a lost cause

I am a recovering EnviroNazi. Yes. It is true. I even worked as a career EnviroNazi. My apologies.

But I still do really like Earth Day. Not for the the mainstream purposes, though.

I honestly cannot stand to listen to all the lies about what the government is doing and what is so bad and how the government can fix what is bad. It is the government that ruined my EnviroNazism. My eyes were opened wide. WIDE. To the terrorism that is the government’s mind control over what is gifted to the individual – Nature’s endless provision of life, liberty, and happiness.

Instead I am one to mock Earth Day in general. After all, Earth Day is really every day. Our family does minimize its waste, we do recycle, we do minimize our use of resources. Far more than most families I know. We’re not off the grid, and I doubt we ever will be, but we’ll do just fine in a long-term emergency (like my Tough Italian Broad’s zombie apocalypse) sans generator.

And that is what brings me around to what I do like about this government-led Hallmark holiday. Kids, most through government indoctrination – which is wrong – learn that they can make a difference in the way they feel about the earth by doing. Be it learning that it is OK to pick up that soft drink can another person dropped. Or be it learning that if they want trees, they must create an immediate environment friendly to trees. Or be it learning that choosing to support certain practices feeds that market demand for behavior that leads to gross consumer consumption (pulled out a little environmental econ on ya there).

Kids can learn that they have a choice.

And that is the most important thing of all. Even if the government drills in their head the lies about Earth Day, the kid walks away knowing that, for this moment in time, she has a choice. Pick up that plastic bag whirling in the wind or let it keep whirling?

yes we did

This is labeled with “garden.” ha! I find it so stinking funny…

So…

Last night was the season premiere of Duck Dynasty. Yes. We like that show. I like how the whole family can watch it. I like how Miss Kaye and Phil show love without shame but with complete respect. In fact, my favorite part of last night’s show was when Phil, despite family tradition, chose to stay home rather than camp out the night before Duck Season. He also chose to break tradition and bathe. Because Miss Kaye told him he wasn’t getting any lovin’ without having had a bath first. And so, like a wise man, Phil bathed. And the best line of the show was delivered by Miss Kaye:

And that, Ladies, is how it’s done.

It was FANTASTIC!

Anywho… several weeks ago while trying to figure out how to buy the upcoming season so we could watch on the Apple TV (in my never-ending desire to rid us of Time Warner Cable), I ended up in the AETV.com store. And there it was. And yes. I pre-ordered it. My stingy, tightwad self PRE-ordered for $38 including shipping, a Chia Willie.

Now, I love the hair on those men. I wish My Husband would grow a full beard and just let it roll. No trimming, no details, just let it do its thing. But, I suppose in his business that might not work so much as it does at Duck Commander.

And, just in time for last night’s show… Chia Willie arrived!

There is Chia Willie ripped from the outer box and sitting in the cargo hold of my truck. I was a happy lady. The only Chia that would make me happier would be a Chia Jase. Because Jase is my favorite of the Robertson boys. He is manly. Willie…uh… Jase is manly. He can camp, he can stink, he can work. And he has awesome hair. Yes. There is hair under the hat he always wears.

And now I am sounding a bit obsessed. Which I am not. Mostly not.

After an hour’s soaking this morn

Chia Willie was seeded

And now he sits with the cacti waiting to sprout.

Yes, we did.

a tie for first

There are two things that tie for first of my favorite things to do for myself. Useful Handwork and Useful Gardening.

Reade and I just pulled up the sweet potatoes. Not as good as last year’s harvest, but good enough for Thanksgiving. A couple missed carrots, too. Now our garden is down to only peppers, kale, and greens. Kind of makes me sad. Planning for next year has already begun!

My hand is for reference of size of a couple of the potatoes. Only planted 6 plants, 4 survived so not bad. And I have my own slips for next year!

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Share your moment here and look for others at SouleMama.

I’ve enjoyed lots of little bouquets this week.

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Share your moment here and look for others at SouleMama.

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Share your moment here and look for others at SouleMama.

kids on the farm

There is a tragedy in this story about the federal government’s attempt to regulate children working on farms. A true tragedy.

However, just as tragic is this mother’s wish that government had made a decision for her so that she, and her 17 year old son, could escape responsibility for their choice.

Just like the escape mothers choose when the submit to highly regulated conventional maternity care.

Just like the escape families choose when they submit to highly regulated childcare.

Just like the escape parents choose when they submit to public education.

Escape avoids responsibility.

Life is a series of choices. Let government make them all and we are no longer free.

Victory Gardening

There’s NO dout that Victory Gardens were the result of some serious statist propaganda. But they worked. Which is where it seems odd, because they STILL work. So let’s give them another name…uh…how about “family garden” or “home garden” or dare I suggest “garden”?

 

This blog post has a neat collection of the when, what, how, and why. And it’s not too late to start your “garden.” I haven’t started mine…

 

Victory Gardening.

i let our worms die

Yes sirree. I let them die. Dried up. Gone.

Then I was cleaning the barn a couple of days after that huge storm and low and behold I hit worm heaven! No. Not worm heaven as in a bunch of drowned worms prostrate… Can worms be prostrate? I don’t think so. I still have the Indigo Girls song in my head.

Back to the worms… I moved some hay and hit a worm jackpot! I scooped those puppies up, as many as I could get in a feed scoop, carried them to the house and gently dropped them into the worm bin complete with decease worm remains. I added some fresh paper (soy-ink only!) and have checked on them daily. They’ll get fed tomorrow.

Here is a great and super simple quick worm farm tutorial. The best part? The beer.

Happy Worms!

“We don’t need to increase…”

This post from Frugally Sustainable begins with this quote:

“We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.” – Donald Horban

Quality in life is far greater than quantity in life. In my opinion…