Horray, we got a lovely dusting of snow! We actually got more than the day they were predicting a Nor'easter. It's a nice treat because I adore December and I miss it when it's gone. I have whole new ways to celebrate the winter now. I'm thinking about buying some snowshoes. I usually just use my heavy winter boots for the snow.
J got me a Panasonic camera, it's super lightweight and takes lovely photos. Almost everyone at the family gathering was trying to fight clutter - so most of the presents were pure necessity. Gloves. Winter boots and blankets. Datebooks. A few packages of hot chocolate and spices.
The one luxury item was books. Sweet cookbooks, fiction, bird books and art museums. Ah, I love books!! They're borderline necessity, in my mind - but I bought many new books - not good for the forests. I should be using the library or our used book store more often. I won't bore anyone with Resolutions (yet) but in past years I've focused on replacing plastic and meat, and wasteful packaging. This year I must focus on my passion: preserving habitat. Deforestation and cropland will be my focus.
I have the feeling that in the year 2010, we're going to see more Greenwashing than ever before. Businesses and product makers are getting saavy about how they present themselves. They are following the science and keeping up with terms that will impress the public.
Eco-friendly is not just a trend these days, it's a real concern that people have. I'm convinced that commercials will bombard us more than ever with messages that are designed to conceal and confuse. This drives me batty and I hope to debunk these dirty tricks and write (in a fun way) about the truth. So we can all benefit.
And hopefully, I'm going to keep this year light and cheerful, and rustic as well. :D
Hey everyone! I hope you all had an amazing Holiday!! :)
For the New Year, I just thought I'd post links to 3 of my favorite charites. I'll go into more detail on each one later, but for now check out their websites. All are real players working for our planet.
The New England Wildflower Society
See you in 2010!
A very happy Winter Solstice to all my friends on Vox!!
I'm looking forward to a year filled with new books and travel. I'm also looking forward to unexpected things. I think this year will bring something new. Maybe fruits from some faraway place. Maybe I'll make an art film or study some unusual mammal with an umber and scarlet coat.
I hope you all discover novel things too, and have a great Holiday with your loved ones! May our planet be blessed as well.
Cheers!
Could these Garmin ads be any more bizarre? Campers watch out for that Yeti.....
It is totally flipping cold and dry here. It's kind of neat to see icicles hanging off the banisters and windows, but sheesh, running is brutal. The bricks and sculptures I used for my garden are frozen into the ground. Anything left outdoors cracks and breaks. I'm finally over my sinus problems, though.
A few days ago we finally broke down and bought some holiday lights. The house was completely dark every year while other houses have a shiny blue and white glow or colorful lights around their trees. I was browsing some bookstores and ran across some literature about Yule. I was struck by how important warm, glowing lights are this time of year. Fires, candles. Strings of lights and happy snowmen glowing against the bitter ice and snow.
I was looking for winter book suggestions, and wouldn't you know it, the goddess of Ecology was listening. As I wandered the nature aisle I found the most wonderful treasure: the Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals. I've never seen a book as incredible as this. 934 pages of all-out beauty. Stunning, cutting-edge data on over 5,000 mammal species.
Some highlights:
Group living of european rabbits in the chalk and dune land warrens
Nonstop motherhood of honey possums
Form and function of the carnivore body plan
Mammals of the middle Eocene
I am in love with this book. I think our lights and this reading will keep me warm all winter. I so recommend this book if you have any interest in mammals. I recommend a latte or a spiced hot chocolate in your local bookstore-cafe while you browse the nature section. On Saturday our bookseller had hired a violin-cello quartet to play holiday music while people browsed and drank coffee. A lovely evening!
I was having a laugh with a Botanist friend of mine about the Evolution debate. Although questioned by Creationists,150 years of additional evidence has essentially solidified the Theory of Evolution, even without Darwin. We're finally seeing this same pattern with Global Warming. New evidence is making the theory stronger as time goes on.
