Searching for the Real J.D. Salinger

What really knocks me out is a book, when you're all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.

The Catcher in the Rye

I would have loved to have known Holden Caulfield. Salinger, not so much, but definitely Holden.

Images via amazon.com

If you want to know more about the real J.D. Salinger, I highly recommend the three books shown above. He was an eccentric and interesting guy - not someone I'd care to make friends with, but definitely someone worth reading about. I wrote my senior thesis on the published works of Salinger and found myself both disgusted and intrigued by the realities of his life and personality.

Think of this as a window of opportunity to learn more about the author before the rest of his unpublished work is released.

No Fracking Way

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Image via shaleshock.org

Have you heard about they controversy surrounding horizontal hydrofracking? I am no expert on the topic, and only heard the term for the first time this fall. If you are from New York and care about the safety of your drinking water, your milk and your wild fish and game (that one's for you, Lauren) then I suggest you check out some of the links I've compiled.

As you'll see, New York and neighboring states sit atop a huge rock formation called Marcellus Shale. This formation is one that has been targeted by drilling companies as it is believed to contain a huge amount of untapped natural gas. The gas companies and Governor Patterson would love to collect the gas and the profits that come with it, but many experts and local citizens are understandably concerned about the implications.

Photo via nywellwatch.org

Image via Citizens Campaign for the Environment

As a resident of this area, I have a very strong reaction to the information I've found. Living in a rural and agricultural community, clean water is essential to the health and economy of our area. Those of us who live off of the municipal water system have enough to worry about with water pollution from run-off pesticides and natural fertilizers (read: cow manure) infiltrating our wells. Clean water is something we should all have a right to. Horizontal Hydrofracking is not safe enough.

Stop the fracking, New York and protect your citizens!

Like I said, I'm still learning about fracking. So many people have so much more to say about it. Please consider checking out the following links to learn more about this important issue.

Newsweek article dated August 20, 2008

New York Times editorial dated October 16, 2009

Planet Green article dated October 17, 2009

Shaleshock Action Alliance website

NY Well Watch website
Hydrofracking Fact Sheet via Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Real Fleece Outerwear from Ibex

We've been making a serious effort to get outside more often with our little guy. With cold weather returning (we had a brief "warm" spell), I can't help but think about our winter outerwear.

This year Jodi decided that he needed a new winter jacket. Having finished reading this book, which talks about the downfalls of polyester fleece and poly blends* he sought out a jacket made from natural materials. After a few internet searching sessions, he came across Ibex, a company co-founded in 1997 by a Vermont sheep farmer.

Photo via Ibexbuzz.com

Ibex operates out of White River Junction, Vermont and prides itself on offering high quality wool products using sustainable methods. Ibex has consumer-friendly policies (their product guarantee is about as good as they get) and they exude a wholesome aura - they plant a company garden and allow pets in the office.

This is the jacket that Jodi bought and loves. His is a dark gray color. It's simple, comfortable and warm.

There are so many reasons why wool is better than synthetic fleece. I have more to say, but will leave the rest for another post so that Ibex can have their moment in the spotlight here!

* Synthetic fleeces and synthetic/wool blends don't biodegrade and can't be recycled, so they end up in landfills when their life-cycles are complete. In addition, synthetic fleece is harmful in its creation and abrades over time, leaving small particles to be inhaled and consumed by those of us who wear it.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit to having absolutely no affiliation with Ibex. We're just satisfied customers who want to spread the good word.

Home Made Laundry Soap

Photo via Live Laugh Love

One of the little pleasures in my life is finding a way to get around "the system". It drives me a little crazy to think about all of the chemicals and packaging that come along with so many of the products we "need" to buy.

One of the products that I've been loving to replace is laundry soap. A year or two ago, my mom came across a recipe for liquid laundry detergent that she shared with me. I made the stuff a couple of times, but found it a little too involved to keep up with. Looking for a better solution, I found this recipe at DIY Natural for powdered laundry soap and have found it much easier.

