Green Lindsey

It's alive, it's alive!

2010-06-18T15:25:00.005-06:00

Yes, you thought my rosemary was dead. But it isn't. And I even have a photo to prove it. So there you have it - it is possible to grow rosemary from seed, it just needs a really sunny window and lots of TLC.

I started them in seedling pots at the beginning of March, then transplanted them to this pot about two and a half months later, when they were an inch or two tall. They definitely don't like the cloudy/snowy days so a south-facing window is a must. Also, I have not transferred these outside with the rest of my plants. After all this work they are NOT going to get frosted on!!

My serving suggestion? Baked potatoes with lots of butter, garlic, fresh rosemary and sage. Or steamed mussels with rosemary and white wine or apple cider. Speaking of dinner...

Farmers' markets are a comin'

2010-06-01T10:33:00.003-06:00

The cold weather has effectively slowed the growth of my plants to a crawl, with the exception of the tomatoes, which are inside and ripening at an amazing pace. Tonight we will have ripe tomatoes in our fajitas made from (hopefully) home-made tortillas. I'll let you know how it goes ;).

An update on my rosemary -- I bet you thought it was dead didn't you? Well, after a very slow start and many people telling me it is well-nigh impossible to grow rosemary from seed I have two respectable, 5-6 inch seedlings and a couple of smaller plants. They haven't been enjoying the crappy weather, even inside, but the peppery smell of the rosemary is oh, so pungent when I brush up against one while watering! I can't wait to use some.

For all my vegetables that I can't grow at home I rely on local farmers' market throughout the summer. The Hillhurst-Sunnyside market is opening tomorrow -- you can read about it on my other blog at Fast Forward.

Time for some sun now Mother Nature. Pretty please?

Frosty basil

2010-05-27T10:50:00.003-06:00

I thought for sure the basil was a goner. Last Thursday was only supposed to have an overnight low of 5C. Now, I've known the weatherman to be wrong before, so why I trusted him on this occasion I'm not sure. At any rate, Friday morning I awoke to brown-edged, droopy basil and tomatoes.

I didn't get the chance to snap a photo, but it looked dead. Like six feet under, crossing the river Styx kind of dead. I brought it and the tomatoes inside and then left town to go visit my friends in Lethbridge.

While I was gone Kyle did a very good job taking care of everything. The basil made a miraculous comeback and Kyle got to eat all the frost-bit leaves before they fell off. A win-win really. The tomatoes have lost a few leaves, but have also survived the frosting intact. In fact I just had a handfull of cherry tomatoes last night, and a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich with slices of our "Supersonic" variety. Yum. I could eat cherry tomatoes like those every day of my life.

The lettuce and cucumbers that Kyle sowed a week or so ago are starting to poke up. Great timing, considering they are forcasting SNOW tonight. Sigh. Such is the life of a Calgary gardener.

I also was given some chive plants from my friends Cheryl and Lorne in Lethbridge. They have been looking incredibly wilty since the transplant (might have had something to do with the two hour drive back to Calgary they had to endure), but I think they might be almost over the transplant stress -- today they were looking decidedly more upright.

Keep your fingers crossed that everything survives the snow tonight!

Long time comin'

2010-05-20T10:44:00.004-06:00

Okay, I freely admit I am a horrible blogger -- I come up with all sorts of things I need to talk about on my blog, but never seem to get down to actually doing it. Bah.

I suppose I will start where I left off last time, with my dying lettuce and beans. Well, they still aren't dead. While plants don't flourish under my care I seem to be able to keep them hanging on to the lowest ebb of life. Which is what my beans and lettuce have been doing for almost a month.

However, the good news is that I'm glad I didn't just rip them out and start again because there are signs of hope. While pretty much every single leaf on the beans died off and I was sure they were dead, now a whole new set of leaves is coming in, and this morning I even counted four flowers! As for my lettuce, after completely hacking it back to virtually nil, the two clumps left have regrown . In fact, I was even able to have some fresh lettuce for my sandwich today. I hope these new leaves are hardy because Buster has decided the empty space beside the lettuce is "kitty-sized" and I have caught him curled up in there.

What I have learned is that my pots are NOT big enough. They seemed enormous when I planted my tiny seedlings in them, but I have had to thin my peas, dill, and beans as they began crowding each other in the, now far-too-small, pots. Thinning is not something I am good at, as you may have guessed from my reticence to dig up my dying beans. Also, Kyle had to be the one to prune our ficus, which really needed it but I couldn't bring myself to start chopping off perfectly good branches. I'm just not good at the philosophy of sacrificing one for the good of the many. But I did do the thinning, and hopefully the remaining plants will thank me!

We have been using the herbs in all sorts of recipies, from roasted potatoes to fish to Thai curries. The vegetables, on the other hand, I would rather eat straight off the plant, especially our crisp, juicy, "oh my GOD those are good" snow peas. My love of peas has reemerged thanks to those peas -- for a while I was swindled into thinking those limp, thin, sorry excuses for peas you find at the grocery store were what peas were like. Our tomatoes are also pretty good, though I find our large "supersonic" variety a little grainy.

Finally, some before and after photos. The first photo was taken March 27, the second, May 12. What a difference! And if you are interested, you can read my recent article in Fast Forward on apartment gardening.

Snow and dying beans

2010-04-28T14:05:00.007-06:00

Yes, it is really the end of April and it's blizzarding in Calgary...again. I always thought the saying was "April showers bring May flowers," but hey, what do I know.

Although I recently harvested almost a dozen beans (which, by the way, were seriously delicious) I am very concerned about the health of my bean plants. They keep dropping leaves and generally look pretty sick. There haven't been any new flowers in a while either. My best guess is that they need more space than the container I currently have them in allows. But, unfortunately there won't be any replanting until the weather shapes up.

