Kellie and Green go together

Many of us including me are concerned about our future and the future of planet earth. We want to make the world better, live healthier and preserve what we have before it’s too late. But most of us, are at a loss of where and how to begin a green different way of life. Consequently, because it feels like an extra burden added to our already hectic lives and not knowing where or how to begin, we do nothing.

Often when we do think of what we could do to help the future of our lives and this planet, our inner antagonist pulls us away by making us question, what can— I —do, or how will what— I— NOT do, make a difference. I am only one person out of millions. I am just a drop in the bucket, what I do or don’t do, won’t matter.
This is not so.

The other day I tuned into the Weather Channel when they had an interview with David Suzuki airing. (David Suzuki is a Canadian world known green earth activist, who’s been fighting for green, before green was in. He must be doing something right. It’s hard to believe he is in his seventies.)
During the interview David was not promoting we give up our cars or some of our conveniences to go live in a cave.
“That is not our world of today and it would almost be impossible”, he says.

But he is big on promoting the health and welfare of earth and what we are doing to cause its demise and changing the way we live to accomplish the goal of stopping this demise in its tracks.

He mentioned, that today, many families of two, have four cars. That every 20 years, houses built increase in size by 500 square feet using three to four times more energy to heat and light, though fewer people live in them. Energy used in one month that could heat and light a smaller house for 6 months. Which brings up the questions, why in today’s energy crises and economic times would two or three people need four baths and five bedrooms in an already energy wasteful home

The time has come for each of us to start asking, “What should I do to make our world better? What can I do to save earthly resources before they are gone? How can I live an energy efficient life? Now is the time to throw away the rest of those words “I am only one out of millions how could I possibly make a difference.” Remember, a small continuous drop over time will fill a bucket. You know, like a bucket you’ve placed to catch dripping water, some how, time goes by quick and that bucket you thought was big enough, is full.

Over the years, I’ve tried to increase my energy and earth consciousness. I know there is more to do, and many are doing more than I am, but these are a few of my drops of contribution.

I buy energy efficient appliances, live as simple as I can and avoid gadgets that have to stay running all the time.

I do need a pickup truck for the farm, but I have a gas efficient vehicle that I use for all other medial running around and use it 90% of the time.

I turn off electric devices when I am not using them, such as printers, computers and I unplug TV’s that the timers don’t matter, because they use power even when powered off.

My coffee pot does not have a timer and I unplug that too, just incase of stray electricity.

If I am not in a room, the lights are off.

Seldom do I use paper plates and I do not buy plastic cups, or eating utensils, they only add to our landfills because most of the time we forget to recycle them.

I do not have an electric dishwasher, which means yes I wash dishes by hand; really, it doesn’t hurt to wash dishes by hand and I use less water, less electricity and less gas to heat the water used in a dishwasher

I buy beverages in recyclable cans, glass bottles or cardboard and stay away from buying cases of bottled water. If one family buys one case of bottled water a week and throws the bottles away, multiplied by 100, 1000, or 10000 families, and so on, that is a lot of plastic in the landfills.

I use as many recycled products as I can.

I shovel what snow I can instead of using the snow blower. Doing this achieves two things, saves gas and gives me exercise.

I try to keep my snow plowing to a minimum, depending how bad the lake effects are, here in WNY.

I cut my driving miles by consolidating shopping and running around at once. I don’t run out to get one item. I wait. Usually my list will grow and waiting one or two more days doesn’t hurt a thing.

I use the carpet sweeper powered only by me, to pick up dog hair rather than run the vacuum every day.

When I do barn chores in the morning, I turn on only half the lights.

I try and plant a new tree every year.

I grow a garden; can many of my own vegetables, fruits and dry culinary herbs. Canning jars are freezable, reusable, and the lids are recyclable. If I buy vegetables in the store, I try to stay away from plastic bags and buy cans or jars. (I admit, I’ve slipped sometimes, because the bags are convenient. It’s one of my news steps, it’s a new thing I have to get use to.)

When I buy products for Herbs & Things, I consciously look for biodegradable, recycled, or recyclable packaging.

