Love Thy Neighbor

I guess it's about time I wrote another post-----I just keep putting it off hoping something exciting will happen.

Well, it did! After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, we had our own tsunami warnings here in Humboldt County. As a whole, it turned out to be absolutely NOTHING compared to what Japan is suffering, but frightening nonetheless, for residents up and down California's coast.

Crescent City, about 60 miles north of us in Del Norte County, experienced the worst property damage in our area, along with one lost life, which was the result of failing to follow orders issued to keep folks off the beaches and ocean-emptied waterways. Crescent City Harbor lost 11 boats and saw additional boats damaged, many beyond repair. The docks there are no more.

Here, in northern Humboldt County, the surge was just a few feet, with very little damage. Check out this video!





It amazes me that there were folks there, with their children, watching the surge----surge height was expected to be over 6 feet. Although I'm sure it was an awesome thing to behold, from afar, I'm quite sure it wasn't worth the risk had the water height been as predicted. However, I do appreciate being able to see it, if only from the lens of someone else's video camera.

When we got the intitial information on Friday morning, we immediately pulled up the National Weather Service online and called the boys. Ryan was already on "stand-by" with the National Guard, but both he and Matthew decided to drive up to McKinleyville and wait it out with us. Shortly after they left their apartment, the local police requested a non-mandatory (suggested) evacuation of several apartment complexes since they were in a low-lying area. We waited it out most of the day here at home, listening to the local news and checking weather updates off and on, until the warning was lifted in the early evening. Much of neighboring Eureka, which is at sea level, was shut down on the perimeter and inland about a mile until late afternoon. With the exception of just a few, all schools in the entire county, even those not directly in a tsunami zone, were closed for the day. The "tsunami sirens" in Samoa sounded----at least we know they work!

Although I was concerned, I was not as worried as my husband was, who had us gathering water and establishing evacuation plans for ourselves and our pets. It was my sincere belief that we would not have it nearly as bad as was being predicted, and although I was right, it could have been much, much worse (like the 1964 tsunami that was spawned by a 9.2 earthquake in Alaska) had the surge been what was originally expected. We were lucky that day!

Japan, however, was not to experience that same kind of luck. My heart aches for that nation as they deal with the aftermath of the quake and tsunami. I feel helpless, really. I can pray and send my love and warm thoughts, but that is all. With the world joining together to support our Japanese brothers and sisters, maybe it will be enough to help lift them into a place of recovery, of healing. Healing goes so far beyond the re-building of a home or even a city. For most, it will require the re-building of a life and learning to go on, somehow, after the loss of loved ones.

It is sad, on many levels, that it often takes a disaster of massive proportions to bring people together in a real and tangible way, rather than only paying lip-service to the idea that we are all, regardless of our national or ethnic allegiance, fellow travelers on this earth, bound together by our humanity. We all love and laugh and cry--we all endure hardship and sorrow--we all feel pain--we all rejoice in our triumphs. Now it is time to embrace a nation who is suffering in ways that most of us never will, in whatever way we are able.

If you feel led to donate, please contact the organizations below. They offer help and aid all over the world, with no strings attached. I believe in their mission.

http://www.ifrc.org/ OR http://www.icrc.org/eng/index.jsp

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the

whole earth." ~Bahá'u'lláh

A Lovely Blog to Share With You

I adore handmade things, regardless of what they are. Handmade is always better, lovelier, in my opinion. When a person takes the time to create something, whether it is a painting, a piece of jewelry, or a hand-carved trinket, they cannot help but put a little bit of themselves into each item. I suppose people create for different reasons, but, mostly, I believe people create because they have no choice---they simply MUST do it. Their art is so much a part of who they are it is almost as necessary as breathing.

Jeff and Taryn, at Wooly Moss Roots, are those kind of people-----they live a beautiful, simple, purposeful life (with their little son, Bracken) and spend their time creating lovely things to share with the world. The amazing pieces that Jeff hand-carves speak volumes to me about the reason he creates and I've no doubt that each and every work of art he turns out has been lovingly and joyfully made.

Inlaid Tree Pendant

(photo courtesy of Wooly Moss Roots)

Wooly Moss Roots is having their very first give-away (entries accepted until February 28th); an inlaid tree pendant that anyone would be proud to wear. Please take a look at their Etsy Shop and enjoy browsing at the lovely things they have to offer.