On the thread of "things that are dying," my lettuce has also fallen on hard times (maybe this is karma for bragging about having "garden lettuce" in April). Half of it look healthy but half of it has been slowly wilting. I cut out a bunch to see if it just needed more room to grow but no dice, I finally pulled out the last of the droopy leaves yesterday. I just hope the "good half" doesn't follow the same path. (The photo below is before the wiling got really bad, but you can see the left half is not as healthy as the right)

Disaster averted

2010-04-26T12:40:00.009-06:00

I've been pretty negligent in posting recently and, consequently, I have a lot of writing saved up. For ease of reading I will break it into a few posts, rather than posting one monster. Work has been crazy and, after spending so much time writing and editing the CMC's newsletter I didn't have much energy left over for other journalistic pursuits!

The disaster I allude to in my post title involves my tomato plants. Calgary experienced a recent spate of beautiful weather (followed promptly by a few inches of snow). A great opportunity to get the plants out on the balcony for a few days right? Well, yes, except for the fact that, since splitting our tomatoes into two pots I have not yet bought another tomato ring. And, of course, as I was moving it it slipped and the main stalk snapped about an inch and a half above the soil.

I was pretty sure the plant was done for, gone the way of my cucumber experiment but, once again thanks to the wonders of the interweb, I learned I might be able to save it. Apparently, by wrapping the stem tightly (like you would cast a broken bone) and leaving it for a few days the tomato can heal the break.

As you can see I wound some fabric around the break (holey underwear is good for something!) followed by some tape and, a week later now, the plant seems to have survived. Sadly, I had to remove all of the baby tomatoes from the vine so the plant could use its energy for healing, so if you have a recipe for green tomatoes let me know! My mom never grew tomatoes because they are difficult to grow, but after this experience I'm pretty sure they can withstand anything.

My healed plant (though I haven't taken the wrap off yet, I'm afraid it won't be totally healed).

And below you can see, my tomato plant that didn't suffer a minor catastrophe is doing okay too, though the tomatoes are so heavy they are weighing down the branches. I'm almost afraid I will have another break to repair. Still no signs of red yet.

More photos

2010-04-09T15:29:00.005-06:00

Okay, I will start with some photos I took last Friday but haven't had time to post yet.

Things have changed in a week. The tomatoes are quite a bit bigger (and there are more of them), the bean flowers have turned into tiny baby beans and the peas are beginning to flower. I'm a little concerned about the peas, the leaves on the bottom have dried up and fallen off but I am told that that usually happens and not to worry.

So, instead of worrying I harvested some of my thyme last night for a fantastic meal from Lucy Waverman's cookbook Lucy's Kitchen. It is a fantastic book -- I haven't tried many recipes yet, but the ones I have made are all winners. So far my favourite are her shortbread cookies (the trick is the rice flour).

Last night I didn't make shortbread, I made mustard-crusted halibut with roasted vegetables. Yum. If the thyme is any indication of how good our garden will be, I am a VERY happy girl.

Houston, we have a tomato

2010-03-29T09:06:00.007-06:00

While on the one hand I have totally given up on the survival of my cucumbers (more on that later) I saw, hiding under the leaves, a tiny green tomato. Apparently my vibrating has been successful (see my previious post on indoor tomato pollination)

I have been successful in keeping Buster from eating things only because it is mostly out of his reach. However, the other day I had his cat tree too close to the tables and now my peas have teeth marks in the leaves. We attempted to coax him away from OUR food by planting gat grass for him -- the idea being he will like it more than the other plants and refrain from munching on them. Unfortunately, while he loves the cat grass he still tried to make a pass at the peas again.

My windowbox garden is coming along nicely, I have tried adding a picture here but it doesn't seem to want to allow it. I think the lettuce finds it a bit hot in the house -- it is looking a little wilty, but otherwise everthing looks healthy.

Except for the cucumbers, which I have given up for lost. Reading on the internet, I've found out that they need eight hours of sun every day, which was fine when they were in seedling pots, but when I transplanted them they were no longer in prime window poition. I may try them once the other plants can go outside. It has been recommended online that for containers dwarf or "bush" varieties are generally more successful. Or I may use the cucumber pot for the strawberries my mom is giving me when they take over her garden. :)

Good news...and bad news

2010-03-17T10:11:00.006-06:00

Ok, so first the good news: MOST of my plants are doing incredibly well. My peas and beans are getting nice and bushy and my tomato plants even have little yellow flowers that are begining to open.

I wasn't sure how tomato plants pollinate and since we don't exactly have bees in our house I thought I should look it up. I found a website that said, while tomatoes have both male and female parts on the same flower ("they're hermaphrodites," my friend Anna commented), they don't always get pollitnated properly if you grow them inside. This is because the flowers need the wind to blow pollen onto the stamen. So, it is recommended that you "vibrate" your tomato plants between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (when the pollen is released) to get everything in the right place. Since I am at work during the day I told Kyle he would have to "vibrate" our tomatoes. He told me he would open the window.

More good news: more rosemary is growing!! In addition to the lone sprout I had before, I now have FOUR more rosemary sprouts (I have decided that the other one is indeed a thyme seed).

At this rate I may be able to cut some rosemary for Christmas!

The other herbs are slowly maturing -- they seemed to stall last week but over the weekend have been growing again. The dill actually resembles dill now and I have been sorely tempted to pluck off a little fern from the top. I suppose I know how the cat feels -- he just has less self control.

And now, the bad news:

My poor cukes. I go back and forth between hoping just one or two will survive and deciding what else I will plant there.

Killer cats, and boyfriends

2010-03-12T10:21:00.003-07:00

Things are not going well today, though everthing is still alive...so far.

First off, although the sage is finally coming along, I have exactly two pathetic little rosemary sprouts. And one of those looks suspiciously like a thyme seed that made a border forray into rosemary territory. So, here's hoping that one seedling is a fighter.

Considering my friend Linda says she has been growing rosemary for 20 years and has never successfully started it from seed I don't like my odds.

