The #gardening Daily, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011

In this issue, Dirt Lovers Diary and Manure Tea articles look particularly interesting ~ or maybe that is just my taste for unusual titles. Seriously though, the first (DLD) links to an article, "Wintering Plants for Next Season," relevant to current gardening concerns. 

Do you have tips for wintering plants in the New Mexico high desert or know a local gardening wizard experienced with local gardening conditions? Please share them with us. Besides blogging them, iCreate could assemble a collection local gardening lore to publish on line and make available to all. 

Sat Oct 29, Music in Mountainair: iCreate Recital

Pueblo Art-Deco Ceiling, Shaffer Hotel Dining Room, Packs Cafe

RMJ Photography 2008, on Flickriver

iCreate's Music Outreach program will hold its first #Mountainair recital Saturday October 29, 4 pm at Packs Cafe in the Shaffer Hotel. Performing in public is the final program completion requirement. Performances by students completing certificates include a solo by Wyatt Greene and a trio of five songs by students from the adult class. Depending on yesterday afternoon's lesson, additional students may join the recital playbill.

iCreate thanks Alita Garcia at Pete's Carpet Thrift Story on Broadway for donating lesson space and would like to recommend supporting this new business (or rebirth of an old one made over ~ Pete's Carpets + Thrift Store) to our iCreate friends and supports. Shop local and support Music Outreach's program and free guitar and violin lessons in Mountainair

Kay working with a Music Outreach student at Off-Center

(cross-posted to Mountainair Announcements and iCreate NM)

A Guitar Lesson

Via Stephen Downes' OLDaily, a very different part of my life from the #Mountainair NM community blogging part. #change11 and other #MOOC/s are experimental, innovative mind stretching online learning experiences. Worlds do intersect. Techies and Luddites find common cause. Serendipity and synergy happen upon us unawares. Only unawares and unanticipated. 

This fits the music outreach side of iCreate that tends to get short end of blogging... thereby recalling me not just back to music but other creative projects. Another experimental course, #CMC11, Creativity & Multicultural Communication comes to mind. 

                                                     Guitar Lesson 5

        Dean Shareski, Ideas and Thoughts, October 18, 2011

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Stephen comments, 

Dean Shareski and some of his students are trying to learn things and documenting the results. His guitar lessons are interesting, and I quite like his students' non-traditional learning:

• Cole...learning Japanese
• Nicole...learning crochet
• Hillary...learning meditation
• Edgar...learning Assassin's Creed
• Courtney...learning to draw

It's interesting that it doesn't matter what they are learning - by documenting their progress, they are not only improving their learning, they are - over time - learning how to learn. And I like what Shareski is doing, modelling the process, and not just talking about it.


[Tags: Project Based Learning, Online Learning, Ontologies]

#NMSU ACES Master Gardener Project

For the #Mountainair #CommunityGarden and local gardeners: nmsuaces just uploaded a video. I'm waiting on garden pictures from our master gardener but won't let that keep me from posting in the meantime. seed 2 need master gardener project More

Preparing for the Unexpected

Another food security and sustainability video from peakmoment Soccer Mom Prepares for the Unexpected Peak Moment 203: "I have a ball preserving food with my friends!" And at the same time Kathy Harrison is making sure her kids can eat if storms knock out power or roads. The author of "Just in Case: How to Be Self Sufficient when The Unexpected Happens" gives practical tips on storing food without getting overwhelmed. She looks at dehydrating, canning, and root cellaring; finding and preserving local food, and buying food at discount. For Kathy, preparedness is an empowering, community activity. More

#CommunityGarden Field (literally) Trip

#Mountainair Community Garden Manager Joan Embree writes about scheduling a gardening field trip. Although addressing garden volunteers, local gardeners and prospective volunteers are also invited. 

Sunflowers from the Southern Fields

Greetings, all,

     

We talked about making a road trip to see how the "big girls" do community gardening at the Rio Grande Community Farm.  I have finally been successful in talking to someone there and found out that the garden is open for volunteer work Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m., so the coordinater would be there to show us around.

     

Do we want to schedule a visit to the farm to see what goes on there and how it's done?  If so, when would we like to make the trip?  Oct. 29? (That's the same day as the Cibola Halloween Party.)  Nov. 5?  (Art Center Community show?)  Nov. 12?  (Tuesdays are all booked on my calender.)

     

Let me know what would work for you.

                                                                                                                                   

Joan Embree

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Here's a food blog~ or close enough ~a day late for Blog Action Day 2011. This is Mountainair: what's a day or so among friends. Besides, we've been blogging #BAD11 topics regularly and will continue to.

Blog Action Day 2011

Find a food pantry

... if not for food, then to help feed the hungry by donating, volunteering or, preferably, both.

The application Findafoodpantry.org is still in beta. If you spot a problem, please tell them about it. The database currently contains information about 10183 food pantries across the nation. Whether looking for help or a place to volunteer or donate, it has never been easier to find a food pantry in your community.

Both St Vincent de Paul and the Nazarene Church in Mountainair run local food banks for emergency assistance. Are they listed? If not, should they be. Whether or not listed, you know about them: so support them. The Promised Land, Danielle Clarke Director, sponsors the RoadRunner's mobile pantry stop in Mountainair. I haven't checked up recently and should, so add that to the list.

Tentative community garden plans for 2012, as yet unconfirmed include something resembling "plant a row to feed the hungry." How's that for doubling up on ambiguity? A good idea that need not be limited to the community garden ~ one for any gardener in the community with room for an extra row.

'via Blog this'

Autumn Gardening

Praxxus55712 just uploaded a video: EZ Autumn Composting with Leaves! Autumn isn't the end of gardening season. The gardening adventure never end and never ceases to be FREE, educational and just plain FUN! Join me in the backyard for a fantastic day in the sunshine. I have a bag of leaves and a very cool idea on how to easily improve your garden soil. Leaf compost attracts worms like a super magnet. Worms in your garden will mean crazy good soil for your next growing season.  ps: How is your autumn going so far? Are the leaves turning or have they already fallen? More

iCreate Music Lessons Relocates

Free lessons for all ages through iCreate's Music Outreach Program, now at Pete's Carpet Thrift Store, 118 West Broadway. Practice instruments available, donations accepted. Everyone welcome

Schedule:

Tuesdays, 3-4pm, guitar lessons

Contact:

Kay Stillion, 847-0448 

Lenora Romero, 847-2419

Cross posted to iCreateNM & Mountainair Announcements