Inside a Student's Head....

The Grinch didn't steal Christmas!

2007-12-14T09:02:00.001-08:00

I don't do a Christmas tree at my house - mostly because we've never been here for Christmas. I do get that little Christmas decorating urge every year... but never give in to it. *sigh*

However, I would give into this:

A Grinch-style Christmas tree! WooHoo! What a delightful idea. Cedar branches all wrapped up with sparkly wire and a sparkly bobble on the end making it lean over. Billiant, simply brilliant.

From Devine Vines in Vancouver.

PS. And they have the cutest blog ever!

Whew. That was an exhausting week.

2007-12-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

My craft fair frenzy has ended. Oh it feels good to be done. I can't even imagine making anymore jewelry right now. Oh, but wait- I still have a couple of special orders to finish up...

I have a couple of pictures of me & my table (and H).

Jack Davis Christmas Craft Fair (Work) with a friend (with yummy bake sale goodies in her hand!)

Heather & I at Camosun College. This was just before we were packing up, so you can imagine how much more we had a week and a half ago!

I have to go to the bank today exchange my $1000 for traveler's checks. Yes, $1000! I still have a couple of more opportunities to sell a few more pieces, so I'm confident on meeting my goal. I never thought this would be possible. And it's all thanks do a wonderful best friend, Heather, who loves this as much as I, and a husband who'll put up with beads being all over the house and me spending lots on beads in the past few years. Plus a wonderful family who buys me beads when they spot them (thanks Eric & Dad!)

*EDIT* I was cleaning this afternoon (see 'ending procrastination' below), and in a drawer I found $280 that I had stashed away! Hurray for being a little squirrel! I'd like to thank my friend (Meg) for teaching me that habit! Huzzah! I Rule! *End EDIT*

Anyways....
All of my energy and free time has gone into preparing for this past week; I haven't concentrated on what these next two weeks hold. But now it's here. Two weeks until we leave Victoria. So much to do! But it's a lot less than it could be, since we're renting out our basement suite fully furnished. We just have to pack our personal belongings and put it in the storage unit here.

Goals for this weekend include mapping out where we want to go, figuring out how much it will cost in each place, and looking at routes. I'm reading the backpacking cookbooks (Val, I'll return the Wellfed Backpacker to you at Christmas), and writing down recipes. We also have to figure out what clothes we're going to bring with us from home, I don't have much that's backpacking friendly. (Hopefully I'll be able to find some sweet pieces at Value Village or the Salvation Army!)

So without further procrastination, I'm going to get on that stuff!

Oh, and two more things....

2007-12-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

It snowed! I woke up this morning to a centimeter of snow on the ground. I know, nothing for most people, but in Victoria this is a big deal. It's the first time I've seen snow on December 1st in at least 3 years! WooHoo!

Aannndd... I've been addicted to America's Next Top Model for the last 2 cycles. I can't get enough. Joel makes fun of me.

But episode 10 is amazing! The girls go to China and their challenge is to pose all martial arts style in the air! Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon meet ANTM.

Watch it:

Christmas Craft Frenzy-ing!

2007-12-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the start of my craft fair blitz!

Heather and I had a table at Camosun College yesterday, and it went over pretty well. Students are a hard bunch because we're all broke. Especially at the end of semester. All together we sold $350, $160 was me, $100 for her, and $70 for jewelry made by guys in Africa that H brought back from volunteering over there (She sends 100% of that $ back to them), and $30 for my friend Laura's stuff. So a pretty good day.

This piece sold, I was sad to see it go, but I'm sure it went to a good home!

Monday and Tuesday I'm selling at work. Ahhhh! I hope it goes well. So not only do I want to do well for myself, but this craft fair is my baby! I've organized all of it. I hope everyone else does well too!

Not trying to be full of myself or anything, but I'm so impressed with how well I've done since working! These government women are amazing. I've pulled in around $1000 -- however, I've spend well over $500.... but it's the first time I'm coming out ahead! WooHoo!

WooHoo! First Sale on Etsy!

2007-11-19T17:42:00.000-08:00

I'm am so happy! I had my first sale on Etsy. Now hopefully it's the first in a long line of Christmas shopping. *hope*

It was these pretty darlings

And last week at work I made over $400 selling jewelry.

Christmas Craft Fair is coming up in 2 weeks at work, and I have a table twice at Camosun in that time too!

I *really* hope I meet my goal of $1500 for spending money in South America!

Etsy + Moo = Heart

2007-11-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Moo meets Etsy

So I must do this. Do I have enough time before my craft fairs? I hope so! But I need better pictures. Oh why I aren't I talented with a camera like my husband or s.in.l? Why!

Perhaps I should make it my mission for the day... (besides groceries, Christmas baking, laundry, post office.... )

Etsy Treasury

2007-11-12T17:10:00.001-08:00

Look! I made an Etsy Treasury of pretty BC made things!

Christmas Ideas, Anyone?

2007-11-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

I posted Christmas Ideas on Southern Constellations

Happy, Hanna?

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. Maybe it's because I have fond memories of dressing up in hand-made costumes by my mom, or renting costumes from the Capital Theater in Nelson, browsing through racks deciding what I want to be that year. (It's usually something revolving around a princess or fairy...girly and sparkley). This year I didn't dress up, which was sad.

I did however win a pumpkin carving contest, with a coworker. We carved a happy little family of four. Well, perhaps not so happy. One contest we won gift certificates for Tim Hortons, and the other prize is lunch with our Deputy Minister (head honcho). So that will be pretty cool!

I also wrote a poem to go along with it:

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater,
Had a Wife but couldn't keep her
He developed a taste for the kids one day,
So she took the other one far away.

Oh I am cute. And so are my pumpkins!

So yesterday Joel and I went to get our immunizations for traveling. 4 in all, two shots. Joel went first, he took it like a man, no cringing. Then I hopped up on the bench to have mine, the doctor's back is to Joel who's sitting in a chair, and I'm watching him as she injecting me. I see his eyes glaze over, he mumble "oh no, it's happening", his head tilts back and he looks like a rag doll. The doctor gets the needle out of my arm, jumps over to him, tells me to get a nurse, Joel starts shaking, a nurse comes in, Joel regains consciousness and doesn't know where he is for a few moments, and I just stood there in disbelief. It is a scary thing watching your husband pass out and start convulsing. But they got him laid down, gave him some juice, and we both just went home and rested for the remainder of the afternoon. Our arms are very very sore, but now we're immunized. Hurray!

I'm sorry for neglecting.....

2007-10-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry... life was a little more chaotic than usual for a bit there.... But I'm here, for now...

So want a run down on the last little bit? I can even include pictures because my darling husband *finally* bought my birthday present (6 months late- but better late than never!)

So where to start?

Work
Crazy. Busy. I was tasked with a project, didn't receive all the relevant information, basically had to do it twice...worked 9 hour days...I'm a gov't employee, and a coop at that- I'm not suppose to work that! Plus, I'm on salary, so I don't get overtime. Oh well. It's done now, and I'm back to more monotonous work :D

Two people in our Branch have left, they found other jobs in government. Now we're two people short... I don't know what will happen. But I might get to move offices, which would be Super!

AND... I'm organizing a Christmas Craft Fair at work! I'm so excited! I have a group of ladies who are willing to help, and know how to organize things in the Ministry. I'm hoping to have at least 15 different sellers, everything from jewelry (of course!), clothing, woodworking, stained glass, baking, canning, ornaments... basically anything handmade! I'm sure it will be a blast! The tentative date is December 3rd.

Only 2 months of my job left! AHHH!! I can't believe how quickly these 6 months have gone by!

Which brings me to:

Travel
Plans are coming along well, mostly because we're going down to South America without much of a plan. :D I'm really looking forward to summer in January, because it's started raining here..icky.

We renewed our passports. Which was a hooopla in itself. They changed the passport process, so your guaranteers don't need to be in a specific profession, they just need to hold a valid passport. WootWoot. To bad I didn't know that before I hunted down my friend's dad who's a doctor.

We didn't want to mail our applications in because that can take upwards of 4 months, and well, we don't have 4 months. So we had to wait in line. So on a Wednesday morning we got up and went downtown to wait in line. We got there at 8. It was too late. Too late! We could have stood in line until 4:30 that afternoon and *maybe* would have gotten in. Joel and I couldn't afford to do that because we needed to go to work. We were told we had to be in line by 7am to get an appointment that day. So the next morning we caught the first bus downtown (*6am*), and got an appointment for 10am. There was already over 50 people in line by 6:30! So it was neat (*NOT*) seeing the sunrise downtown.

But it's done. Well, we don't have them yet, but they're suppose to be coming soon.

And we're slowly but surely saving money. I hope we have enough! (*hint hint* Christmas presents for Jen & Joel!)

Next:
Jewelry
I'm back in full swing with making and selling (see above: Christmas Craft Fair!) Heather, (a friend who makes & sells jewelry with me), and I had a table at Camosun College on Thrusday. I made $170, so not great, but students are broke and not in Christmas shopping mode yet. But we'll be back at Camosun Nov 30 & Dec 7th. And the work craft fair that Monday in between. Heather and I are hoping to bring jewelry to my work next week too.

I'm putting away all the money I make from jewelry sales into the Jen-Fun-Spending-Money-in-S.Am. It's really good incentive for me to make and sell lots! I'm at $230, my goal is $1500... go big or go home (or starve), si?

Whew. It's been busy.

Wanna see new pretty things? (taken with my shiny new camera!)

And that's just a taste of what I've been making. Jewelry has sucked up all my free time, but I like it that way!

I've been uploading new stuff to my etsy site, go check it out and tell your friends to buy stuff!

Hmmm, what else to tell you?

I'm hungry. So I'm going to deal with that.

I'll try to to neglect you like that again!

2007-09-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Whew. What a fun weekend!

Friday night was the Tegan and Sara concert! They rocked out to their new album, The Con, and to their last one, So Jealous. Those girls have voices that send chills through my spine, and it was so intense live!

I slept in Saturday morning until 11:30. Mmm, I loove sleeping in. Then my friend Heather & I went shopping for jewelry supplies. We have a table at the college here booked on October 18th, and then twice more in November. So we have to get all our displays ready, make tons of jewelry, make bags to put peoples jewelry in, etc etc. It's so much work! But really fun!

Then last night was the Current Swell concert! I danced all night long, and a long night it was. I went with Heather, and her roomate Mandy (also a good friend of mine). Oh fun girly times.... I didn't get home until reeaallly late... And then slept in until noon.

Good times.

AAANNNDDD.... I get to go to FOSS4G (Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial). I'm sure that's Greek to most of you- so basically, it's a conference for FREE GIS (Geographic Information System) software. Why is this so important? Because the GIS program I use, ArcGIS, costs around $10,000 for a licence. Which is obviously ridiculous and completely unobtainable for anyone besides governments or corporations who want to use it. GIS is such a useful tool that everyone should be able to use, and not be limited to those who can afford it.

Their websites says The annual Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) conference brings together the people who create, use, and support open spatial software. No other event brings together members of the open source development, open data creation, and open standards promotion communities like FOSS4G.

This is going to be an overwhelming and incredible experience. I am so lucky for my work to be paying for this, because the fact is that it's not directly related to my job (because I use that expensive software). This is such an amazing opportunity for me, I'm blown away that it's HERE- in Victoria- this year, because next year it's in South Africa...and I definately won't be going. I just hope that I'm can absorb all the information! The conference is Tuesday until Thursday, so it also means my week will probably just fly by!!

WOOT WOOT!

Run Update

2007-09-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the abundance of posts this week! Wait, I take that back- no I'm not sorry.

Anyways, just thought I'd give you a quick update on the run status. So Tuesday's 4.2km was done in 40 minutes, and was around 1/3 walking. I was okay afterwards, but definitely sore the next morning. On lunch yesterday I figured the only way to stretch things out was to go for a smaller jog and do a good stretch. So yesterdays quickie was a solo 2km(ish) on my half hour lunch.

But Today was great! The woman, L, who I was with on Tuesday ran again today, joined by a guy D (who's went to school in Castlegar, coincidentally), and he's super fit. So L & I had to keep up, and we did 4.2km in 23 minutes.

Maybe I will be able to do the 8km in less than an hour!!

Who knew that exercising felt so good?

Cardboard Kitty Chair!

2007-09-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! I found this cardboard kitty chair at Treehugger and I'm pretty impressed. Hmmm, I wonder if George or Leilu would like it??

Don't worry, the adhesive is non-toxic. But I have to wonder if there'd be little cardboard scraps scattered everywhere??

But I suppose that can't be any worse than wooden stair post slivers all over the hallway....

Budget Slashing

2007-09-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's watched the news in Canada in the last 24 hours will have heard the sad news. The Conservative Government has cut Environment Canada's budget- big time. Am I surprised? No. Saddened? Yes. Frustrated? Extremely.

The damage?

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network (the group that monitors ecosystem change): 80% cut

The Migratory Bird Program: 50% cut

National Wildlife Areas (think significant habitats for wildlife and birds): 100% cut

CBC tried to get in contact with John Baird (see my Inadequate People post) but apparently he was not available, and email messages have been sent saying the government is focusing on Climate Change so other areas were sacrificed.

AHH! When will this become apparent to the people in charge that you cannot focus on one while sacrificing the other! Our remaining intact ecosystems is what's saving our world from the point of no return. These natural areas play a significant role (think oxygen production for you to BREATHE!)

I found a study on protecting ecosystems for anyone how's interested: here. This map was in the study:

I have to wonder why, in Canada, the land of plenty, we have so little protected area? Is it because we think everything is so plentiful that we don't need to protect it?

I just have a hard time swallowing the fact that we make these decisions which have huge repercussions on the environment (and inadvertently on us). This world is not ours to use until it's gone, we cannot build suburbs of McMansions onto fragile ecosystems. We are here as stewards of the Earth, it is a gift to us, please don't break it.

Jen, Running? You must be joking.

