See entire December 7, 2011  newsletter including radio guest schedule and videos

Mrs. Green’s Anniversary

When I mentioned to someone the other day that this will be my 100th newsletter, they said “that is a really big deal.” At some level, it is. On top of that, the actual day I am writing this is my 61st birthday so I am feeling like it is, indeed, a special day and that I’d better come up with important, meaningful things to say! Pressure on.

It’s kind of fun and interesting to look back over the past four years – to think about all I have learned, all you have shared, what I think are really important issues now vs. what I thought 4 years ago, and the beat goes on. Now if I can just keep it short – always the challenge for me.

I have learned about things like fracking, about every kind of alt-fuel vehicle one can imagine, about fair trade and why we should care, about what green washing really is, about what bad shape we have put our oceans in, and about how much people disagree on issues like do we have a water crisis or not, and if humans should eat meat or stick to plants and vegetables or what kind of solar is best for a home. I have learned to care deeply about how the animals we do eat are raised. I have learned more about genetically modified food than I ever thought possible. I have learned about eating raw foods. I have started, this late in the game, to drink spinach and kale in my smoothies and feel so noble about it.

I have learned that shopping locally has changed my life. People in stores and restaurants know me, have answers to my questions, value my business, make great food, sell great stuff and haven’t forgotten what great customer service means.

I have learned that when, in one year, your husband has a heart attack, your treasured cabin burns to the ground, you launch your own radio network and a new website, people come out in droves to help – it’s called community. My amazing team stepped up and you all helped sustain me.

In that past four years, I have become steadfast in my belief that green is not a political issue and as long as people think it is, we are in deep and serious trouble.

I have learned how to throw paperless parties, take five minute showers, get by with less, do without straws, and take my own to-go containers to restaurants.

I continue to be amazed, after four long years, that people use plastic bags and plastic water bottles without giving them a thought, and that it drives me stark raving mad. I feel frustrated because I haven’t made even a small dent in changing that.

I have learned, once again, that nothing great can be accomplished alone and that anything I have succeeded in doing is because of being surrounded by a GREAT, green team.

I learned so much from and am so grateful for my wonderful show guests.

I have learned that I don’t want to tell anyone what to think, I just want them to.

I have learned how much what you think matters to me. Thanks for celebrating this 100th issue with me!

I’ll Be Green for Christmas – You Can Count on Me
Sounds like a song, right? If you read my newsletter regularly or even sometimes, you probably know I am a big believer in green giving. There will be very little wrapping paper, many locally purchased gifts, some gift cards, trips to the Community Food Bank and lots of sharing special times with family and friends. Take the stress off your holidays. There are some great green giving ideas from YOU on my website.

Green Stories I Couldn’t Make Up
Mr. Green and I have become quite the team on this journey of ours. There are times when he is clearly the one taking us to another level of green. And there are many times when I know he would rather I not share everything with the world. This may be one of them. It’s about the neighborhood dumpster. Twice a year our HOA rents a huge dumpster and puts it on a vacant lot across the street. It motivates all of us to get rid of our landscaping waste, clean up our yards, trim the bushes, etc. Much to our dismay, people also throw things in there that should be on their way to Goodwill – not the landfill. Mr. Green recently removed a perfectly good set of metal shelving, a perfectly good bicycle except for flat tires and a beautiful, expensive flower pot. They are already at Goodwill because we really do care that our landfills are rapidly reaching capacity, because we want to leave our world better than the way we found it, and because places like Goodwill do great things for our communities – like find people jobs.

Part Two is that while Mr. Green was dropping off the above mentioned dumpster treasures at one of our local Goodwill stores, he made the rounds. For two years he has been in search of a Melitta one cup coffee maker. I have checked their website, done lots of Google searches, checked on eBay and Amazon – nothing! Well, lo and behold, we are now the proud owners of a BRAND new Melitta one cup coffee maker. And our daughter Emily is the proud owner of five “look like new” flannel shirts. She was thrilled and not one of them cost over $5.00.

We are walking the green walk at Mrs. Green’s house. And it’s fun.