Simpler Living: Low Waste Christmas

Christmas is among my favorite times of the year. I love the friendliness people share, when looking at Christmas light displays, attending concerts or even while shopping. I love the mound of gifts under the tree -- and I love slipping a new package into the pile (and having my children discover it, shake it, wonder about it). Unfortunately, Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week! (1) That extra waste is often not recycled and not recyclable. Wrapping paper with foil or tape embedded cannot be recycled, neither can embellished cards. Organic materials, like paper, that are sent to the landfill either do not decompose, or they create methane gas by decomposing anaerobically (i.e. without oxygen). Creating greenhouse gasses and filling landfills is not in accord with the spirit of the season.

All is not lost. You can give beautiful gifts without creating waste. Wrapping gifts in reusable wrap is an easy way to eliminate the waste without eliminating the fun. Use cloth gift bags to wrap things quickly and easily (tied with a reused ribbon) or explore the art of furoshiki to wrap a gift in a length of fabric or a scarf. Upcycle a shirt into wrapping. Check out the “FAQs on Holiday Waste Prevention” from Stanford (1) and this article from The Guardian (2). You might look at Pinterest for other ideas. It's a small change that can have a huge impact, if we all do our part.

Roberta Price

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(1) Stanford University, Department of Land, Building and Real Estate, https://lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-holiday-waste-prevention

(2) https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/20/save-wrapping-paper-christmas-gifts-eco-friendly


Note: Roberta and all of us at Simpler Living would welcome your comments, suggestions, etc. What have you done to make your Christmas more low waste? What would you like to try? How can we support each other to change habits that are not always so earth-friendly? Through this blog, we hope to initiate a dialogue that will lead us all to action. And come by our Simpler Living table on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month for some examples and further sharing!]

Ministry report: CSA farm tour

Did you know you can join a CSA and share /coordinate with fellow parishioners at St Paul's for pickup?  Simpler Living can tell you more.  Jen Jow shares news of the CSA farm tour.

CSA Farm Tour JR Organics Farm Tour May 14 - update by Carolyn Lief

http://all-free-download.com/free-photos/
download/vegetable-still-life-05-hd-picture_167404.html

What is CSA?
CSA or Community Supported Agriculture, is a way that city and suburban residents can get direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by a regional farmer. When you become a member of our CSA, you’re purchasing a “share” of the farms’ produce delivered year round either weekly or bi-weekly, to a convenient pick-up location in your neighborhood. We provide many payment options but you can also contact us for special requests. With Community Supported Agriculture there is a direct link between the farmer and the consumer. Know how your food is grown, join JR Organics CSA.


Tour was very interesting and eye opener, SPC is already involved with program and looking to expand with more member memberships.

ALternative Gift Exp Returns Dec 11!

St. Paul’s Alternative Gifts Expo returns! 
Sunday, Dec. 11, 8:30AM-1:30PM 
The Great Hall, St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral 
 2728 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA

Coming together with common values, our St. Paul’s community demonstrates an alternative to our commercial, consumptive culture-a colorful and festive marketplace with choices of gifts that revolve around issues you care about.

Alternative gifts prioritize meaning over materials — they may include a charitable donation in honor of a family member to provide health care in Haiti, or handcrafted note cards that support a nursing college in Kenya. Donations in a friend’s honor may also provide translators to assist war-ravaged refugees seeking help with everyday government transactions.

Shoppers can also visit tables hosted by non-profit organizations that strengthen the Fair Trade practices by buying handcrafted items produced by artisans in economically disadvantaged areas of the world. When you buy Fair Trade products you are encouraging safe and ethical business practices.

Alternative gifts cost you less money, are less costly for the environment, and are less commercialized—but really, they’re all about infusing the holiday season with more: more meaning, more joy, and more fun.

Enjoy yourself, and bring a friend and the kids! Children will find there is a selection of small priced items that make special gifts for friends or family.

Besides a wintery ambience we will be serving free-of-charge yummy Tomorrow Project soup and bread from 11:30AM-1PM, and we will accept Cash, Check and Credit cards for donations and products. Festive recorder music by The Granada Consort will be performed throughout the event.

