What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
Dr Jane Goodall
I remember exactly 5 things about grade 3.
1. I got my tonsils out. The cutest boy in grade 3 (Colin Blanchard) asked me to his birthday party and I had to miss it because I was getting my tonsils out.
2. It must’ve been the year of the Olympics because I remember the whole bulletin board had pictures of each of the Olympic sports and we discussed each one at length. I decided there and then that I was going to become an Olympic gold medalist one day. I did not however take up any of the sports that were involved in the Olympics. I finally gave up my dream 5 years ago 😆.
3. My WpgBesty’s parents built a house on the other side of the city and at the end of grade 3, they moved.
4. My Nana gave me a typewriter. I thought for sure I was going to be the next greatest novelist. I ended up just being a really great penpal to my Nana ❤️.
5. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. That was the year that I became aware of greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, and climate change.
It’s the last one that I want to talk about today. When I was the executive assistant at Corus Entertainment, the top bosses used to think I was funny. The regional sales manager used to say I was the most capitalist tree hugger he had ever met 😂.
You see, I am a critical thinker. I have said this numerous times and I will say it again, university was the most important thing that I ever did in my entire life. Do I use my degree? No! I happily clean homes for a living 😆 however, university taught me how to think critically. It taught me how to use the facts I have been given to extrapolate and to be able to use logic to see trends and essentially read between the lines. As a history major I have always believed that is important to know your history to help correct wrongs and prepare ourselves for the future. I hear people say all the time, climate is cyclical. This is true. History has shown us this fact. However, industrial pollution has never been a factor in all of our historical data. The industrial revolution changed our course, sped it all up. We are on a new vector in the world’s timeline. It is much harder to predict the future when we have all new variables.
Back to being a capitalist tree hugger 😜 I also understand that money makes the world go around. If it’s not financially viable it probably won’t be adapted by the greater population. This was all “fine and dandy” or at least we all looked the other way, when coal and oil were making money but unfortunately the long-term effects are costing us way more. It is very interesting, when I lived in the middle of the country I was environmentally aware but didn’t see the effects of climate change. I couldn’t see yet I still tried to do my part, I bought hemp cloth diapers instead of disposables. I made all my own baby food. I began to shop local and I began washing my clothes in cold water. I switched all my lightbulbs, started using reusable bags, began carrying around a reusable water bottle, and got disciplined on my use of electricity, water, and heat. Not once did I think that it was unfair that I was doing more than others. Not once did I feel anything other than pride in my family for doing our part to make a better future for our children.
Now I live in BC. Now I physically see climate change in front of me. Now I can I fully understand what deforestation means. I understand the plight of the fisherman. And I see the devastation that wildfires are having on our lives and… our economy.
You see this is where the capitalist part of me sits up a little straighter. My province has to use more and more money every year to clean up after wildfires. My friends and family spend less and less in the community because months of heat, fires, and smoke keep us inside. Less people come to visit my tourist town because they can’t see the beauty underneath all of the smoke. The skiing mountains are having harder and harder years because there isn’t enough snow! The dollars and cents just aren’t adding up anymore.
As more world leaders realize the scientific facts, things are going to change. We need to get on board. We need to get ahead! We need to start thinking about jobs in the environment sector that will bring money into our economy and protect the future of our planet.
Here are 10 things that I have been working on for a long time. They are things that, for the most part, come naturally to me and my family these days. They have become just the way we do things. I am now committed to making a new list of ways that we can do more for our planet because, there is no planet B.
1. Use Reusable Bags Plastic bags aren’t biodegradable and they aren’t recyclable.
2. Print as Little as Necessary 40% of the world’s commercially cut timber is used for paper. This endangers natural habitats and uses a ton of water. Since it has become inexpensive to print, we do it without thinking. Think about your bank statements, the paper towels you use, the junk mail you haven’t opted out of and the way you wrap your Christmas presents. There are many areas where each of us can help to lessen paper production. We can pay bills online, paying online is not only quick and convenient, but receiving your statements online can make a huge difference to the environment. You can also cancel your paper bank statements!
3. Recycle Glass can take up to a million years to decompose. Always make sure to recycle your glass. It can reduce water pollution by up to 50% and related air pollution by up to 20%. Make sure to recycle your old newspapers or even better, avoid newspapers altogether and read the online versions! Don’t throw away perfectly good things just because you’re sick of them, or no longer have use for them, donate them to a local charity shop.
4. Use a Reusable Beverage Containers We use around 1.6 million barrels of oil a year to produce plastic water bottles. They also take 1000 years to decompose.
5. Save Electricity Energy efficient lightbulbs are a simple way to reduce the amount of power you use. It will help the planet, it will also save your bank balance too. Switch off the dryer, hang clothes outside to dry naturally. The material will last longer, it will smell and feel fresher and you are saving on power usage! Adjusting the temperature in your home by just 1 degree can save you 10% on your energy use over the year. Save energy and money by getting into the habit of switching off the lights when you leave the room.
