Category: Websites & Links

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I’m Famous!

When I was at the Mother Earth News Fair two weeks ago, I stopped by the Storey publishing booth to check out a book called Ecothrifty: Cheaper, Greener Choices for a Happier, Healthier Life. I checked it out not only because I’m very interested in the topic or that I have been to two presentations by the author Deborah Niemann, but because she had asked for suggestions for her book on Facebook and I had happily shared (for those who know me in real life, you know I’m always sharing my ideas)!

So I picked up the only copy of the book left because it had already sold out and I paged through it and saw this:

on page 155.  I’m famous!

I also got to talk to Deborah in person, which was awesome because she is so agreeable and we have the similar interest in living both green and thrifty – she wrote the book I was going to write… someday 😀 and we had a great conversation!

Now the book is on my Amazon list and seeing as my family loves books as much as I do I’m pretty sure it will show up around Christmas or my birthday, which is good as I have about 7 books on my bedside table to read and only one is fiction (I love those non-fiction books, but I can take weeks to read them instead of days).

So, if you’ve ever wanted to see me “in print” you can, plus you’ll get a helpful book out of the deal! Win-win!

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MENF Wrap-up: Overview

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, PA. This is my second year attending and I am hooked! If you haven’t heard of it, the fair is sponsored by Mother Earth News Magazine, my FAVORITE magazine hand’s down.  Please head over to visit because they have a huge number of online articles as resources. It is the first place I look for information! I discovered the magazine a few years ago when I picked up a few back issues from Freecycle.

Mother Earth News Fair logo

The fair has a wealth of information; hour-long sessions with experts and authors in that field and exhibitors for just about anything you would need to live sustainably. Here is the “about” for the fair from the website:

MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIRS are fun-filled, family-oriented sustainable lifestyle events. FAIRS feature practical, hands-on demos and workshops:

  • Renewable energy
  • Small-scale agriculture
  • Livestock
  • Gardening
  • Green building
  • Green transportation
  • Natural health and more

We hand-select local and national exhibitors to bring you the best in:

  • Organic food and drink
  • Books and magazines
  • Tools and seeds
  • Green contractors
  • Handmade soaps
  • Animal fiber
  • Clothing and more

This year the fair was organized in 1.5 block increments; each block included one-hour session and a half-hour to travel and find a seat in the next session. This seems like it was a response to the problems last year where each session was 50 minutes and you only had ten minutes to travel. Both years the fair had more visitors than expected. I believe they were totally caught off-guard last year with the crowds. This year the fair was a bit more relaxed; neither the guests nor the speakers seemed to be as rushed. There was more time to visit the exhibitors. The only down side was that this year when I skipped a session for lunch with my family I felt like I really missed a lot and even though I only skipped two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday I managed to visit all of the exhibitors at least once and many several times. This is good for the exhibitors but not so good for me! There were not too many things I could or needed to purchase and I felt like I had a lot of downtime.

Why do I love the fair? It is one of the few places I feel like I belong! I walked around eating my red pepper whole, like an apple, and I actually didn’t get too many “looks”. I don’t usually do this in public because it seems so odd to people that they stare and while I am pretty comfortable with myself, I eat them that way because they taste good not because I want attention! I can also go to most workshops and LEARN. At the basic workshops available around me I feel like I am advanced in a sea of beginners (not that I am all-knowing, but most workshops are for beginners and once you have read a lot and tried a lot you just need more than an overview and introduction). Finally, it reminds me of my goal of living sustainability. It is only too easy to get off-track and caught up in life at home and school once September begins. The MENF starts that sustainable fire burning again!

Here was my schedule for the weekend:

Saturday:

Beechnut Turkey and Oaknut Hogs(Cancelled) When Technology Fails: Self-reliance and surviving the long emergency

A Homesteader’s Hindsight: 20 great ideas and 20 not-so-great ideas

Lunch

Folks, This Ain’t Normal

Break

The Need Fire: How kindling community ignites a farm

Sunday:

The Traditional Home Dairy

Retooling for Tomorrow: Tools and technologies for the modern homestead

Lunch

Beginning Deer Hunting for Food

Food as Medicine: Healing chronic diseases

 

I will write up a summary of what I learned at each for those of you who didn’t get to go to the Fair. Perhaps I will see you there next year!

 

 

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The Cove

While I really should have been cleaning my house today, I perused suggested movies in Netflix and came across The Cove.  I decided to start it while I swept, if only to have something in the background. The documentary is about dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. The movie’s website offers a great synopsis:

Academy Award® Winner for Best Documentary of 2009, THE COVE follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action.

Within the first few minutes I was very interested and sadly for my house,  never swept anything beyond the room the TV is in.

As the movie unfolded and facts about dolphins were presented, I realized that there was a LOT I didn’t know about these extremely intelligent aquatic mammals. Apparently a lot of people are confused by a dolphin’s “smile” when they see them in captivity; their facial expression belies the stress they are under when not allowed to live in the wild (in fact, I learned that the National Aquarium in Baltimore had a huge problem with dolphins dying from stress when it first opened). One of the main interviwees in the film, Richard O’Barry, was the trainer of the five dolphins who played “Flipper” on the TV show. After working as a trainer with the Miami Seaquarium for 10 years, he realized keeping dolphins in captivity was cruel and should not be tolerated. He has made it his mission in life to save dolphins.

This movie is a must-see! It is riveting and even somewhat suspenseful at times. There are scenes that are not suitable for young kids (dolphins dying) so you’ll want to screen it before watching it during family movie night. It is available through Netflix streaming; a great service that allows you to watch a movie without having to go get it or have it shipped.

At the end, you are directed to a site with more information about what you can do to end the dolphin slaughter:

  1. Write to our leaders and help get the word out in Japan
  2. Learn more about dolphins in captivity
  3. Visit our Japanese site ; ザ・コーヴ映画の日本のサイトをご覧ください。
  4. Help Save Japan Dolphins’ efforts on the frontlines
  5. Support the filmmakers with your donation
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    MyFolia, a Website for Gardeners

    A few months ago, a friend introduced me to a gardening website that has become indispensable to me, and I don’t say this lightly! The website is myfolia.com, and it is a great way to keep a garden journal for those of us who are not inclined to write things down or who are looking to keep track electronically.

    I signed up right after I received my purchased seeds this spring. I entered them into “my stash” and began to plan when I would plant them.

    Myfolia Seed Stash

    Next, I started actually planting and on myfolia Continue reading “MyFolia, a Website for Gardeners”