It's getting COLD

Monday we biked to Savers. We had gloves, headbands (for ear cover), winter coats... Um, if tired and crabby were earlier excuses for not wanting to bike, COLD is the new one. We did not, however, freeze, and it wasn't nearly as bad once we got outside as the anticipation of how bad it was going to be. Isn't that so often true in life? Anticipating the awful (aka worrying or being anxious) can be so much worse than the actual awful. It doesn't always work out that it wasn't so bad after all, but, at least, if we cut the anticipation/worry/anxiety out we don't "die a thousand deaths" before anything even happens.

...Today we took the bus to our homeschool group & Mango picked us up after school. We stopped at the library on the way home, which felt like cheating because we didn't bike there. But nothing crazy happened, like the last time we took a car to the library. So, I figure it's just the downtown library parking ramp that knows we're supposed to be biking and has its revenge.

Today's Biking Update

We biked to Bible Study today (4 miles round trip), and I began musing about what it would be like to take a biking trip to somewhere with Mane. I mean, to actually go camping or vacationing someplace. There are lots of near and far suburbs, many along the river or near lakes. I figure that Mane could, potentially, bike about 12 miles in a day right now, maybe more, but we have to think about making it back home, too. By next summer, I assume she'll have more speed and endurance. I wonder if she could make it to 20 miles in a day.

I found a very cool looking website called Cyclopath that helps you find bike routes if you know where you want to go. It took some searching, but I actually found the link to Cyclopath on the Metro Transit website. Helpful people. It looks like it would be roughly 28 miles to the Baker Park Reserve Campground, which is park of the Three Rivers Park District . I can dream right? Nearly 30 miles is an awfully long ride.

A Bike Named Martha

As much fun as it was, I've decided that I don't really need or want a separate blog about biking. So, I've moved all the contents from A Bike Named Martha to this blog, The Midnight Cafe. If you want to read posts about biking, you can scroll down the left sidebar and click on "biking." I am totally in love with the title "A Bike Named Martha," though, so I'm keeping the space there. I just might change my mind at some point, and I want to know that Martha is still waiting for me. ;)

You can still read about our homeschooling journey at Peregrin House, as homeschooling really does need its own separate blog.

Thanks for reading!

Day 31 - Bicycle Blog

Biked to Bible Study this morning and then to the park before returning home. I think that still puts us at about 4 miles today. Not much else to say.

Day 30 - Bicycle Blog

2 miles today - to the clinic and to Target. I really, really didn't want to bike, and the car was staring me in the face. Mane was whining and fussing about leaving the house, and I almost offered to drive the car if it would make her feel better when she said, "Can we at least take our bikes?" To which I replied, "Of course, that was the plan all along." ;)

We spent a long and tiring weekend making trips to the hospital to see my uncle. He's fine now. The story is long and doesn't belong in this blog. In any case, we drove/rode in cars a ridiculous number of times to ridiculously close places because we were doing the hospital thing. I did, however, convince my aunt that 4 blocks is not really that far to walk for lunch. We walked the 4 blocks there and back, and I felt I had at least done something for the planet.

Day 26 - Bicycle Blog

No Impact Man was fantastic, totally worth seeing! We took the bus there to go see it....made sense, don't you think?

No Impact Man

Mane & I (and possibly the rest of the family) are going to see No Impact Man at the Walker Art Center this evening, and I am SO EXCITED. As Mane was reciting Psalm 23 to me this afternoon, I was thinking of how full of the natural world that Psalm is:

The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not be in want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters
He restores my soul

Truly, what restores our souls like a walk beside quiet waters? The poet Psalmist knew the way that green growth and clear water speak to the human soul. It's circular, I think, the way that these things restore us and turn our hearts to God and the way that God leads us to these things in order to be restored. They are the tangible bits of God in the universe, our way to see glimmers of God's personality and desires for us.

I've found that this biking experiment has been restorative for me in a similar way. In the city, biking doesn't really bring one closer to nature...or, at least, not any more than it brings one closer to asphalt and concrete. But it frees us to live in closer relationship to the world around us, and it does reduce our negative impact on the natural world that God created. God created us to be relational beings, as God is also a trinity, constantly in relationship. Rushing around (car or no car) is not conducive to relationships, with each other or with the natural world. I feel significantly less rushed since making an intentional effort to drive less. I think it has something to do with planning only what we actually have time for and leaving plans more open-ended to give time to get there and back. I don't think driving less is the only way to learn that lesson, but it was the way for me to learn it right now. And it restores my soul...