Vendors Include:

• Equal Exchange/Fair Trade- Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, olive oil, nuts, and more
• Around the World Gifts- Fair Trade products that include decorative gifts, bags, accessories
• Episcopal Refugee Network- Donations to assist San Diego refugees from war-torn regions
• Mission in Maseno (Kenya)- handcrafted note cards benefitting the AIDS/HIV hospital and small nursing college
• Haiti Health- Donate to help purchase blood pressure medications for Dr. Bart Smoot’s Blood Pressure Clinic
• Plant with Purpose- Donations to renew the earth with gifts of trees, chicks, family gardens, bunnies, tee shirts
• Golden Rule Boutique- Handmade clothing Fair Trade products for the betterment of children, women and families
• Nonviolent Peaceforce- Buy a Peace Bond or potholder to support this group’s training of civilians to provide unarmed civilian peacekeeping in violent areas of the world
• Ten Thousand Villages- a myriad of unusual small gifts from the Fair Trade communities across the globe
• Tomorrow Project- Fabulous soups (enjoy a cup for lunch!), spice rubs, and rice mixes train and empower low-income women for work readiness Fair Trade Décor-Decorative home items and personal accessories that provide legitimate and sustainable means for people around the world to pull themselves out of poverty
• Vida Joven de Mexico- Donations to provide Mexican children 3-18 years who have been abandoned or have a parent in jail with love, protection, and education
• Malia Designs- Fair trade producer groups who offer marginalized people in Cambodia exposure to Western Markets to keep a sustainable income through sales of silk items, unusual bags, and wallets
• Lumily- Works directly with partner artisans in Guatemala, Mexico and Thailand to pay a fair wage, give hope, and provide a percentage of profit back to the artisan community through sales of jewelry, large and small bags, key chains, and clothing
• Melinda’s Homemade Jams in support of the Cathedral Memorial Organ

St. Paul’s Simpler Living, and Children, Youth and Families also are part of the Alternative Gifts Expo. Both will provide small-priced items for children to give or receive.

Upcoming events from Simpler Living

This is the latest newsletter from Simpler Living, our creation care group.  More information here, including how to sign up for the mailing list:  http://stpaulcathedral.org/outreach-simpler-living

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Tangerines Film and Potluck

Celebrating International Peace Day at the Cathedral, Simpler Living and the St. Paul's Peace Committee will screen the 2013 Estonian-Georgian film Tangerines on Saturday, September 19 in the Guild Room. Nominated for an Academy Award, the film tells the story of an older Estonian man who cares for two wounded soldiers from opposite sides of the 1990s-era war in Georgia. Compassion becomes the ultimate response to centuries of political, cultural and ethnic conflict. Potluck starts at 6:00 p.m. (please try to bring sustainably raised food); film at about 6:45; brief discussion to follow led by Canon Richard Lief. Sign-up for this FREE event at the Simpler Living table during coffee hour. Contact: Phil Petrie (619) 298-0464 for more info. Two more peacemaking events will follow on Sunday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 3.

Answering Earth's Call: An Interfaith Forum on Climate Justice

Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si' has challenged the world-wide faith community to become more profoundly involved in sustaining the earth, "our common home." On the very day that the Pope will address the U. S. Congress, St. Paul's is honored to host this interfaith forum. Join a panel of distinguished local faith, environmental, labor, and community leaders to explore faiths' perspectives on climate change, connections between climate and social justice, the Pope's encyclical, the upcoming climate talks in Paris, and effective actions we can take here in San Diego. The forum will be held in the Great Hall on Thursday, September 24 7:00-9:00 p.m. RSVP at http://sdclimatejustice.org.

Going native

Simple living is all about sustainability. And what's more sustainable than native plants? They save water, don't need fertilizer, and require little maintenance. Besides that, birds and butterflies love 'em! And by a fortunate coincidence, the California Native Plant Society-San Diego is having its giant fall sale next month. The sale is the place to check out a huge variety of hard-to-find native plants at good prices and--even better--to pester the patient and helpful native Plant Society members for advice.

So if you just want to fill in a few empty spots in your yard with colorful natives, or if you want to tear out the whole blessed thing and start from scratch, the plant sale is the place to be. It's open to the public from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, October 17, at Casa del Prado in Balboa Park. You can find more information about the sale on the CNPS-SD website, including a list of all 198 different varieties of plants that will be sold, with their Latin names (but fear not, common names are also shown). The website also has a list of qualified native plant landscapers who can decide everything for you if 198 plants are, understandably, too overwhelming. The website is cnpssd.org. Have a look!

