There’s something comforting in growing herbs. I just 
planted 60 garlic cloves last week and they’re already sprouting. I plan to plant again in spring so I have enough to last me all year.
Just planted spicy pepper seeds using a kit. Normally I buy plants in 4” pots, but I got this for my birthday so I’m trying it out for the first time. I’ve planted jalapeno, cayenne, habernero, and anaheim peppers. By growing them in my kitchen, theoretically I can grow them year round. Hope to have so many peppers that I can dry and store them.
My mo
st interesting “herb” is my shiitake mushroom project. It’s actually a fungus but I’m keeping it in my herb garden. I cut 2 large oak limbs during my fire prevention clearing and let them sit for 2 weeks. Then I drilled holes in the logs and placed shiitake plugs in each of them. I poured hot wax over all of the plugs and the ends of the logs to seal them in. Now it’s a waiting game. I should start seeing mushrooms in 3-6 months, and they’ll continue to produce for 3-7 years.
My herb garden has rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and mint growing year round. I keep adding new herbs like lemon grass, chives, and onions. Not all take, but it’s fascinating to experiment, and even more fun to harvest!
There’s something comforting in growing herbs. I just planted 60 garlic cloves last week and they’re already sprouting. I plan to plant again in spring so I have enough to last me all year.
Just planted spicy pepper seeds using a kit. Normally I buy plants in 4” pots, but I got this for my birthday so I’m trying it out for the first time. I’ve planted jalapeno, cayenne, habernero, and anaheim peppers. By growing them in my kitchen, theoretically I can grow them year round. Hope to have so many peppers that I can dry and store them.
My most interesting “herb” is my shiitake mushroom project. It’s actually a fungus but I’m keeping it in my herb garden. I cut 2 large oak limbs during my fire prevention clearing and let them sit for 2 weeks. Then I drilled holes in the logs and placed shiitake plugs in each of them. I poured hot wax over all of the plugs and the ends of the logs to seal them in. Now it’s a waiting game. I should start seeing mushrooms in 3-6 months, and they’ll continue to produce for 3-7 years.
My herb garden has rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and mint growing year round. I keep adding new herbs like lemon grass, chives, and onions. Not all take, but it’s fascinating to experiment, and even more fun to harvest!
Most people know me as the “planner,” the person to host parties and events – the person who controls things. The series of events that have bombarded us since March has made me rethink my priorities and what’s important to me. I’ve stopped assuming that I can do things like running errands, planning parties, having my house cleaned, and seeing family and friends.
When there was a run on toilet paper, meats, and sanitizing wipes, I didn’t start hoarding items. I just thought about how I could simplify my life. I had become so accustomed to buying household things at big-box retail stores and was convinced that there were certain brands I just “needed” to buy. So I went online to see how to make these household items that were backordered and ridiculously expensive.
Last weekend, I made a year’s supply of laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, and even dog shampoo. Making the soaps were fun and rewarding. I made 5 gallons of each and it took me just a few hours and few dollars. The best part: I don’t have to worry about shopping or having to do without should there be a run on soaps or a bottleneck in the supply chain.
I’ve also made reusable sanitizing wipes, cloth napkins, reusable Swiffer pads, and cloth towels (no paper towels). I’m growing my own herbs, veggies, and fruit – and raising hens to get a half dozen eggs per day. I like producing the things I need and reducing my need to buy things. Besides, I like to know that my food has no GMOs and pesticides and that I am not supporting corporations that destroy our ecosystem and our future way of life.
If ever we were to thank teachers for their service, it’s today in 2020. Teachers and professors have been shaken from their posts as educators this year during the worst pandemic of our lifetimes. With just a few days warning, they all switched from in-person classes to some sort of online platform. With zero training, they scrambled to learn how to use online software, transform their regular classes to Zoom or Meet, and support students who couldn’t connect online. With no definitive end date for online teaching, they prepped, taught, graded, and supported. Many did all of this while managing their own children and their educational and emotional needs.
