Earth Day!! And My Baby

Happy Earth Day!! To celebrate I'm painting more (Zero VOC paint), watching my babe, cooking dinner, and cleaning my house. What about you??

I feel as if I haven't blogged in a long time since I've been so busy with the house. Getting a room ready to be lived in takes a lot more work than we thought it would! The guest room will be orderly and complete today and I'll post pictures later.

C has learned how to do a lot this week: pull himself to a standing position on furniture, crawl, make funny mouth sounds, and move from his tummy to sitting. All this learning sure has impacted his sleep! Funky naps, weird night wakings. I will be glad to sleep past 5:30 again when he gets back to his normal schedule! For now I'm getting a lot done in the mornings since I get up so early. However, by afternoon, I'm drooping and ready to nap.... And then I get really grouchy and sarcastic. Must ACTUALLY take a nap this afternoon, not just think longingly of it.

BTW, this whole "C pulling himself up, standing, and grabbing everything in his reach" phase is a new, ahem, challenge. And he's been doing this for 2 days. 2 DAYS????!?!?!?!? Where did my immobile little sweetie go?? Now he's this scooting, crawling, standing sweetie who I watch carefully. Any second he'll fall and hit his head/mouth/forehead/general face area. I feel like a helicopter mommy but for now, I'd rather catch him than let him fall and cry. He's such a baby still:)

He's getting little bruises on his arms and legs from crawling over blocks and such.
He's eating bits of paper and dried drywall mud and my rainboots.
He's outwitting his mommy!!
He's exhausting me!!
He's 8 months!!

I love watching him grow, it's amazing:)

Back to it, C cannot distract me from my purpose: Happy Earth Day again!!! The following quote/status has been running rampant on Facebook lately:

Gas to jump to $5/gallon by Memorial Day. Obama said to get used to it and "trade your car in for an energy efficient car." With unemployment above 10% in many states, can YOU afford to trade-in? REPOST if you want Obama to get used to being a one-term President!!!

It makes me laugh heartily and scoff heartily. Please don't repost that quote. Americans are such greedy consumers, heaven forbid we buy fuel efficient cars or less crap or listen to anyone who suggests that.

I shall stop now before I begin a rant.

The 4 Rs

Today's post:::::::::: THE 4 Rs!!!!!!! Reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink. Sigh I love them so.

Note- there is a VERY good chance I will drone on and on and on about this topic since it's something I am passionate about (but have never written about?? What's up with that??). I will try to be concise, also something I am not great at. I'm TOTALLY going to be one of those old people who everyone avoids because I cannot stop talking about my grandkids, aches and pains, kids these days, what's the world coming to, etc.

Reuse- these were around our dangerous (and yes, still dangerous since it isn't filled in completely) pond. I'm giving them away on Craigslist. Also, that little bridge in the background is going too. Anything we outgrow, won't use, don't need we pass to family members or give away/sell on Craigslist. BTW, if anyone wants the stuff in the picture, speak now!!! We also have a free flagpole!!! Removal is all up to you though;)

Reuse- This is the guest room. Progress in this room has not actually been shared with the Internet so don't tell anyone you saw this picture:) We're saving a lot of those boards to make raised beds for our garden and for building stuff (bookshelves? I dunno, we'll see when time magically expands and we have more of it).

Recycle- This is all from the garage clean out. I need to go tear down those boxes before Thursday, then lug them down our LOOOOONG driveway for recycling. PS- see how the trashcan lid is slightly ajar? Don't do that when you have raccoon neighbors!!! I need to clean that up too now.

Recycle- We fill this little trashcan up 2-4 times a week and dump it in a bigger trashcan in the garage. When it's full, we drag it to the curb for Thursday recycling. Most recycling services offered by trash companies cost anywhere from $5-15 every quarter. That comes to $5 (at the most!!!) a month. The biggest reason I hear from everyone about not recycling is the cost. Pretty sure anyone could afford $5 a month!!!

