When I was a kid my parents and some friends rented a community garden plot in Baltimore. Our yard was mostly gravel and shade, and I remember the first summer my dad carrying on about the victory garden his parents had when he was a kid and the experience he wanted to replicate. We got… Continue reading Green Victorious
Tag: Green Living
The Song Can’t Remain the Same
I expected some savings during the quarantine from not driving, going out to restaurants or ordering takeout. I expected an equally big bump in our grocery bill when Thing1 returned to the nest, but, even with two giants to feed (13-year-old Thing2 hit the six foot mark this week), thrift, apparently, is part of our… Continue reading The Song Can’t Remain the Same
First Pick
Last year I broke my foot, and it never completely healed. For most of the last year I felt like I've been driving a Pinto with the left turn signal on waiting for the tiniest little ding to knock my appendage out of commission which made gardening last year a fantasy. this year I'm getting… Continue reading First Pick
Just Say No
Retro
The falling leaves are bathing Vermont in antique gold, and lately I feel as though I've entered a malfunctioning time machine that teases me with glimpses of the past. Leaves and, soon, snow are coming to cover the painted yellow lines on the asphalt, camouflaging the trappings of the twentieth century. But this only… Continue reading Retro
Ma Barlow
One of the disadvantages of living in an earth sheltered house is that a lack of planning can cause unusual conundrums. Today was the the perfect example. I was pulling things out of the fridge for dinner and noticed that we were out of propane. It is fall, and in our old colonial farmhouse… Continue reading Ma Barlow
Mom and the Apple Pie
It's the Big Guy's birthday, and I'm making apple pie. He and Thing1 eschewed birthday cake in favor of pie a few years ago, so after a day of excavating our mudroom (perfect birthday activity), I pulled out the Joy of Cooking and started making the crust. I go back and forth between the Joy… Continue reading Mom and the Apple Pie
No Shame
Order 8 x 10 Print[nicepaypal type="cart" name="Serenity 8 x10 Print" amount="20.00"] Order 4 x 5 Card [nicepaypal type="cart" name="Serenity 4 x 5 Cards" amount="3.00"] You might think that because I write a blog dedicated to my failures as a housekeeper, I would have no angst about the unexpected guest. I thought so myself until… Continue reading No Shame
A Slacker’s Guide to Going Green
We found each other because we're both a bit goofy, and that goofiness has led us all over the world. Sometimes it has led us off the deep end, or so some of our friends and family thought when we decided to build an off-grid, earth-sheltered house. In reality, it was one of the best… Continue reading A Slacker’s Guide to Going Green
A Half-Folded Basket
About five years ago, we went off-grid and said goodbye to our charming, but mouse-infested, wallet-draining, blackout-prone 200 year old farmhouse. That farmhouse had actually inspired our move - not because of its inconveniences, but because it represented a time when its inhabitants had not only survived, but thrived without electricity or a fat bank… Continue reading A Half-Folded Basket
Rachel Barlow Art 