An old and dear friend posted a picture of McDonald's Shamrock Shakes on my Facebook wall and said they remind her of me. It's true....the "old" me was a Shamrock Shake fan. Before I became a mom, when I was a working woman, every year at Shamrock Shake time, I would organize and outing to McDonald's so we could hang out and ingest the minty green concoction with delight. I haven't been able to bring myself to buy one for a few years, since I've been realizing the environmental impacts that my lifestyle is having. As my mom says, "When you know better, you do better."
A lot of people in my life think I'm an extremist. It's extreme to a lot of people to never drink a Shamrock Shake again just because you believe it's bad for the planet. It's just one Shamrock Shake, after all.
A wonderful blogger, Ryan Elizabeth Cope, just wrote a post about an article that upset many of us 'extremists' dealing with this very thought. You can check it out here: http://sevenintheocean.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/straws-suck-no-really-they-do/
It's just one Shamrock Shake, right? I'm extreme because I won't let myself have one. It's extreme to refuse a straw. It's extreme to have to bring your own bag...or water bottle...or utensils.
Well, to me, it's extreme to put 3 items in a plastic bag that will be used once and tossed. It's extreme to defend the right to consume single-use plastic every day when there are animals being killed and oceans and beaches being polluted at rates that are unfathomable. It's extreme to not think about what impact our actions are making on the world around us, to live an unconscious life. When you know better, you do better.
One of my sons came crying to me this week telling me that he was sensitive and that meant he had to run away when a friend of his said something that hurt his feelings because he felt like he was going to cry. And he is sensitive and this really upsets him. I told him that I think I know the person who passed on this sensitivity very well and I have it on good authority that sensitive people are some of the very best people on this planet because they feel things so deeply that they can often discover things that other people do not notice and make other people aware of them before they cause more harm.
Chris Jordan is a sensitive soul. His artwork captures breathtaking scenes of beauty, agony, anguish, despair, hope. His work for his documentary, Midway, is what first made me realize the horror of the plastic that I was tossing on a daily basis and start to change my actions. I am so grateful to him, among many others, for his inspiration and courage in following his heart and his convictions and giving that gift to the world.
Another such inspiration is Goffinet McLaren, author of Sullie Saves the Seas, a beautiful book for young people about plastic pollution, who I had the extreme honor to meet on Facebook!. I highly recommend this book to everyone who has a young person in their life and even those who don't - I loved reading it as an adult! If you want to try to win a copy of the book, Beth Terry is giving one away here: http://myplasticfreelife.com/2012/02/sullie-saves-the-seas-a-story-for-children-and-adults/
There is always fear around extremes. We worry that our freedom will be taken away. What will life be like without a Shamrock Shake? I understand the fear, but we need to push past it to make new discoveries that lead to a better life. I'm testing out some homemade shamrock shake recipes that come without the plastic cup, plastic dome lid and plastic straw.
I think we need to live a life that is in line with what we believe and who were truly are inside. When we see the pictures of birds on Midway dying with bellies full of plastic and make the connection with what we are throwing away on a daily basis, we need to have a response. Maybe an extreme response. When we know better, we do better.
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Importance of Education for Sustainability
I was fortunate enough to have been selected to participate in NJ Learns Keystone Year 2011, an effort by The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. Generously paid for by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, this experience has greatly enhanced my ability and desire to affect change in our world. I was motivated and inspired by all of the wonderful people who are making good things happen each day in the name of sustainability. This group is not unlike the world in which we live: full of diversity, ideas, challenges and ready to unite around common goals. It is so powerful to feel what can be accomplished when we work together, using the best of our individual talents to add to the whole.
What is Education for Sustainability? In the words of The Cloud Institute, "Education for Sustainability (EfS) is defined as a transformative learning process that equips students, teachers, and school systems with the new knowledge and ways of thinking we need to achieve economic prosperity and responsible citizenship while restoring the health of the living systems upon which our lives depend." You can learn more about The Cloud Institute and the work they do here: http://www.cloudinstitute.org/ .
One of my favorite parts of this experience is the access to another network of people who share my passion for sustainability. Just as this blog has connected me to wonderful people like David who writes at http://beyondplastic.wordpress.com/ . His words always seem to inspire me to get my words out of my head and onto this page. His most recent post is about connections and I know you will enjoy reading it!
