our earth

With everyone doing a little bit to help the earth, and some people doing a lot, it is so appalling when I see the blatant tossing of trash out of a car window, or an engine running in part for an extended amount of time.

ON MY WALK THRU THE PARK THE OTHER DAY I SAW A WALMART RECEIPT ON THE GROUND. I was shocked. Partially because I don't find a lot of trash in our parks system. But also, because I think most everyone has accepted littering as a sin of sorts. I am sure this receipt accidentaly fell out of someone's pocket rather than the alternative.

After I saw the receipt I started thinking about all the receipts and to-do notes I am always accumulating, trying not to loose. And that led to thinking about the endless supply of paper I write these notes on.

All of this mindless thought and worry made me think of the whole recycle, sustainable, green movement that is happening all around us. We are at the point on this earth that if we don't change the way we live with regards to living 'lighter', there won't be much earth to live on. However, we didn't always think and/or worry about the air around us, the water in our rivers, or the soil.

But then I remembered this cute grocery list 'kit' I have at the shop. I don't know the exact date - 50's or 60's I am guessing.

All of the sudden this random thinking had a purpose - sort of.

'Back in the day' (whenever that was), people didn't think about the earth and how they lived on it or abused it. They didn't look at what they could do now to save the earth later. And yet there was something like this gem. How much more 'green' can you get than a grocery list you can use over and over again? How conscientious, and they didn't even realize it.

Next thought... SWAPPING home accessories. Kind of like a civilized flea market or something like that. I read about a clothing swap party. It sounded like a great idea in terms of recycling cute things around your home that you have grown out of, and a way to get something new without spending alot of money. You know the old adage; one person's trash is another person's treasure.

I have proven that many times over. I recently found these great iron scroll-y benches at the 'collection' area near where I live. We take our trash there when we have more than what fits into our toters. These benches are light green and the seat is wood. They are a little beat up, but that works. I don't have to worry about leaving them outside all winter. They are sturdy and a great color in my backyard.

Maybe I will plan an event around the idea of bringing in any home furnishing that you are ready to pass on, and have great discussions, libations, some laughs, and the opportunity to come home with something new to put on a bookshelf or table.

Input from my followers or anyone else is always welcome.

twilight zone

Ok, how weird is this? I was driving on I271 last week and I saw this in the parking lot of the JCC. By the time it registered as something other than odd, I was past it. So I made sure I drove the same way the next day. Still there. It seemed a little like the Twilight zone, or Harry Potter-esque for all those born after the 90s. It was still there on Friday, so I drove to the lot and took some pictures close up. I was so curious what it was all about, where it came from, and the purpose of the upside-down part, other than the obvious – the bottom half of a bus flipped over on top of regular bus.

I found a bit of information on the other side of the bus when I got close. It’s from the organization Teva Learning Center, which I believe is based in NYC. They teach about interconnecting with nature and Judaism. This was not as exciting as I had anticipated (no offense to anyone). But, I am glad I investigated its origin. And I am presuming they are here in Cleveland coordinating some kind of program with the JCC.

Maybe they travel around the country and offer special introductions to their organization, or maybe just in certain areas.

I don’t have any idea what was so fascinating for me about this visual anomaly. I think it was like seeing a really huge, cool sculpture in the middle of an urban setting, like our “free” stamp (Claes Oldenburg). Or some of the other unusual sculptures around the country. Honestly, I just wanted to see the bus up close.

THESE ARE SEA CONTAINERS STACKED TO FORM A BUILDING - Pier 54 Chelsea,
architect shigeru ban

artist gregory cobert; nyc-architecture.com

THIS INSTALLATION WAS IN CENTRAL PARK -'THE GATES' by Christo and Jeanne-Claude