Boston In Our Hearts

Posted on April 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

Image“It may be stroking the cat, pottering in the garden, praying, meditating, listening to music or simply gazing at the waves of an incoming sea, we do these things because we find them replenishing; just as a field benefits from lying fallow so we can benefit from periods of uninterrupted rest.  That part of ourselves which demands something more than fatuity and shallow sensationalism deserves our time and respect.”   The Spirit of Silence by John Lane

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Posted in Community, Life

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Toys NOT Made In China

Posted on November 9, 2012 | 3 Comments

It’s that time already!  Christmas is just around the corner, and I’m on my bully pulpit again about toys made in China.  There are two certainties regarding this issue:  Babies and toddlers will put all toys in their mouth, and if the toy is from China we have no knowledge about how it was manufactured.  On a recall site that I recently visited, ninety-eight percent of all recalled toys were made in China.  Check out this new app:

RECALLS.GOV mobile application  You can enter the product name in your phone and check toy recalls instantly from your home, daycare or store.

I’ve been researching this issue for a couple of years, and I understand the difficulty that retailers experience.  One told me recently that if they went to market and purchased only toys made outside China, they could not be prepared for holiday shopping.  SO SAD isn’t it, from a jobs standpoint alone.  And, with all due respect to retailers, many of them are doing their best.  It is important to keep letting them know that we have a preference for toys NOT made in China.

I’m not a purist – who can be?  If you want to purchase the latest and most popular toy, it will most certainly be from a large toy company and likely be manufactured in China.  Nevertheless, there are alternatives.  Consider your local holiday fairs and festivals, where you can purchase from local vendors.
And, options online are improving:

China Free Christmas

Toys Made in USA/Amazon.com

Kids Toys Made in USA and Europe

Happy holidays and happy shopping!  And remember, it may sound cliche, but our love and attention is the greatest gift we can give those wonderful grandchildren!

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Posted in grandchildren, Life, Organic Living

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TAKE THE GRANDCHILDREN CAMPING

Posted on August 10, 2012 | 3 Comments

We have a few more weeks before school starts, a little more time to get those grandchildren outside.

My husband and I have been camping all summer, and here’s the good news.  We are out there, GRANDPARENTS!  Camping has been a passion for years, but this was the first year to see grandparents out en masse with their grandchildren.   What a wonderful sight!

Well, when I say “camping” we’re not purists anymore.  Hitting the 60′s made us consider an RV, so now we are traveling with a small RV – a camper on our pickup.

We can’t wait to take the grandchildren, who are still a little too young.  If your bones don’t want to sleep on the ground anymore, or get dressed and trek to the bathroom in the middle of the night, there are many RV rental options.  They come in all shapes and sizes, and equipped with various supplies.  Check it out!

Go RVing
El Monte RV
Camping World RV

It may be getting a little late this year, as school will start soon in many states, but think about it and see if you can’t put this on your calendar for next summer – camping with the grandchildren!  You won’t be alone.

Grandparents exposing those little ones to nature; we couldn’t leave a better legacy!

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Posted in boomers, grandchildren, Life

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EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO BUY ORGANIC

Posted on June 24, 2012 | 3 Comments

I’ve been buying organic produce, grass-fed beef and free range chicken for several years, and I don’t have an unlimited grocery budget.  This is how I do it.
Take a look at the items and costs below, then stay with me, and start thinking outside the box.

1/2 gallon of ice cream – $3.50
wiki.answers.com

Large bag of chips – $2.50
www.ask.com

Six pack of soda – $2.50
wiki.answers.com

Bag of oreo cookies (17 oz) – $3.95
www.chacha.com

Frozen pizza – $7.00 – $9.00
blogs.wsj.com

This is just a sampling and prices will vary where you live, but everyone is aware  that this “stuff” is VERY expensive.  We all have our cell phones with us everywhere these days, so here’s the challenge:  The next time you go grocery shopping, use the calculator on your phone.

You may be surprised when you actually discover what you can save by eliminating the items above.  Then go to the organic produce area (most supermarkets now provide some organic produce – YAY!) in your market, and see if the credits you gave yourself by eliminating junk food will pay for your organic purchases.  And, don’t forget your local farms; buy from farmer’s markets if you can find one in your area.  Go to Local Harvest, a Farmer’s Market locator.

Here is another thought:  If you eat out once in a week you have probably used up all the credits you would need  to buy organic produce and grass-fed and/or free range meat.