Another connection: Beth Terry of My Plastic-Free Life ( http://myplasticfreelife.com/ ) recently added me to her blog list. Thank you, Beth, for this honor - I will try to live up to your example and inspiration (although when you hear about the plastic I am considering buying, it will not make you smile)!
A fellow NJ Learner recently mentioned the book Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein. Have you read it? I have not, but plan to. You can read it here if you'd like: http://sacred-economics.com/read-online/ . I listened to the first 15 minutes of a recording by the author here: http://soundcloud.com/ianmackenz/charles-eisenstein-money-gift and am intrigued. It connects to something I've been thinking about at school lately....
We are getting ready for our Mother-Son dance. The theme is a luau. As always happens when we get ready for these events, we are looking for gifts. Door prizes, game prizes, etc. And, of course, our budget is very small. We ask for local companies to donate gift certificates or baskets of goodies. This is definitely an area that I struggle with as I have been asked to track down gifts for the boys. We have karate class and gym gift certificates and now they are looking for physical objects....toys. And they need to be 'cheap'. I was pointed in the direction of plastic boomerangs which cost $3.33 each and little plastic cars. Most of the things that have been purchased in the past are no doubt sitting in a landfill at this point, since they were cheap, plastic and easily-breakable. I could easily buy those boomerangs, but I won't. At a slightly higher price per item, I found these: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Toys-EcoSaucer-Flying-Disc/dp/B001Q3KUB4/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1327694120&sr=8-45 . Yes, they are still plastic. It makes my conscience feel a little better to know that they are made in the U.S.A. from 100% recycled plastic grocery bags, but I know I could do better. And the best would be to do without.
I'm hoping to gain more insight into this problem and the solutions from the book above. But I am constantly faced with the realization of how important Educating for Sustainability is in our lives. As Einstein said, and The Cloud Institute has reinforced, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." We need to think differently and act differently. What new ways of thinking are you implementing in your life?
What is Education for Sustainability? In the words of The Cloud Institute, "Education for Sustainability (EfS) is defined as a transformative learning process that equips students, teachers, and school systems with the new knowledge and ways of thinking we need to achieve economic prosperity and responsible citizenship while restoring the health of the living systems upon which our lives depend." You can learn more about The Cloud Institute and the work they do here: http://www.cloudinstitute.org/ .
One of my favorite parts of this experience is the access to another network of people who share my passion for sustainability. Just as this blog has connected me to wonderful people like David who writes at http://beyondplastic.wordpress.com/ . His words always seem to inspire me to get my words out of my head and onto this page. His most recent post is about connections and I know you will enjoy reading it!
Another connection: Beth Terry of My Plastic-Free Life ( http://myplasticfreelife.com/ ) recently added me to her blog list. Thank you, Beth, for this honor - I will try to live up to your example and inspiration (although when you hear about the plastic I am considering buying, it will not make you smile)!
A fellow NJ Learner recently mentioned the book Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein. Have you read it? I have not, but plan to. You can read it here if you'd like: http://sacred-economics.com/read-online/ . I listened to the first 15 minutes of a recording by the author here: http://soundcloud.com/ianmackenz/charles-eisenstein-money-gift and am intrigued. It connects to something I've been thinking about at school lately....
We are getting ready for our Mother-Son dance. The theme is a luau. As always happens when we get ready for these events, we are looking for gifts. Door prizes, game prizes, etc. And, of course, our budget is very small. We ask for local companies to donate gift certificates or baskets of goodies. This is definitely an area that I struggle with as I have been asked to track down gifts for the boys. We have karate class and gym gift certificates and now they are looking for physical objects....toys. And they need to be 'cheap'. I was pointed in the direction of plastic boomerangs which cost $3.33 each and little plastic cars. Most of the things that have been purchased in the past are no doubt sitting in a landfill at this point, since they were cheap, plastic and easily-breakable. I could easily buy those boomerangs, but I won't. At a slightly higher price per item, I found these: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Toys-EcoSaucer-Flying-Disc/dp/B001Q3KUB4/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1327694120&sr=8-45 . Yes, they are still plastic. It makes my conscience feel a little better to know that they are made in the U.S.A. from 100% recycled plastic grocery bags, but I know I could do better. And the best would be to do without.