And most recycling services don't even make you sort the trash!!! All we do it dump everything recyclable in one small trashcan in the kitchen then transfer it to our designated garage trashcan!! Our trash company, CGS, gave us a recycling bin but it's waaaay to small for the amount we recycle! Set the recycling container on the curb with your trash and be happy for your kids (or nieces/nephews)!!!! THEY are the ones who will really deal with all this crap we're putting in our environment.

Rethink- We don't use paper plates, plastic cups, or disposable napkins. Think about it: if you invest $20-30 in cloth napkins, that's pretty much all you'll spend for years on wiping your mouth while you are eating. PS- We do keep all those disposable things on hand for big parties. When you have 15-20 people over you might not have enough real dishes, cups, or napkins for everyone. Other things we do:

• Cloth diapers for C
• Compost our kitchen scraps
• Buy gallons of milk instead of 1/2 gallons
• Buy big bags of chips, cereal, large containers of yogurt, etc. instead of individual, smaller containers
• Installed a whole house water filter so we will NEVER have to buy bottled water. We have reusable water bottles for traveling.

Do you recycle? Please tell me that you do!! Sometimes I get kinda down about American society and our desperate need for stuff to fill our lives. We save to buy that shirt/game/thing we want but not to responsibly dispose of the trash WE create?

If you don't recycle, please consider signing up for it! Set a date (like April 1 or Earth Day, April 22) and commit to calling and getting recycling added to your trash service. And if they don't offer it, tell the company you would love to see it added. And then bag up your recyclables and cart them every few weeks to a public recycling facility. Fun...

PS- Have you ever watched The Story of Stuff? Very interesting!!!!

Whew.

Today I ate homemade ice-cream on a field trip. And homemade butter. There were 6 different stations the kids visited on this field trip but I bet you can guess which station I hung around the most. Plus all the cool people were teaching that station, people that like to rant about trash and plastic and oil in the Gulf. Yep, I fit right in:)

Plus I bought more cloth diapers for Ze Bebe after work. Then took a nap, during which I dreamed about cloth diapers a lot. 

Now I shall go to bed because I am oh so worn out. 

PS- Bebe is kicking me right now for talking about his future private toilet business and is making the computer jiggle.

My Minor Complaints in This Life

So in the adult restrooms at work: there are limits on how much toilet paper you are allowed to use.

That's right. Those in change restrict our toilet paper usage by STOPPING THE TOILET PAPER ROLL FROM TURNING. Yes, they do. They do!! I'm not pulling your leg!! Toilet paper rolls at my workplace do not turn. Is this normal? I've always been annoyed by this but this morning, I got a little bit ~ahem add word here~ about it. It's not been the best of lives for me lately and the toilet paper, damn it, why won't it turn?????

Because there is nothing else in the world to rant about;)

Except that I think those who are obese, smokers, or non-exercisers should pay more for their insurance. Safeway supports me in this view.

And, that I'm sad my farmer's market ended Tuesday. I will miss chatting with my fav farmers.

Also, I'm sad I can't do much for the redwoods that are so tall they blow my mind.

I wish I didn't have 31 kids in my class so I could focus on each kid as an individual and give them the education they so need and deserve.

I wish I could have a normal holiday just once more in my life. Sad that life changes and I don't quite know how to deal yet...

Obsession

I easily obsess. Things, ideas, topics, stuff.

Let me just tell you, when I married J, I thought it was so funny (code word WIERD) that he would research items out the wazoo before making a purchase. Like when we went to a new restaurant, he'd pop up with the fact, "They serve the best lobster bisque here." And I'd look at him and say, "You researched this place, didn't you?" And I'd think he was odd. The man researches EVERYTHING. I told him when we get pregnant or have kids, I'll send him to the comp to see if something is normal or to find a solution to a prob. BECAUSE HE'LL FIND 12 SOLUTIONS BACKED UP WITH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

And I thought that was odd.

