My Recycling Center - And A Prize For One of My Readers

Yea! I finally got my recycling center set up in the garage. I have been recycling for a long time, so recycling isn't new to me. But I have never had a proper sysetm in place. I have used just about any kind of box, bag, or container I had around to collect things in to take to the recycling drop-off place.


This works fine, and I would rather for someone to use this "willy nilly" system rather than not recycling at all. But, I have always wanted a nice looking, organized, labeled system.

I bought my stackable storage bins back in September of last year, but then the "EPISODE of MY EYE" started, and I only got things set up last week.



I printed labels on the computer with pictures because I hope I can teach Sophie and Sara to help me put things in the bins. After all, I want them to be green girls.




I LOVE just opening the garage door, taking a couple of steps into the garage, and dropping my recyclable item(s) into the correct bin(s).

I also bought a mini system to set up at the cottage. I have been schlepping the recyclables back home in a Walmart bag, then having to separate them in the garage. I can't wait to go back down to the lake and set up the system down there too!





Here in Lubbock we have several options as far as where we take our recyclables. I take mine to the grocery store when I shop. They have set up a row of dumpsters at the back of the store which is very convenient.


I could take it to one of two City of Lubbock recycling collection centers, but they are not close to my house.

Recently I saw a story on the news about a couple of Green Women who have started a pickup service for a monthly fee. I hope they do well, and the business will be successful.

I don't consider myself to be a "tree hugger" "radical environmentalist" "green nut" or any of the other descriptions I have heard people who try to be environmentally conservative called. I know I can't save the world by recycling, composting, freecycling, or buying used rather than new things. But, if I can make a small difference I want to. After all, G-d created this earth as a beautiful place, and I don't want to trash it any more than I have to.



I would enjoy hearing about your recycling efforts. Do you have curbside pickup? Do your schools work at teaching the children to be environmentally aware? Is your office green and recycle office paper and other items? Whatever you do to make this a cleaner earth, let me know.

I have decided to give a prize to someone this month. I know I am not a famous, big-time blogger who makes lots of money and has lots of readers. In fact, I'm not rich or famous at all. I don't know how many people read my blogs. I blog for fun.

But I will put the name of each person who comments on this post into a hat and will draw the winning name on February 7, which is one week from today. The prize is...
(drum roll)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A mini-system just like the one I am taking to the cottage. I will post the name of the winner and will contact you for mailing address so I can send out your prize.

Whether you comment or not, I hope you will either begin recycling, or continue in your recycling efforts. Why waste the earth's materials and resources when we don't have to?

That's it until next time...

Soup's On

There's just nothing better than a big bowl of steaming hot soup on a cold wintery night. So I made a big pot of soup for supper last night. I made up the recipe from the things I had in the house. It was delicious! Lance loved it and said he could hardly stop with only two bowls! (But he did, knowing that if he saved some there would be enough for tonight too.)

I didn't come up with a name for this soup, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.

It ain't Campbell's canned. It's better! So I think I can say: it was mmmmm mmmmm GOOD!

*******************************************************************

Here's my recipe and some pictures:

Ingredients

2 cups potatoes (sliced or diced)
2 cups leeks (sliced)
2 cups spinach leaves
1 cup carrots (sliced or diced)
1 cup green onions (sliced)
1 cup green bell peppers (diced)
1 cup celery (sliced or diced)
1 cup green peas (frozen)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
1 tablespoon garlic (grated)*
1 teaspoon Herbs from Provence
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 vile saffron
2 Tofurkey brand (non-meat) Italian sausages (sliced)
1 carton Vegetable broth
1 jar strained tomatoes
filtered or bottled water
olive oil

I like chopping, slicing, and dicing fresh vegetables and putting them in pretty clear glass bowls like they do on the cooking shows. I think it is so pretty to see all the different colors and shapes displayed together. It's a food rainbow!



Step 1

Put the potatoes and carrots in a soup pot and cover with water. Put on burner and cook on medium heat.



