I haven’t posted Whole Earth Care since the weekend of June 6th. To me, it seems so long ago. There are lots of reasons why I haven’t written – some of them are pretty good reasons, and some of them are just excuses.
But, I’ve not been idle. While not writing, much thought has gone into the Blog, its design, what’s missing, how it can become more interactive, the frequency of postings and length. I have lots of questions about it. Not too many answers, yet.
What I did realize is that Summer is a very busy time for everyone. Sitting at the computer reading a Blog just doesn’t seem to be the best way to spend time.
Instead, let’s spend Summer re-discovering our Home, our beautiful blue Earth. It’s a time to pay attention to our neighbours – 2-footed, 4-footed, multi-footed, and those that stand still and give us shade on hot days, nourish us, delight us with colour, shape and texture. It’s a time to re-kindle and re-state our love for Earth, declare our heritage proudly, stop, savour and rejoice and be grateful for the gifts that we receive from our Earth Family.
To support you and me in this, I have decided to post only once a month this summer. For those of you that might be distraught without a weekly Whole Earth Care posting :-) I may, from time to time, post information, photos or websites that you send me, but I’ll keep it brief and I won’t send a reminder email to those who are on the Weekly Reminder List.
So!
Suggestions for Our Summer Times:
Breath in deep the fresh air, lie on the grass, sand or a favorite rock and watch the clouds, smell the clover – really – it has a lovely scent.
Look at the delicacy of flowers and cobwebs, tree trunks and water spiders.
Pick buttercups and hold them under the chins of your loved ones to see if they love butter.
Run out into the rain, jump into puddles: make the biggest splash. No one is looking.
Learn the names of three different kinds of birds.
Find the North Star, The Summer Triangle and Bootes, the Herdsman in the night sky.
Sit quietly and listen to the many voices of the wind.
But, I’ve not been idle. While not writing, much thought has gone into the Blog, its design, what’s missing, how it can become more interactive, the frequency of postings and length. I have lots of questions about it. Not too many answers, yet.
What I did realize is that Summer is a very busy time for everyone. Sitting at the computer reading a Blog just doesn’t seem to be the best way to spend time.
Instead, let’s spend Summer re-discovering our Home, our beautiful blue Earth. It’s a time to pay attention to our neighbours – 2-footed, 4-footed, multi-footed, and those that stand still and give us shade on hot days, nourish us, delight us with colour, shape and texture. It’s a time to re-kindle and re-state our love for Earth, declare our heritage proudly, stop, savour and rejoice and be grateful for the gifts that we receive from our Earth Family.
To support you and me in this, I have decided to post only once a month this summer. For those of you that might be distraught without a weekly Whole Earth Care posting :-) I may, from time to time, post information, photos or websites that you send me, but I’ll keep it brief and I won’t send a reminder email to those who are on the Weekly Reminder List.
So!
Suggestions for Our Summer Times:
Breath in deep the fresh air, lie on the grass, sand or a favorite rock and watch the clouds, smell the clover – really – it has a lovely scent.
Look at the delicacy of flowers and cobwebs, tree trunks and water spiders.
Pick buttercups and hold them under the chins of your loved ones to see if they love butter.
Run out into the rain, jump into puddles: make the biggest splash. No one is looking.
Learn the names of three different kinds of birds.
Find the North Star, The Summer Triangle and Bootes, the Herdsman in the night sky.
Sit quietly and listen to the many voices of the wind.
Yes
It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.
It could, you know. That's why we wake
and look out -- no guarantees
in this life.
But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.
William Stafford
(The Way It Is)
It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.
It could, you know. That's why we wake
and look out -- no guarantees
in this life.
But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.
William Stafford
(The Way It Is)
What Can We DoThis Summer?
10 Easy Ways To Reduce Household Wastes:
10 Easy Ways To Reduce Household Wastes:
Bulk Stores rule!
No wrapping, no packaging, no frills – just about anything you may need sits in large bins, ready to scoop. From pasta to peanut butter (self-ground) and anything in between. Just go easy on those chocolate chips.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag).
Bring a cool-looking tote to take your groceries away in, and forgo those plastic carrier bags that stay around for the next few millennia.
Recycle.
Most cities and towns have a recycling program in place for paper, glass, tin, even kitchen waste. Garages will take your old car batteries and tires. Many hardware stores will take your old paint, batteries and old CFLs.
Compost your kitchen scraps. Your flower beds will be happy.
Lug Your Mug for take-out coffee; many places will even give you a discount for it.
Avoid take-out food. I know, that can be a challenge on a Friday night. But all those plastic and foam take-out boxes produce a big stream of toxic garbage.
Eat home-cooked meals.
Okay, another potential mine field here, but let’s face it: all those plastic and aluminum trays that those frozen dinners and prepackaged meals come in don’t really compensate for their overload of sodium, saturated fats and missing vitamins.
Drink tap water instead of bottled water. Evian and Perrier are no longer cool.
Repair, don’t throw out. Need I say more?
Buy durable.
Sure, it may be a little bit more to get the better quality product, but it will last much longer and always pays for itself in the long run.
The best thing about cutting back on garbage: the instant results and savings.
(Green by Design http://greenbydesign.com/blog/ )
Media:
Online Magazines: The Green Living Magazine for June is ready to read. Good stuff.
Videos: Ain’t No Reason
Articles: Paul Hawken’s Commencement Address
If you read nothing else on this week’s Blog Posting, please read this.
If you read nothing else on this week’s Blog Posting, please read this.
It will take perhaps 5 minutes of your time, but when you are finished
the article, you will be inspired and full of hope.
Pass it on to any graduate you know.
http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3697
http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3697
Wildlife Federation Gardening
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/gardening-for-wildlife
If you have any suggestions or discover something wonderful about our Earth Community this summer and want to share it with the rest of us, click on Comments at the bottom of the Posting or email me at moczero@sympatico.ca
And if you have a photo or two to share with us, send them as attachments for The Rogues Gallery.
Happy Summer Times,
If you have any suggestions or discover something wonderful about our Earth Community this summer and want to share it with the rest of us, click on Comments at the bottom of the Posting or email me at moczero@sympatico.ca
And if you have a photo or two to share with us, send them as attachments for The Rogues Gallery.
Happy Summer Times,
Earth Family First,
maureen
maureen
(Photos by Google Images)
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