I'm hoping to gain more insight into this problem and the solutions from the book above. But I am constantly faced with the realization of how important Educating for Sustainability is in our lives. As Einstein said, and The Cloud Institute has reinforced, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." We need to think differently and act differently. What new ways of thinking are you implementing in your life?
Friday, January 13, 2012
I Am...
I find that I don't post as often as I think about posting...so many words and thought swirling around in my mind, that I'm never sure I'll do them justice, bring them to life the way I want them to come across...so many connections, mixed emotions, contradictions....will you understand what I'm trying to say? This year, I am telling myself to relax a bit and just put the words out there. I've set a goal to do this at least twice a month, hopefully more often. It might not be pretty or poetic, but I'm happy to be here among friends, so thanks for reading!
I sat down on the morning of January 1st and watched the documentary "I Am" by Tom Shadyac. http://www.iamthedoc.com/
It sums up a lot of what I've been feeling and thinking and what seems to be a rising consciousness in our world - we are all connected. Each one of our actions has an impact on the world....what are our actions doing? Are they protecting, preserving, sharing, caring? It was a good way to start the year, thinking about who "I Am"......
That's how I started this blog, trying to think about the actions I was taking and see if I could inspire and be inspired by others. Who am I? I guess that's the universal question. Some of us know much earlier than others. Another connection to 'I Am'...Mattie Stepanek. A young man who wanted to be known as "a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played." Wise beyond his years, inspirational beyond his life here on earth. He wrote a poem entitled "I Am/Shades of Life" and Billy Gilman recorded a song using his lyrics. Mattie's mission was peace. He thought a lot about what each individual's impact was in the world and knew that it meant a lot. You can read more about him at http://www.mattieonline.com . I had the great honor of meeting his mom, Jeni, in September when we traveled to Maryland to visit a park built in Mattie's honor. I took my family there because I have 3 sons who I hope will be inspired and encouraged by Mattie....One of them is named after him. Jeni Stepanek continues to spread her son's vision of peace. When you read the 'Pathways to Peace' publication that she has created, you will see the incredible wisdom of her son: http://www.mattieonline.com/brochures/Pathways_to_Peace_brochure_NEW.pdf
Who am I? I think it takes some slowing down to ponder that question. It seems to swirl around in my head a bit louder now that I am 3 months away from turning 40. Age is just a number, but milestones have a way of making us slow down to think about things. I have a son who will be a teenager in 1 1/2 years. How can that be when it doesn't seem that long ago that I first became really aware of the fact that my actions impact another, when I was 'eating for 2' and wondering why we don't all eat as though we are eating for 2. Not that long since, as a new mom, I moved into a new townhouse with my husband and infant son who would not sleep unless he was upright (which I later found out was due to a milk intolerance, passed on through breast milk since I was drinking lots of milk). Because of this, he slept in his carseat, right on the ground, on the newly installed wall-to-wall carpet that 'would be perfect for a baby to crawl around on.' The same carpet that I believe gave him asthma. Nope, it's not scientific, just a mother's intuition....another one of my gut feelings. After almost 40 years, I'm finally starting to trust my gut. To continue to question who I am. To try to make sense out of this gift we call life....
It's such a beautiful thing.
I have so many things I want to write about....some you might like and some you might not. I welcome the agreement, the disagreement and everything in between.
Thank you for sharing my journey and stopping by to share yours, too!
“In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, are mosaic of gifts,
to nurture, to offer, to accept.”
— Mattie J.T. Stepanek
I Am.....Someone who considers you a brother or a sister.
I Am.....Looking for ways to be a better person so that my positive changes have a positive impact on you.
I Am.....Not perfect.
I Am.....Grateful.
I Am.....Ready.
I Am....
Are you?
I sat down on the morning of January 1st and watched the documentary "I Am" by Tom Shadyac. http://www.iamthedoc.com/
It sums up a lot of what I've been feeling and thinking and what seems to be a rising consciousness in our world - we are all connected. Each one of our actions has an impact on the world....what are our actions doing? Are they protecting, preserving, sharing, caring? It was a good way to start the year, thinking about who "I Am"......
