d_qvml1AyqQ0-MH4c2rj6KJp5X23X6GEdpcp1W6jYsG7Mvhw6Hm4dpWPtLQRCa7QtxXIzwgXUU1pmWY6SCdWtlnE8SXg0SabKxVeKDxJs6zsGQJFiF3aiaoEkO6EPm9cp4KwKV4Kd-/s4000/20231231_085545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CdJWhK0FdRS39CgloVfHZQrg6wju02MHHkv4eE8KkKFOG0KCZ_d_qvml1AyqQ0-MH4c2rj6KJp5X23X6GEdpcp1W6jYsG7Mvhw6Hm4dpWPtLQRCa7QtxXIzwgXUU1pmWY6SCdWtlnE8SXg0SabKxVeKDxJs6zsGQJFiF3aiaoEkO6EPm9cp4KwKV4Kd-/w150-h200/20231231_085545.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>In my last post, I mentioned a compost bin I kept under the sink. I thought I would do a little review for those who may be interested.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why send your kitchen scraps to the landfill? Here in Wichita Falls, you do have the option to put them into your organics container for the city composting operation, but I would rather make my own compost, when possible.</div><div><br /></div><div>You could absolutely put your scraps in any container, but you will need to take the scraps out daily to avoid the smell and inviting critters you do not want into your home. Since I have a tendency to get distracted, a bin like this is a good idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>My son-in-law chose the one in the photo to the right one year as a gift. It is stainless steel. I have seen many similar bins for the kitchen, but have only used this one. The brand name is <a href="https://www.naturalhomebrands.com/products/kitchen-compost-bin-stainless-steel-1-3-gallon-1?variant=6946706885" target="_blank">Natural Home</a>, if you want to check it out. The bin is 3 pieces: the actual bin, a lid with holes so air can circulate (you do not want any anaerobic action happening, trust me), and a charcoal filter that fits in the lid. It has a 1.3 gallon capacity, which is enough for most days. The instructions say the charcoal filter should be changed every month, but I have had mine for more than a year and have changed the filter once. I haven't had an issue with smell. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_hqzwiHZk6Y_y2nQIE2G4UtYT5DpFFhoUTpaFY_XL8Hru-KWEGA2sJIFGeR7hw3mWNin-yhIkGn39OSXq2H3bd5Ck8p6VCbtQ3Uw79Uo3v76kkv3AhebxbQYGm0SP5IJ7O1mr-uP9QZcuHhtQsCRTA2AUPCjWmUOc9m-tIxxL9IyJLBjk4ekYRf2RveE/s4000/20231231_090725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_hqzwiHZk6Y_y2nQIE2G4UtYT5DpFFhoUTpaFY_XL8Hru-KWEGA2sJIFGeR7hw3mWNin-yhIkGn39OSXq2H3bd5Ck8p6VCbtQ3Uw79Uo3v76kkv3AhebxbQYGm0SP5IJ7O1mr-uP9QZcuHhtQsCRTA2AUPCjWmUOc9m-tIxxL9IyJLBjk4ekYRf2RveE/w150-h200/20231231_090725.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>You could put your scraps into the bin directly. I did find some compostable bags made of corn on Amazon that fit and use them. Mainly because I would take the bin outside and get distracted and leave the bin out in the weather, which it seemed to deal with just fine, but isn't very convenient when you need it in the kitchen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Using the bag, I can take the scraps out and take them to the garden and drop bag and all into a hole. Yes, I compost the lazy way--directly into the garden. More about that another time. The bags break down fairly quickly, so don't wait too long to take your scraps out or it will not hold up when you pull it out. But as long as take it out every couple of days, you should be fine.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-73275843440438493212023-12-30T12:43:00.006-06:002023-12-30T12:50:21.522-06:00Would You Like an Extra $1500 a Year?<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWYrzBV6nguZX-mRUyLB9foZIO6Ueb_nCEjMnabTLlH4llVpHRt9FJLUh6KB_fEar0_2poasOO1WzoK5mvIVgGPml12XiH8L-y2BDsLW3H0JFR6gpxuBopmnhWCTYD37NcWjTy598icd6_1-socycLDW6DmjbVswak5MsmhZZOVjdTK8b5TSkrLiH5ROJ/s5616/alexander-mils-lCPhGxs7pww-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3744" data-original-width="5616" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWYrzBV6nguZX-mRUyLB9foZIO6Ueb_nCEjMnabTLlH4llVpHRt9FJLUh6KB_fEar0_2poasOO1WzoK5mvIVgGPml12XiH8L-y2BDsLW3H0JFR6gpxuBopmnhWCTYD37NcWjTy598icd6_1-socycLDW6DmjbVswak5MsmhZZOVjdTK8b5TSkrLiH5ROJ/w200-h133/alexander-mils-lCPhGxs7pww-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@alexandermils?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Alexander Mils</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/fan-of-100-us-dollar-banknotes-lCPhGxs7pww?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Be honest here, who couldn't use an extra $1500 a year, other than the Bill Gates of the world? Well, in this case, I'm not talking about finding an extra $1500, but not throwing $1500 in the trash. It comes to the same thing in your budget. </p><p>Did you know <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/12/12/how-much-food-do-americans-waste-every-year-one-third/" target="_blank">the average American family throws away 1/3 of all the food they buy</a>? That could be the take out box from the restaurant you ate at last week or, more likely, the food that looked so yummy at the store that you didn't get around using before it spoiled or it went well past the "Use By" date. By the way, did you know you can safely use food past the "Use By" date? Some times, well past. I do it all the time. Yes, if you pull a can from the back of your pantry with a Use By date of 2016 (which I did this week), you might be pushing it. I opened the can and the contents smelled OK, but looked disgusting, so I decided not to push my luck.</p><p>Besides being a waste of money, the food we toss took fossil fuel to transport and probably has added pesticides, which also contain fossil fuels. Wasting less food is not only good for our budgets, but for the environment.</p><p>I'm generally frugal, but I do waste more food than I should, so that is my focus for 2024--throw away no food. We probably won't hit the "no food," but I think "very little food" is doable.</p><p>This isn't intended to be a food blog, but I will probably talk about food a lot in 2024, because this is truly an excellent place to start in our quest to live more sustainable lives.</p><p>Once again today I made soup from leftovers for lunch. A few days ago I made mashed potato casserole (mashed potatoes and carrots with cheese added--kids and husbands will eat carrots this way and the carrots five the casserole a nice color). I was at the Farmer's Market and was thinking about lunch and remembered I still had some of that casserole in the frig, It was at the end of its edible life expectancy. Rather than throw it out, why not creamy potato soup? I sauteed some onions and celery, added the leftover casserole with some garlic and pepper and a little broth to heat it up, then a bit of cream at the end and voila! Soup! Not only did I have lunch today, but probably the next couple of days, unless I decide to freeze it. Altogether, I probably spent about $1 and easily have 3, maybe 4, meals.</p><p>What are some ways to spend less at the grocery or Farmer's Market?</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Don't go when you are hungry. Everything looks good when you're hungry.</li><li>Plan ahead for your trip. I almost always buy more than what was on my list, but the list does keep me from cruising up and down the aisles, impulse buying.</li><li>Buy less. This is difficult for me. Growing up, my Depression era grandparents and (at that time) low-income parents stocked up when things were on sale so they had food on the shelf in case there was no money at some point in the future. I still do this--thus the 2016 can mentioned above. If you are good at rotating your stock, you're ok, but sometimes, I find something I missed. If you end up throwing that sale food away, it is still waste.</li><li>Try not to make more than you will eat. This is a biggie for me. I was raised in the Midwest, and it is almost a capital offense not to make so much food that people leave feeling like a stuffed turkey. I still have a tendency to make more than my family will eat, but I am doing better.</li><li>Use the leftovers. Either eat them as they are or make them into something else like soup or a casserole. I had potato water in the frig from making the mashed potatoes, intending to make potato bread (mmmm!), but I didn't get to it in time, so made potato yeast instead (a different way to make sourdough starter).</li><li>If you have nonperishable food you are not going to use, give it to another family member, a neighbor, or take it to the <a href="https://www.wfafb.org/" target="_blank">Wichita Falls Area Food Bank</a>. </li><li>If you have food trimmings or have to throw something away because it is not longer safe to eat, compost. I have a small compost bin under my sink and carry it out to the garden every couple of days. In this case, I am feeding my garden, so I'm not just throwing it in the landfill.</li><li>If you have chickens or other small pets like rabbits or guinea pigs, some of your food trimmings can go to them. I have two dogs. They don't get much in the way of people food, since it isn't good for them, but they get an occasional small leftover treat in their meals.</li></ul><div>It won't necessarily lead to less food waste in your kitchen, but some foods are much cheaper if someone else doesn't process it for you. Easy examples are beans and rice. If you buy them dry, they last years (especially if you vacuum seal them when you get home). Yes, you do have to cook them, but the little $1 bag of black-eyed peas I have will make the equivalent of 4 or 5 cans of canned black-eyed peas.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd enjoy learning about your ideas for reducing food waste!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-40250876036022521412023-12-27T16:21:00.000-06:002023-12-27T16:21:07.622-06:00Let's Catch Up!