So, our 20-year-old clothes dryer’s motor died, and the repair guy said a new one would cost $180. (I have been hanging clothes to dry in the basement and outside but sometimes we “need” one). I started checking out new ones, and quickly found out there are no Energy Star-rated clothes dryers for some reason. The only energy saving device I found available was a moisture sensor that tells the machine to shut off when the clothes are dry.

I mentioned my pending acquisition to my daughter, who said, “Dad, what about being green? What about buying a used one?”

Thank you, Liz.

So we called the repair guy back, and he came out and got the old one goin’. At the risk of sounding like Dick Feagler, folks used to repair stuff more instead of buying a new one.

Miscellany:

Although this summer’s lack of rain was not good in many respects, it did mean I didn’t have to use my hand push mower but a few times!

Here’s some books I’ve been reading, all from the Cleveland Public Library;

• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- Author Barbara Kingsolver chronicles of her eating only local food
• Deep Economy – Bill McKibben’s newest
• Cradle to Cradle - Remaking the Way We Make Things - Not printed on a pulp paper
• Plenty - One man, one woman, and a raucous year of eating locally
• Blessed Unrest: how the largest movement in the world came into being, and why no one saw it coming by Paul Hawken
• Mongo, Adventures in Trash - by Ted Botha – Chronicles the ups and downs of dumpster divers, trash pickers and other recyclers in NYC.
• Paper or Plastic: Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World by Daniel Imhoff

Finally, green can be painful. I’ve been trying to buy things that are packaged other than in plastic. I take heavy doses of non-flush Niacin daily, but the only Niacin I could find in glass bottles were not non-flush, and ouch! 30 minutes feeling like someone was sticking me with needles.

Next up: Pics and info on my neighbor’s Rain Garden.