Frustrated Trying to Be Green

Today I went to the grocery store to do some routine shopping and actually remembered to bring my reusuable bags into the store. I have several types of canvas ones and a really cool insulated shoulder bag to keep my cold or frozen items in. As I was checking out, I started filling my insulated bag with frozen food until the bagger came over. Then I focused on other things, like using my *valued customer* card to get the *special* prices and actually paying for my purchases. I happened to glance over at the bagger and he was putting my food into a PLASTIC BAG! Nooooooo! I wanted to shout. I pointed out that I had a reusable bag and he said, "Oh, I thought that was your pocket book." So, as he started putting items into the insulated bag, I pointed out that I had other canvas bags for the rest of the groceries. I didn't pay any more attention until I started wheeling the cart to the parking lot. He had put the rest of the groceries in another plastic bag! And one of the items was a frozen item, best suited for the insulated bag. I almost screamed in frustration, especially when the plastic bag RIPPED as I was putting it in my truck. And this is a store that proudly displays reusable bags with their logo printed on the side.

My green tip for the day is, keep reusable bags in your vehicle, bring them into the store with you, and keep an eye on those sneaky baggers...I think they must have a quota or something.

Farm Animals and Houses

I know many friends and blog readers were surprised by some of my posts last month when I revealed that there was a goat living in my house. That's nothing compared to this: http://thepioneerwoman.com/2009/03/cow_in_house.html. I don't think you'll ever see anything like that on my blog...well, around here, I guess you never know....never say never.

New Internet Service

We've had satellite internet for two years now. While it was light years ahead of the dial up it replaced, it did have some drawbacks. It was affected by weather. We were allowed only so much bandwidth which meant were were always in violation of the company's "abuse policy" which meant they would cut back our usage, slowing down the internet to a crawl. It wasn't as fast as cable or DSL. We had no choice - out in the country our phone equipment is antiquated and we don't have the infrastructure for cable. But now we have 3G cell phone technology available. It's much faster than satellite without the drawbacks. Later this year, we will probably be eliminating our satellite TV as between the internet and Netflix, we will have all the entertainment we need. We can now stream movies - not a good option with the old satellite service. And I can get the news, when my news fast is over, via the internet. Another plus is that I don't have a million cords and pieces of equipment cluttering my small desk. Do I sound like a happy camper?

Quiet Time

Last night hubby and I participated in Earth Hour, joining millions of others around the globe to bring awareness to global climate change. Our hour was pretty uneventful: We took a walk on our farm, to put up our chickens and then to get our mail (our driveway is 1/3 mile long). It was sprinkling so we weren't able to star gaze, but at least it wasn't cold. The rest of the hour we spent in candle light. Unfortunately, all I had was a traditional candle - not soy or beeswax - but I've had it for years and didn't think it very green to go out and buy new candles just for the event. When the hour was over, hubby said he liked the quiet and it would have been fine with him if we continued to spend the evening in candle light. I happened to be near the end of a book and really wanted to finish it so I nixed the idea. I'm glad we were a part of the hour - I thought of it as a world-wide, rolling communion, with slivers of the earth going dark as time changed around the world. I'm sure we will be a part of it next year - and I'll try to get the word out to more people.

Earth Hour to Earth Day

Tonight my family and I are going to participate in Earth Hour by turning off our lights from 8:30-9:30. Since it's been raining on and off all day, we might not get to take that star-gazing walk. Instead, we'll probably light some candles and enjoy some quiet discussion.

This morning I realized that April 22 is Earth Day, so for the next month I'm going to treat it as a second Lent, a spiritual season in which to focus my awareness on Creation. Followers of this blog know that I'm on a news fast for Lent. I've abstained from watching any local or world news on television and I avoid all websites that contain news items. We haven't gotten the newspaper in years so that is a nonissue. Occasionally, a headline will surprise me when I'm standing in line at the store or when I'm surfing the Internet, but I use my yoga training in those times: I just let it pass without judgment.

Sometimes I'm puzzled by the way some Christians react to the idea of creation care, almost as if they equate it with pagan worship. Some even mock the scientists who warn us of the dangers of the abuse we have heaped on our fair planet. When my daughter took Health in our home school, we used an Abeka textbook that was given to us by a friend. I was angry when we ran across a chapter that actually made fun of environmentalists and even denied that chlorine was a threat to the earth! I thought it ironic that at the same time, the United Methodist Women had a campaign to get office supply stores to sell chlorine-free paper because of the dangers to the environment (not to mention our health).

So, between now and April 22, I plan to do some blogging about our duty to care for the earth and ways we can do so.

Reminder: Earth Hour on Saturday

Just a little reminder to turn off your lights between 8:30 and 9:30 on Saturday night. Go to http://www.earthhour.org/home/ for ideas to share your experience.

Aren't We Spoiled Brats

Found this You Tube video on Jenny Mae's blog (http://softletters.blogspot.com/) and thought I'd share it.