Betsy Cory

A weekend with Peter Gyves

University of San Diego's Center for Christian Spirituality offers the following retreat as a way to center one's Christian action in the world. Awaken To a New Way of Living Your Faith: A Weekend Retreat with Peter W. Gyves, SJ, MD. The retreat will be held on Friday, Nov. 6 7:00-9:00 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 7 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in USD's Founders Hall. Cost is $40 and includes coffee on Friday, light breakfast and lunch on Saturday).

Register: http://sandiego.kintera.org/ccs.

St. Ignatius of Loyola (pictured above), founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), developed the Spiritual Exercises to transform people's lives through a personal experience of God in the ordinariness of their lives. You are invited to a weekend retreat where your heart and mind will be transformed to an awakening that recognizes your personal salvation is interwoven into the fabric of God's larger plan for the salvation of all humankind. For more info: Sandee Gutierrez (619)-260-4784.

Carolyn Lief

What's green and has good manors? (;-)

St. Paul's Manor on 2nd Ave. has a Green Team (I am a member) that is inspiring residents and staff to conserve water, electricity, and gas. They also encourage recycling. Team members wearing green badges publicize the great need to cut back on our resources for the sake of future generations and to slow global warming. When members turn off a light on a sunny day and ask the resident if she needs that light, the response is frequently "I didn't know the light was on."

We all need to be more aware and conserve what God has given us. Praying for rain daily is the right thing to do. Our Rev. Anne Chisham is the acting chair of the Green Team. What can YOU do?

Marilyn Slater

Two volunteer opportunities

Following up on our story about Harvest CROPS in our last issue, we are interested in putting together a crew to pick excess fruit and donate it to those in need. Harvest CROPS will chose the date and then we will field as many people from St. Paul's as we can. If you are interested in joining such a crew please contact Katie McGinness at katiemcginness@yahoo.com.

And the Interfaith Shelter is almost upon us. As usual, Simpler Living will provide one dinner on Thursday, October 29. I know that several folks from the Committee will be coming but we could also use several more to provide enough food. Contact Agnes West-Kohler at agnesw@att.net

Fairly Traded: Take on Everyday Justice for Lent

This Saturday (Feb. 21), Simpler Living is sponsoring the film “The Dark Side of Chocolate” (come to the potluck first at 6 PM in the Guild Room.) Most of us are aware of the good side of dark chocolate, but how it’s produced is another matter altogether – the dark side.

Well, it turns out that there is a dark side to more than just chocolate. Many other goods and services we enjoy come to us at the expense of the lives of others(workers who receive low wages, or none, in horrific working conditions, mostly in developing countries). Fair Trade exists to counter that trend.

Richard and I have been reading a book, Everyday Justice, by Julie Clawson (available at Amazon). It explores the global impact of our daily choices – food, fuel, clothing, waste, debt, coffee, and yes, chocolate. We commend this book to you. There are Fair Trade alternatives to food and clothing; it may take some work to find them. Maybe that work would be a good thing to take on for Lent. Incorporate one new Fair Trade item into your life and become part of everyday justice. Have a blessed Lent.

  Carolyn Lief

Fairly Traded is our regular blog series about Fair Trade and how your economic choices can make a difference.

Fairly Traded: a fair trade Valentine's day!

St. Valentine’s Day!  It’s a time for chocolates, flowers and unique gifts for your special someone.  And it’s a holiday that can easily be made fair trade!!

Fair trade chocolates are available in abundance and can be found at your local grocers or online.  Sprout’s, Whole Foods and Ocean Beach People’s Coop all sell fair trade chocolate.  And perhaps your loved one likes frozen chocolate treats, anywhere you can buy Ben and Jerry’s you can buy fair trade.

Fair Trade flowers are beautiful and ethical. I have seen fair trade flowers at Whole Foods in the past but you can definitely buy them online. Check out One World Flowers (https://www.oneworldflowers.org) for great fair trade flower options.

Fair trade gifts are unique and gift back. Here are a few of my favorite online spots to buy fair trade gifts:

AshandRose.com – this site sells ethical and fair trade clothing and accessories from several different vendors.  You don’t need to search all over the Internet to find a great gift.  They sell Mata Traders, which is one of my favorite fair trade purveyors of clothing and accessories.

SevenHopesUnited.com – they are locally owned in San Diego and sell wonderful gifts for men and women.

TenThousandVillages.com – Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest fair trade sellers in the United States.  Again, their items are unique and a very good place to find gifts for men and women.

