Plans

I've been a little lazy here and I'm sorry
a host of computer issues has made blogging next to impossible
no matter what we do, we cannot get our energy bill down
so we think perhaps there is a problem with the meter...
or something
we are planning to have it all investigated

Also, currently we are waiting to build our compost pile until
the materials become available
rather than buy one or buy materials
we are going to use old pallets (is that how you spell it?)
from Aaron's work

Brandon was given a biodome for his birthday
and we just threw in some dirt, some brown material left over from the fall and a bunch of snow
I also threw in apple seeds as I got them
it appears we are growing an apple tree, grass and we have a spider
it is really neat to watch

And finally, we are in the process of planning out our garden
Brandon picked a spot, using the organic gardening encyclopedia we checked out from the library.
It is near three large trees in the yard
so there is both shade and sun
and there is a hill for planting potatoes
and the dirt is dark black and moist


Finally, because I've been baking so much
and because my brother has such horrid health problem
I agreed to bake my Brother versions of his favorite breads using organic whole wheat
he is never, ever, ever allowed to eat white bread or white flour
his body, after years of medications for his other disease
now has a disorder with his metabolism
he cannot eat sugar, meat, or white flour
he saw my sour dough I baked last weekend and said he really misses sour dough bread
so I told him I'd start buying the healthier flours at people's food co-op in bulk and make him bread
it may not taste as good
but my family will adjust
in my opinion
pretty much anything homemade tastes better
than store bought
even if it is healthier

I made the kids homemade nutragrain bars this weekend and everyone
including Aaron
went nutty for them

And last but not least
we found out that the city has a major recycling program right down the road from our house
so we walk back and forth with our recyclables
no driving
less waste
healthier for us
all and all
a better way to live

Biodynamic Farming

Biodynamic farming started why before organic. I believe in the 1920's Rudolph Stiener, yes like the schools, gave a series of lectures. He believed his food was degraded because of the use of chemicals in farming. He saw the farm as one living organism and self-sustaining.
* The animals poop
* The poop is turned to compost
* The compost feeds the ground
* The ground feeds the crops
* The crops feed the animals
* The animals poop on the ground...

That's obviously a simple way to look at it
but we'd like our home to be as biodynamic as possible
we don't have the room for farm animals or crops
but we have enough for a small garden and compost
we have leaves and dead material
food that goes unused
things that we can put back into the Earth so that it will give back to us
Plus....
I found this Biodynamic Co-op farm just a few miles from my house
(did I mention Biodynamic farms are co-op's?
*The farmer grows the food
*The community supports the farm with money
* The farmer gives the crops to the community
Kind of how all farmers do it
except
if there's a bad year the farmer still gets the money and doesn't have to sell his land
and the community gets organic food, at a cheaper price, skipping the grocery store, the shipping, the storing, and the get it in your house two days before it goes bad part
We want to join this farm

We'll see. I think I'm calling those dirty Hippies tomorrow to see if I can become one of them.

Jiminy Cricket

Aimee here. And baby its cold outside! Anyone in the North can relate to the brutality of our subzero weather. The cold whips and burns like the harsh licks of a fire. My youngest son has a chapped face. He sleeps in cream so rich in wrinkle fighting goodness my own skin breaks out from using it. My car coughs and sputters when I so rudely decide its time to get up and go. Thus, I've been a little relaxed in the eco rules department.
Last night, B and I went to pick up a pizza. Aaron and I work on Tuesday nights and often cooking is not an option. Anyway, it was to be a quick stop so I let my poor disgruntled car run. I told B it was just too cold to turn it off.
He nodded his head in shame at my reluctance to suffer for the better of the group.

"Its cold because of global warming and if you let your car run while we're inside its just going to get worse."

I always thought the phrase too smart for your own good was stupid. Why would anyone feel being less intelligent is better?
But I realize the phrase should be, "You're too smart for MY own good."
Because B has an answer for every lazy, self indulgent, well planned intellectual arguement I can muster.
He is my Jiminy Cricket.



And yes, I shut off the car. And it was still warm when we got back. He was right, I was wrong. I knew that before I tried to argue around him. He's my conscience and he keeps the little selfish devil on my shoulder at bay.

Another Website For Kids

B here. I found a cool website called Eekoworld. It is a part of PBS kids. Most of the stuff is for little kids. But Eekoworld is about saving energy, recycling, reducing pollution and helping the environment. It has a few games that teach kids. It also has a spot for parents and teachers with lesson plans for kids up to fourth grade. Its a pretty cool site.
pbskids.org/eekoworld

3 Windows and Weather Stripping

And the temp in the house has increased 6 degrees without touching the thermostat. Its actually warm in here. Weird. Only 26 more windows to go!

Lots and Lots of Plastic

We have to winter proof our house in creative ways.
I got a detailed bill from our gas/electric company
it appears our washer and dryer have a lot to do with the electricity being so high
it shot up as soon as we got them

Come summer I guess we'll be line drying as much as possible
but for now...
I wonder if my clothes would smell musty if I line dried inside in the basement
probably
a new dryer will help as it is old and electric

Also, the house is drafty
its old and you can actually feel wind standing in the kitchen
we think its a problem with the side door
so we are going to get new weather stripping
and cover every friggen window in the house with plastic
or those thick, cheap, insulating curtains
or if need be, blankets
whatever we can do at this point

But when we get the bill down to normal I will feel like a wealthy woman
consistently paying over $400 per month is just stupid
I didn't pay that much for my first apartment
I could drive a brand new car for that
or buy a little rundown shack on a lake (for the $600 per month)
or a PS3
or, or, or
so today our mission is to make this place less expensive

An Unwanted Break

I took an unwanted break from blogging here
B's birthday party wasn't until yesterday
I wanted to write about what I got him

First, because I know he will enjoy it I got him a sub to National Geographic Kids
Second I got him the first season of Dirty Jobs, on DVD. He loves the Discovery Channel and so I shopped the online store for the perfect presents
Third, I got him a replacement PS2 because his little Brother broke his
and finally, I got him an eco-dome at the Discovery Store Online
It is really cool because he wanted to build one of his one. This one has a temp monitor and you can create 3 or 4 different habitats. We're going to watch how everything works out and post our findings. The kids at his party thought it wasn't too cool, but B is that kid. He finds things interesting that other kids might find boring.


In other news my heat/electric bill was $600 this month. I need new windows, better insulation, and a miracle. We already turn the heat way down. I just wear 3 and 4 sweaters at a time, we have the new light bulbs...there's not a whole lot we can do aside from the big fixes.

I am going to see if we qualify for a HUD grant to update our home and make it more energy efficient. I'm also going to demand that the utility company come out and check our meters and see if everything is working properly.

I'll let you know how that goes. Because seriously, I could have a 2ND home with the amount we pay in utilities right now.