Making my New Year’s Resolutions Plan

I gave up making New Year's resolutions about 10 years ago. I mean, really. What are the statistics on the success of these well-intended promises we make to ourselves? Not high. And not only that, but we tend to overindulge before the big event, making them even detrimental. One year I vowed to give up sweets on the first day of the year. So on December 31st, I consumed a bag of cookies and several pieces of Key Lime pie someone brought to the New Year's Eve party. This is more than I would... Continue reading

Peter Peter (and Jean and Richard) Pumpkin Eater!

I've probably thrown away 30 or 40 pumpkins during my adult life. Many of those, at least in the last 10 years or so, have ended up in my compost heap, but it still seems like not the best use of the squashy flesh of the good old pumpkin. But you can eat these guys! I've used pumpkins for soups and sides, but when I'm hankering for something sweet, I break out a pumpkin cookie recipe I used once to make use of the leftover canned pumpkin from a Thanksgiving pie. Yes, this year's pumpkin will... Continue reading

Confessions of a NeoFarmer

Saved by the Collards I'm wrapping up my second summer's attempt at farming. How'd I do? I guess I'd give myself a C+. Ok, I really sucked. We definitely ate out of the garden so that's good, but this is trickier than I thought! My first issue was the blossom-end rot on my tomatoes. Just when my plants were looking full and lush, this began to occur. As per a few tips a gleaned from the internet, I sprinkled some Epsom salt and crumbled up eggshells and tooled that into the soil. Things... Continue reading

Overseas travel and yoga, part 4

Yoga for Recovery! During the time it took to get from here to our little home away from home in Compiegne, we missed an entire night's sleep (thanks, time zones!) and pushed our bodies beyond their capacity. While I consider myself fairly resilient (and I wore sturdy shoes), the countless miles of steps we walked -- with heavy bags in tow -- put my body through more work than it needed. Dinner and a movie I can't understand It was late afternoon in France when we... Continue reading