Saturday Short Subjects: A Tale of Kitchen Scraps, a Wedding Ring, and a Carrot

Many times have I sung the praises of compost, “black gold” to the gardener. I have urged you to set up a backyard compost bin — as a way of making your own nutrient-rich soil amendment while diverting huge amounts of material from the municipal waste stream.

For today’s Saturday Short I offer up a surprising additional reason to compost your kitchen scraps. Click here if you missed the earlier link. [Shared by Jude Hsiang in the CT Master Gardener email list.] 

Need a spring project? Now might be a good time to get a compost bin started. The Cornell University Waste Management Institute has compiled an extensive collection of resources for the home composter, including this 15 minute video:

Yes, I realize the video is a bit old. The hairstyles, music and clothing are dated, but the content is great. In just a few minutes you will learn the chemistry of composting, how to set up a bin, how to achieve balance in your pile, and remedies to common problems. To date there have only been 252 views. Help this video go viral!

If you live in the city and are concerned about pests, check out this resource sheet outlining ways to “nuisance proof your compost” bin. 

You've got no excuses now! Ready, set, compost!

The sun is out and yesterday’s snow is melting. Yay!

Have a great weekend.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).

A Bit of Wisdom for a Winter Thursday

I do some of my best reading (and thinking) when at the gym. In the spirit of adventure, I rely on the recycled magazine table for my reading matter.  Since my exercise venue is a university gym, the material is weighted toward academic specialty journals (in pristine condition) and guilty pleasures — tattered copies of People, US, and O. But if I am really lucky, I will score a Smithsonian.

Recently I had the good fortune to peruse a June 2011 copy which contained an article by Lance Morrow on the topic of the writings of the Buddhist monk and poet Kenko. Kenko's Essays in Idleness is a compendium of seemingly random thoughts assembled around 1330.

I confess I have only read Morrow’s article, not Kenko’s volume. According to legend, Kenko wrote the 243 essays a cottage, brushing his thoughts onto scraps of paper and pasting them onto the cottage walls. The essays were only arranged in order and assembled into a volume by a poet friend after Kenko’s death.  

Morrow highlighted several essays. One bemoaned the fact that no one remembered the correct shape of a torture rack or the correct manner in which to affix a victim. Others dealt with the subject of uncertainty; Kenko wrote, “Leaving something incomplete makes it interesting and gives one the feeling that there is room for growth.”

Bizarre is the best word to describe the succinct Essay 49, one which Morrow declared to be among his favorites: “You should never put the new antlers of a deer to your nose and smell them. They have little insects that crawl into the nose and devour the brain.” If you ever find yourself with this opportunity, you will know what NOT to do.

Craving more Kenko? You can read Morrow’s article here. 

The complete volume, Essays in Idleness is also available for sale in paperback online. 

My point? Be adventurous. Check out that pile of recycled reading matter. Treasures await. Don’t forget to add your own contributions when you get around to doing your spring cleaning…

Saturday Shorts: Calling All Pinterest Fans…

Pinterest has teamed up with Partnership for a Healthier America, First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move!, and USDA's MyPlate to make it easier to find healthier recipes. Check out the Pinterest MyPlate Recipes account for an impressive collection of recipes gathered from a number of top chefs and well-known print and online sources, sorted for you by category. This is a Pinterest page, so what you will see is not just words, but rather words accompanied by a dazzling array of mouthwatering images.

Try not to drool on your keyboard or tablet.

Is this the first you’ve heard of Pinterest? Pinterest is “a tool for collecting and organizing things you love.”  Visit the Pinning 101 page to get started. 

Have fun.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).