RINGING IN THE NEW

BUYING PUMPKINS

FREE SEEDS and PLANTS -- GARDENING and HARVESTING IN A TIME OF DROUGHT - GLEANERS

There are so many people here applying for money to let their grass lawns die and instead plant drought tolerant plants, along with putting down gravel, stone, and wood chips, in order to save water, that our Water and Electric companies have closed the list for lack of enough essential funding.

Some people are still allowing some or all of their properties to go unwatered, thinking that if God intends there to be rain it will rain and save what plant (and animal?  and human?) life He intends to let live, others are praying for rain as a kind of Mass-Mind-Metaphysical experiment (and we keep thinking pray for just an inch or so at a time so that we don't have landslides, house slides, and road slides!).  When a sprinkler extends over the sidewalk and into the street and a pond forms, we think what waste, but we also see that the birds, especially crows, are landing and making use of it as if it were a pond.

While we have cut our shower time and are flushing not as often, we are still watering our small flower and herb garden, much of which exists because of FREE SEEDS, every other day.

Seems every time we go to a mini convention about LIVING GREEN, be it about drought tolerant gardens or solar panels, or whatever, some booth is giving out packages of free seeds.  Some of these seeds are from NATIVE PLANTS, and we're having some success with those.

It's not just that the blooming plant is a reward, it's that our little garden has been found by bees, hummingbirds, crickets, grasshoppers, and various caterpillars (which we hope will become butterflies) that are dining out on our plants, probably because they are desperate.  Other yards have been more lush in the recent past, and are now dead or dying.

The other day, one of our neighbors decided to uproot his decorative bulbs, because he is going to plant some version of a Victory Garden.  While he contemplates what vegetables will love his naturally sandy soil, we wonder if his water bill will make planting one's own vegetables an act of reason.

Here in California the lack of water resources is being blamed on two crops - almonds and medical marijuana.  But citrus trees have always taken a lot of water to grow and result in fruit and most yards have one.  Many yards have one grapefruit, one lemon, one lime, a cumquat, an avocado, and some have olives or apricots.   These trees were planted back in the day when people from colder climates moved to California and imagined having their own orchard, never having to buy from a store again.

AND NOW A LOT OF THESE YARDS GO NEGLECTED, so a volunteer harvester group is willing to come and take away the fruit to food banks!  A wonderful idea, wherever you are, so that food (and water) do not go to waste.

VILLAGE HARVEST ORG  is one such organization.

FREE PLANT NET is another organization that intends to spread plant life around FREE.

ARE YOU A CITIZEN ACTIVIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN? CONSERVING WATER IN DROUGHT IS PATRIOTIC!

We consider to be Citizen Activists here at PATRIOTIC PURCHASE.  We wonder how many of our readers also consider themselves to be Activists for their own town.  Besides attending City Council Meetings and so on, there are always little things you can do to support your community that don't take as much time or responsibility.  Like most people, especially with children, you may find yourself always trying to catch up, weeks behind on your lists of things you should do.

We find RECYCLING to be an activity that contributes to the well being of our country and our planet, as is COMPOSTING, having a small vegetable "Victory" garden, and CUTTING BACK YOUR WATER USE IN THIS DROUGHT.

  This video mentions desalinization as a very expensive possible answer.

In our area the public swimming pools are filled, but most of the water fountains are shut down.  People are reporting their neighbors who are wasting water by hosing down driveways and sidewalks and are letting their grass lawns die off.

You can still have some green around you for we and the insects and other animals still do need water - or they will come into your house seeking it.  We can water plants in pots and trees around their base.

Using Grey Water to water outdoors is a great idea.

Grey Water is rinse water that has biodegradable detergents or just a small amount of detergent left in it. 

When we rinse out or coffee or tea pot we take that water and pour it in one of our outdoor plants in pots.  When we change out the water in our dog's bowl, we take that outside as well.  We are hand washing more since the clothing can dry out easily in the summer heat.  We don't want to leave the clothes soapy but the 3rd rinse goes out under the lemon tree.

