Happy Monday! [100]

Generosity and friendship: thoughts on Sandy [98, 99]

So this post was supposed to go up weeks ago, but it somehow never made it. But the message still holds true, so here it is:

As Sandy continued on her way, still reeking havoc the week after Halloween, I was thankful that my area was pretty unaffected. Lots of schools got canceled and offices were shut down on Monday and even into Tuesday, but the damage was minimal compared to other states. When we were hunkered down at home the day of the hurricane, my roommate parked her car in the front yard, as far away from the trees that surround our house as possible. We did end up losing power, but only for a couple hours, in which we reconnected with our old fashioned sides by knitting and reading by candlelight. While we went the candle route, the vet school was closed to students but the vet hospital was open and running on backup generators. On Tuesday, campus was still relying on the generators, so classes were confined to the few buildings with power.

Now it's time to repair and rebuild and seeing pictures of the damage has been utterly overwhelming. Everyone wanted and still wants to help, but where to start? I've found it easiest to start with my friends. Effects from Hurricane Sandy (being nicknamed Frankenstorm) were (are) being felt all the way to the Great Lakes, so chances are, you know somebody affected by the storm, if that someone isn't you. For me, it's of course a lot of people because not only was it me in a tiny way, I have friends from Massachusetts down to New Jersey and every state in between. But, highest on the list and first on my mind was my classmate, friend, and the woman my whole class has kind of nicknamed "mom": Terri. While she's living up here, her husband is back in New York City with one of her dogs and he got stranded above his shop in the city once the flooding started. His car is wrecked and his shop was under four feet of water. My class is a mixed bag of people but quite a few of us have perfected the poor college student lifestyle, so money-wise we have very little to offer for support. And, anyway, in the days after the storm it was too early for us to really know what kind of help Terri and her husband needed. BUT, turns out we've got pretty big hearts because we all chipped in a little bit of money for something that we could do, which is a gift card for Terri and her husband to pay for anything they need or want. So far, it's been used to buy Terri's puppy a new harness and leash set to replace the one covered in toxic gunk during the storm. 

 

"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. 

I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not in my nature."

Jane Austin, Northanger Abbey 

To each their own and do what you can [97]

I'm on a mission to remotivate myself. I'm naturally a downer: cranky, nervous, glass half-empty. But I want to see the silver lining, the good parts, the glass half full. So I'm off on a little internet adventure in search of some of the biggest "change the world" attempts. Up first: Miranda Gibson and The Observer Tree. This girl's been up on a platform, in a 400 year old tree, 200 feet above the ground, in the middle of Tasmania's southern forest since December 14th, 2011, hoping to bring enough attention to the conflict between conservationists and loggers over the forest to bring about Earth-friendly solutions. Disclaimer: of course not everything she says may be 100% true, a lot of it is emotionally-charged, and there may be some truth to claims that she hasn't actually been up there 24/7 all 300 whatever days as she claims. But can we at least take the general message that she's trying to convey? Specifically, save the environment, in general: do the impossible for the things you believe in.

Muir Woods in CA (not the Tasmanian forest, but same idea)

Civil liberties and civic duty [96]

It's November 6th, get out and VOTE! It doesn't matter if you're an elephant or donkey or as free as a bird 

(sorry, had to get the animal references in... I am getting a Masters in Animals [and Public Policy] after all), 

the future depends partially on the people in power, so get your bum over to the voting booths!

Food festing part deux [95]

At the local food festival from the last post I heard about another food fest, the Vegetarian Food Festival, that would be going on a couple weekends later, and this one was supposed to have a lot more free food than the local one did. Needless to say, I was sold. Veggie and free? I'm there. So, this past Saturday a couple friends and I trundled over to Boston to experience the wonderfulness that was Veggie Fest. I was sad to find that it wasn't quite as wonderful as the local fest in the sense of setting and space. It was inside, it was hot, and it was crowded. But, I am happy to report that on the food front it was delicious! We made several trips around the room, once clockwise, another time counterclockwise, and possibly even a third time weaving back and forth. And there was free food everywhere, just as promised. Veggie sausages and fake chicken, coconut milk ice cream, daiya vegan cheese, peanut butter, hummus and pretzels, Indian food and African food and Thai food. There were also tables piled high with cookbooks and veggie fest shirts. And then, in the back corner, hidden by a never-ending line was the most delicious finding of all: a table full of yummy yummy sweet treats. Cupcakes and donuts and tiny slices of cake. There was chocolate and pumpkin and some were Halloween-themed and some were not. And even though this was one of the few stands where you had to pay for the food, it was totally worth it. Pumpkin creme donut? Om nom nom!

