Nifty and Thrifty...

A good friend, Yuka told me years ago, the Japanese equivalent of the western, "a penny saved is a penny earned" is, "you laugh over pennies and you cry over pennies..." Isn't it the truth? Ever since reading the book, "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin, I have been trying to reshape my relationship with money. I've always been a saver but at the same time, it seems I have always paid full price for everything, mostly due to laziness. Now, I've learned to have fun finding the deal and it has become a new hobby.

I made the decision recently, that I wanted to present myself in a more sophisticated way. I am in the decade of the FABULOUS FORTIES, afterall. Gone is the folkie girl of yore, thus, I have been upgrading my wardrobe. I have found fabulous deals at many a consignment shop in Seattle, lovely garments with tags still on, Banana Republic, Talbots, you name it. Another shop which I love is the Discovery Shop, which benefits the American Cancer Society, Franko Sarto shoes, never been worn, $16 bucks, the same brand 2 weeks ago $5 bucks. While I have never been much of a consumer I find I can feel good about these purchases because it is basically clothing recycling. And, further, when I am done with these items, I can put them back in the system and someone else can enjoy them!

Well, I hope I might inspire some of you to thrift. I learned from the master, my sister, Nora. The thrift is nift!

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?

Robert Burns, the 18th century Scottish poet asked the question, "should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind....?" The translation being, "should we forget about old friends?" The answer is a hearty, NO. Old friends, in my book, can be compared to that of an old sweater, they are comfortable. They fit. They make us feel secure. After all, they know us best because they knew us as children. We all still have that little person in us, even if we are all grown up.

A dear friend that my sister and I grew up with died recently. We went as far back as 1st and 2nd grade. Lori was always there through the years, weaving in and out of mine and my sister's lives, a tapestry of memories. This past year I feel very lucky that I was able to spend good quality time with her as we would walk every Tuesday together and then have dinner afterwards. The last time I saw Lori we talked about how we both looked forward to Tuesday evenings. We talked about how precious we felt our lifelong friendship truly was. On one of our many walks, I would talk about the different poems or songs I was learning and I was able to share this one with her by William Butler Yeats, a poem about the special and unique bond of old friends.....

Though you're in your shining days
Voices from the crowd and new friends busy with your praise
Be not unkind or proud, but think of old friends the most.
Time's bitter flood will rise
Your beauty perish and be lost
For all eyes but these eyes.

July 1, 1967 ~ June 16, 2012

To my friend, in heaven, I would say....I miss you, dear friend. Thank you for your loyal and enduring friendship over the course of mine and my sister Michelle's lives. You left us far too soon.......but your laughter and your memory will live on in our hearts and minds, forever.

Rest in peace, Lori.

Simple livin'?

I am a minimalist, I think.  I feel a sense of pride in not being possessed by things and keeping up with the Jones'.  I don't like to shop just for sport; I make chicken stock out of my once a week free range bird from Met Market, after it is picked clean; I bring reusable totes to the co-op....and I don't usually like two of anything if I an get by with one. But, can I really know what true minimalism is whilst residing in the most consumer-oriented culture in the Western world?  Doubt it. Do I really live a materially minimalist lifestyle like someone in a nomadic culture would? No way. Do I know what living without means when one has no choice in the matter, i.e. living in deep poverty. I think not.

After re-reading the book, Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin, I'm realizing that I can do better; there is value in being conscious of that which we take from the earth. How am I paying nature back? Nothing is free, after all. We all need to be more conscientious of our consumption habits, especially here in America. It would serve us all if we consumed less. Everything, without question, comes from the earth. We need to be frugal in all that we take from her and she will repay us for this respect in her glorious bounty.

A Good Hair Day....

