A man for all reasons - VOTE Nov.4th

http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php

I am so excited that election day is almost here! I have been an active supporter of Barak Obama from the time he announced his candidacy and the roller coaster ride has been exhilerating.

I can honestly say I haven't been this excited about a presidential condidate since Bobby Kennedy back in the 1970's!! There is so much HOPE with Barak and the fruition of dreams we had as young people for the country to come together and not see differences but strength in our variety of races, religions and cultures.

I lost that HOPE in the 80's, 90's and the elections since 2000, but then out of nowhere comes this voice of calm optimism that spread to everyone who was willing to let go of the status quo and think big and outside the norm we had adjusted to.

Recently, I woke up to the frightening fact that Senator Obama is taking considerable risk to run as a man of mixed race in a country that still has citizens who are ignorant and blind to the character being more than color in a person, and will probably try to silence a promise we hear loud and clear. I pray all the time "not again". I lived through John, Martin, Bobby and Malcom X who's deaths left a scar on this country we've never recovered from. The what if's have been deafening and now we have a shining light that must not be silenced.

I thank Barak from the depths of my soul for taking that risk on our behalf. We cherish him for it.

Please take the time to VOTE and make your voice heard - people died for your right to do so and you should honor them and yourself for that freedom.

Take care til next time.

Hannah - always, Dreaming in Colors

I'm in a Funk

It had been a normal day - worked hard and came home tired and glad it was Wednesday. First things first - let the cats out - not too hot today. Fill their dry food and water dishes - make the bed, even if it is 6:00 - can't stand sleeping in a bed with wrinkles. Put the knife and plate left from my husband's breakfast in the dishwasher. Oh, there's a message on the phone. Check the messages and one is for me from my friendly family doctor with instructions to call his patient infomation voicemail line. Okay. Dial, enter the numbers needed and Lydia says "Hello Hannah - we've received the results of the MRI/MRA you had done and you have a blockage on the right upper quadrant of your front brain and an aneurism on the left mid-section of your brain. You need to call and make an appointment with a neurology specialist at your earliest convenience....".

Right.

Why do the knees buckle first? Think things through. No point in worrying about something if you don't have all the facts. No point in calling the kids and worry them. Oh damn, have to tell Louie and he'll freak. It was better not knowing. Push it back and maybe it will go away. Yes BUT...your Mother had aneurisms and they cost her half her brain. If you push it back and ignore it you will really look ugly with half your head gone. Damn it again.

Okay, breathe deep and call your daughter. You can tell her anything and when it's not her or her kids she really is calm and gives great advice. Okay - call her. No answer. Call the cell. No answer. Shit - you finally get the nerve to call her and no one ever answers the phone. This must be a sign...you know how you believe in signs. It's TUT's way of saying don't tell anyone. I have to tell someone it's eating me alive. Okay call the son in law and see if he answers. YES! He answers. Oh, she's scapbooking?? Now?? Would it be okay if I called her? Are you sure? I don't want to be a pest. (Yes I do!!) Thanks - call her cell. No answer. Ten minutes later the phone rings and it's her and she is scrapbooking with her friends and no, it's okay. So what did you want to talk to me about??

As expected Ms. Calm advises me to stay cool, tell her dad about it and not worry. Great advice. It feels better just telling her about it.

I did call her dad and he did freak and has continued to freak for the past 3 weeks. I have attempted to get an appointment with Barrow Neurological here in Phoenix since they are considered the best, and with luck I might actually see a doctor there before the end of the year. As time goes on I keep coming up with logical answers to the fears that sneak in. I could have had this my whole life and just never knew. Who knows how long it's been there and I've been just fine. According to an episode of Six Feet Under, if the aneurism blows I die instantly with blood steaming down my nose and I don't feel a thing. Everyone feels really sorry and I get a lot of attention, even if it is too late. I appreciate the thought.

