swimming
it may be pure coincidence that i'm a pisces and i love swimming, but yesterday i went swimming at the trent pool for the first time, and with my flippers and goggles, i could've swum forever. if i have an untimely death, look for my reincarnation as an otter. or a salsa dress.

chia seeds
it turns out these guys are good for more than terra cotta pets!
chia seeds are not only a nutritional powerhouse (why does flax get the fatty acid rep when chia seeds knock them out of the park on omega 3s and hemp is higher in the 6s?), but it has the awesome quality of creating a tapioca-like consistency when soaked in fluid.
my newest favorite raw delight is soaking chia seeds overnight for pudding in the morning! you can use any non-dairy milk (i didn't have any so i just whipped up some banana and oats with water), and extras like dates, raisins, coconut...
Hooray! :)

transition towns
i didn't even know it, but apparently Peterborough is Canada's first transition town. i chatted up a guy at wednesday's documentary night and, uh, i want to clone myself so i can spend an obscene amount of time volunteering with the transition group. really, really great stuff. a couple days later i picked up a copy of the free "Greenzine" magazine, which is printed by Transition Town Peterborough. man oh MAN it's chock full of people i want to cram into my pockets, and loads of events i must attend in november. highlights include:

Medicinal Herbs (using local flora)
E-Bikes: How to make them your main form of transportation (... a workshop on electrifying your bike? !!)
Sustainable Building Practices (in addition to building a house, i can use this for my new swift towers)
Handcraft Your Own Hair and Skin Products (hopefully i'll learn new tricks!)

i love peterborough more and more with each passing day. there seems to be no shortage of phenomenal organizations (is it weird that there are so many it kindof stresses me out?), stellar live music, tons of art and dance opportunities, and a community full of sweeties. i wish i didn't have to sleep!

UPDATES:
* the retreat was outstanding. we stayed on kushog lake in a couple cabins reminiscent of maine, and i cooked all our vegan meals to rave reviews. not only did no one miss their meat and dairy, i was peppered with questions and asked to send a follow-up email to all with recipes and links to more information. i also got to go swimming (briefly) under a billion stars and i fit in a long lakeside run in the woods. ahh.

oh and i brought "catch phrase", and it was such a raging, hilarious success (which will come as no surprise to some of you) that we played for 3 hours. we only stopped because someone needed a pit break in the wee hours of the morning and we discovered our exhaustion. that game is powerful.
...and i think i have yet to play it competitively. :)

*my DIY workshops are a hit! i've already gotten loads of positive feedback. if you want to see project pictures you can visit our facebook group: OPIRG's Rubbish to Relish DIY Workshops