When I was 29, it was a very bad year. The previous September, our sense of security had been violently shattered, and many of us were not taking it well. It really put life into a completely new perspective. I’ve always had some level of wanderlust, and, up until that point, I had not wandered…
Being a [mostly] vegetarian is very rewarding but also has its drawbacks. On the good side, you avoid eating factory-raised meats which can have all kinds of physiological and karmic nastiness in them. But some people, myself included, need a lot of protein in our diets. So, I am always looking for ways to inject…
I live in the country… deep in the country. I often lay in bed at night wondering what this or that noise is that I hear outside. Most are brief, and I chalk them up to the wind or some scurrying critter, but last night I was awakened around 2:30 a.m. by a loud, incessant…
Today is March 3, 2012. I heard geese overhead yesterday, making an early return to the north. Surely the sparkling ice-free ponds are beckoning them to return. Buds are on the trees, and sap is running. The temperature today will hit 55 degrees. Tomorrow it will hit 65 degrees. The historical average temperature for today…
I am learning a LOT in my masters degree. One of the things we’re talking about is the ethical implications of our individual actions. It may not seem like your 45-minute commute to work is wrecking the planet, but what about a million people’s 45-minute commute? We all have a duty to exercise the utmost…
Until last week, I did not realize almond cheese existed. When I mentioned it to my mom, she was really surprised. But, as I found out after a visit to Whole Foods, almond cheese does indeed exist. Contrary to what you might think, there is dairy in almond cheese. Neither regular cheddar cheese nor almond…
There is a certain satisfaction to doing something yourself. Whether it’s hanging a picture on the wall, making macaroni and cheese from scratch or giving yourself a pedicure. This year, I have a list of skills I would like to develop that will help my household become more self-sufficient. Because I am living a large…
Whenever I come back to Vermont, I am reminded of what I am made of. Growing up in Vermont is not always a bed of roses. I had to milk cows after school when I was in high school. I dealt with my fair share of cow shit and walked a very long way to…
After having lived in Sarasota for 8 years, St. Petersburg is now my official home in Florida. Not only that, but I live right in the downtown area in an apartment on Central Avenue. Although a suburbanite in Sarasota, I was on a fabulous bus route and only 3 miles from downtown. I didn’t own…
I’m living life at a different pace here in Vermont. Along with the two businesses I was already running, I am now managing a third. Also, instead of being able to sit in my house uninterrupted for 3 days without seeing another human being, I am going to soccer games, buying 4 times as many groceries…
In order to pursue my Master of Environmental Law & Policy from Vermont Law School, I made the decision to combine households with my sweetheart. Not only did this reduce our global footprint by an entire house, but it made financial (and other) sense as well. For many people, this is an easy decision, however,…
What are you willing to sacrifice for the environment? Your car? Your clothes dryer? What about your freedom? I’ve been following Bill McKibben and 350.org for a few years. Mr. McKibben is an unlikely activist – he says so himself. Authoring his latest book, Eaarth, however, catapulted him into the spotlight of the environmental community. …
For those of you who really know me, you’re probably surprised that I’d like to get some backyard chickens. Surprised because, at the moment, I eat neither chicken nor eggs! However, backyard chickens offer a few remedies to the reasons for my food choices. First, the reason I don’t eat chicken is because of the…
I’m currently reading the book “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, and I am quite enthralled by it. I am stuck on one particular phrase: “I don’t mind what happens.” Here is the context: J. Krishnamurti, the great Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher, spoke and traveled almost continuously all over the world for more than…
You might all be familiar with my fascination/obsession with tiny houses. I went to a workshop earlier this year on how to build them, and, although I’ve put my plans on hold for a while, I’m still very interested in knowing the best way to build them and the best layouts for livability. The thing…