Laurel Erdman

My husband and I are retired so no one is commuting to work. We use the car for necessities like grocery shopping. We do drive to locations for bicycle rides or hikes. We also ride our bicycles and walk in our neighborhood too. We have often rode our bicycles to eat out, that is when restaurants were open.  This past year we drove even less due to the pandemic.  We drove to get our vaccine shots.

I already wrote a reflection post on mulching. I hope I put it in the right category. But if not, I recommend reading Ruth Stout's books on mulching. I read them in the 1970's and have been a mulcher ever since. 

I hope that planting a shrub or flowers counts. We don't have a large property to be planting any more trees.  

I have composted waste a number of different times over the  past 10 years. Some times it is harder than others. It is somewhat seasonal. It is easier and more convenient when the weather is warmer. in the winter not so much. it seems i can do it for a while and then it just becomes too much trouble. I know it is an excuse but I don't have a door in my kitchen to the outside. I have to go through other parts of the house to get outside. If I only had a door right at my kitchen to put the kitchen waste in a compost pile near by. 

i like to spend time in the morning when preparing and eating breakfast to be mindful. I usually eat breakfast alone so it is easy.  
In general I find that I am more mindful during the day as take care of things I need to do. I am more thoughtful about what I am doing. 

I try to be mindful about proportions. I am short so it is easy to put on weight. And I like delicious food. Sometimes it is harder than others.
I know that it is important to stay hydrated so I am sure to have water handy to drink when I am thirsty. I have learned how important it is to stay hydrated from bicycling. A lot of times the cravings and  sense of hunger is really the body needing water.

i have been very mindful of not wasting food. I buy what I expect my husband and myself to eat. And then I do my best to incorporate that food into my cooking.  We will eat left overs. We like left overs.
I use glass snap it containers and I find they keep food fresher for longer than other methods I've tried.   
I have never been good at pre-planning meals as I am more of a creative cook. But I buy what we like to eat and we like a variety of food. I will make substitutes in recipes for what I have on hand. I will sometimes look at a multiple of recipes to see how to use what I have. Sometimes I just have an intuitive  creative sense of what will go together. 

My goal each day is to walk a minimum of 60 minutes. I like to walk and hike. I especially love walking in a wooded or scenic area. I do also walk in my neighborhood. I take photos if I am walking alone and sometimes with a friend who likes to take photos. It makes my walk more enjoyable. But I also like to walk with not a lot of interruptions. 
I find that is good for my over all well being. It clears my head and  it is good for my physical health. I have lost extra pounds by walking. It is an absolute necessity to continue to be mobile as we age.

I learned about the benefits of mulching in the 1970's. My introduction was by reading Ruth Stout's books which were informative, funny, inspiring, and enjoyable.  Ruth Stout is known as the Mulch Queen.
Google her name and you will learn all about mulching. She  explains  it in a way that is simple and easy. Anyone can do it. She makes it fun while  you are benefit your garden. 
I highly recommend reading her books. If only for entertainment. 

My husband and I have been avid bicyclists for 40 years. We support the League of American Bicyclists. We have attended multiple bicycle skills training programs, have lead hundreds of rides, and belong to multiple bicycle clubs.   
We support all efforts to making bicycling more accessible and safe.
When bicycling one sees and observes more of the communities we live in such that there is an increased awareness of  what is happening in the area in which we live.
it is an activity one can do all their lives and contributes to person's well being and health. 
I recommend that more and more people ride bicycles for recreation and commuting.