My New Potential BFF

I'm hoping to have a new best friend. Her name is Mother Nature. I am trying to win her favor by becoming a little greener, but it's a slow process.

I recycle plastic, cardboard, and paper. I'm working on not drinking from plastic water bottles, which is easier since I've learned that if you macrobiotically chew your food 50-100 times each bite, you get a whole lot of water through your food. I reuse paper printed on one side and reuse scraps of paper, which almost led to my being buried by reusable paper until I had an intervention with myself and recycled some of the paper.

I try to remember to take my own bags when I shop, although I forget more times than not. I try to remember to refuse a grocery bag when I've forgotten my own bags and don't really need a grocery bag. When I do need grocery bags from the store, I save them for recycling.

I've dabbled in conserving water when showering and washing dishes, but that's still a huge work in progress. I am aware of the water going down the drain. I did water my plants with water leftover from cooking, until the plants starting stinking and I got mad at them and put them all out in the sunroom. I think I missed a step there.

Today I took a few more steps forward. I installed two programmable thermostats (even though I still have some cosmetic wall work to do). Both are have some kind of energy star thing, which means it has a preset program and temperature. Which means we may be wearing layers to bed. Unless the wiring is haywire and I burn the house down. The good news is that the real AC people are coming Monday for our annual winter tune-up, so they will check everything out.

Today I also found a spot for my outside composter. I realize right now everything I put in it will probably freeze, but that's probably a good thing since it gives me time to figure out what the heck a composter is supposed to be. My main concerns are stinkiness and a free dinner party for the local rabbits and squirrels. Then of course, there's the question of what to do with the compost once it becomes compost. But at least I now have a place to empty my countertop composter which will keep my kitchen smelling a little better.

Anyhow, as you can see, I am making efforts to make Mother Nature my bestest friend. Maybe that way, she'll do a few favors for me - I have a few droopies and wrinklies she could reciprocate by working on!