Of course, I really, really want to have my farm, sheep, llama, and chickens and see my grandchildren grow up and go off to college, if there is college that is affordable in 20 years. I also want to see how my husband and I look when we're 80 years old and have been together for 50 years. Will he still be a biker and me a crafter? Will we be crazy old folks with a wicked sense of humor and will I want to feed the kids all the time like their grandma does? I hope I still love shoes when I'm 80. I'll keep my hair red too. Just to bug people if nothing else. I plan to swear too.

So, it gets me down that I can't get the damn appointment, which indicates I do want to stick around and see how things play out for all of us, but some days it's hard. I get frustrated and mad. Mad at the genes that made this happen. Mad at Barrow for taking so damn long. Mad at my husband for wanting me to not bend over or work in my garden, but thankful he is helping out more. Mad that we live here and the kids live far away and we should be together. I need my friend. I need my kids and their little ones. It makes me happy and I laugh more when I'm with them.

I need to laugh A LOT now.

~ Hannah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE GIRL

My favorite girl in the world with her son

Well, 31 years ago tonight at 11:30 pm the little girl I always wanted was born. I was young and thought I could do it all - two kids, single, a job and life lay out in front of me. The future was something I looked forward to and my little girl and her older brother were the center of my life.

They still are. When we think that our work will be over when they get to be adults and parents themselves, it is quite a big surprise to discover you still worry just as much or more (life experience gives you more reasons to worry)! Not only do you live daily thinking about your own children, you also worry and wonder about their children. No one warned me about that one. I certainly never saw myself as a "Jewish mother" worrier but I am becoming my grandmother. Good lord.

When I visit Seattle we are up and out of the house before noon and on the run all day - berry picking, parks, zoo, shopping; keep those kids entertained and busy all day long no matter what the weather. I come back home and need to rest up from all the activity I experience with grandchildren who like to DO things - outside - away from the house - NO sitting allowed. I lose weight with every visit. We have so much fun!!

How did my two survive? Going to the park was a special event not a daily routine. Maybe it's my fault they go go go so much. Maybe if she was in therapy, my daughter would say it's all my fault she feels claustrophobic being in the house all day. If only I had been outside more she could relax and stay at home more. Oh well, they seem well adjusted adults with great marriages, and no matter how hard we work at being great parents we are bound to fail at something. At least one thing is going to be our fault no matter what. Just go with it. Enjoy your children for who and what they are and take credit for the best in them and blame their friends what what you dont like.

I wouldn't trade my life with anyone - even if I'm not rich - I'm not poor either, and have been blessed with my children, grandchildren and a husband I adore. Life is good, and birthdays are the perfect time to remember that.

As always...I'm Dreaming in Colors

Great Marketing Idea for Etsy sellers

Today I received an order of clothing labels from BitsyCreations and inside the package along with a nice thank you was a small envelope the size of a business card. I opened the envelope and out fell several Etsy seller's business cards and a small sample of 'soap bubbles'.

What a genius idea.

If you belong to an Etsy Team - get business cards from your members and enclose them with your shipments - and they can do the same for you. This is such an easy way to spread the word - and it's FREE if you already have a supply of business cards - which is a no brainer must for any seller.

Thanks to Joan at Bitsy for the lovely labels and this great idea!

Go forth and sell people! The world needs Handmade!

How Green Are You?

In the daily green newsletter they have a test you can take that is really fair and not pretentious in any way. I'm doing much better than I realized. Click on the link below and see how you are doing.

How Green Are You? - thedailygreen.com

Incredible Etsy information source

Every once in a while you come across information that is so helpful it's exciting. I stumbled upon the following link to a blog that lists everything that is impossible to find in regards to the Etsy website as well as links to sites that can help with your online business.




Take the time to look this over. Everything imaginable is listed all in one place. Kudos to the author at Loose Wire Studio for helping other Etsy owners with this information.


It made my day!!!!





http://loosewirestudio.blogspot.com/2005/06/etsy-helpful-links-not-found-via-etsy.html

Welcome little one. We love you!

