Modifying and starting with components in my earthmachine

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I have to install, begin using, or fill my my

To start out with I have two garbage cans of grass clippings. I also have a kitchen compost keeper basket. I don't know how much my small kitchen contribution will be (where can I get a complete list online of what to do with each and every thing likely to come out of a kitchen before it goes into a compost pile?), and 365 newspapers per year. I am curious what happens with the ink; isn't it bad; can there be too much? I'll have to wait until fall for leaves. I may be able to borrow a bag of leaves if much better. I have a privat hedge. Is it best to source out a matching quantity of C before I put all of the grass (N) in the m/c? The m/c has two rows of venting slits, 4 sets on top, and 7 sets on the bottom, each set with five 3/8"W x 4"H cut-out slits, a total of about

3" wide by 4" high but they have provided no way to cover the holes. How can I add some type of slit covering addition to my conical shaped plastic m/c? The 30" x 30" m/c has a removable top at half height, and the front door is 1/3 of the full height and about 12" wide.

As far as getting used to figuring out the C:N proportions, can I see how the mixture is coming along by eye at any stage, regardless, to see what's going on wrt the C:N proportion? I have the one earth machine for one pile one stage, but will there be levels? So using my one bin, the C or N component will either be in surplus or demand, will I have an imaginary line with a good C:N mixture below, composting on the bottom of the pile, And will I need to turn above and below that imaginary line, as lower stuff will be more ready than higher stuff. OR should I keep the whole pile a good C:N mixture and leave out all extras until I have a supply compliment component. That is: Does this mean digging out or adding component at level 4 and putting it at level 3, or 2 to 1, etc; can there be many levels?, or always just very lowest to very highest? OR should I just toss it all in (with or without reason) and wait for the one whole pile to tell me what's missing as a whole down the final stretch.

Please jump in anywhere if you can, I can't wait any longer to straighten this mess out. I'll take my chances with what I get. Yes/no answers appreciated. Want to do everything at once.

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update; I just got a donation of a couple 1/2 full bags of dried out leaves (C), looks like mainly apple.

So I have: years grass (N) - two+ heavy garbage cans full (pool, so no mulching - at least not yet) couple 1/2 full bags of dried out leaves (C) all the newspaper I need (C) privat hedge clippings (a heavy batch just clipped yesterday) (N?)

SO, can I get ALL my container clean-up done by dumping everything into my new composter (i.e. ALL 2+ cans grass)?

Even if, since I have lots of grass, and potentially a compliment N shortage b/c of it, is it a good idea to vary the sources of the N, i.e. add hedge clippings too even though I have lots of N in the form of grass already?

[Tomes]

It looks to me like we are overthinking this a bit. I have a compost bin,

3x4x4 feet or so. I throw in whatever I have from the kitchen, stuff from around the yard, some leaves, some garden stuff and let it cook; I don't really cut it up much. It is just a big bin. It does not get mixed or anything. It has a flap so I can dig stuff out of the bottom, which has been in there maybe a few years by the time it gets down that far. It turns out terrific compost. Tomes

[Eggs Zachtly]

Best to just ignore them, Tomes. bent overthinks *everything*. They come here and ask about this and that, and they panic about this and that, and never accept any advice given.

If you don't believe me, search their previous posts (specifically about lawns and temperatures). You'll see.

[Tomes]

"Eggs Zachtly" ....

Yeah, I know Eggs. I have been reading and chuckling over those too, and thought about that before I posted this. I figured it may help someone else tho, so I went ahead. =) Tomes

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and this has what to do with anything?