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ4L3NuhiWoHtYDLz4fX5-JKx3OelRLWLab-EhwiCnPfwPa-YUgeJHxMD7sxF-C3ZLomjNXOJTQ-kQU4ibELLn0Ido7AgUNU8pAWFiohky2azXFyTawtJ6HsAVX-vQmzmjsljj8WvF5uj3MdCrPBfj2qUzOxizqVcg6E0wgt4FwRiZl9_aypbyZysEG72/s4000/20231227_160251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ4L3NuhiWoHtYDLz4fX5-JKx3OelRLWLab-EhwiCnPfwPa-YUgeJHxMD7sxF-C3ZLomjNXOJTQ-kQU4ibELLn0Ido7AgUNU8pAWFiohky2azXFyTawtJ6HsAVX-vQmzmjsljj8WvF5uj3MdCrPBfj2qUzOxizqVcg6E0wgt4FwRiZl9_aypbyZysEG72/s320/20231227_160251.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>It has been a long time--longer than I thought--since I have been here and posted. The good thing from my point of view, is I am retiring and will have much more time to experiment and to post.<p></p><p>I was making soup today for lunch (and probably a meal or two more) when I wondered, again, why people pay for canned soup when homemade soup tastes so much better, is better for you, and costs less (or, at least, not more)? I know it takes a little more time, but not by much. To the right is a picture of my soup--referred to by the grandkids as "Grandma's soup".</p><p>I made a little over 2 quarts of soup for less than $5. If you like more broth in your soup, you can add water, or put in less pasta, and you could make more for the same price or less. </p><p>The main part of the cost was the Swanson's chicken stock. You could save a lot of money using bouillon, but it has a lot of salt in it, so I go with Swanson's, which is the best of the broths/stock I have found. I have tried several cheaper generics, and I just don't care for the flavor.</p><p>I keep leftovers in the frig and freezer for soup, so the ingredients change a little bit, but this is pretty much the recipe, because I always have these things on hand. Leftovers cost nothing as you would probably throw them away anyway.</p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>Leftover turkey (or chicken) $0 </p><p>Swanson's stock $2.99 (on sale)</p><p>1/4 onion, stalk of celery, carrot, handful of frozen corn (or leftover), 5 leaves of fresh spinach (less than $1)</p><p>Leftover mashed potatoes $0</p><p>Spices (garlic, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage) (maybe $0.50)</p><p>Pasta ($0.50 on sale)</p><p>Notice there is no added salt. A big difference over canned soup. There are 4 cups in a quart, so my 2 quarts is enough for 5 servings; more for small children or adults with lighter appetites. <br /></p><p>Homemade soup. A treat for you belly and your wallet.</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-48863831368620078622021-03-29T07:00:00.001-05:002021-03-29T07:00:07.121-05:00Book Review: Wasps, The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FxTd-GKglzE/YF6T-K9-LkI/AAAAAAAAIyA/hAtAUm-5L5MHb7v5vXu2xDiONFq68kx9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s966/Wasps%2Bbook%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FxTd-GKglzE/YF6T-K9-LkI/AAAAAAAAIyA/hAtAUm-5L5MHb7v5vXu2xDiONFq68kx9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Wasps%2Bbook%2Bcover.jpg" /></a></div>Yes, I have a stack of books sitting under my end table and I am finally getting to some of them to share with you.<p></p><p>My 9-year-old granddaughter is terrified of wasps. As far as I know, she has never been stung, but like most people, she keeps her distance from any wasp, so she doesn't have the opportunity to study them up close. </p><p>This is a completely fascinating look at wasps, their biology, and their role in the ecosystem. Although there is a "family album" at the end of the book, this book is far more than a field guide. The pictures and illustrations are vivid. Chapters on wasp evolution, anatomy, life cycle, diversity, and behavior are well explained and illustrated. The book includes chapters on wasp mimics and predators.</p><p>I have to admit I have already spent hours pouring over this richly illustrated and fact-filled book. I expect I will revisit it often.</p><p>This book is available for $29.95 from Princeton University Press and Amazon.</p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-1370641830237034342021-03-26T21:09:00.000-05:002021-03-26T21:09:18.022-05:00Book Review: Trees of Life<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N4zya2BLsB8/YF6K8xt8kGI/AAAAAAAAIx4/7yJYOZqPPpI0PtAJXFKRw_qw36REhTECACNcBGAsYHQ/s864/Trees%2Bof%2BLife%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N4zya2BLsB8/YF6K8xt8kGI/AAAAAAAAIx4/7yJYOZqPPpI0PtAJXFKRw_qw36REhTECACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Trees%2Bof%2BLife%2BCover.jpg" /></a></div>This large (8 x 11 in) coffee table book would be a wonderful library addition for those fascinated with trees or anthropology. The author chose 80 of what he considers to be the most useful trees from some 60,000 extant species of trees to highlight in this book. The photography and illustrations are beautiful, but I was struck primarily by the insights into how these trees have and do support the societies where they grow.<p></p><p>Some of these trees I had not heard of--after all, most are indigenous to other countries. However, the bits of history, art, medicine, and religion that surround them illustrate the important role these trees have played, and still play, in human history.</p><p>One example of an interesting tidbit concerns the pollination of the common fig:</p><p>"Looking for spring flowers on a fig is a waste of time: they grow, hidden from sight, inside the fruiting body as part of one of the most bizarre reproductive cycles anywhere in the natural world. As long ago as the fourth century BCE Aristotle knew that a certain wasp that emanated from a wild fig pollinated the flowers and we now know that every species of fig has its own bespoke wasp for a pollinating partner. The female fig wasp bores a tiny hole into the immature fruiting body, lays her eggs inside--pollinating the flowers as she does so--and dies there. Her maile progeny, as soon as they emerge inside the fruit, impregnate the still unborn females and then bore an exit hole, through which the egg-bearing females later emerge to seek their own new fruit." pg 118</p><p>This is just one of many interesting facts the author shares in this book. The book is available from Princeton Press for $29.95 and for $25.71 on Amazon.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-46623244175830095022021-01-29T12:52:00.000-06:002021-01-29T12:52:16.617-06:00Cancel Culture or Voting With Our Wallets?<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oup7woM2dQc/YBRB5wh7EVI/AAAAAAAAIvA/cSqn_T5K3WAVlOxTHxLF3T13G8YWyeL5wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/markus-winkler-7LbpOoXF-v8-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oup7woM2dQc/YBRB5wh7EVI/AAAAAAAAIvA/cSqn_T5K3WAVlOxTHxLF3T13G8YWyeL5wCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/markus-winkler-7LbpOoXF-v8-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@markuswinkler?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Markus Winkler</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/cancel-culture?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times;"> So, there has been a lot of debate recently about how "cancel culture" is bad for businesses and the economy and represents how politically correct snowflakes are unreasonably hurting companies that are just trying to create jobs (although I have seen cancel culture used by all parts of the political spectrum--I have just heard the term more in the conservative media).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">First, what is "cancel culture"? If one uses the definition from the Urban Dictionary, then I would have to agree that cancel culture is a bad thing. According to this website, cancel culture is "<span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;">A modern internet phenomenon where a person is ejected from influence or fame by questionable actions. It is caused by a critical mass</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;"> of people who are quick to judge and slow to question. It is commonly caused by an accusation</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;">, whether that accusation has merit or not. It is a direct result of the ignorance of people caused communication technologies </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;">outpacing the growth in available knowledge of a person."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;">We see evidence of this every day if you're on social media. This is a more extreme and negative form of voting with your wallet that I often tell you to do. Voting with your wallet revolves around having facts and making decisions about the most appropriate place to spend your money based upon those facts and using your buying power to encourage companies to make their services and products more socially responsible.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;">If I find that a company's values do not match my own because they produce an unsafe product or do not treat their employees in a way that acknowledges their worth, then I feel the decision not<span> to buy their product or services is justified. But I do some research first. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-size: 16px;"><span>I recently had a person tell me they don't worry about social responsibility when purchasing because every company has something wrong with it and they just don't have time to research everything they buy. I had a similar response in a graduate class I was teaching on ethics. (I do have to say many changed their minds to some degree about this by the end of the class, however.) </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">I find people are more likely to say they buy from certain companies for a positive reason than they don't buy for a negative reason. Most of us probably do a mixture of both. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">To conclude, spreading unsubstantiated information or encouraging people not to buy a product or service without checking out whether the information has any validity isn't a good thing. But if you are acting on your convictions and feel you have the correct facts, put your money where your mouth is and vote with your wallet.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c353c; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-8528471206835232782021-01-27T11:54:00.002-06:002021-01-27T11:54:49.744-06:00What's the Deal with Microplastics?<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pg_VrrJMwiU/YBGcJKiY_LI/AAAAAAAAIus/kmdzo-6b0wcD-MMMfjR-YGSKQmB_pRMkwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/alexander-schimmeck-rV9xbwQj1Ck-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pg_VrrJMwiU/YBGcJKiY_LI/AAAAAAAAIus/kmdzo-6b0wcD-MMMfjR-YGSKQmB_pRMkwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/alexander-schimmeck-rV9xbwQj1Ck-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@alschim?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Alexander Schimmeck</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/plastics-pollution?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />You all know I have been on a tear to reduce the amount of plastic in my house. I can't say hubby has been a huge help in that regard, but we persist.</p><p>Why? Well, first, look at the picture to the left. Do you really want to live in a town that looks like this? No, not all of the litter is plastic, but most of it is. I participate in a lot of little pickups in a year, and plastics are usually the largest part of what we pick up. Most of the trash people who drive by toss out their window around my house is also plastic.</p><p>Next, plastics can leech bad things into our food. I am not talking about that today, but it is the big reason I am trying to root it out of my kitchen.</p><p>But the third reason is microplastics. Most of the studies about microplastics have had to do with marine life, but the impacts undoubtedly apply to freshwater as well. Here's a little bit about microplastics. Microplastics are the tiny bits of plastic between 1 mm and 5 mm in size. Most are due to the break up of larger pieces of plastic. The number one component of microplastics is #1 water bottles. Nanoplastics are bits of less than 1mm in size. Many of these small bits of plastic can look a lot like the food that fish that other aquatic animals eat, and so they ingest quite a few. Needless to say, this is not very nutritious, although studies are underway to determine the extent of harm microplastics cause other organisms as well as us.</p><p>It is estimated we ingest between 8,000 - 11,000 bits of microplastic each year. Your table salt likely has microplastics in it. In tests, 36 of the 39 salt brands tested contained microplastics. In addition to the obvious plastics, many synthetic materials contain plastics as well, leaving microfibers in the environment. (On a side note, I was surprised to find an<a href="<span>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@alschim?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Alexander Schimmeck</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/plastics-pollution?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span>" target="_blank"> issue with even microfibers from denim</a>!) These microplastics are found in drinking water and in the form of microfibers in the air. I did look at our <a href="https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34022/2020-Water-Report-2" target="_blank">city Water Quality report for 2020</a> and microplastics are not mentioned, probably because it isn't something the city is required to report on. </p><p>In 2015, the U.S. banned microbeads, which were often present in personal care products. This was primarily due to concerns with their presence in our water supply.</p><p>Microplastics seem as if they are a huge problem and one of those overwhelming issues that we might wonder, what possible impact could we as individuals have? You're right, but at the same time, you are not. Each of us contributes to the problem of plastic pollution, whether we're talking about the litter in our community or the microplastics in our waterways and water supply.</p><p>So what can individuals do?</p><p> - Cut the plastic. It is hard to avoid plastics, I know. But seriously try to reduce the amount of plastic that enters your home. One thing you can absolutely do without is plastic drink bottles. Our drinking water is very safe. I know some people feel as if the water has a funny taste, but compared to a lot of places I have been, our water is good. However, if you really can't stand it, invest in a filter and use a refillable water bottle. </p><p>- Use cloth shopping bags (and please keep them clean). In addition, invest in reusable produce bags.</p><p>- Get rid of the plastic utensils and straws. When in restaurants, ask them not to give you a straw. I wish the city would consider a ban on plastic shopping bags, but I can just hear the public outcry over that, can't you? But you would be surprised how many of these bags we fish out of our local lakes during a cleanup.</p><p>- Get something like "To-Go Ware" to carry out your leftovers from restaurants and encourage your favorite restaurants to get away from styrofoam containers for take-out. It's cheap for them but costly for our environment.</p><p>- If you do get plastic, can you reuse it? I do reuse bread bags for my own homemade bread and store bags for trash. I would still prefer not to have the plastic to start with, but if it is in the house, it gets at least one more use.</p><p> - Again, if you get plastic, dispose of it properly. Recycling options are not good right now, so be sure any plastic you bring home is put in the trash bin, not thrown on the ground.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-69910195432872930232021-01-04T11:00:00.000-06:002021-01-04T11:00:47.696-06:00Product Review: Laundry Detergent<p>Somehow, I allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to waylay this blog. I kept up the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/livegreenwf" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> reasonably well, but in spite of the fact I had extra time on my hands due to a plunge in work, I just didn't take the time to work on this blog. But I have a lot of things to say that take more than a Facebook post to explain, so I decided to make time in 2021.</p><p>I have been intending for some time to look at laundry detergent. If you read earlier posts, you know that I am on a kick to try to reduce the amount of plastic that comes into my house and then goes to the landfill. Plastic laundry detergent containers are one of the items that bugged me. I was using Ecos. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-da9bku4rdL4/X_NCxF8x80I/AAAAAAAAIto/_dLiMzeE4t8SOQzWnJIyy5sX3VnkGgXeQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2578/20210102_110947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-da9bku4rdL4/X_NCxF8x80I/AAAAAAAAIto/_dLiMzeE4t8SOQzWnJIyy5sX3VnkGgXeQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210102_110947.jpg" /></a></div>The reason for that was that it was recommended to me for gray water systems. I was considering setting up such a system in case of another severe drought as we had in 2011. I haven't done that yet, however. We haven't really needed to water much since then. But you can see that there is a LOT of plastic in this product. It does work well.<p></p><p>Earlier this year, I started looking for something that was not in plastic. I have never really liked the powdered detergents as they never seemed to dissolve all the way, but admittedly, it has been many years since I used a powder. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YKeMyettvaE/X_NAauwgIgI/AAAAAAAAItQ/rDfO-CF2t6waF-OfoHh5wXNhy9_K6xikACNcBGAsYHQ/s2578/20210102_110924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YKeMyettvaE/X_NAauwgIgI/AAAAAAAAItQ/rDfO-CF2t6waF-OfoHh5wXNhy9_K6xikACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210102_110924.jpg" /></a></div>In my Facebook feed, I saw an advertisement for TruEarth. These are very small sheets you tear off and put in the wash. I read all of the reviews online. Most people liked it, except for those with front-loading washers who indicated it didn't dissolve all the way. Top-loading washers didn't seem to have the same problem. Some of the reviewers mentioned they did not like that the sheets came in plastic packaging, but I noted this was no longer true. The packaging is cardboard, as you can see in the picture. I thought they were a little pricey, but they do work well, they do dissolve all the way. When I first opened the package the scent was very strong, which I thought would be a problem, but the scent on the clothing after washing was very mild. Now that the package has been open for a while, most of the scent has dissipated.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zs5czncqxNI/X_NAbR8QdjI/AAAAAAAAItU/HoS2sszXVk4NNr1_I5jXAGVE-ea1heAEwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2578/20210102_110853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2578" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zs5czncqxNI/X_NAbR8QdjI/AAAAAAAAItU/HoS2sszXVk4NNr1_I5jXAGVE-ea1heAEwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210102_110853.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Then I noted we had a new business in Wichita Falls, <a href="https://www.sagevalleyherbs.