Photo via Baileys Home and Garden

The soap works great, even on diapers, and is best when made with natural soaps. I tried using the recommended Fels-Naptha the first time, but found the chemical smell to be too much for my sensitive nose. As far as I can tell, any soap will work, so use what you've got or what you prefer.

Satan Finally Responds to Pat Robertson

There is absolutely nothing funny about the tragedy in Haiti, but I do love this response to Pat Robertson's absurd commentary.  Check out the witty letter, published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune from Satan (actually, Lilly Coyle of Minneapolis) to Robertson. 

Enjoy.

Be Out There

Leif's first sled ride!

I know we're guilty of staying inside too often - especially when the air inside is much warmer than the air outside.  Now that Leif is old enough to enjoy the snow, I'm going to have to suck it up and get out there.  My sister-in-law just sent this great link to the National Wildlife Federation's new campaign, called Be Out There.  Check it out and consider making the pledge to get yourself, your pets and your kids outside more often!

Celebrating 3 Years of Marriage

Marriage isn't mutual ownership.  It should be an act of trust in each other's good sense and good intentions.  If a marriage is an expression of respect, then it can add grace to love. 

Hugh Prather

If You Can Remember

This is posted on my fridge. It's a great reminder when things get hairy...

If You Can Remember

If you can remember that it takes three of my steps to equal one of yours;
If you understand that I must view life at an eye level three feet below yours;
If you can touch my life with your faith, without taking away my need for self-determination;
Then I can grow, learn and become.

If you can remember that it takes time for me to gain the experience in living you have already had;
If you can understand that I can only relate to those things which have meaning on my levels of maturity;
If you can let me take a step of independence when I can, instead of thrusting me out or pulling me back;
If you can touch my life with your hope, without destroying my sense of reality;
Then I can grow, learn and become.

If you can remember that it takes courage for me to try again after failure, just like you;
If you can let me find my own path when I want, instead of choosing for me the way you think I should go;
If you can touch my life with your love, without taking away the space I need to breathe;
Then I can grow, learn and become.

Marti King for the Montessori Foundation

Compact Flourescent Bulbs - The Great Debate

A Bright Idea with a Dim Future?

Image via a great article you should check out at greenzer.com

We replaced many of our household lightbulbs with compact flourescents a couple of years ago. With all the talk of energy savings and a longer life-span, it seemed like a good idea despite the higher cost and the funky glow. Now that my mom has confessed to breaking 3 this year (even she is not sure how this happened) I'm starting to question the practicality of this switch.

Did you know that the mercury contained in compact flourescent bulbs is released when the bulbs break and requires specific cleaning procedures? My mom didn't, and I'm not sure if I would have known either. My mom did what she would have done with any other lightbulb - she picked up the big pieces and then vacuumed up the little stuff and went on with her day. She didn't realize that she was dealing with a hazardous waste (also not used to having to read the fine print on the back of her lightbulb box). How many people out there are like my mom, trying to do the right thing and unknowingly exposing themselves and others to the toxic mercury contained inside each bulb?

Worried for my mom and my family I did a little research and have found myself more confused than ever about which way to go. According to an article at Popular Mechanics titled, Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury: Reality Check, my mom and others like her have little to worry about. According to the article, Russ Leslie at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute claims that “Though it’s nothing to laugh at, unless you wipe up mercury [without gloves] and then lick your hand, you’re probably going to be okay.”

We all have different ideas about what it means to "probably be okay" so I looked further and found the US Environmental Protection Agency's recommendations for the clean-up of CFLs. Take a look for yourself and see what you make of the directions. It sounds like broken bulbs on hard surfaces are not such a big deal, but don't break them on your rug or any other fabric and expect a safe clean-up.

I'm really not that worried about my mom and her 3 improperly cleaned up mercury spills. She's probably been exposed to more than she should have, but she's fully developed, otherwise healthy and now that she knows what she's done, she'll never let it happen again. I am however, pretty concerned about this issue as it applies to my son and any of our future fetuses or children. Knowing that mercury is most damaging to them I'm not sure if I really want to be taking that risk. Sure we're saving energy, but there's something terrifying about the thought of accidentally sprinkling mercury dust around my home when my child and future children are developing. And I have to admit, knowing that she used her vacuum and inadvertantly spread mercury all through the house, I get a pretty worried just thinking about all of the exposure we've had visiting my parents all the time.