2007-09-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

But No, I am not joking! I have started running, well, as of today I've started. I can't even think of the last time I actually ran (besides quick sprints to the bus!) To change that sad fact I signed up for the Royal Victoria Marathon's 8km run-- which is just a short 3 weeks away. Our ministry has a team put together called Earth, Wind and Fire (sorta energy related). I figured the only way I would actually start running was if I had a goal, so this is it. I really hope to do the 8km in an hour, but that may be pushing it a little too much.

I went on a run today at lunch with a couple of coworkers, it was 4.5km, around 40 minutes of jogging/walking. And for my first run in years, it felt great (I don't know what I'll feel like tomorrow though)!

I went out and bought myself a shiny pair of running shoes, since I didn't even own a pair. If anything will help me run, it's a pair of pretty shoes. See:

Wow, what a changing last few months since working here. I didn't ride a bike, now I do almost everyday. I didn't run, now (hopefully!) I do.

Now if only I can have as much success at my Mom and M.in.L with getting in shape....

Yea! Life!

2007-09-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hurray. As it turns out, my hopelessness from my last post just *poof* disappeared when I got a day off. Mmm, I looovveee days off! I got a whole lot knocked off my [to do] list.

First, woke up without an alarm at 9am. Perfect. Made myself one cup of coffee. (yea that's right, just one. I've successfully cut my coffee consumption by 2/3rd's!) Then I looked through cookbooks and decided what yummy food J and would be eating over the next 2 weeks. The majority of recipes came from an old Anne Lindsey's Lighthearted cookbook that I found in my mom's basement. Yum Yum!

Then around 11:30 I walked over to Thrifty's, the islands grocery store; which I LOVE & where Joel used to work. Well, he used to work at a different location. I forgot how much joy shopping at Thrifty's brings me. At our last place I Safeway was the closest, and I really don't like them much. Why? I don't really know. It's so big and unpersonal, and not local. Thrify's basically specializes in local & organic, and more wholesome food. It's the only place I can find Annies Bernie O's for Joel- no MSG!

Next, was not such a good idea. I called J to come meet me at the grocery store after I was done and we'd walk the groceries home together. Hmm, it was very hard. My shoulders and back are still hurting. But the groceries got home, and put away, and I made a yummy lunch.

Oh yes, and before I went into the grocery store I stopped in a WIN thrift shop, and found a Beaut-iful-in-perfect-condition-Marmot softshell jacket! For $7.50! Huzzah!

Then we rearranged out living room, and by living room, I mean the one big room that's living/computer/beading/fooseball/dinning. The way we had set it up ended up proving awkward, and now it's better.

And I decided I'm starting a new line of jewelry called Love Again using pieces from garage sales and thrift stores. I bought a bag of costume pearly necklaces (like 10 of them) for $4 a few weeks ago, and they're being restrung and revamped.

To finish my great day off, I baked an apple pie. I had homemade pie crusts in my freezer, so I took one out last night, and made a Granny Smith Apple Pie with an oatmeal crumb topping.

And now it's Sunday, and J has a golf tourney with his work, and I have the day to myself.

La.La.La

Bah! Life!

2007-09-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

Why is life chaotic. The more I try out this adult world the more I'm not a huge fan of it. There's not enough time in the day to do the things I want to do, but it gets sucked up doing those things I have to do.

That is not the way God has intended life. At least I don't think so. I could accomplish a whole lot more if I didn't work. Hmm.

My days lately have been sucked up working full-time (since May, until Dec), sitting at an office staring at a computer for 7 hours a day. And then at home I don't ever want to play on the computer and do the things I want to do!

On top of work, I decided taking an evening Biology course at Camosun would be a good idea. Mostly because my dear friend H is in it, and a course at Camosun is half the price as it is at UVic. And a credit is a credit. But it meant I didn't get home last night until around 10. And then had to leave at 8 to bike to work.

And H and I have a jewelery stand booked at Camosun for the 18th of October. Hurray! But it also means I need to make lots and lots of jewelry. Oh my. Which makes it feel like work. I still haven't done the bead order I was planning on doing for the last few months. So I feel terrible because I've promised to trade beads with Hanna for her making Perizada Designs.

Oh right. And I'm still working on learning to save money. Since I have to or J and go to South America with nothing.

Stressed much??

All I really want to do is hide out in the woods and make everything I need.

Green Confession

2007-09-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

A place to confess your green wrongdoings!

Me?

Never.

Okay, maybe....

I get Starbucks frappuccino's or a Tim Horton's Ice Cap once every one in awhile, and don't always recycle the cup! Eek!

What's your green confession?

Waldmart Watch

2007-09-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is too Funny, I had to share!

From: Walmart Watch

Who Knew??

2007-09-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Who knew it was so easy to change the world?

The next time you pack this all-American sandwich for lunch, you're helping the environment and making a difference in animal welfare. You don't have to change your whole diet to change the world. Just start with lunch.
PB&J

How to Help the Environment at Lunch

A PB&J will slow global warming.

Next time you have one you'll reduce your carbon footprint by saving the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over an average animal-based lunch like a hamburger, a tuna sandwich, grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets.

That's about forty percent of what you'd save driving around for the day in a hybrid instead of a standard sedan.

If you were going to have a ham sandwich or a hamburger, you save the equivalent almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
A PB&J will also save water.

That's about 280 gallons of water over the hamburger. To put this in perspective, three PB&Js a month instead of hamburgers will save about as much water as switching to a low-flow showerhead.
A PB&J will save land.

Have a PB&J and save 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, over-grazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution.

From: PB&J Campaign
Photo from: UncommonIndustries

A New Home

2007-09-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

We're in our new place. Whew. This was the biggest move yet, and it got pretty stressful at points. But it was fun, and now I live in a cute basement suite, with nice landlords living above us. And now I'm sick. Icky sick. All flemmy, coughing, sinuses stuffed up, and headache. I'm doing better today then yesterday. I woke up 2 nights ago and couldn't swallow. Oh self induced sickness. But there's many things that still need to be done, so a few tablespoons of Buckley's and Advil will hopefully get me through the day.

So our place is great, it's at the end of a dead-end street, with a path over to Quadra (a main road, with a frequent bus). It will only be around a 15 minute bike ride for me to work (as compared to my 45 minute ride from Gordon Head). Woot woot! And it's a 4 minute bike ride for Joel to work, which is right on Swan Lake (more of an oversized pond, actually). Joel will be able to come home for lunch- hurray! Hopefully that will save us a lot of money!

There's a Thrifty Foods just 3 blocks away, with a Video Store (We rented Disc Five of Planet Earth!) And Save-on-Foods is under 10 blocks, which I like because they have an amazing bulk section and have things that no where else does (Pickles, anyone?) And Douglas st (it turns into the #1 highway) isn't very far, so we're close to almost any bus.

The only sucky thing, is there is no direct bus from Camosun College to here. I'm taking an evening Biology course there, with my friend Heather, because I need to have a first year science. But I'll survive.

J and I hope that us being on our own will help us save money, because there won't be the constant temptation from roommates to spend money. And it was always on silly things, like eating out. But that was also because I hated my kitchen at our last place, I felt like I was cornered off to a dungeon. The kitchen here is a bit better, and the landlord here wants to knock out half the wooden wall (by the fooseball table) to open up the kitchen. I hope we can do that soon! Then cooking will be more fun!

Ooh, and one thing that makes me (& J) super happy, is there's a plug & good lighting in the bathroom! (No plug or good lighting in the last place.) So I can blowdry my hair and do my makeup in there, and J won't be woken up 20 minutes before his alarm by my morning routine.

So that's life in a nutshell of a post.

Traveling Blog!

2007-08-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

I found another distraction from packing- We needed a traveling blog! Of course it can't wait until after we've moved, I needed to do it today. I woke up this morning, made myself a cup of coffee and away I went. It's pretty. Not going to lie, I'm really impressed with myself. 8 months ago I didn't even know what 'code' was, I'm not a computer geek, I'm a geography geek. But darling s-in-l taught me that this is fun, and pretty. And pretty is what counts.

Without further ado, I present

Southern Constellations.

Funny story, I've been working on this all morning, while Joel was sleeping. So I get him to look at it when we meanders upstairs, and I spelled constellations 'constillations.' So I had to delete it and start over again. Oh Jen. And I had spelled meanders 'meyanders.' I think spelling is overrated.

Are all your needles in one place?

2007-08-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am brilliant. These are the kinda things I come up with when I'm suppose to be packing. I was going through my craft stuff ::scapbooking,painting stuff (from my Pretty Rain Boots, sewing, knitting...:: My stuff was driving me crazy, because it was in a mess in my craft room- which I never used since isolated craft rooms are uninspiring. Anyways...My knitting needles were in assortment of bags, all with various half balls of yarn. It was messy. So I decided it didn't have to be messy.

It was fun playing with my sewing machine (a dee-lightful b.day present from my mom a few years ago!) I don't play with it nearly as much as I should. But it's always there when I really want it. And this was my first time playing with the embroidery stitches on it. Fun Times! I think I should buy some pretty fabric and sell these on Etsy.

It's Official!

2007-08-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

Joel and I are going to South America. We're flying from Vancouver to Lima (Peru) on January 11th, and leaving Santiago (Chile) on April 14th. There's no turning back now, the tickets (& insurance) has been bought- almost $3000 for the two of us. *ouch* I don't think I've spent that much on anything besides tuition.

We've decided to take a semester off classes, and by the end of April we'll have been out of school for an entire year! In May, J and I both got GIS (Geographic Information Systems) coop jobs until August, and we've both been asked to extend our terms until the end of December. Obviously, it's an amazing opportunity to learn more about a job, because these past 4 months has just scratched the surface. We have been blessed enough to *coincidentally* get two of the best paying jobs, for two of the most understanding employers ever (side note: my Mom passed the belief onto me that coincidences are God's way of having people in the right place at the right time) Anyways, this opportunity with our coops is also providing us with the chance to save money--besides just making ends meet. :-)

We decided South America is the place for us, 'why' you ask?
~Want somewhere not English speaking
~Patagonia & the Lake District
~Want to learn about cultures & ways of life different from our all consuming parasitic Western life
~Learn to tango and/or salsa...other J just doesn't know it yet
~Penguins, condors, flamingos, viscacha (check them out!!)

I could go on forever about how excited I am & the things we'll be doing... so I'm staring a blog devoted to our preparation, and we will be posting on it whenever we get the chance down there. Oh how the internet has made my life beautiful. No matter how much I want to live a simpler life, I cannot imagine it without the internet.

Don't take it all too serious

2007-08-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

I just had to laugh when I saw this... oh our Green World.

Simple Solutions

2007-08-20T09:08:00.001-07:00

So I have two new simple solutions for you, that I have found, well- SIMPLE!

I told you a couple of posts ago that I had a stress breakdown and cleaned my bathroom using Method cleaning products. I can't tell you enough how much I love them. One of my favourite perks- I really hate cleaning with gloves, and these guys encourage you not to use them! Woot Woot!!

Second Simple Solution is cleaning up my body! No more chemicals being spread all over it! Who knows what that crap does to you anyways! About a month ago I found a local 'artist' who makes all their product called Nezza Naturals. They're redoing their site, but check them out anyways, and then check them out again!

I bought the 'Tea Tree and Pepermint' Shampoo and Conditioner. I LOOOOVVVEEE it! Smells great, feels great, and cleans my hair without chemicals! Downside, they need prettier bottles. Not going to lie, I like pretty packaging.

Ooh, and price wise: Method, pretty much costs the same. I found my stuff at Safeway on sale, and it was the same as that Mr.Clean crap. The Nezza Naturals set cost me less than $20, but it's been a month, and I'm bearly an inch down the bottle.

Just do it. Go natural. For yourself & for the Earth.

Pickle Problems Solved!

2007-08-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

I Did it! My first ever canning experience by myself! Woot Woot! And it was easy! I made 16 jars (some of my 20 pounds of pickles were icky). Aaaannnnddd..... ALL OF THEM SEALED! EVERY SINGLE ONE!

Me!

2007-08-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, I believe Jennifer Lynn was the only name my parent could agree on... it was also the most popular name of 1985, and the same name as my oldest best-friend since gr.1, who was born 8 days before me. I think I know more Jennifer's (variations) than any other name out there. Side note--in gr.5(?) I named myself Jenni, with the 'i' to try being different. I still kinda like it... but I'm not really a Jenni, just Jen.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
haha, well two nights ago I had a stress breakdown, locked myself in the bathroom, cried, got myself together, and scrubbed the heck out of it. (Yea for Method cleaning products, the cucumber spray worked Fantastic!)
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yea, it's fun and bubbly.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Chipotle Chicken
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Nope, but I'm getting excited for when they come one day.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Hmm. Someone to do crafts with all day long? Someone who understands my sound effects? No, I don't want to be friends with them. They'd ruin all the fun, and I have Heather for crafting.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
I don't think so, but some would beg to differ
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
My friend Heather scared me out of it. (She bungee jumped into the Nile!) More side notes--you can bungee jump for free (or close to) on Valentines Day in Naniamo, if you go naked. *Cringes*
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Strawberry MiniWheats
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Skateshoes, heck no.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
No. Well, the only person I try to beat up is Joel, and he's much stronger than me.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ben&Jerry's Chocolate Brownie with Cookie Dough
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Clothes
15. RED OR PINK?
Pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Amazing ability at procrastinating. Why is this not asking my favourite thing about myself? Positive thinking, People! (PS, that would be my smile!)
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Where do I start? I do miss all you guys after being on this Island for 3 years.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO LINK THIS BACK TO YOU?
Oui
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS (Or Kilt) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Shhhh... I'm sitting in bed with the laptop. I'm in sleeping non-clothes
20. WHAT WAS The LAST THING YOU ATE?
Mmmm, last night... I think it was some yogurt
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Joel kinda snoring
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
The deep green or fuchsia pink.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Home-cooked food. Fresh cut grass. Bakeries. Coffee. Flowers. And my Sandlewood perfume from the Gap. (I'm not a Gap kinda girl, but mmm, their purfume!)
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My M-in-L... me being frantic over pickles.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO LINKED THIS TO YOU?
Si.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
I really got into hockey last year. I can't wait for it again!
27. HAIR COLOR?
Faded brown... because I made a deal with myself that I should stop dying my hair because all the chemicals are really bad for the environment... it was a sad and hard decision.
28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
This has been a fiasco over the last few weeks, because I want contacts so I can wear sunglasses, but apparently my eyes don't like them in. So I want to wear contacts.
30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?
Lasagna!!
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Motorcycle Diaries. I'm so excited for South America!
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
We've already been through this.....
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer. But spring is my Favouritest.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
I like the all embracing hug with a kiss.
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Mmm, Val's Raspberry Chocolate Coffee Cake.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Barb...and now You have to!
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
The rest of them....
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
South America on a Shoestring. Little House on a Small Planet. Lost in the Barrens. Did I mention I have a short attention span sometimes. Actually, I think it's that I try and do too many things at once....
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No mouse pad, just touch pad.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Motorcycle Diaries.
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
My own voice...haha, just kidding. Music.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Tennessee. But soon to be Patagonia. Hopefully Tierra del Fuego.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
My thumbs bend back further than most
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Nelson BC
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Barb's

Pickle Problems....