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAlsv_BRDtARIsAHMGVSb6vWk1fw-mTOA-lbYYtqQun7lmAYoyMCrgYGj8zFC4XqGMUF6PKP8aAhyrEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Sage Valley Herbs</a>, which made products that were advertised as free of many of the harmful chemicals in many store products. I decided to give their laundry detergent a try. When I bought it the first time, I was unhappy the packaging was a plastic tub. I did tell the owner I would prefer a product without the plastic. When I bought the next batch, you can see the packaging is now paper. There is still some small amount of plastic, but it is minimal. The original product also had a very strong scent when I opened the container the first time. Again, most of it faded during the wash. I noticed this time, the current version seems to be a much lighter scent. This product also works well. You don't need much of the powder and it does dissolve well.<p></p><p>Ecos is less expensive than the other two products, but the other two have the advantage of little or no plastic, and the Sage Valley product is a local business, so little or no shipping. They have a shop in the Finishing Touch Plaza on Rhea Road--you'll probably find other products you like.</p><p>Both Ecos and TruEarth have relatively good ratings in trials (<a href="https://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoors/best-right-now/best-eco-friendly-laundry-detergents" target="_blank">see this review of eco-friendly detergents </a>from 2020). Obviously, a local product won't have the opportunity to be considered in such a test.</p><p><br /><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-69604670613778665822019-02-03T11:59:00.003-06:002019-02-03T11:59:57.905-06:00Product Review: Gorilla Silicone Storage Bags<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y92z6zMrwKI/XFcrkZimLtI/AAAAAAAAHdQ/ZfJql33ne5g-3lC2f8s3MwwZs85X6ttRwCLcBGAs/s1600/20190203_114757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y92z6zMrwKI/XFcrkZimLtI/AAAAAAAAHdQ/ZfJql33ne5g-3lC2f8s3MwwZs85X6ttRwCLcBGAs/s320/20190203_114757.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You all know I have been on the reduce waste, especially plastic waste, kick for a while.<br />
<br />
A while back I bought a set of glass storage containers, which had silicone seals. I thought to myself, is silicone really any better than "regular" plastic? The answer is "Yes." Plastic is made from oil; silicone is made of silicon (a naturally occurring element), oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. However, it does take a lot of heat to extract silicon from quartz, so there is still some fossil fuel used there.<br />
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Silicone is less toxic than plastic, a great thing when storing food. And you can wash and reuse the silicone many times.<br />
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I have been debating for a while buying some silicone storage bags. They are pretty pricy. But I finally worked up the nerve to order a set of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Reusable-Leak-Proof-Vegetable-Microwave/dp/B07FLGFKGL/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549212478&sr=8-3&keywords=gorilla+sandwich+storage+bags">Gorilla Sandwich Storage Bags</a> from Amazon to try out. As you can see, they are not cheap. With the coupon applied and Amazon Prime, they come to about $4 each, so they had better last a long time.<br />
<br />
Aside from the cost, they are great. I have been using them for leftovers. A small bag holds 4 blueberry muffins, 4-5 oatmeal pancakes, or two large packages of blueberries, which I froze. The slide closures were a little stiff the first time I used them, but they slide on and off easily after that. The bags are heavy duty and the slides are also sturdy.<br />
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My only complaint? Each bag is wrapped in plastic and then all of them are put together and wrapped in plastic again. Getting rid of plastic is why I bought these in the first place. I plan to make a comment to the manufacturer and see if they can change that.<br />
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The bags came through the dishwasher fine and are ready to go again. I plan to buy some more at some point.<br />
<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-1729457288129735052019-01-08T10:42:00.000-06:002019-01-08T10:42:02.543-06:00Book Review: How Plants Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rZDbfUK9LgM/XC-ENhDAXkI/AAAAAAAAHXI/guc1YA1WtBQFB10KHbTV4V5Qpd29MzLvgCLcBGAs/s1600/How%2Bplants%2Bwork%2Bcover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rZDbfUK9LgM/XC-ENhDAXkI/AAAAAAAAHXI/guc1YA1WtBQFB10KHbTV4V5Qpd29MzLvgCLcBGAs/s320/How%2Bplants%2Bwork%2Bcover.png" width="247" /></a></div>
A few months ago, <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/">Princeton University Press</a> was nice enough to send me a copy of <i><a href="https://press.princeton.edu/titles/13245.html">How Plants Work: Form, Diversity, Survival</a></i>, by Stephen Blackmore. I paged through the book quickly and was immediately drawn in by the beautiful pictures. I thought to myself, "I am going to enjoy reading this book."<br />
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Well......you know the saying about the best-laid plans, right? I received the book in the middle of the workday, so I set it aside. With one thing and another, I lost track of the book (which is not an easy thing, since the book is not small--a full 8.5 x 11 and 386 pages). My husband is redoing my office. He relocated everything from the supply closets and one half of the office to the other side, while he tore up the carpet to lay tile and got ready to paint. Get the picture? It's not pretty.<br />
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I have looked everywhere for this book. Multiple times. I "thought" I put it on one of my bookshelves with my other nature books, but didn't. I looked everywhere, or so I thought. Recently, I was once again in my office, trying to clear out the piles in my office so my husband can do the other half and lo and behold, there was the book. Buried under a pile of stuff my hubby moved. So I am not complete airhead; I was just not very fast about tackling the piles.<br />
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It didn't take long for this book to provide a welcome distraction from the office cleaning chore. I was a biology major in college but had only one class in botany. Although I found the subject interesting, I can't say it was my favorite class. The book was dry and the instructor almost as much so. I love to garden and I have houseplants, so I find plants interesting. Dr. Estes from <a href="https://msutexas.edu/">Midwestern State University</a> is a lecturer for our local <a href="https://txmn.org/rollingplains/">Texas Master Naturalist</a> training course and is always fascinating--why couldn't I have had an instructor like him many years ago? Anyway, back to the book.<br />
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This is not a botany text. The book provides just enough information on a subject to arouse your curiosity to explore the subject more. Even if you don't, you're bound to be even more awed by the plants that surround us.<br />
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When you first look at the book, you may be intimidated by the size and think the book is dense. It's not. You can easily thumb through and read the short topics in a few minutes here and there. The 400 color illustrations are beautiful and helpful to understanding.<br />
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A number of well known and less well known topics are addressed. I never thought about pollination of plants under water for example, but there is a discussion of that topic in the book. And who has heard of "accessory" fruits versus true fruits? (A strawberry and many other common fruits we love are accessory fruits--I'll let you look up the difference in the definitions.) The discussion of orchid seeds is fascinating.<br />
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For the gardeners among us, the discussion of the rhizosphere and root pests is not only interesting but important to nurturing our soil and garden. I could go on, but you get my point. This book is interesting and fun if you're a nature geek.<br />
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The book is not cheap at $35, but well worth the cost. The many beautiful illustrations and interesting information will have you returning to the book more than once and the hardcover means it will last. I did look it up on Amazon, and you can purchase it for $26.93 there.<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-9637833472791192892019-01-03T15:29:00.001-06:002019-01-03T15:29:56.544-06:00New Year, New Blog<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6y7kfeUqxYQ/XC5452wrjYI/AAAAAAAAHW8/BMUraYsbjf0ga7qKZtnoWJlZltWHPo4lgCLcBGAs/s1600/rawpixel-1061392-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1600" height="201" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6y7kfeUqxYQ/XC5452wrjYI/AAAAAAAAHW8/BMUraYsbjf0ga7qKZtnoWJlZltWHPo4lgCLcBGAs/s320/rawpixel-1061392-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/vkHkvOciT5A?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">rawpixel</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/sustainable-living?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
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<br />
I have not done well maintaining this blog. I have defaulted to the Facebook page, as it is easier to repost than to actually write something, and at present at least, it has more people who read it.<br />
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However, this year I've decided to get back on the blog as there are often things that need to be said that a Facebook post really doesn't do justice to. Also, believe it or not, there are a lot of people who are not on Facebook, so using that format excludes people interested in the topic. Therefore, I am going to make an effort to post here, at least for items worthy of more discussion and then share these posts to the Facebook page. We'll see how it goes.<br />
