Force Winter Branches into Flower

ven at the tail end of winter you can have brilliant blooms, all over your house, for free. Here’s how to force woody branches into flower - the easy way.

Apple Blossom Buy From Art.com

Materials Needed

• Pruning shears
• Vase, toile bucket, galvanized bucket, floral wall pocket or any interesting, watertight container
• Sugar and bleach as a preservative, with tap water
• A tree…preferably a fruiting tree, a mimosa tree or forsythia type shrub
• Step stool to reach branches

The best time for forcing is when budding has started, but flowers and leaves are not yet open. Choose a tree with lots of branches and select a branch from a crowded area (you don’t want your tree to look lopsided after you are done snipping). Do your lopping on branches at least as thick as your little finger.

Moon, Persimmon and Moth Buy From Art.com

Mix one gallon of hot water with a tablespoon of sugar (any type) and a 1/4 teaspoon of non-scented bleach. Let cool and pour in your floral container. This mixture will help feed your branches and keep the water’s fungus and bacteria counts down, long enough for you to completely enjoy your late winter/early spring burst of life and color.

Hammer or snip the end of your branches to help the plant’s capilllary vessels drink lots of water. Trim branches to fit your container. Check how your arrangement will sit and which direction you find most pleasing to showcase. Don’t place in direct sunlight or in chilly drafts. Direct sun will wilt your leaves and cook your buds, while drafts will just make your branches drop whatever they put forth.

Getting started with your own flowering trees

• For more information on trees and shrubs that flower, how to plant and care for them, etc, I recommend this book from Amazon: The Otho Guide to Flowering Trees and Shrubs
• You can also plant your own five-gallon trees and shrubs to get started with spring blooms for your yard, balcony or patio. I have selected the plum and peach trees below for prolific blooming potential:

Camp Verde Refuse Transit Station - A trip to the dump

I felt both hopeful and appalled by a visit yesterday to my local Refuse Transit Station, the place where trash waits to be brought to its final resting place in an Arizona landfill.

Basically, I wanted to see what people throw away.

I try to recycle, compost and donate everything possible. My personal goal is No Net Trash. An unrealistic standard to be true: even native cultures had midden heaps. I figure with a high standard for myself, the end results should be pretty good. I felt inspired to see what ends up going to the landfill in my community.

First I spoke to the employee taking in the trash. I asked him where this stuff goes (to the landfill). I asked if anything gets recycled (some things yes, some no). I asked if people could come to the transit station and buy/bring useful salvage home (the answer is a firm no).

Okay. I looked around the various heaps. A hill of tires gets recycled into components of asphalt. Car batteries and motor oil are recycled. Scrap metal is sold to junk recyclers.  All good so far.

Sad limp mattresses piled high to the sky: landfill-bound. Pallets and carpets and construction debris - landfill.  Household castoffs - landfill. And a HUGE mountain range of landscape waste - sadly, all to be buried in a landfill.

When I asked why the county doesn’t mulch the green waste, the employee told me that was a really good question and to ask the county supervisor. When I asked about salvage of usable items he repeated his request. I thought that was a pretty good answer, actually. He gave me a list of prices, of what the costs are for bringing our trash to the transit station, so I could be armed with the facts if I ever followed through to speak with the county.

Then I wandered over to the metal heap to actually eyeball what gets tossed. It was interesting and enlightening. This small mountain contained many useful items that could have been brought to a thrift store. While a large bulk of items were large appliances like fridges, stoves, dishwashers and laundry machines, I also saw nice bicycles, a ton of outdoor lounge chairs in great shape, perfectly fine upscale baby strollers, outdoor BBQs, folding camping chairs, metal shelving and wheel barrows.

Some of these things needed a small amount of fixing to be usable, like the bicycles. And some were in great shape and ready for another lifetime of use.

Since this pile was the metal heap, slated for recycling, I couldn’t feel too sad about all these useful items: at least they were not destined for the landfill. Their metal parts would be stripped and recycled.

And I was pleased the tires were to be chipped and reused by the county in our roads.  A local resident told me this was a new thing - that only in the last year were tires diverted from the landfill. So a very positive step.

Yet the green wastes really bothered me. I’ve lived in cities that mulch up their yard waste and let people take the nutritious bits for their gardens and landscaping needs. In the high desert, tossing such a source of ground nutrients into aerobically dead landfills is more than a waste. It’s almost a sin.

The useable, salvageable goods are another missed opportunity. Why not let people buy some of these things? We live in a horribly depressed area of the West. There are some very nice items that don’t belong in a landfill. Why not set usables aside for possible purchase? Or arrange for a tax break by letting charitable thrift stores pick them up each week?