The next menace to my gardening experiment is fat, furry and black. His name is Buster. He's my cat. And he likes cucumbers. He's managed to munch off two leaves of my cucumber seedlings -- most of which only HAVE two leaves at this point leaving two lopsided cucumber plants.

I hope he has come to the conclusion that vegetarianism isn't his bag -- or maybe this is his way of encouraging me to feed him more of his favourite wet food.

The other menage is named Kyle. He's my other half (not the better one today). He phones me this morning and asks if I think it's okay to leave the window (right next to my seedlings) open when he goes to work. "No," I say "It's still -1 outside." I am informed that he is already too far away from the house to do anything about it.

I can only hope that it has warmed up quickly enough that they haven't frozen. He was only trying to be helpful, putting my cucumbers on the balcony and opening the window. Or maybe he was subconciously exacting his revenge for last weekend, when I accidentally laundered his wallet and phone.

At any rate, keep your fingers crossed for my struggling little sprouts!

(Plant) Baby pictures!

2010-03-10T10:15:00.005-07:00

Our tomato seedlings, which have grown a fair bit since we bought them on March 1.

Herbs, some of which are doing very well, others....not so much. The blank space to the far left is sage, the one second from the right on the bottom is rosemary. The basil on the bottom right is doing well, as well as the thyme above it and the tarragon to the left. The dill (second from the left) is slow but this morning it was up a bit more than in this photo taken last night.

The vegetables have taken off like a shot compared to the herbs. Peas in front, then lettuce and beans.

And our cukes! Replanted this past weekend.

Aaaaaand they're off!

2010-03-09T12:57:00.004-07:00

Well, it's barely been a week since I planted my seedlings and they are doing fantastically well! (I will post pictures I PROMISE!). I have replanted the cucumbers into the large tub they will live in outside. Unfortunately, since we got more snow they haven't been able to go outside during the days, but hopefully by the end of the week I will be able to put them out on my way to work.

Unfortunately, it looks as though I am not going to be able to grow asparagus. Although I found one book that said it was possible, it seems that they need a much larger container than would be feasible on our balcony.

So, the list of things that are sprouting so far:
Beans -- they are about four inches already, I'm trying to decide how soon I should re-pot them.
Cucumbers -- This is why I am loathe to re-pot the beans yet. On the weekend I re-potted the cukes, as they looked like they were getting too big for the little seed containers. However, the roots were not really developed yet, so when I tried to remove them from the old pot all the dirt fell away and I was left holding the seed. They seem to be doing okay in the new pot so I am hopeful the transplantation wasn't stressful enough to kill them!
Peas -- they started earlier than the beans but have slowed down, they are still just small shoots.
Lettuce -- So far a nice, low carpet of green shoots in the seedling pots.
Basil -- Same as the lettuce
Thyme -- I can't believe how small the seedlings are, the leaves are no bigger than pin heads!
Tarragon -- Same as the thyme.
Dill -- I'm a little bit worried about these, there is one lone sprout popping its head out of the container.
Sage -- About the same condition as the dill, which saddens me, I really love sage. It reminds me of camping with my dad as a kid on the prairies. I remember telling him once (I think I was about six) that they should make perfume out of sagebrush -- afterall it smells so much better than what most women wear. ;-)

I hope the weather improves this week so I can start putting them outside for a few hours a day (my mom says it "toughening them up"). Maybe by the weekend I will re-pot the beans, and have some pictures posted!

A new project!

2010-03-06T07:51:00.003-07:00

It seems that I have trouble blogging without some sort of project to write about.

While the project technically started a few days ago, it was this morning, while I was lying in bed admiring my fledgling tomato and cucumber plants that I realised I should blog about it.

As you may have already guessed, it involves gardening. Some of you who know me may be scratching your heads. Yes, I do live in an apartment, and no, other than the juniper we transplanted to the corner of the patio of our last townhouse and a few annuals that died from lack of love (and water), I have never gardened.

Not that there wasn't a green gene in the family. I remember on dark, cold winter nights my mom would pore over seed catalogues, with her pencil crayons nearby to add to her colour-coded maps of our yards. I would point out some beautiful flower I wanted her to buy, inevitably in the wrong "zone" so it would never survive in Calgary, which never seemed to support the flowers I liked. We also had a vegetable patch, with military rows of lettuce, asparagus, carrots, potatoes, peas, beans and zucchini (oh, what an abundance of zucchini! We would be eating frozen zucchini cake and loaf until December!) as well as sweet, luscious strawberries and raspberries, just waiting to be popped in our mouths, fresh off the plant.

Luckily for my fledgling attempts at gardening, our apartment seems well set up for it, with a fairly large south-facing balcony. Earlier this week I purchased some seed trays and seeds (cucumber, lettuce, pea, bean, and a a variety of herbs), as well as a fledgling tomato plant (I always hear tomatoes are difficult so I didn't want to try them from seed). I haven't killed anything in the four days they have been in the house -- in fact the cucumbers are gigantic (by seedling standards) and the lettuce is poking its tiny green pinheads out of the soil.

My plan is that, by starting them early and leaving them out during the day and bringing them in if it frosts, I will be able to start a second batch it I manage to kill these ones before they reach maturity!

I'm already thinking how tasty a salad will be with home-grown vegetables!

San Fran does it again!

2009-06-23T12:25:00.001-06:00

Why can't all mayors be this visionary? San Francisco just signed into law a mandatory composting bill.

Calgary still doesn't have universal curbside recycling. Sigh.

Twilight Zone? No wait, it's just suburban Calgary

2009-06-15T15:59:00.003-06:00

It's a beautiful summers day. It's 11 am on a Saturday. The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing. And there are no children in our neighborhood park.

None.

Not a single one on the swingset. Or playing tag. Or soccer. Or T-ball.

It was like I'd been transported to some alternate dimension with no children. But it wasn't just the lack of kids. There were no adults wandering through or sitting on a bench or under a tree with a book. Nothing. So I challenge everyone to go and visit your local park this week.