Happy Valentine’s Day – Dawn

Simpler Living: A Different Lenten Discipline

Simpler Living Tip #17  from Phil Petrie

Lent is a season when we think about giving up things, not to punish ourselves, but to deepen our relationship to God. The underlying idea here is that it is pretty easy for our appetites to get out of whack—for habits to become addictions—and I think all of us would acknowledge that addictions, of whatever sort, tend to point us away from God.

Our culture now widely acknowledges that many of us have become addicted to our electronics. We text or email or tweet multiple times a day. We are on our cell phones whenever we have a moment of “down” time. We spend hours consuming websites, TV shows, YouTube videos, on screens large and small. In moderation, none of this is bad, but, all too often, what starts as a reasonable amount of time becomes excessive. Can God speak through our electronics, through a medium that is thoroughly of our own making? I suppose so but I tend to think that S/He is more likely to communicate with us through a medium that is only partly human-made, that is, the world around us.

So here are a couple of suggestions. Take one walk a week and leave all the electronics at home (including cell phones). Work with your partner, family or just yourself to ban electronics from the dinner table. And, if you are feeling really ambitious, try a cyber-Sabbath—putting aside one day a week (why not Sunday?) when you have no screen-time at all. Why not start this Lent (there are only a couple of weeks left anyways!)? This discipline should help us keep things in balance and, even more important, create time and space to hear that “small, still voice” which is always trying to connect.

Got a Lemon?

Just a reminder that the Simpler Living Ministry table on 1st and 3rd Sundays after the 10:30 service has a “Swap Basket”  for everyone to share and enjoy the abundance of their gardens. Please bring any extra fruit or veggies that you may be growing, and come check out what’s available too.

Grace van Thilo

Go Public in Epiphany!

Sisters and Brothers,

Our Saturday afternoon Balboa Park Outreach Walks with Chris Wells, Mary Doak, Lynne and Bill Fish and others continue to invite us into compelling conversations with those who live outside. Won't you consider joining them for these hour-long walks (3:30-4:30) some Saturday soon? Email me if you're interested.

Go Public and Serve this Epiphany!

Here are some upcoming opportunities to join the Spirit in ushering God's justice- and peace-filled Kingdom into the world:

Attend the Diocesan Service Coalition Meeting 
Episcopalians from across the diocese will be gathering at Grace San Marcos on Saturday, January 25 from 10 am to 2 pm to plan upcoming service projects that our churches can do together. Contact Sarah Shealy Stump for more information.

Join in on the Interfaith MLK Day of Service at Balboa Park
Help clean up Balboa Park alongside people of faith from across the county on Monday, January 20 from 9 to 11:30 am at Morley Field, Balboa Park (corner of Upas and Texas Streets). To register online or for more information, click here. Come dressed and prepared for physical work; volunteers will be clearing and hauling brush, mulching and planting. As your work ends, you are invited to stay and picnic in the park. Bring your own food, and enjoy! When people register online and/or check in at the day of the event, please list your affiliation as "Episcopal." The organizers tally participants by faith affiliation and we'd love to see how many Episcopalians turn out on the day.

Take a Stand on Climate Change
Draw the Line Protest Against Keystone XL Pipeline Join Phil Petrie in his work with SanDiego350.org, an all-volunteer team of San Diegans dedicated to raising awareness, developing leaders, and advocating for climate change action. Whether you are an activist, lawyer, scientist, designer, educator, programmer, speaker, student, videographer, nurse, or musician, they need your help! For more information, email volunteer@sandiego350.org.

What You Can Do about Sex Trafficking in San Diego 
Join Susan Munsey, Executive Director of GenerateHope, at our regular 9 am forum on Sunday, February 9 to learn more about sex trafficking in San Diego and what we can do to help its victims. Click here for more information.

Stick Up for Women and Girls
 In too many areas of society, women are shut out, put down, or unable to get ahead. It's time for the world to change, and we need people of faith to call on Congress to change it! There are practical steps that Congress could take this year to help women and girls: increasing the minimum wage, taking bold steps against domestic violence and sexual assault, and passing immigration reform so that women in the shadows finally get the protection they need. Make sure that your senators and representative know you think their New Year's resolution should be to take these simple steps to support women. Join a Sojourners online petition here!

Help with the Next Count of our Homeless 
 Neighbors On Jan 24 from 4-7 am volunteers across the county will count the more than ten thousand people who live outside in San Diego, which will provide critical data for those who serve these neighbors. Learn how you can help here or contact Jessica Osmun with questions: jessica.osmun@rtfhsd.org.