Let’s remember that teachers go into this career field because they love kids and they enjoy teaching. They certainly don’t do it for the money. Hah! It’s a thankless job. Consider what a teacher faces every day:
1. Students who don’t do their homework, which sets back the class.
2. Parents who complain about a grade their child received on a test or report card.
3. Administrators that require that curriculum is covered.
4. Students who use cell phones to text or use social media during class.
5. More administrators who pressure teachers to teach to standardized tests (for scores).
6. Lack of materials to teach their classes so they use personal money to buy necessary supplies.
During this pandemic, I know teachers who drive to students’ homes to deliver paper assignments and books because the students don’t have high-speed internet or computers. I’ve seen teachers drive by students’ homes just to wave so they don’t feel alone. Many teachers have to create 2 lesson plans: (1) for online students; and (2) for students who don’t have internet or computers. Many are doing twice as much work as a result. Teachers are heroes in my book.
Against science and medical advice, many schools and colleges have opened on campus this fall. Besides putting the students at risk of getting COVID-19, teachers and professors are more at risk of getting and dying from COVID-19. With their low salaries, they’re probably not in a position to choose to quit because they fear for their health. TEACHERS ARE FRONTLINE WORKERS.
So today, let’s celebrate all of the teachers! Give them cards and tell them why you appreciate them. Give them gift cards so they feel appreciated. Remember, they are preparing our future generations to lead the world.
Thank you to all teachers!
Gov. Newsom (Calif) vetoed the bill that would require all California high school students to take a one-semester ethnic studies course to graduate. WHAT? This important course was supposed to formally introduce the history and culture of various major ethnicities to students before they become adults. The mandate would have started in 2024-2025 had Newsom signed it. Ugh.
So why did Newsom veto the bill? He caved to a few ethnic groups who pressured him to not sign it because they were not included in the model curriculum plan. This will create a huge setback because the next draft of this bill will not take place until 2029-2030! TEN YEARS? When our youth struggle to understand white supremacists, Black Lives Matter, the “China Hoax,” the Muslim ban, and immigration policies, learning about the cultures, religions, and history can reduce fear and stereotypes.
A one-semester class will not be able include every ethnic group, but it is a good first step. The bill included African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian American/Pacific Islanders. The Jews, Armenians, and Muslims were the biggest critics of the bill. Japanese Americans were also excluded under the Asian American portion of the curriculum.
With Newsom’s veto, all ethnic groups will NOT BE REPRESENTED for 10 Years! Careful what you wish for…
I remember my surprise when I first learned that we were sending our plastic waste to China. I wondered why they would take our waste and poison their own people with their midnight burns. Then when China refused to take our waste for political reasons, our plastic waste was diverted to Malaysia. And today, our chemical industry lobbyists are pushing Kenya to take our plastic waste. This is obscene. Why should other countries have to take our plastic waste?
Last year, we shipped more than ONE BILLION POUNDS of PLASTIC WASTE to other countries. 180 countries around the world process our plastic waste because the petroleum and chemical industry has made us addicted to single-use plastics.
Everything from shampoo bottles to take-out containers to food packaging to product packaging is wrapped in plastic. We need to demand that manufacturing companies stop using single-use plastic. Only then will they use glass, aluminum, steel, or other materials that can be reused.
Here are some easy things you can do to reduce the amount of single-use plastic you consume:
1. Use your own take-out containers
When I eat out, I bring my glass Tupperware containers and fill them with leftovers at the end of my meal. One server actually gave me a 10% discount for bringing my own containers, and another server was so thrilled to see them that she walked around the restaurant to show other diners! I keep about 10 containers in my trunk so I always have them when I need them. It gives me time to wash them and remember to put them back in my car.
2. Buy in bulk
I buy most things in 5-gallon containers and then repackage them in my glass containers. I like the way my pantry looks filled with glass containers of all sizes and shapes. I make labels so I remember exactly what is inside and the date it was purchased. I just bought a big freezer to store my seafood, fruit, and nuts. This saves me lots of money and reduces the amount of time I have to shop.