Turn off the video games, the TV, the computer. Maybe even leave your phone at home. Take your kids, or your loved one, or just yourself and enjoy those public spaces the city has set aside for us and uses our money to maintain. Remember, if no one uses them they just might disappear.

And while your out there say hi to a fellow neighbour. Let's build some communities and nurture spontaneous social interaction in Calgary.

Food Inc.

2009-06-12T14:30:00.002-06:00

This sounds like a brilliant film. Food Inc. takes a good hard look at where the food we eat comes from, which I'm sure will be very scary. Michael Pollan, author of the Omnivore's Dilemma and a new book, In Defense of Food, which also looks very interesting.

As consumers we are so detached from our food, something I think many of us want to change. I think we need to change this attitude towards our food, the way we produce it is unsustainable at the moment. I think all of us will take a second look at our consumption after watching this film. I've seen similar documentaries on pig farming, which is really a horrendous industry.

I'm really looking forward to this film, I haven't been able to find where it is playing in Calgary, although I saw one website that said it opened on June 19.

San Fran gets tough on waste

2009-06-10T12:17:00.003-06:00

It really amazes me how San Fran is so ahead of the rest of North America on this stuff. Go hippies! Another unfortunate reminder that Calgary is waaay behind. Thank God we can finally recycle plastic!

Finally, Lay's become local

2009-06-10T10:32:00.003-06:00

I don't care how you slice it (haha) an enormous conglomerate like Frito-Lay (part of an even bigger conglomerate called Pepsi-co)cannot pretend they make "local" food. Isn't there some law against that? There should be.

What I'm talking about is Frito-Lay's newest marketing campaign that attempts to brand their Lays potato chips as "local." Lay's says they will "put a spotlight on potato farmers from California, Florida, Maine, Michigan and Texas that grow potatoes used in Lay’s Potato Chips as the faces for the iconic brand in :30 national and regional television spots that play a central role to the initiative."

In other words -- since we have thousands of farmers across the US, one of them must be close to you, despite the fact that those potatoes are probably shipped across the country to be processed, somewhere else to be packaged, then shipped to a distributor before your "local" potato chips finally reach you again. Does anyone actually fall for this garbage?

And don't forget the fact that I suspect (maybe someone can confirm this) Lay's uses GMO or GEO products which are not exactly in line with what most people are looking for when they decide to buy local.

But what these big companies are great at? PR. Check it out: “While Lay’s Potato Chips have been one of the most popular snacks since they were introduced, what people might not realize is how many communities across the country play a role in the creation of America’s favorite potato chip,” said Dave Skena, vice president of potato chip marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “The truth is we are closer to home than people might expect and we felt it was only fitting to put the spotlight on these people and communities and celebrate the contributions they’ve made to the Lay’s brand.”

And finally: "The campaign highlights the simplicity of Lay's Classic Potato Chips in a day and age where consumers are looking to keep things less complex." Really? Gag.

Calgary Farmers' Market

2009-06-09T10:58:00.005-06:00

Since my Fast Forward article last week on the Calgary Farmers' Market I have been thinking about the local food movement in Calgary.

I first got interested in all the drama going on at the CFM when I read a blog post by Wade Sirois, co-owner of Forage and Infuse Catering. It got more interesting when the market manager refused to return my phone calls, was constantly in meetings when I visited the market and none of the vendors would talk about anything to do with the market. It was so bad, that one vendor, who told me that he didn't want to talk and didn't know anything anyway phoned me back later that day to beg me not to mention him at all in my story. He was petrified! Is this not completely ridiculous?

I finally got some answers from some vendors at the CFM but it seems like the CFM is far from the best way to get local food to consumers. Especially since so much of the stuff they sell is not local. Bananas? Passion fruit? Sometimes I wonder if everyone is aware that they aren't necessarily buying local at the CFM. I know what questions to ask, but do the suburban moms with their tote bags and baby carriages full of the same product that is sold to Safeway? In my opinion, farmers' markets should not only be about local producers, but micro-producers. If the farmers' market is filled with distributors selling products from giant operations it doesn't matter if it is local or organic or whatever. It will destroy one of the most important traditions in Canada -- the family farm.

Some other interesting info from the rumour mill. In my discussions with Wade, it came up that while the farmers' market pays Canada Lands $4 a square foot, vendors pay the market $80 a square foot. So what does the market do with all that extra money?

Obviously some of it has to go to infrastructure, things like electricity and water, but where else is this money going? Advertising is a big one, which is a bit of a problem for me -- aren't farmers' markets supposed to be shared by communities, by word of mouth, by friends, family?

I really can't imagine what it must be like that for vendors at that market right now. I am genuinely worried that the one vendor brave enough to use his name in my article will face fines, or worse repercussions. He assured me that they have a strong following and will be successful whether they are part of the CFM or not. I truly believe this about most of the producers there.

It's such a shit show. How can a farmers' market function when none of the vendors know what is going on. Maybe I'm naive in thinking that we can buy products directly from a farmer without middle-men, where the producer has total control over their product. But I think it needs to happen, I (and I think Wade) am hoping that some of the CFM vendors will get so fed up they leave and start a pure farmers market.

No bouncy castles. No food court. No US produce. (Or Mexico for that matter!) No distributors. Just a farmer with his product and me with money. Period. Why is this such a difficult thing to accomplish?

Oh, and apparently all the Fast Forwards at the CFM disappeared on Friday when there are usually some left at the end of the week. Just sayin'.

Urban sprawl

2009-06-08T21:42:00.003-06:00

I recently read a blog post by Ryan at the New Resilient which got me interested in a film called Radiant City, filmed right here in Calgary about urban sprawl.

Some of the facts were astonishing. The average suburban home is now 2200 square feet. Over 90% of kids are now driven to school. Suburbanites are, on average, 6 pounds heavier than their inner city counterparts.