I'm really starting to fall in love with this city xx

I'm a foodie, hear me roar! [94]

I'm so behind on this blog that this post is actually about events from three (?) weekends ago... A couple friends and I drove in to Boston for the Local Food Festival. It was wonderful. The rain held off (mostly), the food was delicious, Boston was wonderful (as always), and there was a plethora (one of my absolute favorite words, had to work it in somehow!) of interesting characters. I know I talk about food a lot on this blog, even though that's totally not how it started out, but really my big thing about food (besides the fact that it's wonderful) is that it's LOCAL. I love love love farmer's markets and food festivals and supporting local business and getting back to the land and all sorts of other hippie-sounding things. I've been too flighty lately to join a CSA or really develop good relationships with local businesses of any kind so this was one of the little ways that I've found to support local and continue to be my wonderful tree-hugging self.

Bon appetit!

  A little bit of food and a little bit of culture

Perfection

Keeping myself clean and bright [91, 92, 93]

 In this world of "image is everything" and superficial judgements, I've found a way to be beautiful both inside and out. It starts with my attitude. I live with social anxiety disorder and a greater tendency to slip into negative thoughts than positive ones. It's taken me years to admit it and even longer to find the right language, because I don't "suffer from" social anxiety disorder. Not in my mind at least. It's just as much a part of me as my German heritage. It makes me who I am, especially because it's not "cure-able." Anxiety is a natural human emotion, it's part of everyday life, so I can't "cure" my anxiety, I can "treat" it or "manage" it. 
I like to think that I live with it and I live because of it and I live despite of it. 
There's this wonderful quote: 

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world" - George Bernard Shaw

The first step I took to keep myself "clean and bright" was actually way at the beginning of this project. I chopped off my hair and got new glasses. Sometimes you need to be a little bit superficial to feel more confident. The second step has been a work in progress for years and it's to have a positive outlook. To me, positive outlook= happiness, and did you know that happier people tend to attract other people and make them happy too? Well, at least that's what Gretchen Rubin and all of the research studies she read for her book The Happiness Project say. I try to see the silver lining in every situation, the glass is always half full, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I could go on and on with the cliché sayings. I do all of the normal "healthy" things: I eat right, I exercise, but I also try to spin everything in a positive light. I accept that there's times when I need my anti-people time. When I just need to close my door and watch a movie all by myself. No matter how anti-social it may seem, it's my recharge time. Think of it as a hybrid car. Getting gas is the social part of refueling. I'm just as human as everyone else, I need social interaction to be happy too, but there's also the electric side. Hybrids get plugged into the outlets at home to recharge, and that's what I need too. Sheesh, I'm just full of the cheesy examples today... 
Of course I'm not perfect. There's always going to be people that just bring out the worst in me and situations that I can't enjoy (public speaking anyone?). And, I can't necessarily give you my secret to keeping a positive outlook, in part it's just a conscious decision. But I can tell you from experience that if you find your own way to a positive outlook, the world will look a lot shinier, because you're so nicely "clean and bright".

Ok, ok, enough with the cliché cheesiness, it's driving me a little crazy. Back to this whole: we live in such a superficial world thing. Think about it, what better way to keep yourself clean and bright than with make-up? Really, I'm not that superficial, but I do like supporting good causes and I just happen to know of this one company, Radiant Cosmetics, that uses the sale of cosmetics to raise awareness about human trafficking. It partners financially with organizations trying to end human trafficking and also pushes people to get involved in their own communities. The logic is that $170 billion is generated by the cosmetics industry every year which is dominated by women while 80% of the 2 million people who are victims of trafficking each year are also women. If I tried to define this company in one sentence I'd just take their own description: "We believe that through ordinary purchases we can make a difference in this world." The longer I spend on the site, the better it gets. A minimum of 20% is donated from each purchase to efforts to end human trafficking. There's a bunch of information about groups like Free the Captives for people interested in helping anti-trafficking organizations directly. And my absolute favorite part: [Q] "Do you test your products on animals?" [A] "We love animals too much to do that. No animals were harmed or tested on in the making of our products." I'm sold!

Speaking of not harming animals during the production of cosmetics, check out the Leaping Bunny website. Basically it's all you ever needed to know about animal testing within the cosmetics world and how to stop it. There's a pledge, which of course I've signed, to "take the leap" to cruelty-free products. Before you even take the pledge you've got access to all sorts of information, including news stories about the cruelty-free realm and a list of cruelty-free companies. Once you take the pledge you get access to the store. It's all about anti-cruelty so it may not be super interesting to the average Joe out there, but for those of us who love bumper stickers and mugs and all sorts of other random things like that, the store is a treasure trove of goodness. After all, why should animals have to suffer so that we can look all pretty and perfect? How can you fight human trafficking with one product but be okay with the suffering of millions of animals with the purchase of another?

As a compassionate consumer, I pledge to only purchase cosmetic, personal care 

and/or household products from companies that do not test finished products, ingredients, 

or formulations on animals. I am taking the leap to cruelty-free products.

Humanitarian events I missed and awareness in October [87, 88, 89, 90]

United Nations World Humanitarian Day

August 19, 2012

One Day, One Message, One Goal.

Do Something Good for Someone Else.

