GreenSpot-On

Happy Turkey Day, a bit early

2011-11-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

My Beautiful BBB Turkeys;

now THIS is how a turkey is supposed to look!

(If I do say so myself, lol!)

Amongst the recalls and rumors, here it is almost Thanksgiving and I don't have too much nice to say about the turkey industry, I'm very sorry. I know that the poultry industry really started out with good concepts, but it truly has gotten out of hand. Antibiotics were once used to treat infection; not prevent it. Hormones are a dangerous thing no matter how you look at it. If they are medically called for as is sometimes the case in the aid of recovery for human beings and they should be scrutinized very carefully. But who in their right mind wants to eat that stuff??? Not me.

The more I read, the more it convinces me that I am doing the right thing by raising our own food (or even hunting) , trying to buy local whenever I can and to really notice where my food comes from if I do have to buy it from the grocery store. There are a lot of ways to go local folks; even at 9,000 feet in elevation. You don't necessarily have to grow the stuff yourself.

You can buy direct from the farmers, at a drastically reduced price. You can go online and buy from someone like Door to Door Organics; which obviously brings the stuff right to your door. Or there are a couple of great websites dedicated to the eating local movement. Eat Local Challenge is "a group weblog focusing on the importance of locally and sustainably grown food". But the best one to get the whole family involved in is Eat Local. It has a great animated feel to it that the kids will love and a down to earth way of explaining why it is so important to buy locally.

So come on Rebels and GSO readers, let's send those government cronies a message and tell them we chose to eat locally and sustainably. Let them hear your message through your purchases, tell your friends to do the same, that is where we hit them the hardest...in the wallet; quiet and peacefully.

Have a great day!
JJ~

Putting the garden to bed for another winter

2011-11-14T06:43:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season - not the shopping season, sillies. 'Tis the season for putting the garden to bed. I'm a little late this year because of cataract surgery. I was either in surgery, recovering from surgery, or on restrictions related to surgery for the majority of October. Some of the restrictions included bending from the waste or lifting anything more than ten lb., so digging up the garden and spreading compost were, well, out of the question. I managed to find a few mornings when I wasn't restricted and took out the tomato supports and the boards that become my stepping path (can't call them stones, now can I). Two weeks later, with pressure behind the eyes settling and the miracle of a warm day, I did more raking. The silver maple that towers over our yard is still dropping its leaves. I raked for an hour Sunday morning, dumping the leaves on the triangle garden plot to insulate it and decompose atop the soil.

We brought in the herbs and set the shelves in the sunniest part of the living room. This spot is also rather drafty, so I might put the greenhouse covering on the shelves. Readers, what do you think? Will my herbs do better in the house if they're sheltered a bit? The water might not evaporate quite as quickly, and they might stay warmer. It's certainly worth a try.

If I don't have another chance to work out in the yard, I've accomplished enough that my garden beds will live through the winter and be ready for spring. Spring... it seems so far away!

Now, I'd better get to that holiday shopping.

Meet (or is it meat?) The Meatrix....

2011-11-08T14:32:00.000-05:00

Go ahead, I dare you to check out this funny video about modern day meat production....no blood or gore and it really gets the point across!

Welcome Double J!

2011-11-02T09:46:00.001-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the newest member of the family...The Double J Ranch! You can find us at dbljdotorg (soon) and dbljdotorg.blogspot.com (NOW!).

Join us Rebels, Tell the FDA to regulate GMO foods!

2011-10-05T08:01:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Rebels (GSO readers, that is what I call my regular readers over at The Royal Ranch site, in case you were wondering-ha!)! Happy hump day; hope you are having a wonderful week; but even more importantly I hope you will join me in signing this all important petition. It is high time we know exactly what we are eating; and that people who are not yet even aware of how deeply GMO foods are embedded into our everyday diets, become aware and knowledgeable about what they are putting into the mouths of their beloved families!

