Garden Update - With Photos!

September is quickly settling in at the garden, 

and with it comes lots of busy work and plenty of good food.

Sean and the guys finished fencing in our new lot,
and our water storage solutions are working well.

The parsnip seeds I "saved" have germinated,
I'm sore from crouching over the parsnip bed,
thinning out the many extra sprouts.

This summer, Poppin' Fresh has DOUBLED in size, 

after we acquired the lot to our north. 

We may soon make use of the lot to the south, too.

Word of the Learning Leaves gardens spreads slowly, 

and we've had some great new gardeners at the work parties!

A view from behind the hoop house.

Gorgeous onion blossoms!

Our repurposed baby crib, lending support to tasty green beans.

We have over a dozen varieties of tomatoes ripening!

Squash blossoms abound!

The squash are coming in fast and furiously.

Here's our stunted corn - mostly for decoration this year.

The rabbits love dandelions!

"Thing 1" can pack away a pile of dandelions in just a few minutes.

This spooky spider lives near the rabbit hutches.

Rabbit and Garden Update

I've been putting this post off for a couple of days,
but it's time to bite the bunny bullet and share some sad news.

There are no baby bunnies.

I was thrilled to announce the arrival of baby New Zealand rabbits at our community garden, earlier this month. It was the first litter, and we were all pretty geeked. The buck and doe are fine, but those poor little baby rabbits died soon after birth.We were shocked, and felt awful. It's been over a week, but I have been avoiding this blog post.

There are numerous possible contributing factors to the kit loss, each as likely as the next. There is no official cause of death, but here are some possibilities:

1. We were not prepared for the litter. It's possible that the nest box was the wrong size. It's possible that we didn't provide enough of the right kind of bedding, which may have resulted in the kits getting too cold at night. The hutches we have are great for housing mature rabbits, but not litters. The doe gave birth two weeks earlier than we expected, which left us scrambling a bit. New cage construction is already under way!

2. The mother rabbit was not prepared for the litter.  Very young mothers, especially those under six months of age, may not "understand" what has happened. Our doe is just about 6 months old, and this was her first litter. Nervous and young mothers sometimes abandon their young, and there's not much that can be done through human intervention. Apparently, it is common for a young mother to lose her first litter.

 The majority of this information was provided by Sean, who is becoming a rabbit master. He's being guided by a friend who just happens to be a veterinary medicine student who specializes in rabbits. He tells us that we're doing things correctly, so that's comforting. He also inspected the doe and gave us the go-ahead to rebreed her.

Death can be a terribly sad thing, especially when it arrives as the shadow of so much life and optimism. Of course we were unhappy and angry that we lost our first litter.  Still, we are a rational bunch of folks who understand that life isn't a Disney movie, and that nature works in mysterious ways. I'd be lying if I told you that a cloud of gloomth has hovered over Poppin' Fresh. We've all dealt with it, and are looking ahead to a rabbit-filled future.  

We've learned from this experience, and we've moved on.  Rabbit death is going to happen, one way or another. Many breeding resources recommend that if you loose a litter, to rebreed immediately, and in 31 more days you'll have more bunnies! We decided to give our momma rabbit a bit of a break, and won't be rebreeding her until later this month.
By then we will all be better prepared!

So, there you have it.

When one thing dies, many more flourish.

 Last week Sean and I participated in some garden outreach, during which we walked around and met most of the neighbors. We invited everyone we met to come over and check out the garden, and promised many tomatoes to friendly folks.

The garden is looking SO GOOD. Now that we've been working the same plot for over a year we feel more confident in our own skills, and we're much more "settled in" in the neighborhood. I've been focusing on beautification, as silly as it sounds, and we have flowers coming up all over the garden. Soon we'll be extending our fence to surround the new lot we acquired, and then Sean will build a few much-needed gates.

Our young fruit trees are doing well, the Jerusalem Artichokes are getting HUGE, and tomatoes, corn and potatoes were planted  our new lot this week. We've been eating fresh snap peas, spinach and lettuce. Squash and pumpkin seedlings will go into the ground soon, and maybe a small crop of hops. We're feeling proud and optimistic with so much tasty food ripe for the taking.

It has been horribly dry in the Lansing area, but we're ready and waiting for a good rainstorm. We've added to our daisy-chain of rain barrels, tripling our water-storage capacity. We have many more barrels set aside, so once we add taps to them we'll be in good shape. Rain barrels are so simple to make, and are absolutely invaluable. Soon I will post an easy how-to rain-barrel demo, so you can make some for your own garden. If  you don't want to wait, do a quick internet search and get started this weekend!

