Think Green Thursday; A New Meme

(click to enlarge)

A note about the photograph: it was taken by me after a visit to the Smith College Greenhouse in Northampton, Mass. I had to smile because I agree with virtually every sentiment depicted on the bumper sticker laden vehicle. The Happy Valley is chock-full of bumper stickers like these; lots of Obama bumper stickers, etc. But this is really over the top in terms of the number of slogans.

In case you haven't taken note, I'm fairly addicted to what bloggers call "photo memes". After many years of taking photographs in spurts, I've decided I don't want to ever miss another photo opportunity again. Whether it's my family or a place I visit; something to do while I'm waiting for something else to happen or a visual record of my every move, I've really taken to the digi-cam. I don't have a fancy camera, nor do I consider myself any type of real photographer. My interest in photography isn't to crow about how good my photo is but to experiment with images in a sort of diary-like way. I've also found that taking digital snapshots allows me to photograph a lot of signs and description cards in art museums, so I don't forget who the artist was who created the piece. I have frequently photographed street signs, addresses and storefronts, hours of operation and labels on products.

Having an outlet for using these images, photo memes are a fun way to see where other people live, what their interests and passions are and what their families and surroundings are like, who their pets are, what they do for a living. It's all interesting. Blogs that highlight great places to visit do more to attract me there than a boring travel site. I really love this virtual travel!

I've really not gotten to the point, have I? Being as addicted to these photographs blogs with their themes and challenges, I had to, of course, start my own. A few weeks ago, I thought it would a small challenge to create a weekly meme (with or without photos) that dealt with the environment in some way. Think Green Thursday is off and running. Trouble is, I'm not sure how I'm going to keep it up once summer is in full swing. I've going to have a very active summer! But I'll deal with that when the times gets closer.

One of the things I'm already liking about the first few weeks of Think Green Thursday is that it keeps me honest about my own efforts at doing my part for the environment. And the more I learn when I do my net research for it or when I read the posts that others have contributed to the meme, the more I'm aware of how I should do my part and how. One of the things I'm becoming increasingly aware of is what is called "green washing". One can see this in TV commercials for large corporations, some (most?) of whom think they can sell you their energy products and cars by painting their slogans green. This phenomenon exists in small retail shops as well. You have to be careful what you're buying. Some cute little porcelain dish in the local coop may very well be made in China, one of the world's worst polluters. While it's impossible to avoid products made in China, if I can I will and I do. It's also a reminder not to buy a lot of crap you don't really need.

Think Green Thursday has attracted the attention of several excellent bloggers who post on the environment and I'm thrilled they've agreed to participate whenever they can. I want to give a hat tip to these groovy people. The badges for TGT have been created and contributed to the effort by the people noted below. A huge thanks to you all.

Blog badge by Mary

Mary The Teach, who is a brilliant professor, writer and photographer, created the above badge for me using one of my own photos. Mary has contributed some really excellent posts to the meme. She's a veteran blogger with two really popular photo memes of her own. Sorry that I may not have time to link you to them all: Ruby Tuesday, Window Views; just to name a few.

badge by Christine Gram

This one was created by Christine Gram using her photograph. Christine's blog Strange Pilgram is new to me but what a gem I've found. Since most of my bloggie buds are women, you'll enjoy the post Going With the Flow. But men who are affected by how weird we women become during regular monthly intervals may be able to relate to it, too.


Gemma Weisman of Melbourne, Australia is the author of Greyscale Territory, a wonderful blog chock-full of original poetry, photography and magic. She created the button for my new blog you see below.

Badge by Gemma Weisman

Amanda Guthrie's Green Scene. Amanda is doing all sorts of interesting projects at Green Scene: posting all sorts of interesting sites, networking and educating like crazy! You can tell Amanda realizes that when it comes to the environment, we can't afford to waste time. I highly suggest you visit her and give her a thumbs-up on all her efforts.

Amanda created this badge for the new meme:

badge by Amanda Guthrie

My gal-pal Betmo in upstate New York has a really groovy and political blog, Got Green? that focuses on the environment, sustainability and green living. She doesn't bullshit or pull any punches, so it may not always be cute. But I guarantee you'll learn something and Bet will have you wanting to do something about it.

Thorne's Blog on Smog which contains the contributions of several other authors, is loaded with interesting articles and resources on green technology, recycling, fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, etc. It is a very professionally put-together effort with potential to reach a lot of readers. Please check out this blog as well as Thorne's World.