Top Ten Reasons to Walk to Work

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

10. The streets in the neighborhood are beautiful, especially in autumn.

9. I spend most of my day in a cubicle in a chair; walking lets me stretch.

8. Driving less often reduces my family's dependence on gas and saves money.

7. Walking home provides thoughtful "decompression" time after a busy day.

6. I enjoy the fresh air.

5. Walking is good exercise.

4. I lower my carbon footprint by leaving the minivan in the garage.

3. Driving less often saves wear and tear on my aging minivan.

2. Parking at my workplace is limited, to say the least.

1. This is the view of my favorite easy-out, shady parking spot after the latest storm went through.

Yeah, the aging minivan would have been toast. I wasn't working that day, luckily.

Thank goodness for the Farmers' Market

2011-08-29T06:54:00.000-04:00

I bought a butternut squash and a pound of zucchini at the Farmers' Market. But why? I planted both varieties in my garden!

The only squash in my garden is a hybrid. Imagine it: green, but in the shape of a butternut squash. My dilemma: what should we call this? Zutternut? Butterzuch? Zhuccernut? Oh, well, I guess I'll see what it looks and tastes like before I decide. I might end up calling it compost.

Not a natural flower

2011-08-22T06:43:00.000-04:00

Wisconsinites like to say that there are two seasons: winter and road construction. We're currently in the latter season. The evidence is everywhere. In fact, road construction barricades have their own names in this part of the country.

See these? We call them Schneider Eggs.

Without Schneider eggs, where would the big orange trucks come from?

Last week I heard a bus driver refer to the orange markers as "Wisconsin's State Flower." Ooh, ooh, here's a bouquet growing in -- gravel?

I see these flowers spread out when they're allowed to grow in grass.

If the big orange cones are Wisconsin's State Flower, what are these?

Seeds?

Pickles! We have pickles!

2011-08-15T10:49:00.001-04:00

Here you go, a quick look at the result of Tuesday's recipe. Let's see: one jar is open and in the refrigerator, one jar went to my brother's house, one jar is on its way to my mom's...

I think I need to make a second batch. Works for me! Tastier than store-bought, and less expensive, too. Need I mention it's my favorite kitchen towel? Nah. You knew that.

Farmers' Market Days

2011-08-08T06:12:00.000-04:00

Saturdays are Market Days - Farmers' Market, that is. I reserve Saturday mornings for going to the market and buying whatever is in season. I reserve the afternoons for prepping and freezing or even canning. Here's a taste.

Berries! From left to right: sweet Bing cherries, blueberries & raspberries. The blue and red mixed when I dropped the bag as I tried to fit one more purchase in my big blue bag on wheels.

The first chore of Market Day this week: sort the mixed up berries. I nibbled quite a few. After this, I rinsed all three kinds of fruit and pitted the cherries. The blueberries are now in the freezer; the cherries and raspberries will be eaten by Tuesday.

Here's the rest! From left to right, again: sweet corn, asparagus (the last of the season!), garlic, onions, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and lots of pickling cucumbers. You can tell I had a goal - pickles. The batch of fresh dill was on the deck; I bought it at the mid-week market on Wednesday.

I offered before and after for the berries: here's the After shot of the dill pickle spears. It was a busy night, but totally worthwhile. Some time in the winter, we'll appreciate the spoils of the summer. We won't have to buy store pickles, a money savings. These will taste so much richer, too -- being made from locally grown ingredients and made in my own kitchen.

Now that's a Market Day I can enjoy from start to finish.

'Nuf Said!

2011-08-03T19:43:00.000-04:00

Dear GSO Readers,

I recently went into my local feed store because I was entirely out of my regular organic/Non-GMO/no-soy feed for my poultry. I have to tell you I was so totally caught off guard by the owners total lack of knowledge and even defense on the subject of Genetically Engineered feed that I even had myself wondering if this was a lost battle. That was until I got back in the truck with my kids and my fifteen year old son said "Mom, I could tell you were getting really mad; and I understand your point. I just don't think I can explain it".

That is when I realized that I am so passionate about this movement and how it has affected the growth of our children (really, did girls used to have boobs and bums that size?) that I have a hard time coming up with the proper words. So, although I promised my regular readers a different post for next time, I read some wonderful news online today that really brings my point home; and PLEASE take the time to read the entire article; you don't want to miss paragraphs like this:

Many NaturalNews readers will recall the numerous incidents involving lawsuits filed by Monsanto against non-GMO farms whose crops were inadvertently contaminated by GM material. In many of these cases, the defendants ended up becoming bankrupted by Monsanto, even though Monsanto's patented materials were the trespassers at fault.

