I love these people...

In what's turning out to be a fairly long search for sustainable (of any kind or definition) anything (clothes, registry items, etc) T-bird and I have alternating bouts of success and terrifying failure. I won't get into those here, I'm sure most of them will come out as the wedding planning progresses. What I wanted to mention today is that what we have come across that there an increasing number of really interesting sites out there on sustainable living, sustainable weddings, and in general sustainable sustainability (that's the biggest challenge for me). 

I've been trying to think of ways that I could put it all together and present it in a reasonable way for people who are interested in living more sustain-ably, but not interested (like me) in spending hours and hours sorting through the mundane details. People who just want to know (after recent science article), "So, are biofuels good or bad?" People who understand that the situation is complicated, but need an uncomplicated answer to alter their behavior - so that they can go on with their life mission - which may (shockingly to my ego) not be the pursuit of clean energy. In short, the bulk of the people invited to our wedding. 

Grist.org is a great resource for this, by the way - but I digress.

In the search for and compilation of resources, I occasionally come across something that causes me to stop what I'm doing and really look at it. The one for today is from one of t-bird's, and increasingly as I learn more about them, one of my favorite companies in the world, Patagonia. Look what they are up to now: 

http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/contribution/patagonia.go?assetid=23429&src=vuca0045&slc=en_US&sct=US

Happy footprinting...

It's the end of bulk soap purchases as we know it...and I feel dirty.

Okay, screw being positive as mentioned in yesterday's post. There is no way to win.  I was sitting with [middle sister] at coffee on Sunday talking about how once you start working toward a sustainable life you realize that there is just SO MUCH TO DO that it's rather daunting and depressing. Almost all my free time this week has been consumed by thinking about everything I'm NOT doing in terms of living even remotely sustainably (thanks, [middle sister]). However, I know that's not really a "solutions-oriented" approach, so I started looking for help... One of the things I've come across is this:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

This is a website where you can find out just how quickly your lotion will kill you (it actually doesn't go that far, but it's close). I haven't gone through the method or anything, but if it's anywhere near right, I should be dead for all the pesticides I put on my body - let alone the 10 years of smoking. It's making my head spin and I'm going to have to re-budget -- I've been surviving on cheap bulk soap that's apparently disastrous for me and everything around me. Please lord, don't let the only less damaging stuff smell like Patchouli. 

It's a great day for a green wedding

Hello long lost readers -- or maybe just hello out there! 

My fiance, T-bird (for the sake of anonymity), and I are currently planning our wedding. First, YAY! we're going public with this commitment, baby! woo hoo! Let's IPO this company! There is a wealth of information out there on the range of weddings, handfasting, and all that. With a little effort, you can even find information on having a wedding that's a bit more minimalist while still having a traditional feel of formality and ceremony that I and T-bird crave. 

While there are a lot of sites out there, we tend to think that we are just a few years early for having the tools necessary for a wedding that encompasses our environmental beliefs while not limiting us to the personal equivalent of a web meeting. As a result, some days I feel like I am so close to finding all the answers, and some days I feel like there is no information out there for green weddings whatsoever. My mood fluctuates a lot, too, on this matter. I don't want that to come through though -- I don't want my next few posts to be negative -- but instead, hopeful, and helpful. I want them to join an increasing chorus of couples that want to celebrate their union with friends and family in a somewhat traditional way, but don't want to go way glitzy or way crunchy. 

So, for the next few posts, I'm going to report on my findings for putting together an event that suits the tastes of a couple that is trying to be environmentally and socially responsible. Oh, I should list our priorities for the event, so you know, and so that I remember when I start to get too into details and lose the magic of the event. 

0) the beginning of the marriage part of our relationship - this is the point of the ceremony, so it should be, at least in an ancillary way, kept in mind. :)

1) the food -- this should be really, really tasty. 

2) the wine -- we fell in love over wine -- and we were sober for it! 

