Month: April 2010

Going Green, really going back to Green


I have something on my mind, something that has been bugging me for some time now. I just have to figure out just how I can go about changing my habits, habits I once proudly practiced with vigor.
I have always tried to be green. I was green back in the 80’s before it was hip. It was easy to be a greenie in California. I had access to great co-op and health food stores that sold goods in bulk. I was in the habit of buying my shampoo, various soaps, peanut butter, honey and cleaning supplies in bulk. I used the same plastic and glass containers month after month. I never filled my garbage pail in less than a week and recycled as much as I could. I ate local organic food and for a while, even owned a small produce market on the coast.  When Alex was born I used cloth diapers. My family and friends laughed and placed bets on how long this hippie faze would last. They all lost, as Alex not only wore cloth diapers but ate organic baby food and drank from glass bottles.
When I moved to Montana I tried in vain to find organic produce and bulk food. After living in Montana for just two short years my green living style went out the window. Moving to Nevada has been no better. We do not have great health food stores nor do we have co-ops or local produce. Our recycling program is a joke. We have milk carton like containers to put our paper and plastic in. With the heavy winds these containers just tip over and spill their contents. Many mornings would find me running down the street trying to catch my plastic milk jugs.  
Living green is very hard here but year after year I become more and more disgusted with myself and my environment. I have made some changes in my town. I started a drive to collect the plastic cards the Savemart pharmacies give out as rewards. The store now collects theirs and other plastic gift cards. They send them off to be recycled. I call Waste Management every six month asking for the large recycle cans most cities now offer. I keep being told we will get them soon, but soon never comes. We now have the containers in Reno and I am told we are next. I will keep up the pressure until they do.  
I buy organic produce and meat, yet I do not feel I am doing enough. Each time I buy cleaning products I become angry knowing soon the plastic bottles will make their way to my local landfill. I want to do more! I would love to buy baking soda and vinegar in bulk to make my own cleaning products but alas, we do not have these items for sale in Carson City Nevada Nor do I have the financial means to purchase them off the net. So here is what I am going to do:
I am going to start my Clean Green blog again, though this time it will not just be a blog about cleaning with natural products. I am going to blog about my adventure to become as green as I can given my limited financial means and lack of resources. What I want to do is blog about a realistic change of lifestyle.  My goal is to throw less away and reuse as much as I can. The blog will not be updated as much as this one. I am going to start a weekly update and hope it keeps people’s interest. If this is something that has been on your mind I hope you will join me over Clean Green. I will want comments and suggestions. Perhaps we can inspire each other to do more and change our bad habits.
If you are interested in radically changing your habits or want to learn about living plastic free I suggest checking out Beth’s Fake Plastic Fish blog. Beth is an amazing woman who has weaned herself off plastic and other nonrenewable products. I cannot go as far as Beth did, but with her help I have made some positive changes.

Easter and Renewal; a brief look at the name Easter and its symbols

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year
The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name are unknown. The  English historian know as the Venerable Bede (673-735) wrote the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter
It seems probable that around the second century A.D., Christian missionaries seeking to convert the tribes of northern Europe noticed that the Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus roughly coincided with the Teutonic springtime celebrations, which emphasized the triumph of life over death. Christian Easter gradually absorbed the traditional symbols.
Easter Symbols:
Easter Eggs
The Easter eggs represent the beginning of a new life. This was symbolic of the advent of Spring which brought with it a new life for flora and fauna. Easter eggs were first colored by the pagans to resemble the rising sun and announce the return of light. The northern lights were also painted on the Easter eggs.
Later, an ancient Christian legend spoke of Mary giving the eggs to Roman soldiers and begging them not to kill her son. Subsequently, Easter eggs became a popular gift to give on Easter to bring luck and welfare to the family.; though we have to admit, this did not work out to well for Mary.
In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved (pickled eggs anyone?) Eggs were prized Easter gifts for children and servants; I am sure because eggs were plentiful after Lent they could be given out to servants as “gifts of food”.
Easter Bunny & Chicks
Rabbits and chicks represent the rebirth of Earth. Spring is a time when the Earth is literally reborn. Barren fields become lush green, trees get new foliage and flowers and fruits abound. The Easter bunny is definitely the most beloved symbol of Easter and extremely popular with children.
History indicates that it may have been the hare and not the rabbit that was associated with Easter. The hare is legendary because it is believed to never close its eyes – not even to blink. Rabbits on the other hand are born blind. Hares were thought to be staring at the full moon all through the night. The hare was also a symbol of fertility linked to the Greek goddess of fertility  Eostre. However, rabbits are more fertile than hare and far more prolific reproducers, and far cuter.
Easter/Peace Lily 
The white lily is thought to be pure as Christ and a symbol of the purity of the new life that comes from being resurrected. Here in the West we call these peace Lilies because, let’s be honest, the name Jesus Lily would only sell to a certain marketshare.
Early Spring is a time of renewal and is scared to almost all religions. I love this time of year because it is time of renewal and new hope. Spring fever has hit, and though we have more snow on the way I am ready for change. I am taking this time to clean out my closets and purchase new herbs. My closets will be thinned while my garden beds will be full of edible goodies; at least I hope so, the snow may hamper my dream. 
Whatever holiday you are celebrating I want to wish you all the very best.
Thank you to the History Channel and Monster.com for the source.