Be Kind to Animals Week (this year: May 6-12, 2012)

"In 1914... MSPCA (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) president Francis Rowley convinced AHA(the American Humane Association) members to sponsor a national, week-long event to celebrate the work of both these youth groups and adult humanitarians... the third week of May 1915 marked the first 'Be Kind to Animals Week,' during which state organizations posted exhibits, held gatherings, and awarded medals commemorating the event." 

For the Prevention of Cruelty by Diane L. Beers (p. 89)

[http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/programs/be-kind-to-animals-week/] 



OCTOBER

Pit Bull Awareness Month

Remember when little rascals and pits were besties

World Vegetarian Day (October 1) 
and 
Vegetarian Awareness Month
World Vegetarian Day was founded by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) in 1977 and was endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978. It is a kick-off for Vegetarian Awareness Month, a month of vegetarian pride and education. If you aren't vegetarian yet but would like to try it out for a day, a week, or the whole month you could even win $1000! Interested? Here's the link: World Veg Day Pledge

P.S.: We are the World

It's not present season yet, buuuuut.... [86]

Happy first day of Fall! 

Although I hate cold weather, I love most of what comes with it: 

apple picking adventures, warm cuddly sweaters, mug after mug of tea, and most importantly... the holidays.  

Though it may surprise you that it's not because of the presents...

 

This whole project started because of my resolution to not get presents for my 21st birthday. Back then it was called "21 for 21" and was a list of 21 different things people could do to celebrate my life instead of giving me presents. Then it morphed into 365. Now it's exploding into: I DON'T WANT STUFF! Alright, enough with the dramatic-ness. Here's what I'm thinking:

If you want to give me something for Christmas or my birthday (it's in June so you've got plenty of time to brainstorm), call me up and schedule a coffee date. Get a bunch of people together (including me) and start a book club. Plant a garden (for me or really in your own backyard because I already have one). Knowing that you're doing good in honor of my birthday is a much better present than any material thing (believe me, my love for whatever you buy will decrease 10 fold the next time I move halfway across the country....) If you really want to contribute materially to my life, I'll give you a list of things I recently bought and you can contribute money to the thing of your choice. Case in point: I just recently bought "The Hunger Games" and a pair of hiking boots --> Hello Christmas presents in August (I thought when Christmas came early it came in July....)

I've actually been trying to incorporate this kind of gift giving into my own life, and not just for unselfish, change-the-world kind of reasons. You see, I'm really bad at picking out presents for people. It might be because I hate shopping or because when I give someone something I want it to really mean something and to find anything to buy that fits that category is difficult. So instead, my presents are often homemade crafts or baked goods. Crafts tend to be labors of love, not just the monetary value of your friendship, and banana bread is the easiest go-to present of all time. Baked goods are my absolute favorite presents because I love baking, what I bake is actually pretty yummy, and it isn't just a material object that may or may not end up on the highest shelf of the hall closet to collect dust after a couple months.

So as the weather gets colder, stores put out first Thanksgiving and then Christmas decorations WAY too far in advance, and people start nagging you about wish lists, think about going to the grocery store for gift-making supplies. A nice little bonus to this approach: you'll never again have to fight with Black Friday crowds. You could probably still go shopping on Black Friday and avoid the crowds, at least if you stick to smaller, exclusively food grocery stores and avoid ones that have everything (like Fred Meyer, Meijer, Kroger, Stop 'n Shop)

Disclaimer: This is a post about being a girl and that thing that comes once a month. So boys, beware, we're talking about periods today! [85]

There's no good way to lead into this blog post. I could lean towards cheesy or funny or maybe even super awkward. Instead I'm just going to come out and say it: being a girl means getting your period once a month, which means using pads and/or tampons, which means creating lots of trash. One of the most common-sense approaches to becoming environmentally friendlier (aka one way to change the world) is to create less trash. The slogan "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" ring any bells? I'm a fan of less trash for so many reasons. There's the environmental impact, the fact that I have to carry less bags to the side of the road, I have to spend less money buying the trash bags into which I throw the trash, and generally it means I'm buying less stuff in general but also less packaged food and more food from the farmers market. It really sucks when all of that work gets thrown out the window as soon as the cramps start and the pads come out. Cue: cloth pads. It's quite simple: use, rinse, dry, repeat and then throw them in the washer for a thorough cleaning once your period has left the building, at least until the next month. I'll leave out the pictures, just in case some innocent boy wishes to scroll down past this post to the next one, after all, we can't gross them out by flaunting pictures of such girly things such as pads.... But, if you're sick of creating trash and don't want to wear plastic-y diaper-like pads anymore, aka are interested in joining the movement back to cloth, check out the cloth pads (and also the DivaCup) on the Lunapads website. Honestly, I think my favorite part is the little slogan at the top: "eco positive periods" though I'm also a huge fan of Lunapads Pads4Girls campaign supporting education for girls in Malawi (educating girls in Africa is a wonderful cause, the fact that it's Malawi, a country I've wanted to go to for a while for unknown reasons, makes it even more wonderful). There's also the Party in My Pants company. Alright, I'm done with the awkward post. Get excited for next time, present season in September (or October, depending on how slow I am about uploading)!