Planning...

Hello Everyone

I’ve read many blogs and articles that come right out and say that going GREEN is difficult. Yes, it is challenging but those that use the word “difficult” make it sound like going GREEN is a chore. Changing your life and your families’ life to GREEN shouldn’t be a chore, it should be perceived as an adventure…

This past week has been a stage of planning with very little action. However, I did go out and purchase a set panniers and a rack for bicycle number two (see the picture). These will be used to gather groceries and other tidbits while my wife and I bike around on the weekends. The great thing is that we have three very good fresh organic stores close by which makes this much easier. Sometime this month we should also be getting a little deli and grocery close by (I can’t wait for this).

I also planned our upcoming garden and if it weren’t for the rain that’s planned this weekend I would begin to build the frames. Oh well, next weekend perhaps. What else…oh yeah, I finally met the neighbor next to me and it sounds like she wants to garden as well. This makes my situation much better because now both neighbors and I want a garden. Between the three of us we might just have our own little neighborhood vegetable garden! Of course a garden wouldn’t be complete without a compost pile and I have that planned as well. The neighbors will probably join in on that too.

As I said in the first paragraph going GREEN should be a journey and not a chore. Never in my imagination would I have thought that my wife and I would be willing partners to a possible neighborhood garden.

That’s the fun of going GREEEN.

Until next week, happy reading.

Bob

Laundry...

Hello Everyone

Okay I tried to keep it so that my posts take place every Thursday. Well, I missed it this week, sorry.

During this journey we (my wife & I) do quite a bit of reading on how we can make our lives a bit more GREEN. Over the past few weeks we decided to give it a go; make our own fabric softener and laundry detergent. I was truly amazed how quickly she got on board with the idea. Sure you can save a few dollars by doing this but that wasn’t the goal. The object was to create and use something that would keep harmful chemicals out of the water system. (By the way I was ecstatic that my wife was willing to give this a try). So I let her make the decision on which recipe to follow (there are thousands of them) and we went out to purchase the necessary items. For the most part the many recipes are similar; each just increases or decreases the amount of the ingredients. Laundry soap is bar soap, Borax and washing soda. Fabric softener is baking soda, white vinegar and an essential oil (she chose tangerine). Mix the ingredients as called for and then put them to work.

So far, we have washed a few loads and have been happy with the outcome. The only thing that needs some work is the static cling. It’s not bad but it is present and I’m sure with a little reading we can find a solution. If you would like to follow the recipe we have tried just let me know and I will send it to you. Or, if you have  solution to the static cling, let me know.

Until next week, happy reading.

Bob

Walkability

Hello Everyone

I thought I would bring up something that happened before our big move. We traded away or large SUV vehicle for a smaller economical vehicle. Okay, it was for financial reasons (gas and upkeep $$) but it made sense. Why drive 40+ plus miles a day and purchase fuel at more than $3 a gallon in something so large?! Albeit we did have a second vehicle, one that was already small and economical; now we had two. Today one of those vehicles is used by my son therefore my wife and I have become a one car family. This, my friends leads me to the rest of today’s post and a question I had to answer.

Living here in the heart of Tucson is a car necessary?

The answer is…yes, for most people like our selves. We still need to commute to get certain things accomplished. Yet, we have diminished the use of the automobile in our household! My wife takes public transportation or walks to work. I work a few miles further and opt for the car (for now). Most other things, we either bike or walk to. Living in “town” actually affords us the opportunity to ditch the wheels and get some much-needed outdoor time. I could go on forever about walkability or biking but instead head to you local library or bookstore and checkout the book; Walkable City by Jeff Speck. This is a guy that understands the need to create urban environments that allows people to forget (for the most part) the automobile.

Until next week, happy reading.

Bob