If you want to join us for a work party, keep an eye on the Learning Leaves Community Gardens Facebook Page, where we post schedules for all three of our gardens, on the east side of Lansing.

Re-purposed Rabbit Hutches

Our community garden, Poppin' Fresh, 

acquired two young meat rabbits from a local breeder. 

Hutches were a necessity but with no funds,

we knew that ingenuity was key.

 

Why spend a bunch of cash on new materials
when you can get them for free?

There's a simple philosophy, once wide-spread
but quickly dissipating in America: 

Use what you've got to make what you need.

Some of you may remember this hutch Sean built:

Hutch #1, before shingles.

Compared to the traditional rabbit hutches for sale, 

this two-story abode is a luxury home
for our plump New Zealand bunnies! 

This week we delivered Hutch #2 to Poppin' Fresh,
and boy is it an upgrade!

Hutch #2, the  Bunny Palace.

 This hutch is mostly comprised of a discarded dormitory desk.

We got two desks for free from the MSU Surplus Store.

  (Side note: The Surplus Store is amazing and well worth a visit!)

Modest beginnings.

We fenced them in to deter

  neighborhood dogs and other dangers.

They're on the north side of our garage, 

so they're protected from the weather, too.

Fun fact: The wooden fence sections came to us from
a neighbor who was about to throw them away.
(Thanks, Mike)

We let the rabbits graze on our impressive
dandylion crop using our converted chicken / rabbit tractor!

We've been working on a few little projects

in addition to the big spring planting push.

There are plenty of greens in the ground

(Swiss Chard, lettuce, spinach, kale)

and our radishes are starting to crown

up out of the soil.

Arugula Flowers!

My favorite in-season treat this week

are the thousands of arugula flowers 

all over the Garden. Arugula leaves are edible and

often found in salads. They taste slightly peppery.

Their flowers are also edible!

I eat them like popcorn.

Yesterday we picked up about a dozen

Brussel Sprout starts from The Garden Project.

Pumpkins, squash, and other delicious things

are just starting to germinate in our hoop house.

Oh, and tomatoes!

 To help new volunteers find their way around,
I painted a sign for each bed.
They're a little quirky, but they work.

We've sort of neglected the front of Poppin' Fresh,
which probably irks the neighbors a bit.
This week I ripped the over-grown wildflowers
sown last year in "decorative" beds.
I replaced them with some Alyssum seedlings,
a few Thyme plants and a bunch of German Chamomile. 
Some Goblin seeds, too, but they won't
germinate for another week, at least.

One of two front beds, and the main gate.

The front gate looks a bit bare at the moment,
but we plan to train our cucumber plants up either side.
I hope it works!

The most important project of all was completed this week:

RAIN BARRELS

 If you don't have water, you don't have a garden.
It's as simple as that.
We don't have a well, and we certainly don't have
a hook-up to city water or the fire hydrant,
like other gardens in the area.

Our rain barrel set-up is our one
source of water for all of our plants.
Sean and friends "liberated" gutters
from a nearby house slotted to be demolished.
We connected them to our storage garage,
then hooked up a tiered rain-barrel system.
At the moment we have six barrels
attached to this garage, daisy-chained together
with an overflow system to collect
as much as possible during those torrential
Michigan rainstorms.

If only we had more than 
two watering cans...

If you live in the Lansing area you should come check it out!
We're always in need of a few extra hands.
We'll let you pet the bunnies, show you around our plot(s),
feed you some Arugula flowers and send you home with
some of whatever is ready to be harvested.
Email me and I'll tell you a bit more,
or keep an eye on the Learning Leaves Facebook page.

("Learning Leaves" encompasses Poppin' Fresh, Leaf Lot,
Marvin's Gardens and other bits of dirt we scratch at.)

See Also:Urban Farming and Community Gardening in Lansing, Michigan

Survived another book show!

The 55th Michigan Antiquarian Book and Paper Show
was a great success!Part of my job is to help organize
and run this, the Midwest's largest show.

I don't have official confirmation,
but I believe it to be the second largest
show in the country, just behind the big show in NYC.
We're more than double the size of the antiquarian show
in Chicago. We're nearing our thirtieth anniversary,
and do two shows a year here in Lansing. Thankfully,
we have show preparations down to a science, now.