It is with great joy and wonder I introduce you to Jaden our fourth grandchild born last week in Bellingham WA. His father, my son Javan and his mommy Terina have a daughter Teilani who has her Nona's heart too, but this little guy is the cherry on top.

I have been so blessed with two incredible children who in turn have grown into compassionate, smart, considerate adults who are the best parents to their children one could ever hope for.

Starting out as a child of one, adopted with no roots of my own, it is such an incredible feeling to see me grow into a family of loving people who no matter what, band together and look out for each other, and accept the good and not so good about one another. That to me is a true FAMILY and we have it hands down.

Love to All

Quote of the day.... I loved this one

The funny thing is, that in spite of the euphoria one feels upon entering paradise, cloaked in miracles, surrounded by angels, love, and unimaginable beauty, it gradually becomes all they know, commonplace, ordinary, and then, shockingly... invisible.

Yep, I'm talking about life on earth.

The Universe

One of the Very Special Wonders in my Life

I was told recently that there is a special little person in my life that never gets mentioned in my blog. I'm afraid this is true and I must correct this error. Atticus is my grandson who is 6 month old and a joy to everyone in his life. He always smiles and laughs and is Mr. Chill. His sister EQ was the first born and has always held a special place in my heart. When Atty was born I just couldn't imagine loving him the way I did his sister. Well, it's incredible how big our hearts really are, and how when another person comes along, you find you are just as smitten with him as you were with the first one. It really is amazing. I look forward to enjoying both of my little ones as they discover and grow, and while his parents will probably have him playing sports and being all boy, his Nona will sneak in some classical music, museums and beaches as much as possible. His slideshow is at the bottom of the blog page.

Food for thought, so to speak

If you just whistle every now and then; skip every thousandth step or so; skim the odd stone across the odd pond; go dancing on the occasional blue moon, if only alone in the dark; dress up sometimes, even with nowhere to go... for simply stirring up some little bit of hope, no matter how silly or disconnected your actions seem to be with the rest of the world, magic flashes in the unseen, friends are summoned, connections are timed, stars are aligned, opportunities are crystallized and serendipities are calculated, creating possibilities for new realities that cannot now even be imagined from where you presently stand.

Shazaam

-The Universe

Recyle - Easy plastic rules to remember

I get a newsletter from Ideal Bite http://www.idealbite.com each day and they sent out the best rules list for recycling plastics. Recycling's one of the eco-friendliest things you can do with already-purchased containers, and it's easy once you learn the ropes.

Recycling numbers usually appear on the bottom of containers. Check with your facility to find out which plastics it accepts, and write the numbers on top of your recycle bin for easy reference.

Usually recyclable:

1. PET - 2-liter and mouthwash bottles, boil-in-bag pouches.
2. HDPE - milk jugs, trash bags, detergent bottles, some yogurt cups.

Sometimes recyclable:

4.

LDPE - grocery bags, produce bags, food wrap.
5. PP - diapers, straws, yogurt containers.
6. PS - CD cases, egg cartons, Styrofoam.

Not so much...

7.

PVC- cooking-oil bottles, meat packaging, office binders.
8. Other - other types of plastic, plus things made from more than one type of plastic (see below).
Bioplastics (7, and marked as either compostable or biodegradable):
9. Compostable Plastic - is nontoxic and breaks down as fast as paper in compost.
10. Biodegradable Plastic - may contain toxins, so you have to send it to a special composting facility (enter compost and your zip at Earth911, see below).Commonly questioned items:
Container Caps - typically different plastics than the container; take 'em off, check the # inside, and either recycle or throw them away.

11. Grocery Bags - reuse them first! You usually can't recycle them curbside, but some supermarkets have bins in-store.

Earth911 - find out if you can recycle specific items in your area.

