Tend to yourself while gardening Once Spring rolls around, the serious gardener starts working overtime. There always seems to be something to do—seeds to start, soil to work, perennials to clean up, and weeds and more weeds to pull. Since our home is at the top of a hill and has few large trees, the… Continue reading →

Sharing Our Ideas in a Common Thread Since I’ve started blogging and tweeting, I’ve found a community of people of like mind. One of my favorite finds is Reduce Footprints, a site. that encourages everyone to change the world, by making changes in their own lives one step at a time. One of the things I… Continue reading →

Keeping the Cold Air out and the Warm Air in Our house does not have a mailbox. Instead, we have a mail slot in the front door—the old fashioned kind made of metal, with a spring-loaded door. The slot is large enough to accommodate magazines and thick, 11 x 14” envelopes so most of my… Continue reading →

Easy Nutritious and Filling Fare When my doctor suggested I try a vegan diet to help ease the aches of pains of aging, I was worried about how I’d get enough protein. My standard breakfast had consisted of a couple of slices of turkey bacon, some sort of carb and fruit—plus coffee, of course. I… Continue reading →

Create a Natural Cheese Display for Autumn Entertaining Decades ago I saw paper “grape leaves” advertised by Williams Sanoma to display cheeses. They were pretty—very French—but expensive! Once I got a grape arbor in my garden I saw what beautiful colors the leaves turn in fall. I thought back to a craft project from preschool… Continue reading →

Refashion Cast-Offs for the Look You Want. I have been a frustrated costume designer since I was a teen. Halloween was my favorite holiday and I loved dressing up as someone else. Since I learned to sew at the age of 11, I always made my own costumes rather than buying one of the flimsy… Continue reading →

An easy and delicious way to process Summer’s bounty! Almost every backyard gardener grows tomatoes. Their plump red-orange globes are one of the signs that summer is in full swing. In Seattle, with our typically cool nights and short growing season, we were lucky if we had tomatoes to harvest by August. The last few… Continue reading →

10 Reasons Why 1. Saves energy. Electric clothes dryers account for one ton of CO2 emissions per year. Gas dryers use less, but still a non-renewable resource. 2. Saves money. Duh! The less you run your dryer, the less your utility bill will be. 3. Easier on your clothes. Heat from the dryer and agitation… Continue reading →