Once again, I came down with a nasty chest cold
two days before the show. When this happened last
autumn I had to stay in bed while the show went on
without me. It must, you know.

This time, I managed to make it out of bed and into
a nice enough outfit. The medicine I took kept me
slightly loopy, giggly and wiggly, but I strutted around
in my lovely "book show heels" well enough to fool
the guests and vendors. My favorite part, by far,
was taking photos of some of the book sellers during
the afternoon lull. If you're not a fan of books or paper,
you'd still get your money's worth if you came to the
show to people watch. They come from as far away
as Quebec and Texas (though not California,
as the LSJ suggested in their show write-up).

Sean and I splurged a bit, and bought a truly jaw-dropping
collection of four "propaganda" prints from 1931.

This one's my favorite!

 They were printed in Lansing and distributed by the
Michigan Tuberculosis Association.
They feature the most gorgeous nature illustrations
by wildlife artist Charles Livingston Bull. They compliment
the WWI and WWII propaganda posters we've bought
at past shows. Now, I need to put my framing tools
to good use and build some quarter-sawn oak fames!

It seemed to be a pretty good show.
We had about a dozen new dealers exhibiting,
and our porter team was stellar. Many thanks
to Leighanna, Alicia, Russ and Sean. And Keith.
We're not quite done unpacking at Curious,
but we're off to a good start. Mark suspects that
we've come back with more sports and movie stuff
than we took with us, but that isn't much of a surprise.
I'm pretty sure Ray sneaks things into the shop
we're not looking. The trick is finding a place to keep it all.

I used the book show as my Grand Unveiling.
Ray, Susan and Ruth approved my paper flowers,
and I bedecked the Archvies booth with them.
 

Those who noticed were impressed, and I may even
wind up selling a few of them in my Etsy shop.
We'll see.
I have about a dozen Phalaenopsis stems left, and a
few dozen little button flowers.

I've already moved on to other crafting projects,
so those will be the only flowers for a while.

I met some very nice girls at the show, and I think we might
start a blasphemous book club, where instead of reading
we rip books apart and turn them into art.

The few photos that were taken of me at the show are

hilariously embarrassing 

and can be found on the Curious Facebook page.

There is so much more to say about my chaotic, exhausting
weekend. I'll be cleaning up the wreckage-strewn house
for the rest of the evening. I must also try to beat this
cold before we head down to Harrison Township this weekend.
Must. Get. Well.

Urban Farming and Community Gardening in Lansing, Michigan

It all began about a year ago, in the sloppy, 

cold Michigan spring of 2011.

We had just moved into our current house 

and were rather pleased with ourselves.

We patted one another on the back and smiled, 

proud as could be.

"Look at us, all grown up, doing grown-up stuff."

The only difficulty with our lovely rental house was
the lack of gardening space. The house is beautifully landscaped
with plenty of perennials and shade-loving flowers,
which leaves little room for all of the vegetables
and other plants we would like to add.
Our very nice landlord had some concerns about
Sean and I ripping up her pretty yard, which is understandable.
But, how could we be self-reliant homesteaders
without our own bit of dirt to cultivate?

Around the time Sean and I were hitting this wall,
we heard from a friend that a new community garden 

was to be organized using empty lots 

rented from Lansing's Land Bank.
Part of Lansing's east side lies within a flood plain,
which has resulted in many vacant lots with rich soil
in a nearby neighborhood.

$10 a year, per lot.
Throw in lots of free seeds, 

seedlings, information and help. 

It sounded too good to be true...

One year later, we now know that it is true, 

and even better than we thought!

Here's Poppin' Fresh. We also have a second lot,

named Marvin's Gardens. (Get the reference?)

It took a lot of hard work, and some prescribed Vicodin

when Sean and I both threw out our backs pulling up 

sodden sod. The pain and temporary 

 inability to walk was worth it, in the end. 

Digging up all of that grass  to make the garden beds 

was the absolute worst part about this entire experience.

Once the Garden Project sent over their 

fabulous tilling machine our prospects looked better.

We have the equivalent of three city lots that we use for planting.

These empty lots are in an older, quiet neighborhood built upon a 

30-year flood plain. No new construction is allowed, 

so the houses are slowly being abandoned, 

eventually to be torn down by the city.

