How Simple Was That?

I have issues...with mean/inconsiderate/rude/crass,(people) you get my meaning. They butt in line at the store not giving a care to anyone else around. They block an intersection in the street making it impossible for traffic to flow in or out of some specified place. And what about letting people in traffic. Would that kill somebody?

Let me set up why I am spewing my thoughts.

I was on my way to fetch( I love that word) my son from work. And traffic coming from both sides of the street were constant. I looked left...traffic. I looked right...traffic. Finally a break came in one direction, and a truck had stopped to enter the street I was exiting. He sat, holding up traffic(which was minimal) so that me and the vehicle behind me could enter the road. I waved to him, that lovely traffic thank you wave. And as I put the pedal to the medal I was giddy like a school girl. And what, over a nice person in traffic. You bet your sweet bippy I was.

And tell me why a grown woman was happy about someone being nice? Does that mean it is a rare incident? I think so and that is a shame. It is deplorable when we look upon an act of kindness as something to get exhilarated by. I explain to my children all the time thee importance of kindness. And you cannot expect kindness to be bestowed to you if you are not giving it out. It is called the Law of Attraction.

I have always been a positive person, and my husband was always the skeptic. I am not saying he was a rude person, but his nice foot was not always forward, where mine was. The world owed him something, but this was all he saw growing up, so I cannot blame his 100%.

I love being kind, and it does not have to entail moving your buddy out of his 3 bedroom 2 bath house. We are not asking for a pint of blood. It is much simpler than that.

Get your neighbors garbage can lid that is blowing down the street. Help the short person grab something from the top shelf at the grocery store(I can relate to this one). Set the coffee pot for your husband who rises at 5AM when you get up only an hour behind him. Take your kids books back to the library...they did take out the garbage without being asked.

To me, kindness begets kindness. You tell two friends and they tell two friends, and so on and so on and so on. Kindness is catchy. It feels god, and it is a win win situation. Everyone involved feels grand. So what do you say. What act of kindness can you do today tomorrow and all the tomorrows after that?

It's Time For a Change

For those of you who are U.S. reader, that is not an Obama plug. I read a small snippet just this morning, and it fit perfectly into my life right now. Some of you may or may not know that I have recently given up meat...again. Why you may ask, well there are a few reasons, but this time around I feel so differently about my choice. Another good thing about getting older and hopefully wiser.

Here is the post I ran across from a comment of a blogger who comment on a blog that...well you see where that is going. Apple Leaf has this on her blog. First off, before I dive into my post, I want to say how much I enjoy reading others blogs. I try every day to read the latest, but don't always get that oppurtunity, but eventually I manage to take a gander or two at all of my blogs. Now on to the real reason of this post.

Who has the ability to make changes? Presidential candidates? Come on. Let's look at any given presidents track record, and what real changes did they make? Don't even get me started. But it is not the big cheese that I am here to scribble about. It is you and I that I am more interested in. I hear it on more than one occasion, "Why bother. My little bit will not make a difference."

If every person on the planet lived by that philosophy, where would we be? I dire peril(I think that is redundant), but what if no one recycled, or no one, car-pooled, or no one stood up for animal rights, or human rights, or cared to be someone who conserved energy. The list could doubtlessly gone on for quite a long time, but suffice it to say, you get my meaning.

I recycle with a vengeance, and so much so that it scare me sometimes, but I am fine with that. Am I a radical when it comes to recycling? Well, I guess I am. But I have picked that as my passion, silly as it may sound. I have other items on my list of things to do and or change, and I will be posting about them.

But I can honestly say that I am comfortable in my endeavour to change the world, even if it is only one plastic bottle(which we no longer purchase), old newspaper, plastic bag(which I try rarely if ever to bring home), tin can and so on. I knew that I am making a difference. And my heart aches for those who don't get it.

We have become a disposable world. And I am not just referring to recycling. We throw away this and purchase a new that. What's wrong with what you have? Do you really need another CD, blouse, pair of jeans. And if so why not go to the thrift shops. There are some great vintage articles there. Just think about your lifestyle. What works in my home will not work in your home. But you will find your own niche and when you do stumble upon it, it will give you great joy.

