Tags and Memes and Such....

Last week SoapBoxTech tagged me with a Bookworm Award, and yesterday Alexah at Learning to Step Lightly tagged me for a Green Meme. So in this my last post before I go on Christmas/New Years hiatus, I wanted to respond to each of these in turn. Remember, I have granted myself immunity from the rules of memes and tags and such, and so I will bend the rules to my liking.

First, SoapBox passed on a Bookworm Award to me. Thank you kindly SoapBox! The award comes with two rules:

RULE ONE, I have to grab one of the books closest to me, go to page 56, type the fifth line and the next two to five lines that follow.

Ok, of the three books sitting within arm's reach here in my 'office', I chose one called "The Simpler Life" by Deborah Deford. It was the first book on voluntary simplicity I read, and it was one of the first books to nudge me down the path of mindful living. Starting on the fifth line of page 56, the book reads as follows:

"Attempting to skimp on holiday, rest and exercise," says Fiore, "leads to suppression of the spirit and motivation as life begins to look like all spinach and no dessert."

How's that for a timely reminder of the importance of balance and stillness in life? It's neat when things coincide like that.

RULE TWO, I have to pick five people who love books and who could receive the Bookworm award with honor.

I am going to bend this rule and copy Chile's approach to memes: I encourage everyone to take a look at all the blogs in my sidebar, and stop by any you haven't already checked out. Maybe leave an encouraging comment, in the spirit of the season. In particular, check out the Blogging Bookworm, for tons of great references and reviews for 'green reads' of all kinds.

The second meme I received came from Alexah at Learning to Step Lightly. This meme comes with several rules:

1. Link to Green Meme Bloggers
2. Link to whoever tagged you - thanks Alexah!
   
3. Include meme number - MEME #1
4. Include these guidelines in your post - check!
5. Answer the questions - see below - check!
   
6. Tag 3 other green bloggers - I'm going to skip this, again instead asking people to check out the sidebar and stop by and comment at some of the blogs you may not have visited before.

Ok, on to the questions:

1) Name two motivations for being green:

a) My belief in the fundamental interconnection of all things

b) The "Theory of Anyway"

2) Name 2 eco-UNfriendly items you refuse to give up?

a) Right now, my car. There's no public transit to where I work and living this far away from the city meant that we could afford some land along with the house.

b) My clothes dryer. I do air/line dry some clothes, but I hate crunchy jeans and towels!

3) Are you at peace with or do you feel guilty about number 2?

a) Not too guilty, because the car is a diesel Jetta and gets 55+ mpg.

b) A bit guilty, because it is for laziness and comfort that I haven't yet given it up.

4) What are you willing to change but feel unable to/stuck with/unsure how to go about it?

A lot of the changes I'd like to try next will cost a fair amount of money (e.g., solar water heater, digging a well and plumbing it into the house, etc.) Right now it seems more important to pay down debt than to get these things done, everything except digging the well. That I would be willing to go into some short term debt for, if necessary.

5) Do you know your carbon footprint for your home? If so, is it larger/smaller than your national average? (http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx)

I used this calculator and our usage is slightly under the average. Being vegetarian (and nearly so in Gord's case) really helps, but all the miles I drive to work really hinders the average.

6) What's eco-frustrating and/or eco-fantastic about where you live?

a) eco-frustrating: in Alberta oil is king and talk of slowing down tarsands development is tantamount to heresy.

b) eco-fantastic: A CSA farm just 20 minutes up the road! (by car). I could bike there, but that would take some doing. Oh, and a bike.

7) Do you eat local/organic/vegetarian/forage/grow your own?

I'm a vegetarian and my husband Gord is what Steve Solomon would call a vegetabletarian - he eats mostly vegetables, most of the time. We grow some of our own food and are expanding our garden, and we joined a local organic CSA for the first time last year. We are able to forage for some of our own food on our own land too - like saskatoons, strawberries and wild herbs for tea.

8) What do you personally find the most challenging in being green?

Working full time 5 days a week and trying to find the time to fit in the planning, preparation and organization it takes to do things in a sustainable way. It's like having a foot in two worlds, and it gets tiring sometimes.

9) Do you have a green confession?

I am addicted to carrots to the degree that my skin is sort of orangy. I have stopped eating carrots 'cold turkey' for the past 2 1/2 weeks and my hands and feet are still kind of yellow. I'm hoping I'll be mostly back to normal in time for Christmas pictures, but it's seeming unlinkely at this point. Strange, hey? Oh, and I don't have a bike. Yet.

10) Do you have the support of family and/or friends?

Yes. Gord is totally supportive and even if he thinks something is far fetched he keeps an open mind. He is on board with most everything I want to do that is 'green.' He doesn't even bug me about my excess carrot-eating! My family is also supportive, and while they may not agree with everything I do or the reasons I do them, they are never judgmental.

