People deal with stress in varying ways. Some go on a shopping spree; others eat way too many brownies. As for me, I decided to buy a compost bin.
I’ve been wanting to try composting for some time. For some reason, it rankles the depths of my soul to toss out lots of kitchen scraps and garden prunings when I could compost them instead. It would be ecofriendly and it would save me having to buy more potting soil to support my gardening habit. What's not to love? But I digress--back to the stress management thing.
Yesterday was a rough day. I won't go into the details--basically it was the usual round of too much to do and not enough time, exacerbated by the fact that Baby woke up very early from naps. Several times. By late afternoon I was getting close to meltdown stage, so I declared the second Tuesday of September Official Hendrickson Composting Day. Baby and I drove over to Rite Aid where I bought a 10-gallon plastic storage bin, then we went on a walk to collect some dry leaves to offset all the green stuff I intend to add to my “pile.” Phillip will drill holes in the bin tomorrow for drainage, and I’m going to do a bit more online research to make sure I produce useful compost rather than a smelly mess. I'm sure my neighbors will appreciate that.
All of this did wonders for my mood. That is, until I discovered the ant infestation. My husband came home to find his typically benign wife squashing wee beasties with rather more force than was necessary. I think that scared him a little. Apparently it scared the ants, too, because they haven't returned. Apparently they decided it was unwise to steal food from mentally unbalanced humans.
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Plantboy should have married a girl like you. :) We have composted in the past and have grand plans to start again. The problem is that Plantboy doesn't want the Rite-Aid budget composter; he wants the deluxe model that stands off the ground and has a hand crank so you can stir the compost.
Recycling is, in some ways, easier here in Oregon because of all the special bins we have. Somedays, though, I just feel like I'm washing a lot of garbage. Still, global warming is like a huge freak out for me so I've got to do my part.
I just saw the other day about a restaurant in Hawaii that has a compost bin in the back with worms that actually eat the compost--they get rid of tons of it! It was really interesting.
That's all.
There's a great National Geographic article that talks about how the face of North America was changed by the Europeans bringing over the common earthworm. I think it's in the same issue that has a cover article about Jamestown.
I've never had all that much success with composting--I tend to fail as far as aerating the pile goes and so mine does turn into a slodgy heap of muck. We did get a peach tree volunteering to grow in our Utah pile though, poking charmingly through the decrepit fence and blooming beauteous shades of pink. I suspect the new owners of that home will have annihilated it while pursuing neatness and order. Perhaps better than our compost ordure.
Currently, I am so far removed from having the time/ energy to garden that we're paying someone to mow our lawn. It smarts.
I did buy four rolls of landscaping fabric today with grandiose dreams of killing all the grass and having a flower and vegetable paradise. It probably won't happen until 2009. Spring of 2008 is slotted for the arrival of baby # three (due March 8th). Gwyn will be 16 months old. I'll have three children three and under. Heavenly Father REALLY has a sense of humor.
Don't get me wrong--we want this baby. I just have to blame it on the infallible or have deepset doubts about my sanity.
I'm going to overlap blogs because I'd written a response for your other blog before discovering that I'd need a Google account. Bleh. I just don't feel like getting one tonight. So--my apologies to other readers.
I agree with Carrie. Baby food is not very interesting, and some of it is actually too thin. I've had some success with mixing oatmeal or rice cereal into various foods to make them easier to eat (with a heartier texture).
How interested is Joy in food in general?
Morgan lost interest in food quickly but not through distaste or lack of hunger. He just is a grazer--someone who prefers to nibble a little, play for a while, and eventually come back for another bite or two. If Joy isn't deeply interested in food, you may have to keep struggling. Nursing (if this were the case) would be more appealing because of its fringe benefits such as being cuddled.
The other reason solid foods can be frustrating to an infant is they don't seem to fill the stomach completely. Try combining with a liquid in a regular cup or sippy cup. It is adding in yet another new experience but might be helpful.
STM, I drool over the idea of deluxe composter with a hand crank. Call me a garden geek. Someday I'll be able to afford it.
Desmama, I've read that adding a certain kind of worm to the compost produces really great soil. Some really hardcore people even have worm compost boxes that double as coffee tables. However, I am a financially challenged rookie, so I'm just going to start with microbes and work my way up.
Cathy, I didn't know you were expecting. I'm not sure whether to hug you in congratulation or consolation. Probably both. :) I, too, dream of the day when I'll have a flower and veggie paradise, with a few fruit trees here and there. First I need a yard, though. Sigh.
And thanks for the advice on feeding Baby. She seems to be more receptive as the days go by, so I think the biggest issue was just the unfamiliarity of eating from a spoon.
Having never had anything more than a patch of cement for a yard, I have never even had considered the composting thing.
As for me, it's my afternoon nap that saves me these days. If I don't get one, I can be very cranky. =)
Alas, naps aren't much of an option for me. It takes me forever to fall asleep in the afternoon, and if I succeed it takes me even longer to fall asleep at night. Vicious cycle.
You can buy a tiny food processor for less than $10 and then baby can just eat what you eat. I agree that the texture of storebought baby food is just too runny; mixing with cereal does work pretty well and it goes a litlte farther that way. The problem I see with baby food, however, is that it is so overcooked and the canning process negates a lot of its nutritional value. Besides the little food processor for just throwing in part of what I've cooked for dinner, I've also boiled up a large amount of carrots or beets or other veggies and then put them in the blender with water to make them smooth. Using old baby food jars or ziploc sealable containers, I just freeze my blenderful in meal-sized portions. About a minute in the microwave (with stirring a couple of times) and voila! I think formula and baby food makers have got a racket going--their profit margins must be HUGE!
I love reading your blog, i hope you don't mind. I find it very interesting, and look forward to reading it every time. Please keep up, It's like reading a cool article in the paper that is actually realistic. haha.
Serena, the more the merrier. Read as often as you like!
STM, I've toyed with the idea of making my own baby food. Where did you find a cheap, tiny food processor?
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