A study of the Himalayas has provided new evidence for anthropogenic-caused climate change. Black soot from diesel engines and coal-fired plants has been found to cause melting glaciers in the Himalayas.
A new poll (of actual scientists, this time) shows that 97% of Climatologists believe that humans are causing climate change. And if you're confused by this cold weather, remember that climate change is not just about warming, it's about extreme patterns. So there it is, the theory is beginning to hold its own.
Thanks to WT for finding this cartoon!
What are you hoping to find under the tree this year?
Blankets. Chai tea and movies. Books. Winter-themed items. This time of year is nice when I'm prepared. Pajamas and slippers. It's been soooo cold!
The house is looking more spacious. Just a few large, cozy pieces of furniture and throw blankets for us and the cats. And winter mugs. I'm going to be reading stacks of books this year. I was browsing the local bookseller's store last night. I found a lot of great non-fiction. Yoga calendars. Travel books.
One magazine author was talking about getting gifts from people for whom she hasn't reciprocated. She said she considers that part of the ebb and flow of holidays from year to year. What a great thought. I think ebb and flow will be a theme for us this year. We don't need a lot of stuff. And to put together a good travel package so we can go anywhere and be comfortable.
**ps I apologize for any spelling errors today, or any other goofy behavior. My thoughts are obscured by pain. Nice to be among friends, though.
Oh my, it seems like this bone-dry air has brought back my sinus infection. Sorry I've not been around much to comment. Being that it's Solstice and time for reflection, I decided to start my new years resolution list early in order to de-stress.
I resolve to adopt a more Buddhist philosophy. I want to make life easier on myself by spending more time with smart people and ignoring extremists. I'm beginning to wake up to the value of the international community.
Check out this comment by my Malaysian neighbor mfn:
It seems like quite a number of the skeptics of climate change are coming from the North America, .. Probably they are not experiencing the bad weather, the rising temperature, the rising sea level, and the extinction of species and habitats.
That may have been the reason why european countries are advancing in eco-communalism (not communism) and slowly moving away from the extreme capitalist beliefs. They want to be independent and sovereign like the US too, by focusing on saving the environment instead of sending people to war.
I'm all for it. My mom travelled to Paris a few weeks ago and she loved it. People are much more open to dialogue and often our friends overseas spend their time searching for the truth, not preaching their version of it.
I'm looking for peace in my life and I think a good cup of tea with a well-balanced person is a good start. I resolve to look to our international neighbors to guide me towards a more globally saavy and mindful attitude. And maybe then I can get rid of this headache (with that and a Netti pot).. :)
It's been freezing cold, I went running at the Lake today and it's already covered in ice. Lovely, though. Downed conifer limbs, blue jays singing.
Now I'm drinking my third hot beverage (hot chocolate) and hoping to hear back from employers. Oh, did I mention, the school hasn't sent me my diploma yet? But the Registrar confirmed that I'm officially graduated. I'm not celebrating until I get the diploma in hand.
We've been consuming good movies and hot cider for Solstice. No fancy celebrations this year, til we get to my sister's. SyFy channel has 2 great holiday specials. One is a remake of Alice in Wonderland. We haven't seen it yet. The other is a really dark, modern remake of Wizard of Oz.
The second one is called Tin Man and I never thought I'd say this, but Alan Cumming is adorable as the Scarecrow. The plot is completely different and you wouldn't even recognize the characters from the original. I love, love love creative remakes, or just simple, creative films. They're in low supply these days.
Another fun plug is the new Sony Ericsson "eco phones", Hazel and Elm. (Cute, right)? They look nice and I used to love my old Ericsson before the *ahem* screen ribbon broke.
Does anyone have other fun film ideas for Solstice? I don't especially like fantasy unless it's mixed with a good plot. Harry Potter is pretty fun for this time of year. I thought the sci fi was a stretch but as long as it's not overly dramatic vampire movies or something, it's an okay medium.
