Shoemaking Advice?

...The subject matter was usually a mushroom, or a cluster of mushrooms. Sometimes an owl. More rarely a Holly Hobby-type figure. Here endeth the lesson.) Free People actually seems like a fine book. It basically steps you through making one basic type of shoe that you can modify in different ways. Erik wailed about the horrible hippie-ness of it all when I showed him the illustrations of what I might make, but he wears cheap Chinese martial art sho...

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Why You Should Proof Bread in the Refrigerator

...slow proofing may give the beneficial culture in a sourdough culture more time to pre-digest the flour. Researchers are looking at the possibility that sourdough cultures and long fermentation times may alleviate wheat allergies. There’s no solid proof of this but it makes intuitive sense to me. Loaves proofed in the fridge hold their shape better when baked. Proofing in the fridge slows down but does not entirely stop fermentation. With the brea...

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The Stoic Week Handbook

...ypically within our control, even if it might not feel like it some of the time. The Stoics were systems thinkers, The cosmos is like a single living being. Like all other living beings it is in a continual process of change. So, when facing the world we ought to see ourselves as part of it. We are but one small component or element within a much larger entity. We are not the centre of the world and it is not all about us. The larger process of ch...

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Free Vermicomposting Workshop in Pasadena

...he teaching/group learning process at 11:30 am. Feel free to leave at this time. 11:30 – 12pm/Brunch/Smokey Mountain Project. If you have time, join us for a free brunch. We’ll have fresh cut greens grown from my worm castings and I’ll share about the Smokey Mountain Project. *** Sweat Equity & Community Learning. The workshop is free, BUT I will be putting you to work so come ready with work clothes. For your work, you will get a gallon of worm c...

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Fruit Tree Maintenance Calendars

Where we live, it’s the time of year to prune and deal with pest issues on fruit trees. The University of California has a very helpful page of fruit tree maintenance calendars for us backyard orchard enthusiasts. The calendars cover everything from when to water, fertilize, paint the trunks and many other tasks. You can also find them in one big handy set of charts in UC’s book The Home Orchard. The permaculturalist in me likes our low-maintenan...

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