I have a rain barrel that collects water to water my garden and flowers. Not because are water levels are low where I live, but because I feel that’s less time the well pump is running.

I use solar fencers for the pastures and solar accent lights for my decorative water garden and barrel. (This year my goal is to invest in solar water pumps for those decorative water displays.)

I am searching for ways I can afford to make my house green energy efficient at least some of the time.

I drink organic, fair trade coffee, teas, and use handmade eco friendly body soaps.

I use little insecticides in my barn. Cleaning stalls and sweeping the barn every day, helps keep flies down during the summer.(I did try using natural flea control on my dogs, but my one dog is allergic to what I used, so I must keep searching.)

I bet you can think of one thing you can do today to help conserve.
What I did, to make my transition to energy wise easier, is do one change at a time. When that change became a habit, I changed something else. If you do this too, before you know it, one good for you and good for earth, habit is ten. If only a few people did that every day, soon one bucket would be two.

For more info about David Suzuki and living green, check out
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/

If you have ways, you save and help cut down on energy use and less garbage, share it with Herbs & Things in the Blog comment section,
or e-mail me at
herb_sandthings@live.com.
I would love to learn more how –to’s, and share your ideas with others.

Lucky for me, with a name like Kellie, I was born to be green!

A proud moment in 2009

January 20th, 2009, all of us, will be a part of moment in history that generations’ after us will only be able to experience through reading history books or magazines.

I am proud of this historical moment, after growing up in the 60’s turmoil’s, feeling helpless while listening to the riots on the radio, that our country has started to grow beyond the color of a person’s skin, defining who they are.

I have to admit though, there is conflict within myself, when I see Barack Obama on TV, in the news or hear him on the radio. My mind and intelligence, knows the weight and monumental moment of this inauguration, but my heart sometimes questions why, should this be any different from any other of our leadership changes.

Before you get upset with me, let me explain the dilemma of my heart and mind. Remember I do understand the historical value of January 20th 2009 and I am proud to be part of it.

The fight between my mind and heart is because I do not see Barack Obama, as a black man, African American, colored or any of the tags put on the color of the skin. I see him as a man that loves his country more than I can comprehend. I see him as a man, committed and willing to take the responsibility of the job of President of the United States of America. I see— not a black man —but a Man— that loves his family and the rights of all people and the freedom of living in America.

I know I would not want the job. Nor do I know many people who would want it either, especially during this time of economic chaos and terrorism tapping at our back doors.

Personally, I feel the problems and dangers that will follow our 44th president will be three fold to those who have served before him. I’m sure he understands this too. Yet, there he was wanting and fighting for the job.

What I see is a man that every day, will put his life on the line for us, and our country. What I see is, a man, that everyday will be risking his own well-being, wanting to do this not only for his family but our families and the future families to be.

This is why I say,—this man— Barack Obama, truly loves this country. Why else would he want to take on the challenges, sacrifices, and danger of this job,( knowing that some will not see him just as a man), running head on into a inferno, much like a firefighter who rushes into a burning building thinking not of his own life but the lives inside, he wants to save. The lives I see that Barack Obama wants to save are the fighting soldiers, the children of the future and the lives of all of us today.

Many say he is to inexperience, but maybe his inexperience is a ticket that will make him run fast into the inferno, because he knows no better. It might be that untested love for this country that will make him run faster than those before, willing to take risks others would not, only to emerge on the other side, with minimal burns, consequently saving those inside the inferno.

As always, time will tell and though, Barack Obama, I did not vote for you because of your inexperience, you have my support and to you— the man, husband, father, son, and 44th President of the United States of America, I wish you well and may God keep you and your family safe.

Sometimes I Forget

Sometimes, I forget to drink water or anything, and then realize when I feel tired and dizzy, that I've only had one cup of coffee or tea in the past eight hours.

I forget to take time—and stop working.

I am one of those people that if I don’t force myself, I would work all day, every day, almost to the point of exhaustion, feeling guilty if I take any free time—for me.

It is good to work hard, and be fruitful. But life, as I know from being around animals all my life, is too short not to enjoy it, in-between those times of work. I know that life can change at any time in a fraction of a second and it's important to enjoy and relish the wonders around us.