3) the guests -- that's right, you come in third -- BUT! you benefit significantly from 1 and 2, and possibly 0, depending on your perspective. Also - we went back and forth on you -- it was not a given that we'd have a bunch of people around -- when really we could just say we are committed (we have) and it would be done. This is bigger though - this is about seeing our guests, inviting them to celebrate with us and show their support for our union. Also, there aren't many happy times to gather friends and family - I'd be damned if I voluntarily missed one. I'm just trying to say that we take your participation very seriously and we think about it a lot. 

4) the site - we both wanted something representing the home we love, Colorado, and the life we love and strive for, of simplicity and grace. 

Okay, so there is the baseline - -that's what we have discussed and want for the wedding. After that it gets complicated - but everything comes back to it. Over the next few months, I hope I can pop in with success stories of finding responsible items and events for the wedding, and I hope some of them can lend to the ongoing green shift in American ceremony and events.  

 

Talk to you soon :)

American Idol is not news. Thank goodness.

I'm so over American Idol as a news item. I don't watch it, but I am a fan of other popular reality shows, and an even bigger fan of TV. However, it's not news. It's goings on shouldn't follow news about Iraq or, um, anything of real news value. And it is! So many American outlets are getting stumped into carrying it as news. Just because it's popular doesn't make it news!

I thought the world service might have been dupped as well when the summary read something about new music. I was relieved however that they were referring to the folk talents of the Latvian president and not a TV show. I'd much rather hear about her on a slow news day.

Bathroom entertainment

The bathroom has been remodeled. Finally. More appropriately, it's just been modeled since it hasn't been finished in the two years I've lived in the house. It's fun - I feel like an adult - with a finished bathroom and whatnot. That is, I felt like an adult in the bathroom until Jackson figured out he could nudge the door open while I was in there, crane his head around the shower curtain and drink the water. I guess i need to water the dog more so I don't get a wet nose on the calf in the shower more often. I wonder if Jack didn't like to be in the bathroom until it was finished - if he prefers it now with the new tile and faucet. It's also possible the old opaque shower curtain threw him off and the new clear one explains everything for him. I do wonder that's going on in his head sometimes.

That's right, I'm ignoring that I haven't posted in a year. Passing it right over. It doesn't need an explanation, but there is a really good one. A couple, actually. That'll probably become clear as I get back on the horse here.

Jackson:1, Nemesquirrel: 0

Nemesquirrel, the taunting little bastard that spent the spring throwing peanut shells at Jackson from just beyond his reach on the fence, bit it last night. I'm not sure how it happened, but the little rigormorodent was feet up near the door to my garage this morning. Don't worry, he still had his head (Katie and Jason, I'm looking at you). In fact, he had everything except a little scrap of tail that I later found on the pathway from the house. Interestingly, the very dog that is being rigorously trained out of dragging me down the street and launching at anything that moves, didn't eat dead nemesquirrel (although I believe he was responsible for the tail removal), but instead left him to sit near the door. Hopefully it wasn't meant to be some gift for me because I promptly scooped him up with a cardboard box and trashed him (and am now, suddenly, feeling very guilty about doing that in front of Jack).

Anyway, since there were no evident injuries, I have to assume that the squirrel was scared to death, or possibly fell from his taunting perch and died.

blech.

Buy this skirt

Okay, I'm not one for advertising, especially a place that while I love the clothes I try to stay away from because I'm trying to buy better quality stuff. HOWEVER, in prep for my trip to Mexico (YAY!) I stumbled in yesterday after work to purchase a swimsuit (not something I'll wear often, so I wanted it cheap). I also wanted to grab some cheap swimsuit coverup/general beach wear since I don't have that kind of stuff readily available due to living in a landlocked state. In that process I found the skirt I'll be wearingall summer for $14.50. I am, however, shocked to see that they don't have it on their website, so I'll have to describe it -- it's a cotton, knee length, foldover, stretchy, a-line skirt. It's perfect for summer - flipflops or sneakers, tank top or button down (untucked). Seriously - go buy one - or if you can't call me, I'll go get one for you.