This is pointer post to a Mother’s Day Green Mom’s Carnival hosted by the ever influential DianeMacEachern of Big Green Purse that I participated in.
Green Moms Carnival For Mothers Day
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Community Comes And Goes.
What I Learned From Community Is That It Comes And Goes.
1n 1996 I was eeking my existence as a single mom. Everything I knew about family had shifted and we were starting anew.
I had gotten involved in some personal growth curriculum. One course, which was known as Self Expression and Leadership, asked us to define our communities. At the time I thought I had very few. Yet, as I thought about it I had community with the ladies I food cooped with, jazzercised with, trained with for my business, and I was delving into the school volunteering community.
One thing that occurred to me is that moms as a whole is a community, dads, those who bowl, drink at bars, play softball or knit together. Those are all community defined. A gathering of like minded individuals, sharing a dream, a passion, or a bit if imbibement from time to time!!
What these communities meant to me were a different story.
The food coop was a way to access alternative foods, non-main stream grocery items at a way better price. We had to work to get it unloading trucks, dividing cases of foods and managing the money transactions. For me, it was an answer to a prayer, at the time grocery stores around here didn’t carry organics, or foods without additives. The coop fit into my ideals about how I wanted to feed my family
Jazzercise was undeniably my stress relief, my being a mom saving grace –I always felt stronger, more energized and believe it or not one heck of a lot calmer if I kept at my jazzercise classes. I can’t say I found my next best friend there yet I knew that all of those woman were there for the same reasons as I. It made us a better person, a better mom.
At the time I was just starting to build my nutritional consulting business. I had alot to learn, not only about the products I was selling, but about being a business woman. Weekly around the table strategizing meetings fueled my drive to keep on keepin on with regards to my work. Every product I learned about, every sales technique method I explored and every goal I achieved was all enveloped with others doing the same. We relied on each other when we failed, when we got confused and most of all when we triumphed!! I give huge credit to that tableside training and the success of my business!
Finally, the very first day at a brand new school I was the mom on the playground shaking hands with another asking if they could watch my kids. At the time I was desperate, I had landed an interim job and I needed an hour of help after school each day. Thankfully, I did find the help I needed from a perfect stranger no less. I find often the generosity of folks ever so humbling!
The school mom community became a fourteen year path of discovery for me. I got very involved, gave my time, my creativity and often got in way over my head. Like the year I chaired a huge fundraiser, or the year I chaired fifteen events in relationship to the school’s centennial, or the pilot program for an alternative green germicide. My involvement in these projects were a large part of my personal growth over the years. The communities created at a children’s school are to me astounding!!
As I reflect on these years of community I have to say my biggest observation is the transient nature of community. They really do come and go. You leave one community to join another. You might be a soccer mom for years only to dive into field hockey later. A grade school mom is very different to that of a high school mom. Interests evolve, devolve and shift. I am not into the food coop thing anymore.
Blogging and the blogosphere is one of my current communities. A virtual one at that! What Robert provides for us with this writing project - community, my green moms carnival group - community – participating in SOBCON09 without attending – community – woman’s business networking groups - community – those who are into photography, writing, authors, the green movement and advocacy — these are ALL community!
Lastly, our families are also community. They too shift from diaper changing patrol, to little league and ballet, to science fairs and prom. Each was a layer of community to participate in. One of the reasons I joined community along the way is I wanted to example a vibrant citizen. I wanted my kids to see involvement at a variety of levels. I wanted them to know I wasn’t the only one raising them! Giving back, giving time, sharing and being a leader were all things I wanted them to see as they grew.
Robert – You are a constant. A reliable cheerful, thought provoking man that I am ever so grateful to know. I love watching the WILF writing project evolve. I also enjoy reading the varied expressions and contributions. Thank you Robert for exampling such remarkable leadership in our online community.
Karen Hanrahan ~ Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant/Blog Author
708.482.0678 ~ Websites: Nutrition Weight Loss, and Green Clean
What I Learned From Adversity
This is my entry for this month’s WILF writing project with the dear Robert Hruzek over at Middle Zone Musings.
