The last few days have been rough. Stressful, frustrating and emotional. But I am confident that my frame of mind is back on the upswing. Tomorrow is going to be great. Loved seeing this on Creature Comforts today. I needed it so much!
If you can’t read it, it says,
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying “I will try again tomorrow.”
– Mary Anne Radmacher
More tomorrow . . .
This morning, I asked Mike if he bought me an Earth Day present. While I wasn’t serious, I do consider today to be a special one. For the past several years, I have made it a personal challenge to be kinder to the earth and to live a more sustainable lifestyle. While it has been my pet project, of course my family has had to get involved, too! Meghan has been my biggest ally, and has made “being green” her thing . . . but the boys have been on-board with all of our tree-hugginess as well.
This is a layout I did a few years ago, and it is still one of my favorites. The journaling doesn’t show (it’s hidden) but it basically describes how reading the Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax” really sparked a realization . . . in both Meg and myself. And we’ve been living la vida verde ever since.
Most of our actions have been small. Switching to cloth napkins. Using reusable bags. Washing laundry in cold water. Filtering our tap water instead of buying bottled. Being more responsible consumers. That sort of thing. I’d like to step it up this summer with a rain barrel, a compost bin . . . and maybe even some worm farming!
At work, I’ve have been dubbed the “green queen” and have tried championing as many eco-friendly practices as possible. I get teased for being the resident hippie . . . but I’m willing to take the ribbing! Last year, I ran a “Green Wellness” program in conjunction with our city’s wellness program, and it was very well received! It was fun to watch other people take on more eco-friendly habits and to realize that I may have had something to do with it!
In honor of Earth Day, next week I will be giving a “Green Cleaning” presentation to my coworkers. I’m a bit nervous about this . . . and have already been teased by a few people about my qualifications to teach this subject! I may not have credentials, but I have passion!
And for those who are not sold on the concept of sustainability and living a greener lifestyle, I offer one of my favorite quotes:
So-called “global warming” is just a secret plot by wacko tree huggers to make America energy independent, clean our air and water, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick-start 21st-century industries, and make our cities safer and more livable. Don’t let them get away with it! — Chip Giller
So, what are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?
Since Friday was the last non-weekend day of Spring Break, I took the day off of work to spend it with the family. I do love three day weekends!
The weekend highlights, in brief:
All in all, it was a great weekend!
Peace!
For those who have read my 40 @ 40 list, you may have noticed one item: get nose pierced. That “to do” was one of the first things that inspired me to create my list in the first place . . . because it is something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now, and I vowed to do it when I turned 40 if I hadn’t done it before then and still wanted it!
Of course, saying and doing are two entirely different things. I waffled. A lot. Mike didn’t really want me to do it (he resisted when Meg got her ears pierced!), but he realized how much I wanted it, so he told me he supported me if I wanted to go ahead with the deed. 
He’s awesome that way.
So, last night, I called my sister told her I was gonna do it, and she asked “Can I come along and get mine done, too?” I figured we might as well freak mom out all at once . . . and knew I’d have more courage to actually go through with it if I had moral support. So off we went. Being about as opposite as siblings can be, I was not surprised when we decided to get different sides pierced.
It only hurt a tiny bit. (I guess giving birth with no epidural or other anesthesia creates a different context of pain, thankyouverymuchfirstborn. I’ve had paper cuts that hurt worse than the nose piercing.) And I must say, I totally love it. I will love it even more in 6 weeks when I can have a smaller stud put in.
Karen and I, post piercing:
I’m was/am a bit nervous about other people’s reactions, of course. Mostly Mike’s. I know it won’t be popular with other family members and coworkers and I can live with that. But I really want my husband to find me attractive still. 
So, when I asked him what he really thought about it he said, “You look good. You look like you have a story.”
I like that. Thanks, honey. You’re a keeper.
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