X is for Xanthous

Xanthous. Xanthous. Cool word.

This could be considered a cop-out on the letter "X" except that yellow is my favorite color! It is light and cheery and beyond earth. It glows down on us from the sun far away. Yellow is vast and comforting.

Yellow is sunshine and joy. Scrambled eggs and butter. Macaroni & cheese and lemonade.

Also, as the xanthous sun has shown down on me over this summer, my hair has become more and more xanthous.

;-)

Clean Up! Green Up!

April hosts Arbor Day and Earth Week. That makes for busy, busy days for the community beautification committees of this land (one of which I now work for). Hence, my lack of recent posts and the topic of today.

Our town hosted its own community-wide clean-up event on Saturday. My job was to help facilitate the command post and take pictures. After the official time was over, I went home, and rounded up my kids to hit a parkway that wasn't covered my the morning volunteers. Don't worry, it wasn't slave labor or anything, they practically begged me to go pick up trash.We discovered, just as most of the volunteers had boasted earlier, our town is really clean! We walked (and scootered) for over 45 minutes and filled less than half a trash bag. Still it was a great experience for the kids who definitely have the spirit of community care already. They regularly bring home trash they find on their daily walk home from school. I am so proud.

The next day I was struck with a memory of a my visit to Siberia, Russia a few years ago. We were in a Buryat village for a week, building a playground at a local hospital for children with Tuberculosis, and leading an English camp for many of the local, poverty stricken children. It was heart-wrenching on many levels. And the picture that returned to mind was of the empty lots... filled with trash. There was also garbage in most of the yards and up and down every street.

I don't really have a point here. It is just on my mind. I miss being in Russia and helping in that community, and I am thankful for the wonderful community I live in here.

Random Life Reminders

Yesterday I was reminded about various life truths.

1) There is absolutely no need to challenge or confront a person for being slow or tardy when he is about to drill your teeth. Diplomacy, flattery and kindness will always benefit you in that situation. (Thanks sis for walking me through that.)

2) (On the same topic, also from sis) Going to the dentist is almost always better than going to the gynecologist.

3) It is okay to be disturbed when the driver in front of you blatantly discards his/her candy wrapper out the window in rush hour (or any) traffic.

4) When a friend is observing something in your life and has some insight or input, it is always worth listening to, even if at first you don't agree. If it's a good friend, there is probably some valuable truth to consider.

5) Having people in your life available to help you navigate through tough moments is invaluable.

Peace.

Going Green in Little Steps

I feel a responsibility to the planet to do my part to, as the kids sing, "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle." But, my family is not obsessive, just conscious and responsible.

I turn out lights around the house all the time and name the kids "Energy Captains" to help me with this quest. They also help by closing the exterior house door quickly, turning off the water when they brush their teeth, and using clothes and blankets to manipulate their body temperature long before turning up the air-conditioning or heat.

I try to use eco-friendly products, like baking soda and vinegar to clean before going to their chemical replacements. I think it helps that I don't clean too frequently either. It's true, I am not an obsessive cleaner and I like to think the environment is better because of it.

I even switched to reusable canvas bags for groceries. I have only four bags, so sometimes (because I am shopping for six) I need to use the stores supply of paper or plastic. Still, my usage of said items has definitely been reduced!

A little bit at a time we are playing our part, and every little step matters.