22 Steps Toward Energy Efficiency

Co-op America.org, (http://coopamerica.org/) published a very comprehensive list of 22 steps we as individuals can do to save energy every day. Most are very simple and they can make a huge difference.

Here's how to save energy and money. Go for a big, but doable goal – 10% energy saved per year over the next five years – 50% in five years! For the average household, 10% per year energy savings is only about 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of energy/year.

Here's how do-able that is:

Many families could achieve the first 1,000 kwh/year of savings by washing clothes in cold water (770 kwh/yr); placing several major electronics, such as video and stereo systems, on a surge protector that can be switched off (47kwh/year); and brushing of their refrigerator's condenser coils twice a year (392 kwh/year).

Many families could get another 1,000 kwh/year reduction by replacing half of their incandescent lighting with compact fluorescents (440kwh/year), letting the dishes in the dishwasher air dry (404kwh/year), and enabling the "sleep" function on their computer and printer to go on after five minutes of non-use (259kwh/year).

Are you ready? Here are 22 steps you can take -- each with the energy savings you can achieve each year. Pick the ones you'll do to get your first 10% energy savings. (These energy savings assume an average US home, which uses about 11,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and 19,000 cubic feet of natural gas per year.)

1. Turn off lights you're not using – We even have switchplate reminders for you, downloadable on our Web site. (2% energy savings per year, assuming an average family's energy use)

2. Schedule an energy audit – Your local utility will probably provide an audit for free, and you may also get a more comprehensive audit (saving you more money in the long term) by paying for a whole-house audit. (Up to 50% energy savings per year)

3. Don't heat or cool empty rooms – If there is a room in your house that is rarely used, close off the vents to save on heating and cooling. (Varies by size of room.)

4. Give your dishwasher a rest– Skip the energy-intensive drying cycle on your dishwasher and choose the air-dry option, or open the door for zero-energy dish drying. (5% energy savings per year)


5. Shift your energy load to off-peak hours – Because power sources must produce electricity around the time of use (without capacity for long-term storage) it is our collective peak demand that triggers the building of more polluting power plants. (Varies)


6. Turn off your electronics – If you're going to be away from your computer or other appliance for more than an hour, turn it off. (5% energy savings per year)

7. Eliminate "phantom load" – Many electronics use energy even while turned off, so your best bet is to unplug them when not in use. (5% energy savings per year)

8. Make your fridge more efficient – Keep your refrigerator's coils clean to boost its overall power, and store jugs of water in any empty space inside, because water retains coldness better than air. (4% energy savings per year)

9. Wash clothes in cold water – Your clothes will get just as clean, on half the energy. (7% energy savings per year)

10. Give up your dryer – Hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline or indoor rack. (10% energy savings per year)

11. Plug your air leaks – Energy-efficient heating and cooling systems are wasted when you're leaking out the cool or warm air you're putting in. (5% energy savings per year)

12. Reduce your water use – Simple ways to save water include fixing any leaks and replacing faucets and showerheads with low-flow options. (3% energy savings per year)

13. Cut waste through windows – Properly seal window edges, cover windows with curtains to prevent heat loss, or coat windows with reflective "low-e" films that reduce heat loss while still allowing light to shine through. (10% energy savings per year)

14. Help your hot water heater – Add an insulating cover to reduce heat loss. (1% energy savings per year)

15. Install ceiling fans – Reduce your air conditioner usage with ceiling fans. Look for "Energy Star" models that use 50 percent less energy. (19% energy savings per year)

16. Get a programmable thermostat – Automate when your heating or cooling systems come on to save energy while you sleep or are away from home. (10% energy savings per year)

17. Upgrade your appliances – Look for the "Energy Star," and you may be eligible for a tax break. (3 - 12% energy savings per year)

18. Upgrade your hot water heater – Save energy and space by upgrading to a tankless or solar hot water heater. (14% energy savings per year)

19. Green your roof – Studies have found that a green roof on a typical one-story building can result in a 25 percent reduction in summer cooling needs. (12% energy savings per year)