That's how I started this blog, trying to think about the actions I was taking and see if I could inspire and be inspired by others. Who am I? I guess that's the universal question. Some of us know much earlier than others. Another connection to 'I Am'...Mattie Stepanek. A young man who wanted to be known as "a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played." Wise beyond his years, inspirational beyond his life here on earth. He wrote a poem entitled "I Am/Shades of Life" and Billy Gilman recorded a song using his lyrics. Mattie's mission was peace. He thought a lot about what each individual's impact was in the world and knew that it meant a lot. You can read more about him at http://www.mattieonline.com . I had the great honor of meeting his mom, Jeni, in September when we traveled to Maryland to visit a park built in Mattie's honor. I took my family there because I have 3 sons who I hope will be inspired and encouraged by Mattie....One of them is named after him. Jeni Stepanek continues to spread her son's vision of peace. When you read the 'Pathways to Peace' publication that she has created, you will see the incredible wisdom of her son: http://www.mattieonline.com/brochures/Pathways_to_Peace_brochure_NEW.pdf
Who am I? I think it takes some slowing down to ponder that question. It seems to swirl around in my head a bit louder now that I am 3 months away from turning 40. Age is just a number, but milestones have a way of making us slow down to think about things. I have a son who will be a teenager in 1 1/2 years. How can that be when it doesn't seem that long ago that I first became really aware of the fact that my actions impact another, when I was 'eating for 2' and wondering why we don't all eat as though we are eating for 2. Not that long since, as a new mom, I moved into a new townhouse with my husband and infant son who would not sleep unless he was upright (which I later found out was due to a milk intolerance, passed on through breast milk since I was drinking lots of milk). Because of this, he slept in his carseat, right on the ground, on the newly installed wall-to-wall carpet that 'would be perfect for a baby to crawl around on.' The same carpet that I believe gave him asthma. Nope, it's not scientific, just a mother's intuition....another one of my gut feelings. After almost 40 years, I'm finally starting to trust my gut. To continue to question who I am. To try to make sense out of this gift we call life....
It's such a beautiful thing.
I have so many things I want to write about....some you might like and some you might not. I welcome the agreement, the disagreement and everything in between.
Thank you for sharing my journey and stopping by to share yours, too!
“In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, are mosaic of gifts,
to nurture, to offer, to accept.”
— Mattie J.T. Stepanek
I Am.....Someone who considers you a brother or a sister.
I Am.....Looking for ways to be a better person so that my positive changes have a positive impact on you.
I Am.....Not perfect.
I Am.....Grateful.
I Am.....Ready.
I Am....
Are you?
Friday, December 30, 2011
Being Gifted with Plastic
The holidays are drawing to a close...how much new plastic did you take in this week? How much went out? Are you somebody who thinks about these things? In my little corner of the world, I sometimes feel like an alien. I worry about plastic. I think about it a lot. I try not to bring it into my life. But then there are the times when I receive a gift. What if that gift is plastic? What is the common courtesy around such things?
Here's an example: Our elementary school decided to sell Smencils. They are pencils that smell...like fruit or gum or whatever else. I had a little talk with my sons and we all decided we didn't need smelly pencils, especially since we had enough pencils and the Smencils each come in a plastic tube to keep the smell intact. The tube claims that it is biodegradeable (I am currently testing this out to see how long that actually takes and whether it works at all). The Smencils come to the school in #3 (PVC) plastic tubs. (Yeah, that's PVC, the 'poison plastic' - doesn't recycle many places and is toxic from start to finish. The tubs are now sitting in my garage because our PTO pres. gave them to me to use in the classrooms as Terracycle collection tubs - but I don't want any more PVC in our school, so I am determined to find a place that will recycle them. This is stressful to me, though, as I really wish we did not buy pencils packaged in plastic inside of plastic!) So, back to my story....I tell the PTO pres. that it really is OK that my kids do not get Smencils...since our school has a policy that everyone gets a Smencil, even if they can't afford to order one for themselves. But people are allowed to buy Smencils for other people, so that's exactly how we ended up with a Smencil. My next-door neighbor bought a Smencil for my son. A nice gesture. He accepted the Smencil happily with a 'Thank you' and brought it home from school. Did I tell the PTO about the issues I had with Smencils before they started selling them? - yes. Smencils are marketed as eco-friendly, so when I told them, they had the same reaction they have to most of my anti-plastic statements....not again! Why do I think about these things? Don't I know how cool Smencils are? They are made of recycled newspapers. Do I want to deny our kids the joy of experiencing them?