On either side of Poppin' Fresh are vacant houses 

slotted to come down this summer. When that happens, 

I expect we'll incorporate 3 or 4 more lots 

into our already large garden.

Last summer, our first main growing season, was a great success!

We have a core group of 5 - 7 gardeners 

who have invested an obscene amount of time 

and effort to make Poppin' Fresh what it is, today. 

Being close to MSU means there are countless 

students who sporadically show up to help out. 

In return, we send them home with a bounty 

of whatever is ready to harvest. Various student groups have 

come and gone, and we sometimes find 

ourselves short-handed when the demands of 

college keep the crowds at bay.

We function differently from the average 

Community Garden cooperative. Instead of each gardener 

tending their own small plot, we all work together 

on what may be better labeled as a Community Urban Farm. 

However, we don't follow the model presented 

by Urbandale, a production community garden/farm 

about a block away. They have a food stand 

and sell their produce to locals. 

They also have big fence. 

We're sort of against fences, but may need 

to construct one this summer to keep our livestock safe.

We're always a little unorganized, 

but Captain Kirk continues to surprise

us with all kinds of crazy ideas and amazing finds.

It looks like our next project will be a chicken coop!

In the last few months, we've acquired some major items:

 The Hoop House

Tons of pre-consumer compost from MSU  and Starbucks.

Piles in various stages line the left wall of the hoop house.

Our vermicompost (worms!) is doing especially well.

 Two New Zealand Rabbits (a buck and a doe).

Carol named them Thing 1 and Thing 2.

The number system might stick when 

they start breeding, next month.
((Update! More about the rabbits here!))

Seedling trays and pots, dozens of them, that were discarded.

We get free seeds through the Garden Project,

but everything we've planted so far this season comes

from left-over seeds - greens and herbs, mostly!

Sean's rabbit hutches, made from reclaimed MSU dorm desks.

Sean's constructing the roof right now!

One in progress, and one waiting for a new purpose.

A free chicken tractor from a nice stranger!

  Later this week we'll begin harnessing power from the sun. 

THE SUN!

Captain Kirk's super-cool solar panel will be 

on loan to the garden for the next long while. 

This will allow us to ventilate the hoop house with fans, 

hook up a light and maybe a boom box. 

We may also need power to heat the chicken coop this winter,

if we don't keep it in the warm hoop house with the rabbits.

Making Stuff, Selling Stuff, Burning Stuff

I've had blogs all over the web, mostly abandoned 

and buried by now. Some things, however, will never

disappear into the Google chasm....

Audrey, circa 2000.

This week, I've been focusing on a different form

of my internet identity. 

(Is that statement as pompous as it sounds?!)

Etsy.

Etsy. Etsy. Etsy.

Etsy and I go way back.

I think I first found it when I was looking for 

Artist Trading Cards... or maybe it was the jewelry.

Or the vintage clothes and home decor?

My-Sister-the-Artist and I could happily spend hours

trolling through the treasures to be found on Etsy.

Taquito, 

(the aforementioned sister) 

has a respectable

amount of Etsy selling experience.

I'm more of an Ebay seller, myself.

Yesterday, I jumped ship.

There's nothing there, yet.

I'm taking this next month to work on

my "products" before "rolling out my line"

(Bwahahahah business speak is silly!)

in early January - just in time for 

Valentines Day!

Lansing was walloped with about 

8 inches of heavy, wet snow over 

a sheet of frozen rain.

 Our back yard - the bough is touching the ground, burdened.

  

Even with sidewalks, shoveling here is nowhere near as bad

as it was growing up, with that extra-long driveway!

Good thing I moved more than a few armloads of 

firewood into the garage, the previous morning!

I've quickly become the house's expert fire builder.

The Amazon Associates Debate, or Why You Should Go Outside

What's that, Blogger?
You've noticed that I talk about books, sometimes, eh?
Oh, and you signed a deal with Amazon, did you?
Oh, my. That's nice for you, I suppose.

What's that? You want ME to jump on board?
And if people click links in my blog and buy something, I get money?
Well, a little spare change would be nice, if that ever were to happen...
But I average 2 views a day, if that.
And... Amazon is a monster!

Amazon was great when it started.
Just some people and a warehouse, making books easier to obtain.
But geez, look at it now.
LOOK AT IT.