Last but no means least, is my dear friend Bobbie of the blog Almost There. Bobbie never fails to hold up her end of the responsibility when comes to issues that matter. The environment is no exception. Her contributions to the new meme have been excellent and informative. I really appreciate your efforts on this, Bobbie!

If you have anything you'd like to contribute to Think Green Thursday, please email me with resources for posts or create your own post and link back to me. Or just create your "green" post! Come on! You know it's important!

All the love,
Pagan Sphinx

Black Crow

I thought this video tribute to Joni Mitchell's composition Black Crow was particularly well done. But I would expect no less from someone whose youtube handle is hejira33312. ;-) Well done, Don. This is my all-time favorite song by Joni Mitchell.

And while I'm here, I'd also like to pass on this award given to me by my dear friend Betmo at Life's Journey, to Crow and Susan at Phantythat, to whom the song is dedicated.


Thanks, Bet. I'm looking forward to those pictures of your garden you've been promising us. That season can't come fast enough, huh? We're expecting a winter storm tonight. Alas, nothing can be done. We have to weather it out.

Creative Blogger Awards & Other Froms of Bloggy Love

This thank you and acknowledgement is long overdue. A few weeks back, my blog friend and fellow Peace Tree blogger, Betmo nominated The Pagan Sphinx as a recipient of this lovely award. Betmo also has two blogs I follow: Life's Journey and Betmo's Corner. She is a tireless news hound - I find myself turning to Life's Journey if I really want to know what's going on from a real-life Leftist American Feminist Woman and all-around very cool and lovely person! And Betmo's Corner is like a little santuary in the frenzied blog world. I don't know if Betmo ever received this award herself but just in case, I'm re-giving it to her for fantastic haiku in the Little Sanctuary.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity, Bet!

I would in turn like to give the Creative Blogger Award to the following six people. All creative, intense, fascinating, beautiful people. Please give yourself a break from the pressures of life and blogging by visiting their sites to view their beautiful work.

Thorne from California, Carmi from London, Ontario (through The Pagan's Eye) and Soulbrush (also via The Pagan's Eye) from London, England, are new friends whose blogs I've been really enjoying a connection with. Keep up all your wonderfully create efforts, everyone!

Love,
Pagan Sphinx

Linda at Vulture Peak Muse (painting and photography)
Susan and co-blogger Crow at Phantsy That (painting, jewelry and fabric art and writing)
Steve at Color Sweet Tooth (painting other creative forces)
Thorne at Thorne's World (writing, photography, tatoo art)
Soul at Soulbrush (painting)
Carmi at Written, Inc. (photography and writing)
Betmo at Betmo's Corner (poetry)

Israel's Invasion of Gaza

Graphic by Ben Heine

It doesn't take a political mastermind to see the lopsidedness of Israel's invasion and bombing of Gaza. A few crude rockets sent off by the sealed-off and starving people of Gaza are met with a ground invasion and shelling that have killed over 400 people, including children.

I went over to Betmo's first thing to see what sources she had gathered on the topic. As usual, I did not come up disappointed. The first linked article discusses how things are possibly changing through a new outlook on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by organizations both in Israel and the U.S.

J Street is the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement in the U.S. which is largely Jewish-American but has memberships of non-Jews as well. J Street is circulating a petition that calls for "strong U.S. leadership to bring about an immediate ceasefire". Consider going over there and learning more about their efforts

Am I just being naive or is Hamas a persecuted little bully who is ganged up on and pounded into the ground by a huge gang of thugs? Hamas talks tough about the total elimination of the state of Israel but they don't have the means. And in fact, this article from 2006 illustrates the position of Hamas on Israel's right to exist. Again, thank you, Betmo.

The Israeli government is perpetuating violence that will never end unless there is diplomacy toward a cease-fire and eventual lasting peace. What will this accomplish? Further violence and hatred and divisiveness.

Our government has suppored Israel militarily and politically for far too long. It's our duty as peace advocates to educate ourselves about how we can bring pressure on our government to support similar goals as J Street is advocating. The situation is complex but if we a have clear, well-defined position statement that we can use as reference when writing to our elected officials or taking our own positions on our blogs and in our other circles, we can make a difference in the way this decades-old warring between the Israeli government and Hamas.

