Green - getting energized again

Not because it is a fad, but because this is my passion, I am involved at work, church and home in Green initiatives. Trying to wrap my arms around our Green Team at work, I am reviewing emails to find some nuggets for our site to focus on during this next fiscal year.

So personally, 2 websites that ACTUALLY WORK, and I feel good about are freecycle.org and catalogchoice.org

I started using freecycle.org a couple of years ago. We have recycled, to someone who wants them, many things over the past 2 years. Old stereo, fire wood holder, cat carriers, old LPs, kids toys, etc.

I am always surprised about how quickly I get responses from people who really want stuff, that I no longer need or want. I use Freecycle and would love to take it to the next level, and get more people to use it. One thing I do, which has no value at all, is to yell out my window to the pile of "trash(when people are moving)" by the side of the road "FREECYCLE.ORG!!!!!". It would probably be of more value to talk to the people who put it there.

The second thing which really works is catalog choice. When I started, every day I would collect the mail, and put the info for unwanted catalogs, into this website. We get very few unwanted catalogs any more. There are a few offenders, who refuse to STOP sending them, but for the most part, they have stopped. It was some work up front to input them every day, but very little work now.

So now I ask myself, what next? My New Year's resolution was to stop using plastic and paper bags, and that is going pretty well. A few times, I made myself go back out to the car to get my canvas bags when I forgot them, and a few times I bought more groceries than would fit in my canvas bags, so I had to use plastic.

Part of my new energy (pun intended) was hearing Al Gore last night. We have to do something, and probably on a bigger level than my few initiatives. Solar panels? Geo thermal pits? Prius? Nag everyone I know about freecycle and catalog choice?

I just Pick up the Phone now

When someone is ill or has just had a loss, some of us don't know how to reach out. Should we call, should we email or write?

A few years ago at Star, Vivienne, who was ill gave a wonderful service. Her main message was let the people decide whether to pick up the phone or open a card. They are in control of all of that, so reach out. Don't let the worry about intruding be a reason to not reach out.

I am not saying that it is any easier for me to reach out, since I attended Vivienne's service. It isn't easy and none of us like to necessarily reach out when times are bad.

Anyway, a few times in the last few months, there have been difficult times, as recent as today; and Vivienne's words are what encouraged me to pick up the phone. I don't do it every time, but I do it more often. Vivienne is no longer with us, after much struggle, but her words will always be with me. How nice it is to have teachers around when we are ready and people around who we will remember always even after they are gone?

Process or Product?

I love this question and it comes up all the time in life.

This weekend we played some Settlers (surprise, surprise), and it got me thinking about why I play the game. I know there are a ton of you out there who will violently disagree with this next statement BUT I play Settlers for the process first, and then the product WINNING, second. I love to set up the game, or watch Chris set up the game, I love the initial placements, I love to watch strategies unfold during the game. AND I love to be behind and figure out a strategy to win.

Why do I knit? Mostly, I knit for the meditation and the keep my fingers busy and mind quiet reasons. I have a stack of knitted products that are sitting in my sewing room waiting to be given away. Some of them have been there for decades. I love it when a sweater that I have been working on fits really really well, BUT I also love the knitting time too. Judy just finished a sweater similar to one I knit. We bought the yarn together 2-3 years ago. Yes, I cannot wait to see the 2 of us together wearing our matching sweaters, and in that case, it was a beautiful yarn and I really loved the process of knitting it. The whole time I was knitting it, I knew the sleeves might not be perfect, but I kept knitting because I love the feel of yarn. I love this sweater, and I loved knitting this sweater over several years.

Biking: When I get on my bike, and the pedal makes those first rotations, I get into the groove. As I bike down Phelps Lane and the wind starts blowing through my helmet, hair and clothing I am really enjoying the process of biking. OF COURSE, I love the end product of 8-10 miles on the bike, but this weekend with our guests, it was the sauntering on the bike, the conversations, the admiring of gardens, and the wind blowing across us on the causeway, (that this weekend will have a bike ferry running across the inlet so we can bike to Burlington) that were the most enjoyable.

Wait Wait, our destination yesterday was the lake and a swim, so is that product or process. The lawyers and engineers among you may find a flaw in my original statement. OKAY go ahead.