The topic this month is adversity.
I am not officially handicapped.
Yet in recent times I lost use of my right hand.
I’d like to think it’s temporary
In December it will be three years
Losing use of my hand has humbled me in my tracks.
Adversity defined; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress
For me it’s defined by the things I CAN do versus the things I can’t.
It’s marked by the new things I can do each and every day.
I have to remind myself that healing takes time, to be especially patient and that moving forward is methodical
Often I don’t feel patient.
I sometimes just wish I had my hand back
What I’ve learned:
trust your gut
when you wear a cast nothing hurts
casts cause harm
your skin needs air, light and a great moisturizer
even with a full arm cast you can get a date
second opinions count
surgeons can be human
my surgeon is kind
medical students want to learn
cook county hospital is not as scary as you might think
I like being part of every part of the process
I faint
taking baths is nice occasionally
showers are way more efficient
washing one’s hair with both hands rocks
wiping left somehow isn’t the same
the body heals
the mind plays tricks on you
kindness of perfect strangers is amazing
the generosity of one’s friends is never ending
my friends are great cooks
dust is dust no matter how long it’s been there
my daughter is a domestic goddess
my son makes me laugh
my dog misses me
typing left one fingered takes longer
i thought i’d stay away from the computer somehow
I really didn’t
finding the humor really does make a difference
What have I learned most?
That the other side of adversity triumphs.
the sock helped reduce the shock air was to the skin – it was hypersensitive for about 2 weeks
I currently wear this to sleep, drive, or when I need lifting support. I am not fond of this thing.
How do you celebrate Earth Day?
If you’re not cleaning green – what’s stopping you?
karen hanrahan | wellness educator and consultant | writer
nutrition ~ green clean ~ inch loss ~ anti-aging
Green Moms Carnival :: The Plastic Project
The topic for this month’s Green Moms Carnival is Plastics.
It is hosted by the amazing Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish,
Beth is a strident example of someone who has emphatically said no to plastics.
She lives it.
I personally got creeped out by plastics 25 years ago
Not because of the phthalates in them or the other chemicals in them or the fact that they sit in our landfills forever.
I got creeped out by plastics because I couldn’t keep them clean. Plastic containers seemed to take on the smell of whatever I put inside them. Plastic bags seemed to degrade, or lose their value after time. I thought that was really gross.
Even way back when I was someone who didn’t have a cabinet full of Tupperware for storing leftovers, or things. I instead collected groovy glass jars or opted for wicker baskets.
It’s because of the wonderful woman I have met through Green Moms Carnival that my plastic radar has widened. I am ever grateful for their pioneering, their expertise and their green mom voices. I sooooo wish I knew them when I was raising my family.
Incrementally I am trying to eliminate more plastic usage.
I am frustrated. How did plastics take over the universe?
Plastic is everywhere. The industry of plastic makes me angry.
When I can make a choice …which to me is what alternate living is all about. Then I do
For this month’s carnival I wanted to comment on plastics room by room and share and speculate how I might do better in the say no to plastic strides. I wish the efforts I’ve made were more monumental – more Fake Plastic Fish-esque.
The Plastic Project
Bedroom, Den and Studio: these 3 rooms are combined in one – My TV, CD player and the cords from all my lamps are all plastic – The TV - given to me – will someday be of no use and have to be pitched. This just makes me crazy. I see in my mind a huge pile of TV’s. Someday that pile will reach the moon.
Are there better ways to dispose of these electronics so they don’t end up in the landfill ??
I also wonder about plastic in clothing. All that stretchy fabric is not natural. Can’t we go back to the basics? Like untreated cotton?
Daughter’s Room : Don’t go there.
Office: My computer, monitor,telephone, speakers and lampcords are all plastic, as are all my computer cables – many of my office supplies come in plastic or are plastic. I have worked hard to reduce my paper trail – went from 8 drawers to 4, and could reduce that even more – I began to bank online, to invoice electronically and find we only print school papers now. I am an avid recycler in this space as I use paper over and over getting the most I can out of it. Addtionally I widen my margins. While that really has nothing to do with plastics it’s something I feel good about.
