Drink Deep from the Well of Knowledge

to not buy cheap crap from china? Or even expensive crap from china? Food from china? Hopefully NOT cat food from China.

Well… according to a new book by Sara Bongiorni (as reported on cnn.com), pretty darn hard. She and her family tried to go a whole year without anything from China. I looked around my bathroom this morning just to see (though I really knew the answer)…toothbrush holder (yep, china), q-tip holder (china), very expensive electronic toothbrush (china)…my pretty Eddie Bauer skirt… doh! It’s kind of eye opening. I’m not opposed to China or the people of China personally, but don’t you think it’s wrong that the greatest country in the world (IMHO) can’t seem to make anything for its own people? Come on, now, this can’t be a good thing.

So, I’m on a kick. Instead of buying the Smith and Hawken patio set I was looking at (couldnt’ confirm country of origin, so I chucked it), I decided to redo the cheap crap from china I already have….I’ll make slipcovers (with fabric made in the USA if I can find it) for my resin chairs, so something creative with the table. I bought a rug from LL Bean (that still has a FEW things made in the US… but not many.. .don’t be fooled by that vague phrase, “imported,” … yeah, we know what that means. The rug was made in North Carolina. And I’m looking at one nice piece of furniture to add…maybe a nice chair from nagsheadhammocks.com.

This is part of something bigger than just economics and the global economy. We’ve become a disposable society. We rationalize to ourselves “why get the vacuum repaired when I can buy a new one cheaper?” Well sure… that makes sense on some level. But wouldn’t it be better to buy something of quality and stick with it. Stop filling up landfills, stop encouraging US companies to outsource to China. Yeah, maybe what they say is true.. Americans won’t do the work. Yeah, not for the amount of money they pay children in china… How about this idea. Buy something good that will last and that you actually won’t want to throw into the landfill.

On a related note, Susan Susanka, who wrote “The Not So Big House” is on a real kick. She’s on to something. Her deal is to spend the money you were thinking of spending on a McMansion and build a smaller, higher quality house. My humble house is actually based on a house featured in her book. I noticed at the bookstore lately, “The not so big life” and “The not so big garden.” Something to ponder…

web site analysis

Well, having lived in Maine for 2 and a half years, I finally got tired of the tourists having all the fun. Each summer I watch the cars, trucks, and SUVs from Massachussetts, New Hampshire, and New York going north on the highway, laden with bikes, kayaks, canoes, boats…off to have fun in Vacationland. Now, I’m having fun too. Every weekend is like a vacation for me - in the summer anyway. But I finally decided to find out what all the fuss about kayaking was about.

I’ve had some bad experiences with water. I have a theory that everyone is cursed with an element…earth, air, fire, or water. It’s a popular cocktail hour conversation for me. I am cursed with water. From early childhood memories, to plumbing problems in every apartment I’ve ever lived in, to a disastrous canoe trip in West Virginia — yeah, I’ve been burned. But this year, I’ve decided to start conquering fears and curses, so I signed me and my husband up for a half day LL Bean kayaking trip. We went last Saturday and I loved it! It was a day custom made for novices… 75 degrees, party sunny with a nice breeze, calm waters. 

We started out at Bean’s Paddling Center site in Freeport, just past Wolfe’s Neck Woods Park (another great place). It’s a gorgeous site, and well organized, as you’d expect from Beans. They provided all the equipment and went through a quick demonstration of basic paddling strokes. Then we got situated in our tandem kayaks and we were off. My husband got rudder duty and I got brute strength duty. We went across Casco Bay and over to one of the islands to get out and stretch and have a snack. We saw a bald eagle (gorgeous!), osprey, and seals. This really is a gorgeous area. I was sold. I think it’s basically a requirement that if you live in Maine, you own a boat, and as I have no interest in the trouble of a motor boat, I think a kayak might be up my alley.

Anyway, so my point is… <drum roll> at the end of the trip, they gave out a brochure for the Maine Island Trail Association, mita.org that protects and preserves the islands. It encourages safe use, etc. etc. and when you become a member you get a guidebook that describes which islands you can go to, information about currents and tides, and stuff like that. I know I have a long way to go in my kayak education, but I’m excited, and this organization sounds like a great resource. Check it out. Membership starts at $45.