2007-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

So my dearest M-in-L let me know a couple of days ago that pickle canning season is here, and emailed me the recipe. She also emailed me the recipe for canning peaches. Yum Yum! This made me very excited, because not only do I feel bad about raiding her pickles & peaches every time I see her and rationing myself (and other J), but I really want to can. I think it's a very valuable skill that most people in my generation (and my m-in-l's) have forgotten. So if I want to learn to be more self-sufficient, then canning has to be at the top!

Anyways.... so I went to go get pickles last night. First of all, I only have 1 big pot with a lid (besides my canner)- and this is a problem with big batches of things. So after work I went to get one from a second hand store, but the 3 stores I went to had NONE! I was frazzled by that, because I thought a big pot would be the least of my worries. No, it was just the start. So that took about an hour of my time.... and I finally get up to Safeway, but they didn't have pickling cucumbers! Nor did they have Freestone peaches! I was pissed! So I called Save-on-Foods, and yes, they had what I was looking for- and to boot, they're on sale! Hurray! Problem solved.

Except getting home. As I said, I take the bus. Save-on-Foods is 2 buses away, and if I'm lugging 20 pounds of pickles and peaches (each) the bus is not an option. So I called to see how much a cab would be.... and it's $20! What! That is just not cost effective.

Needless to say, I didn't do the canning I wanted to last night. And by the time I got home after work it was after 7. *tear* And I don't really have time this weekend, seeing as that it's the last weekend before we move... and I haven't started packing... ooops. (Also another problem is getting moving boxes when I don't have a car!)

Ugh. I'm not very happy about all this.

But I will have pickles and peaches somehow. And hopefully they're not from m-in-l's cellar.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2007-08-14T14:17:00.001-07:00

Hurray! We've made it 3 years. Only a lifetime left. I'm excited about that!

Our weekend of camping was wonderful. Pictures to come.

This pretty much sums up our time:

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes
on the grass on a summer day
listening to the murmur of water, or
watching the clouds float across the sky,
is hardly a waste of time.— John Lubbock

We're home... and have a new one!

2007-08-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Joel and I made it back from another surfing trip, alive, sore and exhausted. It was sunny the entire time! Which is unusual for the West Coast- the last 3 times we've made it out this year it's been a mix of snow, hail and rain, rain, rain. And yes, we've surfed in it all.

Needless to say, I'm sunburnt. (I feel like a broken record the number of times I say that). But- Joel is more sunburnt than me! Now that doesn't happen very often!

My surfing skills are improving, I'm getting closer to catching a wave. I really just need to take a couple of lessons and I'll be golden. Joel on the other hand was doing awesome! (Surprise, anyone? No.) He can get up everytime! Jealous Jen! (And a proud Jen because he's pretty sexy looking on a surfboard.)

So our campground SUCKED! It was like a parking lot where they charged people $40 a night to stay. With a trailer for washrooms. Ugh. So we left. Unfortunately the campsite was non refundable (of course!), so we severed our losses and took our friends car up a logging road and camped. It was awesome, I'm never paying to camp in Tofino or Uclulet again. So I guess it was a good thing we camped there?

And GOOD NEWS! We found a place for September, it's a one bedroom basement suite. It's really close to work for Joel (like 4 blocks close!) and a short 15-20 minute bike ride for me. Sweet!! The couple living upstairs own the place and they seem really nice, and the guy lived in Nelson for awhile! Small world, eh? It should work out great!

Besides that, life is good. Work is pretty crazy. I'm way ahead of where they thought I would be, so I've been tasked with a bunch of random mapping work. I love it!

I'll post surfing picks when our friends who went with us send them to me!

BC Day Shnanigans

2007-08-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so stoked! Joel and I are going out camping -again- on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. We have a campsite booked at Ucluelet Campground, and our friends Meg and Adam will be joining us (and driving :) I'm sad we couldn't get a spot at Bella Pacifica, but anything makes me happy!

I went out last night and bought a wetsuit, MEC had them marked down from $250 to $110. I couldn't resist. Besides, it will last me a long time, and I don't have to wear one that someone else has peed in. Gross. (They always smell like urine. ewww.) So I'm really looking forward to surfing!!

Hmm, what else? I'm almost done the new Harry Potter book. Not going to lie, the first half was good, not great. I had higher expectations. But this last have has been fantastic! All I want to do is read.

It's been really fun having these books come out every few years. I started reading them back in 9th grade when the third one came out. I've been waiting for the conclusion for a lllooonnnggg time!

I hope everyone else has a great long weekend. Well- I guess for those of you living in BC.

I heart BC!

"I don't find it hard to be green, I find it fulfilling"

2007-08-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Rage Against Environmental Decline
By William Deverell

I believe in taking action, urgent action to save this wounded planet. Meanwhile, I sit here and wait for the mono titis, as I have waited for the last two winters, but they no longer come. Mono titis, they call them here in Costa Rica, squirrel monkeys — high-flying acrobats who used to scamper about jungle and orchard, joyfully filching avocados and bananas. They come no longer — their territory has been carved up by roads and power lines and the parking lots of hotels and condos, concrete goliaths rising above the remains of what was once a great rain forest.

Here and in British Columbia I have watched the wilderness systematically destroyed by quick-buck developers. Gas-guzzling SUVs roar up and down roads, or sit there, spewing exhaust, like panting predators pausing from the chase.

So we carry on in the false name of progress. We clearcut old growth, fish out our oceans, blight our lakes and rivers. As the world’s oil supply flatlines, we Canadians gloat – we’ve got the oil sands! So it’s full speed ahead as we rush lemming-like to the precipice. Though to be fair, that’s a bad rap. For the lemmings.

In subscribing to the mantras of economic growth and sustainable development (that favorite oxymoron of global warming deniers) are we simply uncaring about future generations, about the survival of humankind itself? Or did T.S. Eliot have us pegged bang-on when he said humankind “cannot bear much reality.”

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings. We have bought the bafflegab invoked by selfish capitalism, whose power over the global economy, whose pervasive influence over politicians and mainstream media, whose hoarding of the planet’s overtaxed resources, whose spinning of convenient untruths, have all combined to dumb us down, to create feelings of learn’d helplessness, to cow us into passivity and submission.

Reduce, reuse, recycle — these are such simple and obvious antidotes to the Age of Waste they need hardly be stated. Respect for all life on Earth, for biodiversity, finding solutions to the overpopulation crisis before solutions find us — these are the concerns that consume my cranky senior years, the core issues that must be shouted, bellowed. Rage against the dying of the planet. Shed that comforting costume of liberalism, get a spine, be angry, be prickly, be radical — revolt against a system that stifles sustainable economic ideas while hyping globalization, unrestricted markets, and rampant consumerism. I cringe when the mass media equates growth with progress.

Fifty years ago Erich Fromm wrote in The Sane Society: “So long as we are more motivated to have than to be, we shall continue down the tunnel of consumerism. We shall do so despite knowing full well that the light at the end is not the sun. It’s the train.”

So I decline to be remembered by my descendants as one who didn’t warn about the onrushing train. I’m proud to be accused of being an anti-growth pro-slow tree hugger. I don’t find it hard to be Green, I find it fulfilling, it helps me keep faith that my little threatened friends, the mono titis, will return to share the fruits of our orchard.

For This I Believe, I am William Deverell in Costa Rica.

From: This I Believe

Jewelry Success!

2007-07-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

This past week I brought my jewelry collection to work at the request from women I work with. I was expecting to sell, you know, a few items or so, but wasn't getting my hopes up too much. Well.... it went WONDERFUL! Thank you, Thank you to all of you!

Selling jewelry feels sooo good! I'm not going to stop making it, and I can only make so much for myself. And it makes me happy to give special women a unique piece- which will never be duplicated- that they can treasure. I hope they enjoy it very much!

And of course it's fun to have people oogling over my stuff telling me how talented I am....

(*Note to self: Modesty, Jen! Learn Modesty!)

Garage Sale!

2007-07-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Joel and I had a garage sale this morning. It went really well- we came out of it with almost $200, which is pretty sweet for stuff we don't want anymore! But somehow we still have soooo much stuff. I really don't want to move it, nor do I want to store it. We're wanting to move into a bachelor, or a one bedroom suite. I've had enough of having space. Space just equals stuff. No more.

I was surprised with the garage sale. First of all, our ad said 9am. While we were setting up just after 8, people were already showing up! Seriously people! And when I go garage sale-ing, I look at books. But no one really touched ours! Are people not interested in fantasy series? We purged about half our books, seeing as that the last time we moved we had something like 15 liquor boxes of books. That's just silly. And I don't really re-read many books. Therefore I don't want to move them. And I had my bike out there, and no one really looked at it. Granted, the majority of people who showed up were older, out of shape, collector types. But I really thought I could sell it. I want a newer, speedier, commuting bike.

So all in all, it was a great morning. I love making $, while sitting in the sun chatting with people. It works well with me.

Except now I'm sunburned. But I'm sure that's no surprise to anyone one.

Going Green!

2007-07-15T02:08:00.000-07:00

Want some inspiration and other ideas?? I just came across a news report by CBC called 'Shades of Green' and at the bottom people are posting their ways of going green. So many people out there with Simple Solutions, and some pretty Substantial Solutions too!!

I wrote in my 'Shade of Green' was, here's what I said:

This is great reading everyones 'green ideas', good work!! Collectively we can change!!

However, I feel we're missing a big piece.

'Going Green' means reconnecting with the earth, with our neighbours, and ourselves. I don't mean it in a weird hippie way, just simply, we have forgotten that humans are just another piece of the ecosystem. We can't keep building concrete cities and suburbs, excluding ourselves from nature. Why do you think people are so happy and easy going when they're camping, but so uptight and rude when in the city?? Get Outside!!

Next, how many people don't know their neighbour?? I don't know most of mine. We need to reform those community groups, build strong connections with each other, and remember what it's like to call on a friend for a favour. It's not rude- everyone likes to feel wanted!! And what if your neighbour knows how to fix your bike, and you can make yummy treats, why not trade?? Save money, save the environment...save your sanity!!

Going Green to me means living a balanced life, where I know my place, and it's just one small part of the whole ecosystem.

Simple Solutions...

2007-07-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a Simple Solutions post, full of well- simple things you can do in life that will make the earth happier. I'm going to focus on the small ideas that can make a big difference... you guys give them a try, and collectively we can bring change.

I'll start with two things I know are easy, because I've been using these Simple Solution for a couple of years now.

SS # ONE: Coffee (or Tea) Mugs.

This was a pretty easy one, especially for a coffee connoisseur (aka: addict) such as myself. All I do is carry around a travel mug with me all the time. Simple, eh? I bring a coffee in a mug from home to work when I'm on the bus, and use it at work. When I'm in school I just chuck it in my backpack, because a class is always better with a cup of java.

I've estimated it out too, I usually have one, sometimes two, coffees a day. If I was using paper or Styrofoam cups, that upwards of 700 cups a YEAR!! I think my simple solution has made an impact, I mean, less of an impact!!

SS # Two: Reusable Grocery Bags.

I love reusable grocery bags. I simply love them. They can hold at least 4 plastic bags worth of goods, don't rip, pack nicely with yummy food in them, usable for many things besides groceries. And it's SIMPLE! I'm organized enough to know what days I'll be stopping by the grocery store after work, so I'll just chuck the bags in my purse. Or when I'm going shopping on the weekends, I just grab them with my grocery list. It's really not hard at all!

I dare you to buy the bags the next time you go shopping. You won't go back to platic. I promise.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Rant that comes along with...

Disposable coffee cups and plastic bags drive me crazy. I can't walk down any street without seeing a plastic bag or a take out cup littering the sidewalk or stuck in storm drain! It was also ridiculous the number of bags I had stashed from grocery shopping under my sink--and they aren't even useful for putting garbage in because they usually had holes in the bottom!! And I've read they can take upwards of 500 years to decompose!! Just imagine all the people who use them, how many they use in a lifetime, and the number's uncomprehendingly gargantuan.

But there is a SOLUTION.

Now- what are you waiting for! I dare you, buy reusable grocery bags on your next trip (it will only cost an extra $4 or so) and you'll never go back.

Ooooh, I have another note... (sorry my SS post is getting so long, I just have so many thoughts!) The town of Leaf Rapids in Manitoba is the first in Canada to place a bylaw against plastic bags! Hurray! Go Leaf Rapids Go! Check out the story!

I don't know if NO bags is the answer for all towns, because weeny people would put up a fuss. But what could be done is creating bylaws saying only biodegradable bags (usually made from corn oil) can be used, and if the businesses want, they should be able to charge people for the bags. I think this would highly encourage people to use reusable bags.

So that's it. The first of many Simple Solutions to come your way. Please keep me posted if any of you try them, and let me know how it worked for you. And let me know what your Simple Solutions are!

Happy Earth!

