Joy Ackerman

When my husband started eating 'sea-gan' a year and a half ago, I was flummoxed.  It's taking me time to find recipes and meals that also work for my dietary needs (lower carbs and calories).  Growing and cooking food has been such a big part of my life.  Through hard changes such as the loss of my first husband, leaving the home/garden I shared with him for 30 years, and staring life in a new town with a new partner have created a lot of demand for 'adaptation.'  I've already given up a lot of my former favorite recipes and comfort foods; I eat token or small amounts, infrequently, of some old family favorites that are not so healthy; and I strive to purchase local meat, dairy, eggs, and poultry to both lessen my use of these foods and lessen the impact of eating them.  

Installing energy efficient and durable replacement windows, which we have contracted to do and will be completed by the end of May, is really putting our money where our values are.  It's a big financial investment for us, at a time when we also want to upgrade the bathrooms, and get furniture and rugs to make our new house look and feel nicer.  But I'm happy with the decision to do this first.  I think it will make a big difference in comfort of the home, the ease of cleaning and maintenance, and our carbon footprint.