Obama campaigned on a promise of renewed emphasis on this situation and reiterated that conviction during his new cabinet appointments. I don't mean to knock Clinton or Obama (why do I feel I even have to say that??) but it is my assumption that she is very sympathetic toward Isreael. I hope that this is not a hindrance in Obama's stated desire to bring U.S. diplomacy efforts to the region. And yet, MSNBC features this video news piece by Andrea Mitchell, touting Clinton as "credible in the Arab world". Let's hope so. Because as the video illustrates, the last time Clinton demonstrated some regard for the Arab world, the backlash was so strong in the U.S., that she went out of her way to embrace Israel, hookline and sinker.

Further, I wish that Obama would take a strong stand on the invasion of Gaza and not hide behind the "it's not my turn yet" facade. We know that Bush and Rice aren't going to do a damned thing differently.

And again, many thank yous to Betmo for helping me clarify my own ideas on this issue. She has sent me many links via email and provided much food for thought through the writing and links on her blog, Life's Journey. My dear friend, you are a tireless voice in the blogosphere, for peace and reason.

Thank you also to Ben Heine for allowing free distribution of the graphic above, for his own tireless voice on peace issues and justice and his immense talent as a cartoonist, artist and photographer.

The Tree of Happiness Award

From the warm-hearted and talented Linda at Vulture Peek Muse

&
The the equally talented and warm-hearted Steve of Color Sweet Tooth

(how luck am I, to know these wonderful people, huh??)

Thank you so much for this award. I will cherish it and keep it always on the blog mantel.

This award has attached a requisite of stating six things that make me happy.
Because anyone who reads TPS knows that my family and my dear WP are who make me most happy, I will concentrate on other things; perhaps even food or something equally inane. I guess I'm not feeling all poetic about happiness today. ;-) We'll see what happens.

Food It is:

1) bread of the world
2) black olives
3) cherries
4) raw oysters
5) artichokes
6) asparagus

Steve's request is that his recipients of the Tree of Happiness Award list att least three of the six things be ones that readers don't yet know about.

1) Once in a while falling asleep to the low tone of the TV set when WP is watching. I don't know what about this makes me happy but it makes me feel safe and contented.

2) Watching the birds and squirrels at the feeders

3) African music

4) Blogging

5) Children

6) Chocolate (dark truffles but the less exotic Raisinettes and Reeses miniatures will do in a pinch) ;-)
I want to give the award to six people whom I depend upon daily for emotional, spiritual and intellectual sustenance. In other words, food for thought. It sort goes with the food list. ;-)

1) Linda, who is not supposed to be listed because she gave me the award, because she got from someone else, but I insist on including her. She is rich in love and spirituality and shares herself and her wonderful art generously.

2) Bobbie at Almost There. For being there, not almost, but always.

3) Dianne at Forks Off The Moment because everything she stands for makes me happy and proud to know her.

4) Steve at Color Sweet Tooth for his art, friendship and all the learning I do from his comments.

5) Betmo at Life's Journey and Betmo's Corner for her unwavering stand on so many important leftist issues and for her friendship and support. Oh, and the haiku!

6) Sherry at After the Bridge for her poetry, interesting tid-bits and images and her sweetness and friendship

If you haven't done so already, check out their blogs and stay awhile. Treasures abound there!

Love,
Pagan

What's Goin' On / Christmas / Solstice

I'm very slow to recover from this plague, as Dianne calls it. At this point, it's a vicious circle of the physical and psychological; with the physical troubles coming first and going 'round and 'round.

The ear pain is gone but my ear is still fuzzy. I'm taking the damned antibiotics, even though I strongly suspect this is viral. I wonder if it's the medication that's making me feel so queezy and headachy and otherwise out of sorts. Today is the last day I take the stuff, as it appears not to be doing much to help me. I have very little appetite and I'm now facing a return to work tomorrow, which I would be looking forward to except that I still don't feel up to par.

I've tried today to shake off the psychological piece of this plague by getting dressed in something other than sleep clothes. I paid some bills; I'm contemplating a load of laundry.

I've yet to step outside since my visit to the doctor's on Thursday. The thought just makes me feel sicker. Some of this low-level depression is due to the weather's most devastating consequence: The Winter Blues or as the shrinks call it: SAD. There was a hint of sun when I awoke not-so-early this afternoon. Yes. I woke up at 2:30 p.m. after having been awake from 2:00 to 5:3o a.m. I feel totally useless and almost lifeless. But not hopeless. Just impatient for this thing to go away so that I can feel normal and get about the business of decorating the house for Solstice. Or Yule.