We are talking about lifestyle changes, and they are never easy, but these types of change not only benefit our health, but the earth as well.  And, if you are serious about eating better you can now eliminate the false concept that organic is not affordable.  I’m not suggesting that we give up everything at once, or even forever.  Start small, and eliminate a couple of things – think of it as gradually trading up to a healthier lifestyle.  And, by all means, treat yourself once in awhile.

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Posted in Organic Living

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BEYOND TABLET, T.V. AND i-PHONE

Posted on June 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Recently I’ve been reading, Uprising For The Earth, by Osprey Orielle Lake.  This is a wonderfully inspiring book, with a subtitle:  Reconnecting Culture With Nature.  It’s not so easy these days, as the two have grown apart.

I am fortunate to live on the Pacific North Coast of California, surrounded by rivers, ocean and woods, where my children were also raised.  Frequently though, I think about the issues that Lake brings up in these quotes:

“What happens to us, TO OUR CHILDREN, in our urban centers when we experience primarily the smells of industry, smog, petroleum and chemicals?  What happens to our native ears when left only with the sounds of cars, telephones, freeways and mechanization?  What happens when our hands and eyes rest only upon human made things?…….Our human experience is dependent upon what influences our daily lives, and we are only beginning to take into account the consequences of depriving our children of direct communion with  the Earth, and all the plant life and creatures.”

 Uprising For The Earth

I know that we can’t all run from our lives in the cities, and it’s no longer just our locale that keeps kids indoors.  City dwellers, or country folk, I would love to hear about your plans to compete this summer with your child/grandchild’s electronic tablet, i-Phone, and television.  Thank you in advance for sharing on “comments.”

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Posted in Community, environment, Organic Living

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FIND A FARMERS MARKET – SUPPORT LOCAL FARMS

Posted on June 3, 2012 | 3 Comments

Why is it important to support local farmers?

“The loss of small family farms has dramatically reduced our supply of safe, fresh, sustainably-grown foods; it has contributed to the economic and social disintegration of rural communities; and it is eliminating an important aspect of our national heritage. If we lose our family farmers, we’ll lose the diversity in our food supply, and what we eat will be dictated to us by a few large corporations.”
Go to:  Sustainable Table, to read entire article.

To find a Farmer’s Market in your area go to Local Harvest.   Put in your zip code and you’re on your way!
To find out what’s in season year round, go to:  Eat The Seasons

There is good news, however, in the same article above, “Over the last several years, there has been an explosion of interest in small family farms, local food, and the preservation of rural communities and their heritage. Chefs, food lovers, citizens, parents, activists, students and many others are coming together to rediscover the benefits of eating sustainably-raised, locally grown food.”

When you find a Farmers Market, take your grandchildren along.  Turn it into an event, or if possible, take them to a farm.  They will love it, and they need to know where their food comes from.

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Posted in Community, Organic Living

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CHOICES AND THE CONSUMER CULTURE

Posted on May 25, 2012 | 7 Comments

The home and belongings of a nomadic Nigerian family.

Let’s think for a minute about how much “stuff” we own.  Have you ever taken a walk in your neighborhood and looked through an open garage door?   In a lot of garages, in America, we no longer have room for the cars.  We have become a collector society for a number of reasons, to include financial stability.  Instead of sharing a seldom used item we each went out and purchased one.  Think about camping gear, gardening tools, inflatable beds.  In our family, a few years ago, there were two rototillers and one at the neighbor’s, next door – consumer culture.   Independence also breeds this type of behavior, but times are changing.  We need to depend upon one another more these days, to save money, but also to make a lighter footprint upon the earth.

Last summer I came across an article in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper that discussed the topic of borrowing items instead of buying everything we need.  The article stated that, “Social networking and smart phones have paved the way for people to share their stuff…….people who share information about themselves online are more likely to share their belongings.”

To read the full article in the San Francisco Chronicle, go to:
Buy it?  No, Borrow it!   The newspaper listed the following sources for access to borrowing, individually, or creating a group in your community:   Rentalic,   Neighborrow,        NeighborGoods,         Share Some Sugar,        Snap Goods   (This one has a guarantee).   Think about this lifestyle choice, the world won’t change until we do.

After years of maintaining all the “stuff” we own,  the simplicity in the image above, does have my attention.

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Posted in Community, Organic Living

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