greenmums-blog

The Night Before Christmas (rural version)

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:01:03 +0100

Twas the night before Christmas and out on the ranch
The Pond was frozen and so was the branch.
The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.
The kids were all home on vacation from school.
Happier young folks you never did see-
Just all sprawled around watching' T.V.

Then suddenly,some time around 8.o'clock,
There came a surprise that gave them a shock!
The power went off,the T.V went dead!
When Grandpa came in from out in the shed
With an armload of wood,the house was all dark.
"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.
"Them power lines must be down from the snow.
Seems sorta like times on the ranch long ago".

"I'll hunt up some candles ."said mum."With their light
and the fireplace,I I reckon we'll make out all right."
The teenagers all seemed enveloped in gloom
Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,
Uncased his old fiddle and started to play.
That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.
Mum started to sing,and first thing they knew
Both Pop and the kids were singing it too.

They sang Christmas carols,they sang,'Holy Night",
Their eyes all a-shine in the ruby firelight.
They played some charades Mum recalled from her youth.
And Pop read a passage from Gods book of truth.
They stayed up till midnight and, would you believe,
The youngsters agreed "twas a fine Christmas Eve"

Grandpa rose early,some time before dawn,

And when the kids wakened, the power was on.
"The power company sure got the line repaired quick",
Said Grandpa- and no one suspected his trick.
Last night, for the sake of some old fashioned fun
He had pulled the main switch- the old Son Of a Gun!

(Anonymous)

Garden of your daily living

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:59:07 +0100

How To Plant Your Garden
First, you Come to the garden alone,
while the dew is still on the roses....

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS :

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

My garden

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:56:23 +0100

Spring is here and the first buds of new growth are appearing,The vegetables such as my beetroot,bokchoy,carrots and peas are well and truelly sprouting happily. My tomatoes that I have just planted will hopefully give me a good crop this year.
The autumn was spent mulching,mulching,mulching and spreading organic compost on my vegetable patch and under all my fruit trees. The alpacas provide me with plenty of alpaca pooh (golden fertilizer) as I call it,which i have mixed into the compost and spread on the garden areas.and the worms are working happily.
The soil in this garden patch was very poor,since working the soil and adding the compost and lime to break up the clay,the soil is rich and pliable,amazing how a little work can provide one with so many benefits.
I have also had to fence of the fruit trees as the alpacas were having a feast on the new growth,so i may get more fruit this year,they do like eating the blossoms and the new shoots.
I have had to move my lemon tree as it hasn't bore any fruit so far.I made up some white oil and sprayed it.I have noticed new shoots so it may just come good this year.

Life Cycles

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:59:14 +0100

Everything in life goes round,a new generation makes some changes and off we go again. I spoke to a friend the other day she gave me an overview of her life growing up in a small country town in Victoria.She said..............................
We didn't own a car we rode bikes walked or caught public transport (Green Transport)

Our house had no electricity,kerosene lamps were used for lighting and a small kerosene stove for cooking The house was made from recycled timber and in some parts had a dirt floor. (recycle low carbon)

We used tank water for drinking and cooking and washing and this was carted inside and heated on the kerosene stove (water saving)

Our fridge consisted of an old icebox that was filled with a large block of ice by the iceman once a week. This would stop our perishables from going off for the week. (saving energy)

We grew our own vegetables and fruit.Our neighbor provided us with chickens as they never locked them in their own yard so the chickens roamed into our vegetable patch providing our garden with fertilizer and us with an occasional free range chicken dinner. (organic food)
We knew all our neighbors. One owned a cow and sold us milk and cream . We exchanged vegetables with our neighbors who also grew their own vegetables (community development)

We cooked and baked all our meals,there were no takeaways,there was a small corner store and we would collect our drink bottles and use the refunds to buy sweets this didn't happen too often.

Mother owned a small shopping jeep that she used to carry groceries and meat from the store,in fact most people had these shopping jeeps.(no plastic Bags)

We recycled our clothes from the eldest or tallest to the younger children adjustments were sometimes needed, however the girls in the family knew how to sew and knit. (recycle)

The laundry was outside in a shed and there stood a large copper which was filled and a fire was lit under it. Everyone had a turn at stirring the clothes that boiled inside this monster. We starched our sheets and hung the washing to dry in the fresh air and sunshine. (saving energy)

The ironing was done by heating a heavy based metal iron on the stove and waiting till it was hot enough to iron the clothes (green energy)
Entertainment was a battery radio no T.V. in those days.

So I suppose she said when I look back I realise our carbon footprint on this planet was extremely small. My Parents and their community were living green without realizing it (small footprint)