Freedom through conservation
Summer's here and the livin' is easy. Well anyway, summer's almost here. And what that means for lots of folks are day and weekend trips to nearby haunts. If you're planning either a road trip or to get to your vacay destination by car, you're probably still looking at your overall expenses. Gas, tolls and pre-trip car maintenance are a given, leaving you with variables like lodging, food and … [Read more...]
I spent the greater part of yesterday by my daughter's bedside as she underwent a routine upper endoscopy. The procedure was to find the cause of ongoing nausea that's plagued her since she (and the rest of us) were struck by a stomach flu in mid February. Now, I'm not a big "medical" person. I'm not the kind of mom to run to the doctor for every bug, bump, or bruise. Even when there are … [Read more...]
It's not good fortune on my part that in writing Lindsay's List I get to be the unhappy bearer of bad news. I take no glee in this role, nor assume any moral superiority. I aim to deliver the facts and don't necessarily find that easy when the facts stand in such sharp contradiction to prevailing social and cultural norms. Such is the case when it comes to advising you, dear reader, against … [Read more...]
However much you might want one, you don't need a bike-powered sewing machine to take care of your sewing needs. You might need one after the collapse of the industrial economy and the end to cheap fossil fuels, but let's leave that bleak scenario for another day. In the meantime, for an inspiring option watch a short video of a tender love story about a hybrid bike-sewing machine: The … [Read more...]
Americans are among the least vacationing people of the industrialized world. So when our few national holidays roll around there's a gigantic sigh of relief as we gain access to a rare day in which to purportedly either celebrate the meaning of said holiday, relax, get away, or drink ourselves into oblivion. Sometimes all of the above. ACT NOW! The other allegedly great and essentially … [Read more...]
The other day I was looking at a local magazine's take on birthday parties for kids. WOW! Talk about over the top. Apparently gone are the days of cake, ice cream and pin the tail on the donkey. Now it's all about the destination party—a gym, theater, theme park, rock wall climbing, gourmet fondue, paint ball course, build-a-bear, ceramics glazing or whatever. And to be politically correct at … [Read more...]
This past weekend the most amazing thing happened for my daughter Anwyn. She's the magical age of sweet 16. And while that does make her a doe-eyed beauty, it also makes her ripe for growing up and pulling her own weight. A few weeks ago I broke it to her that she needed to get a job. Sadly, there were few places within walking distance where she could work. So I took her to one of those … [Read more...]
The other night when I was cooking dinner I fell into a sort of Zen mind space, observing myself doing what I did thousands of other times, but this time with a heightened consciousness. We were "cooking out" the grass-fed ground beef I had picked up the Saturday before at our farmers market. My hubby was out back, doing the American dad grilling thing while I was inside making corn on the cob, … [Read more...]
Fourth in a week-long series of profiles on moms I know in honor of Mother’s Day 2011. Though she lives a kind of recycling and is keenly aware of our beautiful world, Lesli DeVito doesn't talk about conservation or the environment a lot, or make it a huge part of what she's trying to say. Yet in so many ways she's the perfect example of the kind of woman who will bring resilience to her … [Read more...]
First in a week-long series of profiles on moms I know in honor of Mother's Day 2011. Chances are you've read one of Karen's best selling non-fiction books. You just don't know it. Neither do I, and I know her in person! Karen Risch-Mott is a ghostwriter who's been at it for almost 20 years. She's the enviable kind of writer who actually makes a living at it. I've seen it and I … [Read more...]