Road Trip

Today is a lovely day-----the sun is shining, although the wind is brisk and it's a bit chilly. That's okay, though, because I know that Spring, glorious Spring, is just around the corner. For some reason, after the winter holidays, I am SO ready for all the things that go along with springtime. I start getting anxious to plant flowers, re-do the garden beds, clean up the yards, just generally get everything into top form. I start daydreaming about picnics and walks along the river and a return to warmth that, as I get older, my body aprreciates very much.

I am also looking forward to the trip that my son, Alex, and I are planning for late Spring/early Summer. He and I, and our little dachshund, Bruno, will be taking a "road trip" North to visit family and friends. Our final destination is the Seattle area of Washington State, but we will be making many stops along the way so I can show Alex all the lovely places I enjoyed as a child. There is something magical about sharing favorite places with our children, places that we once enjoyed with our own parents so many years ago, places that we loved and thought about long after we left.

Our route will take us from northern California up into Oregon and Washington----some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet, in my humble opinion, of course! The state and national parks offer so many activities, or just spots to enjoy being surrounded by nature. The Pacific Northwest is dotted with lakes, rivers, mountain ranges----a true wonderland of scenic beauty. I am excited, and truth be told, a bit nervous, about taking this trip with just my young son and our little pup. But, the thought of passing up such a splendid opportunity to see so much and share so much is just....well, unthinkable!

Mount Hood, Oregon

Deschutes National Forest, Oregon

Mount Rainier, Washington

Although we will have a basic plan for where we will end up and how many days we will be gone, we WILL NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT, plan our days to a tedious fault. I will not remove even the slightest chance for some serendipitous moment of bliss by over-planning and trying to create the "perfect vacation". I want to allow precious time for wading in streams and stopping at some silly roadside attraction and wandering through the trees and picking up shells on an unfamiliar beach and pulling up to an out-of-the-way diner for a piece of pie and a milkshake.

I want to instill in my son that some of the most wonderful times to be had are times spent simply, with family. I want him to know deep down in his soul that it isn't necessary to spend a few days and a small fortune at some theme park or other to have the adventure of a lifetime---all it really requires is a car, a map, a mom, a boy, and his dog.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” ~~~ Miriam Beard

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~~~ Mark Twain

Happy Eating

Although I don't particularly enjoy making New Year's resolutions, or at least making formal ones, as in writing them down and sealing them in an envelope to return same time next year to see with my own eyes how miserably I failed, but I do find that I seem to make a mental note of the things I'd like to change, things I'd like to see happen.

My big "resolution" for 2011 (or maybe "committment" would be a better word) is to make the change to eating completely organic fare, in all food catergories. I've been gradually making changes here and there, for the benefit of myself and my family, but I've also been doing so much reading that shows, time and again, that choosing wholesome, organic, and preferably, sustainably-raised foods, is best for our bodies and our planet. What is there to discuss----it's really plain and simple.

I'm well on my way to a healthier lifestyle and as I write I'm smiling. I really do feel better when I eat better. Don't you? Now, that's not to say that I will never indulge in a pizza from the local take 'n bake, or that I will never eat something that is not all the things I mentioned previously---I won't say that because I know I will. I would never be such a "food snob" as to turn down a meal with a dear friend or refuse to eat what someone lovingly prepared for me and my family simply because it didn't meet my criteria for healthy food. I suppose that what I'm saying is that I am making a committment to make good food choices as much as is possible and not beat myself up when I don't or can't. I will say that because 'organic' and 'healthy' are becoming synonymous, though, it is becoming much easier, and more affordable, to find those options when dining out.

Before the new year began, I flirted, rather briefly, with the idea of trying a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Now, this was mostly for health reasons, although doing my part to stop the needless suffering of animals in conventional feed-lots is important to me, too. I weighed the possibility of a strict new way of eating against the fact that I enjoy consuming small amounts of both meat and dairy and decided that, although I respect those who make such choices, it just wouldn't do for me. Instead, I chose to reduce the amount of animal products I eat and make sure that those milk and meat items are mostly organic/grass-fed/sustainably and humanely raised.

Jersey Cows in Humboldt County

I recently discovered an organic ,"cream-top" jersey milk that is so delicious and local to my area. The Borges Family Creamery in Smith River is a family-owned dairy that cares about how they raise their cows and cares about the quality of product they make available to the public. As a now-loyal customer to their non-homogenized milk, I hope they will expand to include butter and other dairy products of the same high-quality.

My favorite yogurt is from another organic producer, Straus Family Creamery, in Sonoma County. They use fresh Jersey whole milk for their yogurts and also produce various other milk products, including butter.

