May We All Know

We’ve been naughty. During the past several months, I’m certain we’ve discarded  enough plastic water bottles to build an additional room on our house. Barring the instability and lack of privacy, imagine how pretty it would look with the sun reflecting through the plastic walls. I don’t know who thought of bottling and selling water, but they’re earning a fortune and creating an environmental mess. Check out the creative clean-up:    

                                     https://youtu.be/El6AU3riRI8 

This guy’s taking proverbial lemons and making lemonade, going above and beyond what you would think you could do with a water bottle. Still, despite the awesome ways  people can minimize the impact of plastic bottle on the environment, we need to reduce their usage. The end doesn’t always justify the means. What have you done that ended well, yet in hindsight, you know you shouldn’t have “gone there” in the first place?

Three Little Words

Three little words, when spoken by a female, can strike fear in the heart of her male companion. During the first stage of fear, the male will exhibit a vacant stare. He wants to be somewhere else, anywhere that’s not within hearing distance of those three little words. These next three “words”  may shock you because they should not be coming from this mouth:

                                         http://youtu.be/qXo3NFqkaRM

 How did the dog owners determine that Mishka had human speaking abilities and what will Mishka say next? There’s something about a “talking” dog that makes me uncomfortable. It’s probably the same uncomfortable feeling males get when they hear their female companions say the three little words—hold my purse.   

 Every day we get a barrage of information that makes us feel uncomfortable. We’re flooded with environmental, social, financial and political problems with each news story. Does it feel like we're waiting for someone to say the magic words to fix everything? When you’re in the middle of a situation, what three little words help keep you steady?    

What’s Your Treasure?

What makes a great gift? I received a pine tree during the holidays. The plant only measured about eight inches high, but with time and the right environment, it could grow up to two hundred feet. Now that’s a gift. Isn’t it amazing that something so small has the potential to grow so large? The next time someone asks me if anything is new I may say, “Well, I am growing a two-hundred-foot tree inside my house.” There’s a conversation starter.

I’m sure we all have a few unique items sitting in our homes, items with a story about how we acquired them or why we think they’re special. Perhaps you have a collection like one of these:

                                         http://youtu.be/LV-8_ZAG9HQ   Britain’s 5

 As a child, I collected unusual pebbles and kept them hidden in a small, white box under my bed. I remember admiring the smooth or glittery ones the most. I still like finding pretty shells at the beach and I’ll usually bring some home, but no more than a handful. The collections in the video started small and then took on a life of their own. Items often become favorites when they’re odd, evoke wonder and emotion or because they’re connected to a special event or person.   

What’s your most treasured item and why is it so special?       

The Hottest Cause

Sooo, did you enjoy our one day introduction to summer? A single, ninety-degree afternoon sent us all rummaging for the shorts, sandals and sunscreen. I’m hoping this doesn’t mean we’re headed for extraordinarily high summer temperatures because Monday was more than enough for me. Yep, one hot day and I’m already complaining. Speaking of which—where’s our month full of rain? Someone said April showers bring May flowers, but it’s mid-April and we’re looking at a dry and thirsty land. Too much sun can throw the environment off-kilter.  Check out the happenings in Death Valley:    

Given the frequent one–hundred degree temperatures and all of the problems that could arise in a parched place like Death Valley, who would have put pup fish on the list? It’s amazing how the plight and possible extinction of this single, little fish in a deserted area caused researchers to run to the rescue.

We’re up to our necks in crises and new ones pop up every time we check the web. We all have social, political, environmental or personal concerns, but once we begin championing a cause, we grab our banners and run to different corners to fight the battle. Sometimes, after we’re tucked away in our corners, we begin to believe that our cause reigns supreme. What’s your criteria for prioritizing the causes you champion?