Biking is a baby step for me, a very do-able way to live more gently, to slow down, to take care of the world that God made for our enjoyment, delight, and restoration. No Impact Man tells a more extreme story, long strides, lots of sacrifice. I'm looking forward to being challenged. Mane has already asked for us to begin composting our food waste, something I've been too lazy to explore. I'd like to instill in her a love for creation, along with a love for the Creator, and I'm going to let her youth and belief that nothing is impossible challenge me, too. A restoration challenge...for me and for creation.

Day 24 - Bicycle Blog

Biked to Bible Study this morning (4 miles round trip). It was chilly when we started out, and we were glad. It's been unseasonably warm lately and very sunny. We were glad for the clouds and the chill. We had the new experience of hearing the leaves crunch under our bike tires, and I could smell fall in the air.

Day 23 - Bicycle Blog

No biking today, but we walked to the hardware store (4 blocks & back again), and we took the bus to our the park where our homeschool group meets (about 8.5 miles). It was another half mile walk from the bus stop to actually get to the park. Surprise of the day? The 1/2 mile walk received no complaints from Mane, though it was quite warm and we were out in the sun. She was busy observing the bugs & flowers!

Day 20 - Bicycle Blog

Last week Thursday, Mane & I biked to the co-op. It was a bit of a disastrous day & I didn't want to talk about it. Mane was in a snit all morning about not wanting to wear sandals and not being able to find socks. It took us forever to get out the door. ...and when I walked out the door the car was sitting there staring at me, pleading to be driven. I knew this day would come when I would need to exercise a bit more will power to not get into the car. This is where I envy Mr. & Mrs. Bicycle because they don't have an option. Not having an option makes choosing to bike a lot easier. Either you go somewhere or you stay home. Anyway, I looked at the car, gritted my teeth and turned away. We would bike to the co-op. It didn't get any better just because I exercised a bit of willpower, though. Mane needed to stop every half a block to fix her hair and her helmet and her clothes and to scratch mosquito bites...or just to whine and tell me that Daddy didn't go this way when he took her to the co-op. I desperately wanted to scream and yell and cry, but I didn't. I prayed silently for patience to make it through the day and kept going. I was quiet. I must admit I wasn't very encouraging, but at least I didn't say anything mean.

In the afternoon Vespera asked me to drive her to class because she had more than she could carry on her bike or on the bus. So, I drove her to class & used the fact that I was already in the car to justify driving to the library. The library trip was actually pretty good. Mane was relatively happy, and I found all the things I was looking for to do a new homeschool unit next week. THEN we went to use the automated pay machine to pay for parking. The machine couldn't read my ticket and insisted that I owed $6,763.00. I had to call the parking attendant, who doesn't take credit cards & has to have exact change in cash (because everything is automated & he didn't have any change). I had to go back in the library to use the ATM to get cash. Then I had to go to the coffee shop to break the larger bills to get change for parking. They wouldn't break a bill uless I bought something. So, I got Mane some string cheese to make her stop whining, and we went back to the parking ramp. Everything was fine after that, but we swore never to drive to the library again.

Day 16 - Bicycle Blog

We biked to Target again today. Mane made it all the way to the top of the bridge over Hiawatha without stopping! This is a first. She's getting stronger every day!

Day 12 - Bicycle Blog

We biked 1.5 miles today to the library and back. I sure am glad Mango taught Mane her left and right because it makes telling her where to turn a WHOLE lot easier. A bonus: I have now learned left & right, as well. ;)

Day 11 - Bicycle Blog

We biked to the park today! 4 miles round trip. We saw Mr. Bicycle on the Greenway. I felt so proud. He was excited to see us, and it was smiles and "hello's!" all around.

Day 10 - Bicycle Blog

A trip to Target adds 2 more miles to our mile log this week! It sure was a good feeling to pass our parked car on our way out. Mango has ridden his bike to work several times in the last few weeks, and Vespera has been taking the bus to the University. Poor sad little parked car...and I don't feel a bit sorry for it.

