Donating Used Furs to “Coats for Cubs” Helps Wildlife : The Humane Society of the United States.
Here’s a great idea for repurposing old fur coats.
Author Archives: admin
Spring Has Sprung
Happy first day of spring everyone! We’ve got freezing rain as a way of keeping it real. Here’s a link to some great gardening events around NYC. A couple took place this past weekend, but most of them are still to come.
I’m itching to start some seeds that my mother-in-law gave me this weekend. She took a seed collecting class at Project Native (amazing native plant nursery in the Berkshires) and collected loads of native species. Many of the plants are specific to that area, so do well in moist, rich soil. There were a that I thought might do well in my poor, dry, neutral to alkaline soil.
I chose little blue stem grass (which favors poor, dry soil – wahoo!), 
foxglove beard tongue, 
ironweed, 
and steeple bush. 
I also have some veggie seeds coming my way from Territorial Seed Co., so I should have some fun starting all these guys.
When Plants Attack
This is an interesting video discussing the importance of native plants and the problem with exotic plants becoming invasive. It was made by Texas Parks and Wildlife, so while a lot of the plants are specific to that area, the overall information translates to any area.
Signs of Spring
It’s the time of year when even the most die-hard winter lovers start to yearn for a change of seasons. I’ve been thinking of the various things that herald spring. For my chickens it seems to be Groundhog’s day. That is when they start their laying season. For me it is seeing the first tiny green shoots emerge from the earth.
For others, it is the change from snow to rain. And for my daughter and her schoolmates, it’s the reappearance of the ice cream truck outside her school at 3pm. Sigh.
Unexpected Gifts
I got a call the other day from my friend Victoria asking me if I would like a kumquat tree. I love calls like this! Among many other things, Victoria is an amazing food stylist. She has been working with a photographer who shoots out of his home in nearby Brooklyn. After their shoots they often have props that they can’t use or return. What is so great, is that Victoria thinks of me and asks me if I need…whatever it is. I’m so greedy, that I never say no.
Hopefully my little kumquat tree will survive the chilly ride in the messenger van! I also have 2 huge blueberry bushes in my backyard courtesy of Victoria. I know she’s happy that this stuff goes to good use, and of course I’m happy because I get to play with fun new things.
Last year Victoria’s son came over to pick blueberries with my daughter in our yard. It’s a funny urban/farming experience we bring to our children.
Update: I think that this little tree isn’t in fact a kumquat. I think it’s a calamondin based on looking through a gardening catalog. Their description is apt: It produces an abundance of round bright orange 1-1/2″ fruit. The fruit is easy to peel and has few seeds. The orange colored pulp is juicy and sour (this is an understatement!). It can be used as a flavoring or as a juice like a lemon or a lime. When sweetened with sugar it makes a delicious marmalade.
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve: Goats grazing on invasive weeds in the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve – latimes.com
I’ve read about having goats graze in California as a way to reduce brush fires, but this article is about having them chomp down invasive plants as part of a native plant restoration project.
Kids Volunteering
We have a no-kill animal shelter in Brooklyn named Barc. I had always wanted to volunteer there, but never found the time. When I proposed going to Lindsay she was excited to go there and pet the kitties. I wasn’t sure how she would like it, but she did and suggested we go every wednesday after I pick her up from school. It has become a very nice ritual for us and the cats.
I have been pleasantly surprised by how well-cared for the animals are, and also how often they get adopted. There was a group of about 18 cats that came from the house of a little old lady who passed away. We fell in love with a couple of them. However, we have an elderly cat ourselves, who would hate company. That combined with the fact that hubby found out he’s allergic to cats, made us vow that no matter how cute the cats are, we wouldn’t bring any home with us. It’s been hard. Especially when you see…
KITTENS!!
I highly recommend doing some sort of volunteer work with your children. It’s very rewarding for all parties. It’s also nice for the kids to step outside of themselves and think about the lives of someone/something else.
Trademarking “Urban Homestead”
I am getting so sick of greedy people trying to block others from using names/words they think they have a right to own. UPS has “brown”. Facebook is trying to get the word “face”. Seriously??
Well now someone is trying to own the term “Urban Homesteading”. That doesn’t seem to either belong to this one family, or be in the spirit of the whole movement. Read more about it here.
2 Years
Two years ago today my father passed away. We took Lindsay ice skating today and I had very happy memories of skating with my dad as a kid. When I was little, he used to send me ahead to skate solo. And just when I completely lost track of where he was, he would come zooming up behind me, grabbing me under my arms and swing me into the air. It was the wildest, best feeling in the world.