20. Save energy through landscaping – The US Department of Energy found that the proper placement of as few as three shady trees will save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually. (12% energy savings per year)

21. Replace your windows – In step 13, we have recommendations for working with the windows you have. Replacing your windows with more energy-efficient versions can save you even more. (14% energy savings per year)

22. Don't waste energy on TV – With the switch to digital TV coming in 2009, many people are buying new, digital-ready TVs. If you must shop for a new television, look for an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, which uses six times less energy than a plasma screen. (2% energy savings per year)

Aren't they SIMPLE??? Look at the savings you get doing these simple things! Solar panels and wind turbines are wonderful, but by doing these simple steps you can feel great about contributing what you can do now to guarantee energy savings today for our future.

Hope you'll try at least a few of these tips. It really makes a difference and you feel good about yourself because you're trying! Also - consider joining Co-Op America or sign up for their newsletter.
~ Dreaming in Colors

Phoenix is getting Greener all the time

Today has been a day of enlightenment. I love it when out of nowhere, information you crave just lands in your lap.

Phoenix has a Farmer's Market that I didn't even know existed. I miss the local vendors we had at the Public Market at home, and I missed being able to buy local meat, chicken, and fish once I moved here. It really was a big hole I couldn't fill. When the sustainable green living mantra started, I didn't have any idea how to shop local as it seemed there wasn't much farming going on here.Wrong !!!!There are several organic growers in the area and I am just ecstatic to know I can go shopping Saturday morning and get fresh veggies and fruit. (http://www.downtownphoenixpublicmarket.com/)

I hereby take the pledge to buy locally
during National Independents Week,
June 30 through July 6,
to help celebrate the diversity and vibrancy
that makes me proud to call Arizona Home.

I fully believe in that pledge except for the last line..........not quite there yet.


As though that wasn't big enough news! There is also an online Green Market called Boxed Greens(http://boxedgreens.com/shop/home.php) and they sell veggies, fruit, breads, organic chicken, beef and all types of dry goods. Best yet-they deliver to various parts of the valley!! I can order online and they'll bring it to my office in the morning! Wow.

Then - because I work for a medical group, the pharmaceutical companies bring us lunch each day of the week. Nice perk - but most of the time I just eat salad. Being the day before a holiday I really didn't expect to find lunch upstairs today but SURPRISE(!) we had the best food I have had in weeks and weeks. (A side story: Another thing I have had trouble finding in Phoenix is good Asian food. People here think Pei Wei is Asian food. P-a-lease.) Well today I had the BEST Asian food of anywhere. The owner's name is George Yang and he's from Burma and combines the flavors of each region of Asia from India to Viet Nam on his menu. I just about had a seizure eating the Shrimp with honey glazed walnuts - it really was shrimp "to die for". The Mongolian beef and citrus chicken was right up at the top of the list too. The restaurant is George and Son . The story of the name of his restaurant is just wonderful. He was late middle aged when he had his first son. George opened this restaurant and named it "for the precious child that came in to his life as a way to honor him."

http://www.azeats.com/georgeandsons/default.htm

All of this in one day!! It doesn't take being hit in the head with a hammer to realize this was special and worthy of noting.

Stay safe and cool over the long weekend, and try not to burn the house down with fireworks!

~ Hannah
Dreaming in Colors

money, money,money.....

