I have not personally released any unnecessary plastic waste into the environment in 2018, so far. I have a small bag where I keep plastic that I felt I needed to purchase, for medical or health purposes. It is about half full of small wrappers and such. I am not throwing any of it away.

I have not been perfect - some shared items that Josh bought that was wrapped in plastic has had their wrappers go into the trash, as have some plastic-coated paper cups and boxes. Some of the plastic needed for Darwin's care has gone into the trash. But very little. There is no "away" I tell myself, but also, some thing are necessary for survival.

But, I improve every day, as that bag gets more full I continue to avoid anything wrapped in plastic, searching for ways to get what I want without it. Re-using containers and bags for the farmers market helps, re-using cups and water bottles, too.

It's hard work but I feel accomplished and surprised at how able I am to adjust to just simply eliminating products wrapped in plastic. I can live without them, turns out. I think I'm healthier for it, too. Far less packaged food in my life.

For misschili: Fuzzy weird pic of Willow and I from last Sunday when I was trying to sort laundry and she decided my time would be much better spent as her cozy human perch:



And for me, a picture of the brunch I made for myself after Al-Anon and coffee with my step-dad on Sunday: 7 grain toast from New Seasons, red potatoes with kale, garlic, and onions, strawberries, and eggs gifted from a lovely barista's chickens with chives, thyme and oregano from my little herb collection on the sidestrip of our driveway. (I feel like I should give her a bundle of herbs or something in exchange for the dozen eggs she's given me in the past few weeks. Herbs wilt faster than eggs though. Hrm.)

Made a gigantic batch of whole grain spelt pasta. Seared some chard and garlic to throw into the organic tomato sauce. One little brave mushroom from my kit in the basement.

Second beer doesn't sound so appealing, now.

But the first one got me here. Thanks, beer.

Now if I can jut make myself do my hip stretches/exercises before bed, I'll be, like, fully functional. Or something.

Gratitude:

* coffee and muffin w/ Myrrh at Random Order that inspired the bacon muffins I had my family over for breakfast to eat
* rooibus tea w/ Myrrh at Townsend teahouse on Alberta street
* mild gusty wintery days
* magical sparkly purple handmade perfect gloves from the wonderful Mary-Suzanne
* work and bag umbrellas, always having one with me
* Purple squizzel zarf from Myrrh on a Backspace latte from Joshua

* re-heated pizza
* soaking in the luxurious salt water tub at Common Grounds Wellness Center, getting a little bit of hip pain relief
* thrifted 2 gorgeous gowns for the Good Faeries ball, and a base for a mask, at Ray's Ragtime - given a price break on already reasonable prices
* stories of adventures and strange islands and strange people and floating malls
* having this coming Monday off - perfect for working on faery costumes
* kitty kisses
* Willow's injections going really smoothly lately, less fidgeting and little vomming
* winter sunshine
* toast with butter
* quinoa with butter
* Faerieworlds Winterfest in two weeks!

Heated grapeseed oil in a pan, tossed in kale to sear, added roughly equal amounts salsa and black beans. Added a few chunks of zucchini, scallions, heated through and wrapped in whole wheat flour tortillas with some Tillamook cheddar. Nommed with a few dabs of sour cream. Almost all organic and local.

I'm 2 for 3 out of Michael Pollan's mantra, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

Ohsofull. Erf.

Yum!

...

Note to self: Don't shop at New Seasons on Monday night. Much wasn't in stock. Wait for Tuesday if the weekend trip didn't happen.

No more boxes of tiny oranges! Boo. Tangelos for cheap, yay!

Groceries/trash/recycling/cooking was all I could manage after werk tonight. Sleep nau. Mm warm Willowkitty.

swirling leaves
blue skies
Ella Fitzgerald
lunch with Pher
latte and a cookie
superdreamy thigh highs
soft white paw on my neck
Kim Yu Na's blissful skating
new stretchy ball for the hip seems to work ok
clean laundry
tuna water for Willow, tuna mac w/ brocolli for me
stripy armwarmers
shopping for new frames for glasses
pulling trash/recycling carts out of Preston's parking spot before he comes home from seeing DEVO in Seattle
sad hat
rust orange colored hair tie
Brazil Terroir latte from Barista, the way the foam and crema interact with my tongue
exposed brick
pictures from FaerieCon
soft, slow, quiet steps

Stayed home sick today. Had a miserable sore throat, headache, fatigue. I learned a long time ago that going to my particular job while sick is never, ever worth it.

Slept in late, gargled with salt water, took some asperin and tylenol, fed myself good food, went to coffee with Myrrh mid-day, stayed cool, did a little laundry, some dishes, napped, drank a lot of water, stayed away from sugar and alcohol, cuddled with the kitty, was very nice.

I feel about the same. Slightly more sniffly, less hot, more sand papery throat. Hopefully I'll feel better in the morning and will be able to go back to werk.

Glad it's so warm. Could walk around naked at midnight, perfectly comfortable. I love it. I cherish our brief, capricious summers.

Watch on YouTube

I know most of my livejournal flist is more educated about food than I am. But I thought I'd share this for those who maybe aren't, and want to know more.

Saw Food, Inc. with Chris last night. So worth it. So great. And for me, personally, it was very gratifying and uplifting at the end to be encouraged to continue to make the right kind of choices, and to continue educating myself about the consequences of my choices.

Was listening to our local alternative radio station this morning online, KBOO, and heard some people explaining that the Amazon rainforest is being leveled so they can grow more soybeans.

I am frighteningly ignorant about environmental effects of food consumption. I'm so overly sensitive to this stuff that I freak out at every tiny piece of bad news.

I already basically quit eating fast food and beef altogether because of the cow issue. Amazon rainforsts being destroyed for land for animals and feed for the meat industry. The King Corn movie helped reinforce the disgusting nature of the industrialized beef industry: pumping cows full of antibiotics because they live in such awful conditions and eat such nasty corn-feed that they all get sick and die without tons of drugs in their systems to fight off infection. So people can have $1 burgers. So gross. So totally unacceptable.

Anyway. I've already switched from palm oil based Smart Balance back to local butter, even though the organic stuff goes bad in the fridge really fast, after seeing palm oil trees devastating the riverbanks of the Yangtze in China for the purposes of providing Smart Balance.

So now I'm thinking of trying to go back to milk for my cereal. Local organic skim milk. Is that any better, environmentally? Would I get any vitamins at all from this? It's not very tasty on cereal, but I don't want to keep over-supporting the soy industry if it's destroying the last little threads of the shredded Amazon rainforests.

I have tried almond milk and it is more bitter than soy, and less nutrious, but an acceptable alternative. Where do the almonds come from? Riverbanks in China?

Hemp is also devoid of nutrition and tastes weird, but is tolerable, especially when flavored, and at least has lots of omega 3s. I know hemp is very sustainable and environmentally friendly as a crop.

Vegans, where are you when I need you. Herlp.

I need someone told hold my hand through New Seasons and tell me exactly what I can and can't buy and what harm is being caused or not caused by what I'm doing. Including the packaging and shipping. I would pay money for this. srsly.

Eating to save the planet. It's pretty much what I do. It works well for me.

( small explanation. )