It’s probably a matter of looking into the system. Of talking to the county and seeing if there are plans for these kinds of enlightened changes. Maybe such changes are already coming down the pike? Or maybe I can influence my local government into creating a committee, a long term plan, for diverting non-waste from landfills?

Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9 Ep 6

One of the bonus videos for The Biggest Loser showed Melissa talking with Ashley in the ranch kitchen cavalierly admitting she was eating badly at the Oly Training Center, and not paying attention to her calories and not using the online food tracking program they are all to be using.

It seemed to shock Ashley, for whom this is no game. That girl (pink) is seriously in need of regaining her health.

What scares me is that Melissa (red team) and her ‘integrity’ is that she is a lawyer back home.

Also, the whole thing about Lance not coming home until he is 250 pounds is not about his health. They have made it plain from the first eps that he cannot return to his lucrative deep sea diving work until his weight gets back there.

So one way or the other for Melissa, it’s about the money. And I also think she wanted to go home.

It’s clear she does not see herself as overweight or having a problem from everything she says about everyone else in her interviews.

I wonder how Lance will do without Lady Macbeth around. Notice he sunk to the ground in terror when he saw she had gained a pound? I’ve never seen anyone on this show do that before.

In other topics, I was so happy to see Miggy (green) so happy and pleasant. I think 2 things: she operates better without her daughter around, and that she must have been in some chronic pain from the mass and cyst that were removed when they took out her appendix.

Miggy probably was having low levels of infection for a long time. Her fear of ‘weakness’ likely had her denying her physical pain. That would make anyone irritable/grumpy/defensive all the time. Her whole body posture now is of a new woman.

It remains to be seen though, if she will have friends on the ranch, besides Michael. When she was celebrating on the scale, no one seemed to really give a heck about her being so thrilled. There was polite clapping while she spun around in joy. It was kind of a sad moment. And when she hugged Jillian and picked her up, Jillian’s face spoke a few volumes of distaste. Either Jillian is sick of being picked up by contestants (why do they all do that to her?) or she really doesn’t care much for Miggy.

I liked that Bob saw a return to yoga lately for the contestants. We only know what the producers show on screen, so we don’t know if Bob has been doing yoga with people in the last few seasons as much as before, but I am always happy to see the contestants learning how to go within for balance and strength.

How do you feel about Dumpster Diving ?

I just read a wonderful book on essays from people who do extreme recycling and dumpster diving.

So here is my question: have you ever taken anything out of a dumpster? How would you feel if you got ‘caught’?

I will start: sometimes I grab recyclables from dumpsters and recycle them. Like if a ton of cardboard boxes are in there, or a bag of cans. Usually there is a recycling bin right there and all I have to do is take a second to move things a bit.

Sometimes I see actual goodies in there, which makes me feel confused. Like once I saw FOUR whole unopened bags of Wee Wee pads. Those things, for dogs, are not cheap. I looked around to see if anyone saw me and reached in and grabbed two of them. I figured I would grab the other two as I walked by next time, since i needed a stick to grab those.

Unfortunately, when I came back the other two bags were totally buried by a whole dump load of landscape waste. I still feel badly about this. If I had not let me pride get ahead of me I would have had two more bags of expensive wee wee pads, and also kept something useful out of the waste stream.

It is much easier to take things when people kindly leave them outside the dumpster (like RV lawn chairs - I have gotten about six really nice ones that way and many other useful things). But I feel embarrassed to actually reach in and root around.

I don’t want to have to feel that way. I want to feel pleased to be helping the planet. Yet there is a stigma.

What do others do when you see nice things in and around dumpsters?

Does helping others also help you?

After college, I fully believed I would save the environment, with all my good ideas, my commitment, my knowledge and energy. I really believed that all you had to do to explain what the reality was to people and they would go, “OMG I need to recycle!” or “Right, we will stop dumping fabric dyes into our oceans!”

I thought it would be that simple. The latter half of my 20s was characterized by learning that most people simply do not care. Much disillusionment. It was a very hard learning experience for me.

But helping the environment and helping animals DOES help me. It makes me feel happy. Helping people is nice but not my primary interest. I want to “speak for the trees.” I want to live lighter on the planet, reduce my carbon footprint, create a No Net Waste Goal, see less cruelty and suffering in this world.

When I donated my Seattle car and previous RV to a cause, it was to the Humane Society.

I get a nice glow whenever I think about that.

Do you give to a cause or help others in some way? Does doing so help you back?

Caring for myself with a Healthy Habits List

I have this deal worked out that if I do everything on my Healthy List, I get a treat. If I do a few things on the list a get a smaller treat.

I created this idea of the last four days because I realized I work best on a rewards-based system. My first thought was that I would get one dollar for accomplishing at least one thing from my list, a dollar a day. Or that I would get $5 if I did EVERYTHING on my list that day.

