In a land of plenty

It's easy to forget we live in the land of plenty. Even during this economic downturn, most of us have much, much more than people in other countries even dream of having. Running water, electricity, a vehicle or two, the ability to cool or heat our homes with the touch of a button or the turn of a dial, food in the cupboards.

I've been thinking a lot about the food issue. I like to buy organic foods as much as possible, but sometimes choose conventional products because of the cost. "Well," I sigh to myself, "It must be nice to be able to buy all organic foods at the natural foods market, but I guess I'll have to make do with this."

The thing I need to remember, as I'm dumping spoiled leftovers into the compost (which I hate doing, by the way), is that I have much, much more than many others I share the planet with. Most of us don't have to hunt for food in garbage dumps or cans to survive. People I know don't worry if that last chunk of bread they have will last another two days and feed the hungry bellies of their family.

Feed my Starving Children is an organization which I recently learned about. They provide simple meals to starving children around the world. A meal through FMSC for six children costs $1.00 to produce and 94 percent of all donations go directly to food costs. They also offer hands-on volunteer opportunities if you live in the areas where the food is combined and shipped (see their website for details).

Books, books, books

I love books. I love the way they smell, I love holding them and feeling their weight in my palms. I love the excitement I feel when I open a book that had to be set down abruptly (which happens a lot these days), ready to dive back into a great story or learn some new information.

Right now I'm reading a great book called, "Made From Scratch". It's by twenty-something author, Jenna Woginrich. The book inspires everyday, ordinary folks who've always secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) wanted to have a homestead of their own. With chapters on things like raising chickens, becoming a beekeeper, raising fiber animals, making one's own clothes, and playing mountain music, the author offers lots of helpful tips and advice for getting started.


Though you probably won't find this book yet on Paperback Swap or Abe Books, these are great sites to find free (Paperback Swap) or inexpensive books. I've traded quite a lot of books, both hard and soft cover on Paperback Swap and have saved a lot of money in the process.

Eat Well--Anywhere

In Mary Jane's Farm (June/July) I came across this interesting link to the Eat Well Guide. The guide assists you in finding fresh, local foods in whatever community you're visiting. Visit the website for a free online directory. The guide includes, "farmers' markets, CSA programs, partner organizations, water-conscious ratings, and vegetarian eateries."

Just in time for summer travels!

Inspired for change

What kind of changes have you experienced lately? Loss of a job? Relationship challenges? Financial adjustments? Or maybe positive changes like beginning to eat healthier and taking care of your body with movement. Have you left a bad work situation to strike it out on your own? Met someone you feel is "the one"?

Change is hard for most of us, but harder for some than others. I believe I'm one of the "others". I resist most change, unless it's my idea and I'm really passionate and excited about it. Right now I'm looking at a possible change in my career. I know that I'm meant to be a writer, but after spending the past few months floundering, I'm taking a good hard look at what I'm supposed to be writing.

I just came across this website, Girls for a Change, which is inspiring. Social change is something that I'm passionate about and I commend the women and girls who are part of this inspiring organization.

Authentically green

Being green is now a verb. When I was growing up it meant being looked at as different and even weird. "You eat toe fu? What the heck is that?!" My lunch bag packed with sprouts and homemade wheat bread made kids around me at school gag. My mother taught me how to clean and smoosh cans the right way so that they could be recycled. Back then there were strict requirements on how recycling was to arrive at the transfer station. She made most of our clothes, we grew huge gardens which she would dry/freeze/can for winter. I even remember us grinding our own grains for bread. We were thrifty--going out to eat was a big treat.

Now being green is cool and trendy. Everyone wants to jump on the green bandwagon, especially businesses. It's made me pause, more than once, in my own business, EcoMedia LLC and wonder, "Am I doing this for the wrong reason?" I don't want to become someone who uses greenwashing tactics to get ahead in the business world.

But where do we draw the line? Is it wrong to help businesses promote the things they are doing to become more environmentally-friendly? How do we determine if a company is truly trying to help the environment or just trying to put on a "green front" to help their own pocket?

What keeps your green-self inspired?

I was so excited to learn that Hobby Farms magazine is starting this new mag, Urban Farm. As a farmgirl whose acreage is a little closer to a large city lot than a rural country farm, I'm truly psyched to see the first issue when it comes out in August.

Reading the preview of Urban Farm in the current edition of Hobby Farms magazine got me all tingly. It also reminded me what an important role magazines play in keeping me inspired. In my younger years, these magazines consisted of thick fashion and home decorating magazines. Then I realized how crappy reading these made me feel--I always felt like I did after waking up from one of those dreams where you are so thirsty and you keep drinking and drinking and never feeling like your thirst is quenched.

Now though, I find magazines like Mother Earth News, Grit, Countryside, Mary Jane's Farm, Back Home, and a few others keep me motivated and inspired to try to live greener and do more for myself and my family.

Social Networking--Green Media?

Are you tweeting? Have you friended someone lately? Are you LinkedIn?

Social Networking. For some it's a fun, interesting way to stay connected to friends, family, and clients. For others it's a nightmare.

Regardless of how you feel personally about social networking, I believe it's here to stay in the business world.

Social networking is a pretty green way to market your business. No need for direct mailings and no traveling door to door to meet sales clients. No need to copy hundreds of pages of information about yourself and your business when you want to show potential customers your products or services--just direct them to your Web site, blog, Facebook or LinkedIn page.

But does social media help or hurt relationships in the long run? A friend once told me that social networking is sort of "pre-networking". It makes going to those scary mixers a little less intimidating. My sister was telling me last night that social networking helps her to feel more connected to our extended family members. It gives us a way to catch up with each other when we get together for those relatively infrequent family gatherings. When you generally see people twice a year, it provides some connection to cousins and aunts and uncles, and a way to start a conversation.

But is there a point when a good ole' fashioned phone call or visit on the front steps is seen as too much work when you can easily IM someone or direct a tweet to them online? Where do we draw the line between social networking and hermitism? Isn't there something to be said for the connection between people that needs to be seen face-to-face, or at least heard telephone to telephone?

What do you think? Is social networking a great tool to stay connected, or a hindrance on personal and professional relationships?