Dancing the Night or Day away..

             Who needs a fancy machine that helps you lose weigh? Sign up or start  the 100 days of dance .  It was the brain child of Kirstie Alley, you know the woman that lost weigh doing dancing with the stars.  Now I don't watch that show but we all have seen the transformation.  She lost 100 pounds! Granted she did take a herbal supplement. Just for the keeping in shape part, this would be a fun way to stay fit.

I think the key is to just keep active.  I feeling a little boated and trying to keep my metabolism on a even level. I know I will gain some weight after quitting smoking. But I don't want to use that as a excuse to gain too much.  I do feel better but I need to keep it up.  I find that eating healthy helps.  Eating my first in a long time fast food hamburger last night was horrible!  So healthy food for my healthier lifestyle....


         

Burn Baby Burn!

There is talk that Cleveland is getting a new plant that will burn the trash they collect and convert it into electricity. Of course there is a group fighting this saying it not good for the environment. Stated the closed site in Columbus. But the fact is the plant in Columbus burned everything and puffed toxic smoke into the air. This plant they are proposing to build with federal grants will protect the air. As many of the Europe sites are already.

So is burning trash bad? Well Earth 911  states that it is very clean combustion under very controlled conditions. The trash is sometimes burned just to make it a smaller amount. That the trash we produce is so large they need to make it smaller and many times burning some of our trash will help reduce the amount of trash in our landfills. Because burning 1,600 pounds of trash becomes 240 pounds of ash.

PLUS the fact on the same site I learned that Dayton; which is close to Columbus for non-Ohioans, has a plant that burns trash for energy. With no smoke!

 Britain is going to start using trash for energy on the Isle of Wight. Denmark has built what they call waste-to-energy plants. There is over 29 such plants, serving 98 municipalities in a country of 5.5 million people. With plans to build more (or have been built this was written in 2010).    Europe has over 400 waste to energy plants.

I agree that waste free would be the way to go, the end that is  we want to get to.  BUT we are no where near that. Not in the least.  So a trash burning plant that would produce electric is better than nothing.  Maybe even produce heat like in Europe. So if this country already has these sites that burn just to reduce the amount of trash for the land fill why not make them work for us.

I mean we really wanting  the future to look like  in Idiocracy? Really that was a horror story from the eco-friendly view.  Trash piled up everywhere and nothing growing? NOT  my idea of a future I would like to see.

 

Earth Quake...

Yesterday; New years Eve, the area had a 4.0-magnitude earthquake that was centered in Youngstown .  It has been found to be the result of the brine water from fracking into the earth in the area.  SO the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director says that the fact the company stopped for a few months (sorry can't find the true time online) but it happened and they were not drilling, so it not the fracking that cause it.

  Oh it not the thousands of gallons of brine are being injected into the ground.  The fact that we have fault lines in the area and that they have been pumping this water in the ground for YEARS, so why would it happen now?  they ask.  Wow like really wonder why after years of  thousands of gallons of brine were injected into the ground every day.... it's not the brine; it's just the fault lines... I wonder if they live in the area? Do they want that in their back yard?  Plus have you read the comments on this article? People going on about this being a ecoterrorist propaganda scare piece. Wow just how far do people think we can abuse the earth and not expect a reaction? We have approximately 1,000 wells between Ohio and Pennsylvania.... 1,000 wells plus 1,000 gallons a day. DO the MATH! It equals 11 earthquakes in 2011. Wonder what 2012 will bring? Hopefully a shut down of the brine wells in the area, but then people don't want to believe that it's ecoterrorist propaganda scare.... Still I have to keep my fingers crossed for the fact that the area near my dad's house doesn't start fracking. I thought when I read year ago that the suburbs would become the new "ghetto" and to think trucks driving 24/7 and bright lights on all night... I think that the suburbs where not going to be prime property after that......
Sigh...

 

The Art of slowing down

So yes my life has began to slow down. I am a single woman on her own, without children living in her home. Her free time is her time.. well most of the time... LOL. I found a little site that appealed to me back in the day of craziness of too many people living here, together, getting on each other nerves. Zenhabits.
A Minimalist blog that has no bells and whistles just the straight logic wrings of a minimalist. I have been reading and rereading the free book Focus which if you click on the link is a free download and a copyright free publication that can be shared on blogs, with friends or whatever.  A great read I suggest you check it out.

Trying to remember the four agreements.... A friend sent it to me and I thought gee I sent that to you in 2008... but then maybe I need to reread it... (PS I have reworded to simplify the meanings. because I find  that much of the meaning  be lost if I kept the whole thing in tact..... but that my attitude)

Be Impeccable with your Word
Say only what you mean. Mean what you say. Speak with integrity. Avoid using words that speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.


Don't Take Anything Personally  
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.


Always Do  Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Based on the " The Four Agreements"
By don Miguel Ruiz
Well I always have had number 2 down, I mean I always know that sometimes people's mood are what going on not always your fault type of thinking.... but to remember that when I am having a everyone getting on my nerves day that sometimes I should remember number 3........... or the fact that my thinking is the problem...

Or trying to live by the Simple Truths from the Cherokee:

We are our own best experts.

We are our own worst enemies.

The worst thing about having so many choices is having to choose.

Imagination is the one true measure of freedom.

Wisdom is having more questions than answers.

Search long and hard enough for something and you’ll surely find it.

Sometimes we try so hard to be what we’re not that we may forget who we are.

Very cool idea.

Renest is a site that has some good ideas for going green and decorating your home.
  I saw a vintage car mirror as a table top mirror.  Now all I have to do is find a vintage car mirror laying around.... LOL

Wrapping gifts...

Furoshiki
 is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. It is used for light travel, shopping and gift giving. When you click on the link it will take you to the part of the site that shows you what type of wraps you can use for different items. Scroll down and see some wrap for your body of course that would work better for a sarong then a tea towel...

I have been looking for some holiday towels to wrap gifts in but I can't find some nice ones. They are stiff
or have some very childish looking design.  And it is one of those things that having moved out I don't want to get a gift that makes her think I think of her as a child you know.  Guess I think to much.

Yea I have made a few gift bags this year. Some are smaller for smaller gifts.  Some of them are the gift to the people at Church....


Some I made tote bags for.  Or got a shopping tote at one of their favorite store!

My fudge is going into re-useable containers that can be used over and over.

what type of eco-friendly wrapping are you using?

Green Tuesdays

Green America is starting a grass roots campaign that is asking after the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday madness to shop for the environment and local business.  Calling All Tuesdays in December Green Tuesday.

 It's been said that the trend  for this years shopping is the local business shopping.  Etsy  is blogging that Cyber Monday was the biggest selling day they have had!  My local news is reporting that the area "craft shows" and pop up local artist shops are having great sales increases this year.  The local shops are doing great!

My co-worker and friend has sold out many of her shows that even surprised her.   As it is needed.  She depends on the money she makes at the shows for her holiday shopping.  But she teased me that it is more work, she has one big mess in her living room cause she had to make more stuff for the next day...

It's great to hear how people are getting it and buying from their local stores and small business or artist.  It's also kinda heart warming to hear the sales of t-shirts with our city are up too. Could it be the money is tight could it be that  they rather buy something from someone close to them.  OWS? That people are sick and tired of sending their money in a big box store that CEO make so much more that the average person?

Whatever the reason it is good to see that local businesses getting what they deserve!