The Beginning of a New Life

Welcome to our patio....which is the most completed space within our home (well the bathroom looks pretty dang good too)! If you look closely you'll see a potted tomato, basil, yellow pepper, and a hot pepper. We probably have missed the actual growing season (IT'S HOT and on the way to get HOTTER) but we figured it was at least worth trying! The flower boxes and hanging basket are filled with flowers--new varieties that I have never seen before but that have gorgeous blossoms and apparently love sun. The two rocking chairs are some that were left by another soldier who changed units so my husband inherited them and we love them. We also have a friendly little lizard who lives where that white fence divides our unit from the neighbors on the patio, and he enjoys sunning himself on the rocking chairs as well.

It's interesting how one's life can go from running around with a full social calendar, working, and finishing school to worrying about how to put the finishing touches on the living room, doing loads of laundry, and making banana bread from almost rotten bananas. I'm learning my way around the military post and the surrounding area, and I have had to succumb I'm sad to admit to shopping at Wal-Mart. Although once the house is set up I'm hopeful that some of those trips into town will subside. I've been busy the last week just getting settled in, repainting my white furniture into brighter colors for the hubby, searching for part time jobs, checking in with the folks back home, and getting the two of us organized as much as possible.

There are some things that have surprised me about this place:
-Even though the produce section is much smaller, produce (and many other foods) are cheaper here "on post" than they were in Oregon.
-Pumping my own gas is faster and much more efficient.
-There is an on post thrift store that I haven't been able to check out yet, but hope to do so.
-There IS a summer farmer's market....while slim pickings....at least the tomatoes are delicious!
-We can recycle everything EXCEPT glass (which is somewhat shocking since you would think glass would be the most mainstream to recycle....in fact only three towns in the entire state recycle it and the closest to us is over two hours away....it still breaks my heart to throw glass away).
-I'm actually not a fan of sales tax.
-Many people in our neighborhood are very active--which is nice to see family members and neighbors out getting exercise together.
-The Louisiana beer I almost like better than our Oregon microbrews.
-And the commissary (grocery store) sells quite a few organic/soy/natural options for food stuffs.

The housing we are in is military associated and I have been glad to see them supposedly taking a more environmental approach. While it's definitely hot outside, the AC is set (except on extremely hot days) to average about 15 degrees below the outside temperature. This allows for relief but not AC overuse...even though there are moments when you feel like you're roasting or too cold! They also request that we replace air filters every month and expect CFL light bulbs to be used. However I plan on putting in a call within the next week to ask if they also have a "take-back"/safe disposal plan in place for the light bulbs. While the bulbs are more energy efficient, they are not some that I typically use due to the mercury content and the fact that most people do not have ready access to dispose of the bulbs appropriately.

The housing company is also starting a new policy which caps the amount of electricity usage a household can use per month. If you go over, you have to pay out of pocket an additional amount. If you are under the cap, the housing company will cut the renter a check. The husband and I already do a pretty good job of running around turning out lights, etc but we do have quite a few electronics plugged in routinely. I'm hopeful that in the next week I'll get my clothesline hung up in the garage, as all this extra heat leads to increased sweating which leads to increased laundry! But hopefully we will be able to end each month under the cap and get money back.

Finally being together means integrating our lifestyles as well as our preferences...hence the repainting of furniture, etc. It also means that we have to make decisions together on what foods to buy and what products to purchase and use. So far it seems that we are maintaining a balance between organic/less toxic foods/products and those that are mainstream. I'm hopeful that eventually we can be cooking and producing more from scratch thus controlling more of what's going into our bodies. We both have the ability to do these things, now it's just creating the time and energy to do so as we become more comfortable in our new environment. For me during this last week that has meant hauling my tote bags around into all the different stores I've been in and realizing how unaccustomed individuals here in Louisiana are to that behavior. However buying my less toxic laundry detergent also gave me the perfect opportunity to educate the checker when she asked me about the product. So there are good surprises and transitions occuring here most definitely!!

And with this lengthy update I'll close for the night! Hope all are well!