Some of the attitudes in the film were depressing, mostly because they really reflect how some people in this city view life. The two most recent examples are a Calgary Herald article about the 62 new officers assigned to the downtown beat to help "clean the core" as the chief said and a CBC story about attainable housing. This is an actual quote from the Herald article:

"Lisa Millican squeals with delight as she sees us approach her convoy of strollers.

In fact, Millican and friends Chantel Bradley and Carley Loder, all toting carriages with sleeping babies, are here precisely because of the new police presence.

'We live in the deep south, but heard on TV that there was a police foot patrol starting today,' says the 26-year-old. 'They make us feel it's OK to leave the suburbs. We love these guys.'"

I can't even begin to talk about what is wrong with that. What has happened to our society that people are too scared to venture out of their gated suburban communities. Does suburbia have us so compartmentalized that we have forgotten how to interact with other people? It makes me wonder where these people were raised and how they have been so entirely insulated their whole life.

The CBC story on the six o'clock news tonight showed one woman who didn't want the sites to be used for attainable housing because of "the people who come with that kind of housing. It's not that they're all bad I guess but some of them are."

One of the experts in the film talked about how suburbs propagate monocultures. The big mansions are in a cluster here, the houses in a cluster here, the town homes here. It has created a new breed of discrimination. Incomism. We don't want to hang out with people who don't make what we make, live like we live and buy into the same ideals we do.

The more I hear people saying the kind of things in these news stories the less faith I have in Calgary, as a city and as a meaningful community. It makes me afraid for the future of initiatives like Plan It, a great idea that is long overdue, but in jeopardy, especially since the home builders are already busy spinning the facts to their advantage.

Can Calgary have a future that doesn't exclude public transit, walking and biking. Or are we wedded to a future of giant homes in pod-like communities with no sense of community? I don't want to believe it, but it seems more and more likely.

Greening the doctor

2009-06-04T10:40:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I'm officially an ecoweenie. I went for my pap test today and was very impressed by my doctor.
Not by her bedside manner. Or her knowledge of medicine. Nope, it was because I thought she was being very green. I didn't ask her if it was on purpose, but you know that horrible retractor thing they use? Well it was a good old fashioned metal one. Cold, yes, but not wasteful like those disposable plastic ones.
And the little paper sheet she gave me to cover myself? She had torn it in half, saving paper. (Maybe she was just being cheap but who really cares what the motivation is). I did feel a little bad because I really should have just brought my own sheet, but hey, my doctor's green! I think that's kind of cool. I know, I'm a weenie, but I'm ok with it.

The state of things

2009-03-24T13:18:00.005-06:00

No I haven't fallen off the face of the planet since March began, I've just been busy. Contemplating this, contemplating that, general contemplation. I realized yesterday that I should share these contemplations with you, friends, instead of just with the other voices in my head.

The other day I was contemplating Wal-Mart. It was before all this damn snow hit and I took a walk through my neighborhood, which inevitably means passing the Wal-Mart since it is a block from my house.

It was just after 10 am on a weekday and the parking lot was full of cars. It seems like Jell-o, there is always time for Wal-Mart. Ok, that comparison didn't work so well. Anyway. I really hate Wal-Mart. I always feel a little ill at the wanton consumption when I walk by. But I am a hypocrite. I shop at Wal-Mart. Not often, but when your income technically puts you below the poverty line sometimes you can't resit the cheapness of craptastic Wal-Mart.

New underwear, pet food, furniture, dishes...it doesn't matter what it is, it is ALWAYS cheaper at Wal-Mart. And I can definitely see how it would be hard for people who are in dire straits financially to buy something that is more expensive just because it is more sustainable. I can't even do it sometimes.

On the other hand, I think many people use Wal-Mart as a way to have more than they would be able to afford otherwise. I have been trying to ask myself lately: do you really need new ____ (insert luxery item here) when the one you have works perfectly fine? Or do you really need one of them at all?

How do we (should we) define "need"?

Earth Hour

2009-03-05T10:32:00.002-07:00

World Wildlife Fund is presenting Earth Hour again this year.

The idea is that on March 28 at 8:30 pm people from around the world will turn off all their power for one hour. It is a great idea to promote awareness and to help us realize how much we really rely on energy in our society. It's only an hour though, so get on board and turn off your TV, your computer and your lights and help save the planet!

Sign up at the Earth Hour website where they also have tips on activities to plan.

Looking back...and forward

2009-03-03T18:53:00.002-07:00

Well, it’s been a whole month without plastic bags. I actually can’t believe it has been that long. Other than a few minor things going bag-free didn’t really pose too many problems for me.

There were some places that I didn’t even realize I used bags, like for five cent candies at the 7-11. If nothing else it was an interesting way to make myself more aware of exactly what I consume. It was really just a matter of changing my habits.

It’s just like when I used to bite my nails as a kid – using plastic bags is just a bad habit of mine that I have to change. And just like any bad habit it can be difficult to change but all it takes is a little diligence and effort to replace the bad habit with a good one. Now for me I just had to pay attention and stop myself when I went to bite my nails but some people have to use more serious measures like that polish that tastes really bad. I think it is the same with plastic – some people may have a harder time adjusting because the plastic bag has become so deeply entrenched in our society’s psyche.

So what happens now? Do I go back to using plastic bags the way I was before? Do I continue to be a plastic bag Nazi? I think for me the way ahead lies somewhere in the middle (as answers always seem to, there is never black and white, only shades of grey).

Interestingly enough if I had to choose I would keep the bag for the kitchen garbage over the kitty litter. The number of times I had to peel slimy, gooey who-knows-what-it-used-to-be out of the garbage...yuck. The worst was the peelings from Kyle’s cucumbers. I told him he had to start eating the peel so I didn’t have to pick it out of the garbage. However, as gross as it is I will continue to pick and peel because I think that is the place that I throw out the greatest number of bags. I do wonder about the amount of water I use to clean out the bin though...