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I have a list of items I want to discuss--if you have an issue or idea for Wichita Falls, send it to me at green.wichitafalls@gmail.com and it might just show up. Or if you would like to write a guest post, get with me. I am open to it, but I do want well-written items with civil discourse. Not to say you can't have a strong opinion on something, but I don't see the value of being uncivil.<br />
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Right now, I am enjoying a quiet day, since most of the area is closed down due to weather. There are not enough days like this.<br />
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Did you make any New Year's resolutions relating to a more sustainable lifestyle this year? I have a couple of them. First is to revitalize and maintain this blog. The other concerns my garden and yard. I have been adding perennials and edible plants to my yard every year and have done some gardening, but I am going up the effort in these areas this year. I do well at making food from scratch instead of using processed foods, but this year, I am going to increase my efforts to further reduce the amount of waste I am generating--whether food or packaging. That should keep me busy enough, with the other things I have going on. And if we all did one thing, even a small thing, it could make a difference.<br />
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Feedback and comments welcome!<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-10657618891406913432018-06-23T12:16:00.000-05:002018-06-23T12:16:00.782-05:00Here's to Our Pollinators!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UyFjSzIr4dY/Wy5Cvu0DfDI/AAAAAAAAGfA/7-A-3jQjj9wYrdt45kXY8Axvo9PNivy8gCLcBGAs/s1600/2018%2Bpollinator%2Bweek%2Bbadge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="206" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UyFjSzIr4dY/Wy5Cvu0DfDI/AAAAAAAAGfA/7-A-3jQjj9wYrdt45kXY8Axvo9PNivy8gCLcBGAs/s1600/2018%2Bpollinator%2Bweek%2Bbadge.jpg" /></a></div>
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I know, I should have written this post at the beginning of the week, instead of the end, but....I am doing it now. Pollinators are just too important not to make a big deal about them.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4T3DINIHuz4/Wy6AC6j_ivI/AAAAAAAAGjU/An5AifF-whcgBoMsyHkbhrzGEtgnGoJ4wCLcBGAs/s1600/20180623_095237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4T3DINIHuz4/Wy6AC6j_ivI/AAAAAAAAGjU/An5AifF-whcgBoMsyHkbhrzGEtgnGoJ4wCLcBGAs/s320/20180623_095237.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the hunt for pollinators</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rf_n5PW5t1g/Wy5_-RHMoJI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/C9NPpBsljG8PfV2AZwkA0QEtqxC0pokhwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180623_105610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rf_n5PW5t1g/Wy5_-RHMoJI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/C9NPpBsljG8PfV2AZwkA0QEtqxC0pokhwCLcBGAs/s320/20180623_105610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beetles are great pollinators!</td></tr>
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I celebrated Pollinator Week today by going out to Lake Arrowhead State Park and looking for pollinators with a few of the Texas Master Naturalists. We had some kids along as well, so we had a really good time.<br />
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Most people think bees are the only pollinators and they are important, but other bugs like flies, butterflies, moths, wasps, and beetles are also important pollinators. So are hummingbirds and bats. In specific instances, birds and even lemurs pollinate certain species.<br />
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I garden, as do many of you. Have you noticed fewer bugs in your garden? I certainly have. I also haven't seen many in my flower beds and I plant to attracts wildlife. I don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizers, although I think I am the only person in our neighborhood who doesn't. But back to the lack of bugs (well, except mosquitoes, which seems to be the only bug in the yard). This is not a good thing. If we like to eat, we need pollinators. More than 1/3 of all of our food has to be pollinated by some living thing.<br />
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So what is happening with pollinators and what can we do?<br />
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I have yet to figure out why people feel like they have to kill every living thing that they see as "icky." Bugs, spiders, and snakes, for example. Every year here in the Falls people go crazy because of rattlesnakes and kill every snake they see. But many of the pictures of dead snakes posted proudly in Facebook are not rattlesnakes at all--they are rat snakes or some other harmless snake. But at least for snakes, they are using blunt force trauma for the most part--not good for the snake, but the damage is reasonably contained to the snake.<br />
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However, then we have a rodent problem, so then we drag out the rodent poison. Not only is poison a horrible way to die, but these poisoned rats and mice are now eaten by other animals who were not the intended target, but who are now also poisoned. That might be your pet cat or it could be a hawk or an owl. Poisoned rodents are often taken by birds of prey, which also then die. So, first, let's not spray our yards with insecticides. If you have a significant problem and cannot find a nontoxic solution (and there are many out there) then use the least amount of poison possible. Home application of insecticides is much higher than agricultural applications. Many homeowners are like Tim the Toolman--if a little is good, then a lot must be a lot better. But that is not the case. The rest runs off into our water supply or blows into your neighbor's yard.<br />
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Next, lawns are a waste. There is nothing little for pollinators to use as food. Plant some native plants that appeal to pollinators. Not a single plant, but groups of them. Plant different kinds of plants to attract different types of pollinators and which will bloom at different times of the year, to provide food all year long. Besides, once these plants get started, you'll have less work mowing and putting down fertilizer and more poisons--costing you money and harming your environment.<br />
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Messy yards are not a crisis. If you want, make the front yard pristine (although I don't advocate that), but have some messy places, with leaves and brush, where pollinators and other small wildlife can live and be safe.)<br />
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I know here in north Texas it is almost a religion that climate change is a hoax. No, the hoax is that a small group of nutcases have managed to convince large numbers of people that science is wrong. There are only a couple of fringe scientists who are not certain that climate change is real and that people are the primary cause. Climate change is causing or contributing to a host of environmental issues--one of which is pollinator collapse. Make purchasing decisions based upon the product's impact on the environment. You may rightfully say that your single purchase makes no difference, but all of our purchases can make a huge impact. So stop using that as an excuse. Elect people who respect and understand science and who do not pander to a very loud minority. If you cannot understand the science and the long-term effects of government policies on the future my grandchildren will be living in, I don't want you in a position to make those decisions.<br />
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So, to summarize:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Stop poisoning your home and yard</li>
<li>Plant lots of native plants</li>
<li>Let there be some messy spots</li>
<li>Advocate for the environment</li>
<li>Elect people who understand the policy implications of science and act accordingly</li>
</ul>
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Let's support our pollinators in Wichita Falls.</div>
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-70469422074881970082018-04-21T09:48:00.001-05:002018-04-21T09:48:31.958-05:00An Earth Day Challenge<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoZDqPUMbAw/WttIKWBXyXI/AAAAAAAAGXE/r3JYN_BVfMobkuIuGHF9n34eqf94yMviACLcBGAs/s1600/Celestia_earth2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="256" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoZDqPUMbAw/WttIKWBXyXI/AAAAAAAAGXE/r3JYN_BVfMobkuIuGHF9n34eqf94yMviACLcBGAs/s320/Celestia_earth2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By NikoLang - Own work (Screenshot), CC BY-SA 3.0, <br />https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=913338</td></tr>
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Here we are, another Earth Day anniversary tomorrow (April 22.) I am among those old enough to remember the first Earth Day in 1970. The amount of energy and enthusiasm to be better stewards of the Earth was amazing. Now, there is barely a whimper, especially here in Wichita Falls.<br />
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So what happened?<br />
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Part of it is probably that it seems we have made little progress in the 47 years since. However, that is not true. In spite of recent reversals in many areas, in the United States is far ahead of where we were then. Many pieces of landmark legislation have been made since. The Clean Air Act (1970); The Clean Water Act (1977); and The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Recovery Act (Superfund) (1980), among others, were a result.<br />
