Learn from my mistake

This post may offend those with a weak stomach. Today I read this great blog post on composting in your kitchen. It answered all my questions except one.My composter has liquid in it. I wanted to know if this should be drained. No where can I find any answers to my liquid in the compost bin question.

I asked the director at Sonny and Declan's preschool. After all she is who inspired me to compost after giving me three little dried up turd looking things last year on Earth day and told me to throw them in my yard. Well the little turd where made by the worms in the kids compost bin. I put them in a flower pot and the most beautiful wild flowers grew. They lasted all winter and are still sitting on my front porch.

She told me there should be no liquid. I'm puzzled because the vegetable scraps drain their liquid. This got her excited and all of a sudden she's talking about ammonia forming as white powder and having to throw everything including the worms. Well what should I do? She tells me there should be a lot of news paper in the bottom to absorb the liquid and some on top.

Feeling panicky about the compost I come home and dump in in to a huge stock pot. It was that moment I thought I was going to die. Huge globs or goo, rot, mold, slime and red wriggle worms plopped in the pot. A putrid aroma overwhelmed  the kitchen, living room and everywhere in my house. The smell was so crud my dog whimpered to be let outside and stood at our back door barking. Sonny is telling me Declan pooped until yelling at me to change his diaper. Declan is crying I NO POOPED! My head starts to hurt from tensing my face trying not to inhale through my nose.

I quickly shredded news paper and spooned the strewing compost back in to the container. Every window gets opened, air freshener sprayed like a fire extinguisher and candle lit.

Joey calmly looks at me and says. "Is that the smell of Karma?"

What a bad idea. Don't take compost out of it's container in your house EVER.

Your answer to the liquid in your composter question from where I sit in a nasty oder. Wait until the night before the trucks come to get your trash and dump it outside and start again. Use plenty of news paper before adding kitchen plant waste and worms.  Or if you have a bigger compost thing going on outside........add your bucket of oozing death and a layer of lawn clippings on top of it.

Checking in with my goals

1.This years garden will be fabulous.

Early stage is looking good. I can't wait to get some containers and for the final frost to be over.
Burpee 72-Cell Greenhouse Kit - Seed Starting



2. I will have chickens.
I still don't have Warren on board with this idea. I have done a lot of research.

3. Learn to compost.
I started about two weeks ago. So far I think I'm doing well.Time will tell.

Exaco Trading ECO-2000 2.4 Gallon Kitchen Compost Waste Collector

4. Read more watch TV less.
This is still a struggle. I am trying out the Kindle on my Android.
Motorola DROID X Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)


5. Run more.
I have to wait for a thumbs up for the doctor about my back.

6. Reduce house hold clutter by 50%.
Not as far as I'd like to be. Little by little bags of out grown clothing and shoes have been leaving. Next is the boxes in the garage. Pics to follow.

7. Take family to the snow.

So I got almost got them all to the snow. Warren and Tanner were home sick.

8. Visit 3 state/national parks with the kids.
Columbia is our first park. We drove past it today. I told them about it and now they are ready. Now to wait on the snow to melt and spring to get here. Oh yeah and pick two more parks.

9. Keep strong with eating and feeding my family healthy.
Started off strong. I slipped this last weekend with Sonny's birthday. Time to start up again. More healthy dinner blogs to follow.

10. Get Sonny to sleep in his own bed.
Ok he is not in his own bed every night but he is dry almost every night. We finally ditched the bottle. (Given to him the first time at  1 1/2 years to attempt to reduce breastfeeding a little while we expected his brother. It back fired. DON'T GIVE BABIES BOTTLES!!!!!!)