3. Use glass water (drink) bottles
I carry my glass water bottles with me (when I remember), but I’ve been placing 4-5 extra glass drink containers in my trunk so I always have them. When getting drinks at Jamba Juice-type stores, I ask them to fill up my glass containers. If I don’t have my containers with me, I will only buy drinks sold in glass containers. There aren’t many options but I search until I find a glass container – trying to support those companies that sell drinks in glass. Then, I reuse the glass containers forever. They are perfect to keep in my trunk or to give to friends when they forget theirs!
4. Boycott products sold in single-use plastic
I refuse to buy salads in plastic clamshells. While it is convenient and tempting, I don’t want to support businesses that package food in single-use plastic containers. I just go home and make a salad at a fraction of the cost. When shopping on Amazon.com, I choose products with the least amount of packaging as possible. I especially don’t like giant, thick clamshells that hold a tiny product. It is completely unnecessary and it’s a royal pain to open. Besides, these companies are using giant plastic to make the product appear larger so they can charge more money for the product. It’s a marketing scam that is also an environmental problem.
I made a YouTube video on how to stop using single-use plastics. Check it out.
It’s time to stop using single-use plastic and force manufacturers to provide reusable alternatives. Why should Kenya be pressured to take our plastic waste simply because we’re too lazy and entitled?
You know our country is in turmoil when the youth are agitated enough to vote in an election. 45% of Generation Z (born between 1996-2015) plans to vote in this election compared to 27% last year. Between the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, young voters have become politically active.
This is good news for the Dems because 60% of Gen Z voters are Democrats and just 33% are Republicans. Hope! And, young people get their political information from social media (67%) and major news networks (62%).
Colleges should be guiding Gen Z voters to get registered and collect the information and documents they need to vote in November because this will be the first time many college students vote. The youth may just be what the Dems need to replace the current administration in the White House.
Remember the Varsity Blues Scandal? Well the University of California (Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara) has admitted 64 students over the past 7 years who were not qualified. Yup! 22 who were admitted as student athletes who couldn’t compete on athletic teams, and 42 at UC Berkeley who were admitted because their parents donated money or they were related or connected to the university staff even though they didn’t have the competitive qualifications needed to be accepted. Wow.
UC Berkeley allowed admissions staff to request preferential treatment for relatives and donors by using a process that was designed to help applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Donor’s children, athletes, and even a babysitter of a colleague of the director of admissions got into UC Berkeley, even though they weren’t qualified. State auditors released a report with these findings yesterday.
When will the cheating stop?
Colleges are facing budget cuts for health center medical staff, testing, and mental health because students are either not on campus or they’re worried about getting COVID-19 if they go to the campus health centers. They don’t want to pay for staff who is idly waiting for patient activity. But this is a problem because colleges really need to have vigilant testing for on-campus and hybrid classes offered now and especially when all students are invited back to on-campus living again. That means that they won’t have the funds for doctors and nurses to care for COVID-19 and other illnesses; coronavirus testing for all students, faculty and staff; and mental health staff to support the growing population of students who need psychological support.
It’s a Catch 22 situation – similar to what’s happening in hospitals today. Hospitals are laying off staff because people are delaying elective surgeries and not going to the hospitals for fear of getting COVID-19, when they really need the staff to be ready for the next wave or surge in cases. On one hand, it makes sense that hospital budgets have been cut because they don’t have the revenue they once had. They’re stretched thin so they cut back their staff. But on the other hand, if the hospitals don’t have the staff needed to handle the surge or for regular elective surgeries when they’re back on the schedule, they won’t be able to manage the sudden increase in their patient load.
On college campuses, they will need to be able to do aggressive testing as soon as students, professors and staff return to campus. This may be in a few weeks, months, or semesters. If they don’t have the budget to test all of their students and test throughout the semester or quarter, they won’t have the data needed to manage outbreaks. It’s vital that colleges have the resources to understand student behavior to prevent surges that may force colleges to quarantine and return to online classes – again.
Let’s hope that college administration on all campuses sets aside budgets that allow for staffing, testing, and quarantining to make a safe transition back to on-campus classes. Those colleges that don’t are penny wise, but pound foolish! Just think about how much more money (and lives) they’ll waste by having to send students home for online classes again.
