Cultivating hobbies

I probably shouldn't let this information out, as I should maintain the image of hard-working missionary worker, but as I write this post (and the past two) I am sitting alone, humming to the stereo while Nymaa plays with the girls in the other room. I left my office at 4pm, because I can (ear infections are a good excuse), and today Nymaa vacuumed all our floors. But really, I do work hard. Lately I have been working on hobbies. It took me 11 years with ADRA to commit to work/life balance. I have also become an environmental disciple who is very frustrated living in a country where water conservation is unknown, recycling is not an option, and organic is what?

My personal reading list will give you a clue to my current influences. I have just finished The 100 Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and JB Mackinnon and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover (and family). Both were great reads, though if you can only do one of them then do Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. As a direct result of my reading I went to the market on Friday and could only bring myself to buy local produce - which means I was restricted to potatoes, onions, cabbage and carrots. Meanwhile the Mongolian woman with me was buying bananas. I confounded her further when I asked if it was possible to buy refills of fabric softener - her response "why, just buy a new bottle when your bottle is finished". I tried to explain that I wanted to reduce waste and resource use. Mmmmm

As an outlet for my desire to produce food I have covered the windowsills of our south-facing windows (the sun shines on that side here in the Northern Hemisphere) with yogurt pots full of seeds. I now have lots of little baby basil, tomato, spinach, silverbeet, radish, coriander, rosemary, kale and kohlrabi. So much so that I have now gone into a panic about getting pots ready for transplanting time. The last frost here is in mid-May, so this generation of vegies is going to be raised inside. I found a design for self-watering pots on the internet. On the weekend I enlisted Chris' help to make some. Much swearing later Chris finally found the drill and drill bit in the ADRA tool shed and we made some great pots. Chris still questions why I want self-watering pots, and my reasonng that I read that they are better is not good enough for him!

Yesterday I went to the Black Market to buy some more materials to make self-watering pots. I know that I am already considered strange, but this opinion was consolidated when I was picking up buckets and then trying to fit various containers inside to get the best 'fit' for the hand-made aeration screen and the wicking basket for the plant roots that sits inside the bucket (do I sound like an expert?!). I am sure if they knew that I intended to drill lots of holes in the plastic platters and bowls that I was looking over then I would be considered crazy.

Oh dear, it is 5:30 and Nymaa is going home. I will have to finish this post later, I have to be Mum again!