Quilting: Of course I love the final product, but I love choosing the fabrics and patterns, shopping in my stash, matching the thread, hearing the machine assemble the pieces and the final hand sewing of the binding.

NELS: This summer, and this week are the first time in 4 years that the first week in August in not spent on the Cape at NELS. I am definitely missing it, and going through my memories of 4 years there. The ultimate question of NELS is: "Do we need to focus on process or product?" and the answer is both, but people have preferences. Conflicts arise out of those preferences and the magic of NELS erupts. You have to experience this to believe it.

OKAY, enough Monday morning pondering (PROCESS) and off to get some work done (PRODUCT) . . .

Swimming in Lake Champlain and games

I grew up spending summers on Lake Champlain. In 1964, Mom and Dad bought Gardiner Island with my grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. We owned the island from 1964-1976. Only 12 years, but summers = swimming in the Lake and playing games.

This Saturday, with friends and family we biked, got really hot, rode to a beach and swam in the Lake. I know some people love salt water, and the Cape BUT not me. We were talking this weekend that it is a good thing that some people retire to the Cape or Florida and some people retire to Vermont. Otherwise, we would all be in the same place. We can visit other places, but my heart is in Vermont.

For me, as a I slog through the week, what I will be anticipating is another swim in the Lake. I could have staying there for hours, and in fact tried to get a group to go for a midnight swim. Circumstances happened which prevented the midnight swim, but I suspect that there will be one this summer.

Playing games is the other summer activity which defined and continues to define my summer. For hours we would play card games, and board games. This filled in the time, when we were water logged, or it was not swimming weather. It is fitting then that Saturday included 2 VERY good Settlers games and a few more converts, I think.

Star was different this year

I guess Star is different every year, but since I just got back these are the differences for me this year:

• Our niece was with us, and it is nice to share with immediate family
• We stayed in Starloft, which is away from the noise (too quiet for me)
• I taught Jr Teens, and have not taught since 2002. It was too much time out of my day and I have gotten spoiled by being able to attend the lectures.
• Usually, I totally detach from the mainland, but this year, I had to attend some phone calls and actually booted up my computer a few times. YUCK
• The first 3 days were sunny but we were totally fogged in, could NOT see the mainland. I loved being in a cocoon for those three days
• The final 3 days were so clear, we could see individual cottages on Rye Beach
• I did not get to know all of the New Shoalers. We were joined by a wonderful family from First Parish and I think most of them want to come back.
• A certain family member, (male, and Chris was not there) gave a ballet recital
• Chris and Meg were not there BOOHOO

What was the same is that I did not want to leave. I never want to leave Star. I try during the year to keep the Star spirit alive. We always have a KEEP STAR ALIVE party the night after we leave the Island, and this year's was great, but there still has to be that last hug goodbye of shoalers for the year.

We Will come back, we will come back, we will come back . . .

Distracted

I checked a book out of the library a few weeks ago called, Distracted. At our fall NEHRA conference on November 5th, we have the author of this book as a speaker, so I thought I would check the book out and get a preview of it. These last few weeks have been really busy for me, both personally and professionally and I did not get a chance to read the book. I don't like to have overdue books at the library and I am going away for 10 days, so yesterday morning, I located the book in my house.

Somehow, in between having my hands on it, and the car, I misplaced it. It was pretty ironic that I had been distracted, put the book down, and could not find the book for a few minutes. I was laughing, really hard, at myself.

Distracted and put down the book Distracted, not able to find it! It is sometimes not easy living in my mind, and sometimes it is hysterical.

I need a chaplain

We got back Sunday night from General Assembly. This is the once a year business meeting for our denomination. Rod and I have been delegates frequently since we went first in 2000.

While there, I heard about the death of a friend of my parents. It was definitely a shock and as I walked out of the room, where I had taken the phone call, I ran into a friend who is also a minister. GA has lots of ministers so that was not unusual. What was unusual is that he was right there when I needed him. At first he did not believe me when I said "I need a chaplain." I don't ask for help often, but I did at that moment in time. I believe in destiny and that things happen for a reason. A chaplain was there at the exact moment when I really needed one. I am not sure I would have reached out to a minister who was a stranger. I am not sure I would have reached out to many ministers I know, who are NOT strangers. The universe does provide for us, whether it is a natural fireworks show, or a chaplain when you need one.