December 5, 2008

Weevil Update:

You will be pleased to know that I discovered that my hungry bean bugs were Rice Weevils. (Because you were just dying of curiosity, right?) And how you might ask was I able to identify my little friends so accurately?

Because rice weevils fly and granary weevils don’t.

Aren’t you relieved now that the mystery has been solved?

Also in my research I discovered that new babies can take a month to hatch and if your food gets infested you’d best throw the whole thing out -- or, I also read, you could put it in the freezer for a few weeks to kill ‘em.

After lunch I started picking through the beans for the good ones and got bored/ fed up with the task and left the baking sheet on the counter, to be dealt with later. (Translation: it was going to sit there for a day until I gave up and threw the whole thing out.)

Then over an evening lanche C, out of nowhere, turned to me and said: “What is the world going to do?” I had no idea what he was referring to. Do about what?

He clarified: “People are using 30% more resources than the planet can provide. What is going to happen to us?”

I put the beans in the freezer.

Okay, so when I'm not busy mooning you with weevils, I can be serious for a moment every now and then... So I'll just say this:

While no one is asking you to eat buggy beans we really do have to pay attention to the little choices we make everyday. (Every action leaves a mark – this is the law of karma.) So even though few of us need anything else to sober up the holiday this year, that 30% statistic is a pretty good one to keep in mind – during the jolly season of excessive consumption and beyond. The greatest gift we can give to each other and especially to kids, is to give less stuff (and by doing so, give back to the planet.)

Use less. Consume less. Walk softer and put down that big stick.


(and check this out: http://www.storyofstuff.com/
)



1 comment:

Laural Out Loud said...

I don't know if I could put the beans in the freezer! You have a stronger stomache than me for SURE, lol.

Found your blog through a comment you left on The Road Less Traveled. I'm married to a Brasilian from Santos, and we are planning to live there someday. Well, not in Santos. Either Aracaju or somewhere in the south (where I can handle the heat better). In the meantime we just do yearly visits.

So glad I found your blog!