That way I would earn either $30 or $150 in a month, give or take, if I stay with this.

The problem was, where would the money come from? I couldn’t pay myself - i have no money. So then i asked hubby if he would pay me. He said he would if he had any money, but he didn’t either. I thought of my mom but didn’t want to bother her with this.

We decided I needed a sponsor.

I didn’t feel like asking people to give me money so I could give myself incentive to do good things for myself, so I had to wrack my brains for some other reward.

I settled on massages. Dan agreed that he would do one minute of massage on the body part of my choice if I tackled some of the things on my list, and five full minutes (timed) if I get everything checked off.

So far I earned (and received) a one minute jaw massage for yesterday and a five minute foot massage for the day before. Today I am working on getting my entire list accomplished and will be able to earn my five minutes - maybe for a neck rub.

Here is my Healthy List: (daily tasks)

• Pushups
• Hanging on the chinup bar
• Crunches
• a Yoga sequence or stretching
• 5 minutes Meditation
• at least 15 minutes of something that lifts my Heart Rate
• Hydrate
• Take my Vitamins
• Take my Medications
• have Veggies in at least one meal
• have Protein in at least one meal
• have a serving of Fruit, or the equivalent of antioxidants
• Put powdered Fiber in at least one beverage
• Floss teeth
• Exfoliate and Moisturize face and neck
• Do one thing to Pamper myself or provide Me Time

So far this has been a very good list for me. I make sure to set my timer to go off every half hour when I am working at my desk, so I can remember to get a few of these things done.

The One Thing For Me item is variable. One day I read a book in bed during the day. Today I took a nice long bath with scented salts. It could also be getting a pedicure, buying myself something nice, going to a thrift store or walking around down town, being artsy or crafty, working on my Vision Board, enjoying a sunset or looking at stars…whatever little item that isn’t otherwise on any to-do list that will help decrease my stress levels.

What do people think of my idea? I am really hopeful this will encourage attention and accountability to healthy habits for me.

Going to Be On a Reality Show? Watch Previous Episodes!

I don’t get why someone on a reality show would get tripped up by anything they are asked to do. Do these people even watch the show they apply for? Why apply and interview and sign all those waivers if you don’t have a clue what is to come?

In episode 2 of The biggest Loser Season 9, white team’s Maria is asked to walk across a balance beam over a pool. As challenges go, this one is pretty routine. About half of the weekly challenges involve falling into a pool. Every season. Every year. Maria is so afraid of water that can’t make herself walk out over the pool even once. Not even one step, in fact. She works herself into such a fear state that she accidentally throws herself off the balance beam, landing face first onto the concrete floor. She breaks her nose and blood gushes everywhere. It’s a seriously bad situation.

I am just curious why Maria didn’t realize there would be water based challenges at the Biggest Loser Ranch.

My husband and his sister are watching every ep of Amazing Race to help them in their bid to get on the show. But Dan is a naturally researchy person. Some people would not think to do that, I guess. I know the current season’s Tongan boys mentioned they were also not Biggest Loser fans per se, but caught a few episodes of the season with Tongan cousins Sione and Felipe. That inspired them to try for the show. I really hope they sat down and religiously watched past episodes after they were casted.

I see this kind of thing on America’s Next Top Model too - where some girls get caught totally off guard about some things. Sometimes they are shocked someone cuts their hair off, or refuse to do the nude modeling shoots. Some of these girls have never walked in heels before. They cry during the inevitable CoverGirl commercial shoots because they can’t remember their lines; well, there is a CoverGirl commercial done every season. They don’t KNOW it’s coming? Get someone to help you run a few lines before you head out. And the girls don’t read up on designers and photographers…knowing Tyra is going to ask them industry questions. A half hour on the Internet would give them a few top designers and photographers to respond with. Every season some girls can’t name a single designer, or mangle their way through pronouncing the ones they dredge up. Want to be a model? Learn your craft!

You’d think wannabe models would be die-hard fans of the show and be prepared for these things.

I don’t watch any other reality shows, so I don’t know if this kind of ’show ignorance’ is rampant. But I’d think there would be no excuse for it.

On The Biggest Loser, there WILL be water based challenges, and height based ones, and sometimes both together in one challenge. There WILL be temptations. Jillian WILL climb on your body and scream in your face. Jillian will make you cry, and Bob will curse at you if you don’t join his cult. If you water load at weight-ins, people will know what you did. Betrayals in the elimination room will come back to haunt you. Sometimes eliminated players get to come back. You are expected to sweat buckets in that gym and you will probably vomit sometimes. And on and on.

Moral: you get selected to be on a reality show? Great! Now go watch every episode ever filmed.