Try not to flush your toilet each and every time you use it.  There's an old saying, "If it's brown flush it down.  If it's yellow let it mellow."  In our house we flush the yellow down after three uses.  The plumbing pipes do need to be flushed out with water.

We aren't taking tub baths.  Since it's hot out we have lowered the temperature of our hot water and when we shower we get wet, shampoo our hair and rinse it, shut the shower off, put in the conditioner, soap up, and then turn the shower back on to rinse off.

We are also resorting to sink baths also known as "Washing the smelly parts," more often.

Sometimes shampooing your hair in the sink and washing your face, hands, and feet is all it takes to feel refreshed.

We are using our public swimming pool, grateful to have it available to us.

We are also drinking MORE PLAIN WATER to stay hydrated, or adding lemon juice or fruit for an infusion rather than buying soda.

ANY OPINIONS?  IDEAS?  Let us know!

OKABASHI SANDLES HAS MOTHERS DAY SPECIAL - MADE IN THE USA

OKABASHI SANDLES  MADE IN THE USA
as the ads say, they have arch supports and are recyclable.   They also have garden clogs.

We buy ours at our local stores, preferring not to buy on line.  Why?  Because we like to preserve retail worker jobs, we like to try things on rather than wait for boxes to arrive and maybe have to ship things back.

Image from the OKABASHI WEBSITE and owned by them.

 

We bought a couple pairs locally.

WE JUST BOUGHT 6 NEW STERILITE STORAGE CONTAINERS - PLASTIC MADE IN THE USA

STERILITE STORAGE CONTAINERS

Ours have snap handles...   There are a huge variety of products at this site including items that are not for storage like shelving and waste cans.

Sterilite storage containers.

We just bought six of  this type with a handle that locks to keep the lid on..

MADE IN THE USA

 

FOUR STATES PUZZLE

FINDING AMERICAN MADE ITEMS IN DOLLAR AND DISCOUNT STORES - and FOOD INSECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES

We recently went to some local Dollar - Discount type stores looking for products that have been MADE IN THE USA and we did find a few, among all the imports from China and other countries.

This included a brand of contact-type paper that we hadn't heard about before.

Locally many of the Dollar-Discount stores have added FOOD purchasable using EBT-Food Stamps  and so we now have to look at labels to be sure that we are buying Pineapple from Hawaii and so on.

When it comes to food, having enough to eat, we have read that Americans throw out 40 % of the food they purchase.  We sure don't.  We make extra meals to freeze and we eat leftovers.  We hate to throw food out.

Once a year I go through the cabinets and look for expiration dates, anything we haven't gotten around to eating for whatever reason, put the stuff in bags and donate it to a local charity that feeds people once or twice a week.  Volunteer chefs there use what they have to create interesting meals.

We've heard about one local charity which picks fruit off peoples backyard trees and distributes it to food banks.

We encourage you to KEEP CHECKING LABELS!


We are especially concerned about cheap imports from China.  We have nothing against Chinese people.  In fact, we are concerned about the pollution and the working conditions of some Chinese who are worked like machines there.  We've heard that some Chinese workers have commit suicide rather than continue the work.  IF WE ARE SO AMERICAN... IF WE THINK SLAVERY IS WRONG... then why would it be OK to support inhumane treatment in the workplace of people in other countries by purchasing the product that is put out in these factories.

We will continue to seek out American Made Products when buying new, and seek used items in thrift stores and garage sales.

THIS NEW YEARS PARTY IS A BOMB - IN A GOOD WAY!

A MADE IN THE USA HOLIDAY SEASON - HOMELESS CHILDREN

Reading the news about how many hundreds of thousands of Children in the United States are homeless this Christmas, we wondered how we might be able to help while keeping to our own budget.

The first thing you should know is that the term "Homeless" doesn't just mean the people - often mentally ill and filthy - who are actually on the pavement sleeping in doorways at night. 