Then I realized I can get VERY obsessed with ANYTHING. I've always been this way. Each mid-September, I go w/ my mom and sisters for a girl weekend in New Harmony, Indiana. I am SO excited everyday of the year, each year, and the whole summer (daily), I say to J, "You know what will be nice? NEW HARMONY." Just ask him. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

And sometimes I like to spend HOURS at work, just getting things in order. I could leave. I don't need to make this document for 10 YEAR OLDS look perfect. And when I wanted to grow a garden, I read every book/website imaginable. I know the names of 12,000 flowers. And when I wanted to be organized, I read everything. As a kid, I'd have 20 books spread all over my bed (with me in it) over one topic. I heart topics!!!!

My new favorite genre, as of 2 years ago is non-fiction. This greatly aids with obsession. I've got books on germs, flowers, veggies, organic everything, health, food, local food, vegetarian food, house decor, sewing, organization, environment, etc.

The sad thing is, sometimes my obsessions fade. Sometimes I get lazy and don't stick with it. Or maybe it's just that I now know EVERYTHING about that topic and have to move on!!!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Death

Preface: I'm sorry if I offend you, whoever reads this. I don't like to filter my thoughts for your benefit if I'm writing in my blog. If I am offensive, please don't read me anymore. I won't mind. I don't like having to worry about what people will think of every word I write. Thank you very much, thank you very much!! That's the nicest thing anyones ever done for me!


Americans have all these empty yards - plant something, build something, or bury someone. Makes sense. -Andrew- USA


As I'm sure everyone knows, I think it is very important to take care of our planet and ourselves. Let's keep things as natural and simple as possible and chances are we'll be healthy. And as long as we keep ourselves healthy, there's not much intervention that should be needed for normal events such as birth, colds, or death. Babies come out of people everyday, let's not make it frightening emergency. Colds happen all the time so why are antibiotics overused? Fever is our body's way of fighting germs. LET IT BURN. Hehe. Death, though it eventually happens to EVERYONE, is nowadays masked with a life like body, impenetrable coffin, and somber cemetery. This is not how I like things.

But some day I will die. And here's why I'm telling you this: The New York Times ran an article about home burials. Interesting! I've read about green funerals, simple caskets, and wooded, natural cemeteries. But this was different.

I've talked with J lots of times and don't know if I want to be buried or cremated. I've always been enamored with tombstones and think I'd like to have one some day. If I had to. On the other hand, I hate wasting things and if I'm dead, why should I waste space? A rotting body doesn't need a hole to rest in. And cremation is cool. It means you will drift in to someone's yard, on their trees, or in their lungs. Hehe, how cool to say: I'm in your nose!!!

BTW, DONATE YOUR ORGANS, YOU WON'T NEED THEM AFTER YOU DIE.

But, if I was buried in my backyard, in a simple coffin, with a nice tombstone that J in his profound grief composed, I think it would be nice. Except my backyard is tiny. You'd trip over me every time you walked out there.

And, if one day J were to die before me, I think I'd like to wash him and dress him. I'd like to touch him for the last time, just him and me. I'd want to cry over him and talk to him and love him before never seeing him again. I'd like only loving hands to prepare him and nothing unnatural used to ready his body for burial. I'd like him to be with me and our family before I'm all alone. I'd like him to always be close to me, even when he's gone.

After saying al this, I don't know what I'll actually do since I'm a death noob. I've never had anyone in my immediate family die. I've only experienced 'easy' grief. I've never had a baby but I have had colds and fevers. I usually like to suffer. J got me a $10 bottle of cough syrup last year. I took 1 dose. $10. I would rather cough. And tell everyone else what they should do through this, my insignificant blog. Thank you for listening. ~bow~


The difference between the NYT and a tabloid:
A tabloid: MAN BURIES FAMILY IN YARD
NYT: Home Burials Offer an Intimate Alternative

I'm Not a Hippie :(

My mind is in mild turmoil this morning, spurned by the fact that an organic apple I bought last week was grown in Chile. This surprised me because I want to buy local and I thought I was buying local. How silly of me to assume because my apples are organic, they are also local. Local apples in May.... really??? Since I became a freakish environmentalist a few years ago and a vegetarian last year, I've become much more aware of the impact humans have on our planet. Call me a hippie but I'm really not. I just want to buy things people near me have grown or raised in order to support them and their environmentally sound farming/animal practices. I'd rather support the farmer down the road than the farmer I don't know in Chile. Is that wrong? I wonder. 

