I remember my grandma would always try to make sure I had healthy food when I went to her house. I'll never forget one specific occasion she said, "Oh Kaysha, look at those chubby little fingers!" I can't remember how old I was, but my ice cream and over-eating habits began to catch up with … Continue reading It’s okay to eat chocolate sometimes
Beginning a garden in Phoenix wasn't just going to be difficult because of the heat, I also don't own the property where I live and thus didn't want to plant anything into the ground. Could I successfully keep garden plants without planting a real garden, in Phoenix? The seasons are different from most other states. … Continue reading My green thumb
The next step I took in my journey to reducing my environmental impact and creating a more sustainable way of living was to begin my worm (vermicompost) bin. It's a tricky endeavor in the desert. I read all the Pinterest posts on starting a worm bin and scoured the online forums and decided I was ready to … Continue reading DIY home worm bin – for beginners!
The more I learned about sustainable farming, the more things I realized that I needed to change. I needed to use less plastic, ditch plastic bags altogether, switch to glass whenever possible, and recycle more than I trash. When we lived in Seattle I was impressed by the city's system of recycling. There was even a … Continue reading Do you know how to recycle? I didn’t
Even on the clearest of Seattle mornings I can often see the fog rolling away over the ocean, while the smell of fresh fish still lingers on the morning dew. I live near Ballard and the docks where the Deadliest Catch boats tie up, and gruff fisherman unload their loot. Mornings when I wake up with the windows open, I'm … Continue reading No time for sleep in Seattle
Planning a trip to Washington, D.C. can be a complicated endeavor, especially when 56 students from 12 different countries are involved. When the plans for the trip began some time last October, we began by reaching out to the museums, the White House, Pentagon and the like, explaining our unique group of travelers that would … Continue reading What does it mean to be an American?
Sometimes I feel that I left my voice in graduate school. Perhaps I left it behind when I learned the German language. I wouldn’t say that I found my voice on my blog, though. My voice was found through four years of school in creative writing classes, and studying abroad in Germany where professors were … Continue reading Where do I find my voice?
In my mind, I was in the cycling scene from American Flyers, a peloton of trained athletes tucked into compression shorts, sparkling white shoes clipped into metal contraptions, gliding around on the 16lb flying machines we call road bikes. But that’s not exactly what it looked like. In fact, when I started riding with the people … Continue reading Clipping in, Cannondale and Shimano
Now I don’t get your morals, and I don’t get your words You’re surrounded by a world that plays low blows and reverbs. That’s not a fair playing field, and no one is right, But like cattle to slaughter We back down from the fight. We fall into greed, we suffer from envy Don’t know … Continue reading Can Lambs Become Lions?
It’s time to answer some of the questions about my recent vegetarianism. My reasoning behind it is even longer than my recent job descriptions. It isn't really a new and sudden thing, it has been a long battle. In high school I raised beef cattle and show-lambs for the local fair. These eventually paid my … Continue reading Why an Educated Cowgirl Out West Went Vegetarian on Thanksgiving