Homeless means that a person does not have a stable legal residence. 

It includes families that live in motel or hotel rooms, who sometimes have to leave for a few days and then come back each month.  It includes people who are living with or near family, sleeping on floors, in sheds, in unheated garages, and those who go from sofa to sofa belonging to friends and other people one knows.  Often those who are renting are carefully monitored by building owners and management so that they do not move people in without putting them on a lease and so they have to sneak or come and go, careful not to spend more than a week at a time. 

Many of the homeless children's paretns work for money, if not a living, but cannot make enough to save for deposits into apartments.  Others rely on U.S. government for benefits that buy them food and shelter.

There are homeless kids in families who are camping outdoor all year long, sometimes unable to stay in the same school district. 

There are homeless kids with one parent in shelters.  Some,  but few, of these shelters can guarantee that a stay with them will result in housing.

So let's say you are like us and you really cannot open your wallet too wide when it comes to charitable giving.  What can you do?

The first thing you can do is volunteer.  It's true that free labor has become part of big business.  Our local library refuses volunteer help unless a person commits to at least 6 months.  (This is probably why they are always hunting for volunteers.  In our opinion that is ridiculous!)  Generally we are opposed to the free labor of volunteerism because we think it's bad business.  We don't like the way so many school districts and even colleges expect it. 

But you would be surprised at how many places welcome volunteers for the half a day and even at short notice.  They have broken down the tasks they need done for that time into small, doable activities, like serving food or sorting through donated clothing.

The next thing you can do isn't specific to the holidays.  You may be able to give art and craft making supplies - fabric and yarn scraps,  plastic microwaveable containers that are good for pouring glue on and holding glitter, for instance.  (You'll be recycling.)  If you think you can read aloud or teach a specific craft, offer to do so for an hour a week or for an afternoon.

Consider dropping of good used clothing that your own children no longer wear to a family shelter or orphanage.

If you'd like to bake a cake or cookies to give away or make a hundred peanut butter sandwiches, call ahead to be sure they can accept them.

THAT FANCY FIGURE EIGHT

ICE SKATING AS A COUPLE IS A FUN THING TO DO!

From GraphicsFairy

HERE'S SOME IDEAS FOR YOU - ECONOMICS OF A HOLIDAY SEASON - KEEPING THE SPIRIT WITHOUT SPENDING

We had a small traditional Thanksgiving feast, laid back, and let "Black Friday" and other sales events go by without a purchase.  That's because we're on a budget and committed to keeping the spirit of the Holidays alive while staying on that budget.  We're committed to spending our money wisely, recycling, giving away things we don't need (without a tax deduction), being innovative and creative. 

We don't think that a Christmas Tree piled high with gifts is important.  In fact, this year we will decorate without a Christmas Tree.  The drought has raised prices on real ones and we will not buy a fake one; they're bad for our economy and not biodegradeable.

Here are some ideas for you:

Instead of buying Christmas stockings (they get bigger every year) go traditional and put out one knee sock or one shoe.

Use old Christmas cards again by using them hung on string in windows, cut them to make your own present-tags, or use them to make tree ornaments.

Use old Christmas wrap again.  Cut out the ripped, taped, or worn out parts and wrap smaller gifts with it.

Use fabric scraps or scarves for gift wrap.

Don't buy a tree.  There is no reason that gifts must be under a tree.

Ornaments can be shown off and appreciated by placing them in bowls for the table.

Pull out old, ethnic recipes, and give things like casseroles that can be frozen and thawed out for meals, as gifts.  (Call ahead and tell the person that's what you're giving them to be sure they will appreciate it and have room in their freezer.  Reuse the small #5 Plastic containers from store bought frozen meals for smaller portions.)

Have a "misfit" toy party.  You and your children's friends wrap a toy they used but which is in good condition that they are through with, bake a cake, and have the kids grab bag the toys.

Don't forget about caroling; cheering up others by appearing at their door with song is still a great gift... go by the nearest Assisted Living place in your neighborhood.  Last time we did this people cried "You remembered us!"