Last night I snapped at J because he had the audacity to comment that "this was SO good" when 'this' was a piece of cake made from a boxed cake mix. I did apologize later for that!!! I've recently started hating convenience, processed foods. Certainly I've been stuck up about them for a while now but it became full blown this year. We went to Panera for dinner last night and threw away cups, napkins, a spoon, and sandwich wrappers. We were given food on reusable plates and bowls so that was good. But if everyone in the US throws this much away in just one meal a day, that adds up to a lot. We are so careless with our waste, buying pre-made dinners that we eat and then we discard the container without a thought. If I want a loaf of bread, I throw away the bag it came in. Ice cream containers go in the trash can as well. Pizza boxes, egg cartons, lunch meat bags. Wow, I am so irate.....

I recycle everything I can but most of my friends and family don't. And I don't want to press the issue since of course that can be annoying for them to listen to!! I buy potted pants for my garden and wonder what to do with the containers, then save them for planting next year's seeds. I don't buy processed foods hardly. I try very hard but wonder if I am the only one doing this. I wonder if it is too important to me. God is in charge. I can leave it in God's hands. I do what I can and trust He will take care of things. But maybe he wants me to do more? Maybe I'm not doing enough? Why do people treat His creation with such carelessness? Where do they think chemicals used to grow their food goes? The trash they simply set by the curb each week?

I must be positive now:)

I have a girl best friend that I used to talk to a few times each week. We'd call each other and talk every couple of days. Now J is my best friend. Not a very good one at times simply because he is a man and can't understand "why the heck did that upset her?" or "what the freak? Why is she so emotional about this!?!". Now I talk to my girl BF only a couple times a month though we still spend a weekend together every month of two. Kind of makes me sad how things have changed naturally. Now poor J has to deal with this kind of sporadic complaining and ranting!!!

I like living in Indiana. My big sis complains about it and is always wanting to move because it is too hot or too cold. I think winter is a wonderful idea (way to go, God!). Winter is a a time for reflecting and contemplating, a time for looking forward to spring. I wish winter was shorter maybe but to not have it would unthinkable!!! I could not love summer and spring as much as I do without having to live through seemingly unending days of snow and freezing cold. I love the boiling days of summer that wrap you in heat and sweat since they are the opposite of bitterly cold nights huddled under blankets, shivering. Without sadness, would we appreciate happiness as much? Without happiness to look forward to, would we be able to emerge from sorrow? Without my complaining, would you love my silence as much?!?!

My garden is growing, the birds are singing, and the grass is green. There is a red Columbine flower poking out among the pink ones and the clematis flowers climbing on my fence are turning toward the sunny sky. Someday I'll live in the country where I can grow blueberries and strawberries.

Lovely Day

Today was my 28th birthday. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing through the open window, and birds were chattering when cramps awoke me at 6:34 this morning. Yes, cramps and a wonderful monthly gift on my birthday! Haha, nice!

J planned a super day for me: sleep late (which I kinda did later), Swedish pancakes, gift time (a beautiful rain barrel!!!), Earth Day festival downtown, library time, Whole Foods grocery shopping, then movie and my favorite pizza. After all that fun, we went for a walk at dusk (in shorts!!!) with the warm wind blowing us along. I don't know that I've ever had such a wonderful day before!!! And I get a party with my family tomorrow too!!! I love being 28 on a sunny day. So perfect:)

Tomorrow I shall look at my rain barrel a lot and smile at my recently completed compost bin. 

