Living In A Local Zone

My first actual Independence Days Challenge report…. I’ve joined Matriarchy on “Ramping up the Garden” with the Behavior section at the end.  As she explained, this is a spin-off from the Regeneration part of the challenge, trying to better understand how behavior changes affect our lives and being more conscious about choices.  Check out her post, the whole family is getting in on a Fast Food Challenge that sounds like a far-reaching project.

Planted: I actually have something on this one! I’ve planted a small windowsill box for herbs.  Note, it is not actually kept on a windowsill, but rather on a table near the kitchen.  I don’t know how well it will work in our sub-zero temps lately, but its worth a shot – I’ve been craving some fresh flavors.  Hopefully I’ll have something to show for it soon… but for now, I figured a pic of dirt in a box is not too thrilling

Harvested: No harvest this week (and I suspect not for a few months).

Preserved: I did it! Water-bath canning for some apples.  They were some red delicious that I have in cool-storage.  I chose these apples because, well, I am honestly not a big fan of red delicious.  I like nearly every other variety of apple I have tried (and I’ve tried a lot!) but the red delicious just never cut it for me.  But of course, I can’t let these precious fruits go unused when they are so hard to find in the cold winter, so I went off to try and preserve, thinking of all you who have encouraged me.  As Judy from “My Freezer Is Full” suggested, I chose to go for cooked spiced apples with cinnamon and a tiny bit of lemon to use with my newly delivered oat mix cereal from my local grain source at Wild Hive Farm.  The lids sealed and everything.  Wheee! Can’t wait to try it this weekend!  I’ll post separately all about my exploits with pictures soon….

Cooked Something New: I cooked every day – have to eat   But really, I am happiest about my variation on bread rolls this week.  I used the master dough recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 minutes A Day, but adapted it with some rye flour and different seeds (poppy, rye, sesame, sunflower) for the first time.  I wasn’t sure how to adjust the proportions, but I just guessed from the texture of the dough, and happily it came out fine.  For some reason I then got depressed about slicing a loaf of bread, so just shaped it into rolls, dusted with cornmeal, and baked it off.  Made for some very delicious lunches.  I also baked some cranberry muffins using handfuls from my frozen stash.  I haven’t had these for a long time, and I’d forgotten how good they are.  Seems as if I am in a baking mood more lately, maybe because of the warm smells and the cozy feeling in the cold weather – that and the limited veg/produce choices.

Stored: I’m not sure how to take this category in the winter.  I did stock up on household items (spices, toilet paper, cleaning supplies) that had been running horribly low given my stressful work week.  The paper was from post-consumer recycled, so I guess maybe that’s a bit of recycling too? That’s all I’ve got on this front.

Prepped: Not in the traditional sense, but I prepared for my projects at work with a organizational checklist on the huge whiteboard in my office.  I also got a great email from my mother that prepped me in the mental sense.  I’ve been having more than a bit of panic attacks and sleepless nights lately, though I can’t pinpoint why.  The email had an attachment urging me to “Be a Tree” – meaning recognizing that things take time, and just to be in whatever stage is right at the time.  This resonated with me in the winter, thinking of how the plants are dormant now, but that there is still growth that can’t be seen.  And even after planting, it is hard to see progress, yet one day it grows a bit and then a bit more, and keeps at it steadily.  I am trying to prep for the week ahead to be mentally stronger thinking of this.

Managed: I’m proud of this one.  The Independence Days Challenge reminded me to manage my stores of winter squash, carrots/parsnips, potatoes, and apples.  I had one squash go on its last legs (luckily I was able to cut off the unpleasant bits and salvage a good part of it) and it hit home to me how important it is to keep a watchful eye on the food that we have so carefully harvested and stored.  It pained me to lose even that bit, and I am determined to be vigilent.  After all, what good is all the storing and “delaying” using the hardier veg if it means that they are lost when it is actually time to dig into them?

Reduced, Reused, Recycled: “Recycling” is interesting here, as I found that I don’t have recyclables since jumping into the local life.  My milk comes from a local dairy that uses glass bottles that are to be returned when the next batch of milk comes and is swapped out.  I guess that is a form of recycling? I don’t have plastics and bottles, as I haven’t been buying this that come in them.  When I have papers/boxes from mail or from flyers, etc. I do put those out for recycling.  Ironic in a way, that I have less to recycle now than before.  Have others found that? The “Reused” may be where it is going.  I reused any sort of plastic container that might come my way, for example, using washable lunch containers/bags.  I was a bit surprised at the farmers’ market when one of the sellers offered me a plastic bag for the potatoes I was buying from him.  But I did actively reuse when I left the cardboard crate that the apples were packed in with him and just put them in the cloth bag I had brought.

Local Food Systems: I am so excited about this one! I contacted the FoodShare here in the greater Hartford CT area and am scheduled for training to be one of their volunteer speakers this year.  Their mission is to create a community where there is little/no waste, a greater sense of food security, support for local and grassroots food production.  As they explain, it involves three prongs: self-sufficiency, engagement from the community, and food security.  I am especially excited about how they are very focused on community – the idea that it takes business, industry, private organizations, individuals, and government right in our greater metro area.  They are a very strong presence in the food system here and partner with many businesses to draw more and more citizens into their work and to educate the community while helping to provide sustainable food to people who need it.  My training session is the Wednesday after next, and I can’t wait

Learned: I am still plugging away at my efforts to learn to knit.  I have the feeling I will be able to count this in the “Learning” category for a long time.  But I can also say that I made my first attempt to learn to can/preserve.  While I haven’t fully learned it, I have taken the first step.

Library: I haven’t been able to start the new books I got, but hope to make a start this weekend.  I have “You Are Here” by Thomas Kostigen which discusses the link between human action and its impact on the environment and sustainability in general.  According to the reviews, it covers different parts of the world, the behavior of people there, and how that behavior (as well as the behavior of other parts of the world) affects the area – and will play out in the coming years.  From blogger suggestions, I also got “Omnivore’s Dilemma” and am hoping to add “Salt” and “Fast Food Nation”.  Thank you for those recommendations! On a lighter note, I have a pile of new children’s books to read They have always been a lure to me, relaxing and just a way to unwind.  Last week I read “The Green Glass Sea” and its companion book “White Sands, Red Menace” by Ellen Klages.  And for that evening, I felt more like “me” than I have in a long time.

Behavior: The behavior change that I’ve set for myself for this next while (well, to really try and ingrain this month – hopefully it will sink in and stick around!) is to be a bit more confident in myself.  Part of the panic attacks I mentioned above may have to do with anxiety over my work and with security in general.  I am still fairly new to this attorney thing (about 1.5 years) and while I am fine with some partners/colleagues, I am horribly insecure in front of others, to the point where I become tongue tied and can’t show my best work.  I actually had a melt-down at work, shaking and heart racing when I had to get a particular project in and started to second-guess whether I had hit all the necessary elements.  I panic over getting something wrong or missing something that hurts a client.  I have also been worrying about things such as my family – whether they will be ok in the general sense and stay safe.  And of course, it then spirals into panic without a cause/source.  I can see that this is actually *hindering* my ability to be independent.  When I can’t think rationally I’ll not be able to assess a situation and handle it, talk with others if needed, and make it through.  Fear isn’t any help.  So this is my behavior challenge – maybe I can call it “Internal Independence”?