Before Breakfast, After Long Run

Among many other things, I adore playing the eating game. Those of you close to me know that my "feedings" are serious times. Most days, my minutes are so budgeted that "feedings" sneak up on me. Far too often, time escapes me and hunger pains strike down. Those pains leave only a small window of time before I m..o..r..p..h...

At the beginning of the m..o..r..p..h.. process, I lose focus and the ability to form sentences, begin to stare while biting my fingernails, then comes the sudden and consuming thoughts of fried tofu or fresh fruit. (Easy to see where my vitamin deficiencies linger, eh?). In spite of the force of the m..o..r..p..h.. and with age, I have learned to avoid the quick fix of sugar, value local organic goodness and love slow five course meals with my friends.

My attention to organic living renders me a quizzical and serious eater. I am a borderline-vegan (thanks to Inga Muscio for legitimizing this term). Meaning I am a strict lactose-intolerant vegetarian, but am not always in-the-know enough (or with enough minutes to spare) to know about every morsel entering my digestive tract. Thus, I do not claim to be vegan. My wonderfully wacky vegan friends like to debate the validity of someone like me joining their clan, but regardless of who wins the argument that day, I abstain. But, like my vegan friends, I actively learn more about my body and diet every day.

For example, here is info illustrating an obstacle I face (and calling this an "obstacle" is weak on my part, no doubt) when it comes to committing to a true vegan lifestyle.

Check out the vegan-friendliness:
Beers
Wine
Liquor

Veggie Garden Delight

Our green thumbs have been protruding as of late. Been busy in the front and back yards, as you can see. Next up, churning the earth in the back and making it a yard. Plus, building more raised beds for the front. Even the composter exists happily.

Biking Theme Ringing On

Paris = City of Bikes?

Explor-a-bike day

It rained a lot last evening. I learned this when I sauntered onto the back deck this morn, it was drenched, but strangely I didn't hear the slightest rain drop during dreamy time last night. A drenched deck means there are puddles all over the city! And, riding over, through and in puddles while perched on my bike is one of my favorite energy burners. I also really enjoy getting my butt covered with mud from that dirty spray from the back tire. Oh, and I hope one of the puddles ends up drizzling on my face. Needless to say...

I am eagerly heading out for an explor-a-bike day. Oh, and I just purchased a snazzy new helmet. And, helmets equal confidence and smarts on a bike.
Plus, I want to check out this spot!, and they are open today.

FUN.
Explora-bike-day.

Good Green Ivy (Leaguer)

Go UPenn!
One of my favorite aunts works at this impressive Ivy Leaguer.

Anthology of Foliage

Like a mother with her first-born's baby album, I want to watch our plants mature and discover the world.

Palm (donated by Mom Bowers):
This beauty fawns the dining room. Its sinewy green fingers long to be caressed while bubbles of growth are sprouting.

Baby Coffee Plant:
With waxy leaves shimmerring in the sun and a soft fragrance, this baby keeps our current vino from Mendoza company.

Rubber Tree:
Both of our childhood homes contained a massive rubber tree, with time Keba will be able to say the same.

Kitchen Crew (from left to right): Spider, Dwarf Plant, Philodendron:
This spider has been through the past four years with me, and looks it. But, its buddies are thriving. The dwarf likes medium light, but the philodendron is a climbing sun-bather. Even with their differences, these three seem to get along just fine.

Aloe:
When you are as accident-prone as me, you quickly learn of this wonder. To use it, is to love it.

Philodendrons:
In this pot you will find two varietals of philodendrons: colorful, air-filtering wonders! I want the yellow to drape downward and red/green to spread, spread spread.

Poppop Philodendron:
This is our majestic beast. Sometimes this plant shares war stories from back in the day (just like my daddy).

Living Room Crew (from top to bottom): Prayer Plant, Exotic Angel, Mandarin Orange:
This trio requires the most attention of them all. The fickle Prayer Plant curls and hides, the Angel is difficult to keep happy and moist, and the Mandarin's tips brown regardless of repeated efforts. Despite our trials and tribulations, this crew seems pleasant enough in the living room.

Ficus Tree (donated by Mom Pintzuk):
I love reading in this corner! The only way this corner could bring more pleasure is if the ficus fingers would turn the pages of my read.

Buddha Hoya Rope and Jade:
For some reason, our easy-to-please jade makes me want to dive into a lilypad covered lake (childhood flashbacks of East Lake, but no idea why). Buddha Hoya is loving the radiating heat. Along with the philodendrons, this climber will soon belong to our living wall.

Mixed Climbers: Philodendrons + Buddha Hoya:
This group of three longs to hear bedtime stories and wake with the early sun.

Orchid Surprise (donated by Mom Bowers):
We are trying to nurture a glorious Orchid, keep your fingers crossed. My parents have unsurpassed luck with orchids...just trying to live up to my family's green thumb.

Diffenbachia (donated by Mom Bowers):
This beauty likes a breathe of fresh air every now and again. Its curled arms are very curious.

No wonder I got the flu!

70 degrees on Wednesday ---> Snow falling on Friday.
Dare I ask if Spring will come?
March's fickle self can bow down, and springlike sunshine can flow any day now.

Hello, Spring? Can you hear my plea? Please come back, please! We will welcome you with blooming buds, tee-shirted arms, and backyard blasts. Come again, won't you please?

Good Green News- Go Aussies

Aussies are setting the pace...Will the rest of the globe keep up?

How Green Can Our House Be?

That's our challenge to each other...

When we decided to purchase a home together, A & I furthered our study of sustainability and green living while striving to continue living an organic and conscious lifestyle. Our new house is/will be completely organic, furnished with all recycled materials/products (which we will build and purchase), lots of healthy light, full of philodendrons and other productive plants (thoughts now of a living wall in the living room), and we are saving for solar panels as we recycle the enormous amounts of trash that pile up next to our back fence. Also, as we continue to learn and challenge each other, we are garnering a large amount of eco-knowledge, plus a deep love with our house and this exciting new stage of the life we gleefully decided to share.

Here is an update:

As we first settled in:


Mom gave us an Amaryllis and it loved the new pad immediately:




The kitchen mess at first:


Recent purchase from a nearby antique store:


A's tofu-love celebrating one of our first nights, YUM!:








The basement, as it stands now:




Painting began when we were mired by the recent ice/snow storm (we ended up with 6 days off from school):










We're almost there:






The finished product:










Questions, comments, concerns (my should-be copyrighted teaching probe) about our work so far?