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Some of it may be that we seem to have a "day" for just about everything, most of which seem to be driven by the retail industry (like Valentine's Day). There are plenty of days that seem to be just for fun, like Grouches Day on October 15. But it seems the more designated days there are, the less significance they have.<br />
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There are a few things happening in Wichita Falls and the surrounding area that relate to Earth Day over the next couple of weeks. Those I have come across are posted on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/livegreenwf/">Living Green In Wichita Falls Facebook page</a>, but there is certainly no special community events centered around this day. We will have to celebrate individually to have some collective impact.<br />
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Here's my Earth Day challenge to people living in Wichita Falls and the surrounding area. Pick something that you can do to be good stewards of the earth going forward. It can be something you already do (just do it again or more of it), a special event, or something you have been meaning to. Here are some ideas to get you started:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Start a compost pile (or vermicomposting bucket for those of you in an apartment)</li>
<li>Order an organics bin from the city and let's agitate to have the organics picked up every week (see <a href="http://greenwichitafalls.blogspot.com/2018/01/recycling-options-in-wichita-falls.html">Recycling Options in Wichita Falls</a>)</li>
<li>Plant a pollinator-friendly or bird-friendly native plant in your yard</li>
<li>Ditch the one-use plastic shopping bags and plastic produce bags (Did you know you can buy reusable produce bags? I have no trouble using mine at Market Street)</li>
<li>Make more food from scratch--it tastes better and is less expensive</li>
<li>Make an insect hotel--most can be very simple</li>
<li>Stop spraying poisons in your yard</li>
<li>Plant your own vegetables--even if it is one plant in a pot</li>
<li>Use compost and other natural fertilizers</li>
<li>Mulch like crazy--the summer is coming</li>
<li>Buy local when possible</li>
<li>Let's get rid of styrofoam--purchase a To-Go Ware or similar and let restaurants know there are more environmentally friendly ways to package food</li>
<li>Eat more vegetables (especially local) and a little less meat</li>
<li>Get outside--walk, bike and take the kids. We have a wonderful trail system. Use it.</li>
<li>Join an organization that is related to environmental issues, especially those that are local </li>
<li>Buy a Texas Parks Pass and visit our state parks--you can get in free to any of them for a year with a pass and you get reductions on camping fees. You also send a much-needed message to the state legislature that the parks are important.</li>
<li>Hold a neighborhood cleanup. Did you know the city sanitation department will deliver one of those big dumpsters to your neighborhood and pick it up again for a very small fee (I think it is $25)? That will save having to haul things to the transfer station and everyone can benefit. Many people do not have a way to transport. Do you have an elderly or disabled neighbor who needs help cleaning up their yard? This would be a good time/place to do it.</li>
<li>Pick up trash wherever you walk. This town is awash in little. </li>
<li>Vote "yes" on May 5 to finish our Circle Trail and improve Lake Wichita.</li>
</ul>
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There's a short list. Feel free to add your own. Post a comment about what you've done or more ideas about steps individuals can take. Feel free to post some pictures on the Living Green Facebook page too.</div>
Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-31015738634350182732018-01-28T08:41:00.001-06:002018-01-28T08:41:55.121-06:00Recycling Options in Wichita FallsOne of the most wanted city services by people who read this blog is curbside recycling. It is a frequent lament that "We can't recycle."<br />
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Progressive Waste provided single-stream recycling at central locations for several months but withdrew the service. Since that time, the city has been answering the question of why they don't offer curbside single stream recycling. It would be the most convenient option for citizens and other cities do offer it. The fact that Progressive Waste withdrew because they weren't making money at it explains a lot about why the city doesn't offer the service, especially as our citizens resist ANY increase in fees.<br />
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Progressive Waste trucked the recycling to the Metroplex and then anything that wasn't recyclable (or couldn't be sold for an economical price) was taken to a landfill--so less was recycled than the public thought.<br />
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In fact, we can recycle a very large percentage of the waste we produce here in Wichita Falls--I'm going to show you how.<br />
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Let's start before recycling. There would be less need to recycle if we generated less waste. We've all heard the slogan "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."<br />
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We can cut down significantly on waste by using care in what we buy. Purposely choosing items with less packaging, or if that isn't possible, recyclable packaging. At the grocery store, this can also be a more healthy option, as you will purchase much less processed food. Most of us have much more "stuff" than we need.<br />
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Reuse is easy--can we use the items we buy as long as possible, use them again, or change them into something else. My husband saves a lot of "trash." He says you never know when something will come in handy. He was saving those little plastic pipe things in spray bottles when the lever wore out. I couldn't figure out why. But then something chewed through the little rubber piece that carries windshield washer between the reservoir and the windshield on my truck and, "Voila!" That little piece fit in the rubber tube just right, and more cheaply than trying to buy one. I have found some useful things at the thrift stores in town. Right now I am looking for a few cast iron pieces and some of those large glass condiment jars--if you come across any, let me know. Some people "upcycle"--changing trash into artwork and other useful items.<br />
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So that brings us back to recycling. The single greatest tool we have is the organics bin. Unfortunately, there is an extra $3 a month cost for the organics bin. This is offset by being able to pick up free compost twice a year on the first Saturdays in April and October (for reference, a pickup load of compost usually runs $30+ dollars). These used to be called "yard waste" bins, but the name was changed to reflect the broader range of items that can be put into them. Yes, yard waste is fine, but I put most of my yard waste, other than twigs and branches, into my home composting bins. But yes, if you don't have your own compost pile, then your organics bin can be used for grass clippings and leaves, as well as these tougher materials. But you can also place any organic item into the bin--paper, cardboard, garbage, wood pieces and shavings, magazines and books. If everyone did this, we could compost almost 70% of our city's waste.<br />
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What about the other 30%? Most people are aware that you can recycle glass and newspaper. Dumpsters are at various locations around town. I usually place mine at Market Street. Aluminum can be recyled at the city Sanitation Department on Sunset Dr. My husband crushes his and saves them in the garage until he has enough to take them to Bell Processing for a little extra money.<br />
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What about plastics? Not all plastics can be recycled in Wichita Falls, but the majority--#1 and #2--can. Remove the lids--they are a different composition of plastic and can't be recycled. You may place them in the bins at the Sanitation Department on Sunset Drive. The bins are behind the fence, so are only accessible during the Sanitation Department's business hours. This is because having "clean" loads is vital to being able to sell the plastic.<br />
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You can find dumpsters for plastic, aluminum, glass and newspaper at the Sanitation Department.<br />
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The biggest problem with recycling is contamination. If you look in the dumpsters behind Market Street, for example, you'll find plastic bags mixed in with the glass or newspapers. This can cause the entire container to have to be taken to the landfill. It isn't that difficult--some people are just ignorant of the consequences; others are just plain lazy. We don't have a way to sort our recycling, which means we have to be conscientious about keeping recyclable items separated.<br />
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We have many options to be able to recycle the majority of the waste we generate, with a little effort. I am not ready to abandon the curbside recycling effort, but let's use what we have to show it is important to us and then work on the rest.<br />