EPA, Used Items, and Thoughts

[Cartoon by Steve Greenburg]

The EPA on Friday declared that carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases sent off by cars and many industrial plants "endanger public health and welfare," setting the stage for regulating them under federal clean air laws.- NPR

Wonderful! Government and regulations can take a long time to be implemented but at least we're getting closer! I hate for government to get bigger and impose itself on more of our lives, but I think in this situation, it is warranted. How else are we going to get factories or automakers to cut down on chemicals they dump in our air, water, and land? I don't like 28% of my money being taken by the government but when I hear they will invest it in high speed rail across the US or in forcing industry to cut down on emissions, I feel a little better. I'm willing to pay a bit extra for food grown without chemicals, cars that get great mileage, or electricity that is produced responsibly. Many people have bigger issues (jobs, kids, housing, etc.) to worry about than the environment. I don't, so I'll take on this seemingly trivial load and cheer it on!!! Yay for a president that at least gets that we need to change how we are treating the wonderful planet God gave us! Stewardship involves more care and regulation than we have shown!

A blog I read was discussing buying only handmade clothing and how it benefits people and businesses locally, rather than a sweatshop in China. She (the blogger) committed to buying only handmade items from now on.  Well, with my limited personal spending budget of $75 a month (for eating out, clothing, shoes, visiting friends, library fines, etc.) I really can't commit to buying handmade. However, I am, from last week forth, buying only USED ITEMS!!! This does not apply to underware and probably shoes. Any clothing will be bought from Plato's Closet, Goodwill, or garage sales , which won't be that big of a change. I am a very cheap person when it comes to mostly everything so I already seek out good deals. I'm going to carry my Used Items pledge over to the house and try to find anything we might need (tupperware, circular saw, food processor). I've found how to get an RSS feed for a specific Craigslist search and just check my Google Reader instead of going to Craigslist every day. Now I know exactly when someone posts a sell of something I am looking for!

Thoughts

When you visit a strange church, do you ever think about how to do communion? Some churches allow you to reflect and pray before drinking and eating. Some churches like you to get the tray, grab a cup, gulp it down, slam it back on said tray, and send it on its way. I was visiting KY several months ago and was sitting with my new cousins. One of them whispered to me "Sarah, how do they do communion here?" I was confused at the question and had to watch the people in front of me, then whispered back the answer. Communion can be a bit confusing in a new environment. 

We're planning a road trip to New York and Maine this summer. I feel so overwhelmed being forced to pick, unseen, the best places to visit in an entire city or state. Maine is giant!! New York City is much smaller but oh so compact!!

It is 71 degrees today! And sunny! I need to go outside soon! Anyone know where the degree key is on a keyboard? Never have found it in 27 years. 

I will be 28 next Saturday!! My birthday! I love my birthday. Last year I felt that I didn't deserve the attention I received from family and friends on my birthday. Bad time for me. This year I will love and bathe in it:) Good time for me!!!!

As soon as I get home from work, I sit on the couch (teaching 29 kiddos keeps me on my feet all day), check out my websites, and eat pumpkin seeds and almonds. Next week I plan to add walnuts to my routine since I need more omega 3's. I love nuts:)

Yesterday I saw a mouse get strangled by a boa constrictor and eaten. Weird and mesmerizing. I also was given a Coldstone Creamery sundae. Delightful!

That must be all for today, I need to go outside and construct a compost bin using my overwhelming amounts of wit, fortitude, and power. Have a delightful day!!

You Tube Clips:)

Th Sound of Music is one of my very favorite movies. I don't know how many times I watched it as a kid (12,001?) and I still get a kick watching it to this day:) When I was in Austria a few years ago, I went on a Sound of Music bus tour and got to visit the actual homes and locations where the movie was filmed. We sang Sound of Music songs while driving though the countryside. Corny, but oh so fun:)

The Story of Stuff

Being green is one of my favorite things to be. Just ask my husband. A while back, I asked his permission to let us only flush the toilet when we went #2. Otherwise, couldn't we save the water and consolidate flushes? He said no. However, he has cut down on his use of ziploc bags, probably to avoid my incessant shrieking at the sight of them. 

