Still Riding
The Saturday morning bike rides go on. Here is a great picture from the end of Alameda Creek Trail. Such a clear crisp morning. The other side of the bay looks so close!
Category: bike
Green and Proud
re·cy·cle (r-skl)
a. To extract useful materials from (garbage or waste).
b. To extract and reuse (useful substances found in waste).
4.
a. To use again, especially to reprocess: recycle aluminum cans; recycle old jokes.
b. To recondition and adapt to a new use or function: recycling old warehouses as condominiums
Almost twenty years ago, when Kelly and Kate were attending Fremont Parent Nursery school, I wrote a short article about recycling for the monthly newsletter that the school sent home with the kids. Way back then, the city of Fremont was just beginning its recycling program by providing residents with two small plastic bins, one for glass and plastic, the other for paper. The intent of the article was to get parents motivated to recycle, and in doing so, pass along the habit to their kids. I did some sort of calculation that showed if all the families (15-20) in the school started recycling, by the time our preschoolers graduated high school , we would have collectively recycled 1 million items.
I’ve thought about my prediction every once in a while over the years, and today I am confident in announcing, that by the time our girls were out of high school, more than a million pieces had been recycled by the pre-school families!
Today, we Flahertys are recycling more than ever. We went from one HUGE garbage can and two small plastic bins to a small garbage can and two HUGE recycle cans. On a typical week we only have one or two small bags of garbage in the garbage can while the recycling cans are over-flowingly full, especially on weeks when I mow the lawn.
With a little more effort we can become a zero waste family!
Part of parenting is leading by example. If kids go through the first 18 years of life brushing their teeth, wearing their seat belts, and recycling, the hope is that these things will become second nature as adults.
Here’s hoping!
Might as well recycle an old joke while I’m at it:
Whats the perfect honeymoon salad?
Lettuce alone.
Cast your Worries
Sunday was a good day. The kind of day that I’ve grown to enjoy. A do nothing day! 9:30 mass was good. The homily made my ears perk up. It was about fear and worry. When Father Mat said something about “cast your worries unto the Lord” it really struck a cord with me. I am a worrier at heart. It may be genetic. Maybe an Irish thing. Either way, I have found myself worrying a lot lately. Mostly about things I have no REAL control over. Of course, worry over things you have no control over is useless. Even Father Aiden (an Irishman) adds “protect us from all anxiety and useless worry” during mass. So that’s what I decided to do. I cast them unto the Lord. And I feel better already!
No plans for the rest of the day other than beating the heat. We decided to stay home, crank up the AC, and watch some Generation Kill (MARINE CORP!) on DVD. Made a quick trip to the store to pick up turkey burger makings for dinner. I love Sundays afternoons and preparing dinner. Chopping some peppers (both sweet and hot), sipping some Jack. Chopping some garlic, sipping some Jack. A little sun dried tomatoes, all mixed into the burgers. On the grill with a little beef sausage and..sipping some Jack. Slicing some tomato. Slicing some onion. Slicing some pickles. Little romain lettuce. soft whole grain roll. Its good. Its very good.
Plus I have no worries!!