These terms for the holidays don't exactly roll off the tongue. I was raised with Christmas because of both my mother and my culture; the latter of which is highly Roman Catholic. When I was a little girl in Portugal; where I was born and lived for the first six years of my life, Christmas was exactly that: a religious holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. My father, being an atheist, was willing to go along with some of the traditions that my mother tried to uphold. I don't recall that we had a tree every year; I don't think we did. But I do remember one Christmas where my father found a bare tree branch and stuck it into a tin pail full of sand. We had these little clay knick-knacks around the house: little jugs with tiny hand-painted flowers (I have since bought a whole collection of these on visits to Portugal and we hang them on our family tree) and a few small, plastic toys that we strung with yarn and decorated the tree with.

This was in the early 60's when neither consumerism nor democracy had yet arrived in Portugal. Regular, working people went to church and prepared a slightly more special dinner and desserts than usual. I remember baked chicken, rice pudding in small saucers, with cinnamon designs sprinkled on top. My brother and I got to choose what type of design we wanted for our individual pudding and my mother would sprinkle a start or a spiral with cinnamon.

People went to church for midnight mass but we did not. My father didn't believe in it and though my mother was free to go if she wished, she chose to stay at home with us. One religious custom I recall is that my mother would have my brother and me each fetch one of our boots to leave out for the Baby Jesus to put something special into. It was always something very humble by American standards; even of the early to mid 60's: a couple of clementines, walnuts or a sweet treat. Purchased presents were largely unheard of in our family, though other relatives who were more affluent would get a few toys. We got sweaters that my mother hand-knitted for us or new winter boots, socks; practical things.

I'm not wanting to call the holiday Christmas anymore because I'm not a Christian, firstly. And if I were, why would I want to celebrate the birth of Jesus in December? What I'm really celebrating is The Winter Solstice. Let's face it, the darkest time of the year deserves some merriment; a celebration that the days will soon become a bit longer and we will gradually see the return of the sun and all the life and light it brings. This I can wrap my mind and soul around.

We've given up on the consumerism of the season almost altogether. We give very small, inexpensive gifts to one-another. Our children understand and appreciate that they're fortunate to have the gift of $2oo, 000 educations. At least that's what the full "retail" price of it is. The Girls have worked hard and benefited from much private merit and needs-based help. The government gives us very little, as we are not "poor" enough. That's okay. I don't think it's unfair that the uber-rich parents of their college mates are helping to foot the bill through endowment contributions. Thank you very much.

My contribution to The Season is to decorate the house with those Pagan touches: a tree with a lifetime's worth of two families' respective ornament collections, lots of table-top decorations and lots of indoor lights and real candles, greenery and touches of red everywhere. We also make a wonderful meal and stuff stockings with practical items and candy. We enjoy it. We don't make ourselves crazy and stressed.

Honestly, in preparing my gift list for WP, I came to the conclusion that I don't really want anything. Actually, that's not true. I want a new Imac to replace the ancient, heavy HP laptop that sits on my desk. But I don't need it. This one will do me for some time to come. SG1 will soon need a new computer to replace the one she's had since freshman year. That will be the priority before she starts graduate school in 2010. I want but don't need an Ipod. I had one briefly that WP found on the sidewalk in San Francisco but it only worked for a month before the battery went dead. Neither the battery nor the gadget will be replaced any time soon. I want but don't need a couple of gorgeous sweaters and tops that I've been ogling in online catalogs.

What I wanted most is almost finished: a new floor for a huge area of my house. It's replacing the oldest, ugliest linoleum you have ever seen; dating back to 1952. I kid you not. I'm grateful for the kindness and generosity of my loving partner who knows how much "home" matters to me. And even though the long process of this renovation project has been exasperating at times, it's taught me that our relationship is more important than the instant gratification of a new floor; presto. And so I've learned to be patient throughout the long ordeal of WP trying to fit in doing the floor work with his own job and other matters that come up routinely. If I'd had my druthers, I would have had someone install it in a day but WP is a thrifty man and he insisted on buying the flooring from the least expensive outlet he could find and putting it in himself, saving us about $2,000 in the process.

