MY FOOTPRINT

My Footprint-Carrying the Weight of the World by Jeff Garlin - Another good book! After reading the last two wonderful books, I figured this would be a quick fun something about nothing book. However, I really got into it, because although he's a comedian, and there is a light-hearted feel to the writing, Jeff is very open about his life, especially his addiction. His addiction is one that isn't taken seriously as addictions go, because although it can be life-threatening, society accepts it. It's addiction to food. Something readily available, legal and in our faces 24/7. If you have this addiction, it's a tough one to beat. The best you can do is learn how to live with it in as healthy a way as you can. He also writes about wanting to have a smaller environmental footprint, and what it might take to accomplish that. Somehow this honest book works, and I recommend it especially to anyone who's addicted to food. You'll recognize a kindred spirit, and I hope it doesn't spin you out of control if you've been being good. In the book Jeff spins out of control at the slightest provocation.

Today I didn't get called to sub, so I finished the Jeff Garlin book, and now I want to get outside for some sunshine and a long walk. Yesterday I never got around to the walk, but I did do a little clean up in the garden. I'd love to have a beautiful lush colorful garden, but I don't know if I can ever really make it happen. It seems like just when I get close, something happens to derail me. Such as Steve or someone cleans out the gutters and tramps on the beds with the ladder and just drops the gutter debris into the freshly tended garden. Or the big trees decide to let loose with these feathery messy brown "things" that coat the yard for a couple of weeks. Or there's a windy day and the leaves that some of my neighbors don't rake up get blown under the trees and fence into the freshly raked beds. Or the lawn guys from any of my neighbors blow their leaf blowers to clear the neighbors' leaves under the fence or trees into the freshly raked garden. Plus, even though it's beautiful out there now, and the sun is shining, there are no leaves on the trees. In a month, it will be back to a shady garden where it's difficult to grow a lot of color. For years I've been adding mushroom compost to my gardens, and still these plants don't thrive. Maybe I'll just sit out there and read a pile of magazines today. Who needs to kill themselves cleaning up?