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I do have one suggestion to encourage the use of the organics bins in Wichita Falls. Currently, during weeks with a holiday, there is no pickup of the organics bin. I fill my organics bin nearly every week, so this is a problem. I only put out the regular trash every two or three weeks. I pay more for the privilege of recycling, so I don't like losing that service. It would help encourage people to use the organics bins. I would like to see everyone with each bin with one pickup of each every week. The only bad thing there is that I can see people using the organics bins as regular trash bins and fouling the contents so they would still have to be hauled to the landfill instead of composted.<br />
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We have a lot to do to improve recycling. For now, I suggest we work hard getting people to divert as much of their waste as possible into the organics bins and making sure people are aware of the recycling options available and how to sort their waste for maximum effectiveness.Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-34172959091151517572017-09-29T10:27:00.001-05:002017-09-29T10:27:45.142-05:00Hot Button: Litter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail in Maine--do you see any trash?</td></tr>
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I know I haven't been posting much--most of my posts have been to the Facebook page because it is faster/easier when there is only something short. But I am on my soapbox today.<br />
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I just came back from a wonderful trip to Maine and Canada with my son and daughter-in-law. Other than the beautiful scenery and new birds, do you know what I noticed most? The lack of litter. The most litter was on the beaches where it washed up out of the ocean, but even there it looked like people either picked it up and took it home or piled the big stuff in one area for easy hauling.<br />
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One morning I was out walking with our hosts. We passed a beer can, and one of them picked it up. That was the only piece of trash I saw on that 4-mile walk. One of the other people walking is apparently part of a citizen's volunteer group that monitors the trails around the town and one of the things they do is pick up litter when they find it. Since there are a lot of tourists around, I am sure they have some. But people have pride in their community and pick up.<br />
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I am not saying there was no trash. I did see a little bit, but not near what I see in Wichita Falls daily. On the Rants and Raves Wichita Falls page on Facebook this morning a woman actually bragged about throwing trash on one of our streets because she was angry a restaurant got her order wrong. I went back to take a screenshot to make the woman famous on this blog, but she apparently pulled the post--someone did point out she broke the law, so I suppose she didn't want the bald admission there for the police to use as evidence.<br />
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I am not overly concerned with littering being against the law. It is disrepectful of our neighbors and makes our community look horrible. I have to do a litter pickup around my house at least once or twice a week--more often during high school football season. I am not picking up my trash--I am picking up after people with no consideration for others.<br />
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I often tell the story of when my son and I first arrived in Wichita Falls 20 years ago. We came in on Hwy 287. We no sooner got into the city limits when he said, "I don't think I'm going to like it here." That comment was based upon the trash all along the highway. It was a poor first impression.<br />
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We could do with a little respect and community pride. <br />
<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-36583665976527025562017-04-25T09:31:00.000-05:002017-04-25T09:31:03.778-05:00Circle Trail Tour on Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Circle Trail tour is this Saturday, April 29 from 10 AM - 2 PM. I think it was the first weekend in May previously. I have manned the Lake Wichita stop the last two years, but will be teaching Saturday, so I cannot this year. I am giving the final exam, so if I am lucky, the class will zip through it, and I may have a chance to walk a part of the trail. But we'll see.<br />
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This is a great opportunity to get out at enjoy the 14 miles of continuous trail that is completed. You can start anywhere. Pick up a passport at any of the cheer stops and get it stamped at each of the stops for a chance at prizes. For more information check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/circletrailtourwf/">Circle Tour Facebook page</a>. There is no charge for this event. Why not bring out the family and walk or bike the trail?<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-2523877451550747372017-04-14T09:55:00.001-05:002017-04-14T09:55:13.962-05:00Earth Day 2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Earth from space. NASA photo.</td></tr>
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I have been very lazy about writing in this blog, as you can tell by the date of the last post. I have been trying to keep up with the Facebook page--as a consequence, this blog as fallen to the wayside. Earth Day is a good time to get back in the saddle. There are plenty of things that need more room than a Facebook post, and there are plenty of people who are not on Facebook. So I am going to make an effort to be a little more regular about updating this. I will then post a link to the FB page for those who are members of that page.<br />
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I am old enough I can remember the first <a href="http://www.earthday.org/">Earth Day</a> in 1970. Since then, we have gradually lost interest and allowed Earth Day to pass by largely without notice. This year looks like it may resurge a little bit, at least in part because of the <a href="https://www.marchforscience.com/">March for Science</a> takes place the same day. That is no coincidence, as the issue that started the entire march is Climate Change. I haven't heard of a march in the Falls, but if I do, I will pass on the details.<br />
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There aren't a lot of activities surrounding Earth Day here in the Falls, which is unfortunate. As always, the city has more activities happening than any person could take advantage of, it's just most are not related to nature or the environment. With a little effort, we could have a great themed series of activities around Earth Day (in Penny's head--just say, "No!")<br />
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River Bend has some of their usual Saturday activities going on: <a href="http://choosewf.com/calendar/2017/04/22/science-saturday-at-river-bend-nature-center-14/">Science Saturday</a> and <a href="http://choosewf.com/calendar/2017/04/22/nature-tots-story-time-at-river-bend-nature-center-8/">Nature Tots Story Time</a>. The Wichita Falls Public Library has a <a href="http://choosewf.com/calendar/2017/04/22/earth-day-recycle-water-bottle-craft/">plastic bottle crafts</a> and <a href="http://choosewf.com/calendar/2017/04/22/earth-day-upcycling-event/">upcycling</a> programs happening. That appears to be pretty much it, unless there are things I haven't heard about. If you know of an event, email me at green.wichitafalls@gmail.com and I will try to get it here and on the FB page.<br />
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So, what to do? I am planning to have my own little Earth Day celebration. Birding in the morning. Gardening in the afternoon. The <a href="http://www.audubon.org/">Audubon Society</a> is asking people to <a href="http://www.audubon.org/plantsforbirds">plant a native plant to support the birds</a>. I have quite a few in my yard now, but I will be stopping by <a href="http://wvlandscape.com/">Wichita Valley Nursery</a> for another to add. I just have to decide what I want to plant. I also have the makings for an insect hotel standing by--if I don't get it done before, Earth Day would be a good time. It won't be as pretty as the ones you can find on Pinterest, but it will still be home for the bugs. If you want to see some of the photos I've collected on Pinterest, here's a <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pmiller737/insect-hotels/">link to by board</a>. Feel free to browse.<br />
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How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day?<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-56080007408605624602016-01-10T15:33:00.000-06:002016-01-10T15:33:04.747-06:00Texas Master Naturalist Spring Training<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Laura doing a Mussel Watch for<br />the Rolling Plains Texas Master<br />Naturalist</td></tr>
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I have been a certified <a href="http://txmn.org/">Texas Master Naturalist</a> for several years, and love every minute. It is great to spend time with a group of people just as geeky as I am.<br />
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The next Texas Master Naturalist spring training for our <a href="http://txmn.org/rollingplains/">Rolling Plains chapter</a> is coming up beginning March 8. The training takes place every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 7 - 9 PM and some Saturday field trips. I will be teaching the class on birds (March 17) and taking part in the March 19 field trip.<br />
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The basic course covers the gamut from fossils, to plants, all kinds of animals, and weather. There is something of interest for anyone fascinated with nature. The mission of Texas Master Naturalist is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas.<br />