Record Breaking

2007-07-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Anyone paying attention to the weather happening on the West Coast this last week knows it hasn't been 'normal'. Wednesday was ridiculous- it hit 37 degrees (98.6 for you Americans). Too Hot. Wikipedia claims that it only hits above 30 here once or twice a year. And the previous hottest temperature recorded was 35.3 degrees in July of 2004. Whew.

You know what?? There have been multiple records broken since J and I moved to Van Isle. Early Spring of 2006 rain records were broken- it rained everyday for over a month. It sucked. And we were living in a crappy apartment with a deck that flooded. Boo.

AND...It has snowed every winter for the last 3 years. I've been pretty stoked about that. The whole city shuts down when more than an inch falls, we've had classes canceled every year because of snow. Hurray!

Wait a minute...is there weird weather happening anywhere else?? Hmmm, tornadoes in the East Kootenays, 8 tornadoes in one week in Manitoba? Huge hurricanes. Drought. You get my point.

Oh Climate Change. It's going to be a wild ride for the next century.

Xavier Rudd!!

2007-07-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

So Guys, You really need to experience this. This is the man himself, Xavier Rudd. Prepared to be amazed.

This is a live clip of 'Yirra Curl'...

And this is his video for the song 'Messages' (which is my Favourite!)

The show was 2 hours of awesomeness! We were only 5 rows back, center. Straight line view of him! I don't understand how one person can move every limb of their body-independently, playing multiple instruments, and sing - all at the same time!

Besides being an unbelievable musician, his lyrics also set him apart,

A clip from 'Messages'

For this sacred land
It has seen many hands
It has wealth and gold
Yet it is fragile and old
And all the greedy souls
Just don't care to know
Of the changes it will confront

Good times. People like him give me hope that collective change is possible.

Tofino Pics...Finally!

2007-07-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay on the photo's guys... I was waiting until our waterproof camera was developed, but most of the pictures on it sucked anyways... I guess that's what happens after one's used to a nice digital camera. And I need to wait and use my roommates computer to scan the pics. So enjoy these ones first!

We had a great time, I'm completely sold on surfing. It is by far the best work out I've had in my life. Every muscle was tense trying to hold myself against the pounding waves. Fantastic. It is amazing being in the ocean, feeling all the energy stored and released when waves break. (The 'roar' of the surf is just the extra energy being released as sound. One of my prof's told me that. Cool, eh?)

Some delightful sea anemones!

Clams and Seaweed. Yum!

Oh Joel... doesn't he make you smile :p

Tent City! Okay, the rain was insane!
We had 3 giant tarps covering our site, and we still ended up soaked.

This is MacKenzie Beach at Bella Pacifica Campground, which is where our campsite was.
Jim & Val took us there last year, and we couldn't wait to return!

That is all for now.

I really want to blog more... I have so many thoughts running around in my head all the time that I want to share. Now, if only they made a computer that would write my thoughts....

Joel & I are going to Xavier Rudd tonight!! Ahhh!! I've been waiting for so long! Well, since last year when we saw him last. Check out his music. Listen to the words. You will love him.

WooHoo!!

2007-06-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

So stoked am I! Joel and I, with our two friends Kevin and Jeff, are heading out tonight and going surfing!! Woohoo! I've been waiting for this day, well, since the last time we went surfing (in March.) We've booked a campsite at Long Beach Golf Course for Friday and Saturday night.

The weather is suppose to rain the whole time, but that's okay, because rain usually equals waves, and we're in wetsuits anyways. Besides, it was snowing and hailing last time! And the waves are only suppose to be 3-4 feet high, compared to March's waves being like 6-8 feet. That was crazy, and perhaps a little silly.

Maybe I'll be able to actually stand on the surf board this time.

Maybe. Maybe Not.

Ahhh! So excited!!

Struggles in Life

2007-06-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm struggling with a number of things lately. Mainly, how do I, as a young Christian woman growing up in an uncertain-climate-changing world live? I want to live more simply, pursue a higher education, enjoy my family, have a career that makes a difference -but without being a part of this all-consuming mind-numbing society!

The fact is that Joel & I cannot be in school right now without being on student loans (at $24 000 a year), but I don't want to spend the rest of my life paying them off. We want to buy land as soon as possible, and create a self-sustaining community, off the grid, where we can grow our own food, and raise our kids. We would love to have a number of families out there, so we can all combine skills, because it's all about synergy - the effect of the sum is greater than the individual parts.

I'm so sick of this rat race, of getting more and more, yet feeling emptier and emptier. And I am so scared of getting caught in it post graduation! On the other hand, I'm excited for my career, because getting into sustainable community designing is becoming more of a reality every week. The BC government is pushing a couple of initiatives that promote sustainable design, but most of them are focusing on alternate energy while keeping the status quo lifestyle. So I am torn. I don't think the only solution is finding alternate energy. We need to look at building up communities, creating a safe, loving, and healthy holistic environment.

My next struggle is that God doesn't want us destroying His Earth. We're suppose to be stewards of the Earth, yet all we do is consume it. Leaving nothing. Scientists predict there is around 40 years left of oil left. Millenniums of decomposition, all used in two centuries. Millenniums of carbon trapped within the Earth released to our atmosphere causing climate change. 73% of Vancouver Islands old-growth forests have been logged. Gone. Centuries of forests, of habitats for other flora and fauna gone. Species everyday going extinct.

You get the point. It's not responsible stewardship.

I am glad for all the attention Climate Change has been getting lately, but I think Climate Change is just a symptom for a much bigger syndrome. It's just one piece. Don't forget about lack of clean water (which is getting worse), malnourishment, monocultures in agriculture, a loss of biodiversity, corrupt governments....and what about people not knowing their neighbours, living in McMansions (aka big suburban homes), homelessness, drug & alcohol abuse, suicide... the list goes on.

Why do we have these problems? Simple. We forgot we're a part of the ecosystem. Humans are a mammal, just like any other. You take an animal out of the wild and they face all sorts of problems with eating, a lack of energy, and reproducing. There have been experiments done on mammals taken out of the wild, separated from their kin and they go crazy.

Humans are crazy now. We performed a giant experiment and created a world for ourselves separate from the natural world. The experiment has failed.

But then again, I guess it all failed when Eve ate that apple.

Aaaahhhh!! My head is spinning!!!!

I feel crazy.

Thanks for listening to my rant :)

Etsy!

2007-06-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

So I finally made an Etsy shop for myself! I came across the site a few months ago when looking to see how other people sell handmade jewelry, because I knew I didn't want to deal with doing it through my website (too much work!) So when Hanna mentioned Etsy a few days ago it sparked that inspiration again, and away I went.

It's sooo easy to do it through Etsy, all I needed was my paypal account, and a day (or two!) to sit down and do it. So today was the day. It still needs lots more work, because I have a lot of jewelry I want to sell, but over the next little bit I'll get it all up.

So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!
Perizada at Etsy

What's Your EcoFootprint?

2007-06-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Do you ever stop to wonder how much of an impact your daily life is having on the environment? Think of everything from food, electronics, and clothing to transportation. One way to attach a number to this is to use a EcoFootprint calculator. There are a number of EcoFootprint calculators out there, and all differ from each other - but the point is getting an idea of how much Earth is takes for us to live (very comfortably I may add!) So I checked one out on from my all-time favourite stores - Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC). Check it out for yourself here

Honestly, I like to think of myself as a fairly eco-friendly person. I've been biking everywhere lately (side note- I've been biking to work, and last week I clocked over 100km of biking!!!!) And during the school year I lived on the bus (or at least I felt like I did). My house had 6 people living in it, we recycled more than we threw away. I try to buy only BC grown vegetables- organic when feasible.

But it's not enough.

The Results:
Category/ Global Hectares
Food 3.1
Mobility 0.4
Shelter 1.0
Goods/Services 1.1
Total 5.6

If everyone lived like me, we would need 3.1 Earths...but God only gave us one. I guess it's time for some sacrifices.

I want a Happy Earth.

Jewelry for Me!

2007-05-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

How could I forget... I'm sure you all want to see what my jewelry looks like!

TaDa!

Jewelry for Aimee!

2007-05-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

My cousin Aimee, who eloped last year is having her wedding reception this weekend in celebration of their one year. So it's a not-wedding-wedding-celebration. (And the whole point to a wedding is the presents! ;) This past April Aimee did my taxes for me, and in exchange I was to make her jewelry for her not-wedding-wedding-celebration.

So without further ado...

The earrings...which I am very excited about! (I think I need to make myself a pair!)
Sterling Silver, with Fresh Water Pearls

Necklace Option #1
Sterling Silver, Fresh Water Pearls and Swarovski Crystals

Favourite thing about this necklace: the simple elegance

Necklace Option #2
Sterling Silver, Fresh Water Pearls and Swarovski Crystals

Favourite thing: wonderful cluster of tresures

Necklace Option #3
Sterling Silver, Fresh Water Pearls and Peridot Chips

Favourite thing: flowers make me smile!

I hope Aimee likes one of them, but if not then I get to play more! Hurray!

8 Random Facts About Me....

2007-05-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Alright, since I've been tagged my my M-in-L & S-in-L I will participate. But I cannot tag anyone else besides my little brother. So Brian, you're up next!!

Rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Oh Man, random facts for people who know me so well. Time to get creative.

My favourite tree is the Garry Oak Tree.
I want a Garry Oak Tree tattooed on my back, on the right side of my spine, and about 12 inches long. But I want half the tattoo to be its roots, because it's the roots that gives it life.
I have had 14 piercings: 6 in the lobes of my ears, 1 on the top outer cartilage, 1 on my rook & 1 on my conch (inside ear cartilage), 1 eyebrow ring, 1 labret (lower lip), 2 nose, 1 bellybutton.
I'm scared of needles. Like you can believe that after 14 piercings....but I'm okay with them if I get something cool in the end. I'm too scared to get my wisdom teeth out because they need to give me an IV.
Favourite Kids Movies: Fern Gully, The Little Mermaid, & Aladdin
Goal for this summer: Learn to Surf!
Goal 2 for the summer: Bike to work (almost!) everyday.
Goal for Life: Save the World! Check out: WorldChanging.com

Yea! I'm on a roll!

2007-05-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Joel and I just wrote our motorbike knowledge tests and we both passed! Hurray!

We decided last week that we want a bike, because there are only so many places we can access by city transit (and we've done them all!), and we don't want a vehicle. First step was getting our learners licenses - now we just need a bike and someone who we can practice with. We have a few friends with bikes, so I hope they'll help us out!

Rah Rah Rah! :D

Discovery Island!

2007-05-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

I've tried to narrow down the pictures that I post, but if you want to see all the shots go to joelcomer.com . Joel's working on his website and has the beginnings of it up.

So this is Discovery Island, just over 6 kilometers south of Victoria, it is a small, uninhabited island accessible only by privet boat or kayak.

On our first full day on the island we walked around the island, one group of 4 went East and Joel, Cory (the guy with the boat), & I went West. We agreed to stay along the coast and meet up for lunch half way.

These Oak Ferns were all over the island, they're bright lime green, hairless, and grow up a stalk!

I have yet to figure out what these guys are...if anyone know, please tell me! I've looked in all my plant books and haven't found them. They were fairly common, growing to about 5 inches tall.

I found just one small patch of these Few-Flowered Shootingstar, and they are soooo pretty!

Wild Daffodils!

Pretty Wild Flowers

Everywhere we went flowers were in bloom. I was a happy girl!

This rare Yellow Lily was my prize finding flower.
There were fields of the pretty Chocolate Lilies, but I found only 2 Yellow Lilies!

These next two shots are of the Common Camas flower.
There was huge wildflower fields of them, purple flower everywhere!

The purple & yellow contrast beautifully on the flower
...the camera just doesn't capture it the same...

This is Death Camas, the entire plant is deadly poisonous!
Natives used to grind up the bulbs and use it as arrow poison - cool eh?

Goose Egg! The Geese were nesting on Discovery, and we even saw 5 little yellow baby geese!

The gorgeous view!

We also saw tons of seals on rocky outcroppings of shore, and a number of otters. There were lots of Bald Eagles and Turkey Vultures, and sea birds. Not to mention the sea anemones, crabs, oysters, and varieties of sea grasses!!

The trip was amazing, a perfect start to a summer of adventures. It was also a good test run for the summer- there was no fresh water on the island, so we had to pack in everything for our 4 days.

I can't wait for more adventures!

Excuse me- a real job? What?

2007-05-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hurray! I have a job! Finally...not going to lie, I was starting to get worried I wouldn't find one.

It was the first GIS (Geographic Information System...computer mapping) job I applied for. I was trying to avoid them because I wanted an outside job. But time was running out, and my dearest husband convinced me to try. So late one night in Vancouver I sat at my uncles computer (where we were staying) and typed up a cover letter. Good thing I did!

I got a call from the coop office (while on Discovery Island) that I had been shortlisted, but I needed to sign up for an interview online. But I was on an uninhabited island! So I called my brother Eric, who I directed via cell phone to sign me up for an interview. I wouldn't have the job if he hadn't done that for me! (THANKS ERIC!)

My interview was on Tuesday afternoon. It was my first interview for anything besides minimum wage service jobs. I was sooo nervous! I had to traverse my way down to the Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resource in downtown Victoria, sign in at the front desk, and received an elevator pass for the 6th floor. So I got into the elevator, pressed the #6 button...and...nothing happened. I could still hear the guy at the front desk talking. Ahhh. My mind was racing. How do I make the elevator go up? About a minute later the doors open and insteps a man, swipes a card and presses the floor # he's going to. "Ahh," I think to myself, I had to swipe the card. Anyways, I felt silly, but I get to the sixth floor in one piece.

My interview consisted of 3 men, all in their 50's or 60's, looking like mad scientists. And for 40 minutes or so of a 50 minute interview they do all the talking. They tell me all about the mapping system they use, what the Oil & Gas Titles branch does...it honestly felt more like an introduction to the job than an interview. They asked me some questions about technical experience, and career goals. I tell them I'm competent in ArcGIS and some web based mapping programs, and understand the NTS mapping system. I also tell them for a career I want to be involved in sustainable community development, I'm interested in alternate energy sources, and self-sufficient agriculture. Being as that I'm in the Ministry of Energy, alternate energy is a big thing right now as BC is helping lead the way in Canada for non-petroleum based energy.