Find your passion and feed into it. There are so many avenues for you to stroll down, and in doing so there may be a plethora of other venues for you to pursue. I am starting to ramble now. But everyone can make a difference, no matter how small. Small moves people...small moves.

Soft Alternative

No...I am not talking about Skin So Soft. But for those who have been followers a decent amount of time, you know my commitment to doing what I can to help out Mother Earth. Most folks do give a rats hiney what they do with their recyclables, or left over food, or food that could be used to make soups, my list goes on. But suffice it to say, I am wee but greener around the gills. And so much so that I have been Hanging Clothes for quite some time. About a month or so before my surgery(July 15, 2008).

And I gave up fabric softener sheets(they have animal products in them, long story) and we now make our own Clothes Detergent but even thought I LOVE clothes hung on the line, they lacked that dryer softness, especially our towels. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled I have the advantage of having a dryer. Women years ago were stranded. It rained for days, you were fresh out of luck. But today I discovered something. I had been putting white vinegar in where you usually put our liquid fabric softener. So everything is copasetic, and then I bring in the towels that are dry and man oh man, they are soft. Don't get me wrong, they are nowhere near the softness of a dryer, but they are darned tootin' close. So Viola, another break through in the Green world. Hah!

Dinnertime

It dawned on me thee other day; actually it is always on my mind. I went to a Mom’s Night Out last night, which is a potluck meal for us, homeschooling moms to be able to get together and just let it all hang out.

We talk about our children, our past experiences, listen to thee more experienced moms, compare notes on schooling, get ideas from other moms, see what works for them…or not. But it is just a night to be women, not a wife, not a mother, not a facilitator…just a woman.

For those of you who do not homeschool, or know little about it, let me tell you getting out even if it is once a month to be with your peers is a blessing. Our kids go to co-ops, Sunday School, Scouts, 4-H and so forth. But us moms, we are living a life of servitude. That is not to say we are unhappy with our choice, it is what it is, but in order to be a better wife, mother, sister, aunt, daughter…we need to clear our minds and just be us. Then we can come back to be those better people. I know how refreshed I feel after hanging out with my posse.

But the one thing we talked about as our lovely night ended was dinner-time. I was curious as to how many of the women there sat down with their families and ate dinner. No surprise, all of them sat down with their families for dinner. Sometimes there was a sibling missing, or a dad had to work late, but those that were home sat together.

I grew up in a home where my mother had dinner on the table by a certain time. If you were not there, you could always make a bologna sandwich. My mom figured, if she took the time to prepare a meal, you could at least show up to eat it, and truth be told, she was right. Even back then, I knew thee importance of dinnertime. Now granted our home was anything but the Cleaver family, but I still got it.

I have carried on that tradition, but have taken it a step further. We sit and talk, and talk, and talk. Did I mention that we talk? We have sat and been at the dinner table for close to an hour, and that is without dessert. There was a woman there last night.*Waves to C Mc, and her husband is a pilot, and he gets to fly with many a people. But there was this man from France who talked about dinner rituals in his home country, and he said as politely as possible that our dinner practices are pitiful and that we are missing out on so much.

In Europe, for the most part, thee taking on the dining experience like no other. Their dinner time can last for up to two hours. Helllooo, it doesn’t take me that long to prepare my meal…OK sometimes it does, but then again I love food and everything that revolves around it. So for me to sit at a dinner table for that long would be pure ecstasy. We, as Americans, have no clue how to enjoy food. To us, a dinner is a double cheese burger with a side of fries and a large cola, hold thee onions at the nearest drive –thru. And many a time the so called meal is eaten in the vehicle. When did our cars become our dining rooms? Did I miss something?

I am not saying the every family in America has to become this Norman Rockwell painting overnight, but come on, where has our sense of family gone? And I am not so gullible to think that sitting down at dinner will right all we have let go over the years, but it is an easy way to start. We have to eat, that is a given. Then why not do it with your own family. Take time to reconnect and be a real family. And just for you cheater out there, sitting in front of the TV does not count, you have to do it at the dinner table. Talking to one another and not about the latest episode of CSI is the way to do it.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

...actually, not a darned tootin' thing. As you can see, my husbands vehicle is parked on our front lawn. Yep, he got out there, washed his car(Which relaxes him) and he washed it on our front lawn.