Advocate for the Unemployed 

More than a million Americans were left out in the cold, dropped from their unemployment assistance just days after Christmas. Every additional week that Congress fails to act, another 72,000 unemployed workers continue to lose their benefits. Make them hear this message loud and clear: Unemployment insurance helps people look for work, put food on the table, and keep their homes. It provides a sense of security during difficult and stressful times. Call (202-224-3121) or email your members of Congress today, and tell them to extend unemployment assistance without delay.

Epiphany is the season for making known Christ's powerful, redeeming love in the world!

Every blessing,

The Rev. Colin Mathewson

Simpler Living: Fair Trade Holiday Shopping

The Holiday season is approaching!  Simpler living sends us this list of shopping opportunities that focus on Fair Trade and opportunities where your $$$ can make a  difference.  Bookmark this page so you can refer back to it throughout the season! 


              Fair Trade Holiday Shopping Guide!                  

Be Christ's blessing in the world this holiday season -- shop fair trade!

Holiday Markets THIS Sunday, November 24

• St. David's Episcopal Church, during 9 am forum and after 10:30 service. For further information call Linda Ten Eyck at (858) 277 6885.
• First Lutheran Church, 10:30 am to 12 noon
• Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, 8:30 am to 1 pm, or shop it online!

Saturday, December 7

• All Souls Episcopal Church Home Tour, Tea, and Marketplace
• San Diego Peace Bazaar, 10am-2pm

Online Catalogs

• Episcopal Relief and Development's Gifts for Life Catalog
• Tomorrow Project
• Thistle Farms
• Malia Designs
• 7 Hopes United
• VaVa Vida
• Exotic World Gifts

Local Stores

• Around the World Gifts, 2611 Congress St.
• United Nations International Gift Shop
• Fair Trade Decor, Del Mar (also at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market)

image from http://orgs.umbc.edu/lecm/pics/fairtradecomp.JPG

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Simpler Living Tip: how to use a paper towel

 Fall's almost here; and whenever we’re out and about, this enjoyable TED Talk offers a tip to help us reduce some of the 13 million pounds of paper towels we all use annually. It’s simple and will save trees, fossil fuel and money also!

After hand washing, just shake your wet hands twelve times; then fold one paper towel to finish drying. Now children will especially enjoy washing their hands. http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html

Thank you, Canon Christine Spalding for sharing this great idea!

Have your own tips?  Please share your own conservation tips in the comments.

For more information about Simpler Living ministry at St. Paul’s or to get more involved, contact Phil Petrie at 619-298-0464 or via

petriep@hotmail.com

Ministry Spotlight: Simpler Living

MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT is a new feature. Please feel free to contact Vicki about a ministry you are involved in. Remember ministries are not only through the Cathedral--you may be sharing your spiritual gifts with ministries outside the Cathedral, (such as Hands Up Food Pantry or Uptown Faith). To Spotlight your ministry email Vicki Hoppenrath at hoppenrathv@stpaulcathedral.org.


Ministry Spotlight: SIMPLER LIVING  Volunteer: Phil Petrie

Describe your ministry: Our ministry seeks a Christian response to the twin perils of environmental degradation and hyper-consumerism.  The latter often drives the former.  Both are symptoms, we believe of a civilization that is out of touch with what God intends for us and for his/her Creation.  We call ourselves Simpler Living because we feel that living with fewer things can open us further to God’s loving presence and is more just to those that our wealth tends to marginalize--be they our human brothers or sisters or the rest of creation.  However, we know also that for all of us this is a process and patience is always a necessary part of love.

What have you learned about yourself through your ministry?  I am not always so good at following up on a particular avenue—I tend to jump around some.  I do like working with our small committee.  I think we have developed a good rapport.  I have also learned that I should not take personally certain things that don’t always go as I would like them.  The short term is relatively unimportant—it is the longer term and the longer scope of relationships that matter.

Have you seen Jesus through your ministry?  Yes, but not in ways perhaps that are obvious.  I think Jesus was present to many of us that just completed the Richard Rohr book study.  But (borrowing from Rohr) I think Jesus’ presence was not only in those things that went well but also in those things that were more mixed or even failed.

What is the biggest secret about your ministry?  That we have a section of the St. Paul’s lending library devoted to books on the environment and simpler living.  Carolyn Lief is in charge of that.

Why would you recommend your ministry to another person? Both because I think doing something about the environmental crisis (and especially addressing climate change) is absolutely crucial and because I believe deeply that living more in sync with Creation is fundamentally good for us.  And sometimes we even have fun (look for Game Night in September)!!