More about the kitty litter, I would encourage anyone who owns a cat to stop using bags. With the clumping litter it is relatively easy to dump the clumps into a little Tupperware bin (make sure you don’t confuse it with one you use for food! ) and dispose of it in the dumpster, or garbage can. Generally there isn’t any leftover “kitty bits” and if there it’s fairly easy to clean out.

As for the grocery store, I will continue to eschew plastic in favour of my reusable cloth bags. This one is maybe the hardest habit to change, although I have remembered my bags every time this month the test will come when I forget my bags and I have to force myself to go home and get them rather than just taking a plastic bag. The bulk foods are working pretty well using my old yogurt tubs – in fact it is keeping my cupboard tidier because the tubs are all neatly stacked, as opposed to the mess of bags that usually reside in my pantry.

Ok, now for the things I will continue to use bags for. Cheese. I just can’t find a way to keep cheese from turning hard without plastic. But there is a compromise. I save the bags that foods come packaged in that I cannot change, like bread and perogies for example and will use and reuse those for my cheese.

Freezer bags are the other issue – I haven’t come up with anything satisfactory for some things in the freezer, but again I have freezer bags in my house that are years old because I have used them so many times.

Finally, I will eventually make the change to dry sacs from plastic bags for camping but they are expensive so for the next while my toilet paper will continue to reside in its plastic bag, as it has done for years. And so will my trail mix.

I think that it is possible for anyone to go bag-free, or at least to begin to cut down on their plastic bag consumption. It is all about the little things that everyone can do to help make our planet a cleaner place.

I will continue to keep you updated on my green escapades so keep checking back, I am deciding on my next big project...perhaps vermicomposting...

Day 28 -- the last one (technically)

2009-02-28T20:46:00.003-07:00

Ach! I'm ticked at myself! I was doing so well and then the last day I ruined my streak. Kyle had to teach a clinic in Banff this morning so we decided that we would spend the day, and of course a day in Banff isn't complete without a visit to the Fudge Factory.

Kyle was all excited about his almond bark and I about my "avalanche" when we realized that we had no way to carry it. So we had to get a plastic bag. Boo. My avalanche just didn't taste as good....

However I am attempting to rationalize it. Most things in the store are already prepackaged with plastic wrap -- which can't be reused. Our delectable goodies weren't wrapped so the plastic bag was just a substitute for the wrapping, and actually a more environmentally friendly option because it can be reused. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

And when we got home I realized another bag that I had obtained without even realizing it. Five cent candies from 7-11. I'm totally addicted to them and on the rare occasion we go to a 7-11 I always get a dollar or two worth. I didn't even realize that they all go in one of those little plastic bags... Well now that I have one that will become my candy bag for my occasional indulgences. I can't wait to see the expression on the clerk's face if he sees me bringing in my own little candy bag. :)

Well it's time to contemplate the month -- which of course flew by -- draw my conclusions and decide how and if I will continue my plastic boycott. I'll let you know in a day or two!

Day 24..more thoughts

2009-02-24T14:03:00.003-07:00

I just saw a commercial for the new Mac green notebooks. They sound pretty interesting, especially the part about using a quarter of the power of a lightbulb. It is great that the computer industry is getting on board with the whole green thing. Computers have been seen as the green option for quite a while, what with the electronic files and messaging -- no more killing trees.

Unfortunately the upsides have generally overshadowed the downsides. They use a lot of energy, especially if, like many people, you leave them running 24/7, they are full of harmful chemicals and they get thrown out on a regular basis since every 18 months or so they become outdated. Even if they do get recycled, they are often improperly disposed of by the recycling companies, or shipped overseas (think carbon emissions) to get dismantled in third world countries without proper safety equipment. Much of this was documented on CBC's Marketplace

So the green book is good.

As I think about it more though, it occurs to me that making a product that is more environmentally friendly to throw away doesn't solve the problem. Mac's ad proclaims that the fact that the green book is made of aluminum and glass makes it more recyclable and it doesn't contain harmful toxins such as mercury that can seep into the environment.

But shouldn't we just stop throwing things out? Why do we need to buy a new cell phone or computer every 6-18 months? The one we have worked just fine when we bought them, and really, are we paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for products that we expect to throw out in a couple of years?

Think about throwing out your refrigerator every year. Doesn't it seem a bit ridiculous? So why is it any different for electronics?

Day 24

2009-02-24T08:08:00.003-07:00

I have been entirely negligent of my blog this week. It has been one of those weeks where you think you have enough time to do everything but then you find that there is really twice as much to do as you originally thought. I'm going to be completely snowed under for the rest of this week too, which seems to match the weather. Well, hopefully I will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel by April! Its that word in the English language "no" that I seem to have problems saying to people....

Anyhow. Plastic. I am still mulling over what to do about my camping conundrum. There really is nothing better than baggies for some things. Especially when we go backpacking and are pressed for space, it just seems like baggies are the best way to carry trail mix/tea bags/banana chips etc. etc. etc. because of the fact that they compress down as the stuff in them disappears. Maybe I will check out the Ecostore to se if they have any reusable bags that will seal....

The garbage seems to get slimier every time I take it out. There has developed a layer of slime on the bottom of the garbage that just doesn't seem to want to wash off. I suppose I can make some slimy sacrifices for a greener planet though.

I have quite gotten used to my new method of cleaning the cat box though. My little Tupperware box that I scoop his poop into is the perfect size and when I dump it into the dumpster there is rarely residual kitty ickyness left in it. It is really quite tidy and doesn't take me any more time than when I used to put it in a plastic bag. My mom did mention one thing though, she said that she hopes there is no one dumpster diving in our alley. They might get an unpleasant surprise! :)

Day 19

2009-02-19T21:05:00.003-07:00

I don't think Kyle likes using the yogurt containers for our bulk goods. He keeps asking me what is in all the containers :)

The garbage was beyond gross yesterday. Obviously letting it rot for three days before taking it out is not cool. There was a lot of dish soap and a lot of scrubbing involved. Slimy nastiness all over the bottom.