Now look at me.
I work in a small, independent book shop.
I'm friends with people who work in and own other small book shops.
If I were to refer my blog readers to a trustworthy book source, why should it be the online business that has wreaked havoc on independents around the world?
Well, I'm not going to.
Instead, here are some excellent independent Michigan bookstores that I proudly endorse!

Go outside, get in your car (or on the bike, bus, taxi, skateboard...)
and take yourself to a small, independent book shop.
They're out there.

Curious Book Shop (E. Lansing, Mi - 3 Floors of Used and Antiquarian Books & Stuff. This is where I spend most of my time and money.)
Archives Book Shop (E. Lansing, Mi - A little Used and Antiquarian Book Shop full of treasures.)
Everybody Reads (Lansing, Mi - A great, eclectic book shop for everyone!)
Off the Beaten Path (Farmington, Mi - A STEAMPUNK Book Shop!)
King's (Detroit, Mi - Supposedly the MECCA for book loving bargain hunters, but I've never been...)
Horizon Books (Traverse City, MI - A beautiful, traditional book store with plenty to offer.)
Singapore Bank Bookstore (Saugatuk, Mi - This tiny, easy to miss book shop at the top of the old Bank building is cosy, well-stocked and not to be missed!)

NANOWRIMO 2011

Since 2006, the month of November has brought
a bouquet of crazy into my life.

The weather goes from pleasantly chilly to
downright frigid, with those November winds.

The public transportation system goes to shit
(I'm looking at you, CATA!)
with hundreds of new riders, forsaking their bikes for the
"comforts" of dirty seats and sick strangers.

I usually come down with some plague-like illness.

Thanksgiving approaches, and with it comes stuffing.
How can I lose weight during the
GLORIOUS STUFFING MONTHS?

The holiday count-down begins.
I like to make gifts, rather than buy them.
This is, however, incredibly hard to do without some
serious time budgeting, since the month
of November also brings...

NAtionalNOvelWRItingMOnth

That's right, folks.
The month of November is your chance to join us,
the crazies, and write a 50,000 word novel.
It begins at midnight, on Halloween.
Wear a costume if you'd like.

My first WriMo experience was in 2006.
Bright eyed and bushy tailed, I thought that
this nifty writing project sounded like a lot of fun.
Nevermind the essays waiting to be written for class.
Nevermind my part-time library gig.
I had time for the NaNo, right?
After all, I am an aspiring author!

Wrong.
I quit about 2 weeks in.

The same thing happened in 2007, 2008, and 2010.
(I skipped 2009, citing a honeymoon hangover.)

2010 started off great, for me.
I was finally out of college and I could attend weekly write-ins.
At one of those write-ins I lost about 6,000
of my 15,000ish words when my little Eee crashed.
I quit, then and there.

I'm a perpetual LOSER when it comes to NaNoWriMo,
and yet I'm going to give it another shot.
Why keep trying, and failing?
Because I love to do it!
Not the failing part, but the writing part.
I always have between 3 and 3948257 story ideas in my head.
This year I'm ahead of the game (compared to normal).
Instead of just a vague story idea, I have a real plan!
You see, there's this girl... there's this apocalypse.... and some books.
And it takes place in Michigan - I think.

Alright, so I don't actually have a well-thought-out plan, but I don't care.
By writing this blog post, I have officially talked myself into doing the WriMo again!
Sean will be thrilled, I'm sure.


I'm pretty well set up for the WriMo.
My EeePC is long gone, due to a terrible wine accident.
The lack of a laptop is a huge set-back,
but I think I can borrow one from my friend with too many computers.
What I wouldn't give for one of those fancy iPads with the keyboard case...

I have a writing space all set up, though it's a bit dusty.
I live just a few blocks away from Gone Wired, my ideal write-in location.
And I work just a few blocks away from Wanderer's Tea House, the back-up location.
I have coffee, I have books, I have paper and pens.
I have a story, kind-of.
I'm already doing better than I have in previous years!

I watched Kristina Horner's video about
NaNoWriMo a short while ago, and am feeling slightly more inspired.
I have a stack of books in front of me, all about writing and maintaining sanity.



Let's do this!

"Dance Party Erupts During Quaker Meeting for Worship"
Jon Watts

Mini Review: The Celestine Prophecy

Yesterday, I did the Hawk Island Loop, a bike ride that measures just over 8 miles. It was exhausting, exhilarating and breath-taking. It was gorgeous, and I pushed myself to the point of gasping for breath at the end of the ride. The River Trail path takes you right through a mature forest, in the middle of Lansing! A great way to celebrate America's independence.