And:

But it appears that the tables are now turning. Instead of Monsanto winning against organic farmers, organic farmers can now achieve victory against Monsanto. In other words, farmers being infringed upon by the drifting of GM material into their fields now have a legal leg to stand on in the pursuit of justice against Monsanto and the other biotechnology giants whose "frankencrops" are responsible for causing widespread contamination of the American food supply.

Just like the title, "Nuf Said!

Signs of a Gardener

2011-08-01T06:49:00.000-04:00

You may be a gardener at heart if:

There's dirt under your nails.

Dirt? Is that all? I either have dirt under my nails or fingers stained with cherries, strawberries, or thumbs that are green from shelling peas or - you get the picture.

You think of soil as a foundation, the stable ingredient in creating a garden space.

After ten years of composting - okay, twelve plus - the soil in my first garden bed is rich and dark and drains well. The new garden is still heavy with clay, but improving a little every year. It needs a little decomposing TLC.

You have a specific pair of shoes for the garden.

I have a pair of crocs. I can get them wet or muddy and I don't care.

Watering is relaxing, not stressful.

Filling a watering can from a rain barrel or setting up a soaker hose takes time, and it's a good use of time. My mind wanders, my shoulders relax, and any stress headache goes away.

You welcome rain or sunshine.

Rain provides a good soaking to the plants and fills the rain barrels for later. Sunshine invites stems and branches to reach for the sky and grow to their full potential.

You talk to the plants.

"Geez, beans, I gave you a nice set of climbing equipment. Why do you insist on attaching to the fencing? It'll just put you within range of the bunnies and other furry critters who might nibble, and then... here. I'll show you." Meanwhile, I'm wrapping the bean vines around the supports I just put in and hoping they get the idea. And maybe hoping the neighbors didn't hear me.

You talk to critters who might turn up near your precious plants.

Hey, rabbit, how did you get in there? What do you think you're doing, relaxing in my lettuce?

You, raccoon. Get out of my compost, punk!

I only came up with seven. Can you make this a top ten list, readers? Add your signs of a true gardener by commenting.

Dear NFL Owners and Players;

2011-07-25T06:09:00.000-04:00

Dear NFL Owners and Players;

I sincerely hope you'll find a settlement sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I'll keep harvesting and cooking one of my favorite fresh vegetable combinations:

Green Bay Packers beans.

Say it with me: green and yellow, green and yellow, green and yellow...

Farmageddon; a great movie supporting local agriculture!

2011-07-19T08:42:00.001-04:00

As you all know, I am very dedicated to supporting my local farmers as much as possible. But for me, living in the mountains and not really having local farmers that is a little harder to do. It is a learning process (one that I am very much still in the process of), Colorado may not be the biggest agricultural state, but by golly it is an agricultural state by some standards; mine included.

I am very proud to be a part of the agricultural business, I say it is in my blood. It must have skipped a generation (my Mom is not really into the whole animal/growing thing-ha!). See, my Grandparents were farmers in Iowa; they moved here to leave the farm life behind, I do believe. But somehow it is just inside some of us, and I can't help myself...when I collect the eggs I am fascinated with the smooth little jewels of various colors. And oh, my wonderful sheep that bleat for me if I am late to feed them...

And as for my packing llama string...I recently saw some pictures on Pinecam (our local gossip emag-ha!) of our ranch with Charlie Royal doing pack strings with horses...Well aren't we just going full circle? I wish I still had that much land Charlie...But anyway, the joy that they bring me and our visitors is unparalleled; we get to teach our guests about our area, our way of life, but even better yet, how to be good stewards of the environment!

So to me, being a farmer these days is a lot more than just throwing stuff in the ground or raising organic animals. It is about defending our rights to do so. And teaching people about why we are doing it that way. And why it is so important for us to raise heirloom varieties and heirloom chickens and sheep so that we don't have only one kind of corn or tomato or potato (and that there are still some nutrients in them). No matter which way you say it; tomato or tomahto, potato or potahto, if there is no variety it would still suck.