Step 2

While potatoes and carrots are cooking pour olive oil in skillet and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot add green onions, bell peppers, celery, leeks, ginger, and garlic. Cook until limp and slightly browned.



Step 3

Add spinach leaves and green peas. Continue cooking until peas are thawed and spinach leaves are wilted. Then add saffron, Herbs from Provence, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes.

Step 4

Pour mixture into pot with potatoes and carrots. Mix well and continue cooking.





Step 5

While ingredients are cooking in soup pot, add more olive oil to skillet. When oil is hot, brown the Italian sausage slices. Leave in skillet, but remove from heat.





Step 6

Pour vegetable broth and strained tomatoes into the soup pot. Add sausage. Cover pot and continue cooking for 20 additional minutes.

SERVE! EAT! ENJOY!

Some nice warm artisan bread and parmasan cheese sprinkled on top completed the soup.





*A couple of weeks ago while in the waiting room at the eye doctor's office I saw Rachel Ray grating garlic. I had never thought of it, but will use this method of preparing garlic all the time now. It is much easier than chopping it on a cutting board with a knife. Very fast!

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Sometimes when I look around me and see all the changes that have taken place in my life (55 years), I get a little freaked out. I love the convenience of all the electronic devices we have available for our use - yet, I somehow also long for the days of old when things were more simple and less noisy and stressful. Finding balance is of great importance.

I feel sad that my grand kids will never know a life of simple daydreaming, playing imagination games, and living a life of quietness and silence like I did when I was a little girl. There is always some kind of noise or sound all around them. And what about all the electromagnetic fields, microwaves, zips, zaps, radiation, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. that they have been exposed to since before birth? Will all this have any kind of long lasting effects on their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being?

But, I can't sit around and worry about the unknown. I have to stay current to keep up with them. In the words of Bob Dylan: "Come mothers and fathers throughout the land and don't criticize what you can't understand. Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command, your old road is rapidly agin'. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand for the times they are a-changin'."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Television watching was not as common as it is today. There were not many choices of programs to watch, and DVDs, DVR, Tivo, Cable, Satelite was not even invented yet.


Families typically had a set of encyclopedias in their home for learning things and looking up information. Now we have the Internet for that. And laptops with wireless connections so we can sit in the backyard and learn together.


When we needed to make a call if we weren't at home we used a pay phone. Now, we rarely find a person who does not have a cel phone. Are there any more pay phones today? I don't remember seeing any for a while now.

People have been reading books made of ink and paper for many years. Now, the Kindle is a more popular option for many people.


Kids have always enjoyed playing games together. They still do - as long as they are electronic.


Poratable radios were available if we wanted to listen to music while away from home. Now, it's the IPod which allows us to hear the music of our choosing, lectures, books, and even movies and tv programs.

Kids have always enjoyed putting puzzles together. A standard cardboard puzzle would typically take about 5 minutes (or less) to put together. I watched Sophie putting electronic puzzle after puzzle together for an hour without missing a piece or looking up from the screen. Seriously! An hour. Then she finally got bored and put it in her lap, stretched her arms, and just sat there staring out the window. She has a fit when Pete goes to work in the mornings and takes his IPhone with him. She isn't even two years old yet. Oy vey!



People would show their 8mm films to friends and neighbors in the past. Now, we have You Tube and lots of other ways to share our videos. Rabbi & Rebbetzin Richman were showing some friends clips of their son, Sharir [Jerusalem Freefight (Sharir Richman)] on You Tube while they were visiting us.

I enjoyed listening to the radio when I was a kid. I listened to our local am station, KZZN. I still enjoy listening to the radio. Now I listen to Israel National Radio. Lance has Sirus satelite radio in his pickup, and he loves having so many great stations to choose from.



Snail mail, as it is called today, was the best means of sending a letter or card to someone before. Now there are emails and texts, which are many peoples' choice of writing "letters" and sending cards.





I don't think Sophie would even know what the toy telephone from days gone by is if she saw it since it does not look like her toy cel phone.