One of my favs on sale - The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden:Amazon:Books

The Edible Front Yard at Amazon

Long showers or short?

I have to admit that while I am conscious about the length of my showers I don't skimp much on the hot water. We do have a tankless water heater though - actually two of them - one for the bathrooms and one for the kitchen and laundry.  I do try to turn the water off when I'm shaving my legs but if I get cold then I get goosebumps, and there go the smooth legs. What do you do?

Solar anniversary!

In the past year, my solar home has offset 9019 lbs. of carbon emissions - that's the equivalent of planting 105.1 trees or eliminating 10329 car miles.

If it's yellow let it mellow...

...if it's brown flush it down. I totally do not follow this as it is pretty disgusting.  Low flow toilets are much better. But I have to say that I don't get why the low flow toilets in airports and other public buildings are designed the way they are:   two options, one for a little bit of water and the other for enough water to take care of business,  but the green handle gives the most water if you push it down and the least if you lift it. Supposedly it is antibacterial but I am not going to lift it with my hand - eww. And the reason it's gross is because most women step on the handle to flush these public bathroom flusher wands. So, please tell me why these functions aren't reversed? I would opt for the flusher buttons on top of the toilet.

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Refresher: made this drink over the weekend - one organic Persian cucumber with the skin on but ends trimmed, about 2 cups of watermelon and 1 cup of strawberries with 1/2 cup of ice and a splash of water to thin, in the blender until smooth . Yum!

Why not go solar? Even Walmart is doing it, along with Apple, Home Depot and many others. Whatever your views on Obama visiting Walmart you have to agree that it's a win win for companies to go solar. We were able to go solar over a year ago with no money down. If you haven't gone solar, what's stopping you?

Microclimates are my new friend

My family would starve if we had to live off of my meager vegetable garden, even if we could find the occasional gopher to barbeque. I try and try to get a good crop/yield whatever it's called, but it's so hit or miss with me! So imagine my surprise this year when my tomato plant, which I bought at the same time as my dear friend A bought her very same tomato plant, quickly surpassed hers in size - I mean this thing is a tomato monster!! The difference? My tomato plant is on the south side of a 5 foot retaining wall and gets hot sun almost all day. So, I guess this is the spot where I need to put all those veggies that call for "full sun."  This microclimate idea has been talked about but the message that was clearest for me was from the book, "The Edible Front Yard," by Ivette Soler - beautiful book and I highly recommend it. Published by Timber Press. I'll let you know how the tomatoes turn out. Maybe A and I can have a taste-off. :)