I have been buying Humboldt Grassfed Beef for some time now. It is locally raised and processed right here in Humboldt County where I live. Contrary to what some folks say, there really is a huge taste difference between conventional beef and those that are fully grass-fed. We had a BBQ last July for my oldest son who was returning home after serving 3 years in the U.S. Army-----folks couldn't stop raving about how delicious the hamburgers were and I was happy to tell them it was Humboldt Grassfed Beef. Yummy!



I am fortunate to live in an area that supports a large seasonal farmers' market from April-October and that also has many local farms and small food businesses. The North Coast Co-op, where my son, Matthew, is employed, offers a plethora of these products, too, and is an important vehicle for spreading the news about the availability of local foods. With so much being offered at mostly reasonable prices, there is no reason not to try to incorporate as many local, organic food choices as possible. I can imagine that, wherever you live, you will find at least a few sources for seasonal produce, although you may have to do a little research. Of course, the best way to provide ourselves with whole foods is to grow them, but we can't always do that, or simply don't want to. That's why it's important to encourage our local farmers by buying what they work so hard to grow for us.

Considering that there is a wealth of information about healthy living and organic eating, I would imagine that it would be easier than ever to find support and encouragement for this journey. At no other time during my 43 years have I noticed a bigger shift toward "green living" than I do now. We are becoming more aware of how our living choices and eating patterns effect, not only our bodies, but this planet that we share with every other living thing.

HAPPY EATING!!!

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" ~~~ Hippocrates

Soul Music

Tomorrow is the last day of school for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!! I'm so glad that we adopted an "unschooling" way of life this year----the learning keeps happening whether he are "doing school" or not!

Alex and I are currently trying to wrap up our study of the Vietnam Era and the Civil Rights Movement. Wow!!! The 1960s was such an amazing decade----so many important issues were brought to the table of discussion and so many changes took place in our society. There is just so much information to process. Alex really took an interest in the events of this turbulent time in our nation's history. We have read so many books and looked at so many websites and we still only barely scracthed the surface. I know we will re-visit the 1960s again when he is older.

Today, we discussed the music of the 60s and listened to many different artists who inspired an entire generation. We watched live performances (via YouTube) of The Temptations, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Smoky Robinson, The Jackson 5, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. I love that my son is willing to listen to nearly any genre of music, even if he doesn't like it after hearing it. Sometimes, we may find that we LOVE a particular sound that we didn't even know we liked simply because we had never heard it before. And, sometimes, like today, I am reminded of how much I enjoy the music of this bygone era.

One of the joys of homeschooling is that I don't have to follow a rigid set of rules---we can experiment and try new things simply because something sounds interesting and we want to. I suppose some folks may feel that 90 minutes of our day was wasted simply listening to music, but I don't!! Alex and I talked about what we liked about the various songs and artists we heard, we talked about what kind of life they lived during the height of their popularity and what changes they may have helped bring about, and we talked about how some of the musicians of the 1960s destroyed their lives by abusing drugs and alcohol. No subject is ever exclusive---any particular discussion can, and usually does, lead to even more discussion.

It is a beautiful thing to feel free to listen to or read anything that might help us to better understand a particular event or era or even "just because". On the other hand, we can also choose to pass up something that someone else tells us we should do or see or read because it doesn't appeal to us. History should never be dry and dull, but rather alive and exciting. When we, as both children and adults, can participate in and interact with the facts, they become so much more real to us and that enables us to find an affinity with certain individuals or movements, or, as was the case for Alex today, music! Music is such a great equalizer----it can help build bridges between the generations, the races, the religions, the political parties----bringing people together who didn't realize they had anything in common. I have yet to meet a single individual who doesn't like music. All music is "soul" music; it speaks to us in ways that nothing else can.

"After the silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." ~~~Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)~~~

Holiday Happiness

Thanksgiving has come and gone and the Christmas season fast approaches. I haven't really enjoyed the Holidays in a long while because it seems to serve as a reminder of our financial woes. Although I am a firm believer in living simply and keeping my environmental footprint as small as can be, I will openly admit that hearing others talk of their vast "Xmas Shopping List" makes it a bit difficult to be jolly. I know, I know, that attitude seems so superficial, but at the very least, I admit my problem.

