Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’ve been hearing from multiple sources how fantastic this year’s Colorado peach crop is going to be. And coming up this weekend is the 40th Annual Palisade Peach Festival. It’s been 40 years for the official festival, but apparently “Peach Days” has been a popular event in the Palisade area since the 1800s. If youContinue reading “Just Peachy in Colorado”

I need to do some work from home today. But because I don’t have a constant stream of duties, I’m doing some projects around the house, including using up some very ripe bananas. Here’s my first use…an altered version of this banana crumb muffin recipe. I was out of butter (don’t even say it 4-HContinue reading “Working Today…On My Baking”

The New York Times had a story this week featuring a number of farmgirls who took to the land with some sort of niche farming. The small biz lesson from the piece? It’s a great idea to get back to your ag roots, but be smart about it and keep that second income if youContinue reading “Want to Farm? Don't Quit Your Day Job”

The local paper, the Marion Chronicle-Tribune, gave props to the Hoosier Outsider in a short bright recently. The story profiles the Hoosier Outsider’s longtime photography “hobby.” This is my favorite quote:“It’s taking me a long time to start looking back at what I’ve shot,” he said. “With film, if I took 1,000 pictures a year,Continue reading “Mama Don't Take My Kodachrome Away”

Other than recycling, switching from paper to plastic, turning up the AC and down the heat, are you feeling powerless about climate change? There’s now a way you can help scientists figure out what’s going on, by joining Project BudBurst. It’s a fantastic grassroots effort to chronicle the timing of leafing and flowering in specificContinue reading “Citizen Scientists Wanted, Needed to Study Climate Change”

It’s not really a Buy Local find (though it is made in Glouster, Ohio, and I found it while tripping through Michigan). But I’m noting it because I’m addicted after one jar of “all natural” Frog Ranch salsa (medium heat). OMG, it’s, quoting Rachael Ray, “Delish.” It’s just like I’d like to be able toContinue reading “Those Buckeyes Know Their Salsa”

The 4-H Champ reminded me that I didn’t even mention that besides cherries, Traverse City has made a name for itself by hosting a pretty fantastic little Film Festival. While we were there at the local beach we saw lines of people at the local artsy theater and lined up around the corner to getContinue reading “Reel Fun: More Than Cherries in Traverse City”

We’re home from Michigan and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Still, it’s wonderful to be home. One more morning in the water park was just enough. So we headed back to Chicagoland and only stopped for potty breaks, several potty breaks. When we unpacked this evening, we finally had a chance to check out what weContinue reading “Taking Inventory”

I’ve learned a couple things about my kids on this vacation. No. 1, my daughter could spend the whole day, I mean hours and hours, digging a hole in the sand or wading in 2 feet of water. No. 2, my son could spend the entire day trying to teach himself to body surf onContinue reading “Day 4: Waterlogged”

It’s our third day and I still haven’t convinced the kids to go cherry picking with me. If they don’t go tomorrow, I may need to go on my own. After all, this is, according to a number of signs I’ve seen, the cherry capital. Indeed, there seems to be a U-Pick cherry or blueberryContinue reading “No, U-Pick”