Acceptance

I think in one way or another, we all live our lives trying to prove we exist. When we speak to someone, we expect an answer or comment in return, proof that we were heard and our thoughts acknowledged. When we create something beautiful, we like to show it around, not that we need praise exactly,but what we have done or what we have accomplished to be noticed. Even if we have love and, in a sense, acknowledgement from one other individual, this is enough for us to feel that we have existed here on this plane.
How sad it is for those who speak and are unheard, those who beg to be noticed and are ignored. It is such a simple thing to acknowledge someone's presence with a word or two and even a smile, yet it is so often the one thing that is the most difficult to do.

Earth day or let's ease the guilt day?

Earth Day 2010. i was just sitting here and reading all the updates on what is happening in the world, things such as the devastating decrease in the grey whale population, the huge loss of the Monarch butterflies and what that will mean for the pollination of our food, the huge plastic garbage dump we call the ocean. . . . it goes on and on. These are terrible huge things that are happening. Then I realized it was Earth Day and I googled that to see what was being done.I still can't believe the total sense of priorities, or rather total lack of priorities on the human population as a whole. All these huge global changes are taking place all around us and we are being told to cut back on our use of hot water, use energy efficient light bulbs, reuse and recycle and try to ride a bike or walk instead of drive once in awhile. IS THAT IT ??? Seriously, is that all humankind is willing to do? To think that so many people consider this little bit of effort to be difficult and even a sacrifice. The total lack of caring about the future of the world, the future of humankind itself, leaves me numb. You hear all the time about how humans are so much above animals because we have the ability to "reason". Maybe this was true once and is true for a few, but I rather think that somehow this has been bred out of us through the generations. Humans think only about themselves,not about the whole, but truly about themselves as an individual above anything else.If things won't bother them in this lifetime then what does it matter to them at all? Who cares about the CONSEQUENCES.?
I think I know now what happened to the flower children. I think that they had to conform to society in order to survive, in order to get jobs and money, in order to live a life that is expected by society. Everyone has become afraid to speak out, afraid to make a difference. What is there to be afraid of in words that makes them so all powerful? If they are so strong, why don't we use them instead of guns?

The Hazards of Beauty and is it Worthwhile?

The world seems obsessed with age and beauty these days more so than ever before. I personally think there can be beauty in the simple process of aging and wish more could feel the same. It is a shame that more of us just can't be comfortable and proud of who we are regardless of how we look. You might think you are taking years off your looks but in truth, you are TAKING YEARS OFF YOUR LIVES. Literally.
A study at the Silent Spring Institute, a non-profit organization in Boston, tested the air and dust in 120 homes in Cape Cod. They choose that area because of the elevated rates of breast cancer. colorectal, lung and prostate cancers. What they found was very high levels of eight different phthalates in the dust of all 120 homes. Phthalates are hormonal mimics that confuse the body and can harm the endocrine system and cause cancers and birth defects in animals and people.
One of these common phthalates (DEHP) is used in the manufacture of flexible polyvinyl chloride products (PVC) such as shower curtains, shoes, floor tiles. It is no longer used to manufacture children's toys because it was found too dangerous. Other very common phthalates (DBP), (DMP), and (DEP) are used as solvents for fragrances in perfumes, soaps, cream rinses, lotions and as plasticizers in nail polish, hair spray and cosmetics. They also found very high levels of chemicals known as nonylphenols which are found in some laundry detergents, disinfecting cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, hair dyes, and other hair care products.
Phthalates cause birth defects, low sperm counts and other reproductive damage. They are easily absorbed into the skin when they are applied as nail polish,cosmetics, perfumes, and perfumed products. They are also easily absorbed into the system when they are inhaled through fumes. THE LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE INGREDIENT LABELING OF FRAGRANCES AND PERFUMES so you will not know these things are present.
We need to be more aware of what we are doing to our bodies, our children's bodies and our world. What is the consequence of using these products and is it worth giving up your health and your life in exchange for looking beautiful?

What will the world BEE without BEES?

I have been hearing a lot about the decline in the bee population. Research in 23 US states and Canada and published in the Public Library of Science Journal found 121 different pesticides in 887 samples of bees, wax, pollen and other elements of hives. I also wonder what the genetically modified crops has to do with any of this, no one seems to be mentioning this aspect. Who knows how this could have affected the bees.
The reports say that there was a 29% drop in population in 2008 following a 36% decline in 2008 and a 32% drop in 2007. Under normal winter conditions it is to be expected to have a loss of about 10% in the bee population but this year the winter was exceptionally bad and there has been another 30-50% loss.
With 1/3 of the human diet requiring pollination, how will we manage to harvest food crops? Last February, there were insufficient bees to pollinate all the almonds in California. I know that last year in the area I live, we had a lot of trouble with our tomato crops. The plants grew big and beautiful but there were no tomatoes on them. I recently learned that this was because there were insufficient bees to pollinate them. It really is frightening when it shows up and makes an impact on you personally.
We need to appreciate the bees and allow them more places to exist, maybe ask local beekeepers to put some hives on your property. A world without BEES would be devastating to human existence. Everything connects to everything else even though we may not see it.