He was not trying to show off his nearly 6 year old car, but we watch enough Green TV programs to know that we all can help thee environment, and by washing your vehicle on your lawn(If you have one), is one way of going Green. Your next best option is to run it through a car wash, for that water is recycled(At some car washes)...who knew.

It's funny. When I first started out to Green-ize(I made that word up) our lives, I thought for sure I would be letting go of many things. But low and behold, I am not. I am just redoing things in a different manner. I am just rethinking on how I can better serve my planet. For I am just borrowing her for a little while. And how do you take care of something that you borrow from a friend or neighbor? If you do not take care of that item, then most more than likely you will not treat our planet with any care either.

We are here for a minuscule amount of time in the big picture. I heard this quote form an upcoming movie and it made complete sense, even though this line was being delivered for a completely different reason.

"If the planet dies, you die. If you die the planet survives."

Truer words were never spoken. So, does filling your recycle bin put you out, does it bother you to curtail your driving and stay home a bit more, does reusing something instead of buying it new make you shudder? Then you are not someone who is interested in being or going green. I love life and I want to improve the quality of mine. I am doing that in many ways, but they are all small moves. But how do you eat an elephant...one bite at a time.

Paper or Plastic?

Which of these do you choose? I am lucky enough to say I choose neither. Yep, you heard right. Gone are the days our arms/hands are loaded with plastic bags. I loved bagging in paper, but many times the bag boys would get there before me and start bagging and then all was lost. Plus, those poor kids have no clue how to really pack a paper grocery bag. But I learned quickly to tell the cashier that I wanted to bag my own groceries, due to the fact that I could get into 6 bags, what they would do in 8-9 bags. Too much waste as far as I was concerned.

Hence, my new method of thinking. omit the paper and plastic and opt for reusable bags. I have nearly one dozen canvas style bags, in all different shapes and sizes, and from different companies. Low and behold, our plastic bag usage has dropped exponentially. The only plastic bags that come into our home now is from my in-laws who furnish my son with Cuban bread for his subs and thee occasional extra food she has cooked. Fear not dear readers we take these bags and recycle them. My son worlds at the local grocery store ans drops them into the appropriate receptacle. Bada boom-bada bing.

Please take a moment and see the good works this lady has done. Green Bag Lady has gone above the call of duty. Please feel free to donate any and all you can to her cause, even if you need to bags. I always wanted to sew, but never took up the hobby. Same with knitting. Who knows, maybe she can't cook and if I should ever visit, I can cook while she sews, but my luck she is one of those super women who can paint, cook, and everything else I cannot. All kidding aside, take a moment to think what you can do for our planet and rethink how you transport food items. I now use my foil pouched bag. (My daughter is the one who keeps reminding me we have it and to use it) I need to purchase more of those. They are also reusable. So get out there and start buying, slowly but sure if you have to, and get those reusable bags in your possession. Hit the Garage Sales, Thrift Store, and if it is within your means, get something...anything to The Green Bag Lady.

Renewable Energy

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know I an into anything that will help out dear old Mother Earth. I want to leave this planet to my children and grandchildren, and be happy that I did my own little bit. Do I need to have a March on D.C.? Some may feel the need, but I like the little voice I have and what I am doing in my own little corner of the planet.

Financially, I can only do so much. We are a single income family that sits barely above the poverty line. That is not a true complaint, just a statement of fact. So for me to got out and do a lot of whoopin' and hollerin' is just not going to happen. So I hang my clothes, recycle, turn off the lights, and such forth. But there is a man who has the power, the knowledge, and the financial resources to make a huge difference, if only people would listen.

Please take a moment of your time and see what he has to say. I think he is definitely on the right track, but his methodology will fly in the face of the big oil tycoons. If they can't make kazillions on it, then why bother. It doesn't matter if their grandchildren will be choking on the air they breathe. All that matteers for many is the here and now. But if we as a collective nation do not get our stuff together, there will not be a planet to live on. We won't see it, generations to come will and curse us for not doing more.

T. Boone Pickens Plan