Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Old Poem. New Day

I scribbled this poem out after someone gave me a fountain pen.

Ode to Joy

What is to say is the sweet nectar of life. 
Is it to behold a loved one's face or to sit in the sweet breast of a tree, 
the breeze trickling through, moving your hair as gently as a lover. 
Oh the sweet, sweet breeze, 
how it tumbles and plays like strings on a harp 
making the most beautiful harmony.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Change & Death


Trying to live forever? Trying to be forever young? What’s missing out of this equation? Things change. That’s life. That’s growth. That’s evolution. And when it’s our time to pass onto the other side, back to the life of spirit, it means that we are facing another change. Like any change, we may fear it. For me, it’s the greatest blessing because my earth lesson’s are done and I can move onto the next phase of my soul development. 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Life's Paradoxes

I'm organizing my writer's scribbles - those thoughts that burst and have to be caught on paper. I have endless notes on endless scraps of paper which I'm trying to organize into some rhyme or reason.

Here's one I scribbled a few months ago. I remember now I wrote it for a script.


“What are you doing here?” 
“I came for you. I came to find the answers.” 
“But you know the answer already. How else could you have gotten here?”

It's a script for a spirit journey. Does it sound familiar to you?

 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Green No Brainers - Easy actions to be more eco-friendly

Feeling guilty about not taking my reusable coffee mug to my favorite SBs, and getting coffee anyway in a toss-away cup, I took off the recyclable cardboard strip to recycle and contemplated what good thing did I do for the environment that day. I thought, “Well, I do drive a hybrid, I kept in a short driving distance to my home, and I used my reusable shopping bag.” I thought of other positive steps I took that have become part of my routine – green no brainers so to speak – and those steps have made living green so much easier.

Here are 12 actions I do regularly:

1. Reusable shopping bags at the ready: I keep at least one reusable shopping bag in the car. Though I like to plan my shopping trips to maximize time and not drive needlessly, there are times when I’m out and about that I remember items I forgot or need at the moment. And I take my bag everywhere, to any kind of store, which has its own benefits, beyond saying a bag: At Target (5 cents discount), Trader Joe’s (opportunity to win a raffle prize), or Sav-On (usually a nice thanks for being eco-friendly) are just a few examples.

2. Using a timer for showers: My bathroom heater has a timer so this makes it especially easy to monitor my showering time, which can get long as I tend to space out. Setting it on 5 minutes or less helps me not waste water and minutes in the shower.

3. Driving a gas efficient car: this speaks for itself, though I know not driving at all is the best eco-green option.

 4. Taking off one day a week not to drive: Since Earth Day 1991, when I took this pledge as part of an EDF campaign, I have tried to do this as best as I can.

5. Walkable errands: If I can walk to a destination rather than drive, I choose that option. Walking is my main exercise so it’s a win-win.

6. Reusable Coffee Mug: Usually I do take my cup when I get takeaway coffee. There are coffee houses, like SBS, if you ask, that will give up a cup if you plan on staying in the shop. (Sometimes I forget this myself so I should write a note to myself and keep it on my smart phone).
     a. In truth I know that the truly eco-green coffee option would be to stay at home, drink an organic, shade-grown, free-trade blend, so I try not to overdo going to the coffee house.

7. Unplugging appliances that don’t need to be on: I don’t always remember this but it’s a great habit to develop. There are so many appliances with blinking clocks, from DVD players, toasters, to microwaves getting into a regular habit of unplugging them will save an unnecessary energy drain.

8. E-bills and E-pay: Not everyone is comfortable with going online with their bills but I love it. Not only does it save paper, it’s convenient, and I don’t have all that paper filing (or shredding) to do.

9. Not tossing my old batteries into the landfill: I save my old batteries plus other items considered hazardous waste in California and I take them to the appropriate waste center once a year. Normally cities, at least in California, have at least one hazardous waste pick up day a year.

10. Buying used first: I take the adage, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure” as a green motto seriously. From thrift stores, antique stores, used book stores to used and recycled clothing stores, I’ve had pretty good luck finding things I need. Sure, I like sparkly new things and I do buy new, but how soon does the sparkling new turn old? And why not reuse something if it can be reused? Of course I try to keep my shopping at minimum. And I look for timeless, classic styles and items.

11. Buying recycled paper and plastic goods: It used to be that buying recycled products would cost several dollars more. I find that to be less true these days. I’ve found recycled paper and plastic kitchen and office products at reasonable prices when shopping at major retailers.

12. Recycle: This is so part of my routine I almost forgot to include this on my list. I am one of those people that if I see an item in the communal regular trash bin that should go into recycling, I will remove it and put it into recycling. It's where my OCD tendencies can come out to shine. :)

Since I’ve just touted my eco-green horn, here’s a confession of green actions I need to improve upon:

1. Composting: I really need to get a grip on composting and do it more often.

2. Bicycling: One day I’ll get over my phobia but I’m a bit fearful riding a bike. I know this is a great green option that I hope to incorporate in the future.

3. Cleaning out my car: I carry needless things in my car that probably drain my mileage. I need to clean it out so I can get even better gas mileage.

4. Buy less frozen food packaging. I’ve gotten really lazy about this. I need to cut back which will be better for the landfill and for my health.

Oh, I could go on… What’s your green no brainer?

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

In a field of Monarchs

There are moments in life where you happen upon something so unexpected you wonder if it can happen again or question if the likelihood of its duplication so slim the encounter can only be described as "lucky chance". I walked a trail in Laguna Beach religiously. The trail straddled rolling hills where hawks hovered and ravens swooned over the desert bush and sages. Idyllically beautiful, this place had a sacred, mystical quality and I tended to fall into romantic thoughts as roadrunners whizzed by me, overtaking my jog. But even so, I hadn't been prepared for what I would encounter on one particular day. As I walked down one of the hills my eyes saw a vision of a thousand Monarch butterflies strewn out over the brush. I had never seen so many at once. I realized I happened upon the one day they took to rest there on my favorite trail before they continued down their way to Mexico. I had no camera, just my own vision as I passed by cluster upon cluster of beating wings. I have never been so thrilled in my life.

I have no idea if the Laguna Beach trail is a regular stopping point for Monarch butterflies on their yearly migration to Mexico. I haven't seen it again. So this makes me feel lucky and blessed that I got to be a part of their journey, even if was just walking by. I wish I could share a frame of my experience. This link to this video will have to do: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/journey-butterflies.html