Needless to say I was really excited to hear about this documentary:

Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Made by a Mom. Check it out, there are screenings in towns all over the USA, or you can buy the DVD. I have to wait for the movie....bummer!

Garden Mishaps

2011-07-18T05:35:00.000-04:00

I can't seem to get peas. I just can't seem to get them right. Either I have a wimpy support and the peas can't climb, or the peas are trapped in a non-sunny spot, or something unknown prevents them from doing well. My pea vines are already dying, and there aren't many pods to pick. You see the peas here behind my excuse for a scarecrow: old CDs.

Chuck came in and asked, "Did you kill your chives? If you killed the chives, I'm revoking your gardener's license!" Well, no, I didn't kill the chives. I transplanted them last year so they're closer to the house. He had observed these: the shallots.

Shallots were (are?) an experiment this year. I wasn't sure if I had the time or the right kind of soil to grow them well. I'm still not sure. This lying down on the job act: does that mean they're ready to harvest, or does that mean they're dying? Anyone have a clue?

To conclude this valuable discussion, I'll just leave you with some philosophy. Garden growth is dependent on so many variables. Rain, sun, quality seeds, critters... oh, yes, critters. I walked out to the garden to pick the few peas that are growing, and I found this little furball sitting in my lettuce. In my LETTUCE!!

My reaction (you won't be surprised) was to stop in my tracks, look that bunny right in the eye, and call out, "How did YOU get in there?" It didn't answer me.

I call him Peter, even though I'm not Farmer McGregor. He's better not invite Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail to a lettuce party. I'll be waiting.

Speaking of soaker hoses....

2011-07-12T07:25:00.000-04:00

While in the process of finding and then getting my camera to cooperate, I thought I would do a quick post on how absolutely brilliant I am. Oh wait, I thought this post was about soaker hoses. That's right. See, this has some background to it, because the men in the family said I couldn't do it...So I, of course had to try all that much harder-ha!

For some reason this has been the year that a few of our hoses have decided it is their time to go. Take for instance this last hose. I was trying to water my new garden and was wondering what was wrong with the water pressure, when oh my, I turned around and my hose looked like Popeye! I didn't even want to get near the thing in fear of it exploding! Well, Tom had already insisted that one just like this was junk so I quietly set it aside until all the men were gone....

That is when the real fun began. My daughter and I got up early one morning and got a nail and a hammer and we went to town on that hose. I mean we just put holes in it everywhere, it was really a pretty cool project because there is no right or wrong about it. I then just hooked it up to the water and watched it go.

By this time the boys were up, so I had to do my happy dance....Too bad Tom wasn't here to see it, but believe you me, he heard ALL about it-ha! And we all got to be in on the fun of making little adjustments to the dripper system while it was running and add a few holes here and there and get sprayed in the face when we removed the nail. We had a ball.

PS: When I went online to look for pics I remembered that I needed to tell you that I had a sprayer nozzle that I used to cap the end of my hose, but I do intend to get some sort of more permanent cap. When time and money permit....get things as you can is my motto, and make do with what you have.

Rain, rain, come my way!

2011-07-11T06:16:00.000-04:00

The thunder yesterday sounded encouraging, but the storm dropped so little water that I felt I still needed to lug around the watering can again.

It's been so dry (how dry was it?) that I've used up all the water in both rain barrels and I'm filling the watering can from the house tap. Sigh. It feels so wasteful! I've almost - almost, mind you - been tempted to hook up a sprinkler.

In the category of wasteful, sprinklers score a capital W for Wasting Water. The water sprays into the air where much of it evaporates and never reaches its target. The area watered by a sprinkler gets wet - all of it. Vegetables, flowers, weeds, and walkways all receive the same amount of water. Water ends up soaking the leaves rather than the roots, too. Some water will evaporate from the leaves, but too much may cause diseases. When I bring out the watering can, I can direct the water to individual plants and pour it straight into the ground for those thirsty roots. A sprinkler doesn't do that.

Soaker hoses are better. I own a soaker hose, a short permeable hose that lets the water drip out into the soil. I can wrap it around the areas that need water the most and know that very little will evaporate. It's especially fun to hook up the soaker hose to a rain barrel, but you heard me earlier; my rain barrels are empty.