I was going to go for another ride this morning, but I decided to take a day off and let my muscles recuperate a bit. I'm headed out for a walk to our little downtown area. I think I'll start calling it the "East End," even though no one will know what I mean. Yoga, later, too.


This book had been hovering around in my peripheral to-be-read cloud for months.

Mike Thomas, an interesting YouTuber and proprietor of YouAreThePath.com, gave it a glowing recommendation not too long ago, so I finally acquired a copy and gave it a try...

---

The Celestine Prophecy is not a literary masterpiece by any measure, but it does offer a number of interesting (and sometimes common-sense) insights into how people think. Redfield's New Age bestseller was an entertaining, easy read peppered with observations that caused me to pause and think about my actions toward others, and myself. As Redfield states, it's meant to be more of a parable, a thought-jogger for readers of all ilks to take in and use in their own lives. It's not supposed to be, as I said, a literary masterpiece.

The plot's structure is made up of a number of "insights," or philosophical ideals about how people should treat one another and themselves. Woven into this adventure story are archeological and scientific ideas, facts and fallacies. If you take this book for what it's meant to be, an easy and effective look at Redfield's life philosophy, then you'll enjoy this little book and may even seek out the sequels he has since published.

It's hard to hate on a book that's full of good messages about trying to heal the world and it's peoples. Try it out. There are copies available in just about every book shop, new and used, as well as libraries and friends bookshelves. See if it works for you, but don't bash it if it's not your style. Redfield's suggestions as to how people should treat one another could benefit some of the snarky, cynical reviewers who have tossed this book aside. It's a heck of a lot better than the Twilight-esque rubbish flying off of the presses, these days.

They made this book into a movie not so long ago, but I haven't seen it, yet. It's on Netflix (what isn't?), so I'll see it soon enough.

I'm about half-way through The Tenth Insight, Redfield's sequel to Celestine Prophecy. This book is discerningly far-fetched, even when compared to it's predecessor. Still, I admire Redfield's philosophies of how we should live and learn, so I'll finish it. Book number three, Secret of Shambhala, is already in my possession. A fourth book, The Twelfth Insight, was released in February. I've assumed that it's a great work on the current societal and world condition. If I can make it through this sequel without tossing it aside in frustration I'll finish the series.

---

It's not as good as Ecotopia, though.

Book Binge, and a Cat

Today being my only day off in the foreseeable future, I spent the morning and early afternoon on a leisurely walk through my neighborhood. Four books, dropped off at the library. One tasty breakfast at Gone Wired, featuring the best-tasting bacon of my life, a little too much coffee for comfort and a quiet hour in which I savored the ending of Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia.

This book is a treasure. I'm adding it to my Top 10 book list.

I just sauntered on home from Everybody Reads, my wonderful neighborhood book shop, on the eastern side of Lansing. It was a longer walk than usual, what with my bag-o-books weighing me down. Wanna see what I got?!

An ARC of Martha Cooley's The Archivist
Dorothy Allison's Cavedweller (Never heard of it, but am so intrigued!)
Elizabeth Gaskell's Sylvia's Lovers
Witold Rybczynski's Waiting for the Weekend (A study of leisure time and "the freedom to do nothing," from Roman times to modern day. I loved learning about this massive change in society in the 20th century, and can't wait to crack this baby open!)
Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion
Hunter S. Thompson's The Great Shark Hunt (!)
Beppe Severgnini's Ciao, America! : An Italian Discovers the U.S.
The Awakened Warrior: Living with Courage, Compassion & Discipline (ed. Rick Fields)
In the Company of Others: Making Community in the Mondern World (ed. Claude Whitmyer)

These were all gently used paperbacks, and even though I insisted upon paying double their asking price, I still managed to get out of Everybody Reads without spending more than $10 - and I got a neat bumper sticker, too!

Other books I've acquired in the last few weeks include:
Kwame Anthony Appiah's The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen
James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy
Dan Millman's Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior
Alice Miller's Thou Shalt Not be Aware: Society's Betrayl of the Child
J.G. Ballard's The Crystal World
Rick Steves's Travel as a Political Act
Shiva Naipaul's Beyond the Dragon's Mouth
Elinore Pruitt Stewart's Letters of a Woman Homesteader (So good, so far!)
Rebecca Ann Collins's The Pemberley Chronicles (Yeah, I know...)
John Mortimer's The Summer of a Dormouse: Another Part of Life
Krishnalal Shirdharani's My India, My America (Introduction by Louis Bromfield!)

