“How are you getting there?”

A friend asked me when I mentioned I’m going out to the county council meeting this evening. The county seat is about 25 miles from where I live.

You got me thinking!
Options for getting to Deland
(Wow it actually turned into 11 choices):

  • taxi (convenient but expensive, also taxis not super available)
  • Uber (same advantages & disadvantages as taxi)
  • Pay my friend who’s a single mom who could use the cash – she drives for DoorDash etc.
    Less expensive and also I’m supporting a person I know.
  • My former regular taxi driver used to give me rides for super cheap because I hired him on a steady basis. (However he disappears suddenly, it is now in one of his disappearance phases and you never know when he’ll be back in town.) Very inexpensive for a taxi, and also I’m supporting a person I know.
  • Catch a ride out there with my friend who commutes there for work. I need to be ready early because of her schedule, but hanging out in Deland for the morning and early afternoon til it’s time for the county meeting would be fun. The meeting would probably not be over by the time she was headed home, so this would involve an overnight stay in Deland and then catch a ride home with her the next day afternoon.
  • Bicycle (2-1/2 hrs each way, boring ride; but cheap & good exercise)
  • Hitchhike (Cheap and sometimes fun but sometimes sketchy, and I mostly no longer do it, plus hitchhiking is illegal in Florida)
  • Craigslist ride wanted page (CL has gotten flaky, with a lot of people basically hiring themselves out as taxi services, so the cheap rideshare element and fun community element is gone, but sometimes once in a while one will still pop up)
  • Walk (Cheap, sometimes fun, good exercise; but very time consuming one to two days walk each way). Could turn it into a blog post or magazine article reviewing a lightweight summer tent/bivy sack or pair of walking shoes etc. Probably would not do because it’s kind of a boring walk and times being what they are, might not want to be caught out between towns overnight.
  • Votran bus (Very cheap, relatively quick because it’s an express route; Can bring bicycle and put it on the rack on the bus for faster time door to door)
  • Rent a car (expensive, and I would not do in this case unless I were combining multiple errands on this excursion)

For any of the above options, depending on the time of the engagement in Deland, a single day round-trip could be an option. But if overnight stay is required, stay with Wendy or other pal in Deland, or have a fun little staycation at a hotel in Deland.

These unusual by USA standards transportation arrangements have a way of turning a short intercity trip into a multiflavored unique adventure with lots of learning and human connection.

PS. The answer to my friend’s question today was that I’m catching a ride out there with a friend in my neigborhood who decided she wants to go out there, and texted me inviting me to go with her. I might not have tried to go otherwise, because I’ve been busy with other stuff and might not have been in the mood to ponder transportation logistics.

This list serves as an illustration that people who don’t own cars often have more transportation options at the ready than people who do own cars. When a car owner’s car breaks down, that usually induces the person to cancel their plans. They often don’t think to use alternative transportation options. Whereas a person like me, who doesn’t own a car, just makes a transportation plan from among the many available options.

Embracing aging

A friend was posting about how she had a falling out with an acquaintance over 30 for claiming she’s “still 29.” My friend was trying to point out to this person that this attitude toward aging is very harmful to ourselves as well as to others.

It’s especially harmful when a person who has set themself up in a position of influence says this. This person is a kind of spiritual teacher or coach.

Personally I love love love being 60!!! What a fun milestone. I started celebrating when I was 59.

I long ago embraced cronehood, and I frequently refer to myself as old and a senior citizen. To me it’s a great honor. I hope to have the privilege of getting many many years older.

BTW speaking of aging, last year I had to have cataract surgery in one eye.

Also speaking of aging, one of my knees is not doing so great. I attribute it to an overuse injury from an eating disorder which I had from teenhood into my early 30s, and one of the aspects of the disorder was overexercising.

Still loving getting older!!! I have so much more love and respect for my body now than I have ever had in my entire life.

My friend also shared a great article (linked below). It makes a lot of really good points. One of which is that we don’t necessarily become less mentally capable as we get older.