Students, and their parents, are worried about how they will be evaluated by college admissions teams this year. When college-bound students can’t take the SAT or ACT because test dates have been cancelled due to coronavirus safety concerns and most students received pass/no pass grades last semester, how will colleges select qualified students for admission? Admissions officers claim that they are using a holistic approach to evaluating each application. But what does that mean?
Colleges consider GPA and the types of courses that the high school offers to be valuable elements because they can determine how the student ranks within their classes. In other words, they’ll know if the student may have been intimidated by honors, AP or IB courses because they took the easier path. But because of the chaos that took place last spring and even this fall, many students have changed direction to manage family and personal issues.
AP exams taken in May 2020 were considerably easier than previous years because the College Board restructured the test to be shorter and cover less content. How can that be fair when looking at the AP test scores from 2019? Then with technical difficulties on the actual exam days, many students didn’t get credit for AP exams because of they couldn’t submit their tests online.
The SAT and ACT exams have been cancelled in many areas from March to last weekend. Many juniors who expected to take the SAT or ACT in May-September have not been able to find testing centers. As a result, most colleges have offered a test-optional or test-blind policy for this year’s applicants.
Almost all sports and clubs have been cancelled since spring, upsetting athletes and active students from showing their best by winning games and reaching their goals.
So how does a student stand out when grades don’t reflect real aptitude, AP exams were easier, most students didn’t get to take the SAT/ACT, and extracurricular activities came to a screeching halt last year and haven’t started up for the new school year? Projects. They do individual projects that show their personal interests, tenacity, and innovation, and drive.
Students who do these projects demonstrate all of the qualities that colleges are looking for in their incoming classes. They want students who find their passions and pursue them with determination. Students don’t need to cure cancer or solve climate change, but they need to do something that supports their beliefs. I’ve written Beat the College Admissions Game with ProjectMerit to help students do projects. By brainstorming, researching, and organizing a plan to complete the project before 12th grade, students will demonstrate that they have the character, brilliance, and gumption to be successful at the best colleges.
But be careful not to do a project just to impress college admissions officers. With the void in GPAs, SAT/ACT scores, AP scores, and extracurricular activities, students, and their parents, are rushing to start projects for all the wrong reasons. College admissions officers are savvy to students who make false claims (think Varsity Blues), have parents or tutors do their projects, or simply do the bare minimum so they can write their personal statements about something. I work with hundreds of students and guide them so they find their passions and create projects that they’re proud of. That’s what it takes to make a college application stand out amidst the chaos of 2020. Do a project because you believe in it, and then, so will the college admissions officers!
Looks like colleges are restructuring Spring Breaks for 2021. After last year’s spikes in COVID-19, many colleges have eliminated spring break entirely. Instead, some are starting semesters/quarters earlier or later. Others are spreading the 5 days (for spring break) over several weeks giving days off mid week or 3-day weekends. I think 3-day weekends may still entice college students to take a long weekend to splurge in a more intense and condensed version of their normal spring break excursions.
With just 3 months to the start of the new term in college, looks like many are continuing the same offerings they committed to for fall term. If they’re online, on campus, or hybrid, they’ll most likely continue the same for spring. So much is still unknown about how this pandemic will play out this fall and winter.
One thing we do know it that we need to stop spreading the coronavirus in order to move past this and recover. I think we should all shelter in place and quarantine as much as possible so this pandemic doesn’t drag on for months – or even years.
Looks like colleges are restructuring Spring Breaks for 2021. After last year’s spikes in COVID-19, many colleges have eliminated spring break entirely. Instead, some are starting semesters/quarters earlier or later. Others are spreading the 5 days (for spring break) over several weeks giving days off mid week or 3-day weekends. I think 3-day weekends may still entice college students to take a long weekend to splurge in a more intense and condensed version of their normal spring break excursions.
With just 3 months to the start of the new term in college, looks like many are continuing the same offerings they committed to for fall term. If they’re online, on campus, or hybrid, they’ll most likely continue the same for spring. So much is still unknown about how this pandemic will play out this fall and winter.
One thing we do know it that we need to stop spreading the coronavirus in order to move past this and recover. I think we should all shelter in place and quarantine as much as possible so this pandemic doesn’t drag on for months – or even years.