Biggest Loser Episode 2, Season 9

I really enjoyed ep 2 - even though Maria got herself pretty banged up (that was a LOT of blood!), I loved how Jillian took her by the hand in the rainy pool and showed her that she was as strong as she wanted to be. That was pretty awesome. And Maria ROCKED it at the weight in, which I did not expect. I was so happy, because Micheal is my favorite and I want to see him there as long as possible. I believe he can go from 526 pounds to something fit and happy by the show’s end.

This was also the infamous Dr Death episode. Usually Dr H tells people their body’s real age each ep 2, and scares them with MRIs/body xrays of their own fat. I have to say that I’ve never been so shocked as to see how much fat some of these people are carrying compared to their tiny little organs and bones. Tiny little lungs! Overstressed joints! Ouch!

Bob putting 300 pounds onto his 200 pound frame was also a surprise. They never did that to him before. Bob looked like he was in tremendous pain from just trying to take a few steps. Amazing that these folks are running on treadmills and lifting weights, and big kudos to their determination.

Watching what Orange Nation eats in a day was unpleasant. I didn’t expect Jillian would actually go through with eating any of that. Almost every dish they showed looked fatty, fried, processed or sugary. I think there was ONE item (a taco) that had a few little veggies on it. As Jillian said, “this isn’t food!”

The challenge over the pool looked fun. I have really good balance, so I think I would have done well. Poor Patty had her work cut out for her with no sensation in her lower legs and feet; good for her for making it across the one time she did. She looked very proud of herself.

When Patty was under the line, I knew she would ask to go and let her daughter stay. I think it was the right call. Patty is down from nine medications to two, and looking to be meds-free by finale. Great big kudos to her!

Tonight we have episode three! I’ll be working out while watching.

Addicted to Stress - weaning yourself from adrenaline

I’ve been reading about how people these days are addicted to stress. Our society encourages it. I always considered myself an ‘involvaholic’ - too many things going on all the time, until I read somewhere about how this exhausts our adrenals and burns us out. Our bodies are not meant to run off adrenaline and cortisol except in true emergency situations.

I decided to stop living on adrenaline. One of the things I did was get away from caffeine. I drink decaf coffee, for one thing. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands. I know decaf is not totally devoid of caffeine, but it doesn’t get me jittery at all, and I don’t get a headache if I miss a day. And there are tons of yummy brands of decaf these days.

Weaning oneself off full-caff coffee and caffeinated sodas is one of the first steps to getting away from needing adrenaline to get through the day. And it’s a much easier one than getting into the nitty gritty of examining one’s life.

The next step is to take a look at what you do each day that gives you a ‘kick.’ Waiting for deadlines to approach is definitely one of these things! As a ex-journalist, I lived for deadlines. There was an exhilaration to it all.

Then eventually I burned out. Now I resist anything that requires me to write by a certain date. It bugs me to even have a deadline; just having one gives me anxiety. I don’t think I ever would have developed a clinical anxiety problem if I didn’t live on adrenaline for so long.

So everyone should take a look at the things you do, on a daily basis, that bring you stress.  Make a list of the things you can eliminate from your life, and don’t be afraid to make a big change to protect your health and sanity. Learn to ask for help if you need it, and learn to say no to more tasks. Decide to spend more time in relaxing activities - make a daily prescription of it!

I am trying to find peaceful contentment and creatively joyful activities to pursue these days. I want to live on proper fuels, like glucose and amino acids, and reserve adrenaline for its intended emergency use. You never know when you will need to have that adrenaline reserve ready to go, instead of having burned out adrenal glands.  :)

Living on Adrenaline, Decreasing Stress

All evidence these days points to stress as a major contributor to ill-health, in both body and mind. Apparently stress stimulates the body to respond with creating the hormone cortisol (in the adrenals).

Cortisol is the flight and fight hormone. High and prolonged levels of cortisol decrease bone density and muscle mass and increase sugar imbalances. Cortisol leads to increased abdominal fat. Also, cortisol inhibits collage formation (hello, wrinkles!).

About.com writes, “Studies have also shown that people who secrete higher levels of cortisol in response to stress also tend to eat more food, and food that is higher in carbohydrates than people who secrete less cortisol.” http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm

The wikipedia explains that cortisol addiction also contributes to clinical depression. The Mayo Clinic lays things out clearly about the negative effects of allowing stress to continue eating away at your body: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001

In our modern world, we’ve created a high-stress culture using adrenaline as a fuel source. The adrenals were never meant to be stimulated like this - it’s a very unhealthy fuel.

I’ve been seriously working to decrease stress in my life. I don’t think we take stress seriously enough; we just live with it. Trying to actually eliminate stress is a worthwhile goal! And one I do not think is too far out of line. The adrenals are intended to help us work through temporary stressful situations - ones that we cannot control. Using cortisol as a daily fuel; that was never intended. That is what I am going to work on eliminating from my life.