Having been raised on a meager income by my grandparents, I never felt "lacking" until the Holidays when friends were discussing what they wanted for Christmas and, of course, what they knew they'd get. While their lists were at least a full page of wishes and wants, I remember my immense, yet simple, desire to find a Barbie doll under the tree come Christmas morning---not just the dime store version with hollow plastic legs---but the REAL BARBIE with bendable, rubbery legs, and all the amazing accessories, and myriad of friends, that went along with her. I think I've always been a bit sad at not ever having my very own Barbie doll.

When I grew up, married, and had children of my own, I promised myself, silly as it seems now, that my children would have presents stacked to the ceiling, like I never had. When my boys were very young we were living in eastern Kentucky, on a fairly modest income, but we always managed to have a big Christmas for them. My husband and I delighted in going on our annual shopping trip to Huntington, West Virginia, about an hour and a half from our home. Huntington had a huge mall and various "big name" stores that offered everything a person could want and more----just the place for a young couple with children! While my mother-in-law took care of the boys, we would make a day of it, leaving early and coming home late, exhausted, but satisfied, from our endeavor!

I know it is such a sad commentary on the state of affairs in our nation of plenty that I could feel even slightly unhappy at the lack of gifts that will grace the living room floor under my tree this year----how petty of me. No iPads, no Droids, not even a new computer that would be such a welcome replacement for our slow, out-dated dinosaur---no, this year, just a few things that I know our sons will enjoy that have been lovingly chosen, but not particularly costly. Yes, there will be the long-coveted video game, a few favorite books, a toy or two for our youngest son, and the random article of clothing or accessory. And, as usual, I'll be warming the kitchen with the lovely smells of the Yuletide season, a gift in themselves----gingerbread and pumpkin pies, and, of course, Christmas cookies and candy.

Have we somehow failed our children in not providing their every Holiday desire-----absolutely not! Our children were raised to tell the truth, to serve others, to be true to their own values, and to be loving and giving to their family and friends. No amount of presents under the Christmas tree could instill those traits in any person, no matter how much we might wish it. As my two older sons have grown and moved out on their own, it is my prayer that they will continue to grow and mature, as I know they will, into men who possess an indomitable spirit and who retain the strength of character they have been taught. No gift could be better than that!

My own desire to give over and above what we can afford, I'm sure, comes from the power of American materialism; in old-fashioned terms, "keeping up with the Joneses". Strive though I may to live simpler, greener, and saner, it is much easier to be content with what one has when there is no one near in which to compare possessions, or a lack thereof, with. However, I should be in control enough to put those thoughts from my mind and stick to the path that I know is best and true; simple, heartfelt living. And, most of the time, I do.

So, now, I will sit back and reminisce about all the lovely Christmases that have long-passed, the memories of precious time spent with loved ones, the traditions that make the Holidays special for my family, and the abundance and blessings that come simply from knowing who I am and what is truly important.

Going Green

One of my favorite blogs, The Organic Sister, is hosting the Great Big Giveaway from Sustainable Baby Steps, a fantastic website that not only promotes "Going Green", but helps you on your journey.

Now, being a big fan of the "Going Green" movement, I appreciate websites/companies/individuals who are willing to go the extra mile to honestly inform, educate, and equip. It's nice to read about how important it is to ourselves, our children, and our planet to adopt a greener lifestyle, but it is just so wonderful to have a "go to" source to help us implement this choice in a practical and do-able way. Although I am new to Sustainable Baby Steps, I believe in what they are doing and I believe that they are making an difference in the lives of those of us who desire to do what we can to make our world a lovelier place.

Let me also say, in support of The Organic Sister, I LOVE Tara's blog!! I've been reading for some time and I am SO thankful for her honesty and integrity which shines through in each and every post. I look forward to reading about her family's adventures and about how a simple and sustainable lifestyle works for them on a day-to-day basis. It is constantly a source of encouragement and inspiration to me.

My family and I try to do our part to encourage a true concern for the health and well-being of our planet and ALL those who inhabit it. We compost, recycle (or re-purpose), we've reduced our water and energy consumption, started a small raised-bed garden, combine trips into "town", buy what we can from our local thrift/consignment shops, bag our groceries in re-usable cloth bags, use "green" cleaning products (we mostly make our own), use cloth napkins, and cook "from scratch" using mostly organic "real" foods-----all wonderful ways of enjoying a "greener", more sustainable, lifestyle. I'm sure there are many more ways to do an even better job of living in harmony with the Earth, and as we continue to learn and grow and discover, we will continue to analyze what we do and change what we can to color our lives an even deeper shade of green.