Are their more eco-friendly high performing ( note: I say high performing, because that’s important to me) office supplies? What are more eco-friendly computers made of? Do they last longer?
Bathroom: Of all the personal care I use only two things that come in glass jars – the rest; things I wash my body, face, hair with are all in plastic bottles. My hair management products, my dry skin, all of our first aid needs all come in plastic . We still use common pads for our period vs something alternative. This I admit is cost and convenience and an area I could should really take on
What if the cosmetics industry went back to glass packaging?
Kitchen: I store and freeze in glass. I reuse my plastic vegetable bags over and over – I hear there are reusable produce bags but I seem to have a perpetual supply of the other and am of the mindset to use up what I have first. I also admit that I am concern that my vegetables won’t keep as well. Since I buy organic I want them to keep as well as the can. What has your experience been with produce bags that aren’t made of plastic? I buy butcher meat and have it wrapped in paper, I reuse that paper. I make my own salad dressings. Reuse older salad dressing bottles. While I was recovering from surgery lots of folks brought food and it often came in something disposable – during that time I felt like we were manufacturing garbage! I could make my own yogurts, cheese, and condiments – just bought mustard and should have made it, the truth is it slipped my mind and my surgery currently limits me from making foods the way I’d like to . Plastics are still around me in the yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese that I buy, and while I opt for cartons of soy milk etc …why the heck did they add those plastic pourers?? I think I could do way better in the kitchen
Basement: I store on metal shelves in cardboard, with the exception of the christmas decorations which everytime I walk by the neat stacks of bins I say to myself. OK so you collected this stuff for 25 years. Now what? Also each child has a school memory box – just one. A recent purge had me get rid of, donate and delegate a huge pile of “stuff” Part of that makes me very happy, the other part of me says there is still so much more to manage. My laundry soaking is done in plastic, garbage can is plastic, some of my garden supplies are in these nesting plastic organizers. Otherwise the rest of how I store is wicker, wood or cardboard
What strides are you making to eliminate plastics from your home?
plastic pondering flickr image
karen hanrahan | wellness educator and consultant | writer
nutrition ~ green clean ~ inch loss ~ anti-aging
What I Learned From A Sidewalk …sortof
It’s time again to participate in Robert Hruzek’s monthly writng project WILF.
This month the topic is What I Learned From A Sidewalk.
The topic may not make sense to you unless you are a regular over at Middle Zone Musings, however I have ever so appreciated Robert’s musings on this “path” of his.
I think it’s a perfect writing topic to explore.
( I might add that I happened to be there for the Joanna Young pizza moment described from SobCon08 and it totally cracks me up that this silly instant still comes up)
My personal sidewalks are collages.
The visual medium of self exploration through collage has been with me for over ten years. I feel my collage work consistantly captured personal moments in thought, growth and definitely in time. When Robert mentioned our sidewalks or our daily paths of insight I was struck with how each of my collages hold similar characteristics. These symbols from my subconscious mind remind me of words like strive on, moving forward, openings ands the strongest message from all of them is hope.
My affection for the visual celebration is expressed all around me. My home is dripping in my favorite color blue ( as do many of my collages! . I collect local artists work. Everywhere you look there is something appealling to the eye.
I do this because I need to.
I collage because I need to continue to look inside
Specifically, my collage work captures my inside thoughts and reminds me or inspires me to move forward in my life. I keep the latest in front of me as inspiration.
The characteristics seemingly included in most of my collage work are:
nature, growth or things growing, flowers blossoming, trees standing tall, forest paths leading, stairs going up, handles to turn, doors to open, windows to see things through, guiding light shining through a window, things that represent building; bricks, lumber, buttons, vines and an eye as if to look, see and examine ever so much closer…
The collage above is part of a series
Do the collages speak for themselves? Do you see the paths? The journeys of hope? The inspiration? More collage samples here
karen hanrahan | wellness educator and consultant | writer
nutrition ~ green clean ~ inch loss ~ anti-aging