I went to the mother/son dance last year with my then-1st-grader. They had a dance contest and he won a prize. The DJ handed him something and he came over to show me what it was: a set of plastic teeth with a battery inside. When you bite the plastic, it lights up inside your mouth. Packaged in plastic. Great! Just what we needed! My son knew that this was not a good gift, but what could we do with this item now? We could give it away and it would still end up dying in a landfill or the ocean or elsewhere, stuff leaking out of the battery, if it didn't already leak into some poor child's mouth!
Every class party, my kids bring home treat bags. I usually cringe before opening them, because I know what they are full of: plastic dollar store trinkets and candy, all wrapped in plastic. Full of good intentions, but nothing that we needed or wanted.
So what do you do with gifts like these? I think the only thing you can really do is educate ahead of time and hope that people will listen to your requests. When they don't, I'm not sure there is much you can do unless you want to alienate these people from your life. People have told me I should just give the things away to 'those who don't have toys and who would appreciate them'. It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, it is that I don't appreciate the harm that comes from these things. And I don't really want to pass that along to another person. It's the same way I feel about donations to the food bank: If it's not something I would want to eat, why would I want to give it to another person?
So to anyone reading this who is thinking about giving me a gift, please hear me when I say: Your smile, your presence, the delightful sound of your laughter, the funny stories you tell, your delicious homemade cookies, the way you put up with me and still stick around...all of these are my most treasured possessions, the things that I want from you. If it is plastic, please do not buy it for me or my family. And if you invite me for dinner on plastic plates, please do not be offended if I take them home to reuse and if the next time I eat at your house I bring my own plates. Thank you very much!!!
p.s. - Thank you, Mom, for hearing me about the plastic! It is a shame that those earwarmers had to come packaged in a hard plastic case, but other than that, you did not add to my plastic tally this Christmas - yeah!!! We didn't buy much for Christmas this year. It really warmed my heart when my middle son told me that his favorite gift was a book of bedtime stories since he would get a chance to read them to us every night.
Have a peaceful, less-plastic-filled New Year!!!
Here's an example: Our elementary school decided to sell Smencils. They are pencils that smell...like fruit or gum or whatever else. I had a little talk with my sons and we all decided we didn't need smelly pencils, especially since we had enough pencils and the Smencils each come in a plastic tube to keep the smell intact. The tube claims that it is biodegradeable (I am currently testing this out to see how long that actually takes and whether it works at all). The Smencils come to the school in #3 (PVC) plastic tubs. (Yeah, that's PVC, the 'poison plastic' - doesn't recycle many places and is toxic from start to finish. The tubs are now sitting in my garage because our PTO pres. gave them to me to use in the classrooms as Terracycle collection tubs - but I don't want any more PVC in our school, so I am determined to find a place that will recycle them. This is stressful to me, though, as I really wish we did not buy pencils packaged in plastic inside of plastic!) So, back to my story....I tell the PTO pres. that it really is OK that my kids do not get Smencils...since our school has a policy that everyone gets a Smencil, even if they can't afford to order one for themselves. But people are allowed to buy Smencils for other people, so that's exactly how we ended up with a Smencil. My next-door neighbor bought a Smencil for my son. A nice gesture. He accepted the Smencil happily with a 'Thank you' and brought it home from school. Did I tell the PTO about the issues I had with Smencils before they started selling them? - yes. Smencils are marketed as eco-friendly, so when I told them, they had the same reaction they have to most of my anti-plastic statements....not again! Why do I think about these things? Don't I know how cool Smencils are? They are made of recycled newspapers. Do I want to deny our kids the joy of experiencing them?
I went to the mother/son dance last year with my then-1st-grader. They had a dance contest and he won a prize. The DJ handed him something and he came over to show me what it was: a set of plastic teeth with a battery inside. When you bite the plastic, it lights up inside your mouth. Packaged in plastic. Great! Just what we needed! My son knew that this was not a good gift, but what could we do with this item now? We could give it away and it would still end up dying in a landfill or the ocean or elsewhere, stuff leaking out of the battery, if it didn't already leak into some poor child's mouth!
Every class party, my kids bring home treat bags. I usually cringe before opening them, because I know what they are full of: plastic dollar store trinkets and candy, all wrapped in plastic. Full of good intentions, but nothing that we needed or wanted.