I hope to read them all eventually, but I obviously acquire more books than I can read. I'll have to take a photo of the book shelves sometime soon, to share some of my double-stacking storage techniques. Even still, I have boxes and boxes of books stashed in a closet. Two closets, actually.

All of these books makes it difficult to get more writing done. I'm working on a novel, as always.
What makes it different this time, though, is that soon I will have an actual writing space, a place of my own without the seduction of internet, candy or a stack of books. The goal is to keep this desk clear, save for a mug of pens and a cushy spot for cats to snooze on the sunny windowsill.

It's a damn good thing that Nova, our new little adoptee from the Lansing Area Humane Society, can happily co-habitate with so many books. Footage of the little cat to come soon, as well. I'd upload some now, but she's being so darn affectionate, curled up on my lap.

A Less-Trampled Path

So here's the deal. I'm back to blogging again. And once again, I'm serious about it (haha). I think this time it might stick. True, I've said this before. There's truly only one way to find out.

Sustainability is quite the catch-phrase these days, in this post-millennial, greenified world. First there was Al Gore, then Elphaba. Next, Lady Gaga will premiere her new Lady Gaia costume and become the first (?) international Green Revolution icon. I was a history major. I know all about using the figure of a woman as the symbol of a true revolution. I'm down.

I'm so “down,” in fact, that I'm prepared to put it onto the vast Internetverse. I know that Blogs are rather Old-School. Still, I shall persevere. Given my circumstances, I'd consider this a rather advanced personal technological achievement. Don't mock me. Just keep reading!

In trying to trace the root of this sudden zeal, I realized a few of the doubtless numerous and otherwise unnoticed influences upon my life. My new husband, Sean, is something of a zombie aficionado. What began as a kitchy interest and collection theme has blossomed into a fully fledged state of paranoia regarding the (most definitely real) zombie apocalypse. I'm yet skeptical, but anything is possible. Or, maybe this sprouts from his interest in the spread of diseases and epidemiology.

He's truly not insane, I promise. Or, are we both?

We've both recently graduated. In college, I became very involved in things. I worked at the library and joined a few honors societies, which I had some part in governing. I was a bit of a departmental starlet, although it seems very awkward (yet right) to call myself so. Harlot, sometimes. I studied creative non-fiction under one of the most influential women of my life. I became the aforementioned history major, in addition to majoring in English. I was on the fast-track to a career in retail and freelance, most likely.

Goodness, how true it's become!

I started to make friends with a fascinatingly diverse group of people. I found the most excellent mentors and academics available, there. And even more – they're actually invested in their students as individuals and future colleagues. It was flattering, startling, and emboldening. I'm truly lucky/blessed/______ to have been where I've been.

It goes deeper and deeper, I'm realizing while I write and reminisce. I used to spend my playtime, nearly every day, outside under the Texas sun. My dad's a gardener. Really, each relative I'm fortunate enough to have has influenced me toward this in some way or another. Really, all of you. Thank you.

Ah, I'm rambling. If anyone cares about the rest of the story, comment one day far into the future and I'll tell you more. I don't have time to dawdle!

What's in the Green Bag:
- Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation, by Jason Mattera
- Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, by Bill McKibben
(I found this through a recent NYTimes review of Eaarth, and am simply stunned by the number of things I do not know, or simply have not paused to consider!)
- The End of Nature, by Bill McKibben
- The Age of Missing Information, by Bill McKibben
- Green Guide: The Complete Reference for Consuming Wisely (endorsed by NatGeo)
- Worms Eat My Garbage, by Appelhof (Sean's book, and by a local author!)
- Watershed: The Undamming of America, by Elizabeth Grossman
- Meditations from the Mat, by Gates aand Kenison
- A Few Brass Tacks, by Louis Bromfield
(I just happened upon this at work, and was astounded by the "Apologia" at the beginning. I'll post a version of it soon!)
- The Sunflower Forest: Ecological Restoration and the New Communion with Nature, by William R. Jordan III
(Ecological Restoration. Now, why haven't I heard of THIS before?)
- August Celebration: A Molecule of Hope for a Changing World, by Linda Grovner
(Another wildcard find from The Curious Book Shop!)
- The Bill McKibben Reader: Pieces of an Active Life

One of my major problems is handling the barrage of information coming down all around me. Learning about so many new things at once is exhilarating and overwhelming. I'm coping with it in the only way I know how - by writing. My journal has become a good commonplace book over the last few weks, but I can recognize a situation which calls for a keyboard and forum.

