Community Building Tip: Shoveling

In today's fragmented world, people can improve it by reaching out to each other. Here are some ideas for building community in your neighborhood.

Shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk when it snows, especially if it is difficult for them. If you neighbors are older or perhaps just going through a hard time with a new baby or sickness, spend a few extra minutes to clear their sidewalk too.

Saturday Yardening

Today was the Earth Day event at Douglas-Hart Nature Center.  I picked up some plants from the swap, then bought most of a flat from the native plant sale. 

The weather was dry earlier but is now drizzling.  I hope it will stop raining at some point today, long enough to plant the swap plants.  (They tend to wilt because they have been dug up.)  The sale plants are tiny seedlings that will need to be kept indoors for a while and hardened off by moving them outside for part of the day, before they can be transplanted outdoors. 

EDIT 4/27/19: Round Two, I planted 2 phlox in the forest garden.  It's still drizzling, but not so much as to prevent all yardwork.

Today's Adventures

We have houseguests and are getting ready for Beltane.

This morning we went to the Douglas-Hart Nature Center for their plant swap and sale.  I got about a flat of native plants.



In the afternoon we went to Celebration.  It was raining, so only the diehards were there.  ;)  I got a corndog for lunch.  We saw some familiar vendors.  There was nothing that caught my fancy (within price range: the lady who works with tin ceiling tiles had some lovely new pieces) until almost the very end.  Tie Dye by the LB is a fibercraft booth selling t-shirts and tapestries with splendid tie-dye work.  Many of these are complex mandalas, not just the usual spirals or angles.  Some of the colors are super-saturated while others are muted, so there's something for everyone no matter what your colors are.  Most of the work is done with liquid dye, but some is ice-dyed using powders.  I bought two mandala t-shirts, one blue and green on white and the other multicolor.  \o/  janetmiles got a couple too, one of which reminds me of Jupiter.

Then we went up to Champaign for supper.  We ate at Kohinoor, a favorite Indian restaurant.  I got to bring home some of the Jaipuri naan with bits of candied fruit.  <3

All in all, it's been a good day.