The Back of the Police Station is...

Orange juice, canned or cartoned, is now evidently OUT.

[I think only my dad will understand the title of this post]

Yup. Still Reading.

I really do need to hurt my sister-in-law as she was the one who INSISTED I just take ONE more course to get this whole certification thing over with. She doesn't even read my blog!

Please don't get me wrong, however. It is a lot of reading but do you understand the JOY of HAVING to read? I mean I can't fail the class. And I can't waste tuition fees and...honey, can you put the kids to bed? I have to READ. Can you give the kids a bath (okay, Green Husband does that anyway)? I HAVE to read. Honey, can you get up off the couch and make me some coffee. I'm very busy over here. Reading.

So, two quick things -

Bumper Sticker of the Week: "Recycle Yourself - Be An Organ Donor"

and...I just had to steal this quote that's featured on a new blog I'm catching up on Walk Slowly, Live Wildly:

"Beware of activities that require new clothes"
~ Henry David Thoreau

The Ultimate Craft Closet

I'm sorry to say that I hate going to the craft store, a la carte, every time I think of a new project that Pip and Sprout might like to do. It seems quite ineffecient and it is probably quite expensive in the long run.

So...I am asking for your help. What items would you keep stocked in your Ultimate Craft Closet? Felt? Glue? Pencils? What's around your house? Old yogurt containers? Toilet paper tubes? Bubble wrap? Ribbon?

SusieJ is looking for a film canister, some balloons, an Alka Seltzer tablet and a box to get her through another snow day. I wouldn't have any of those things on hand either, I'm afraid. Would you?

The Bookworm Emerges

for a moment (this week's reads are My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan).

This should really be Green Husband's post because he has gone ahead and selected this year's seeds for our garden. Can spring be far behind? This year he ordered exclusively through Seed Savers, purveyor of heirloom seeds.

Here are his picks for Garden 2008. What are yours?

Henderson Bush Lima Bean
Buran Pepper
Calabrese Broccoli
Brandywine Tomato
Large Red Cherry Tomato
Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce
Early Scarlet Globe Radish
Rossa di Trento Lettuce
Early Fortune Cucumber
Quadrato Asti Giallo Pepper
Pride of Wisconsin Melon
America Spinach
Amish Snap Pea
Green Arrow Pea
Early Snowball Cauliflower
Amish Melon

The Bookish Life

This week's required reading is:

A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer

and

Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

And yes, I have read six books so far in three weeks!

Plastic Bags Redux Redux

I have been receiving quite a number of comments on the plastic bag/ziploc posts and they have included a number of swell ideas for at least cutting down on the amount of Ziplocs (I'm expecting to hear from S. C Johnson at any moment about trademark infringement, so let's call them...zipper bags) being used on a daily basis. I thought I would highlight some of them as some great ideas often get hidden in the comment cellar.

First of all, let me just draw your attention to Not Quite Crunchy Parent because she had a post on precisely this topic so head on over if you haven't seen it before.

Elizabeth, one of my parenting and heck, all around idols (who probably doesn't know how much a brief comment she made on the concept of "choice" has changed my life) writes, "I freeze lots of things in the containers w/lids we get soup in from chinese take out. They are great and we use them for tons of things: food, craft supplies, snacks in the car, bug catching -- you name it!" If this also means I need to order more Chinese take out, I'm all for it.

Village Mama says, "DO give up those little monsters - we use the plastic packaging from cereal, keep all our bread plastic bags, and sometimes use parchment paper over and over." while Mom Go Green says that reusing can go a long way too. Baby steps, I've always said baby steps.

And finally, I have chosen Noel's comment as my quote of the week and possibly as my motto on my baggie free quest: "I understand the need for keeping moisture out, but sometimes I think life is a little more important than a soggy sandwich!"

Plastic Bags Redux

A little opinion piece over at The Washington Post has the commenters (albeit just 16 at this writing) commenting.

I really can't sympathize with the author when she writes, "While subbing tap water for bottled water is effortless, giving up plastic bags is an inconvenience." but like the overall tone of Ms. Black's piece, I can't tell if she's being facetious or not.

But then again, I find giving up a lot of things for the greater green an inconvenience, so maybe it just depends on your inconvenience threshold!

Case and point, I think it's time for Gift of Green to give up the Ziplocs.

Books of the Week

The great ignoring of my blog continues this week as I am busy completing this week's assignments, including Skellig by David Almond (which, by the way, I've already finished and highly recommend. It is one of the best books I've ever read, full stop).

I will also begin Sabriel by Garth Nix. I don't know about this one...