So what do you do with gifts like these? I think the only thing you can really do is educate ahead of time and hope that people will listen to your requests. When they don't, I'm not sure there is much you can do unless you want to alienate these people from your life. People have told me I should just give the things away to 'those who don't have toys and who would appreciate them'. It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, it is that I don't appreciate the harm that comes from these things. And I don't really want to pass that along to another person. It's the same way I feel about donations to the food bank: If it's not something I would want to eat, why would I want to give it to another person?
So to anyone reading this who is thinking about giving me a gift, please hear me when I say: Your smile, your presence, the delightful sound of your laughter, the funny stories you tell, your delicious homemade cookies, the way you put up with me and still stick around...all of these are my most treasured possessions, the things that I want from you. If it is plastic, please do not buy it for me or my family. And if you invite me for dinner on plastic plates, please do not be offended if I take them home to reuse and if the next time I eat at your house I bring my own plates. Thank you very much!!!
p.s. - Thank you, Mom, for hearing me about the plastic! It is a shame that those earwarmers had to come packaged in a hard plastic case, but other than that, you did not add to my plastic tally this Christmas - yeah!!! We didn't buy much for Christmas this year. It really warmed my heart when my middle son told me that his favorite gift was a book of bedtime stories since he would get a chance to read them to us every night.
Have a peaceful, less-plastic-filled New Year!!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
End of the Year Thoughts
Hello, Dear Friends! It has been much too long - my apologies for being out of touch!!
What have I been doing? Clearing out. After almost 6 years in our new house and having 3 sons, we accumulated a lot of stuff. When I look around, I wonder how it is possible that we have so much stuff, most of which we don't need and the things that bother me the most are the things that I'm sure nobody needs: useless plastic. Toys that were given out at class parties that broke within days and now sit in a box, waiting for a creative reuse opportunity. The only problem is that the box is now overflowing and nobody seems overly eager to make a plastic creation that will ultimately end up in the landfill or one of our oceans.
Straws and plastic lids....when I finally came to my senses and decided to stop doing fast food, we had a few slips along the way. But I couldn't bare to throw the straws and lids away, so they also went in a box. The straws make great construction toys and we've made lots of straw buildings and more, but now what?
I always had a hard time throwing things away, but now I really struggle because I know where it will go. There is no away. So I am taking my time. Clearing out. Clearing my mind. Being very careful about what I bring in, because it will eventually have to go out again.
The other day, a friend called me to ask if I knew where we could recycle DVD players. Yep, I do. I said I'd take it since I have been given others and I will be making a trip there soon. She said her daughters were getting a new one for Christmas. I looked at the personal DVD player staring at me in perfect condition. For the heck of it, I plugged it in. It is in perfect working condition! It will now be a Christmas present for my sons. This friend is one of my biggest Terracyclers and I'm so thrilled that she wanted to recycle the DVD player, but I'm sad that she didn't think of giving it a new life first. I know we live in a 'throw-away' society, but we need to turn this around!
Yesterday, I celebrated my grandfather's 95th birthday with him. He is the kind of guy who will tape his glass frames until they can't be taped anymore. His trash can is a milk carton that he keeps near his sink. It rarely gets full in a week. When things break, he fixes them. If he doesn't need it, he doesn't buy it.
Which brings us to the topic of 'need'. This week, I saw a picture that summed up some things that I've been thinking about a lot this season:
(I found this online from Pastor Kevin Stowe, but am not sure of the original creator).
My husband was telling me we don't have anything exciting to put under the tree this year for our sons. To me, that IS exciting, because what we have to give them is exactly what they need: our time, our care, our love, our example.
Why have we become a society of people who 'need' so much?
When we think about what we truly need, we often find that we can have it in abundance if we just care enough to see it.
I think it's safe to say that almost all of us could give up some physical gift this holiday season. We could give up the money spent on gas, tolls, time spent in line, impatience and rudeness toward others from overcrowding at stores, etc. Instead, we could join together in love and peace and help heal the world. I guess to a lot of people, that sounds like a fantasy. We are the creators of our reality. Together we can make a difference.
I wish you peace, love and joy this holiday season and into the new year!
What have I been doing? Clearing out. After almost 6 years in our new house and having 3 sons, we accumulated a lot of stuff. When I look around, I wonder how it is possible that we have so much stuff, most of which we don't need and the things that bother me the most are the things that I'm sure nobody needs: useless plastic. Toys that were given out at class parties that broke within days and now sit in a box, waiting for a creative reuse opportunity. The only problem is that the box is now overflowing and nobody seems overly eager to make a plastic creation that will ultimately end up in the landfill or one of our oceans.