Day 9 - Bicycle Blog

We walked a little over half a mile to the light rail station to go to the library today. I wasn't feeling like braving the downtown traffic with Mane again. Mane tried to make a case for taking our bikes on the light rail with us, but it sounded like too much hassle to me. We'll have to actually try it sometime to see how much hassle it actually is. If we can take our bikes on the light rail without too much trouble that will significantly increase our mobility.

In the afternoon we biked to the grocery store for some quick necessities and a Go To card for Vespera. That's about 2 miles round trip. Mane whined about getting out the door but talked all the way home about what a great day it was for biking! Earlier in the day she had been whining about the walk (instead of biking) to the light rail, and then commented all the way along the walk about the things you can notice when you're walking that you don't notice on a bike. She's as changeable as the weather on Lake Superior. Cold and windy one second, warm and sunny the next.

Day 8 - Bicycle Blog

We took our bikes (Mane, Vespera, Mango, Novio & I) to the bike shop on the Greenway today (2 miles round trip) to get a drink holder, fenders & a light for Vespera, and some little part for Mango to be able to take the trailer attachment off his bike & give it to me. Once I have a trailer, I'll be able to do "real" grocery shopping with my bike.

Over the weekend we took the car to Petsmart to get bedding for our little rat. Target was right next door (read: did not involve extra driving). So, I picked up what we needed at Target. Later I did a run with the car to the co-op for a larger quantity of groceries than I can carry on my bike. And we drove to my parent's house (an hour drive) for their annual fiesta. It looks like SO MUCH driving after spending most of the week on a bicycle.

Ok, so you're all curious about Martha, right? Well, the simple truth is that Martha is the name of Mane's bicycle. She called her first bicycle Martha, and she's decided that it's ok for successive bicycles to be named Martha as well. It's somewhat useful for her bike to have a name, as we can talk about how hard Martha is working and how we know she can make it up the next hill with a little help from Mane. Mane loves the imaginary game and is willing to keep going just a little longer, even when she's worn out. She can often be heard saying, "Come on, Martha! You're doing great!" or, "Don't worry Martha, we don't have to go too fast." When she leaves Martha in the garage, Mane tells her to enjoy her rest with her friends (the other bikes). When it came to writing a blog about cycling, it just seemed right to commemorate Martha! So, there you have it. Plain and simple.

Day 4 - Bicycle Blog

We biked to the co-op today for our second round of groceries this week (3 miles round trip). I'm learning just exactly how much I can fit in that crate on the back of my bike!

I love how friendly people are when we're out biking. I love it that people always smile to see Mane riding along on her bike with her pink basket & streamers. I love feeling NOT hurried. I don't know why I felt hurried before. It's not like I've been in a big hurry to grocery shop, but somehow the fact that we're biking lets my brain know that we're not in a hurry. We're just living life and doing what needs to be done.

Day 2 - Bicycle Blog

We biked to the library today...approximately 6 miles round trip. And I've decided I'm not sure how I feel about taking a 7 year old "city biking." We ended up in downtown during rush hour with hurried car drivers and lots of street noise. Mane behaved excellently, but I found it a bit stressful myself. She's too young and small to ride on the street. So, we use the sidewalks. This means the people turning right don't care if we're getting ready to cross the street in front of them. They barely even slow down on their way around the corner. I only had to grab Mane's arm once to keep her from riding in front of an oncoming car, but that was enough. I'm thinking I might be putting some more planning into what routes we use and possibly avoiding downtown entirely by taking the light rail instead.

I was going to write about Martha today, but it's getting late. So, I'll save that for another time.

Day One - Bicycle Blog

We biked to the co-op for whatever amount of groceries would fit in my bicycle "crate," and we biked to the clinic to pick up a medication refill. Total distance today: 4 miles. Mane's current record is a little over 6 miles in a day.

Biking Everywhere

We have some friends. Let's call them Mr. & Mrs. Bicycle. They bike everywhere...literally. They have no car, and they live here in this city. They are happy, well-adjusted people with real jobs, and a child. There's a second child on the way, too, by the way. They don't flaunt their no-car status. In fact, it's kind of hard to get them to talk about it. They just live like this, and I completely admire them.