I'm also pretty concerned about where all of these bulbs are going to end up when they finally do burn out. Will people utilize the household hazardous waste programs that exist near them, or will they toss them into the trash and send them off to the landfills, where they'll break in the trash compactors and slowly contaminate local water supplies?

I have a lot of faith in people wanting to do the right things in this world, but I'm accutely aware of the ignorance that perpetuates so many of our social and environmental problems. If I have any message to share in this post, aside from urging you to read the information that's out there and decide for yourself, it's this:

If you are not ready to dispose of the end products properly, then don't make the switch to compact flourescent bulbs. Considering the end result before starting something is always a good method, and one that we could all do a bit more of.

Now you know what I'm thinking. What do you think?

Making Pasta the Real Way

Dino DeLaurentis making pasta via LIFE.com

If you have access to a pasta maker (or even if you don't) I highly recommend giving homemade pasta a try. Last night my friend Megan and I, along with my 2 year old who pretends to be Julia Child ("Mama, I'm Julia. You be Jaques"), whipped up a quick dough and made linguine for 6. The pasta is lighter than the dried box variety and is so much fun to make. We let the little guy to most of the work, so that should give you a clue about how easy it can be.

Photo via bakesourdough.com

You can find a basic recipe here, but I encourage you to branch out. Whole wheat pasta comes immediately to mind, but adding herbs and spices would also be nice. Or maybe just a lot of black pepper to make pasta carbonara with. Or what about chocolate pasta with a sweet mascarpone sauce? My mouth is watering. Is yours?

Photo via simply-natural.biz


Having made pasta several times now, it's hard to believe that my first attempt was less than a year ago. You can read my friend, Kristin's post about our experience here. I'll have to tell you more about Kristin later. She's pretty serious about keeping it real (poke around on her blog and you'll see what I mean).

Is Your Tap Water Safe?

Photo via bu.edu

Leave it to the Daily Green to confirm your worst suspicions.  Monday's post linking chlorinated water to Cancer is just one more example of why we should rely on our own intuition rather than the findings of lobby ridden political organizations.  When I hear the term "safe levels" associated with any chemical, my first thought is, "safe for who?".  As with most un-natural products, as time goes by, we're bound to find that today's "safe levels" will become tomorrow's mistakes.  If only I ran the FDA...

A better motto to live by:  if it doesn't smell natural, look natural or taste natural, then it's probably bad for you, period. 

Intelligent Parents Doing Stupid Things?

Photo by Hugh Kretschmer for TIME

I recently came across an article entitled, The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting at time.com.  It struck a chord as I've been thinking a lot about how to balance my protective instincts with my rational understanding that kids need to learn the most important lessons on their own. 

The article, written by Nancy Gibbs, points out some of the most rediculous examples of "helicopter parenting" and exposes them for what they are - the actions of a generation of parents who are letting their fears rule their actions when it comes to making decisions that affect their kids.

This kind of irrational fear is the same force that is behind so many of the decisions that people make every day.  Pick up any magazine or turn on the tv and you'll find all kinds of advice about how to further separate yourself from the natural world and a healthy life balance and rhythm, all in the name of self-improvement.  It's a crazy world, full of people who aren't really thinking for themselves and I don't want to be a part of that. 

Homemade Bread Made EASY

Do you love fresh bread but lack the time or dedication to make it regularly?

It really doesn't get any easier than this no-knead bread recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day via Mother Earth News. We've been mixing up the basic starter recipe (I substitute whole wheat flour with no issues) and have been using it for all kinds of things. It's always ready in the fridge for a quick loaf of bread, pizza dough, cinnamon buns, etc. Our favorite application, and probably the fastest one, is for making naan (it's not just for Indian food!).

Check out the article and recipe and enjoy the fresh baked goodness!