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The cost of the course is $100. It isn't necessary to get certified as a Master Naturalist in order to take the class, although we'd love to have you. Frequently, teachers take the class to broaden their own knowledge.<br />
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Want to know more? Robert Mauk at Inland Fisheries is one of the chapter advisors. Or feel free to talk to any of the Texas Master Naturalist members who will be manning the booth at the Home and Garden Show on February 27 and 28. You can also post to the open group Rolling Plains Chapter TMN Program on Facebook. You can also go <a href="http://txmn.org/rollingplains/">their website</a> for pictures from projects and newsletters.<br />
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Not in our area? There are <a href="http://txmn.org/chapters/">several Texas Master Naturalist chapters throughout Texas</a>. Look for one near you. Most of them have a spring training--some have a fall training as well.<br />
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Sign up soon. A minimum of 10 people are needed to offer the course. The course is limited to 20.<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-5666997066948330022015-12-31T16:02:00.000-06:002015-12-31T16:02:02.510-06:00Book Review: The Bees in Your Backyard<br />
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I am behind on reading with the holidays, but I am finally getting around to looking at some new books sent to me by <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/">Princeton University Press</a>.<br />
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I have reviewed several books about bees in the past year, so it might seem another one would be superfluous. Not so! For those interested in knowing what kinds of bees they have in their yards, this guide, <i>The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees</i>, by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril, will help identify which of the common species of bees you see. There are 4,000 bee species in the US and Canada, but thanks to the key in the introduction, you'll at least be able to sort the bee to the appropriate family, and perhaps to the species.<br />
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The book has 900 full-color photos. The chapter on the natural history of bees is fascinating and for those of us who are trying to entice bees to our yards and gardens, there is a fair amount of information on plants and other actions you can take to provide appropriate habitat for your bees. Personally, I liked the little boxes of interesting information set off from the main text--a lot of interesting tidbits there.<br />
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This book was published December 16 and can be purchased from Princeton University Press for $29.95. I checked Amazon, and it is available there in both paperback and kindle versions for a few dollars less. Remember our local charities by purchasing through smile.amazon.com.Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-4642069348377707362015-12-30T15:41:00.000-06:002015-12-30T15:41:24.404-06:00Living Green(er) in 2016It's that time of year again. A new year is just around the corner. I have been thinking lately about my New Year's resolutions for 2016. Yes, I am one of those people who make New Year's resolutions, and generally, I tend to stick to them. Mostly because I frame them as goals, not aspirations.<br />
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Anyway, in thinking through 2015 and looking toward 2016, I decided that I needed to include one or two goals relating to living more sustainably. I have been doing that the last few years, so this is nothing new, but if I don't include it as one of my goals for the year, then I'll lose focus.<br />
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One event that has me really looking at this area a little more is the recent decision by <a href="http://www.progressivewaste.com/en/locations/north-west-texas-district">Progressive Waste </a>to stop single stream recycling in Wichita Falls. This means there really isn't a good place to recycle plastics. I have heard Wal-Mart will take most plastics. I am going to check that out and if so, that will be a help. However, wouldn't it be better to reduce at the front side? So my focus for 2016 is going to be to reduce trash. We do reasonably well at this already. We were putting out 1 curbside trash bin a month because we could put most of our waste either in our own compost bins, the city's organics recycling and the single stream recycling. The amount of waste we are putting out has jumped dramatically--mostly in plastics, although there are some metal food cans. I can see that if I don't take control, the amount of trash we put out will double. That's not acceptable. That means I need to look for non-plastic packaging options and ferret out recycling options. I am going to try to can more--I can now, but not enough to make a big dent in the metal cans going in the trash. I can reuse my canning jars.<br />
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So that is focus #1.<br />
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The next item is this blog. I post fairly regularly to the Facebook page, but have been woefully lazy about this blog. However, many people who have access to this blog do not have Facebook accounts. I can always share the link from the blog to Facebook, but it would be difficult for blog readers to check Facebook posts. I plan to still do a lot of sharing of interesting articles to the Facebook page, but will do a better job of having some more detailed information about topics of interest here.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6WL32jWTPsw/VoRPMzvFCvI/AAAAAAAAEIo/IlzP7aUOJc4/s1600/20150417_073030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6WL32jWTPsw/VoRPMzvFCvI/AAAAAAAAEIo/IlzP7aUOJc4/s320/20150417_073030.jpg" width="320" /></a>Lastly, I plan to do more gardening. This is another carryover from previous years. I have a good-sized garden for a residential lot and I have been gradually introducing permaculture. I haven't been very disciplined about it though. So I am going to finish my permaculture course on line and raise a higher percentage of my own food this year. Good exercise, better tasting food and at the same time, removing more of the environmental toxins from our family.<br />
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So those are my 3 sustainability goals for 2016. What are yours?Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6755805030895979598.post-11584224225814069322015-09-07T13:43:00.001-05:002015-09-07T13:47:00.983-05:00Product Review: J. R. Liggett's Shampoo<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been a little dissatisfied with shampoos and conditioners lately. Not only do most shampoos and conditioners have chemicals in them I would prefer not to have on my body or in my water supply, neither have I felt ready to tackle the "no poo" approach. My understanding is that it takes some weeks before that works, and I don't think I could arrange more than a few no-customer days in a row. Shampoos and conditioners also generate a lot of plastic waste I could do without.</div>
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So I was in <a href="https://www.naturalgrocers.com/">Natural Grocers</a> looking over some of the shampoo and conditioner options, trying to convince myself to cough up the additional money and trying to decide among an array of options. But there, tucked inconspicuously at the end of a high row, there was a little bar of shampoo. It looked like a small bar of soap. It was only $3.68, so I thought, "What the heck? I'll give it a try."</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sFRJPMg-2fs/Ve3RdGetsKI/AAAAAAAAD5U/p61hFw8SJPY/s1600/20150905_081643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sFRJPMg-2fs/Ve3RdGetsKI/AAAAAAAAD5U/p61hFw8SJPY/s320/20150905_081643.jpg" width="320" /></a>At my husband's request, I have long hair that is also abused with color every 2 weeks (yes, I know that hair color is NOT green--we all do some things to please our spouse). That's what happens when your hair is pretty much white. It doesn't take long for the roots to be very noticeable. I also have oily hair and wash it almost every day. So I use a lot of shampoo and conditioner and my hair takes a lot of abuse.</div>
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When I read the ingredients on the back of the soap (see photo to the right), it appeared there was nothing there to be concerned with. </div>
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The fragrance is nice. I am not a fan of overpowering rose scent, but the scent was light. The shampoo makes a nice lather. Although the label says "most" people need no conditioner, that is probably the one thing I am still not sure I like. I have used the shampoo twice now. I don't know that I need conditioner, but some sort of detangler would be nice. Long hair is a pain when combing it out afterward and without conditioner, it was more of a chore. My hair also took a lot longer to air dry and seems heavier. Although after shampooing, my hair felt harsh, when it was dry, it felt soft, enough, but still not as smooth and soft as it does after a good conditioner.</div>
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Overall, the shampoo appears to work well, although the jury is still out on whether it will be a good option after several shampoos. I am going to keep using it for a while and see what happens. In the meantime, I need some ideas for chemical-free detangler. If I can whip that, I will probably be a fan. I found some recipes on the web and will have to try them out.</div>
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10385720365563812763noreply@blogger.com1