# 30 Worm Composting

I just made the order through Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm for 500 red wrigglers for my #30 of my 35 Things to do when I’m 35. I have learned a few lessons of the study of worms – Oligochaetology (i just looked it up because knew it would be an interesting word) over the years.

7 years ago I bought my first worm composter at a home and garden show in Seattle.

I loved it, studied up, read Worms Eat My Garbage and felt relatively prepared to take on the adventure of vermiculture (worm farming hooray!).

The first go-round I overfed them and it became an anaerobic pile of stinky rotten food.

The second go-round the bin was going gang busters. But then record freezing temperatures….

This will be the third and final (because it WILL be successful) worm farming and composting.

Each time it’s taken me a bit of time to regain the desire to try again after knowing that I was the sole reason for the mass-death of 100’s or 1000’s of these invertebrate animals. Not exactly pets, but you find yourself rooting for them every time you put in a piece of bread or slice of apple. And take silent joy in seeing how they devour it and turn it back into rich compost.

Wish me luck!

#23 Write and Illustrate a Children’s Book

#23 from my 35 things to do when I’m 35

I’ve had an idea in my head for a while bouncing around for a kids book.   About the passage of time and how hard it is for kids to make sense of  complex concepts – before, now, after…yesterday, today, tomorrow.  I have finally put it all together in a proposal letter and sent it out to about 10 literary agents specializing in children’s books.   I did learn that I am NOT an illustrator however, so made a couple attempts and gladly accepted that this is not my calling.

My kids now have a mock-up copy (with bad illustrations) that we read and perhaps there will be some interest out there in the world.  Worth a shot, right?