Well, that was fun!

I hope everyone has a peaceful and restful holiday period and that we all begin 2009 with fresh hope, enthusiasm and determination. There is a lot that needs to be done to ensure that the planet and all its inhabitants are well, now and into the future, and we are just the people to do it!

Thanks! I heart you too!

Last month Jennifer at Veg*n Cooking kindly included me in her list of blogs that she 'hearts.' I've been wanting to pass on her award to blogs that I 'heart' too, and today's the day!

The 'rules' of this award are simple: pass it on to seven other blogs. I decided I would focus on blogs I have discovered more recently, and ones I haven't passed on an award to already. As I mention in my blog policies, I've decided I can break the rules of memes if I want to, so I've chosen just four blogs this time. Here we go, in no particular order:

First, I have to send some love back to Jennifer. She has all sorts of delicious recipes on her blog that really inspire a new vegetarian like me! This weekend I tried her baked sweet potato wedges and they were a delicious combo of sweet and salty tastes - a really nice change from the way I normally prepare sweet potatoes, and so so easy too!

My second pick is the Unstuffed blog. This fellow Canadian's blog is an accounting of her year of not buying anything new, as well as an exploration of our relationship with our 'stuff' and our consumptiveness - very thought provoking and lots of good links to follow too.

Next is Gord over at It Strikes Me Funny. Gord has a way of distilling things down right to the point, and he also has a talent for drawing witty cartoons! He is embracing a lower energy, less consumptive lifestyle and brings these ideas up in his London, Ontario newspaper column as well.

My fourth pick is Heather's Simple-Green-Frugal blog. Sometimes I think she could be my long lost Texan sister! Heather writes about her everyday challenges and accomplishments in a way that encourages people to try right along with her. She is enthusiastic and realistic at the same time - just the right combo to keep me motivated without approaching burn-out.

Thanks to all of you, for being part of my life on a pretty-much-daily basis!

"Guerrilla" Smiling ?

A few days ago Gord and I were talking about how much just smiling at someone can really make a big difference to the smiler and the smile-ee. It's amazing how the simple act of smiling can change everything in an instant. Smiling and mouthing "sorry!" when you accidentally cut someone off in traffic can diffuse an potentially ugly road-rage situation. Smiling and waving at your neighbor increases 'community' sentiment, even if you don't say a word. When we were talking about this, I thought about the phrase "guerrilla gardening" - the practice where people go ahead and plant flowers and edible plants on vacant lots, boulevards, or wherever a bit of dirt is available. (Cluttercut has blogged about this recently.) It occurred to me that we could all be practicing "guerrilla smiling" as well!

Lately I've been waving and smiling at oncoming drivers on the country roads I take on my way into work every morning. When we first moved here, almost everyone waved at everyone else this way, but it has sort of dropped off over the past couple of years, as more people moved into the new acreages that were being built. I've decided to start doing it again, because it's nice and I like it.

So, this morning I just raised my two fingers in a peace-sign looking greeting and the lady in the car coming towards me broke into a big grin! I have no idea who she is, but I know that both she and I felt better in that moment than we did the moment before! I did the same thing to the guy who drove by me in a pickup truck, and he didn't smile or wave back, but he did a bit of a double take as he was maybe thinking, "hey, did you just wave at me?" I'm not sure if he was happier after I waved or not, but he was surely more curious!

Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh really sums this up nicely when he says,

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work. "

Smiling for peace - that's something we all can do!

Picture courtesy this flickr site. Nose-touching not required in guerrilla smiling!

A meme tag...

I've been tagged by Rural Aspirations for a six quirky things meme. Hmm...how did she know I was so quirky! How will I keep the list down to just six!

Here are the rules of the meme:

1. Link to the person that tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. 4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. 5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

This sounds like good fun! OK, here are my six quirky non-important habits/things:

1) I like to sing off-key on purpose along with the radio, just to see how horribly discordant it sounds. Fortunately for my friends and family, I generally do this just when I'm by myself, driving in my car.

2) One of my favorite snacks is ice-tea powder. Yes, just the powder. It reminds me of those "Lik-a-stik" things we used to have as kids, where you would dip the candy 'stik' into little packages of tart-sweet powder. This stuff is really bad for me, but I love it.

3) I despise pantyhose and pretty much refuse to wear them these days. They are an evil, horrible invention. No leg (or any body part) should be encased in nylon! I get itchy just thinking about it. Blech.

4) When I print, I write my lower case letter 'a' in the typewriter style, instead of in the usual circle-with-a-vertical-line-attached style. This can lead to confusion when the 'a' is thought to be a 'z' instead, leaving me with the name "Theresz."

