today i set up our geobin compost system. it does not look like this:
i suppose it could, with some serious wrangling, but for now it’s more of a lopsided oval shape. and you know what, it works just fine that way because it gets the job done. plus, it holds compost better than a cardboard box.
before the builder laid down the sod for our front lawn, nugget daddy spread out 450 crocus bulbs. they’re a naturalizing variety, so they should become more dense over the years. it sort of looks like we’ve stuck a bunch of artificial flowers in our lawn. still, they’re fun to see poking up, and a nice way to welcome spring.
i also started my first tray of seedlings today. it includes:
rainbow heirloom tomato mix
mix consists of equal parts omars lebanese (red), dutchman(pink), golden sunburst (yellow), black russian (purple), aunt ruby’s german green (green) and djena lee’s golden girl (orange)
yikes! i almost completely forgot to write about the gardensoxx! (i actually had to drag myself out of bed and go back to my desk after catching my mistake on my crackberry.) anyhow, once the seedlings are ready for transplant, they’ll pop right into these cute little tubes of landscape fabric that come prefilled with organic growing medium. we have really heavy clay soil here and tilling a temporary garden is such a pain. i hope these work out well. they look so promising!
here’s a look at a really cool stream bank restoration project using filtrexx products. it shows the gardensoxx being made on-site.
my sister’s one-day sister-in-law (i just know it!) tagged me in a facebook note, “end of year meme.” it would have been sooo easy to use the majority of her answers because, dude, it’s like she wrote them just for me! but, alas, she did not, so i’ve crafted my own responses just for you.
what did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? was diagnosed with and treated for cancer
did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? i don’t make them
did anyone close to you give birth? most recently, the greenes welcomed their twin girls
did anyone close to you die? i lost an old friend. he was a great man.
what countries did you visit? chemoland. it sucked. walt disney world
what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? energy and hair
what date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? june 12th, it was the last time i nursed my daughter before i started chemo
what was your biggest achievement of the year? resuming nursing after battling cancer
what was your biggest failure? having to stop nursing yes, i realize that was beyond my control, but to me it felt like failure.
did you suffer illness or injury? yes
what was the best thing you bought? our new house
whose behavior merited celebration? my mother’s my husband’s my daughter’s
whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? northern virginia’s drivers
where did most of your money go? our new house
what did you get really, really, really excited about? taking my daughter to disney for the first time
what song will always remind you of 2008? the hot dog song
compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? happier
thinner or fatter? fatter
richer or poorer? poorer
what do you wish you’d done more of? crafted more homemade gifts visited more friends blogged more taken more photos and video of my family and friends
what do you wish you’d done less of? had less cancer gained less weight
how did you spend christmas? at our new house with my husband’s parents, brother, sister-in-law, and my parents, grandparents, aunt & her family and her godparents & their family
did you fall in love in 2008? every day
how many one-night stands? (seriously? this one i have to change to something more mommy blog- friendly)
what changes did you make to “green up” your lifestyle? collected more reusable shopping bags and got my mom in the habit of using them, too started a compost pile chose a tankless hot water heater for the new house
what was your favorite tv show? lost
do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? hate? that’s much too strong of a word.
what was the best book you read? did i read any books? i know i started reading anthony bourdain’s the nasty bits, but i can’t even remember if i’ve finished it.
what was your greatest musical discovery? steve burns’ and the flaming lips’ steven drozd’s ” i hog the ground”
what did you want and get? to nurse my daughter again
what did you want and not get? skinnier faster
what was your favorite film of this year? this is the last question i answered because, honestly, i can’t remember watching any movie in its entirety aside from charlie wilson’s war. so i guess that’s it. though if i’d had opportunity to watch the x-files: i want to believe, i’m sure that would have beat out charlie wilson.
what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? went to my birthday party, 35
what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? having more energy and less nausea after chemo
how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? chemo casual
what kept you sane? prozac and ativan
which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? oh, how i love me some brit-brit. girl is a spectacular disaster!
what political issue stirred you the most? the presidential election, though that was more of a circus then an issue
whom did you miss? my friends from orlando
who was the best new person you met? my chemo nurse, danna
tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008: this is your life, right now. this is what you get. stop preparing for “someday” and start living it the way you want to now.
quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “it’s a brand new day, whatcha waitin’ for?”
i just love isabooties‘ new ballet criss-crossers. nugget already has a pair of classic style isabooties which we call her slippers. i think these would make a perfect addition to her gymboree class wardrobe since going barefoot at gymbo is never going to happen. to celebrate earth day 2008, isabooties are offering a 15% discount!
all isabooties:
are 100% animal-free
are formaldehyde free
are made in the usa with fair labor
use fabrics that far exceed the standard consumer safety specification for toy safety (astm f963-07)
come in packaging that is 100% recycled/100% recyclable and printed with soy ink
100% machine-washable/machine-dryable just like socks offering a clean, healthy choice in footwear
use coupon code happyearth08 to save 15% on all purchases through april 22nd!
the environmental protection agency is asking for public input on its review of the toxic pesticide endosulfan. the united farm workers and a number of environmental groups will be turning in a joint petition to the epa on february 15th. it is vital that they get as many signatures as possible.
endosulfan is acutely toxic and easily absorbed by the human body. low levels of exposure in the womb have been linked to autism, male reproductive harm and other birth defects. the lethal chemical has been linked to dozens of accidental deaths. it is an organochlorine–which means it persists in our environment long after it has killed the target pests–thus leaving a deadly legacy for people and wildlife. in the u.s., this toxic pesticide is used on tomatoes, cotton and other crops.
the european union and several other countries have already banned endosulfan. less dangerous alternatives are available. it’s time the u.s. does its part to protect communities and the environment at home and around the world from this persistent organic pollutant.
there is a short opportunity to make a difference. the epa is currently looking for public comment, so please act immediately and let them know continued use of this dangerous pesticide is unacceptable. demand an end to endosulfan by adding your name to the petition today. please forward this petition to your friends and family and encourage them to sign no later than february 15th.
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