It seems to me that there is an abundance of talk everywhere about money these days. You hear it all day long on NPR or the news channels on cable as well as on blogs. Besides election hysteria we have finance hysteria. At first I couldn't figure out why everyone was freaking out - at my house we are average middle class - two jobs, reasonable mortgage, few bills, and a small gas efficient car for me and motorcycle for my husband. I would rather have A/C than run the dryer and save on water and electrical as much as possible. I've prided myself for being price savvy at the supermarket - and try to use coupons and sales to stretch the dollar. I belong to Costco but try to be careful and not buy bulk on items that will not keep. There are only two of us at home now, so bulk has it's drawbacks. I do love their easy to fix meals and salads though. I tend to be a sucker for the chocolate/camel apples to, when the vendor comes on site. 3 apples loaded with a year's worth of fat and calories - too good to believe. It started to hit me though when shopping at Wal-Mart and I noticed my dry cat food was $3.00 per bag higher. Then the moist cat food was $2.00 higher. Hum No tomatoes due to E-coli, lettace $2.00+ per head, bread at $3.00 plus per loaf if you want 3g of fibre, what the hell??? When I bought my 2005 Beetle, it cost me $18.00 to fill it - yesterday it was $48.00. Okay - so maybe that is why my paycheck is taking more to survive and a lot less is being saved than last year. I save for a couple of months, above and beyond my nest egg fund, in order to fly to Seattle every two months - and now it may take three months just to pay the same price I have been paying ($269) to get there. Oooh - this IS getting ugly, and I do not do poor well. I can budget and buy consignment when necessary, but I do not do poor.

I remember reading about this woman who got divorced and was screwed financially when her millionare husband hid his assets and she didn't get a dime. She basically had the clothes in her closet and her car and that was it. Because she had lived the 'life' in the fast lane, and had the cloths and style to carry it off, she lived homeless in her car for over a year and would go to Saks and Neiman Marcus to "shop" and would slip into the ladies room to wash and change clothes.Since she had been a regular customer at both stores, no one thought anything of her being there and never guessed what she was doing. If I get poor, I hope I have the balls to do it as well as this woman. She finally wrote a book about her homeless life and made a small fortune and could finally get in off the street. Kudos to her.

One of my favorite blogs is the Midlife Gals ~ SalGal and KK (http://midlifegals.blogspot.com/). They are a riot and can turn a blah day into a sunny one by being so funny. Their weekend post was about what they would do if they were suddenly rich. I used to dream about winning $85 million in the lottery, but kept forgetting to buy lottery tickets. Dah ~ When I started the frugal green mode I'm in now, I quit dreaming about being rich until I read KK's wishes if she was rich. It got me to thinking once again what I would do with the money.

1. Take a deep breath and tell myself "money will not change me" one hundred times.


2. Call my financial adviser and find out how to spend but still save at the same time. Rich people seem to have this down and we must learn what they know.
   
3. Pay off the kid's mortgage so they can buy the house of their dreams near water with a view. Help them pay enough down to carry a managable mortage amount. Insist on a state of the art crafts room for my daughter that I get to work in too.
   
4. Keep the house in Arizona, but redo the kitchen, bathrooms, redecorate it all and re-do the landscape. Use this house as one of three in various locales. Offer it out to other family members when they visit the SW.
   
5. Find a house on the coast of Oregon near Cannon Beach. A big beachy house with at least 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with room for everyone, all at the same time, without feeling cramped. Make it a cottage looking house and fill it with antiques and recycled junk that looks great. Live there all summer.


6. Get a spot in on the coast in Costa Rica for Louie to live in when he needs the tropics. Rent it out for income when not is use.


7. Buy a condo in Seattle to use when we miss the kids. Scratch that. If we're buying their house for them they can let us have a guest cottage on the property. Since we're paying....and besides, I am a great babysitter.


8. Buy a condo or small house for Javan and Terina and a car.
9. Start a college fund for all the kids.


10. Set up a scholarship fund at the University of Washington in my father's name.


11. Contribute $1 million to a group that supplies the means for clean water in Africa.


12. Contribute $1 million to a group working on global warming.

See, I'm not greedy. I share. I'll still buy junk and refinish it - it's my style. I will buy clothes and shoes without looking at the price, more. But I really wonder if I could ever spend $500 on a pair of shoes, unless of course, I'm in Florence Italy and they're custom made just for little ol' me!

Living with this joy in my life how can I not feel rich!