AMERICAN FLAGS AND OTHER JUNK MADE IN CHINA IS NOT A PATRIOTIC PURCHASE

We needed to be reminded ourselves.  When you buy party supplies like paper plates and napkins that are DESIGNED with American Flags and so on and it's stamped Made in China, that is NOT a Patriotic Purchase.  Not to pick on China, but so much is imported from that country.  IF IT DOESN'T SAY MADE IN THE USA it's not a Patriotic Purchase no matter how it looks.  And Beware!  We have found things with big American Flags on the back so you don't read the "made in China" fine print!

CALIFORNIA PLASTIC BAG BAN : OPINION BY PATRIOTIC PURCHASE BLOGSPOT

California has now banned plastic shopping bags at stores within the whole state.  (Stores we've purchased at are allowing you to provide your own, or will sell you a paper bag for a dime and sometimes give away heavy promotional plastic bags or sell heavy plastic bags, destined, they hope, for reuse.  Though there have been local votes in some places, such as Los Angeles City, any further localization of this ecology driven law is pointless.

On the basis that so many plastic bags are imported from China and other countries rather made in the USA, we have for the last few years tried to find and use bags made in the USA, with little success except for cloth bags bought at Trader Joe's.

WE HAVE FOUND SHOPPING MORE CUMBERSOME THAN EVER.  We really want a bag from the store we just purchased in to carry our purchase out and around.  We try to carry some folded, previously used bags around, jammed in a purse or the backseat of a car, but despite our best efforts we still find ourselves out shopping and needing more bags.

We have been stopped when our own bags, bulging with purchases from more than one store, appeared suspicious to sales clerks or a buzzer went off at a store front through no fault of our own.  GREAT!  Recently we were carrying both Farmer's Market Produce and clothing bought on sale in one bag when we entered a third store on a shopping avenue and the buzzers went off.  Then again, we were once accidently charged for a library book at a cash register when we set the book down to get the wallet out.

MANY OF THE BAGS STORES ARE CHARGING A DOLLAR TO FIVE DOLLARS FOR  HEAVIER BAGS THAT STILL FALL APART RAPIDLY.  Often it's the handles that detach or we see a hole in the bottom after a couple uses.  Don't know how many uses you're getting from them, but we did try to machine wash a couple of them (in cold water) that looked a little stained or stinky and that did them in.  These heftier bags are often also made in China or other countries, and they are badly sewn and falling apart so rapidly, and then must be thrown out.  From the looks of them, they will take a very long time to degrade naturally, especially in that PLASTIC is one of the materials used for these bags, such as the ones that are plastic over woven straw. 

WE THINK THE IMPACT IS ON WATERWAYS and THE OCEAN WILL EVENTUALLY BE POSITIVE, but banning plastic bags is not enough...  Also what should be banned is fast food drink containers and lids and straws because this isn't so much about the bags but the LITTER BUGS WHO DON'T THROW THINGS AWAY PROPERLY...   Maybe PLASTIC IN GENERAL SHOULD NO LONGER BE USED... (Can you image, no more plastic shower curtain?  Picnic table cloth? ) Really that SEA OF PLASTIC IN THE PACIFIC THAT'S THE SIZE OF TEXAS is VERY TELLING...  However, SINCE PLASTIC BAGS ARE NECESSARY TO THROW TRASH OUT IN and the bags themselves go to the LANDFILLS we are not sure really how the plastic shopping bag ban will improve the ecological impact ON LAND!

WE JUST THINK THE COST OF THE BAGS WENT TO THE CONSUMER INSTEAD OF THE STORE.

Another phenomena is that BRING YOUR OWN BAGS seems to mean BAG YOUR OWN BAGS!  That is also saving stores money they should be paying employees.

YOUR FARMER'S MARKET IS A GREAT PLACE TO GET HEALTHIER PRODUCE and SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS BUT CAN YOU AFFORD IT?