Day 18

2009-02-18T18:47:00.002-07:00

Well it finally happened. I broke down and used a plastic bag. To be fair, it was a ziploc bag that I have been using for well over a year now. And I rinsed it out, so it can be reused.

It was when I went out cross-country skiing in Kananaskis the other day (which I am battered and bruised all over from). I sat down and ate my fruit cup out on the trail and then I reached for my baggie to seal it up in.....but wait a minute.... I chose to use the baggie since my other options were to leave it on the trail or get sticky fruit juice all over my backpack. Neither seemed like viable options to me.

At any rate I guess I need to go buy a small dry-sac for my garbage. I can forsee that camping in the summer will be even more problematic for plastic baggage.

I finally went grocery shopping yesterday so my cupboards aren't so barren. We actually had a real dinner tonight! My old yogurt tubs worked pretty well for my bulk goods. Unfortunately, on the way home my peanuts exploded all over the inside of my grocery bag. Oh well, not the end of the world, just collected them up and put them back in the tub.

Day 15

2009-02-15T13:02:00.003-07:00

I just came across an interesting NY Times article about a book about "a secret plan to save the Earth."

According to the article the book's main premise is:

"In an era in which government has been either broke, indifferent or actively hostile to environmental causes, a band of visionaries — inventors, philanthropists, philosophers, grassroots activists, lawyers and gadflies — are using their wealth, their energy, their celebrity and their knowledge of law and science to persuade, and sometimes force, the United States and the world to take a new direction.”

It is interesting to hear this view because, when we were in Laos this past summer we had a conversation with a local man about the same thing. He almost had tears in his eyes when he pointed out across the river at the rolling hillsides covered with verdant forest and asked us if we thought his country was beautiful. When we answered yes, of course, he told us it was being destroyed and people like us (Westerners) needed to come and buy up land so it could be protected.

We thought it rather bizarre that they look at foreigners as their saviours, but we did see his point. Most people in Laos are too poor to worry about much beyond basic necessities so they don't have the time or the money to lobby the government or put pressure on industry. Their meager lifestyle does little to affect the environment but illegal logging and poaching are seriously damaging the countryside.

It was really sad that they feel so helpless in their own country that they are begging backpackers like us to buy up land in their country so it can be protected.

I guess Canadians should look at this example and take from it that we do have the time and money to invest in saving our planet. Even a little bit can go a long way and those of us who are able need to do as much as we can to keep the planet safe for generations.

In the meantime, I think I will have a read of Eco Barons to gain some inspiration.

Day 14...more thoughts...

2009-02-14T19:23:00.003-07:00

Hmmm. I was just refilling one of my spices and I had one of those moments where I wonder if the thing I am doing to help the environment is really the best thing.

I always buy the little plastic bags to refill my spice jars. But I wonder....is a plastic bag that I will have to throw away (I checked, it's not recyclable) better than buying a little plastic jar that I can recycle?

Day 14

2009-02-14T17:26:00.002-07:00

It's funny, you really have to consciously avoid plastic bags in our society. Everyone wants to give you a bag. I think if we had either a ban or a levy on bags people would think more about if they really need one.

Standing in line at the dollar store the other day I saw a woman in front of me with three different bags, all not even close to full. She purchased another small item and when the clerk put her purchase in yet another bag she took it and put in inside another one of her bags.

We are so used to not thinking about our actions and are entrenched in a disposable society. I'm sure she didn't mean to be wasteful but it is just a habit for us to put things we buy into a bag.

As for me, I managed to avoid bags twice yesterday. I think I have gotten pretty used to living bag-free. I still have been lazy and haven't been to the grocery store to buy my fruits and veg and bulk items. It will still be an experiment when I finally go, I'll keep you posted!

Day 12

2009-02-12T20:27:00.005-07:00

I was thinking today about how we have become so dependent on the plastic bag. According to various sources on the Internet, the plastic bag wasn't developed until the late 50's. That means there was a long time before that that people used other things. I still remember when i was growing up when there was the choice of paper or plastic at the grocery store.

Now, most major sustainability groups have said that paper is actually more wasteful than plastic because of the energy and water it takes to produce, and I agree that going back to paper is definitely not the solution. However. It does go to show how we as a society are creatures of habit. We got used to plastic bags and it got to the point where we didn't consider WHY we were using them, just that they were convenient.

While Kyle and I were in SE Asia last summer we couldn't help but notice how they still look at plastic bags as a matter of convenience, not looking at the environmental impact. They were EVERYWHERE. No matter what you bought, they put it in at LEAST one bag. And boy did they look at you funny when you didn't want a bag.

Although I suppose they did do some recycling. At one store where we bought LaoLao (Laotian rice whiskey), they refilled an old beer bottle with it for us.

It makes you think about how other people live and their priorities. Really, when you are struggling to feed your family, one probably isn't thinking much about saving the planet.

Slightly off topic (ok, really off topic), it is the same sort of deal over there with animal rights. People would laugh at it. Our views must seem very strange to them. We saw a truck full of dogs, presumably headed for dinner, in deplorable conditions in eastern Laos.

Anyways....back to plastic.

I was talking to my Mummu today (My grandma - she's Finnish), and she was telling me about how they never had shopping bags. Everyone had their basket -- she still has her's although it is holding shoe polish at the moment -- and you would never go to the store without it.

It's all about habit

Day 12

2009-02-12T08:28:00.002-07:00

I'm a little incredulous that it has been almost half a month and I have not yet run into any huge obstacles in my quest to become plastic bag-free. I suppose that means it will be easy for me to continue after my month is up.