I have noticed the phenomenon of growing more creative as I get older. It’s super cool and fun hanging out in my brain.

And: The depression and anxiety that dominated my life when I was younger I have now become more easy to navigate and manage. As I have added more tools to the toolkit.

Also, I have noticed that I don’t have to give up my manual labor occupations; I just need to work more intelligently and mindfully, and sometimes a bit more slowly, to avoid injury.

In the words of my friend, regarding aging: “Recognize ageism for the insidious tool of patriarchy and capitalism that it is. Every time someone over 30 claims they’re ‘still 29’, you lose a little more integrity with yourself and give more ammunition to ageism.

Further exploration:

• “Ageism is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices. Psychologists are working to change that” (Kirsten Weir; APA magazine online).

Great reasons not to fly

I am compiling an ongoing list of compelling reasons not to fly.

Airline Close Calls Happen Far More Often Than Previously Known.

• The seats are incredibly unpleasant. I am an average-sized person and I still find the legroom incredibly tight and the seats incredibly narrow. Ouch!!

• Security checkpoint etc. What a complete hassle! Not being able to bring any beverages in; having bottles of lotion and things confiscated — because <cue B-movie villain voice> “With this tiny 2-ounce bottle of lotion or non-TSA-compliant size of toothpaste tube, I shall rule the WORLD!” Geez! Taking the bus or train is such a breeze compared to this. It always feels to me like the extra hours needed to travel by land are worth it in exchange for eliminating airport hassle and check-in time.

• Extreme Karen culture pervades airports and airplanes. The atmosphere on buses and trains seems a bit more human. Not that no one ever complains or starts stuff on Amtrak or the ‘Hound, but overall the atmosphere is a lot more basic plain decent human, we’re-all-in-this-together.

• List in progress — If you have a favorite item, feel free to send it my way! And let’s depopularize compulsive flying.

If money were no object

A friend posted, “If you were handed $5 billion right now, what would you still never buy?”

Lots of things.

Bottled water.
Airline tickets. Wall Street investments.
A sodgrass lawn. Rural acreage. A house in the suburbs.

But more importantly, if I were handed $5 million, the matter of its disposal would be very urgent, because surplus money, especially a huge sum like that, can function like a toxic oil-spill.

For starters, I would probably make a bunch of out-of-town buy-and-hold landlords offers they couldn’t refuse on their vacant commercial buildings and beachfront lots. And I would liberate those buildings and lots. The buildings I would give to young people to start businesses. The oceanfront empty lots I would make publicly accessible as dune wildlife parks.

I would spring a bunch of people out of their mortgages and student loans too.

And I would definitely want to start that potato-chip factory I’m always dreaming about.

jenny’s corner

(Example of building community and inviting beneficial connections by 1) creating amenities for the public at the “sidewalk edge” (now there’s an urban ecotone for ya!) and 2) publicizing it to one’s neighborhood watch group — both online and in person. You can see the original post with photos and captions here, in my neighborhood watch’s Facebook group.)

Greetings Neighbors!

As I have mentioned in my “jenny’s corner” talks at the BNW and Midtown Neighborhood Watch meetings, jenny’s corner is an actual physical location that you can visit.

I consider myself a freelance, grassroots, volunteer public servant of the City of Daytona Beach, and I’m here to serve you with information, resources, and encouragement. 

501 Harvey Ave.
On the beachside, one block south of Main Street, at the northeast corner of Harvey and S. Oleander. 

IMPORTANT: If you visit, please come to the FRONT door! You’ll see a trellis archway and a lavender-pink mailbox. That is the front entrance. You can walk up and knock on the front door, or you can try just calling out to me. If you don’t get an answer right away, text me.

Please do NOT walk up the driveway or call out there; that area is personal space and quiet area for my housemates.

If you stop by and don’t see me, and/or you want to talk in realtime, call/text 512-619-5363 (text tends to reach me more quickly, and I can respond more quickly).

Photo captions:

(You can see the photos by visiting the original post; link above.)