Then interview ends, and they say I'll know by the next day if I have the job. They had another person they were interviewing directly after me. I left having no idea how I did, because well, I didn't really talk much.

But I opened my email yesterday morning saying I was offered the job. Hurray! So I will be using ArcGIS in mapping out land plots for oil & gas titles, mostly in the Ft.St.John's region. The work is really tedious, and typos can mean thousands of dollars in backtracking. Good thing I'm detailed oriented. So I'll have my own office area, with a computer and phone. The Oil & Gas Titles Branch only has 12 other employees, so that will be nice, and not too overwhelming. Oh, and they've never had a coop student in there before, so it's going to be a big learning curve for everyone.

This is going to be a fun summer!

Birthday Post 5 Days Late

2007-05-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Wow. Can I say life is crazy? It's crazy for everyone! (See my M-in-L's blog for updates on Steven & Gramma Friesen.) So I did write a post last week (on my birthday) coming back on the ferry from Vancouver. They don't have internet on the boat so I couldn't post it, but I will now...it's just 5 days or so late. So here it is:

It's my BIRTHDAY! I'm 22! Yea! Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to JEN! It is the one day of the year that I can be super obnoxious and Joel has to do what ever I say. Just Kidding, I'm not like that! But almost every sentence I say ends with "it's my birthday." Maybe I am obnoxious...

For the last 3 days Joel & I worked in Vancouver for my Uncles Landscaping business. They needed the help and we needed the money. The experience was great, I loved being outside all day playing with plants! The only sucky thing was wearing my brothers rain gear...he's almost 6 feet tall, and I'm just skimming 5'2". It was awkward & uncomfortable, but I survived. Joel on the other hand got to drive around with my Dad. I worked so much harder! Grrr. Oh well, it was father & son-in-law bonding time, I can't really get too mad about that.

It's been so fun hanging out with my brothers. I love that they're getting older & cooler. We went to Value Village yesterday afternoon and I helped them buy some nice shirts. Every time my dad goes into Value Village he checks out the jewelry for me to see if there's anything sweet for me (to take apart & use). He's found some cool stuff in there, and he's got Eric (my brother) onto it. So yesterday Eric found a cool necklace with pretty blue stones! So funny, I never thought Eric would ever look at jewelry for any reason! I guess I'm that special. (Why? Because it's my birthday!)

Joel & I are heading out tomorrow til Monday to Discovery Island this weekend with a friend and some of his friends. We've been over before, last September, but only for a night, so now we get to explore the rest of the island! Discovery Island is an uninhabited island, only accessible by private boat or kayak. FUN! I've never quite planned something like this before, there's no fresh water on the island, so I really hope we bring enough.

And I have a driver's test this afternoon. If I don't pass than I've wasted $100 & I'll be super bummed.

Yea! It's my BIRTHDAY!

So update post-birthday: I PASSED! I officially have a full driver's license, and it only took me half a decade. Woot Woot! And Joel and I went camping on Discovery Island, I'll do a post later today or tomorrow with pictures for you all to see.

Life Update

2007-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

School ended and somehow I seem to have less time than I did before. How does that make sense? It's suppose to be my vacation time. So what have I been doing with my time, you ask?

I went and worked for my Uncle's landscaping business, and spent three days (Mon - Wed) this week in a million dollar garden. No joke, it's this mulit-million dollar home in Vancouver - they have 14 bathrooms, 38 Plasma TVs, and gold-foil on the ceilings in the kitchen and one of the offices! It was great working outside, the weather was pretty good, and I was around plants all day. And it made me happy that I'm not rich, never have been, nor ever will be.

Yea! Joel got a job! He will be working with the District of Saanich as a GIS assistant (Geographic Information System). The job is perfect for him, a great learning opportunity as this is what he wants to do for a career. I'm stoked, he's stoked, and it feels good to start getting life on track towards careers.

School seemed to end well, I ended up with 3 A's in my Human Geography courses, and a B in the GIS course. Joel got an A in the GIS course, but only B+'s and A-'s in Human Geography. It's been interesting this year for the two of us finding our personal interests, even though our major is the same. But Joel's doing a Bachelor of Science, and I'm doing a Bachelor of Arts.

I've started gardening on my deck! After writing my paper on Urban Agriculture I figured I should practice what I researched. I have two planters of lettuce, a cherry tomato plant, some chives, oregano, and started some carrots, zucchini, dill, and spinach from seed. I'll keep you all updated over the summer. I hope they do okay, however, I did kill a cactus last year....

I found the COOLEST book ever! It's called World Changing: A User's Guide For the 21st Century. Check out the website! The books is about how people are adapting to a changing world, because the fact is that the globe is warming, population is exploding, the gap between the rich and poor is increasing, and natural resources are quickly being exhausted. Our lives must change if we want to provide a future for coming generations. The book addresses everything from Shelter, Cities, Communities, Business, Politics, and the Planet - all in 600 pages. It's huge! You will all being hearing much more about it as I get through it this summer.

Al Gore ( An Inconvenient Truth ), introduces the book by saying it " is a compendium of solutions, some little known, but well proven, some innovative and new, some bold as yet untried. This book not only shows what is already possible, but also helps all of us imagine what might be - in our own homes, in our communities, and for the planet as a whole. Taken together, these solutions present a picture of a future that is not dark or catastrophic, but one that is full of hope and within our grasp. To build that future, we need a generation of everyday heros, people who-whatever their walks of life-have the courage to think in fresh ways and to act to meet this planetary crisis head-on."

I'm excited for the future!

5 Years of Procrastination Ends!

2007-04-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Yea! Go Jen! I just booked a drivers test. Woot Woot!

But...the earliest date they had was April 26th, so I cannot fail! Yea for having a road test on my birthday, but most kids do - Joel did. Except they take the test the first day they can - not the last.

I bet some of you thought I would never do it. Proved you wrong! :P

I hope I don't fail.

I'm doing it in a standard. That's what my friends drive. Thanks Gord!

I really hope I don't fail.

New Jewelry

2007-04-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry for bombarding you guys will so many posts (in one day!) I'm just making up for being so busy over the last few days.

So yesterday was super gorgeous out here, 22 degrees! It was glorious. My roommate Gemma and I sat out on the deck, she was studying and I was making jewelry. This is what came of it. Gemma was my model, she's so great!

Sterling Silver, Crystal drops, Fresh Water Pearls & Adventurine chips

Gold Filled Chain, Fresh Water Pearls, Green Tourmaline & Swarovski Crystal

Paper on Agroforestry

2007-04-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I just posted my Urban Agriculture paper, and I'll let you read mine and Joel's paper on Agroforestry too. We had the opportunity to write one together in our Development in the Periphery class, which is always a fun treat, because we work well together. I'm really good at getting ideas out, and like starting early on papers, and Joel likes to procrastinate, but he's amazing at making papers sound eloquent and gets all the grammer figured out (I suck at grammer). So we balance each other nicely.

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is being heralded as the long-awaited solution to human poverty and global environmental degradation across the world. Though it was never stated in any individual paper, after analyzing so many resources it becomes apparent that this is a situation much like the poverty / population debate. Just as population and poverty are both the cause and effect of each other, poverty and environmental damage have the same negative cyclical relationship. Due to this observation solutions must not focus on only conservation or only human development. Instead, these issues must be addressed simultaneously in an integrated approach. This paper will provide commentary and analysis of a number of sources regarding agroforestry, including the challenges that must be faced and the methods that have been developed to meet these challenges.

In examining various papers on agroforestry it becomes apparent that multiple definitions and uses fall under the term “agroforestry.” Hart coins agroforestry as a method for cultivating trees at the edge of a pastureland in conjunction with crops (xiii). Others see agroforests simply as tree cover, protecting the land against erosion, returning nutrients to the soil and enhancing the microclimate, and mention nothing of a multi-use forest (Hyde, 223). One researcher found that in the Amazon, Runa Indians practiced “agroforestry” which is characterized by “low-intensity succession management system,” occasionally resulting in temporary clearings in the forest canopy (Pandey, 50). Robert Trip illustrates an “agroforestry” technique in Africa, known as “alley cropping” (Trip, 29). This specific system plants a row of trees alternated with rows of crops, the trees provide shade for the crops, mulch and green manure for the field, and fodder for the animals (Trip, 29). However, in the most broad of terms, agroforestry is a technique allowing farmers to benefit off short term provisions, such as medicines, grains, vegetables, and animals, while cultivating long term forest goods, such as hardwood trees. Agroforestry provides sustenance for daily living, income generation without jeopardizing the future of the forests, and uses the forests natural biodiversity to enhance the inputs and outputs of the forest ecosystem.

The UN’s Millennium Development Goals can be summed up as a framework for tackling the major issues affecting the worlds developing regions. The goals include a significant reduction in poverty, equal rights and opportunities for all peoples, and ensuring that future generations will have the capacity to survive and develop in a stable environment. D.P. Garrity identifies how agroforestry is essential in meeting these goals. He provides the links between the Millennium Development Goals and what the World Agroforestry Centre considers to be the challenges facing the developing world. For example, agroforestry will be both positively and negatively affected by HIV/AIDS. The disease, “can reduce the economic incentive for farmers to undertake long-term investments, [and] dissipate labor and financial resources that would be needed to establish and maintain agroforestry practices” (Garrity, 12). Still, this is only one side of the coin; agroforestry can also, “generate much-needed income, improve nutrition, reduce labor demands, and stabilize the environment in AIDS-affected communities” (Garrity, 12). Agroforestry has the promise to create local sustainable economies based around a combination of sustenance and cash crop farming.

In order for development to proceed in a sustainable manner studies have been done that focus on the spreading of knowledge and technologies at a grassroots level. Scientific research and indigenous knowledge must be combined to find site-specific solutions. Pandey’s study on ethnoforestry emphasizes local knowledge of plants, animal habitats and resources (14). Miller and Nair’s article on agroforestry systems of Amazonia shows how this traditional knowledge can be applied to entire regions to promote sustainable development (162). On the other side of the world research including the farmers of north east India has led to the discovery of the Champak tree as an, “option for eco-restoration, and maintenance of soil resources” (Saha, 248). These successes clearly show that development agencies like the IMF need to start seeing farmers as partners and involve them in policy making and research.

All the articles read agreed upon one thing; bottom-up approaches to development are more affective in the long-term. Brown and Durst suggest that in order for the developing world to adopt agroforestry, they must receive monetary rewards for farming in a diverse and sustainable manner (13). By helping farmers get past the initial hardships of switching to agroforestry they will be able to support their families off a small piece of land indefinitely. A “forest garden” of half a hectare can support a family of up to ten people (Hart, xvi). Research shows that farmers need incentives like money to get the past the initial hurdles of investment, and begin using sustainable methods of farm forestry.

In Pakistan and Uganda studies have been done regarding the reasons that farmers choose or choose not to implement farm forestry, and how to conquer these challenges. Farmers choose what to plant based on their individual perceptions of cost/benefit economics thus the focus of development organizations should begin with the farmers by helping them see the long-term benefits associated with agroforestry (Zubair, 227). Cooperation of all levels of society is important. However, as noted in the Uganda case study conflict over land boundaries and natural resources can actually have some positive effects. Competition leads to more private farms and more agroforestry (Sanginga, 73). This stability results in benefits for communities like in Uganda where many children now have access to education (Sanginga, 72).

Despite efforts to encourage agroforestry, implementation of the associated methods and technologies is happening very slowly. Impoverished farmers in the periphery lack the necessary knowledge, in many cases, to grow productive forest gardens (Kiptot, 10). The International Monetary Fund forces many countries that have applied for aid to cut government extension programs like environmental and social services. Without such programs transfer of knowledge is slowed in the countries held down by tied aid. Giving monetary loans to governments to promote export agriculture prevents sustenance farming and biodiversity.

The benefits of agroforestry techniques are innumerable compared to industrialized cash crops that are the predominant farming technique since the green revolution. First of all, those who practice agroforestry plan on passing down the traditional knowledge to their “children’s children” (Tomich, 3). The focus is not on short term economic gain at the expense of the natural ecosystem, but long term sustainability that will last for generations to come. Agroforestry can benefit the world by being a tool to meet the United Nations Development Programmes Millennium Development Goals, through encouraging biodiversity, while eradicating hunger and poverty in a sustainable manor (Garrity, 6-9, World Bank, 15). An agroforest enhances the environment through protecting and recycling nutrients in the soil, protecting groundwater, providing shade, and non-timber forest products (Hart, xiii).

The use of agroforestry techniques often lead to a higher yield in agricultural production (Hyde, 237), and often provides a higher income than other livelihoods (Tomich, 3). There are also benefits in diversifying crops, because in a monoculture if a pest invades, then the entire crop may be devastated, but in an agroforest production, a pest will only target one species of many, not jeopardizing the communities entire livelihood (Hart, 119). Perhaps one of the most important benefits of agroforestry is the reduced amount of chemical inputs needed for production. Because the soils are able to regenerate nutrients naturally, and pests are not as much of an issue, farmers do not need expensive, environmentally damaging fossil fuel products.

Despite all the benefits of agroforestry, there are some major constraints to changing all world agricultural production systems to agroforestry. One limit, recognized in Africa, is that problems exist in marketing agroforestry products, along with weak by-laws and enforcements, and insecure land tenure (African Highlands Imitative). Kiptot argues another constraint on agroforestry is the amount of knowledge required to make smart decisions on agriculture at the individual farm level. She also claims that most farmers are more interested in short-term economic benefits rather than long-term sustainability (Kiptot, 11). A farmer cannot think generations into the future when their own family is starving and a quick economic gain will provide income and food for today. Another constrain on the agroforestry system is the lack of government initiatives, as many sustainable forestry practices are undertaken by NGO’s and other privet groups (Trip, 14). This has prevented large-scale initiatives in retaining traditional knowledge, and sustainable farming groups are often isolated from each other. It has been recognized that “no single group or organization has the means or expertise to tackle these complex issues” (About ASB), and thus the problem is lacking a global initiative.