Sigh. Mother Nature, the rivers in the North Dakota are high enough. Send some rain this way!

the Gated Community - er, garden.

2011-06-27T12:27:00.000-04:00

Last summer we tried. We had good intentions. But I was sick, Chuck had craziness at work, and we never got around to fencing in the newest garden plot. As a result, the neighborhood wild bunnies ate my broccoli.

Yesterday I came home from a baseball game with Amigo and found the wire fence had been tightened up, a gate installed, and my garden safe from bunnies! And when I say gate, I'm not kidding. I don't know where Chuck found this one, but it's very sturdy. Cute, too.

He was a little concerned about one of the tomato plants that had been squashed during the building process and the stem broken. I trimmed it, cut it back, and I think it'll be okay. If not, I have at least one other plant of the same kind.

The back view, behind the new gate, looks pretty good. It's no-till, so it's not gorgeous, but everything is growing nicely. If we don't get rain today, I'll use the rain barrel supply to water everything tonight.

By the way, I harvested spinach today, too. Anyone want some?

Weeding! It's not so bad. In fact, I enjoy it.

2011-06-20T06:01:00.000-04:00

Finally, the plants are maturing enough that I can see what belongs and what doesn't. That means it's time to start weeding!

Readers, did you notice I didn't complain? Weeding is productive and therapeutic and even enjoyable. I searched through old posts and found out that I've discussed the positives of weeding in the past.

Here's one from June, 2007.

I enjoy weeding because I can see progress. My garden is divided into small sections, set apart by my stepping "stones" made from old deck and fence pieces. I set a goal of weeding one section at a time. When that's done, I can quit weeding or choose to finish another section. This is a managable goal; I feel productive when I can see the results in one part of the plot. It spares me the frustration of not "finishing" the whole thing, which is of course an impossible goal. Today I chose one triangular section of the garden and weeded out the many mini maples that flew in from the lot behind ours. If I ever abandon this small plot of ground behind my garage, I predict the mini maples will take over, leaving room for a blanket of clover underneath. But for now, look out maples! I have garden gloves and I know how to use them.

Here's an older post from July, 2006.

Weeding feels good because:
I can't hear the telephone.
Digging in the dirt is fun.
It doesn't matter if I'm all sweaty and grimy.
I can appreciate the growth of my vegetables by comparing them to the weeds I'm pulling out.
I see the little flowers that mean the plants will bear fruit -- some time.
I can laugh at the tiny "stray" tomato plants that grew where the rotten fruit dropped last fall.
The science teacher in me looks at all the clover and thinks, "Wow! There's a lot of nitrogen in this soil! Who needs fertilizer?"
I notice the little grubs and worms that aerate the rich soil; and they're not, I said NOT, yucky.
I notice how dark and rich the soil is, thanks to our home-grown compost.
The weeds (well, most of them) will become part of the cycle of life by decomposing in the compost bin.
Progress is noticeable. Every little bit of weeding shows results.
I heard a garden expert on the radio recommend that serious gardeners spend about 30 minutes a day weeding and maintaining. I don't come near that, so I guess I'm not "serious" by his standards. I do keep it up, though, and get my hands dirty and produce good things to eat. My garden makes me happy. Isn't that enough?

Jakoti has got it going on!

2011-06-15T10:04:00.000-04:00

I can not begin to tell you how much I LOVE these new shears. As a matter of fact, what got me to thinking about writing this post was the shears laying next to my computer. That's right Rebels, these shears have become my right hand tool.

I purchased them as llama shears. You know, to remove the wool from those fidgety creatures that inhabit my ranch...Well, let me tell you a little about shearing a llama at The Royal Ranch. I don't think it's like shearing at typical wool producers. We have to cut through hay and pine needles and whatever else is hidden inside that wondrous coat. So over the years, I have learned A LOT about shears; and that is that they are truly lacking.

A good pair of Fiskars, which is our next choice since we hand shear will run us around $13-$15 with a coupon, etc. If I sharpen it I may be able to get that one pair through one season of shearing, but sometimes they only last one llama! If you get cheaper scissors, they will wear out your hands (not spring loaded), and big electric shears usually scare the you know what out of rescues so that is out for us.