I'm not sure what attracts me the most. Of course, there are the environmental benefits of riding a bike, rather than driving a car. The kind of car driving I tend to do is the absolute worst - city driving, stop and go, quick trips here & there with lots of turning the car off & restarting after a quick errand. I've been aware of this for some time now, though, and it hasn't compelled me to do a whole lot about it. (For which I feel somewhat guilty.)

There are health benefits, too, to be sure. One certainly burns more calories and builds more muscle on a bike than in a car. It actually occurred to me how funny it all is, actually, when you think about it...to sit down and have the car carry you half a mile to the grocery store. Half a mile was easily in the daily or several-times-daily repertoire of our ancestors.

But, still, the health benefits are not the most compelling.

About a week ago I went to Mr. Bicycle's house in the afternoon along with Vespera. She helps him run a bicycle repair and refurbishing business/charity out of his garage a few afternoons a week. Mango & Mane came along. I went because I had a trail-a-bike type apparatus to give to Mr. Bicycle. We all stayed because we'd biked all the way over there, and, well, it seemed like a comfortable place to be. We got our hands dirty repairing a few bikes. Vespera dug right in, knowing exactly what to do and where everything was kept. All kinds of people, from up and down the alley and all through the neighborhood stopped by. Some already knew Mr. Bicycle, and some came to ask a favor or buy a bike because they had been referred by someone else. A few came to practice their Spanish or teach a few words in Somali. It was unhurried, even leisurely.

Yes, that's it. Mr. Bicycle is never, ever in a hurry. In spite of the fact that he must plan all of his trips with extra time for biking (though he is fast), he's somehow never frantic. Maybe, just maybe, cars contribute to our hustle and bustle, hurried lifestyles. We can get somewhere more quickly so we squeeze more into the day and wait until the last possible moment to leave for anywhere. Even I, as planful as I am, often feel hurried, though I'm notorious for being on time or even early. The truth is, being early requires hurrying, too.

Mr. Bicycle said something when we were there in his alley the other day that rings so true, too. He said that he hated the winter until he started biking in it. Imagine that! Most of us, even here in hardy Minnesota, might agree to a 3-season bicycle experiment. But to bike in WINTER? Minnesota Winter? I wouldn't believe it, except that last year all the kids & Mango got snowboards, and I went out on skis, and we had fun in the Minnesota winter. I had been looking on-line for ways to beat the winter blues in MN, and I read somewhere that if you're going to live in the winter in MN, you have to embrace the winter, you have to get OUT into the winter and enjoy it. And how true that we can often find something to embrace when we just stop struggling so hard against it.

Next to not being hurried, I find that I enjoy the simplicity of biking. Mango told me the other day that the bicycle is the most efficient human-powered machine ever invented. That attracts me somehow. If you get around Minneapolis much, you'll see that many people have turned this bicycling simplicity into an art form. Bicyclists are inventive and creative in the ways they find to convey themselves and carry cargo. Very creative, and, yet, still so simple...homemade, backyard solutions. Anybody can learn to fix their own bike. Most people will never learn to fix their own car. And fixing a bike takes a few minutes, maybe an hour. Putting a new transmission in our car took all day.

Mango uses the word "freedom" when talking about riding a bike. He talks about how biking is "coloring outside the lines." It's outside the box, maybe even outside the rat race. It doesn't confine you to following google maps to get to your destination. It frees you from consuming the world's resources, unplugs you from the grid for just a little while. Biking allows you the freedom to stop and say "hello" to your fellow commuter, to not just move from "one climate controlled environment to another" (Mango's words again), but to actually experience the world and interact with it. Biking means being out in the world in a way that you cannot be if you're commuting in a car.

This is what attracts me. It's the simplicity, the living and breathing of real life, the interaction with the world and fellow human beings.

I also love it that Mane sleeps really well at the end of a "biking" day.

So what am I doing about it? As a homeschooling experiment, Mane & I are going to keep track of the errands we run, the places we go every day, and where we could go bike. We're going to keep track of how much we use the car, and how much we use it when we didn't have to use it. It isn't to make anyone feel guilty. It's to raise awareness, to play with the possibilities, to increase our dependence and our freedom. I have blocked out an hour and a half each morning on my extremely flexible homeschool schedule for getting out and getting active. Building biking into the plan will hopefully turn it into a habit...and then a lifestyle.