Throughout this examination of a variety of works relating to agroforestry techniques, it is obvious there is still much work to be done. However, those involved up to this point must be congratulated as the pioneers of a new science based off age-old traditions of subsistence farming. Initiatives need to be taken in addressing a comprehensive framework to facilitate and encourage farmers to use agroforestry as an alternative to cash crops. Incentives need to include short-term economic and environmental benefits to stabilize poverty stricken communities in the periphery, while maintaining biodiversity and sustainable practices that will last for countless generations. The time has come for a new green revolution.

Paper on Urban Agriculture

2007-04-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

So wanna see what paying $500 for a course does for me? I thought I would post some of the papers I wrote this semester (don't worry, they're not too long). I thought that my mom's would want to know what I learned this year.

This paper was a 3 page summary of Urban Agriculture, where it's being used, and how it can make our world a better place.

By the end of writing it, I was so stoked on the idea of Urban Agriculture, and yesterday I went out and bought seeds and plants to start my own deck garden. I bought some salad greens, oregano, chives, and a tomato plant which were all started. And I got carrot, spinach, pepper, cucumber, zucchini, and dill seeds. So I hope it all goes well, I'm stoked to finally grow some veggies. And it's all being done on my deck. Yea! :)

Urban Agriculture: Commentary

Urban Agriculture (UA) is a form of small scale farming practiced in intra-urban and peri-urban areas. It is done on a primarily subsistence basis, but some farmers have small enterprises providing financial stability for themselves and their families. In Latin America UA has successfully been used in Argentina and Cuba over the last few decades (Spaggi, Rosset, Bourque, and Chaplowe), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has estimated there are approximately 800 million urban dwellers using UA (Urban Agricultural, Internet Clip).

Recently, it has been gaining popularity around the world as a realistic, low energy and low technology solution to provide food for the urban poor. Many authors see UA as a practical strategy for meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and as a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to urban development. The benefits of Urban Agriculture reach further than just the farmers; it improves the social, environmental and economic stature of the city. However, despite the benefits, UA faces many constraints in periphery nations, which need to be addressed in order for successful urban agricultural enterprises.

Argentina and Cuba’s urban agricultural systems provide food and income for thousands of families. However UA came to existence in different ways for each country, yet both add to the food stability and social wellbeing of their communities. In the Empalme Graneros neighbourhood in Rosario, Argentina, 40% of habitants lived off informal waste collection for their livelihoods (Spaggi. 193). Researchers studying the area began offering workshops on UA and using composting for fertilizer. The response was phenomenal, and now each family who gardens produces a kilogram of vegetables everyday, and sell the surplus (Spaggi, 199). The majority of farmers are women, and UA has increased their self-esteem and their ability to stand up for their rights within their home and community (Spaggi, 199).

Cuba’s UA transformation occurred due to the breakup of the Soviet Union and the United States trade embargo in the late eighties and early nineties. Almost overnight, Cuba lost upwards of seventy per cent of their fossil fuels, which affected the agricultural systems in everything from fertilizers and refrigeration, to transportation (Rosset and Bourque, 364). In response, the state enabled backyards and vacant lots to be transformed into community gardens that ranged from a few square meters to three hectares in size (Chaplowe). Unlike Rosario, the majority of urban farmers in Cuba are males, although women and children participate. The country relies on a minute amount of agricultural inputs, and uses a fraction of the amount of chemical inputs comparatively to other agricultural systems (Rosset and Bourque, 367).

Clearly, as it is outlined in the above examples, urban agriculture is an effective tool for improving the lives of urban dwellers. UA initiatives need to focus primarily those in the periphery, who accounts for almost half of the world’s population. Many low income households are forced to spend 50 to 80 per cent of their income on food yet still do not get enough calories (Mougeot, 267). Urban agriculture can be a strategy to provide food, work, and a better environment for the communities. The keys to successful programs in the periphery are low energy, technology, and capital inputs, and with minimal training; urban agriculture fulfills all those requirements (Pretty, Morrison and Hine, 376, Sachs and Silk).

The use of urban agriculture can help the UNDP achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) in numerous ways. First of all, goal 1 aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; urban agriculture can be a valuable tool for providing subsistence food for hundreds of millions more people (UNDP). Goal 3 looks at promoting gender equality and empowering women; in Rosario, women have been empowered through UA. Environmental sustainability is Goal 7, with target 11 improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers (UNDP); UA helped change a slum neighbourhood in Argentina, and it can change others.

In all of the articles examined, urban agriculture was promoted as a realistic solution to the problems of global hunger and environmental sustainability. Some articles expressed that development policies need to address the various levels of urban agriculture, such as subsistence versus small commercial plots, and separate policies need to govern these activities (Jitsanguan, 91; Bohrt, CFP Report 7). There was a general consensus that in order for UA to succeed, it needs to be from bottom-up development strategies because the farmers know what will be successful within their communities. However, bottom-up is not the only option, as Cuba, a communist country, used a top down approach for their country, but that will not work for every nation. There is no specific model that can be applied to every country, but each needs to be examined as a separate entity, with the countries specific strengths and issues taken into account.

Urban agriculture still faces many issues and constraints in implementation. These issues range from government decentralization, uncertain legal status of UA, insecure land tenure, and access to water. The work in UA is often fragmented, done by privet NGO’s and researchers, but it needs to be a collective effort on governments, international bodies, and NGO’s (Cisse, Gueye, Sy, 146; Bohrt, CFP Report 7). In regards to quality and availability of data, numerous authors conclude that more baseline data needs to be recorded (Mougeot, 270; Pretty, Morrison and Hine, 377). Without quantitative data on numbers of individuals practicing UA, production, and spatial data, UA policies will be slow to follow (Mougeot, 270).

All in all, urban agriculture techniques have been successful in many parts of the world, and in order this number to continue increasing, frameworks and policies need to be implemented. For effective UA, countless individuals and establishments need to be involved; this ranges from bureaucracies and international groups, and down to the individual farmers. It is crucial that urban planners and governments recognize the numerous benefits that UA will provide to their cities in a sustainable manor. What makes urban agriculture a viable addition to development is its ability to incorporate environmental, economic and social impacts, the tripod of sustainable development.

Almost There...

2007-04-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

The End is Near...no, really it is. I can almost see it.

So 2 essays done, lab exam done, I have a final in just over 2 hours. Am I prepared you ask? No. But I'm at the point where I just want it to be over. Tomorrow Joel and I have a presentation, and then Monday our last paper is due. Then we just have to deal with a final in Resource Management on the 20th. And then it's done.

So close.

I think I'm getting sick. My head feels full of pressure, and the back of my throat is raw. Ugh. That would be my luck, to get everything done and then be sick and not enjoy chilling out.

Thoughts for the day

2007-03-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm suppose to be working on homework right now. I'm sitting in the library at school, listening to Mozart on my laptop trying to work, but my brain just isn't focusing. So in distracting myself I thought I'd share with you all what I just read.

- Half the world's wetlands were lost during the last century.
- Logging and conversion have shrunk the world's forests by as much as half. Some 9% of the world's tree species are at risk of extinction; tropical deforestation may exceed 130 000 sq/km per year.
- Fishing fleets are 40% larger than the oceans can sustain. Nearly 70% of the world's major marine fish stocks are over-fished or are being fished at their biological limit.
- 20% of the world's fresh water fish are extinct, threatened or endangered.
- Soil degradation has affected two-thirds of the world's agricultural lands in the last 50 years.
-Since 1980, the global economy has tripled in size and population has grown by 30% to over 6 billion people.

Hmmm, a little depressing and humbling. Who are we as humans -stewards of this world God that has graciously provided us with- seem to think we can abuse everything? We have done unfathomable and irreversible damage to this earth with little or no foresight. Ugh.

I am very thankful that I grew up in a family, and married into a family, who showed me at an early age the wonders of camping and being outside, and being told since a child that humans are not at the top, but God is. I attribute those two things to where I am today and my perspectives on the world. Thanks Guys! I only hope that I can help make this world a better place for my children.

[We] cannot use the same methods that got us into this problem to get us out of it.
- Albert Einstein.

Why I go to UVic...

2007-03-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Victoria is amazing, I am so happy that spring is here, daffodils are blooming, bees are out, and there are bunnies! UVic always has rabbits running around campus - the myth is that someone let a few out for an April Fool's joke, and well, they reproduced like rabbits. Needless to say, this makes me very happy. Even when I've had a crappy day there's always something fluffy and lovable eating grass outside. So I'm smiling all the time right now, because it's spring time and there's real bunnies. Baby bunnies. :D

Yesterday Joel and I had to go to the school to work on some homework, but before I could concentrate I needed to take pictures to show all of you.

Look! I found one! That wasn't very hard!

Curious oh Cute One?

It's okay, you can come to me...

I won't hurt you...

I promise...a little pet will feel nice...

How about I pick you up...Jen squeal in delight!

And some other girls come over in amazement...we all have a beautiful moment together

Yea! It likes me, it really likes me!

So there you have it. I love UVic. Well, I love the bunnies.

Unfortunately life is more than just bunnies, and school is insane. So many things to do, so little time. I think there's some sleepless nights coming up. But it'll all be done soon and Joel and I will have most of April off. Yea!

Joel and I have decided to move. It is sad leaving our big beautiful house, now that we've really made it a home. We just can't commit to signing another years lease, and that's what the landlord wants. We have a couple of options, one is to try and find something for ourselves, and the other is with our roommate, Kevin, who is looking to buy a house in Victoria. And if he finds something with a suite, Joel and I may move in there. Everything super up in the air right now...as it always seems to be at this time of year.

I love bunnies.

Remember John?

2007-03-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

So do you guys remember John? I talked about him in Inadequate People.

Well for a refresh, he's the Conservative Parties appointed Environment Minister. What you say, Conservatives and Environment? Can those two words be together in the same sentence. Well, yes they can when you add inadequate into it.

Why the ranting this time? Well the Federal Government is providing an initiative for developing a Hydrogen Highway. Natural Resource Canada says The Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance is a $33 million federal government initiative that will demonstrate and evaluate fueling options for fuel cell vehicles in Canada. I'm happy that the government is looking at initiatives for reducing our Green House Gases (GHGs), but I don't think that Hydrogen is the way to go.

In the Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler, he says: The widespread belief that hydrogen is going to save technological societies from the fast-approaching oil and gas reckoning is probably a good index of how delusional our oil-addicted society has become. The idea is enticing because the only by-product of burning hydrogen is water vapour, and that would seem to obviate most of the world's global warming and air pollution worries...[however] the problem is that hydrogen is not exactly a fuel. It takes more energy to manufacture hydrogen than they hydrogen itself produces.

If hydrogen was more efficient it may be a plausible option, but everything I have heard about it makes me believe it won't work.

Read the CBC news report about the Conservatives new energy plan, which was released at the G8 meeting in Germany earlier today. It says they're working on something that will surpass the previous Kyoto Agreement, but just last month the Conservatives said they won't even come close to meeting the Kyoto targets. I'm so confused! What are you doing?! Besides investing billions of tax payers dollars on "initiatives" that keep changing!

On a positive note, there is a solar powered community in Okatokes, Alberta! Read about it from another CBC report. They've gone solar powered! Cool!

Well, that's what's on my mind today. Now it's time to go write another essay!

Cheers!

WDCAG!

2007-03-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

So Joel & I were at that Geography conference this weekend, (see post Geography Geek!) Basically it was 250 Geographers (Undergrads, Graduate, PHD Students and Faculty), together for field trips, lectures, presentations, and a dinner & dance. How could it not be a great time?!

There were 18 of undergrads (students working towards a bachelor degree) from UVic who went. We rented a 15 passenger van and used the school's new Toyota Hybrid. (The car was super sweet, and cost like $20 in gas the whole way!) We left Thursday afternoon and got back tonight.

On Friday there were 4 field trips to choose from; Joel and I went on a hike about sedimentary layers. I don't really care much about layers of dirt and rock, but the trees were soooo cool! The forests through Seymour Mountain in North Van are incredibly green and covered in ferns and mosses. If I was a pixie, that's where I'd live. Joel took some amazing pictures...

Lynn Valley

And this is the forest I'd frolic in if I were a pixie...

And these are the streams I'd play in...

The whole weekend was incredibly inspiring, and I've been left with more questions than answers. Which I guess is good, because that gives me lots of ideas for topics to research, and things I want to get involved with.

On Saturday there were 20 minute presentations, done by students and faculty, which were great. Some of my favourites included ones on Douglas Fir encroachment on Garry Oak ecosystems, one on measuring and comparing life quality in rural and urban areas (which I want to study more of), land and water development and issues in Canada, and some on forestry in BC.

Then on Saturday night we had a banquet, and UVic (being the great school that we are) dresses up ridiculously ever year. Why? I don't know, apparently we've been doing it since the 80's. This years theme: Climate Change, what else! (Past ones have been Mad Scientists, 80's Prom....) So we show up to this dressy occasion in Hawaiian shirts, board shorts, sunglasses, inflatable water toys, and balloons. The balloons were pretty sweet, we had them labeled as different Green House Gases, like CO2, so it was one balloon of Carbon and two Oxygen Balloons. Oh we are cleaver. I'll post some pictures when I get them off someone else because Joel didn't take any.

So on top of the conference being great for learning about geography, it was great getting to know some other Geog students, who are all in school for more than just the credits, but are there because they want to change things in this world. Good stuff.

Now I need to prepare myself for a crazy next 3 weeks. I've never had to do so many things in a short amount of time.
Jen's School To Do List (to be done by April 4th):

1000 word paper on Forestry Practices in BC
2, 4 page lab papers on GIS assignments
3, 2500 word papers, one on Agro-Forestry in S.E. Asia, one for my Latin America class, and one for my China class
Presentation on Agriculture practices in China
5 Final Exams & 1 lab exam

Hmm, and this is on top of regular classes & looking for a job. So I'm sorry if none of you talk to me for the next three weeks; I'm going into hiding, and I hope to make it out alive.