Food and RANDOM

And I thought a calorie counter was cool. Well, I thought it was cool a month ago when I linked to it from something or other, wrote it down, and promptly forgot about it. I found it today and thought I'd check it out and lo and behold, IT GAVE ME GRADES ON WHAT I ATE!!! As an over-achiever, I love getting grades because I think I'm awesome at everything. Here's what I earned according to my grader: 

3 blueberry pancakes w/ maple syrup: B

2% milk: A-

1/2 cup almonds: B+

lots of water: A+ (there wasn't a grade for water, I gave it the A+)

PBJ (1 white, 1 whole wheat piece of bread, natural PB, blueberry jam): B+ (no grade, again, this is merely my prerogative)

Baked BBQ Lays: B- (never eat chips but they had them at my training, so I did)

Rice Krispies Treat: C+ (yeah, I had the munchies)

Mac and cheese (homemade w/ wheat pasta): A

Portabella mushroom w/ ricotta and tomatoes: A (again, my grade)

2% milk: A-

Green tea: A

I GOT ALL A'S AND B'S!!!!!! Score!!! BTW, I predicted what I would eat for dinner based on fridge contents. 

Here are some other cool thing is have discovered lately: 

1. The new Zumba dance moves I learned yesterday made my neck muscles and my head sore. Wierdest thing ever.
2. Whilst I may be turning 28 in 17 days, my real age is only 23.5!! Score again!!!
3. I am doing very well on being green. 9 out of 10 accomplished and in place and we are hanging a clothes line soon (hopefully this actually happens, we've had it for over a year!! Slackers, I know!)
4. I am really trying to enjoy my food. J and I were listening to NPR and heard a story about food. Ever been so focused on reading or watching TV while eating that you forget to taste your food? Today I really enjoyed the aforementioned Rice Krispies Treat. It had such a lovely crunch. 
5. MEDITATION!!!! Not the new age kind, but just sitting and breathing to clear my brain before sleeping. I only tried this on Monday but I did get high on air. Free substance abuse!!! I realized after a while that I was feeling dizzy, similiar to the way I feel when blowing up many balloons too fast. I considered this and realized maybe I was getting too in to meditation. My first try was fun though. I think funny words while breathing. Like 'yaw' and 'weeeeeee' and 'heeeeee'. Fun:)
6. MY COMPOST WORMS SURVIVED A WINTER IN THE GARAGE!!!! I checked on them yesterday and they are frantically slithering to the surface in search of food. Poor frozen  and deprived worms. Animal abuse from the vegetarian who hates killing animals.
7. I really LOVE red bell peppers. Being a vegetarian has made me incredibly unpicky. Hasn't erased all remnants of my former picky self but I am breaking down quite a few walls. I love grilled bell peppers and mushrooms SO MUCH. 
8. I was at literacy training today at the administration building. Pedometer registers only 2,000 steps!!! GEEZ OH PETE. I am going on a long walk w/ Sadie at 5:00. 
9. I am considering setting a no shopping goal. Wondering if this is attainable for me. Wondering what I would do w/ my personal money if I didn't shop? Some big purchase for myself in 6 months? Or maybe limiting myself to 1 shirt, bottoms, shoes each month? Hmmm, more thought is required.
10. Can't end w/o a 10. That would leave us on an odd number and that would bother the OCD part or me. Oh, here: my sick sis sent me a link to a new blog (as if I need to add more blogs to Google Reader!!!): Making It Lovely. Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?

PS- I had 19 spelling errors in this tiny post. Oh no, an odd number!!! I am able to blame some of the many mistakes on my terrible typing skills and not just my spelling skills. 