One of the ways that we support the American Farmer and the American Economy is by shopping at our local Farmer's Markets.  One of them is "Organic Only" and very pricey (we'll say double than our Ralph's on many items) though the very fresh eggs are comparable in price.  Another doesn't have the Organic requirement of it's sellers, though many of the stalls do feature produce that is without the use of pesticides.

We previously mentioned that we are often unable to shop at Ralph's or the like - Von's and Albertsons for instance - due to the price increases and, though we support Union workers by purchasing at businesses that have Unions (and livable wages and retirement plans)  and we want to buy American made food as well as our first choice, we have found ourselves shopping a local "Dollar" type stores as well. 

By being willing to explore a bit further out (we know GAS PRICES) to say about a five mile radius of our neighborhood, shopping in markets owned by and targeted to Americans of Hispanic, Asian, and Armenian origins,  some recent immigrants to the United States, we have found a place that has produce that is fresh enough to last a couple weeks in our fridge for not too much more than the "dead the next day" produce from the Dollar type stores.

We still run into our Ralph's to see what's on sale and also what might appear in the back where they have racks of beat up canned goods, day old bakery items, and items that maybe never made it to the shelves in the first place.

LAZY SUMMER or JUST NOT GETTING AROUND TO IT

Seems we're just not getting our lists done around here!

Oh to be LAZY, or is that TIRED, or is that OVERWHELMED? - Too much on the lists?

Well, it's hot.  SUMMERTIME.

We've been going through old paperwork to see if there's anything we can throw out and thereby lighten our load.  (We recycle paper.)

We've been bathing and grooming our dog by ourselves.  (You can use DAWN DISH SOAP - the blue original formula with the chick on it - to FLEA BATH your dog.  This is the same detergent used to scrub the oil off wild life that's effected by oil spills so it's safe.  If you want to skip the poisons and collars on your dog, it's advisable to bath you dog every two days - no more than 3.  A flea is born, it leaves poop for another hatching flea to feed on.  There are hundreds of different kinds of fleas.  Some jump three feet.  You don't want them in your carpet.  A flea bite itches.  The itching your dog is doing after a flea bath may be the bite itch.  Expect to see the fleas dead in the water!)

We've been reading some good books.

We've been testing our new medical insurance out by making appointments with new doctors.  (So far we're not happy.)

We've been eating too much.

We've been walking as exercise, even when it's not with the dog.

We've checked out a half dozen stores that we've never been in before looking to see what's MADE IN THE USA!
 

SUMMER - PROSPERITY - A TIME FOR GIVING THINGS AWAY!

This morning we heard the news that Americans are not saving enough money.

USA TODAY - AMERICANS WITHOUT EMERGENCY SAVINGS

First, no we have not given up on buying as much as possible that's manufactured and sold right here in the United States but we are like most of you in that we have to be careful about what we buy. 

One of the reasons we want American products is that they are usually well made to last.  We wish we could have back all the money we spent on cheap stuff - especially things made in China - that we have now put in our trash dumps for eternity.

One of the ways that we can SAVE MONEY is to make important purchases in a studied manner, to read up on products and manufacturers, and to buy things that last.  We did a lot of that for you when we first started blogging, and now we just hope to inspire you to do the same.

Another way we can SAVE MONEY is by using things we buy.  We don't want to buy things we don't really need or don't really use.

Another way to save money is to GIVE THINGS AWAY!

Most people do this when they've had a garage sale and what ever is left over they donate!  And they sometimes want a tax deduction.  We say, forget the tax deduction and get your credits elsewhere!

We'd like to suggest that this summer, while you have the windows open and are cleaning the house that you start to make piles of things to give away because there is some sort of GOOD KARMA about it.

We're not trying to be hokey here!

Let's give you an example from our own recent experience:

After we got the new refrigerator we were inspired to do a good job of cleaning the kitchen.
We found we had a couple bags of food products still good to eat that we had bought and just had not used or that we didn't think we would by the time they were expired.