Ahhh!!

Cheers!

Tourist in Your Own Hometown!

2007-03-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

So my roomie Gemma and I went on a fun-filled adventure yesterday; it's time again to be A Tourist in Your Own Hometown! I went last year with my mom and brother, Brian, when they came and visited.

We went to the Undersea Gardens, where you Descend Beneath the Sea, to see what our Pacific Northwest Waters look like. However, it's in a "controlled environment" aka, a tank. But it was still pretty cool. There was an octopus. Did you know that the largest octopus was caught off the coast of Vancouver Island in 1857, it measured 35 feet across!

Jen Descending Beneath the Sea.... ahh...

The Octopus, but this guy's only a meter or so across

After emerging from the Sea we hopped on over to The Wax Museum. Good times.

Gemma Pondering in the Field of Knowledge

Jen being a tree hugger, it's a slice from a 1000 year old Red Cedar on the Queen Charlotte's!

There was a torture chamber in the Wax Museum, but we didn't take any pictures there because it was too scary. Even fake gore freak me out.

Next we went and got delicious Noodle Box. Mmmm, it's the yummiest Noodle food in the whole world. Hanna, we have to go when you visit next!

To finish it all off we went to the IMAX, to see a film on Greece. It was beautiful and I can't wait to one day go there. I love the cities, white buildings, one on top of another, and the Mediterranean Sea, so blue with big waves. Ahh!

One day....

Website!

2007-02-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

So my super cool s-in-law has put together my website! It looks so pretty!

Check it out! Perizada Designs

Please give me any feedback, how it looks on your monitors, spelling errors, etc. (I've already been told about a few)

I'm still wondering where else I should go with it... I'm thinking about adding that I can teach classes and do repairs and restringing.

Thanks Hanna!

Joel Update

Oh yea! How could I have forgotten about Joel! He has a job interview!!! It's working in Victoria for BC Oil and Gas doing GIS stuff. The work term is for 8 months, not just the typical 4, which would be super sweet! The job is exactly what he's looking for, and it would be amazing for us to actually save money, instead of just scraping by off minimum wage.

I'm still looking, and lots more will be popping up in the next month.

Fun times of Reading Break!

2007-02-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

I am a terrible blogger... It's been a week. But I have been busy having fun!!

On Saturday of last week our house had a Fondue Party! It was soooo pretty! We had a cheese and crab one, with meats, crackers, sourdough bread and broccoli for dipping! MMMM!!! The best was the desert one though! Dark chocolate Toblerone, with coffee liqueur, and for dipping we had strawberries, pineapple, apples, cookie wafers, and bananas.

Joel gave us the Thumbs-Up!

Clockwise: Kelly (Girl with Blonde Hair), Kevin, Meg, Amy, Me & Joel

But a night is not complete with just food and wine (although some may disagree!) We also played Trivial Pursuit-Millennium Edition! Kelly and I won, well actually, Kelly won and I happened to be on her team. It was a great night, I really couldn't have asked for anything more.

Until Surfing.

Our friends (Jesse, Gord, Craig and Amy) along with Joel and I went out to Uclulet and Tofino for three days. We rented a cabin and surf boards for a fun-filled and rowdy time!

Our cabin was a two room place, looking out onto Little Beach (not far from Wild Pacifica Trail!) The first night we hung out playing cards, went on a walk to the beach, and went to bed pretty early.

Jesse, Me & Joel at the Beach

Me!

Everyone Chillin at the Cabin
Clockwise From Left: Amy, Gord, Me, Jesse, Craig and Kim

Amy's Poker Face (isn't she so cute!)

This is Chesterman's Beach, where we surfed. Check out those wave! They're around 6 feet high!

Another Pretty Picture

So unfortunately there was only a few pictures taken of us surfing, and they're all on Gord's camera. I'll upload them when he sends them to me.

Surfing was one of the hardest things I've ever done! But I loved it, and I seriously want to buy a board and wet suit. Not once did I stand up on my board, but I wasn't expecting to, so no disappointment there. I stayed (mostly) were I could still touch the ground, but because the shore is so shallow that was a few hundred meters from shore.

We all got taken out hard by waves. I paddled out past were the waves were breaking, which was a stupid idea, but I had to see what it was like. Once I got past the breaking point for the wave (hundreds of meters from shore), the water is just up-and-down, with a 10 feet difference crest and trough. Then the only way into shore is to catch a wave, but the waves were HUGE! Too big for a Jen. I got taken out, I felt like I was in a washing machine, mouth full of water, not knowing which way was up. It was only a few short seconds, but very terrifying. After I crawled back onto my board I looked to shore, which was still so far away, and to make it in I needed to catch more waves. My heart was pounding, my chest was heaving, and I was having a hard time catching my breath. But I made it back into shore, alive, thankfully.

Everyone had an experience similar to mine, Amy got taken out by 3 waves, one after another. Joel said he felt himself bend in half, backwards. Somehow though, we all had an amazing time, and we all love-and fear-the ocean.

The greatest part of surfing was the weather. The first day it was sunny, raining, and hailing. The second day it was raining, hailing, and then SNOWING! When we got out the beach was covered in snow, and we had to change out of our wetsuits in a muddy, snowing parking lot. (There were no change facilities.) So there were all of us, just gotten out of the ocean, trying to strip out of a wetsuit that has suctioned onto our wet bodies, which I thought was harder and more frustrating than the surfing part! The boys all got soaked trying to get all the surfboards onto the car racks, Joel's Gortex hiking boots were even soaked.

Then we all pilled into the car, grabbed some yummy food and coffee from Breakers and headed back to Victoria.

Reading Break Rules. This really does help students regain sanity.

Ahh! It's the Start of Real Life!

2007-02-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

I am very happy right now. Very excited. Wanna know why? Well...it's reading break!!! Which means in two weeks I wrote 5 midterms, did 2 labs, 1 presentation, and went on a field trip. There were a few days of tears...many cups of coffee...and not enough sleep. But yet somehow I still love school. Now we get a break to put our heads back in place, and gosh, I do need it!

Joel and I are heading out to Tofino for a few days with our friends Gord, Jesse, Craig and Amy. I'm super stoked, it's the first trip Joel and I have done since last summer. We've rented a cabin (the perks of off-season!) so we'll be warm! The boys all want to go surfing, but I'm scared of surfing... the whole deep dark water thing. There's some scary things in the ocean... I don't know if I'm prepared for it.

So Joel and I are trying to get involved with activities outside of classes, things to get us involved with our community and make connections. In our GIS class on Wednesday our Prof mentioned that there was a Community Mapping Workshop on Friday (today), and we went to it. So that was this afternoon, and we got to see what this group was up to, where they're wanting to go with it, and meeting the people who were involved. The afternoon was great, just being able to see where GIS is applicable in a fun way, and to see who's involved in it. Not only did we get in our Prof's good books, but I think we're going to pursue this further!

This has been a weird semester; it's the beginning of our lives, this is where we're developing our skills for our careers, making connections and seeing where we want to go with this Geography thing. It's overwhelming sometimes, just thinking that I really want to make a difference and seeing that I'm developing the skills and tools for activating change.

It's rad.

Go Jen, Go!

Things I'm Thankful For...

2007-02-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

So I woke up this morning (at 11:00am again), looked outside and its BLUE! Bright blue skies today, and it's warm outside too. Which I am very thankful for. It was really nice out last week, and then it got cloudy and rainy again, which has a bad effect on me. I don't quite know what it is, but my moods coincide with the weather. So I'm happy today, which is great, because I have TONS to do.

This got me thinking, what else am I thankful for? I have lots!
* A husband who loves me (even when I'm grumpy)
* An amazing family - first of all, my family, who supports me in everything I do, my mom who is one of my best friends, and my dad who will do anything to help me. And I love my other family, because I don't know where I'd be without them.
* I'm thankful for being a Canadian. I'm not so proud right now (read previous blogs), but I'm grateful that God had me born in Canada
* School. I have an opportunity that others only dream of, and I only hope that I can make the best of it
* My basic necessities met. I can complain all I want about student debt, and how hard done by students are, but I have everything I need.
* But most of all, I'm thankful for my faith. Faith in God, faith in Jesus as my saviour.

So anyways, just thought I'd share that bit with you guys. It's amazing what waking up to blue skies will do to someone.

Heart to you all!

2 Down, 3 to Go!

2007-02-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

I wrote 2 midterms today, one for GIS for the Natural Science and the other for Urbanization in the Pacific Rim. Feels good to have those two out of the way, the next ones on Friday.

Guess what tomorrow is? National Student Day of Action! It's going to be great, thousands of students across the country demanding that education needs to be more accessible for everyone, that tuition needs to be lowered, and the government needs to provide grants, not just loans to students. Joel and I will be over $100,000 in debt by the time we graduate, and our tuition is $5000 a year. How are students expected to make it through school while living in poverty, and what are we suppose to do after when we're over our head in debt! On the other hand, without the government providing student loans, we wouldn't be able to go to school. So, I'm grateful to be able to have an education, but I think it could be made better.

Want a taste of what tomorrow has to bring? Check this out: Video Clip

I don't like the Government

2007-02-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning (at 11:00), made some coffee and turned on the news to CBC. The Question Period was on, so it was all about the legislature, and they were debating the new Climate Change bill.

I am SO sick of the government pointing fingers at each-other. All Harper (Conservative Prime Minister) had to say was why didn't Dion (Leader of Liberal Party) do anything when he was in, and Dion fires back that it's about now, not what didn't happen in the past. And then Jack Layton (NDP leader) blames both of them. AHHH!! Why is it all finger pointing and no action. Is this the way that our government has always worked - I mean, NOT worked!

The Conservatives reasoning behind not setting immediate targets is that it will hurt the economy, but the fact is that our world has changed. We cannot just focus on an economy based around fossil fuels, and I agree with Dion that the new industrial revolution will be in renewable energy. If Canada does not act now, we may be left behind.

What I just don't get is that the Conservatives have given the oil and gas industry huge subsidies, in fact- they receive 8 times more funding than the environment does! AHHH!!

I wonder if I'll ever end up in politics... I complain about it enough... (I feel bad for the people in my house, they get to hear me rant all day.) I want changes to happen, but I hope they'll change by the time I'm able to be there. But if they don't - then watch out Canada!!

Oh yea, and remember my rant about our new environment minister, John Baird? Remember how I questioned his competency? I still am... I think he's useless. Why? Because he supports Harpers (non-existent) targets. What Harper has purposed doesn't set Greenhouse Gas reductions until 2050, and that's too little, too late. Whereas the Kyoto Protocol calls for a 6% reduction of 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

Serious changes need to be made, and the government isn't doing enough.

I love my family

2007-02-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, quick update... but it must be quick because I NEED to study... I have two midterms on Tuesday and haven't studied at all... AHHH!!

So, I love my family! Both sides!

First of all I was in Burnaby for Sat & Sun, my dad and brother did a surprise visit to the Lower Mainland. (It nearly gave my Bubba a heart-attack!) So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see them, even if it means not studying. We had a great time, ate yummy food (I like pickled eggs), hung out and chatted. And my dad flew me back on a helicopter! A half hour ride, compared to the 4 hours it takes on the ferry! The whole ride was cloudy and I couldn't see anything, but it was still SUPER COOL!

And I love my s-in-l, Hanna! Check this out! She's making me a webpage to show off my jewelry, and I she knew what I wanted more than I did myself! It's sooooo perfect! And the girl is so pretty, and the TREE! Oh the TREE! It has roots! YEA!

And now I must go... 36 hours until two midterms... why....

Things are getting crazy....

2007-02-02T01:39:00.000-08:00

So I'm not sure how I'll make it out of these next two weeks. In that time I have to write 5 midterms, do a project & two labs. Oh yea, and not go crazy. I swear the purpose of university sometimes is to try and kill you, and the ones who make it out get the jobs. I also am going over to the mainland (ahh! I have to leave my island!) because my dad and brother are down visiting. It should be an fun trip, I just hope I can get some studying done on the ferry!

So I'm applying for 4 co-op jobs, so far. One's up on the Queen Charolotte Islands, which would be SO cool! It's organizing a work experience for high school students, and pays $21/hr! Yes- a student (hopefully ME!) for work experience organizing work experience for other students. Don't ask me- it's the government, I didn't vote them in. None of the other jobs are quite as cool, nor pay quite as much.

Oh, and would you like a taste of an essay I wrote?? Yes, you say? Here:

There is little debate left to the issue that anthropogenic forces have cause changes to our climate. The massive amounts of greenhouse gases that have been emitted to our atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels have disrupted the fragile balance that provides life on Earth. This global problem has united countries, political groups, and average citizens to conquer the greatest problem that humankind has faced – our ability to exist on Planet Earth. The most well known treaty to combat climate change has been the Kyoto Protocol. This is a legally binding agreement committing industrialized nations to reduce six of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the most well known of these is carbon dioxide (CO2), and also includes methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs and PFCs (Faure, 2003, p.25). The Kyoto Protocol sets an individuals countries reduction target at 5% below their 1990 levels by 2008-2012. To date 168 countries have ratified the protocol, and of these, there are 35 industrialized nations are required to reduce their greenhouse gases (Faure, 2003, p.25).
Within Canada, the Kyoto Protocol has been one of great controversy, first during the negotiation of the treaty, and now with the admission that Canada will not reach their goals. Why is it that Canada cannot fulfill the targets set at reducing greenhouse gas emissions 5% below the 1990 levels by the years 2008-2021? There has been numerous other Annex I (industrialized) countries that have taken the steps in reduction and succeeded (see figure 1). The purpose of this paper is to explore what actions Canada has taken in reducing the greenhouse gases emitted, what steps are needed, and where we may be headed.
... ... ...
After briefly examining some steps which Canada has taken on a domestic and international level, this raises the question: have the hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars, and hundreds of people involved in the actions against climate change been worth it? Seeing from figure 2, Canada stands 30% above the Kyoto target one year before the goal (Kyoto Protocol), leads one conclude that no, addressing climate change not been successful. With the newly elected Conservative governments non-commitment to Kyoto, this leaves little hope for change - except climate change - to happen. After a year in government the Conservatives have yet to release a climate change action plan, except to say that it is up to the people of Canada to all do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They have tried, but failed, to introduce a Clean Air Act, which aims to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, with a target of halving emissions by 2050 from 2003 levels (CTV News Staff, Oct. 20, 2006). The opposition says targets like that will be too little – too late (CTV News Staff, Oct.20, 2006).
Perhaps the fight against global climate change has been too focused on strategy groups, and developing frameworks for success, but not enough about action and actually achieving the set goals. Hopefully with the newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, Canada will again be a leader in reversing anthropogenic climate change. In a press release dated January 16th 2007, he says, “countries that embrace the environment as a core priority will lead the global economy in the 21st century. I want Canada to be one of those countries.”

