Self-care in the New Year

Posted on by Jean Campbell

  The title of this post may sound suspiciously like it's leading up to a New Year's Resolution, but it's not. Also known as, "The main things I plan to change next year but am not going to," resolutions are made to be broken. All my self-made promises of regimented workout routines, valiant housekeeping practices, and inspired money management programs were lovely suggestions that passed on by like dry leaves caught in the wind. Instead, I like to make a New Year's plan, and that... Continue reading

What do you get when you cross eggshells and coffee grounds with a banana peel?

Posted on by Jean Campbell

  Fertilizer! One of my favorite ways to divert kitchen refuse from the landfill is by making homemade liquid fertilizer. We boiled eggs for breakfast one morning. I peeled the shells, returned them to the water I'd boiled them in, and poured the whole thing into the blender. To this, I added the morning's spent coffee grounds and the chopped-up peel of the banana we'd shared. The eggshells provide calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. The banana peels contribute potassium, and the coffee... Continue reading

Networking is for the birds…

Posted on by Jean Campbell

...and bees and bears and you and me. What on earth are you doing? You might ask this question, out loud or otherwise, if you walked into my backyard. And with good reason. Next to many of my neighborhood's manicured lawns of green grass, vibrant flower beds, and perfectly shaped well-pruned shrubs my little plot does appear to be a mess. But these grounds are thriving, not just what you can see, but what you can't. The Camden Longhouse gardens are a haven for birds, bees, worms, and wildlife.... Continue reading

An American Hero

Posted on by Jean Campbell

  When I hear of someone passing away in their 80's, my automatic response usually goes something like this, "Oh, so young." And then I remember, that's actually quite a bit older than the average age of death. My father, Lieutenant Colonel Julian Richard Campbell, died last Monday. He lived to 103. The survivor Dad thought of himself as a survivor, and you'd be hard-pressed to argue the point. On one occasion, as a pilot in the US Air Force, he navigated his Martin B-26 Marauder... Continue reading