The time, dear reader, is now.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm's State of the State Address

Michiganders love to complain about the state's infamously horrible roads. Full of tire-popping, crater-sized pot holes, the ribbons of highways that bisect and connect our state are falling to pieces, quite literally. However, the faulty roads have taken a back-seat in the media spotlight, which now shines blindingly on the newest fault - Michigan's struggling economy. Much like our roads, our economy and infrastructure are full of holes. Huge, gaping ones. Rather than a simple patch job, the rejuvenation of Michigan requires a full reconstruction and reformation. Michiganders also love to complain about construction, but this sort of work is needed. Under the leadership of Gov. Granholm, I think that we'll come out of this year with a good foundation laid. Soon, the Motor City and the state as a whole will be rolling along again.

This brings me to Gov. Granholm's "State of the State" address, which just aired. I have the utmost respect of Gov. Granholm, but I'll resist sounding like a fangirl...

"I will not sugar-coat the severity of the crisis," began the governor. Her hour-long speech overflowed with war-like vocabulary. Battle plans, soldiers, fighting for and protecting the "army of determined citizens" that make up Michigan. Allusions abounded. At first, I feared that her address would in fact be a lecture on nationalism. Fortunately, I was wrong.

The Granholm Administration's plan for reviving Michigan is a combination of job creation and the renewable energy industry. Over the last few years, Michigan's government has saved about $60 million in taxpayers' money by converting to more efficiency and green technologies. Some of these changes were as simple as screwing in better lightbulbs. This 23% cut is only the beginning. In Granholm's "45 by 20" goal, she has challenged the state to reduce their reliance on fossil fuel by 45% by the year 2020. The $2 billion that Michigan annually spends on importing coal from other states can go toward wind and solar power technologies within the state. "Energy entrepreneurs," she called us, as she outlined her plans for individuals to harness the power of sun and wind in their own homes and businesses - and profit by selling extra power back to the the power companies.

The push for a greener Michigan goes farther, and plays into job creation. Granholm proposed the creation of a new sort of CCC, where thousands of Michiganders would weatherize government buildings, research new technologies, and install them across the state. Referring to the impressive decrease in the government's reliance on fossil fuels, Granholm joked, "If government can do this, you can too."

The film industry was another star player in Granholm's address and plans for the future. Wonderstruck Animation, she announced, will be building a new studio in Detroit. Stardock, a gaming company, will set up in Plymouth. Motown Motion Pictures is moving into an old GM factory in Pontiac, bringing 3,600 new jobs to the area. Granholm made a special mention of her hopes to employ more of the "young creative workers" of Michigan through this new entertainment industry. I think she's on to something.

Reform, reform, reform. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reforming the government and Michigan a whole. It's just that, well, I'm sure that every credible journalist will write an article or four about Granholm's reforms in the next week. I'll save myself the time of writing what everyone else is likely to focus on.

Granholm finished up with five "urgent measures" that she proposed to the state, as a whole.

• Freeze tuition hikes, for the next academic year. (Oh, Gawd, yes. Please!)
• For the legislature to pass the Home Foreclosure Prevention Act, giving homeowners 90 days to secure financing rather than have their own front doors slammed in their faces.
• For public utilities to end shut-offs for the remainder of the winter, in the cases of seniors, the disabled, and homes with low or no income.
• Freeze hikes in auto insurance rates for one year, allowing the current insurance reform to be proposed and passed. And, if a company refuses, Granholm called on her administration to use any and every tool in their possession to combat those heartless money-grubbing executives.
• For the continued support of health care for those who are most in need. Don't strip people of their health care in an attempt to reduce spending!
  

I was thrilled to hear about Granholm's renewable energy plans for individuals to get involved, and possibly profit, from new technologies. Also, I have high hopes for Wonderstruck Animation in Detroit. With so many friends at CCS, how could I not be geeked about the possibilities of my sister, the animation student, finding a job in Michigan? One last point Granholm focused on, which thrilled me, is the "Buy Michigan First" initiative. "Support Michigan. Select Michigan. Buy Michigan," she pleaded. The more attention this cause gets, the better off we'll all be.