So that's what paying $5000 a year in tuition gets you.

Watch out for the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes report tomorrow! It's going to be great, and hopefully we'll see more of a global movement in protecting the only home we have.

Pretty Rain Boots!!

2007-01-31T17:18:00.000-08:00

So for like 4 months I have been wanting pretty rainboots, because well, they're pretty and Victoria rains-a lot. I found some really cool ones in Nelson over Christmas, but - they were like $75, and thats a lot of money. Especially when I had bought a pair of boots living on the farm in Creston for 50 cents from the Gleaners. My roommate Gemma had bought me paint for a Christmas present (we did a household secret Santa). So here are my creations... I love them dearly!

TaDa!

Side Shot

Cute Toes

Gosh! The look so cute! I'm so proud of myself for doing something besides jewelry! Oh- and check out the grass! Yes, it is that bright green here already. And snowdrops are out too!

Spring is Here!

Slaughtered

2007-01-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was Debate Day... and ... we died. I'm not surprised, I was trying to argue a side that I didn't agree with, and the guys on the opposite team made some great points (which I'm going to use in my essay.) Oh, and the essay was actually due yesterday, but our lab instructor's letting us hand it in on Tuesday. Yea! So a great start to a school year. right... but I'm not too worried.

It's sooo pretty here today! I woke up (at noon) and the sky is bright blue! Still a bit nippy, but playable outside. I made breakfast for Joel, Gemma and Kevin (roomies) this morning (mmmm, poached eggs, bacon & english muffins) and we sat outside on the deck. I cannot wait for spring to be in full force. Snowdrop are out, and in a few weeks so will daffodils and tulips. Oh how I love Victoria!

So Joel and Kevin just left a bit ago, they're on a mission to find Ninja equipment. They've been on a kick for awhile (basically since we all moved in together) that they were going to become masters. And last night we watched Fearless, and now they're more determined than ever. So I'm going to have two boys in my house, with weapons.... it should be entertaining. I'm not too worried about this either, because this summer they both bought airsoft guns, and there were plenty of battles, but no one was hurt too bad. And it keeps then entertained, and I get to laugh.

Day of Action

2007-01-24T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hey! Check out the National Day of Action blog! I've been volunteering (serving soup to starving students) in awareness for this! It's going to be awesome, there are going to be hundreds, if not thousands, of students protesting on the Legislative lawn. I'm so glad I live in Victoria!

Stupid Debate

2007-01-24T23:34:00.000-08:00

So, Joel and I have a debate tomorrow in our Resource Management lab. Somehow we have to argue Canada is Doing Enough to Deal with Climate Change. Hmmm, seeing as that we're more than 25% above our targets set in the Kyoto Agreement this is a doozie. (But I guess that doesn't matter since we're not a part of Kyoto anymore, Thanks Stephen Harper! GRRRR!)

Lucky for me, I'm looking into the history of Canadian policy in regards to climate change, this isn't so bad, because there's been a lot of good legislation passed and groups organized around the issue. Unfortunately, it's all about talk and no action, but for the purpose of my debate I'm going to ignore that. Ugh, the other group is going to slaughter us. Joel has to look at Canada compared on an international level... we're pretty much at the bottom for industrialized nations; basically only the US is worse than us. How are we suppose to win a debate when our countries actions suck?! I really feel bad for the other guy in our group. He has to argue that climate change is not affecting/ will not affect natural resources in Canada. Right... about that Pine Beetle infestation and no cold winters...

The worst part about this lab is the other motion, I'm SOOO glad I'm not on that side. They have to argue Are Human Activities Causing Climate Change? How do you even argue the con side? THERE IS NO DEBATE! YES HUMANS ARE CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE! How can they even expect students to find information on that when there is NONE! So for those of you reading who think that there may still be a debate on the is it, or isn't it? I happily inform you that all scientific evidence backs it up that we have changed the atmosphere. I'm not happy that we have, I'm just happy that all scientists agree that burning millions of years of fossil fuels (full of CO2) has had an impact on the atmosphere.

And to top it all off there's a short paper due along with it. I think it's due next week, but there was no due date on the outline given to us. I really hope it's not due tomorrow, that would really suck. Really Really Suck.

So I love school, honestly. I really enjoy being able to get mad and passionate about a topic. I just wish we didn't have stupid assignments to prove our competency. As far as I'm concerned the instructor who wrote the lab up is incompetent, seeing as that the debate questions are not up for debate. Period.

Joel's Sick :( and Jen feels helpless!

2007-01-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

So Joel has been up all night puking... why? I do not know. This is the second time this has happened in the last 3 months. The first time (after our way back from Edmonton) he got really sick for like 24 hours, we figured it was food poisoning from some gross food at the Edmonton Airport (which I didn't eat.) But yesterday we ate the same things, we grabbed panini's from Safeway on route to our 10:00am class, he ate 2, I ate 1. The second one he ate had bacon in it, and that's the only difference. Then I made a cassarole for dinner, and him and I ate it, and Gemma (a roomie) all ate it. I don't get it!

So he's going to miss classes today, and we're meeting with a guy from our Resource Management lab for a debate we have on Thursday. I hope he gets better quick, because we have lots of research to do, and a small (1000 word) essay due on Thursday too!

It's a really good thing we don't have kids (knock on wood) because I have no idea what to do with situations like this. I just peak in on him, and ask if I can get anything for him. What else can I do? I feel bad for the poor guy.

Roomate Hunting

2007-01-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

So our house is short a person, there are only 5 of us right now, and we need a sixth person. So I put up and ad on UVic's housing site, for $400, all incl, and that we're looking for a "tidy, fun, chill person".

I've had 8 phone calls so far, its been up for like 30 hours. I guess Victoria's in a bit of a housing shortage, which is good for us. So far 3 people have looked at the place, two are a defanite no.

The girl who came tonight to see the place tells me that she had to leave her last home because the land lord rented it out by the room, and the guy who she lived with turned into a stocker-creapy guy, and she had to go through the police and everything. Very traumatic. At 5:15 we had a guy show up to look at the room and guess what? It was stocker-creapy guy. Needless to say, he left quickly, things were akward, and he isn't renting the room from us.

Whew, it's so much work, but good because our place is nice and clean. It never gets dirty, just untidy, but this is forcing everyone to keep it nice. I like it.

Geography Geek

2007-01-11T00:10:00.000-08:00

I am a dork, this is something I've come to embrace in my time at school. I tried to run from it in High School, because well, I wanted to be cool. But not anymore, I just want to enjoy things, and being a dork is one of those ways.

So Joel and I are going to a Geography Conference March 8-11, in Abbotsford with the WDCAG (Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers). It's going to have students from around the province presenting their work, and other guest lecturers. We're hoping this will be a good starting point for networking into the geograghy world, and obviously a lot of fun! Check it out here!

Going on trips always involves fundraising, so we're having a bake sale tomorrow. I could have just bought some cookies and called it that, but no, my dorkiness took over. This is what it lead to:

It's a carrot/raisin cake, with cream cheese icing, and yes, I drew all the continents myself! YEA Jen! So I'm hoping that people will donate lots of money for a piece of my cake because they'll see that we're dorks, and dorks should go to conferances. And SOGS is Students of Geography Society.

Life is great.

Inadequate People

2007-01-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

More shifts have been happening in Canada's Parliment, we have a new Environment Minister, say hello to John Baird.

Lets all give a big round of applause to Mr. Harper on getting rid of Rona Ambrose, the previous Minister of Environment, and replacing her with another useless minister. Okay, maybe I'm not giving a guy with NO background in Environmental Studies a chance, he has Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and that should be enough, right? WRONG! Not going to lie - I could do a better job.

I'm getting so frustrated with stupid political crap that is stopping our country from being successful. How is it that someone without an educated background on a subject become the decision maker? I hate how the Minister of Environment is a position just brushed off, handed to anyone with a B.A. Do people not realize that this is the only Earth we have? Does that not make the Minister of Environment the most important role? So why is it a position that is not taken as seriously as Minister of Finance? There's tons of money out there but there's only one atmosphere.

I have very little faith in the Conservative government do make any vital changes which need to take place to reduce our impact on the earth. Why would I say that? Well, maybe because our Prime Minister is from Alberta, and supports the development of oil, has made no effort on forcing industry to reduce it's polution levels, and he puts inadequate people in important positions. Perhaps it also has something to do with backing out of our Kyoto agreement for a useless Made in Canada plan, or maybe it has to do with cutting funding for the One Ton Challange.

Maybe I'm over reacting, maybe John Baird will rescue Canada, save our world and be my hero. Or maybe not.

PS. Not all people in Alberta are bad, just ones who don't see the bigger picture.

Money is a poor substitute for having an interesting life

2007-01-07T01:27:00.000-08:00

So basically, life is great everyday, but especially yesterday and today.

Lets start with yesterday: it was the Junior Hockey World Finals, Canada and Russia, Canada wins, 4-2. Then last night Vancouver and Edmonton played, and Vancouver won. That puts us in a 6 game winning streak! Yes! (What has Joel done to me???)

Then last night I go onto my UVic account to see how much tution they're going to suck out of me this semester and (*drum roll......*) I have a $500 credit with the school! Joel and I both recieved $2900 busaries from the school and Joel got a $1000 scholarship from Elk Valley Coal. He has a $1500 credit. This is incredible, I've never heard of anyone having such a large bursary. I had been expecting around $1000 each, tops $1500, but $2900. I'm taking it as a sign that Joel and I are heading in the right direction, and it feels very comforting.

I read a fantastic book today (I said it was a great day, didn't I?) It's called How to Save the World in Your Spare Time by Elizabeth May. (Dont' snicker at my dorkiness! Read Chapter One for yourself, here) You may have heard of Elizabeth May as of lately, she is the new leader for the Green Party of Canada. So this is exciting, she's extremely good at getting what she wants (she's a lawyer), I think the Green Party may have more of a future.

The other cool thing about May is that she's a Christian too. I had been getting the sense from reading this book, and about half way through the book she says Jesus is her Lord. It was great, she's talking about how distruction of property has only been appropriate in one situation: when Jesus caused havoc in the temple when the moneylenders were doing inappropriate business. That's the only time it's been okay, because ruining other peoples things isn't going to help anyones cause. So it's great to hear of Christians in politics, and not ones like they have in the States. (I'm not judging, I just have a hard time seeing the connection that fighting terror is justifiable under God.)

Oooh, life's also exciting because I'm getting involved with the a Student Committee on reducing student debt by providing grants - not loans. We're paiting posters this week, and having a Soup Kitchen for Starving Students in a few weeks (we also had one in November) to raise awareness for a ralley happening in Feburary. It should be exciting, we're hoping to have a BBQ on the lawn of the legislature building (I guess that's to attract a lot of students with free food, and maybe catch some politions at the same time?)

Getting Closer...

2007-01-04T23:21:00.000-08:00

Hmm, Maybe this whole editing HTML isn't as hard as I thought. Joel helped me figure some stuff out, because even though he never deals with this he magically knows what to do. Always.

I had my first Resource Managment class today and have never been so excited for a course, the material being covered is everything I'm interested in! The prof gave us a cool website to check out for weekly updates around the world of natural and man-made phenomenas, it's Earth Week, and you should all check it out.

MMM, Yum! Joel just brought me a smoothie! It is delicious! He says he used my yogurt, frozen strawberries and milk in it. It's so yummy, and I guess that means it's okay for me too. Well, it doesn't get much better than that.

I have finally found the Enchanted Forest Chronicles! Well, Joel found them for us in Snowdens Secondhand bookstore. I've been looking for a hardcover copy of all four books in it for like four years, and now I have it! Life is good.

And I have more good news, the photos we thought were erased on Joel's camera magically re-appeared! They're all there. How? I do not know. But I'm happy. Here's a taste of what we got:

Joel walking on his hands at the Hobbit House

All the cousins, now if only there were all looking in the same direction

Hanna & Craig - So cute!

Jim & Val

Jen & Joel

Okay... I can do this...

2007-01-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

Alright... First Post. After fighting with the template for too many hours I am giving up. For Now. HTML is some confusing stuff. I thought I was doing good when I made a website for my computer course, but it's nothing compared to this mess. Anyways...

Today was the first day of school. I'm officially in third year. YEA! It felt great, I'm really stoked for all my classes, and they are:

Geog 344: Urban Problems of the Pacific Rim
Geog 328: GIS for the Natural Science
Geog 383: Physical & Cultural Geography of China
Geog 377: Geographies of Development
Geog 209: Resource Management
Geog 344: Health and the Environment

Unfortunately this is 6 classes... I can only be in 5, and may have to drop to 4 classes so I can work. But I don't want to work, I really just want to focus on school.

Good News, Joel and I talked to an undergraduate advisor today and ended up having a half hour chat about getting the most out of our education. Joel and I have already been planning on doing an honours degree; which basically means we take two extra classes and write an 80 page paper, and graduate with a B.A. with Honours. It looks pretty, and sounds great to potential employers. It also is a first step in continuing on in graduate studies (masters degree and PHD). He also gave us some good pointers on getting connections, because we all know its about getting connections, just as it's about skill.

Basically, the years off to a great start. And the extra bonus is that textbooks are only going to be like $300 or $400, not $1000! YEA!