I Never Promised You an Organic Garden » Community http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog and other things you won't expect... Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:46:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 World Carfree Day http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/world-carfree-day/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/world-carfree-day/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:17:02 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=653 September 22 is World Carfree Day:

  • A day to celebrate the fact that we don’t all have to own cars to live a “normal” life.
  • A day to get out of your car and walk, take a bus, or ride your bike.
  • A day to experiment with alternative forms of transportation as a part of your everyday life.
  • A day to ask your local government to do more to make your city bike and pedestrian friendly.

World Carfee Day is sponsored by the World Carfree Network and is marked by celebrations and events around the world.  There aren’t any events going on locally, but I will be celebrating by riding my bike to work and encouraging others to do the same.

Richmond is a surprisingly bikeable city, and with the addition of some bike racks downtown it will be even more so.  There is definitely a lot of room to grow, but I am inspired by the small but growing bike community that is already a part of the city and the work that is being done to improve our local transportation plan to include bikes and pedestrians. We have a long way to go before we are a Portland, Or or Boulder, Co, but there is hope.

If you are local and would like to participate in making Richmond a more bike and pedestrian friendly community, attend the transportation meeting tonight at 7pm at the City Building.  The Planning department will be presenting the proposed long-term transportation plan to the Planning Commission.

What are ways you have found that your local community is friendly for getting around without a car?

What are ways you have found that your local community is NOT friendly for getting around without a car?

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/world-carfree-day/feed/ 0 Biking to Oxford http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/biking-to-oxford/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/biking-to-oxford/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:25:04 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=494 Photo from Reid Ride 2010

Photo from Reid Ride 2010

I am quite excited about this coming Saturday!

Matt and I are biking to Oxford, Ohio, with a group of friends, on our borrowed tandem.  It is approximately 60 miles round trip, and we will be visiting the Oxford Farmer’s Market and having a yummy lunch at one of the Indian restaurants.  We have been planning for this trip since the beginning of the summer, and we have been going out on long rides to get ourselves ready.  So far our longest ride is just over 30 miles, but I am told by local cyclist that if I can go 30, I can go 60.  Let’s hope they are right!

I am sure to those of you who don’t bike, biking 60 miles for a farmer’s market and Indian food probably sounds a little crazy.  And, if I am being honest, it sounds a little crazy to me as well.  However,  I think it will also be a lot of fun and will give us an amazing sense of accomplishment.  We really enjoy riding the tandem and pushing ourselves to ride just a little further or just a little faster.  I am also especially looking forward to making the trip with a group of friends.  I am sure Matt and I COULD have done it alone, but it will be so much more fun to share the experience with other local cyclists. Plus all the other riders have been on long rides like this, so they know the best routes and are great for moral and mechanical support if needed.

Matt are participating in a Bicycle Indiana commuter challenge and this trip has the added incentive of giving our team a big boost in the standings.  There are 5 of us making the trip and all 5 of us have been participating in the challenge.  That means 300 miles and 10 trips added to our teams total.  AWESOME!

All in all, I think it will be an awesome and hard experience all at once.  I will be sure to take lots of photos from my seat on the back of the tandem.

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/biking-to-oxford/feed/ 1 Loops of Love 2011 http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/loops-of-love-2011/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/loops-of-love-2011/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:05:51 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=464 2011 has been a great year for Loops of Love.  We recently did an inventory of all the items made in 2011, and it was quite an impressive number of items.  In case you aren’t aware, Loops of Love is a charitable knitting and crochetting group I started in cooperation with Richmond Church of the Brethren and Unwind Yarn Shop.  We meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 5 to 7pm at the yarn shop, and we donate handmade items to a number of local organization including: Birth-t0-Five, Salvation Army, YWCA, Genesis Women’s Shelter, Reid Babies, and Nobel Women’s Circle.

Photo Copyright Jim Hair

Photo Copyright Jim Hair

Our tally of donated goods for the first half of 2011 is:

Baby Hats: 33
Kids Hats: 23
Adult Hats: 15
Baby Blankets: 19
Chemo Caps: 7
Washcloths: 10
Mittens:3
Baby Sweater: 1
Scarfs: 9
Booties: 7
Slippers: 1
Shaw : 1

A big thank you is in order to all the people who show up every week to knit or crochet, all the people who don’t attend but donate completed items, all the people who donate yarn and needles, and especially Unwind Yarn Shop for hosting us each week.

I can’t wait to see how much stuff we create in the rest of 2011.

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/loops-of-love-2011/feed/ 3 March of Dimes’ March for Babies http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/march-of-dimes-march-for-babies/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/march-of-dimes-march-for-babies/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:40:36 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=308 Thanks to my friend Emily, who took the time to organize a local team, I am participating in the March of Dimes’ March for Babies this year.  The event is a 6 mile walk on September 18th to raise money for babies.  Specifically, to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Since my husband was a preemie, and I have a lot of friends who have had to deal with sick or early babies, this is something that I feel connected to and I am excited to raise money for. Soooo, I am aiming high and hoping to raise $1,000 by the time of the walk.