501 house is a demonstration site for solar cooking and pasteurization. We also are a demo site for rainwater harvesting, heat mitigation, stormwater absorption, and other essential features of a sustainable, resilient urban community.

• 501 House is a demonstration site for what I refer to as “puffy landscaping”: Native plants and other environmentally friendly plants, mulch, and other elements that provide shade, food, pollinator sanctuary, wildlife habitat, beauty, and other benefits. Recently I have been helping my neighbors ensure that their puffy landscaping looks deliberately maintained, so that Code Compliance knows it is not a neglected yard. There are many ways to show that a yard is deliberately maintained. For example, as shown here, you can make borders using rocks or logs. Stepping-stones are also a nice indicator of a loved yard.

• Example of a driveway and garage that are freed up for uses other than car parking. (Note, the driveway is a residents’ entrance, no public access. Thanks for respecting our personal space.)

• UPDATE: LITTLE FREE LIBRARY #9278 IS REOPENED AS OF AUG 16, 2023!!!
Literacy activism: From 2013 till early 2023, I operated a curbside Little Free Library at my residence. A few months ago I finally shut the library down because it had become exhausting. (Mainly because of two things: book-hoarding, and the other extreme, huge unwanted bulk donations that blocked the sidewalk, left books out in the weather, and just generally created a neighborhood nuisance). However, today I felt strongly called to re-open the library, and will simply be insistent about asking for the help I need. Warning: if you open your mouth to complain about the library without offering help, as so many people have done in the past, I am likely to give you a task to do. I do not mean to sound grumpy. Books and literacy are a great passion of mine, and I consider it more important now than ever to offer books to everyone. This Little Free Library is truly a ministry. But I cannot do it alone; no one can. By the way, there are tens of thousands of Little Free Libraries in countries throughout the world. Little Free Library at 501 Harvey is charter #9278. For more information, including info on how to set up your own library, visit littlefreelibrary.org

• Example of calling on neighbors for help managing the library. This notice is intended for people who are on foot, and who live in the neighborhood, and who regularly pass by the library on foot. I have learned that these are essential attributes for a neighborhood library maintenance team.

What to plant and how much?

(My response a while back to a new person who asked this in a permaculture group. The group is Florida Permaculture Community (on Facebook). I’m no longer a member over there — it and other public groups have become overwhelming — but it is a huge “wisdom database” of publicly accessible posts, including many posts/comments by me.)

  • How much? Depends how many people, how much you plan to eat etc. And I’ve always heard plant an extra plant or two for our fellow creatures who share the land.
  • What do you plant? Plant things that you love to eat. Also, visit your local farmers market and see if there are any unusual vegetables you’ve never heard of that you might like to try eating, and if you like them, you could add to your planting.
  • For companion plantings, you might like to check out a companion planting guide. There are various ones.
  • To find out what to plant in each season, you can download each month’s Florida planting guides for each part of the state. You can also visit your local nursery.
  • And, also great advice is to check out what your neighbors are growing! Microclimate has a huge influence, as we learned in permaculture design class.
  • Oh, and don’t forget to visit the website of your local master gardeners and or County extension; they have a wealth of information relevant to each region.
  • Join a local food gardeners group in your area.
  • Scroll through the posts in this group; there is more of a wealth of stored wisdom that I can possibly mention. There are a lot of people in here who are very talented/experienced at the food-growing aspect of Permaculture.
  • And check out Ginny Stibolt’s book referenced in my post yesterday. [Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida — Second edition; Ginny Stibolt and Melissa Markham]

Good luck and happy eating!

PS. Welcome to the group. Permaculture encompasses the full range of human needs: food, water, shelter, transportation, energy, and community!

Crabgrass countermeasures

A friend in Transformative Adventures was asking how to get rid of crabgrass that’s taken over a veggie bed. I replied:

When a patch of something tenacious grows, I put some old carpet or other thick material over it and wait for it to die and become a nice brown sponge of carbon-rich organic material. I then remove the carpet, and slash-plant my preferred plants into the brown sponge.

(Works for all other types of grass and other things you don’t want as well.)