I do want to give you a bit of background here, just so you know that I am sticking to my Rebel roots. When I first heard of these shears, I was told that you could only get them in one place in the US; and that place is by a llama trainer that I don't particularly like. This woman had rubbed my "animal sense" the wrong way over the years, but when it came down to saving hundreds of dying llamas in MT and all she did was offer reduced price behavior clinics for new owners while the rest of us small farms struggled with the starving...

Well, it made me decide to look a bit further for those shears. And lo and behold I found them on the World Wide Web, funny thing about that...it covers the whole world. Better yet, I got two pairs, direct from the UK (yeah, I know, I'm normally a buy US only, but they just don't have this sort of shear...sigh), for a little more than I would have spent on one pair plus shipping on Ms. Behavior Clinic.com. Man, I hate it when people are buttheads.

But, anyway, these shears came and we have just been shearing our butts off. Well, our butts are fine, and it is Tom doing most of the shearing anyway. But dang do the llamas look nice. And when I got on the link to send it to a friend, because believe you me, I'm telling everyone I can not to shop at so and so's-ha!, I read that they are great in the garden.

So, I took them outside and can you imagine the cutting power of these babies on grass? Geez, if they can cut through that crap in the wool, grass and dandelions along the fence line is like butta, baby, butta! And the best thing about it was that I wasn't polluting the air with a weed whacker. I did go a little crazy and now the grass along the dog yard looks like it got a bad hair cut from Mom back in the sixties....

Well, I guess you get the point, if you're looking for either garden or llama, sheep or goat shears these are the ones. Spring action, self sharpening, yes you read that right engineers, I don't really get it, but it says it does it...They are the best. Oh, I do have one critique...they could use a "petite" size.

Rock on with a rock garden!

2011-06-06T08:23:00.001-04:00

This is the "before" picture. Mint, mint, and more mint. A few tulip and daffodil bulbs, but other than that, the area is almost entirely occupied by mint. Sure, it smells good. I could use it to make mint syrup or garnish a refreshing beverage. But this plant is aggressive. A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. It takes over. I've tried pulling it; it comes back. I've tried moving it; it spread. I placed layers over the mint last fall, hoping I could start a new raised garden over the top. Nope; mint was determined to find the sun.

I started this time by again removing the mint. I moved the bulbs (see the daffodil remains on the right?) to a better place. I set the mint on a drying table in the backyard. I might compost it. Maybe. Does mint seed get destroyed in compost or does it flourish? I'll find out.

Next step: cover the soil, again. This time I'm going one more step. The area will become a rock garden. This concept worked around my rose bushes, intimidating the clover and other weeds into submission so the roses could thrive by themselves.

For now, it's just a batch of packaging held down by large stones and heavy planters. I have extra gravel; but do I have enough? Maybe, just maybe, I can build this rock garden without spending money on the materials. I'll find out, and I'll let you know on the next episode, when I hope to have a picture of all rock, no visible packaging, and certainly no more mint.

Breast Cancer; a Family Affair

2011-06-01T17:22:00.000-04:00

You know it's really funny that I chose today to write about the breast cancer story. See, my sister, Kelly, is recovering from a double mastectomy; and she has been so amazing during the entire process she deserves a book all her own. So when I wrote about her "journey", I really wanted the post to be all about her and what she has gone through; her family and what they have been through....and really to teach people a few things in the process would be wonderful.

But, what I hadn't realized is how her cancer would affect our ENTIRE family so deeply. My parents have never had to deal with a life threatening illness in one of their children before....you know the regular stuff growing up and even what some would consider pretty scary stuff as a parent, but nothing like the big "C" word. And they too, have handled things with grace and dignity. As a matter of fact my Dad has a blog also and has chronicled Kelly's "Journey" on his blog...well worth the read.

If I am totally honest, one of the reasons that had been holding me back from writing this article is my different opinion than my Dad's....Gee what a surprise, eh Dad???? As you will read in his blog, Kelly found her cancer with an annual mammogram and they are strongly encouraging folks to get their annual mammos. Well, sorry, but I felt that that might be a bit much radiation exposure for my liking. What about every couple years...that would cut a persons exposure to radiation in half in their lifetime and not make it too long in between screenings, right?