Meanwhile, back in reality, I love my life. We have enough to get by and enjoy life. We have to spend wiser and think about it more, but other than the house at the ocean, I can live just fine without any of the dream stuff. I'll always want a place by the sea - and may still get it. But I am happy with all I have now. Life is good and gets better all the time. It really does.

Keep your chin up!

Hannah ~ always, dreaming in colors

In Appreciation of Etsy Sellers

I could look at Etsy sites and DaWanda sites all day and night. These two sites in particular offer a wide range of crafters and so much of what is sold is incredible. Why we ever go to the mall is beyond me. The customer service alone makes a person not want to shop anywhere else!

Some of my favorites lately are:

DebDutch.Etsy.com ~ "...for hand painted shoes & unique gifts..."
Deb Dutch Designs makes these adorable hand
painted canvas shoes for kids.
Some with a real sense of humor.

Check out her Guppy shoes...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5606014



khphillips.etsy.com ~ Ahhh - then there's Keith over at Mudstuffing. I bought a French Butter Dish from him that reminds me so much of Provence and the pottery I purchased over there. He is so personable and will work with you to do just what you want. "He sews he throws" is the mantra of this shop. I wanted this teapot but have to purchase carefully or I'll have more than I have room for. I'm waiting for a dutch oven baking pot.

Yummy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5109726

viogeminidesigns.etsy.com ~ Now I have to admit if I was 20 years younger I would buy and wear one of these corsets handmade in England by a talented artist by the name of Viorica. She learned the craft from her Mum and has taken the art of the corset to new heights. They are really like a work of art. Some are rather Goth but this one shown is just gorgeous. Just read what goes into making one of these!!

"The corset is interlined with cotton fabric and lined with strong black cotton drill for durability and comfort.The corset comprises 10 shapely panels with the a metal busk front closure. 10 spiral steel bones are stitched into the seams and 4 metal bars on either side of the eyelets to ensure that you can tighten the corset as much as you like wihout the corset changing shape!"

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5843797

OscarANDTheodore.etsy.com ~ "Meet Oscar: A rough and tumble sort of chap who's fearless...and Theodore: A neat reserved fellow who loves to read and who sits quietly in church" This shop features handmade clothing for children that are so creative. She uses wonderful fabric combinations that are very Eastern Shore. The shorts I highlight here are called 'Nantucket Vacation' and make you feel you are at the beach just by looking at them! She tells a story with each item and brings Oscar and Theodore to life.....

Where are the graham crackers and marshmallows?

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5691728


SarahJaneStudio.etsy.com ~ is a mom and artist that captures perfectly that child-like love of things. Her drawings make you 'feel the love', so to speak. This shop is my favorite for graphics. Her pictures of the Elephant and friend rabbit tug at my heart! She sells both prints and cards. Please check this shop out for that happy feeling we all need so much.

'I love you friend'

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5317715

As you can see, there is a ton of talent out there. Visit these shops as a start and shop until your fingers hurt!!!!

As always,

Hannah
Dreaming in Colors

Wind power and other musings

Let the wind blow....

The other day it was really windy here and it made me think - epiphany actually. Why not have a wind farm? They seem to be cropping up everywhere - Texas and Kansas of all places. The farmers in Kasas are making more on land lease deals for the turbines than they would if they grew crops. The down side to that is the food shortage. Lord will we ever win this battle?

You try to come up with new energy resources and everyone gets excited about bio fuel and wind energy and then discover to costs too much to produce the corn into fuel and there's a shortage for feeding the world and now wind energy is taking acreage out of food production. More people are eating more grains and legums (vegan) and less meat - so it's a total Catch 22.

