What we call "the growing closet" in our second bedroom is home to lots of happy seedlings. The lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers are the showiest of the group so far and it's time to transplant a few of the big guys to their own pots. We have several empty spots where the seeds didn't germinate, so we'll try seeding those spots again in April. It's been about five weeks since we planted this group, so anything that hasn't sprouted by now isn't going to.

Tom rigged up a a clever adjustable grow light that is working well in its second season. As the seedlings grow taller, he shortens the chain attached to the light to make more head room, while still giving all the seedlings plenty of light. 

It's a good thing we're empty-nesters. I don't think either of our kids would have opted to share a closet with a bunch of little seedlings, no matter how delicious their vegetables will be this summer.

​So we're learning from our mistakes and putting in fewer plants so each plant gets more sun and we are looking for better yields from fewer plants. We're also spilling out into the backyard because we wanted to grow potatoes again and didn't have the room in the garden carts.

​We also planted Music Garlic from High Mowing Organic Seeds last fall, a new crop for us this year. Due to the number of cloves that came in the package, we have more than one garden cart devoted just to garlic. Looks like we'll be singing garlic's praises all summer long!

​I am trying to be more mindful of what I eat, knowing that many animals suffer all around the world as a result of my conveniences. The planet also suffers from deforestation and loss of habitats and biodiversity in the name of agriculture. It's an ongoing research project and I'm still making my way through the decisions that will be right for me and others.

​As part of starting plant-based diet again last fall, I'm tasting some varieties of plant-based milks. Almond milk - yes. Soy milk - yes. Flax milk - blecchh. There are a few other varieties to try, including pea, hemp, oat, and macadamia nut. I never realized there is added sugar in a lot of these products as well as thickeners, so I need to read the labels too. It also depends who you ask. PETA's article was very favorable towards plant-based milk; Rodale's Organic Life article was more balanced, but didn't take into account the deleterious consequences of the dairy industry.

I came across an article today, "The Value of Minimalism," that reminded me of the many benefits we've experienced by downsizing and simplifying our lives. We are fortunate to have had the choices to change our lifestyle in a way that many people do not.

In 2015, we sold our 2,500-square-foot house on almost four acres of land and our two cars and left our jobs to move into a 100-square-foot camper, storing what little was left in a 5 x 10 storage unit. After traveling across the country through the summer and fall, we returned to New England that winter and rented a furnished 600-square-foot cabin. When we bought another house the following spring, we went much smaller in size and acreage than our previous house – about 900 square feet and a 1/2 acre, half of which is wooded and undeveloped. We also bought one 18-year-old car that we now share. We have much, much less stuff than we did before and we don't miss the things that we gave away or sold. At this time in our lives, as empty-nesters seeking a work/life balance that's right for us, we have less stress and more free time. There's less to clean, less to mow, less to maintain, less to repair.

​Our biggest problem so far? When one glass breaks in a two-glass household (as happened this week), our glass inventory is suddenly cut in half! I guess it's time for a visit to the local thrift store to restock. But I'm still calling the glass half-full.

He walked around what my Tom calls the "experimental pile" of compost, where random plant compost accumulates when he wants to see what happens to it. 

Maybe we'll see a rafter (yes, that's the right word – I looked it up!) of turkeys next spring, if love blossoms over the winter.

#sustainablegreenlife #nature #wildlife

When nature comes to your window, it's hard not to take an interest. This mama spider settled in earlier this summer, so we've avoided washing this window. (Well, to be honest, we haven't washed any of the windows this summer, but we'll chalk it up to wildlife conservation efforts.)

Most of our potato plants are winding down their growing season, having been ravaged by a variety of pests. We've harvested another three pounds of Burbank Russet potatoes, making our yield about five pounds so far. 

I had never actually seen a potato growing in the ground until yesterday. Getting my hands dirty digging for potatoes that were big enough to harvest was like looking for buried treasure. It was an exciting moment when I'd spy a round beige dome half-buried that was big enough to be pulled out. Five pounds of potatoes may be the same amount as one bag you buy at the grocery store. But these potatoes grew from seed potatoes that we planted ourselves and watched grow, so we won't be calling this experience "small potatoes"!

​A​lthough garden abundance sometimes turns into the cold summer soup, gazpacho, Tom turned our garden gifts into a despacho tonight instead.

Tom could feel the life energy of the recently picked vegetables emanating strongly. How lucky we are to be able to grow some of our own food!