Chicago

Sitting here on our bed in Chicago, waiting for J. to finish getting ready in the bathroom. We're going to The Lux for breakfast and then off galavanting through the city. Here's some pics from our room last night. J. loves the view and sat up watching the city night after I conked out. Then I woke up early and sat reading my computer at 6:30 this morning while he was conked out. There's a 1 hour time difference here and I guess it messed me up. We also brewed organic coffee a little while ago and stirred it with wooden sticks instead of plastic straws. If you know my hatred of plastic waste, you can probably imagine my jumping up and down upon the discovery of wooden stirring sticks yesterday. Yes, I looked silly. 

BTW, don't forget Earth Hour tonight, 830-9:30. Our hotel, and many in Chicago, are participating. Try turning off the power for fun and giggles!!! How exciting!

Green Lights

Jeremy and I will be in Chicago this weekend on a little vacation. I am excited!!!! I must say, I REALLY need it after just 3 days at work this week. Needless to say, kids are a challenge to keep focused on lessons in the spring. My little darlings have been especially challenging this week. I love my job but when you are in charge of guiding 29 nine and ten year olds to the garden of knowledge (while many of them have attention/learning issues) you tend to ache for the end of the day to come. Today was one of those days. I will love 3:45 tomorrow. I will bask in it and smile all the way home. I sure need a break from the kiddos this year. Some years I am fine to keep teaching for months on end and other years breaks cannot come quickly enough. Depends on the class. 

I digress on a tangent (something my students remind me not to do). While J. and I are in Chicago, luxuriating in our expensive-but-we-got-a-great-deal hotel, we will sit in the dark Saturday night 8:30-9:30. If we are actually in the hotel. Hmm, I assumed we would be in the hotel but really, it will be a Saturday night; perchance we will be out and about? Okay, if we aren't in the hotel, I'll insist the lights go off no matter where we are. Because: IT IS EARTH HOUR!!! The time when leaving your lights on means you vote for killing the earth over loving the earth. I missed this wonderful occasion last year and was very sad (ask J.)

Here's Earth Hour's official explanation: 

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming. For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

That's right, this is when and where you can finally make a difference. Don't worry about recycling, using green cleaning products, buying organic, or driving less. Just vote for the Earth by turning off the light. Apparently world leaders will finally listen:)

Vegetarianism:)

Being a vegetarian is one of the hardest and most wonderful things I have ever done. I bet you're thinking "Hard? You must have a pretty easy life!" And yeah, you are right: I am a wimp so I do try to have an easy life. But really, changing my eating habits over the course of 1 year and 3 months has been an very educational experience. 

In the beginning, when people asked why I became a vegetarian I actually answered them. Then when I realized they liked to make fun of me for my reasons, I just started answering the questions with: "Just because." I got funny looks from some people for the short and vague reply but really, what I think is: "I'm not telling you my reasons if your just going to argue with me about them. Do I provoke you into conversations about the downfalls of eating meat?" I like to avoid confrontation so let's just not talk:)

If you are interested, here's what I really think:

1. Commercial beef practices are bad for the environment. Cows produce LOTS of methane gas. Take up a lot of space. Use a lot of resources. 
2. Dead animals don't make me happy.
3. Commercial meat practices aren't sanitary, healthy, or in the best interest of consumers.
4. Meat isn't really all that healthy for humans. 

The many things I have learned while being a vegetarian are:

1. Wow, there are so many cool veggies out there to cook!
2. Hmm, buying produce that is in season is better for the environment and for me. I really wanted strawberries and shortcake the other day but settled for frozen strawberries in yogurt. GO ME!!!
3. Chemicals are everywhere!! Organic is good:)
4. Vegetables are much cheaper than meat. 
5. I like looking down at my grocery cart and seeing it filled with produce. Makes me feel good in my brain.
6. I don't have to feel terribly guilty about semis jammed with turkeys, pigs, and cows driving on the highway.
7. I try all sorts of new foods!!
8. Man, do I eat healthy now(according to who/what I know)!!!
9. I am officially a food snob. This is somewhat troubling. 

Let me end this by saying: I don't judge you for eating meat (at least not to your face!) so please, show some consideration to the vegetarians!!