Anyway, I have 60 acres on a hill in Eastern Washington that is basically made of land fill. Farmers around me tell me I can't grow anything in the crap soil there is so I was thinking... The wind blows constantly, more up top of the hill than at the bottom, which would be great. A guy who bought the plat of land at the far end of my hill built the UGLIEST house I have ever seen ( yellow modular with a theme of SW stucco that didn't work out so well) and he put it smack dab on top of the hill. Hope it blows away someday but in the meantime I figure we could plant a bunch of the turbines on top and down about half way in the center of my hill which will leave me land to raise Romney sheet with a llama and room for my cottage. Brilliant. Income for my old age and energy production. All I have to do is talk to the sheep and garden.

If any of you Greenies know anything about wind farms please let me know! I need help to get this off the ground. I know nadda. I have found a few resouces (see below) but could use your advice, please.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/large_wind.asp

http://www.mge.com/environment/wind/

http://www.awea.org/smallwind/smsyslst.html

Hey frog! It really ISN'T easy being GREEN

The weather has finally turned warm enough for my laundry ritual of hanging the clothes outside again and the familiar slowing down and enjoying it has returned. This weekend it was in the 90's with a small breeze - just enough breeze to dry things in about 10 min. Unfortunately, I had errands to run that afternoon which cut into the cycle of wash and dry and I did end up doing the final load in the dryer after sundown. I always feel a sense of failure when I don't do everything possible to cut back on our electricity. While I'm drying clothes outside I am also running the A/C inside. I keep the thermostat at 80 day and night but 80 on a hot day just doesn't feel that cool. Last night I was raking and weeding on the West side of the house and just about died from the heat pouring off the side of the house. When we bought the house we were very aware of the sun pattern and faced the house North and South so the sun would go over the sides with the least windows. We also upgraded our insulation to the highest rating available in the attic, but now I wonder about the walls. I only feel heat on the inside of the windows not the walls. I have trees on the East side where the big windows are and they block most of the morning sun and heat in summer, but there really isn't room on the West side to plant trees. I put insulated panels on the windows, and keep the blinds closed, all of which do help, but if in May the side of the house almost caused heatstroke, what about August and Sept. ~ our hottest months?

Before we built the house, I toured the Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix several times to see the flora and fauna (if you can call it that in the desert) to see what grew with no water and no brown dirt (our dirt is light beige) and they had an experimental house you could see for help in saving the environment. I devoured everything I could learn (1994! people!!) because I knew I now lived in a desert and the rules had changed. Unlike midwesterners who show up here and put lawn in EVERYWHERE and think they're in Milwaukee, No lawn, No peonies, No lilacs, no this, no that. Cactus and plants that strive to kill you every time you garden are the norm. Plants with spikes 2" long and just sit in wait. Oh, and the weeds know just how to bury themselves INSIDE the grouping of cacti (cacti stick together a lot) so you can't possibly get to the damn weeds without piercing yourself a dozen times. Every time I do yard work I show up the next day with scratches and scars from the day before. The cacti always win. Even the trees that look so beautiful have thorny prongs 2" long on them. That friendly mesquite over there? Laying in wait.... The yellow blooming Acacia? Wants nothing more than to scar you for life. As much as I have a personal hatred for the damn Acacia in my front yard, I refuse to kill a tree in the desert. It takes patience and prayer to grow anything so I am the last one to kill something I finally go to grow in the first place!!

I have changed out all my light bulbs to the low energy kind, use as little water as possible, and hope to get an instant hot water attachment for the kitchen faucet. I hate seeing water pouring down the drain waiting for hot water and do my best to do multiple tasks - use the cool water while waiting for the hot. Makes my conscience feel better if nothing else. I do shower every day but in less than 5 min. unless I wash my hair (once a week) which adds 3 min. I smell good and use as little water as possible.

At the end of the day I just look over how I've lived my day and most of the time I feel I've done my best. I combine trips to save gas, and with hot weather arriving, my driving will be cut back and I will be staying home and building my stock on Etsy. My garden looks the best this year as it ever has, and with shade now available from noon on, watering will be even less this year than last. Slowly but surly I am getting there. It takes time to become green and it ain't easy Kermit!!

You tried to tell us!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hannah

Dreaming in Colors