6. Save Water Switch your bath for a shower! Baths use approximately double the amount of water a shower uses. This not only saves water, but it saves you money on heating the excess water too. When you brush your teeth, turn the tap off, you can save 5 gallons of water per day. Or… shower together, use half the amount of water, and it’s fun!
7. Avoid Taking Cars or Carpool Instead of doing each errand as it occurs to you, do them in a batch. This will save you time and reduce your fuel costs. You could even errand share with a friend! Regularly maintain your vehicle. If your vehicle’s engine is running correctly, the filters are clean and the tires correctly inflated, the vehicle will be more efficient on fuel.
8. Launder Sensibly For your own pocket, and the good of the environment, don’t wash half loads. Also, think about the water temperature. If every household switched from a hot to a warm cycle, it could save the equivalent of 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
9. Buy Local Products Where possible, buy local produce. This saves all the pollution incurred by transporting goods long distance.
10. Have A Vegetarian Day You don’t have to give up meat for life, but try to commit to 1 meat free day a week.
The smoke from the USA wildfires has engulfed our Valley in smoke and dangerous toxins for the past week. Our RASBesty and Lady Friend live in Portland, Oregon and they live on the edge of the evacuation alert. They have been waiting on edge for the call to evacuate their home. Thank goodness the fires there seem to have been contained and they are going to be safe but there are still hundred of fires all across the west and then there is next year and the next year and so on.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #190: Smoke On Top Of Smoke HERE! This week the kids return to school. Topics: air quality, first week of school, Crayola hunt, RIP RBG, Supreme Court justices, S.O.W., Our Liner Notes & old friends.
The other day I had meatballs planned. I didn’t want meatballs though. So, I looked in my pantry and pulled out a few items and made a delicious dinner using stuff I had in my cupboard and only 1 pot! It was super good!
I am also posting the muffins that SBean and I made for our road trip a few weeks ago! I have been looking for a recipe for poppyseed muffins for YEARS. I wanted poppyseed muffins without lemon!!! Every recipe was lemon poppyseed. I wanted poppyseed muffins like the giant ones that Costco used to sell. I lived on those things when I was a kid!! Then it occurred to me, why don’t I look up Costco poppyseed muffins and Voila! They are actually called Almond Poppyseed Muffins and they taste just like the ones that I remember from Costco as a child!!!! Your welcome!
Easy 1 Pot Taco Mac
Add the undrained can of tomatoes, broth, milk, tomato soup, corn and taco seasoning.
Stir in noodles and reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes.
When noodles are tender stir in shredded cheese.
In a small bowl, combine flour through salt. Whisk to mix. In a separate bowl, combine egg through almond extract. Whisk to mix.
1 package ground turkey
1 can tomatoes, undrained
1 cup broth (chicken or beef broth)
1 cup milk
1 can tomato soup
1 package taco seasoning
1 bell pepper, diced
1 can corn, drained
1/2 red onion, diced
1 1/2 cup elbow noodles
1/2 cup Tex Mex cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup elbow noodles
1/2 cup Tex Mex cheese, shredded
In a large skillet brown the ground turkey over medium heat.
Add peppers and onions and cook for a few minutes.
Add the undrained can of tomatoes, broth, milk, tomato soup, corn and taco seasoning.
Increase heat to medium high until the mixture begins to boil.
Stir in noodles and reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes.
When noodles are tender stir in shredded cheese.
Almond Poppyseed Muffins
Adapted from Oregon Transplant
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoons poppyseeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Preheat oven to 350º. Line a muffin pan with liners or coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine flour through salt. Whisk to mix. In a separate bowl, combine egg through almond extract. Whisk to mix.
Pour dry ingredients into wet. Mix until just combined, do not over-mix. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated oven 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Last week I forgot to bring my mask to SBean’s school but this week I was much better! SBean absolutely loves walking to school despite the smoke that was so heavy in the air.
I read that plants are good for filtration so I went out and bought some! I don’t know why because I have a black thumb and definitely not a green thumb 😂. Hopefully these ones last but if they don’t I became a member at the garden store and they will replace them if they you know, croak. I told them that I may put them out of business 😂.
The same day I bought plants, Ninja brought me home a beautiful fall bouquet of flowers. I also bought some fake ones for our kitchen table. That same night my Mom’s cousin dropped off pumpkins from her garden and stunning fresh cut flowers from her flowerbeds! I put them all together to make one fabulous bouquet!
This weekend was quiet. We were all exhausted from the first week back into a regular routine. On Saturday morning we had coffee and Star Wars pancakes And then HBear and I went out and did a little shopping. She needed new runners and we also went to Ardene and she picked out a few outfits from her first “adult” store. My baby is growing up so fast! ❤️ For the rest of the weekend we worked on house projects, enjoyed homemade Caesars and watched the U.S. Open! SBean even took a Sunday afternoon nap on the couch! It was the perfect way to end a busy week and leave us refreshed for an even busier week ahead.