We dropped off two bags of the miscellaneous food stuffs to a homeless shelter.

Then we went through our closets.  We think that if you haven't lost weight or gained it and so you haven't worn something for a couple years it's time to give it away unless it's something very expensive or very classic like a good coat and then we'd give it a few more years.  So we did the same as we did with the food, we gave the clothes away, this time to a local hospital that happens to have a "thrift shop" inside it with a ongoing sale of used items to benefit the hospital.

NOW WE WERE REALLY MOVING THE ENERGY.

We put some items that were just cluttering our place up for sale on Craig's List but this proved to be a horrible experience.  We seemed to attract no-shows, goof balls, and worse, a person who was verbally abusive and possibly criminal.  WE KNEW WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT, and we didn't need it.  (We don't think we'll do Craig's List again!)

Did we really need to make that extra money?  We did!    We also had in mind some things we would really like to buy.  But we decided that this was not much different than when we gave away the food or the clothes we had bought but were not going to use.  We decided to put some items out on the curb with a sign "Free Stuff" and to put this stuff out a good 6 days before the garbage pick up and out of the way of the lawn sprinklers.

We are not joking when we tell you that WITHIN AN HOUR OF PUTTING ALL THIS STUFF OUT IT WAS GONE.  Now we figured, maybe one person with a car or truck took it ALL rather than share and maybe they are going to sell it on Craig's List, a garage sale, or maybe e-Bay.  Maybe not.

Well, we are not joking when we tell you that some of our neighbors began to do the same thing!

Two of then are moving to another state for employment and left what they could not pack into U-Hauls or Containers.  Other people put out boxes of books and misc.  It was neighborly and it was sharing, even if we don't all know each other.

And guess what!  Two of the items that we had on our wish list to buy were out there on the curb for us to take.

OK, is that INSTANT ECONOMIC KARMA or what?!

We are saying that if we had bought these items new we would be out about $400.

And that is $400 we are SAVING!

TRY IT!

SELF CHECK OUTS LEAD TO SHOP LIFTING!

We are against SELF CHECK OUTS.  We posted before about REFUSING to do this at stores like Ralphs.  It's not just that we don't get a discount for doing the work ourselves, it's that we think this is a tactic to break the unions.

HEY,  WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT CAN PRETTY MUCH MAKE IT TO RETIREMENT WITH THE SAME COMPANY WHO ISN'T UNIONIZED? 

Recently we heard that stores that have "do your own check out" (with one of our cashiers giving you a first tutorial) stores are realizing that this is the easiest place in the world to forget to run that juicy steak through the scanner.  Some people are paying for SOME or MOST of their groceries and throwing the rest in the bag without the scan!

BRING YOUR OWN BAGS MEANS PACK YOUR OWN PURCHASES! (AND DOESN'T STOP THE LITTER BUGS!)

We live in a place where merchants may no longer give you plastic bags with your purchase.  WE THINK THIS BAN IS STUPID.

We don't like litter or pollution.  HOWEVER, we think the same "litter-bugs" who don't recycle and who throw their bags around are also throwing around bottles, can's, fast food refuse, and much else.
Our city provides recycling opportunities.  We also pay a lot for a BLUE BIN - trash pick up.  However, we also have to take a broom down the street to sweep broken glass and pick up other people's refuse.

SO DON'T GET US WRONG.  We really don't like litter or pollution.

WE KNOW THAT MOST OF THOSE PLASTIC BAGS were properly thrown a way.  Many were reused.  We did!  AS DOG POOPIE BAGS. 

Did we say the stores are no longer allowed to GIVE you plastic bags?  YES, but they can still SELL THE BAGS TO YOU, that or substitute bags.

So really, is 10 to 15 cents a bag forcing people to BRING THEIR OWN CANVAS OR CLOTH BAGS?  NO!

Now that we have brought our own bags  WE NOTICE CLERKS ARE ALLOWING US TO PACK OUT OWN BAGS TOO!