This is where I am hoping for your help.  Please make a donate to support baby health.  You can make a donation online at my personal site or by cash or check.  Every cent is a step in the right direction!

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/march-of-dimes-march-for-babies/feed/ 0 Loops of Love http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/loops-of-love/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/loops-of-love/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:48:22 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=121 As I have mentioned in past blog posts, I have recently become obsessed with knitting.  I am currently working on no less than 6 projects simultaneously and have a growing stash of knitting needles and yarn.  I knit while watching tv, in church, at meetings, hanging out with friends, in the car, and on planes.  I knit gifts, household items, clothing, etc.

So it seemed only natural for me to start a knitting group at Richmond Church of the Brethren.  With the help of local yarn shop owner, Vicki Hair, I started Loops of Love this past April.  It is a group of people that get together on the first and third Tuesday of every month at Unwind Yarn Shop to knit and crochet for local charitable organizations.  We use donated yarn and work on a variety of knitting and crocheting projects. The members vary widely in age and profession and even include a few men from time to time.  We have members from Richmond Church of the Brethren, West Richmond Friends Church, First Friends Church, and the Richmond knitting community at large.

While there are a couple similar groups that meet in town, ours is the only group that meets in the evenings.  This allows working folk like myself to participate without having to sacrifice time off work. I think it is also what allows us to have such a variety of people participating.

So far the group has been going strong and turning out what I think is quite a large number of completed projects for the four short months we have been working. We have completed 41 baby hats for Reid Hospital, 7 baby blankets for the YWCA Adolescent Parent Support program, 1 blanket for the YWCA Genisis program, 20 wash cloths for Birth-to-Five, and 12 wash cloths for the YWCA Genisis program.

I am very excited about the group’s current momentum and hope it continues!  It has really been wonderful to spend time with other knitters and crocheters here in town and know that in the end all our hard work and beautiful projects are going to a good cause.

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/loops-of-love/feed/ 2 100 mile radius potluck http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/100-mile-radius-potluck/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/100-mile-radius-potluck/#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:14:26 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=108 Matt and I attend a 100 Mile Radius Potluck last night.  The premise is that everyone at the potluck brings a dish that is made from ingredients produced, grown, etc. within a 100 mile radius of the selected location.  It is quite a challenge and a lot of fun.  The potluck was sponsored by Progressive Wayne County.org, and the idea behind it was to get people thinking about where their food comes from and how Richmond can be more self sufficient.

To my surprise, there was actually a great variety of food. Everything from the obligatory salad and berries to roasted pork and corn muffins.  It was all very tasty and reasonably easy to find if you know where to look.  Because Richmond is home to numerous farmers markets, the Clear Creek Food Co-Op, an Amish store, a community farm, and multiple orchards, there were lots of options for people looking for local food within a reasonable driving distance.

There are similar potlucks planned for the near future, and I would definitely like to attend again. Matt and I made squash & zucchini patties with squash & zucchini we bought at the local farmers market, but it would be fun to bring something we grew ourselves once our garden starts producing.

Chris Hardie created a video of the event.  Check it out and look for my cameo :)

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/100-mile-radius-potluck/feed/ 1 Green tips for all of us! http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/green-tips-for-all-of-us/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/green-tips-for-all-of-us/#comments Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:52:16 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=89 TulipsIn honor of Earth Day, I want to share practical tips for living a more “green” life that will not only benefit the environment, but can also have a positive affect on your checkbook. I don’t consider myself to be an environmental activist, and honestly am not sure if I believe in global warming. But even I can see the need to take care of the planet we live on to ensure its longevity. Last I checked we weren’t ready to colonize the moon.

I hear lots of stories about ways people have made big changes in their lives in order to be more environmentally friendly, but for those of us not quite ready to give up our cars or eat only food grown/processed within 100 miles of our home, here are some practical and easy to implement tips for living a greener life:

1) Take Your Own Bags to the Store:
Taking your own bag to the store may seem inconvenient at first, but there are a number of benefits. First and foremost it reduces the number of plastic bags going to the landfill, which is good for everyone. Second it can help de-clutter your home. If are like me, you probably already have a seemingly never ending pile of plastic bags hidden somewhere in your house waiting to be recycled. By taking your own bags to the store, you are not only stopping the flow of new bags but also finding a use for those bags you have laying around. Third a lot of grocery stores, Meijer for sure, offer a bag credit of $.05 per bag you bring from home. This is money back in your pocket each time you shop simply for bringing your own bag. Lastly for those fashion conscious among us, designers are now making reusable shopping bags that are in-style and good for the environment.

2) Carpool
If you are like me, the idea of car-sharing, where you don’t actually own a car but have access to a community car, sounds scary and overwhelming. Carpooling, on the other hand, is a great way to get where you are going, be it work or play, and save yourself gas at the same time. Find someone else who is going to the same general location you are, and plan to travel together. This can provide entertainment for a boring car trip, decrease your carbon emissions, cut your gas bill, and reduce wear and tear on your vehicle.