I also have another sister, Lisa. Between us three girls we have four daughters (Kelly has 2 and Lisa and I each have 1), so breast cancer in the family scared the s**t out of us. Lisa, ironically had had to have a second mammogram done the same day as Kelly's (second mammogram); and they had her scheduled for the ultrasound in case they needed more pics. Thankfully they didn't. So, I scheduled my damn mammogram.

Now, this is where the story gets a bit interesting. I would like to point out a difference between organized healthcare and private insurance. I am a Kaiser patient (organized). My first mammogram was 5 weeks ago, I just had my second mammogram and ultrasound yesterday and found out I need a biopsy. In the 5 weeks following Kelly's (private insurance) first mammogram she was already preparing for surgery. Just sayin'.

Thankfully due to some testing that Kelly had done, we know that our family (or at least Kelly) is not genetically predisposed to breast cancer. This to me, is a big relief...for ourselves, our Mother and our daughters. But why then, are 3 out of 3 girls suddenly needing second mammograms? And what about the biopsies? Is the medical field getting so far advanced that almost everyone is getting called back? And what does that say about our radiation exposure?

Even the gal who was taking the second pics yesterday kept apologizing to me if she had to retake the image. I finally asked her if it was due to the radiation and she said yes. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe that we need testing like this to save lives, I am just wondering if there might be a happy medium. But, on the other hand, I have not had any imaging done in about ten years; the stuff that they will biopsy on me is a mass, while my sister who was good about getting hers done, caught hers at the calcification stage.

Okay, so what the hell is your point Judy? Check your breasts. Do your self exams and get the mammograms done as frequently as you are comfortable with (you know, probably more frequently than every decade!). Bottom line...they are there to save lives; that is what they are doing all over the country and they have just done so in my own family. As melodramatic as it sounds, it is true. We are all so appreciative of the fact that Kelly's cancer was caught early....

Cancer is a family affair, whether it is genetic or not. To watch my sister's family go through what they have been through is amazing (and heart wrenching); because I know that they will only be a stronger unit after this is over. It has brought us all closer in a way...as I'm sure it would in most families.

And No, I'm not too worked up over the biopsy thing (75% of all biopsies are benign). Not that I'm really looking forward to having a needle in my boob, but I do feel confident that the news will be fine. At least it got me writing about it....And I am very interested in your opinion on this matter. What do you think of annual testing and its risks/benefits?

A Party With No Trash...Okay Maybe Just a Little!

2011-05-25T22:32:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. My biggest commitments for the summer are already over, and it feels wonderful!!!! My sons graduated on Sunday and boy did we have a humdinger (does anyone still use that word? And if not, they sure should, it's a good one-ha!) of a party!

We also had a baseball game yesterday that was a big deal as my daughter and the choir that she is in sang the National Anthem for the Colorado Rockies; and they showed the town how that song is sang! I was so very proud. The group of fourth and fifth graders walked onto the field with a march in their step, took their places in the choir and belted out our National tune like any professional group could do....even my Grads were impressed! And that my friends is pert near impossible to do these days, let me tell you.

But back to the party with no trash; really it can be done; with a bit of preparation (and a bit of yucky digging afterward, I must admit). Now, if you have been a reader of mine, on either of these blogs, you know that I am not at all familiar with paper products. I do not buy plastic bags or paper plates or even paper napkins; my one downfall is paper towels and I do buy those very infrequently in bulk. So the paper product aisle itself was a bit overwhelming to me.

So, I headed straight to the party stuff. I knew I didn't want any "crap". You know what I'm talking about the kind of forks that break when you first put them into a bite of potato salad? Or the plate that dumps everything on the unsuspecting kid? Yeah, I wasn't having any of that. Party stuff it was, and blue and black to match the boys' colors, easy enough. From there, it is simply a case of turning the products over and making sure they are recyclable, if not, put it back. There are plenty of choices out there people, we do not have to fill up our landfills.

Okay now we are at the party and of course we have not gotten the trash cans and the recycle cans marked like I wanted. Actually there was a huge misunderstanding and we thought the neighbor was bringing some last minute supplies (like the grill, trash cans and bags) so we didn't have them to mark....but anyway; my point is is that it doesn't even matter if it all gets mixed up. I was able to nonchalantly grab the plates out of the trash as I was going by and put them into a different bag.

