Blueberries? They couldn’t be blueberries! I’d never seen blueberries in the desert, or for sale in a Tucson farmer’s market, or in anyone’s garden in this town. And I certainly hadn’t planted them in my garden. I went in closer. The plant was loaded with little fruits, purplish-black, the size of blueberries or even slightlyContinue reading “Post 75: My Black Pearls”
Tag Archives: Problem Solving
Post 69: Are You a Winter Wimp?
I am! I hate being cold, even just a little bit. You’d think growing up in Minnesota would have toughened me up a bit, but no. As soon as I was old enough, I escaped to a warmer place: this Sonoran Desert. (We still have winters here, but they’re mild—nowhere near as cold as theContinue reading “Post 69: Are You a Winter Wimp?”
Post 60: People Bought These 10 Items! You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!
Not buying stuff adds up to real money. It doesn’t always seem like it, when the refused purchase is something small, but it does add up. I was able to retire at age 49—even without Social Security and Medicare. It wasn’t like I was making the big bucks; I think the most I ever madeContinue reading “Post 60: People Bought These 10 Items! You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!”
Post 59: An Open Letter to President Biden on the IRA
Note from Kay: Thanks, friends, for visiting again today. This is the last of my weekly posts; you’ll be hearing from me every other week for a while. I’ll let you know when the book is done. Maybe there will be a deal for New Stuff Sucks readers. So: ¡No te vayas! Forget about theContinue reading “Post 59: An Open Letter to President Biden on the IRA”
Post 56. Tandemonium
Guest post by Anna Mirocha From Kay: When I first went carless, my daughter was 10. I bought us an old tandem bicycle to get around town. She was too young to fully appreciate my planetary concerns, or the fact that we’d save money, or the exercise benefits. It was a case of the parentContinue reading “Post 56. Tandemonium”
Post 53: Punished for Our Purchases
A couple weeks ago, Terry and I had to buy some new stuff. Once in a while, as I’ve said, it’s unavoidable. At least we could still protest the shopping trip by biking to the store instead of driving there. The temperature was in the three digits, but it was only two miles away andContinue reading “Post 53: Punished for Our Purchases”
Post 52: A Monsoon Story
Nature is the opposite of new stuff. If you’re out in your back yard, you’re not at Walmart. If you’re hiking in the wilderness, you’re not ordering stuff on the Internet. If you’re camping in the reality of the desert, you’re not moving through the artificial world of video games. Human beings tend to thinkContinue reading “Post 52: A Monsoon Story”
Post 47: Are We Too Many? (Part 2)
I posted the first half of this piece last week. In that post, along with this one, I’m responding to an article from The Atlantic’s Weekly Planet, “People Who Hate People,” by Jerusalem Demsas, May 25, 2022. It makes sense at this point to go back to Paul Ehrlich’s personal evolution, because it grew inContinue reading “Post 47: Are We Too Many? (Part 2)”
Post 45: Home Free
My marriage was killed by home-decorating magazines. Or at least they put a big nail in its coffin. I was lost. Paul knew what he wanted to do with his life and was passionate about it. I didn’t, even with two degrees. I had a lot of interests—and yes, even passions—but I had no ideaContinue reading “Post 45: Home Free”
Post 43: Distance Loving
I was allowed a parakeet in a cage; that’s all. No cats, no dogs. We babysat a cat once, my cousin John’s, for a week. It must have been traumatic for the cat: These days, we realize cats bond with their homes and prefer the babysitter to visit them, to fill their familiar food andContinue reading “Post 43: Distance Loving“
New Stuff Sucks 