One of many grape hyacinths transplanted after the new garage was built last year.
Thank you to Kim from Kansas and to madrekarin who correctly identified the mystery vegetation growing daintily beside my father's front walk. Kim didn't want any tangible kudoos, and madrekarin...well, I found her blog, but no email addy. So, I've left her a message there to see if she'd like the fabulous prize.
Before either visitor left a comment, though, I contacted a master gardener at my local K-State Extension Office. They are wonders there. One of them looked through her books and found that the wee cutie weed is called Persian Speedwell. As of this weekend, the little clump is still blooming at Dad's house. It may even be too short to wack down with the lawnmower. Too bad so sad.
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So, this Tuesday is Earth Day. I've been thinking about that. Earth Day, as a red letter day, exists as a pinpoint reminder to respect what we should be respecting throughout the year...kinda like Arbor Day, Presidents' Day, and Veterens' Day does. But, like those other notable but anonymous days, Earth Day doesn't get the widespread, commercial send-up as does Christmas, Halloween, or even Superbowl Sunday (which ignores the fact that it doesn't even get a mention in a little square on mass-printed calendars...consumers go bonkers over it anyway).
I'm thinking this anonymity is because Earth Day doesn't have any traditional markers attached to it yet: Carols, decorations, candy, a form of roast beast, blackout days for airline miles.
So, any suggestions, here? Anyone got good songs for Earth Day? (We Are the World? 16 Tons? Happy Earth Day to You?) What's the right candy? (A big bowl of nutritional supplements, perhaps. Can't...resist...those phytochemicals...like Pez.) How should one decorate?
While waiting for your thoughtful and solemn suggestions, I'd like to highlight a couple changes THOMY and I have incorporated into our routines this year that will, hopefully, fit our carbon footprint into a narrower pair of Georgina Goodmans.
Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars. I found out about this mom 'n pop operation on the Crunchy Christian Crafters group on Ravelry. They offer a wide selection of shampoo bars for various hair types. I ordered several samples to try out, and I've settled on the Summer Sunshine recipe for now. One bar has lasted, for both THOMY and myself, oh, for about a month. The environmental bonus: No plastic bottles to recycle.
Chico Bags. More stores are offering cloth or reusable plastic shopping bags now, but Chico Bags can be stuffed into their own pouch which closes with a drawstring and can be clipped to your purse, bike, what have you. They're washable nylon. Now, granted, they're made in China. But the manufacturing company in China is at least fair labor/fair wage. And the bags themselves are also recyclable when mailed into the company headquarters.
And while Halloween has a cartoon about The Great Pumpkin and Christmas has all those great claymation specials, here for your Earth Day observance is The Story of Stuff. Break out the organic popcorn; the full show is about 20 minutes long, but the teaser below is just over a minute.
Oooooh, I think those grape hyacinths are what is growing in my new backyard! They are sooooo cute.
ReplyDeleteI'm garden clueless, so anything that grows is a wonder to me.
Enjoyed the videos....it's too bad a lot of us don't think about plastics and marketing until a day like Earth Day comes along!
ReplyDelete