Filed under: Omaha, Permaculture, Sustainable Farming | Tags: cover crops, green manure, Kitchen gardens, raised beds, square foot gardening
Winter Rye Grass
To provide some green manure for the raised beds in the kitchen garden, I sowed some winter rye grass on October 4th. I watered and waited and nothing happened (I was told it would germinate in a few days), so I quit watering and waiting and decided to read up on cover crops for next year. It snowed 3 inches on October 11th and then an inch the next day…weather turned cold and it looked like fall was over before it started.
I happened to look out on Halloween and got a real treat…the winter rye was finally coming up! Although it is sparse and may not develop much of a root system before it is killed by a hard frost, I am thrilled.
Here it is, November 10th and Indian summer has descended upon us!
Filed under: Omaha, Permaculture, Sustainable Farming | Tags: Kitchen gardens, Nebraska, raised beds, square foot gardening
So it’s July and the tomato plants are bushy and starting to fruit. Some red peppers are starting to fruit also. The fence, arbor, and two raised beds have been installed. About a third of the interior perimeter beds were dug. 8 cubic yards of topsoil/compost mix were delivered and all ready beds were filled, with some left over for more beds. We have been enjoying basil, lettuce, and snapdragons. Planted perennials in the perimeter beds, including butterfly milkweed, irises, fern leaf peony, echinacea, and red husker, some of which attract beneficial insects. Trumpet vines were planted on either side of the arbor.
Plans for next year include more raised beds (so easy to maintain once filled), pea gravel pathways, and the rest of the perimeter beds. Maybe a tunnel green house to harden the plants off before transplanting (also we ran out of space inside). Surpisingly, the heavy winds of May did not kill anything, and we were able to control June’s onslaught of black vine weevils. It took so long for them to climb up the 2 foot high boxes, we were able to squash them before they got in and ate anything. They sure love basil!
Filed under: Feldenkrais, Fitness, Omaha, Somatics | Tags: Emotional health, Feldenkrais, Fitness, Nia, Omaha, Somatics
photo credit: Nia International Inc.
Sometimes, you just have to get up and move. Alot. Plus, there is the cool music. For anyone who ever got bored during an Awareness Through Movement class, don’t despair, try Nia, “movement-medicine for the body and soul.”
“Nia simultaneously addresses the body, mind, emotions, and spirit, and puts them on the “same page” using music, movement and personal expression to integrate one’s neurology (including the mind, emotions, and spirit) with one’s outer body, or musculature. To achieve this whole-being integration, Nia addresses the whole person using a comprehensive, holistic exercise approach designed with a combination of nine classic movement forms.
Martial Arts: T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido
Dance Arts: Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, Duncan Dance
Healing Arts: Yoga, Alexander Technique, The Teachings of Moshe FeldenkraisNia teaches you how to physically interpret and internally direct your actions and choices, and to listen to the voice of your body and allow the body to be your guide in discovering Dynamic Ease. Practiced barefoot to music, Nia is self-guided, adaptable and safe for any fitness level, from stiff beginners to highly fit athletes. Delivering cardiovascular, whole-body conditioning, Nia is based on creating a loving relationship with the body and following The Body’s Way – the innate intelligence of the body.”
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Nia International headquarters in Portland, Oregon, to take a couple classes with Carlos and Debbie Rosas, the founders of Nia. They are amazing folks with a beautiful vision – “Through movement we find health”- who have a following of over 2000 professional Nia teachers worldwide. Lately, I have been taking some Nia classes with local Nia blue belt Janice Batt. She is the embodiment of Nia: a tall, beautiful, warm, confident woman who inspires me to move with pleasure and joy. Janice teaches classes in Omaha at Prairie Life and Nebraska Dance. She is organizing the first Nia white belt training in Omaha in early August. Come move with us!
An article on Feldenkrais and Nia by a Nia teacher