5) I can't wink. I have to hold one eye closed manually if I want to do so, which kind of ruins the effect. Oh, wait, I can wink on the internet: *wink* See!

6) I love to use big words. Why say "lucky" when you can say "fortuitous?" Why say "smelly" when you can say "malodorous?" This has the side effect of people nodding off when I try to get what should be a quick point across, but it can be good for Scrabble.

So now to tag some 'random' people. I am not sure how to go about doing this in a way that would be even close to truly random, so I will tag some people I have never tagged before, and see what happens:

Mustard Seed Journal - a beautiful, spiritual and peaceful blog.
Label Resistant Life - a fellow Alberta blogger also trying to live more sustainably.
Learning to Step Lightly - also involved in the Riot for Austerity
Kale for Sale - such lovely posts, that draw you right into her lived experience.
Life Less Plastic - lots of tips on how to get the plastic out of your life.
Green Bean Dreams - relaxing posts about simplicity and slowing down.

There are so many blogs out there talking about simplicity, sustainability and and slowing down, it makes me think that change really IS possible! Hopefully this idealism of mine isn't just another quirk!

Picture of kids playing tag courtesy 'Kim and Jason'

A blog award!

Wow! Alexah at Learning to Step Lightly has awarded me with the Excellent blogging award! It is really an honor to have this award passed on to me, especially considering the other bloggers that Alexah awarded as well.

When I started out blogging almost a year ago, I really never expected my words to be read by many other people. My motivation for starting to blog was two fold: First, my sister started a blog about her experiences as a first time mom, and really enjoyed it. Second, I had the perception that I was really starting to get on my friends' and family members' nerves with all my spouting off about sustainability, energy reduction, tai chi and the like and I wanted to have a place to pour out all my thoughts while giving the people in my life the choice to hear/read about them or not. And now it has turned into an activity that gives me an outlet for my rants, opinions, thoughts and ponderings, and has also led me into a community of people who are doing their best to live more in tune with all the myriad things. I learn something new every day, am inspired every day, and every day I get more practice at living within the means of the planet I share with all other beings. Knowing there are others out there pondering too, is more of a blessing than I ever imagined.

Per Alexah, the description of this award is as follows:

Now according to the information I was given - the person who started it all said:

“I love being a part of the blogging community and part of all the friendships that I’ve formed, so I wanted to give a blog award for all of you out there that have Excellent Blogs.”

Of course, there is a catch…

By accepting this Excellent blog award, I have to award it to at least ten more people whose blogs I find Excellent.

So, if you’re listed blow, please, consider yourself “Excellent” and thus worthy of this honor which I bestow upon you. And, if you have not yet visited these sites, I invite you to do so and experience some Excellent Blogging.

My list of blogs that I read daily or almost daily is evolving and expanding, but here are the ones that I go to most often at this point in time. I know the award says to list at least 10 other blogs, but I will stop at 10 because, well, I have to stop somewhere!

Nature Bats Last - an acerbic blog that tells it like it is - brace yourselves.

Chile Chews - without Chile I would not know to simmer the citrus seeds in with my marmalade! Plus, Chile writes prolifically - you know that there is going to be something new to 'chew' on almost every day. (No pressure though, Chile!)

A day in the life of Connor - my sister's blog - the blog that started it all for me. Lori's joy shows through in every post, and is a real pick-me-up when I need to turn my focus away from peak oil and assorted social and political frustrations.

Crunchy Chicken - she's been nominated for this award already, but it just doesn't get any better than Crunchy. She inspires like no other blogger I know!

Cluttercut - daharja writes with passion and her prose becomes near-poetry at times. Plus she has lots of great advice for getting the literal and figurative clutter out of life.

Everyday Yogini - a great blog about a mom in Italy practicing yogic ideals both on and off the mat. And she writes gathas too!

Simply Authentic - a grad student's blog all about living the sustainable lifestyle and thinking about deeply spiritual matters. Earnest, sincere, authentic - a lovely blog to read when I need a mental respite.

Casaubon's Book - this has been a life-changing blog for me. Sharon writes about critical environmental, socio-political, and ethical issues in a way that personalizes them and makes you want to change how you're doing things, right now.

The Importance of Being Sentient - this is a blog I came across recently by a well-spoken young adult. At times sarcastic and angsty, it strips things down to basics, which is very refreshing in a society where layers of crap are often heaped upon things, making them more complicated than they really need to be.

Hippie Girl - this is another fairly recent addition to my blog list. Another Canadian blogger, with lots of tasty vegan recipes and assorted neat tips, links and ideas.

Do enjoy these blogs - I sure do!