Straws and plastic lids....when I finally came to my senses and decided to stop doing fast food, we had a few slips along the way. But I couldn't bare to throw the straws and lids away, so they also went in a box. The straws make great construction toys and we've made lots of straw buildings and more, but now what?
I always had a hard time throwing things away, but now I really struggle because I know where it will go. There is no away. So I am taking my time. Clearing out. Clearing my mind. Being very careful about what I bring in, because it will eventually have to go out again.
The other day, a friend called me to ask if I knew where we could recycle DVD players. Yep, I do. I said I'd take it since I have been given others and I will be making a trip there soon. She said her daughters were getting a new one for Christmas. I looked at the personal DVD player staring at me in perfect condition. For the heck of it, I plugged it in. It is in perfect working condition! It will now be a Christmas present for my sons. This friend is one of my biggest Terracyclers and I'm so thrilled that she wanted to recycle the DVD player, but I'm sad that she didn't think of giving it a new life first. I know we live in a 'throw-away' society, but we need to turn this around!
Yesterday, I celebrated my grandfather's 95th birthday with him. He is the kind of guy who will tape his glass frames until they can't be taped anymore. His trash can is a milk carton that he keeps near his sink. It rarely gets full in a week. When things break, he fixes them. If he doesn't need it, he doesn't buy it.
Which brings us to the topic of 'need'. This week, I saw a picture that summed up some things that I've been thinking about a lot this season:
My husband was telling me we don't have anything exciting to put under the tree this year for our sons. To me, that IS exciting, because what we have to give them is exactly what they need: our time, our care, our love, our example.
Why have we become a society of people who 'need' so much?
When we think about what we truly need, we often find that we can have it in abundance if we just care enough to see it.
I think it's safe to say that almost all of us could give up some physical gift this holiday season. We could give up the money spent on gas, tolls, time spent in line, impatience and rudeness toward others from overcrowding at stores, etc. Instead, we could join together in love and peace and help heal the world. I guess to a lot of people, that sounds like a fantasy. We are the creators of our reality. Together we can make a difference.
I wish you peace, love and joy this holiday season and into the new year!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Sweet Tea Recipe
One of the simple pleasures I remember from my childhood is iced tea. My mom would make sun tea on our back patio and it was such a delight! I can remember watching it brew and then the delicious taste that I equated with goodness coming straight from the sun!
I feel like this is something I need to bring back into my life since we have so many commercial iced teas around now. Last summer, when McDonald's was advertising $1 Mickey D's Sweet Tea, my kids fell in love with it. With it's styrofoam cup, I was not loving it. I thought about all of the bottles, mostly plastic now, that are being thrown away with each sip of store-bought bottled tea and how much could be saved, financially and environmentally, by making our own.
Here's a link I found to a sweet tea recipe that is close to McDonald's, if that's what you like:
http://askville.amazon.com/looove-McDonalds-Sweet-Tea-make/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=3014389
The recipe I use is so simple, but it makes me happy every time I make it:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 family-size tea bags or 5-6 regular tea bags. Turn off heat and set timer for 3 minutes. Add 2 more cups of water and squeeze (& compost) tea bags. Add 1 TB local honey, 1 squeeze fresh lemon, 1/2 c. sugar (more or less to taste). Stir. Add 2 more cups of water & stir. Makes 2 quarts.
Sometimes we don't use honey, add oranges and lemons instead of sweeteners, add fresh mint, etc. I taught my 2 oldest sons how to make this and they love to experiment and vary the recipe.
Next summer I will try to make sun tea again. But for now, we have our sweet tea with no styrofoam or plastic waste - hooray! Do you have a favorite drink recipe to share that eliminates plastic packaging?
I feel like this is something I need to bring back into my life since we have so many commercial iced teas around now. Last summer, when McDonald's was advertising $1 Mickey D's Sweet Tea, my kids fell in love with it. With it's styrofoam cup, I was not loving it. I thought about all of the bottles, mostly plastic now, that are being thrown away with each sip of store-bought bottled tea and how much could be saved, financially and environmentally, by making our own.
