Act Local

Some may have seen it as inevitable, but I am still pretty stoked about it. This past Monday I was sworn in as one of 5 members of our village’s Green Committee. We advise the village board on, well, All Things Green. We recommend standards for landscaping, ways to improve water quality, and most importantly [...]

Be the Change: Going Carbon Nuetral

I have several Favorite Quotes-of late I have been focusing on 2 that I will paraphrase here:
“He who would be a man, must needs be a non-conformist”- Ralph Waldo Emerson“Be the change you want to see in the world” -Mahatma Gandhi
I use both to guide my life, most evidenced by my gardening and car choices. [...]

Stories that define us

So-its Earth Day-that is becoming more of a Big Deal to us than it used to be years ago. In the effort to make it a real holiday we are beginning to form some traditions. This is now our second annual Earth Day Dinner-hosting this year one other couple for a homemade meal of locally [...]

Progress! Worm Bin and the ‘Back 40′

Just a quick catch up-even though I have strayed from the gardening theme I have by no means neglected them.
The worm bin is done! With the ability to hold over a cu yard of worm habitat I am looking forward to some serious compost by summers end. 2#’s of worms arrived from a slightly distressed [...]

I guess old habits die hard. I have posted before about my ‘tinkerer’ tendencies. The fact that I take perfectly fine things and modify them in ways that may or may not actually improve the item. I have applied this to every car I have ever owned from my 77 Chevy Blazer to my 2003 [...]

Wicked Good Pancakes

One of the more endeering weekend rituals that we have developed here in the Beo/Mia household is that the kids and I usually make pancakes on Sunday Mornings. Several years ago these were from a box, then last year they were from scratch from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, but now I have enough confidence that [...]

90 mpg!!!!!

I finally did it-I broke the 90 mpg barrier this week on the commute home! Taking a different route home, with a tail wind and favorable traffic allowing me to draft at 60mpg on the state highway I earned myself High Honors with a 90.1 over 15 miles. With a few [...]

The Verm: too legit to quit.

The weather is finally starting to turn here in SE Wisconsin. Even though we took a hard frost last night (23 degrees) it was sunny and 50 today and will continue to have sun and rising temps for the next 2-3 days hopefully brushing 70 for the first time. Over the past week I have [...]

Slow Food

I am not a card carrying member of this Slow Food movement, but from what I have seen the idea is great. Buy foods that are in season, locally produced and ensure that it is prepared wholesomely. Big Fan.
When I sold my Evo, the automotive antipathy of the Slow Food movement, and purchased my Insight [...]

Natural Drain Cleaner

This will not be my most glorious post, but it fits in well and in the long run will have a significant impact on our sustainability. This post starts with the clogged drain in our master bath. I had been watching it slow for a week or so, and over this weekend it began backing [...]