I don’t watch much TV. I think it is a waste of time, except for the news or an educational channel. I do spend a lot of time outside, because out—there, available to anyone if we take the time, is the best continuous free movie and source of education. It’s available in vivid 3D, with no remote control, because what you do is what changes the channel.

There are no commercials, no deadlines, only live action and sometimes surprise endings. It’s there for any one of us, if we take the time to step out the door of our house, our little room where we write, or any area (outside or in) where we lock ‘us’ away. So frustration, which I should know by now, is my bodies way of telling me when I haven't had my required quota of free and life loving time.

Even knowing all that I have to force my self to stop working and go have fun, any kind of fun. Lucky for me, I have two smart dogs that help remind me of this.



A few mornings ago, about 6:30 AM, I was feeling edgy. Wasn't sure why, things are good here in Colden, NY. Yet there it was lurking at the very edge of my being, the hint of irritability. Fighting it made me more irritable. Things of course then would not go right, which caused more frustration.

With frustrations mounting, I fretted on, wondering why things were doing this to me. That’s when I felt it— a heavy burning sensation at the back of my neck. Not the burn caused by sitting at my computer too long either. I slowly turned my head, to find Jenna and Maddie sitting side by side in the doorway of my computer, slash, writing room and Herbs & Things office, staring intently with big brown eyes.


They had already been out when I fed horses at 4:30, so I mumbled something towards their stare, and then went back to typing or doing whatever on my computer.

The burning at the back of my neck increased. I turned to see them now only about two feet away, still silent but intent in their stares. I asked, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” slightly angry with them for staring at me like that.

Maddie walked over, put her paw on my arm and laid her ears back on her head. Jenna jogged towards me lifting her lip to smile for an instant, and then both of them ran out the door. When I did not follow, they came back and did the same thing.

Feeling like they were ganging up on me, I gave in to their annoying what ever they were doing and asked them if they wanted to go for a walk. They responded with a few jumps and a pull on my sleeve. I said, “Well OK, just a short one, I have things to do!”


It was cold out. Dressing for warmth, not beauty, I bundled up in my snowpants, 'Mad Bomber' hat, big goose down parka and warm gloves. Then an idea came to me and I asked them, “Do you want to go snow-shoeing”? They responded with leaps and bounds around the kitchen. Telling me in their way, Hey you finally got the message.

They weren’t much help while I was putting on my snowshoes. Maddie kept pulling at my strings telling me, in her way, to hurry up. Jenna kept chasing Maddie. I told them if they did not settle down, we wouldn’t be going any where. They came and sat on my snowshoes. I laughed a belly laugh, forcing some of the frustration heavy on my chest to expel in front of me, and hang for a moment on my icy suspended breath. Then it was gone. It felt good.


Starting our trek down the long driveway toward the big field and pasture across the road, the girls were running back and forth like kids, dragging their parents by the hand towards something exciting. We crossed the road to our adventure. For them, adventures of hunting moles running under the snows. Tracking deer in the tracks of the snow and leaping over the creek that was subtly running under the frozen waters.
I was breathing in fresh air, invigorating my senses, my being alive watching the movie around me. It was quite, no one else seemed to up yet. It was just the girls and me in our cold quite paradise. A hawk flew over, circled us twice to see what we were doing, then perched in one of the dead ash trees and watched.
A deer watched us from high on the east hill..
I felt a spirit of well being enter me. The ripple of the creek under the ice soothed and carried away my irritability to a pool where worries are washed cleaned


My snowshoes created neat tracks in the snows, showing me I was here for at least a little while and before I knew it, I had been snow shoeing for over an hour. I had been working hard too, climbing small mounds of earth, trekking through the evergreens and working up a sweat. A sense of serenity had replaced that dark space of irritability. I no longer felt cold, inside or out. The frowns on my forehead were gone.

Getting back to the house, removing my snowshoes, I called the girls over to me. As I knelt on the ground, they ran up and snuggled close. Feeling better, I hugged them both around their necks and told them, “thank-you for not allowing me to forget.”