I’ll bet…
…that the people I know in Kona are not wondering where the mountain lion is that left a deer carcass less than a hundred feet from their house.
Archive for My Musings
How to be the Coolest Mom in the World
For at least a day.
1. Save a stack of the old records that you used to listen to as a teen.
2. Have a child that likes classic rock and decides to decorate his room with old album covers.
3. Unearth the old albums and pass Journey, Styx, the Eagles, and CCR on to said music lover who now believes that his mom must actually have had a life. Once.
4. Bask in the adoration, for indeed, it will not last.
Voodoo Online
I discover the darndest things when I’m researching my books. I’m editing my medieval book, and right now focusing on medieval witchcraft and sorcery (no hands-on projects here, I promise!). I just discovered this site, where you can order spells to suit your every need. Who knew?
The Answer’s in Front of Us
Isn’t it funny how we’ve used glass for hundreds of years in this world, and it’s not linked to chemical poisoning, off-gassing, environmental impact, or cancer like plastic is? Even the tin cans our food comes in have apparently been treated with bisphenol which seeps into our food.
Glass. It’s so simple.
A Fish Named Fred
This is Fred:
We love Fred, even though the camera doesn’t do him justice. Let’s just say he’s vividly colored.
I decided that it would be fun to make a quilt for the couch that matches Fred. So I gathered all of my scrap fabric - plus a few new patterns - and started my first crazy quilt.
Bright, yes? Even though it doesn’t look like it here, the squares actually do a nice job of reflecting Fred’s brilliance.
I’ve never made a crazy quilt before, and I must say, I’m loving the randomness of it (I have a tendency to not like to follow specific directions. Ahem.). Six squares done this weekend - I’ve SO needed to have a project like this to distract me from work and the computer.
An environmental no-brainer
According to EnviroSax, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make the 380 billion plastic bags we use in America each year (!). I’m aiming for a one-hundred percent reduction of these bags coming into my house by the end of the year. It’s easy to forget to bring reusable bags (I usually have a half-full cart before I remember and go back out to get mine out of the car), but this is so important. It’s one simple step.
Instead of those disposable bags, check into all of these options. Or perhaps try making your own. And if you’re up for a challenge, join me in this effort and let me know you’re doing so by posting a comment. It’s an opportunity to make a difference in our world and to educate our kids about the reduction of unnecessary excess.
Off soapbox now…
Solid Advice
I am preparing to be interviewed for a podcast on team building. This makes me nervous. Evan’s advice?
“Just don’t use your business voice.”
I guess my nervous voice sounds very much like a business voice.
Daylight Savings Time
You’ve all heard me swoon at the fact that I don’t have to change my clocks back and forth anymore since we moved to Hawaii. It’s a good thing. But I was surprised and appalled to read Meg’s post over at Get In, Hang On. She references an article from the WSJ that addresses the environmental impact of daylight savings time.
When Indiana made the switch to daylight savings time a couple of years ago it confused the cows (hee!) and gave scientists a chance to study the change in electrical usage.
Their finding: Having the entire state switch to daylight-saving time each year, rather than stay on standard time, costs Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills. They conclude that the reduced cost of lighting in afternoons during daylight-saving time is more than offset by the higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons and increased heating costs on cool mornings.
Kind of makes you wonder if the electric companies are involved in the whole clock switcharoo, doesn’t it??
INcredible!
Another instance in which I discover new things via my children. My eldest has a great appreciation for Bela Fleck. By watching Bela Fleck videos, we’ve become aware of the art of Tuvan throat singing. When we discovered that these guys would be at our local theater (at a student rate!) we had to go check them out. Absolutely incredible. Each participant can sing in several different octaves at once. While my musician son has no trouble picking out the different octaves, I find listening to this music to be quite like looking at those Magic Eye books where you have to look at a picture a certain way in order to see the hidden picture. You have to listen to these performers a certain way in order to hear the layers of sound. But when you get it, it’s amazing. Like a background of angels. Or a flute. See if you can hear it:
Edited for clarity.