Here's a link I found to a sweet tea recipe that is close to McDonald's, if that's what you like:
http://askville.amazon.com/looove-McDonalds-Sweet-Tea-make/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=3014389
The recipe I use is so simple, but it makes me happy every time I make it:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 family-size tea bags or 5-6 regular tea bags. Turn off heat and set timer for 3 minutes. Add 2 more cups of water and squeeze (& compost) tea bags. Add 1 TB local honey, 1 squeeze fresh lemon, 1/2 c. sugar (more or less to taste). Stir. Add 2 more cups of water & stir. Makes 2 quarts.
Sometimes we don't use honey, add oranges and lemons instead of sweeteners, add fresh mint, etc. I taught my 2 oldest sons how to make this and they love to experiment and vary the recipe.
Next summer I will try to make sun tea again. But for now, we have our sweet tea with no styrofoam or plastic waste - hooray! Do you have a favorite drink recipe to share that eliminates plastic packaging?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
No Impact Transportation Day and Other Random Thoughts
Today (officially yesterday now) was Transportation Day for Yes! Magazine's No Impact Week and I knew this would be my toughest day before the rain even began to fall. The thought of getting my 4 year old to our preschool (at our district elementary school) without a car is extremely daunting to me and brings to mind images of near-death situations. I really wish it were not the case, but I don't even feel safe riding my bike or walking alone on most of the streets that I travel, let alone doing it with a child. Just yesterday I watched in horror as a couple walking their dog was almost mowed down by a speeding car turning a windy corner - good thing for fast reflexes and good brakes! And then there are my Terracycle duties...how would I get all of those boxes to school without my car? And get home and back to the PTO meeting and do everything else that needed to be done in between on time?
Needless to say, I failed miserably at not using my car today. I did think about carpooling to the PTO meeting and called 2 friends to see if they'd like to join me, but got no takers. Something to work on, though, as there are many opportunities to carpool that I don't often take advantage of. One of the main reasons: time, or perceived lack thereof. So what is more important to me? That's really at the heart of why I'm writing this blog. What matters? What is worth giving my time to? What is worth thinking about and considering? Sitting behind a truck giving off terrible emissions on my way home from the PTO meeting struck me tonight in a way that it never has before. Every day, I am part of the problem. I drive. I try to drive responsibly, but what does that really mean? I follow the speed limit. On a recent trip to visit my brother on the PA turnpike, I drove the speed limit the entire trip and only passed 1 car - this is amazing to me, considering the volume of cars on that road. The one white-haired gentleman that I passed was driving about 30 mph. Everyone else seemed to be going at least 70 mph or more. We are a nation in high gear. Where are we all racing to? What are we hoping to gain by rushing through our lives? So many times if we would allow ourselves to slow down, we would have time to think about the consequences of our actions and that would be a really good thing!
So here's to bike lanes and walking lanes and trails that make it safe for us all to share the road! And to taking the time to build them, explore them and use them. Here's to slowing down to consider those around us who are sharing the path on this journey we call life. We all want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, don't we? The things we value are not so different when we take the time to think about it. So let's think and let's act. Differently....together....better.
Needless to say, I failed miserably at not using my car today. I did think about carpooling to the PTO meeting and called 2 friends to see if they'd like to join me, but got no takers. Something to work on, though, as there are many opportunities to carpool that I don't often take advantage of. One of the main reasons: time, or perceived lack thereof. So what is more important to me? That's really at the heart of why I'm writing this blog. What matters? What is worth giving my time to? What is worth thinking about and considering? Sitting behind a truck giving off terrible emissions on my way home from the PTO meeting struck me tonight in a way that it never has before. Every day, I am part of the problem. I drive. I try to drive responsibly, but what does that really mean? I follow the speed limit. On a recent trip to visit my brother on the PA turnpike, I drove the speed limit the entire trip and only passed 1 car - this is amazing to me, considering the volume of cars on that road. The one white-haired gentleman that I passed was driving about 30 mph. Everyone else seemed to be going at least 70 mph or more. We are a nation in high gear. Where are we all racing to? What are we hoping to gain by rushing through our lives? So many times if we would allow ourselves to slow down, we would have time to think about the consequences of our actions and that would be a really good thing!
So here's to bike lanes and walking lanes and trails that make it safe for us all to share the road! And to taking the time to build them, explore them and use them. Here's to slowing down to consider those around us who are sharing the path on this journey we call life. We all want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, don't we? The things we value are not so different when we take the time to think about it. So let's think and let's act. Differently....together....better.
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