Armand Pacheco

I had a GREAT hair day today.  I got a cut and color from my favorite hair stylist, Armand Pacheco, owner of Salon Armand. I have been going to Armand for my quarterly coiffe for over a year now and continue to be highly impressed with how this gent runs his business. He and I usually seem to chat about the state of our world and our place in it and today I learned about his commitment to green and sustainable business practices.  After reading his mission statement I felt the need to share it with the blogosphere:

Salon Armand

Supports a Green World  

Maintains the highest level of efficacy

Provides superior services using sustainable practices

Promotes high-performance natural and organic products

Creates an idyllic and regenerative salon experience

Nurtures our Guests, Ourselves and our Environment

It is a dream of Armand's to have a completely sustainable salon with solar panels for energy and even a gray water processing system on site that would recycle water from shampooing / rinsing, etc. I don't know how many salons make sustainability a priority, but it made me realize that every decision we make, including the hair salons we choose for our coiffe's can make a difference in the state of our planet.

Moi - and new do!

Thank you, Armand, for my awesome do! And for all that you do to make the world a better place, one cut and color at a time!

A Walk at the Beach in Early November...

Before I lay me down to sleep,
Beneath the too few stars that grace my urban sky,
I walk, walk, walk.

The waves are sharing their peaceful and enduring song
With those that care to listen to its
Lap, lap, lapping.

The endless chatter in my head quietens
And I forget the worries of the day.
I am not the problem, nor the problem solver
And I have forgotten the score.
I simply AM.
That is enough.

Suddenly, it seems, the November chill startles me awake
To the endless possibilities of my life,
Like a child greeting a new day.
I feel grateful.
I am inspired.

And, I walk, walk, walk
Back to my car
And head home.

Local Urban Vino...

This past weekend at Seattle's Eight Bells Winery I, along with a few other volunteers, helped make Pinot Gris wine....process the grapes, anyway! It started with these lovely grapes from McMinnville, OR. Who knew the grapes would be purple when Pinto Gris is actually a white wine?

Pinto Gris Grapes

We tossed 5 huge crates filled with pound after pound of gorgeous grapes into a destemming machine.

 

They then made their way into a large contraption that actually crushes the grapes.

From here the juice is sucked via hose into a vat to settle...click here to read what happens next.

April, a volunteer who will be the next generation of vinters...

While it was impossible to learn the whole wine making process in just one afternoon of volunteering, I did learn a lot. It is hard work! A lot of manual labor is involved in this craft. But, in any craft, including music making, there is manual labor involved. And if you love the process, the hard work doesn't matter. The end result makes the road a delight to travel. For our work, we received a bottle of wine, an experience and camaraderie with other volunteers. 

I encourage you to check out this local winery and support your local vinter!

Listen to Your Mother...



Non-GMO Seattle Volunteers



I'm happy to have a guest blogger today...my mom, Margy Laughlin. She and my dad Bill attended a potluck last night in Seattle with other activists that are working toward a GMO free world. Read about the dangers of GMO's here.  Big thanks go out to people like Margy and Bill who are fighting the good fight against corporations and government that make decisions in regard to how nature does its work. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Do you know where your food comes from? Do you know the difference between industrial and organic produce? Do you know what goes into processed foods? Do you know how certain foods can negatively impact your body and the environment? It comes down to this for me....doesn't mother nature know best? When did this change? Would love to hear what readers have to say about this important topic.

The Folks...Margy and Bill Laughlin



          

Rose asked me to blog about my first meeting with a new organization with a very important mission, GMOFreeSeattle.com.

Last night Bill and I attended a meeting of the grass roots organization Non GMO Washington.  We discussed our goal which is to make Washington state a GMO (genetically modified organisms) free food state.  Action committees were formed with volunteers on each committee. The meeting was conducted by Dr. Les Berenson, a leader and expert in GMO health hazards related to GMO foods. Volunteers came from as far as Bremerton, Tacoma, and Port Towsend.

It was an exciting evening to be involved in this issue and we will continue to participate and work with our fellow volunteers to work for labeling of GMO foods and promoting a GMO free Washington state.

We have six excellent reasons to work for a Non GMO Washington state and that is the health of our grandchildren and for that matter the health of everyone’s grandchild.

Margy Laughlin

Bill Laughlin