Oh and a few days ago, I knew even more certainly that I'd found the right man when he came home from the library with a John Lennon biography for me to read. Sometimes I think he's not paid attention to what floats my boat and it's only five years for us; but he is proving that he does indeed listen and care about what matters to me.

I think it was Betmo (sorry, Bet, but I can't find the exact post) who said in a recent post that the best gift is the gift of time. I can honestly say that I have that from WP. We are inseparable. We can spend an entire day going about our respective tasks, in the same house, hardly speak to each other until dinner and still feel connected. Of course, we do find each other frequently throughout the day and we give each other a squeeze or a kiss or a touch on the shoulder. This so works for me! And then there are other times when we spend an entire weekend day watching movies together; snuggling and feeling very lucky and contented.

Time is a gift indeed and I don't intend to miss out on it just because the rest of the world is going holiday-crazy. Time spent also brings the gifts of understanding, acceptance and unconditional love. You can't have those things if you don't invest the time in the people you love.

Namaste, my friends.

P.S. I want to thank my friend Bobbie at Almost There for this post, which inspired a few of my own Christmas (as it was then) memories.

Heart Mandala Award

This is such a beautiful award; both visually and symbolically. I'm very, very honored to have received it from my friend Liberality, whom I grow to admire and respect more with every post of hers I read. And that it was created with love by Susan, the subject of this art post, makes it all that much more special.

So many talented, creative, loving people deserve this award so it's hard to choose from among them. It's also hard for me to recall who likes awards and who does not, so if I pass this one to you and you're not an awards person, please feel no obligation.

For their heartfelt kindness and support:

1.) Steve at Color Sweet Tooth
2) Dianne at Forks Off The Moment
3) Betmo of Life's Journey

(My apologies to all for the delay in posting about my high regard for this award. I've been ill since Monday; struggling with an earache and congestion as well as a whole host of other related and unrelated ailments. Today, in the wee hours, I developed a massive headache that I've been fighting off all day. This is the first time today I have been able to be up and about. )

Building Solidarity With A Blog Award

Who is Godless Liberal Homo?

He's a tireless, righteious blogger for peace and justice. One of his efforts was the Iraqi Blogswarm back in March, which was a very broad and hugely successful effort to mobilize bloggers who want withdrawal from the illegal war in Iraq.

He keeps a very focused blog with news and opinions about issues that left-of-center bloggers need to keep informed about. I know that I look to his blog for not only information but his take on it, as I trust his judgment and look to his leadership frequently. I don't know about you, but I need to feel that there are people out there whom I can look to for structure and organization. In essence, I look at Libhomo as a blog community organizer.

So when I received a comment from Libhomo that he'd given me a blog award, I wasn't surprised by his goal for doing so: he hopes that passing around this award will build solidarity between left-of-center bloggers. I've already received this award and passed it on to five bloggers. But now I have an opportunity to choose more for the sake of political and social solidarity. How cool is that?

Dianne of Forks Off The Moment
Word-wizzleler, liberal, open-minded, wonderful woman

Sherry at After The Bridge -
the sweetest Blue Collar Democrat on the web!

Homeyra at Forever Under Construction
A kind, creatively minded Iranian blogger

This photo connects to a fascinating post
Check it out!

Ben Heine

Click on the photo to connect to this stunning blog

Ben is a political cartoonist, artist and photographer blogging from Belgium

Betmo of Life's Journey
Beyond progressive into radical enough to tell the truth. Thoughtful and kind, too.

The Peace Tree

(Poetryman's blog with contributions from many tireless bloggers; in my case tired blogger ;-)

Here's the top post over at the Peace Tree
Trying to Have Hope
from the excellent blog The Intrepid Liberal Journal by Robert Ellman

Bobbie at Almost There
Family, nature, life, and paying attention to what's going on in the world
I love the photo below

Bobbie, her late husband Ralph and three of their four children. The fourth was to arrive later.

These blog recommendations represent people very different from each other in many ways but all of them having in common a desire for peace and justice for all.

The Peace Tree

My post, Jazz: Transgender Children and Gender Independence is up at The Peace Tree, if you care to read it.

And while you're there, check out incredible, original poetry and art by the one and only Poetryman, The Peace Tree's keeper extraordinaire. There are many other great bloggers who contribute: Dark Daughta, Betmo, Enigma4ever, Case Wagenvoord, Graem, Mentarch and Robert. I hope I've not left anyone out.


Yours in Peace,
Pagan