Earth day

Today is Earth day and I'd like to say a couple things about it. First, why can't we have more creative commercials such as the one above. Oh my, it shows someones ass. Or arse, as they say in Great Britain.

I've been trying hard to minimize my impact on our environment. But, sometimes you just can win. I was buying some meat, yea I know, eliminate that and you've done a lot, but anyway. I was buying some meat and I thought how can I get meat without that nasty styrofoam tray that the product in the cooler has? Hmmm, well how about if I get that nice man behind the counter to slap me a slab-o-beef on a piece of butcher paper. Great idea, right? Well, until I got it home and realized that the nice man behind the counter put that slab-o-beef on a stryofoam tray anyway. Next time I'll have to ask for my beef sans-styrofoam.

I've also been trying to look at more products that I buy and what impact their packaging has. A one gallon plastic jug of milk is about 15% less then buying 2 half gallons cartons. But is the dollar I save worth the impact that the plastic jug will have on the environment? At least the milk jugs will get recycled into something. Yea, I know so will the plastic. But if you think it's being recycled into more milk jugs, you're sadly mistaken. Pretty much any plastic that comes in contact with food is made from virgin plastic. So, from now on I'm spending the extra to help reduce my plastic consumption, and getting only the half gallon cardboard cartons.

CFL's, that seems like a no brainer at this point. Trying to eat more local? Well with the Farmers Market now open, I hope to at least eat one or two meals a week with the primary source of the meal from the market. I'd like to take the boys down on Saturday morning and maybe have them pick out some things that they would like to have for one meal that week. I think they are getting old enough to start to understand some of what that means.

Navy showers? Believe it or not, I've done this a few times. With it getting warmer, it's not too big a deal. It seems like it doesn't make a big impact. But, again if everyone did this once a week think of the impact that would have. It's kind of like if everyone quit using electric can openers.
Amazing when you think about something so simple and small.

Well enough for now and Happy Earth Day!

Non-conformists and hot, spicy, cheese bread

There are a few things that really make Madison unique. One is it's quirky people and non-conformist attitude. The other are things like the Farmers Market. But those two do not go together. If you are going to go to the Farmers Market, then please, please conform. Specifically... walk in a counter clockwise direction. That's the way it is. Always has been, always will be. Don't think you're special and can walk clockwise. Are some people that oblivious to their surroundings that they don't notice several thousand people all walking in the same direction? Yet they are going the other way.

Today was the first day of the Farmers Market. And a good one it was. A beautiful day, at least relative to what the forecast said it was supposed to be. Being early, the variety of produce was pretty limited. But there were numerous perennials, herbs, cheese (yum! cheese curds), honey and of course a plethora of baked goods. And got to enjoy one of my absolute favorites today. Stella's hot, spicy, cheese bread. As I approached Stella's the truck was just arriving. Wooo hooo, a fresh shipment of bread. Hot, and spicy. The cheese stretched like a fresh piece of silly putty. Mmmmmmmmmmm, tasty.