Goals – Mid Year Check-in
Here’s a little check-in at the halfway point. Back in January, I committed to some (rather ambiguous) goals. It was short on detail, long on feelings. I’ll try to elaborate more here as I update my progress, while roughly keeping the same structure .
Read MoreCamping — Mid-coast Maine
It was our intention to leave the Boston area Thursday evening. The iffy forecast gave us pause, so modifying the departure to a first-in-the-morning wake and dash seemed sensible. I say the weather, but that’s not it really. It was the prospect of sitting in traffic for hours in the rain, setting up a tent in the rain and dark, only to lay down to a questionable sleeping experience. How ’bout we just leave in the AM? Yup.
Read MoreBurl – y Bowls
Like many good ideas, it presented itself whilst sitting by campfire. Picking up the gnarly, bulbous chunk of wood, I thought: “this could be made into a bowl…”
“Nothing to it,” I thought. Just carve out this here thinger and we’ll be slurping up some Campbell’s Chunky in two shakes of a whisker… or so I thought. But let’s back up. What the heck is a “burl” anyway?
Read MoreUrban Gardening – Update 2
Here’s a little check-in before it all gets away from us.
I’m pleasantly surprised with progress in the (frankenmonster) raised bed. As mentioned before, it really doesn’t get much direct sunlight. I think we did well with our plant decisions; they all seem to like the space and are thriving!
Read MoreSimple Hobbies
I did a bit of black and white photography growing up. Getting outside in nature, messing around in a dark room, witnessing the magic of an image coming to life in a chemical bath in real time. There’s a lot to fall in love with.
Read MoreExperiments in Urban Gardening — Update 1
Drama! Days after planting part of the bed, we notice the earth looked tossed around and dug into a bit. We assume the culprit to be a neighborhood cat(s) (there are a few) who is using the bed as a large kitty box, which, honestly, I don’t even blame them.
Read MoreSimple Mornings
Simple mornings: early morning coffee and camera putzing…
The iris are spectacular this year!
Read More
We dipped our toes into experiments in urban gardening last year. By mid-summer, we had an impressive tomato plant, a marginally productive pepper plant, prodigious catnip and mint and an anemic dill patch.
This year, we’re kicking it up a notch. I don’t think Ms. IS would react favorably if I pushed too hard in favor of a full permaculture designed, edible urban garden… but a few steps in that direction to accompany the (numerous) flowers? Yup, let’s do it.
Simple Goal Setting
I’ve struggled with this, maybe you have too. I didn’t used to set goals. Then I set lofty goals… too lofty. Why do I feel so frustrated? How did I fall off so quickly? Oh, that’s right, that’s way way too much.
They say to make your goals measurable and unambiguous. They say to hold yourself accountable by telling them to others. They might be on to something.
Read MoreEconomist John Kenneth Galbraith is attributed with coining the term “conventional wisdom” in his 1958 book “The Affluent Society,” in which he discusses the disparity between public and private investment in a post-WWII America. Simplifying a central point, we as a society tend to put more value on cars, homes, jewelry and other status symbols rather than roads, bridges, parks, schools, libraries, the environment, etc.
Unpacking the reasons behind this phenomenon is a tall order and beyond the scope of this here humble blog, but I’d like to identify a few instances where following the conventional wisdom may lead one astray. Furthermore, technology and other structural shifts change relationships over time, making what was once “truth” no longer valid.
Which reminds me of the quote (debatably Mark Twain?): “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