On an um-plastic bag related note. I am incredibly proud of myself for being extra enviro friendly yesterday. I was on my way to the corner store where they have these fantastic spicy olives. I always tell myself I need to remember to bring my own container because I have about 50 bijillion of them sitting in my cupboard. Halfway down the block I realized that I didn't bring one. I actually turned around and went back home to get one! Step one in making that a brand new "good habit."

By the way, the olives are......mmmmmmm, olives.......

Day 10

2009-02-10T15:07:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I didn't go shopping yesterday. I'm lazy and now I have no food in the house. Serves me right I suppose, now I get to eat Ichiban for dinner.

I did have an interesting conversation with Natalie Odd from Clean Calgary today though. Apparently the Ecostore sells reusable bags to use for produce and bulk items. This was one area I was having a problem finding an alternative to a plastic bag.

I think I still may take the cheap route and reuse my old yogurt containers -- I think they are light enough not to make much difference to the weight. Suppose I will have to see if some nice Safeway clerk will weigh my empty container for me.....

Cleaning out the cat box the other day was extra gross because there were left over "kitty treasures" that stuck in the plastic bin I use after I dumped it in the dumpster. I actually had to get in there and wash it out. Ick. And we don't exactly have a laundry sink either so it was a decision between bathtub and kitchen sink. I chose kitchen sink.....for some reason having cat crap where we eat seemed less gross than having cat crap where we bathe. Kyle votes for bathtub.....I think that was probably the correct choice...next time. For now I just REALLY scrubbed the sink - and try not to think about it too much.

Day 8

2009-02-08T14:24:00.002-07:00

Ok, I've been negligent of my blog for a few days but never fear, I am still diligently plastic bag free -- though I can't say as much for my other half.......

Yesterday Kyle walked in with....gasp....a plastic bag from a store. Apparently he said he didn't want one but the guy just gave it to him anyhow. Gotta strengthen that backbone Kyle, and just say no! ;)

We also had a little disagreement last night over Saran Wrap. I had decided to swear off of that too, since it seems to me to be just a plastic bag in roll form and I figured I probably didn't really need to use it. He contends it is not a plastic bag....I still think it is the same thing.

So you might be wondering how I am getting by without my Saran Wrap since I haven't been writing about it. The truth is I haven't really needed it yet. My leftovers usually go in Tupperware -- the only things I use it for are for the end of the cucumber and limes so they don't dry out. As for the lime - it doesn't seem to dry out that much faster without the Saran Wrap. So I really haven't missed it that much.

I am planning my grocery shopping tomorrow, the only thing I am still sorting out is what to do with my bulk items.....

Day 5

2009-02-06T10:02:00.003-07:00

Not much to report today, I think the fact that I am, at the moment, rather poor helps with the plastic bag usage because I'm rarely out buying things! :)

News from the province that they will provide incentives for junior oil companies. That's right, not subsidizing green energy but giving more money to oil. Kinda makes me feel like everything I'm trying to do is not even a drop in the bucket. I just have to keep telling myself that I can only control what I do, I can't control what everyone else in the world does.

Day 4

2009-02-05T10:24:00.003-07:00

Congratulations fellow Canadians! I have heard that we have officially completed One Million Acts of Green. Just goes to show what can happen when we all do just a little. And the great part is it can be as easy as shutting off a light when you leave the room or turning off the water when you brush your teeth.

Now we just need to get the politicians and big business on board.....

It is great to see people actually stepping up to the challenge though. We need to continue to send the message to our politicians that THIS IS IMPORTANT!

If you haven't yet you can visit CBC's site and add your act of green!

So back to Operation No Plastic. I came to the realization today that my garbage is more disgusting than the cat box. Awesome. I took my bag-free bin out to the dumpster and had to pick and peel all sorts of nasty stuff off the bottom. The worst was the vegetable peelings. Ick.

I know, I know, I should be composting but my excuse has always been that I don't want to invest in something when I move so often. Who knows, that may be my next project - this vermicomposting intrigues me. More on that later though.

Back to the garbage - it was definitely an "eeeeeewwwwwww" moment but I think I can overcome a little grossness for the sake of Mama Earth. But now every time I toss something nasty in I think, "I'm going to picking that out later...."

Day 3

2009-02-04T09:01:00.002-07:00

So today came the moment I was dreading.....cleaning out the cat box with no plastic bags. I had thought ahead and bought a Rubbermaid sort of container to collect the nasty bits in.

Really, it wasn't as bad as I thought. No worse than the usual nastiness of cleaning out the cat box. I just took my little plastic bin to the the dumpster and voila! Done. There wasn't even any residual nastiness to clean off. Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought.....

I am a little concerned about the garbage though. Every time I put something gooey in there I think "I bet I'll have to pick that out later..." My other half, Kyle, has made it clear that he will not be taking out the garbage anymore. He is willing to go along with my little experiment....as long as it doesn't mean extra ickyness for him.

C'est la vie...

Day 2 - Bag Free

2009-02-02T21:40:00.002-07:00

Ok, so today was the first day of no garbage bags. It's all fine and dandy so far since I've just been chucking stuff INTO the garbage. The real fun will come in a day or two when I have to dump it into the dumpster, which I'm sure will involve peeling stuff off the bottom of the garbage can. Mmmm, yummy.

Tomorrow will be the day I clean out the cat box -- stay tuned, I'm not looking forward to it!

Day 1 - BAG FREE!!

2009-02-01T10:32:00.004-07:00

Ok, this feels like the start of something momentous. Like maybe I need to break a bottle of champagne over my laptop to christen this blog.

I'm quitting. Cold turkey. The plastic bag. Period.

No more bags for garbage, no more bags to clean out the cat box, no more taking a bag at the store because I forgot my reusable one.

I'm going to be honest, I think it will be tough. But I think it's possible. Which means it's possible for anyone. After watching a documentary on CBC (click here to see it) I realized how bad society's addiction to the plastic bag really is and what it is doing to the planet. So I resolved to try "banning the bag" for a month.

So here goes......