Mother Earth

 As another celebratory 'Earth Day' has come and gone, I have been reflecting on the ways that I try to make this world a better place. I say come and gone, but really it is never gone, it is always.                Earth Day is Every minute, of Every hour of Every Day. 

We as a family have many practices in place to try to reduce waste. Recycling paper, plastic and cardboard is one, and I am proud to say that we have 1 bag of this about every 3 to 4 weeks; as we are able to find better ways to reuse more; as well as simply being more away of what we consume. We recycle electronics, batteries, tires, clothes, among other items. Often we are able to find a way to repurpose or reuse these items as well. I am always looking for repurpose tips and tricks. Composting, to feed the earth back what it has provided. 

Planting trees, flowers, and grass. We also do our best to have a purpose in what we plant. Food for ourselves, I will be planting a vegetable garden again this year, and am quite excited about that, as I have been unable to for a few years, due to not enough garden room. We plant trees, and shrubs that help our ecosystem, and promote food for butterflies and bees. We have fruit trees, and a maple tree (which we hope to one day be able to tap as well).

Picking up garbage is another way I try to contribute. Sadly, I never have to look too far for this, and am able to accomplish this everyday. For Earth Day we did a community clean up, as we do several times a year, or when out walking the dog.

We built a cedar fence, and Eco station (the birds love the cedar), and repurposed the leftover bits and pieces to build a flower pot. There are many things, big and small that we can all do to make a difference. 

I read an obituary today of a colleague's mom that recently passed away. In it was proudly stated that she lived her life with a purpose of leaving this earth a better place than when she came into it. My wish is that when my time is done on this earth, I can also be remembered as someone who lived their life this way. 

Happy Earth everyone!