3) Unplug Electronics When You Aren’t Using them
Electronics in your home use energy even when they are turned off. This wasted energy is known as phantom energy, and it accounts for up to 5% of your electric bill each month. Electronics, such as cordless phones, cell phone chargers, digital cameras, music players, power tools, DVD players, microwaves, and computers, continue to draw electricity once you have shut them off or the battery is fully charged.

Unplugging these devices when they are not in use eliminates all potential of lost energy. A quick and easy way to do this is to plug your electronics into a power strip, which you unplug when you are not using your electronics. This ensures they are not drawing any unnecessary electricity and may help lower your electric bill noticeably. See my husband’s blog for more ways to make your computer environmentally friendly.

4) Install an Programmable Thermostat
Installing a programmable thermostat is one of the simplest ways you can reduce energy consumption in your home, and it can shave up to 10% off of your monthly heating and cooling bill. A programmable thermostat allows you to set your system to use less heat or air conditioning when you are going to be out of the house for long periods of time or sleeping. It also helps reduce the number of cycles your heater or air conditioner goes through because it is more accurate than older thermostats.

5) Eat Less Red Meat
I personally could not give up all meat. I am a meat lover, but I realize that eating red meat is not always good for the earth or my checkbook. Not only is red meat generally more expensive that chicken or pork, but it also has a much larger impact on the environment. Raising beef cattle inherently takes up more space and resources than raising smaller animals, such as chickens, and is, therefore, less environmentally conscious and sustainable.

Trying eating lower on the food chain, i.e. eating more chicken and pork. It will not only decrease your grocery bill, but it will also ensure that the resources for raising livestock are available in the future.

6) Recycle
This is pretty basic, but it has taken me many years to get started. Recycling is a great way to cut down on unnecessary waste in landfills and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide used to create new plastic goods. Most towns have recycling programs that you can participate in either for free or for a small fee. In Richmond, IN, participants receive a “trash-can” specifically for recyclable goods that is picked up every other week at no cost.

If you, like me, aren’t ready to make a total lifestyle change, try some or all of these tips to live a greener life and help ensure we have an earth to celebrate in the future.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/green-tips-for-all-of-us/feed/ 0 Weekend update http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/weekend-update/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/weekend-update/#comments Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:08:25 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=74 Matt and I had a great trip back to Virginia for my mom’s and sister’s birthdays. We had a wonderful time, including some hilarious Wii antics with my mom and sister. (Check out the pictures) Neither of them had ever played before, and it turned into a full contact video game pretty quickly.

We were quite glad to miss out on all the snow here in Richmond and enjoy the 50 degree weather in Virginia. I have to say though, as we were driving home I realized this was one of the first times in my life that I did not dread leaving the comfort of my parents’ house.

As much as I love and miss my family, I am finally in a place in my life where I am happy. I know at least part of it comes from having a job I love and enjoy going to everyday, but my life in general seems to be in a really good place at this point. I have a great group of friends, I have found new and exciting hobbies like knitting and racquetball, and I have gotten to experience things that never would have been possible before, like my trip to Brazil and the supper co-op we participated in over the past few months. My boundaries have been stretched, and I look forward to the exciting and unknown things that wait for Matt and I in the future.

I never thought I would say it, but Richmond, Indiana seems to agree with me. It may not be the biggest town or have all the amenities one could hope for, but I feel like it has opened up a world of opportunity to me that wouldn’t have been there had we not ended up here.

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/weekend-update/feed/ 1 Wii photo album http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/wii-photo-album/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/wii-photo-album/#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:09:52 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=73 As promised in an earlier blog post, I have created a photo album of some of my favorite Wii playing photos.  I will add more photos over time, so don’t be surprised if you see yourself or one of your friends.  There are some quite entertaining photos, so check them out!

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/wii-photo-album/feed/ 0 Score one for the good guys! http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/score-one-for-the-good-guys/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/score-one-for-the-good-guys/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:43:17 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=66 A Connecticut federal judge has ruled that the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) “making available” theory, in which they claim than individuals are breaking copyright law simply by making files available to download on file sharing websites, is insufficient because

““without actual distribution of copies…. there is no violation [of] the distribution right.” 4 William F. Patry, Patry on Copyright § 13:9 (2007); see also id. N. 10 (collecting cases); Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 508 F.3d 1146, 1162 (9th Cir. 2007).”

Now the RIAA must prove that “actual dissemination” of a copy took place in order to accuse someone of distributing copyrighted music; a much more difficult task. This is a small but important victory for all the people the RIAA has been suing without cause and with reckless abandon. And after the RIAA’s recent attempts to force colleges to provide deterrents and “alternatives” to peer-to-peer piracy or run the risk of losing all federal financial aid for their students, it is nice to see someone reining them in.

Related posts

]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/score-one-for-the-good-guys/feed/ 0