"A Roar for Powerful Words" Award

It's an honor to be presented with this award from my fellow blogger at Simply Authentic. The people at the Shameless Writing Circle describe the award this way:

A Roar For Powerful Words is the chance to scream from the mountains the good news about the powerful posts that are produced every day in the blogosphere, despite what some mainstream columnists and journalists claim. This is also a good chance to examine exactly what it is that makes writing good and powerful.

Recipients are to pass the award on to five other bloggers they feel have powerful things to say, and describe three things they believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful.

The first necessary thing for writing to be powerful, in my opinion, is that it comes from the core of the person. I don't think powerful writing needs always to be eloquent, but it does have to be heartfelt and genuine.

A second thing I think is important is that the writing is dynamic and not dogmatic. By this I mean that there has to be room for the reader to actively ponder the point of view of the writer and weigh its merits for oneself. If writing is dogmatic it leaves no such room.

A third important thing is that the writing be accessible. I think writing is accessible if it is clear, with a minimum of jargon. I think grammar and spelling are also important, so that a reader can immerse themselves in the content of what they are reading without the barrier of jarring glitches in its structure.

In short, I think good writing is like good clothing: it reflects the character of the person, it gives you some breathing room, and it has a durable and classic form.

There are a number of blogs I read every day, and probably two dozen or so that I read over the course of a week. Here are some that I find very powerful:

1) Casaubon's Book: This blog has literally changed my life. It is the reason why my husband and I are slowly whittling our consumption and carbon emissions down to a sustainable level. Because of Sharon's blog I just don't do things or think about things the same way anymore. She writes with the power to change, no doubt about it.

2) Green With a Gun: Kiashu tells it like it is. He has a way of summarizing complex topics in a clear and logical fashion that is unsurpassed. With his permission, I included some of his concise phrasing into a letter I wrote to the Alberta premier some weeks ago. It must have done the trick, because I got a non-form letter in response!

3) Green as a Thistle: Vanessa's daily posts are witty and uplifting. She posts about the steps she is taking each day to make her lifestyle more sustainable. Her writing is engaging, and shows the reader how big changes are possible when you make them one day at a time.

4) The Rambling Taoist: Trey writes from the heart. I was captivated in the spring when he was blogging about how he and others were protesting the shipment of military supplies to Iraq. They knew their protesting wouldn't necessarily change anything, but they did it anyway because of their conviction it was wrong. His actions and his words were one: the epitome of Taoism and integrity.

I'm going to stop at these four, because I don't know which of the other blogs I read regularly I could put next on the list without including at least another five after that. There is a lot of powerful writing out there, and it is a joy to discover more of it every day!

How nice!

I had a lovely surprise today - I was nominated for a bloggy-type award! Lori at A Day in the Life of Connor nominated me for the "Nice Matters" award.

This is such an honor, especially coming from Lori, who is my sister and whose joy and enthusiasm for life and motherhood come through in every word she writes and everything she does! Thank you Lori!

The official description of the award is as follows:

"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who invoke good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to 4 others who you feel are deserving of this award."

I will happily pass this award on to four other bloggers whom I enjoy reading regularly, and who inspire me in different ways:

1. I'm going to re-award my sister Lori at A Day in the Life of Connor. I'm not sure if that's 'allowed' but I'm going to do it anyway because when I read Lori's blog it always lifts my spirits! Lori has a way of writing that is so heartfelt and genuine that you feel you are right there with her and her family as they do parenthood for the first time. There is such joy and gratitude in what she writes and how she writes it that the 'nice quotient' of the internet goes up with each of her posts. I raise my cup of tea to you Lori!
2. Becca at Drops of Water writes a Taoist blog that is calm, serene and thought-provoking. I have had the privilege of conversing with her from time to time over at The Tea House Taoist discussion forum, and she has been kind, patient and non-judgmental even when I have been less so. In her blog she applies the Tao Te Ching to her daily life and thoughts in a way that is both humble and inspirational.
   
3. Nobody doesn't like some Crunchy Chicken! Crunchy's site is an engaging and endearing place to learn about ways to be kinder to the earth. Crunchy is always up for an eco-challenge and never asks anyone to do something she isn't doing herself. She has polls and raffles and and kindly cajoles her readers into doing good things for the environment and ultimately, for themselves too! And she isn't afraid to talk boldly about things like the Diva Cup!
   
4. Simple Living: Simplify and Reduce. Emme is one of the founders of the 90% Carbon Emissions Reduction project, otherwise known as the Riot for Austerity. Recently Emme had an article published about her in her local paper and on the internet version of the paper she received some unkind, dismissive comments about her and her family's efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. She responded to these criticisms with grace and aplomb despite feeling alienated, and continued to encourage others in their reduction efforts whether they were just starting down that road or had been living lightly for decades. If this isn't the definition of "nice," I don't know what is.
   

Nice does matter! One at a time and all together, we can make the world a nicer place!