This all may sound a bit yucky, but to me it was well worth it. I had purchased cans for the kids to drink; we had recyclable cups for the keg (I even grabbed out a lot of the food trash for the chickens-ha!).....So let's run down what all was in my trash can when this party for about 75 people was over. Bags for ice, bags for buns, plastic silverware (and damn did I try and find some that is recyclable, I will try harder next time!) and napkins; that is about it. That is one small bag of trash for a very LARGE party. Now, we have two HUGE bags of recyclabes, but that is okay.

We had a wonderful party to help send the boys off right; we won't be filling up the landfills and polluting my beloved Mother Earth in the process and I am done with my major commitments for the summer. Now it is time to get to work on those campgrounds....keep those campers from burning down our forests and enjoy the time with my children. Wow, I truly am a very blessed woman.

Rhubarb, tomatoes, and random thoughts

2011-05-23T06:06:00.001-04:00

Rhubarb! I have rhubarb! In fact, I spent time last night looking through my new go-to books for canning, wondering if I could can some of this bountiful harvest. Since it was too cold to plant tomatoes until very recently, I focused on rhubarb.

I did find a recipe that looks a lot like the stewed rhubarb I made for supper tonight. It was like applesauce, but with rhubarb instead of apples. Make sense? I found one and thought Yeah! Canning commences! And then realized I will need eleven pounds of rhubarb to fill seven quart cans. Yes, I said 11 lb. of rhubarb! Well, if I harvest and freeze this week and do the same next week, I'll have all eleven before I know it. Yum.

The tomato seedlings are in the ground now! I tallied up the tomatoes and put the supports in place as a planning maneuver. All right, I also did it because I wanted to get in the garden and it was too darn cold to plant! Only a few green sprouts dared poke their little heads out from the soil, and they're all spinach. Yep. I will have a minimum of 13 tomato plants, even if those I started from seed do not make it (darn late blizzard) and at least 5 peppers. The pepper plants are coming up better from seed, and if they survive, I'll have nine pepper plants. Salsa time!

I'm experimenting with various new dishes, and right now rhubarb is my theme ingredient. Part of the locavore menu involves eating what's ripe and in season. By the time it's our of season, we'll be tired of it and ready to move on to something else. About the time my family rebels and shouts out "No More Rhubarb, Mom!" strawberries will be coming into their prime. Then I can mix strawberry-rhubarb pie, strawberry-rhubarb crisp, strawberry-rhubarb dump cake -- bwahahahaha! Just kidding, family. I'll be more creative than that. Maybe.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we helped another family rescue five bunnies last Monday night. I think that's a sign that I'm feeling a little more energetic; I went with daughter to help out, even though it was getting late.

I could share a picture of the garden plot, but it would be rather dull. It's exciting only to me. Soil, compost, remains from last year because I'm going no-till this time, and a few red spiral posts standing sentry over small tomato plants.

But trust me. I'll overwhelm you with garden pictures eventually - hopefully sooner rather than later.

Weekend To-Do List

2011-05-16T05:56:00.000-04:00

The weekend's to-do list:

Buy plants from arboretum plant sale. Check.

-heirloom plants, tomatoes and peppers

Remove weeds from garden plot.

-the soil we bought last year (for the new raised bed) was weed-filled. I'm still fighting some of the more prolific weeds. Growl.

Set up rain barrels. Check.

-Husband was a great help. I had one set up already, and he felt obligated to catch up with me by setting up the other.

Make grid to guide planting.

-This takes time, but it's worthwhile. I'll have my tomatoes and peppers spaced well with room to grow, but not too much room for weeds.

Plant tomatoes and peppers.

-Fun! I add extra drainage by digging the holes a little deeper than needed and filling them with shredded paper before I put in the tomato seedlings.

Put in the tomato supports.

-I like my spiral supports from Fleet Farm. I'll post pictures later, I'm sure.

The Milwaukee Brewers were playing well Sunday afternoon, though. It was a little distracting. Must enjoy those home runs while they're happening! Go, True Blue Brew Crew!

The tomatoes can go in tomorrow.