Little Kat, Big Planet

It's June 2020. It's been over a year and a half since I've written on this blog. But I think it's time to revive it.  We're in the middle of a global pandemic, a civil rights revolution, and a climate crisis. I need a forum to collect my thoughts, my photos, and my memories. And my hobbies... My ever-growing list of hobbies. The only social media platform I currently use is Instagram, which doesn't seem able to capture the feeling I'm looking for: part photo journal, part time capsule, part lifestyle blog.  I'm hoping this can be a basket in which I place my small successes when they occur, and where I can teach and learn from anyone else who finds me here! I'm learning as I go, but I love to share. A small preview of the types of topics I plan to blog about: - Urban gardening - Canning and preserves - Sewing - Knitting - Sewing machine repair - Social justice (racism, prison, poverty) - Film - Sustainability

If you're like me, you probably spent a long time in blissful ignorance about the dangers facing our planet. And, if you're like me, you didn't know that there is more to sustainability than simply recycling, using energy efficient lightbulbs, or using the clothesline instead of turning on the dryer. So today's post is going to address an aspect of our lives so huge, that it can leave you scratching your head about where to start. And that is plastic. Remember the "Three R's" that we learned in elementary school? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The order they're presented is important, especially in the context of plastic - we should be reducing our plastic use, and reusing items (like yogurt containers) before tossing them in the recycling bin (after cleaning them out, of course!) And what's more, only about 9% of plastics are being recycled in North America, according to the EPA. You can find sources for this claim and more in this really cool video by...