i see trees of green

Tomorrow is my “youngest, older ” daughter’s birthday. I’m proud to call her my daughter. She is a wonderful woman. She has strength of character and a resilience seldom found in one so young. She is dedicated, with a sense of purpose as well as a great sense of humor. She’s independent, smart, caring, supportive and loving. She listens before making up her mind and she allows others their say. She is generous with her parents, supportive of her siblings and appreciative of her main squeeze.

She is making a difference in so many ways. Ways that many of us could follow. It’s the little things that matter. Taking your own bag to the grocery store, recycling paper, glass and plastic, combining your errands, using safe non-toxic cleaning and laundry products. She is looking at purchasing her next vehicle; a hybrid. These actions and the many wonderful traits that she has , make me proud to call her “My Daughter”.

Happy Birthday. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. I love you.

Mom

Creating a healthy environment in your home should take top priority.  Especially if you have a child or you are a grandparent, uncle or aunt and have children visiting your home. According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Toxicology, children are more vulnerable to chemical toxins than adults. My favorite health company Shaklee has partnered with Healthy Child Healthy World a non-profit organization that is dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures. It is their combined goal to help educate the public about healthier solutions and products in the marketplace. They stress 5 Easy Steps to obtaining a healthy home.

1. Avoid using pesticides
2. Clean Safely
3. Help children breathe easier
4. Provide healthy food
5. Use plastics wisely

You can read the entire message at http://shaklee.com/causes_heal……hild.shtml

I believe that an informed consumer makes better choices. So, start to educate yourself. You can access a number of sources. If you want to find out about current products that you are using go to the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine Household Products Database. Other sources of information would be the EPA sites, or University sites such as www.berkeley.edu  and  look for media releases that discuss household chemicals. You have alternatives that are healthy for you, your child, and the planet. So, why not take that step.  Make a choice to be clean, green and healthy.

I just recently lost my brother Bob. I was his kid sister, even in our advanced ages. His passing has made me think of our younger years and simpler times. We grew up in a small town in Kansas, population around 600. We were free to roam all over town and we did. We even played hide and seek with the neighborhood kids after dark. We had a front porch with a swing and a large Maple tree for climbing. In the spring and summer, we had garden and yard chores. We cut a small yard of grass with a push mower. Year round we had chickens to feed, eggs to gather. We hung clothes on lines outside to dry unless it was too cold and then we hung then on the enclosed back porch. We didn’t eat meat everyday but, we did have a big family dinner on Sundays which usually consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes, a vegetable, homemade bread and pie or cake for desert. Soda pop was a seldom treat as was ice cream or candy. Paper towels were not used, nor were kleenix. It was cloth towels, with dishes air dried in racks and hankies that were washed and ironed. Fresh sheets and towels were put out once a week. If we needed something that our small town couldn’t provide, we took the train in the morning to a larger town nearby and returned home on the train that evening. During the war years, (WW11) we didn’t own a car. Any necessary trips were made by bus or train. After the war we purchased a car when they became available. We now drove the 5 blocks to church on Sunday instead of walking. The mid to late 50’s seem to usher in a new age, bigger cars, bigger and better highways. More discretionary income, more people taking vacations, buying more clothes, more convient washing machines so that we could wash more clothes more often. More modern homes (without front porches), further out from the towns and cities, so walking became a thing of the past and we drove every where. Familys scattered. My brother joined the CB’s ( a branch of the Navy) and was stationed in California. He married a local beauty and after his discharge remained in California. My older sister and her husband moved to Colorado. Another sister and her husband took up farming some fifty miles from home. My older brother who served in WW11 stayed for a while and worked the parts department for the local auto dealer before moving about 100 miles from home. I went off to Colorado after college, married and moved back east. By the 60’s, our family was spread all over the country, necessitating driving or flying back and forth for family reunions. Life was no longer simple. By the 70’s women became major players in the work force, creating the need for easier to prepare meals as well as more meals out. The two pay check family often meant two cars. And so on and on it went and away went the simpler life. Can we return to those times? No, time marches on and with that comes change. Can we live a simpler life in these times? Yes. We just have to pattern it to fit todays world. We can learn to recycle more than plastic, paper and glass. We can demand less packaging. We can car pool and organize our errands so that we make one trip instead of 10. We can when practical, learn to use the power of nature. Here in Arizona today on our back patio the temperature has hit 118. This is probably hotter than normal by at least 5 degrees. Think about what 5 degrees a year could mean to our environment. Also, even though we have all of this sunshine and heat, we cannot have clothes lines. This may need to change. If we want to keep the beauty of our world, then we may need to change our attitude about laundry drying on a line. Perhaps it is in the simple small changes that we can make that we will tame global warming.

