I'm So Green...

 ~ lilacs, can you smell them? ~

Recently, Raeann, over at The Lady Farmer Parables, had the following on her blog and it spoke to my heart. Actually, it yelled and I think I even felt a tiny little head slap, ala Gibbs -grin-. Have you ever been lectured by a sweet young thing on being "green"? Anyway, major gripe rant coming on here...if you're young and think you know it all, I'm happy for you because...heh heh heh...I know it's not true and it won't last. It didn't with me, thank God, and it won't with you either. Daddy says about someone who is acting bigger than their britches, "they are gonna set the world on fire, just as soon as they find their box of matches." snicker, snicker...ain't that just the truth?! So, when you run into a young chit at the grocery or market and they come down on you like a load of bricks for not having your own shopping bag, think about this e-mail. By the way, Raeann is a lot nicer than I; she'd never stoop so low as to say what I've just said so don't think poorly of her; it's all on me.

"In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's the problem today ~ the previous generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because the didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers and sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right; they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint!

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were, just because they didn't have the green thing back then?

There's more so please go to The Lady Farmer's Parables. As for me, am I green? In some ways yes and other ways no, but I do try to be a good steward of what God has entrusted to me. And that, dear friends, is of far greater importance, imho.

"A gray head is a crown of glory" ~ Proverbs 16:31 ~

Blessings ~ wise bloggers ~ funny bloggers ~ the wisdom of Proverbs ~ lilacs ~

Pink Moon, Green Shawl

~ April's pink moon, through the branches ~

April's full moon is called the Pink Moon and it was beautiful. This photo isn't the best one I've ever taken but I love it anyway. Perhaps because it reminds me of the still quiet of early morning, a bit before sunrise...? The dogs and I were wandering in the yard and enjoying the presence of God. Birds were in full song, dogs were snuffling, horses were softly snorting...peaceful and serene and what a wonderful way to begin the day! 

The Farmer's Almanac says the April moon is called the Pink Moon because of the wild ground flox that grows this time of year. It's one of the earliest blooms and simply gorgeous! Other names are grass moon, fish moon and egg moon; the latter is, I'm guessing, because chickens begin laying well after not laying so well throughout the winter.

~ olive green shawl ~

Just off the knitting needles is my olive green shawl made in Lion Brand Organic Cotton. The color looks, both in the photo and in person, like a mustard but Lion Brand calls it "olive". Recently, while I was away, my hands wanted knitting. I'd taken embroidery to finish some pillow cases for a friend as well as another project, although I can't remember just now what, but my hands said, "knitting"; knitting and only knitting will do. So, I found a Joann's Fabric and bought some organic cotton yarn and made up my own pattern.

~ design element or design flaw? ~

The pattern is a simple one, instructions to follow, but I've got either a design element or design flaw on my hands. I'm not sure which. I think if I can't find one more skein of Lion Brand Yarn Art 480, color 174, lot 38342 Olive, it will be a design element. I wanted the fringe to go to the tip ends of the shawl but I ran out of yarn even though I used three 103 yard skeins... I still ran out of yarn. 

drats.

It's more of a shawlette than a shawl and meant to be worn close to the throat and pinned with a shawl pin. I like it and the color, believe it or not, looks good on me. My skin tone is sallow and I look best in autumn colors so pison green is my color -smile-. One of 'em at least. I'm amazed at how warm this shawlette is and realize I won't be wearing it much longer before it will have to be put away until autumn and cooler weather. That's okay, my hands have been happy for a few days and that's a good thing.

Vicki, of Simple Knits, has put together a terrific listing of knitted shawl patterns. A lot of the patterns are free so make time, please, to visit her. "My", and I use the word loosely as there's nothing new under the sun, pattern is a take on the old knitted dishcloth pattern.

Pison Green Shawlette

400 yards bulky cotton yarn - you choose color and brand and yes, increase skein by one  if you're using Lion Brand Organic Cotton as it comes in 103 years per skein.

Size 9 knitting needles

Cast on 3 stitches.

Knit* 2 stitches** into back of each stitch, Yarn Over***, Knit into back of each stitch to end of row

Pattern is

K* 2 sts** into back of each stitch, YO***, K into back of each stitch to end of row

I made my shawlette about 2 feet or a little more in width, across the top. Then I cast off, wove in all my ends and began cutting yarn twenty-four inch strips in length. I tried twelve inches in length but it looked puny; perhaps eighteen inches would have looked good but twenty-four looked lush so twenty-four inches it was. 

Use a crochet hook to attach the fringe to the edges of the shawlette. I suppose one could block but it's a roly poly bulky cotton and doesn't take well to blocking so just throw the sucka on and look beautiful!

Blessings ~ knitting ~ hands to knit ~ cotton yarn ~ pison green ~ shawlette ~ pink moon ~

Knit happy, 

Sandra