Roadside Encounters

Why are there so many shoes on the side of the roads? It never fails to get me thinking about how they got there especially since there is almost always only ONE shoe. Doesn't the owner notice he is missing a shoe? Say you were driving along with your feet stuck out of the window and a huge gust of wind from a passing truck whips one of your shoes completely off. I know I would stop the car and go back for it but then again if it is a kid, maybe they think they will get yelled at so they don't say anything and hope it won't get noticed, how you wouldn't notice I don't know but never the less, it is a possible scenario.Just picture a Mom behind the steering wheel yelling at the poor teenager in the backseat . . . "Jeremy, for the LAST time I am telling you to get those feet in the car! You think I can afford to buy you yet ANOTHER pair of shoes? At least this time, make it a right shoe so we can use the left shoe from the last time and make it a pair." "Awww, gee Mom, I can't do anything without you nagging at m. . ."
Whoosh!!!! There went another. . .

More thoughts on Hazardous chemicals

I realize that I neglected to make known the simple, inexpensive alternative to fabric softeners. Plain distilled white vinegar! Just add a cup into the wash cycle and voila! Just think all the money you will save and how much healthier you and everyone around you will be. Talk about giving gifts. . . that is a priceless one.
How about air fresheners? By now you might not be surprised to learn that they do not freshen the air at all. They are harmful chemicals that simply desensitize our olfactory cells. Another words, they deaden your sense of smell. You could just as easily spray a mixture of vinegar and water into the room and it will clear the air and not harm your senses. I always say, what is wrong with just simply cleaning the room instead of trying to cover up the obvious with smell. I mean, come on! When you walk into a room and smell the air freshener don't you immediately know that it is just a cover up? it is like a huge neon sign pointing and saying "dirty house, lazy homeowner".
Maybe perfume does much the same. The people who walk into a room with perfume so strong it would scare even our worst enemies into hiding, maybe we should use this technique instead of conventional warfare, anyway, they use this much perfume because their senses have been deadened from the chemicals so they can't smell it and therefore keep adding more and more so they can. It is a never ending circle. . . spray perfume, deaden your smell, add more so you can smell it then lose that sense and again need to apply more and so on.
How about the perfumed pages in magazines? We left one opened outside to hopefully air out enough that we could look at it. When we came back to it, we found many dead bugs all around and on it. Apparently, the perfume was enough to kill them. Just imagine what it does to us.

My thoughts for the day.Have a good one, hopefully perfume free.

fabric softeners are extremely hazardous

I am continually amazed at how so many people are so completely unaware of things around them. They don't take the time to really look at what they are doing, what they are using on a daily basis. Again, CONSEQUENCES. Everything has consequences.

One of my favorite books, Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck, if you haven't read it, you should, mentions the hazards of chemicals we use around the house. I am very disturbed with fabric softeners. Everyone uses them, everyone goes blindly along, but do they know what chemicals they are breathing and putting next to their skin?

A partial list of the chemical emissions from just one brand includes some of the following, (from Ms. Sandbecks' book)

ISOPROPYLBENZENE . . . do you know that this is a narcotic and a central nervous system depressant? Chronic exposure can cause damage to the lungs, liver and kidneys.
STYRENE. . . . a toxic carcinogen that causes genetic damage and also affects the nervous system.
TRIMETHYLBENZENE. . . . just inhaling this can cause circulatory collapse, severe respiratory damage, coughing, wheezing, choking, nausea, and vomiting. It may cause fainting, convulsions and coma.
PHENOL. . . inhalation may cause severe irritation to the respiratory tract, breathing difficulty, burns and possible coma. Inhalation of higher concentrations could be fatal. Chronic inhalation may cause liver and kidney damage and birth defects and it may also affect the nervous system.
THYMOL. . . . again, this one affects the central nervous system and is a respiratory irritant that can cause kidney and liver damage.

These are just A FEW chemicals that we breathe in on a daily basis. Sure, some of us may have strong bodies that don't get affected but how many of us are sensitive to these things? Just living in a suburban area can be hazardous to sensitive individuals. Every home has the dryer vents pushing all these chemicals out into the air for us to breathe. We put this on our children to breathe all day, every day.

CONSEQUENCES. . . . . is it worth the risk?

Where are the flower people ?

I grew up in the days of the hippies and flower power. My parents weren't hard core hippies who were into drugs but they believed in the concept of being more natural and loving one another with peace and goodwill. "Make love, not war" was the big thing and even bigger was the thought of "FREEDOM".
The thought came to me today that there couldn't be a better time for the flower children to once again come together and make a difference for the better. We need a renewal of the feelings for the earth, life without war, freedom to live our lives. . . we need to stand up and once again show strength in what we believe. The earth is dying and we are gradually losing all our freedoms, one by one, they are disappearing along with all the animal species that each day become extinct. When will the flower people again stand and make their voices heard?