I dedicate these thoughts to you Bob. Thanks for being my big brother.

My last post was before Easter. The time since then has been filled with family visits and a brief do nothing period. Easter like other holidays is best celebrated with family. For the past five years we have spent the day at our daughter Trisha’s. She along with Rod put on a great brunch for family and friends that lasts late into the day. Rod’s mother who makes her annual trek from Connecticut for some Southwest sunshine for a few weeks, winds up her trip with the brunch. This year, our son Phil and his mate Deb were here for the event. They inturn brought friends. Friends and family are who define us in many ways. It is because of them that we extend ourselves to do things. It is the care and love that we give to them that comes back to us in many ways.

The great thing about having people visit is that we usually take them to see the local sites. The week following Easter, Phil and Deb, my husband and I took a short trip. We went exploring in Monument Valley in Northeast Arizona. The famous land monuments in this valley have been carved by nature; wind and water, and all have names that identify them. There are the Three Sisters, Mexican Hat , The Mittens and many more. It seems strange that in this dry dusty land, water could have played such a large part in its past and that lack of it will play a big part in its future.

Lack of water to support our growing population is a looming concern in Arizona and throughout the west. About 15 years ago, my son recommended I read a book titled Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner who wrote about the American West and its disappearing water. Read the rest of this entry »

When you shop for groceries do you take your own bags; paper, plastic or cloth? Do you throw the plastic and paper out or do you reuse or recycle the bags? These are small but important actions that you can take to show you care for the environment. Do you recycle? Not just paper, glass and plastic but clothing, furniture, etc. It’s always better to use and reuse. We are far too wasteful. Recently one of my daughters was shopping on line and was given the opportunity to contribute funds to offset resources used to package products to an organization that is located at www.gozero.org.uk a lot of good things going on in that village. What thought provoking ideas and actions that are taking place, a model for more of us to follow. We can do wonders when we take action.

Everyday should be Earth Day, just as everyday should be Valentines Day or Christmas but, we know that isn’t the way it is. We can be more deliberate about how we go about our life. We can make choices, we can establish goals and set priorities. Our choices often are influenced by ads that have no real information about the product that is being promoted. By taking time to become an informed consumer you will have taken the first step to better choices. Make it a priority to have a toxic free home and in doing so, you will be giving back to Mother Earth instead of taking. If you set a goal to do so by April 22nd (Earth Day), what a wonderful gift! Take time today to check out www.Shaklee.net/greenhome you will be glad you did.

On April 12th, the world celebrates Earth Day. What will you give her on that day? It’s not too early to start thinking about it. Would you like to give enough trees to neutralize your carbon emmissions for a year? If so, you might check out www.shakleemilliontrees.org. If you choose to give or not, the site is very interesting and you can learn about carbon emmissions as well other worth while projects.

I have always loved the lyrics to the song writen by Louis Armstrong:

“I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”

Think to yourself what the world would be like without those trees of green. Then, take action! Become involved. Plant a tree or save a tree. I live in the desert where trees fight to exist, where water is next to none so, when I plant, it’s a native low water usage, able to survive on its own after three years. When you plant, consider what is native to your area. If you can’t plant, then recycle and or conserve. Check out my link to GreenHome at www.shaklee.net/greenhome/ to see how you can plant the equivalent of 10 trees without lifting a shovel.

I want the world to know that it can become healthy. That it is within the reach of each of us to make a difference. Start with whatever is your passion. If you are appreciative of nature and you enjoy hiking, biking or canoening, then don’t let your area be spoiled with toxic chemicals. It’s your air, it’s your water. Find out about products that affect your water and how long it takes to clean the water effectively so that plants can grow and you can safely drink the water. Find out about toxic fumes and how they affect your health. As we spend more time together, I will share some of what I have learned and what I am trying to do to help keep our planet healthy.