A must see attraction this year is annual Holiday Train Show at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. You will get to see iconic New York City structures built out of natural materials. The juxtaposition of classic New York City landmarks portrayed in an organic medium are brilliantly crafted. One half a mile of train track with active trains weave thru these whimsical structures.

The skilled minds and green thumbs behind these creations are the people at Applied Imagination. Applied Imagination, a company based in northern Kentucky, create iconic structures for garden displays for botanical gardens. My friends and I had the great privilege to get a sneak peak and a private tour by creator Paul Busse. Paul, the main creator at Applied Imagination, graciously explained the idea behind each of the various structures. The architectural collection of the Holiday Train Show has been growing over the last several years. You will be in awe in how well crafted the structures were created that you don't even realize the lights of the Yankee Stadium are acorn shells. 

GOT WORMS 

For the last three summers, I have used compost dirt in my flower boxes that i have made with very little effort.  Although there are plenty of compost bins available for sale, I decided to build my own because I needed specific dimensions that could accommodate small, space NYC living !

To make the compost bin I crafted ventilation holes using both a drain screen and a window screen in a 8 gallon Rubbermaid storage bin... That's It ! Coincidentally, building my own bin was not only inexpensive but it was low on carbon foot printing. One less parcel  getting shipped through the vast skies.

The contents I use to get "good dirt" are: old dirt from the winter, 1 pound of red wiggler worms from Lower East Side Ecology Center and kitchen scraps from plant ingredients. Composting requires mindful but "mild" maintenance.  I get a great deal of satisfaction witnessing kitchen trash morph into awesome plant food.  Starting this process a month before planting for summer has always produced lush dirt that my plants flourish in.  

As winter is creeping upon us i will miss playing with my dirt and "urban" gardening.  Thank you dirt for providing organic herbs, tomatoes, and lettuce all summer long !! 

Have you ever found yourself at the checkout counter not concern about how you are going to pay for your purchases but how you are going to bag it ??? Do you chose paper, plastic, or buy the "chic" reusable bag conveniently placed by the cash register. Even if you have been one of the originals who stopped taking bags from merchants and been using the resuable bag given to you at your first Earth Day 30 years ago, you are still confronted with plastic vs paper conundrum when you forget your reusable bag.

According to data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2001, somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. It is estimated that less then one to three precent of plastic bags actually make it to landfills. So, where do the rest of them go ? Some do get "repurposed" for small trash bags, carrying gym clothes, or picking up poo. Other bags actually make it to a recycling bin.  But most bags take flight and end up in inappropriate places that is often hazardous to wildlife and the environment. 

Does this mean plastic is bad a we should use paper ? Not necessarily. Both plastic and paper are costly to produce, creates pollution at production plants, leak toxins and takes a long time to breakdown. Unless your merchant is offering a bag that is made from recycled material, opting for plastic would be ideal because it does hold up better for multiple use. However, the ULTIMATE BEST DECISION is using a "reusable" bag.

At first, remembering to carry around a "reusable" bag might be a daunting task but with a little passion for the environment and some persistence it will become another thing of the customary ritual of gathering necessary belongs for leaving the house. Below are a few tips that should help with the bagging dilemma.

1. Reusable Totes

Any durable canvas bag works great for groceries. Nowadays, it is fashionable to be eco-conscious so I am sure there is a bag out there just for you ! I have been using "reusable" totes consistently for about a decade. Right now my favorite product for "bagging it" is Flip and Tumble.  They have shopping bags that easily fold into themselves making them very compactable. They also have bags for produce that I absolutely love. The bags are mesh so it easy for the clerk to see the produce and scan it !!

2. Take Charge of Double Bagging

Your merchant wants to ensure that your purchase is safely carried out of the store, however, double bagging toilet paper might be an overkill.  Please speak up when you see unnecessary double bagging.

3. Do you always need a Bag

Try to get in the habit to see if you already have a bag, purse or free pocket to house your new purchase.  Often when I buy clothes i will ask the merchant to wrap it in tissue and i will put it in my purse or a bag I already have. 

4. Chose products that are not overly packaged

I try not to buy food that requires much packaging but when i do i try to be eco-conscious about it. Is my granola palette that sophisticated that the one that is sealed in a plastic bag incased in a cardboard box so much better than the granola that is sealed in a plastic bag that uses a small sticker for brand recognition ! ? !

 Women for Women International is dedicated to creating lasting social and political change through empowering women. There are various ways to contribute to Women for Women. One way is by sponsoring a women which will pay for her to partake in a year long program lead by Women for Women. In this program women will learn skills to earn a living, mentor in women rights, and have a place to heal from the emotional and physical trauma of warfare and poverty. 

This organization was chosen because of my personal experience of sponsoring women for the last 5 years. I have felt that my involvement, a small contribution of $27/month, has been rewarding and insightful. My sponsorship has given me a unique opportunity to learn the needs and sufferings of women in areas of war and poverty. This opportunity has kept me humble and grateful for my blessings in life. I will resume my personal commitment as a sponsor. In addition, Sadhaka Movement will also support a woman for the year of 2010. 

 Fascia has a big job to uphold structural integrity of the human body. Additionally, fascia is a common place for intercellular communication. Meaning this is a place where cells get told where to go and what to do. Fascia, along with other systems of the body help modulate blood flow. Thus, disharmony in fascia can result in a breakdown in our kinetic chain due to faulty structural integrity, the possibility of confused cells, and disruption in blood flow. Any of these variables moves us further from optimal health.

 Fascia is strong connective tissue that is essentially the webbing of our body. It interpenetrates and surrounds muscle, bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels and other structures. Fascia is an uninterrupted, three dimensional web of tissue that extends from head to toe, from front to back, from interior to exterior. It is responsible for maintaining structural integrity of the human body. If you have ever trimmed chicken meat you have encountered fascia. The unwanted bits and pieces that are imbedded in the meat and that is tough to cut is fascia. To understand how fascia is a "web" that supports structural integrity imagine peeling an orange. The white pulpy stuff that holds the peel to the fruit is like the fascia that connects skin to muscle. The same white pulp that holds the fruit segments together but also acts as a divider of segments is similar to how fascia gives shape and differentiates our muscles. Again the the white pulp that gets stuck in our teeth while we get our vitamin C illustrates how fascia can further divide into smaller functions but is very present. If the fruit of the orange was removed, leaving the white pulp intact, a web-like structure would hold the shape of an orange.  Of course the fruit is very important to the identity of the orange but it not responsible for its structure necessarily.