What is the time commitment? For those of us on the committee it is anywhere from 2-8 hours per month.  However, we would also welcome volunteers for specific projects that would have a clear beginning and ending point, perhaps just helping to set-up for an event or writing a paragraph for our e-newsletter.  If you are interested please contact myself at petriep@hotmail.com or Grace van Thillo at gracea@earthlink.net .

Creation Care Sunday April 14

Most of us know plenty about climate change and sometimes all the mounting evidence—extreme weather events, melting polar caps, fires across the West—and the lack of major government action can be depressing. However, these events and the discussion they are engendering (Mike Bloomberg’s “It’s the climate, stupid!” comes readily to mind) are having a real impact on people’s attitudes.

 Approximately 70% of Americans now believe that climate change is real and over 50% believe that it is man-made. Compared with climate scientists, where the number is 97% for both questions, this is disappointing, but I still think we are in the middle of a sea change on climate that can lead to substantive changes in addressing it.

For that reason, Simpler Living decided to focus on climate change this Creation Care Sunday, April 14—we’re calling it Creating a Climate of Hope! The day will focus on solutions to climate change and what each of us can do to move these solutions forward.

  The Adult Forum at 9:00 a.m. in the Guild Room will feature Dr. Michael Boudrias, Chair of Marine Science and Environmental Studies at University of San Diego and renewable energy expert Bill Powers discussing the science of climate change and positive steps to mitigate it locally and worldwide.

 Michael and Bill are both major figures in San Diego’s environmental scene, so the forum is not to be missed! And, of course, the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services and our religious education classes will celebrate God’s creation and His call to build lives that sustain and renew it.

 Hope leads to action and the time for action is NOW! Please join us!!

SImpler Living Tips: Cool summer savings

Here are some ideas to cool your summertime:  Stay on the lowest floor of your home or building. Drink plenty of cool water. Eat well balanced, light, and regular meals. Wear loose fitting, lightweight and light colored clothing. Visit air-conditioned public places. Close drapes and shades to help keep the sunlight heat outside. Install weather stripping and proper insulation to help keep cooler air inside. More at:  http://sdge.com/summer/summer-savings-tips-your-home

During these very hot days, Flex Alerts urge us to expand our energy conservation. Check out http://sdge.com/residential to receive “Reduce your use” alerts and to earn rewards which can save you money!

Have your own tips?  Please share your own conservation tips in the comments.

For more information about Simpler Living ministry at St. Paul’s or to get more involved, contact Phil Petrie at 619-298-0464 or via

petriep@hotmail.com

Back in the day....Being Green

Scott Richardson forwards this to us:

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned 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.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

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

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

Back then, we 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 (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

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

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

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

Home-made cheese

Did you know you can make your own soft cheeses and yogurt at home?  Cassie Lewis recently led the Simpler Living group in a workshop to learn how to do it.  The recipes are posted here;  they will also be permanently accessible in the Recipes tab at the top of the blog.

Ricotta

• 1 quart whole or 2% milk
• ¼ cup vinegar 
• Salt 

Pour the milk into a large pot, and heat it to 190-195 degrees F (just under boiling, or until steam and small bubbles form along edges of pot). Add the vinegar and stir. The curds will separate. Ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander, and set aside to drain over a catch bowl. When the curds have cooled a few minutes, tie the corners of the cloth into a ball, wrap the ends around a wooden spoon, and rest the spoon over the catch bowl or the edges of your sink, allowing the curds to drain. After a few hours the cheese should stop draining, at which time you can salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Ricotta keeps for 5 days in the fridge.

Cream Cheese

• 4 cups NON-ultra pasteurized half & half 
• 1 cup NON-ultra pasteurized heavy cream 
• 2 tbsp buttermilk 
• 1 tsp salt 

Heat the creams to 90 degrees F (or until hot), then stir in the buttermilk and pour the mixture into a sanitized mixing bowl (use glass or a non-reactive metal). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Wrap a few kitchen towels snugly around the bowl. Place the bowl in a warm area, and let it sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours the cream mixture should have the consistency of yogurt and should not move when the bowl is leaned on its side. If it still has some movement, the cultures need more time to develop, so let it sit for 6-12 hours more. Once you have a firm mixture, pour it into your cheesecloth-lined colander with a catch bowl underneath. Allow it to drain for 15 minutes, then fold the cheese cloth over the cheese to continue straining. Cover it with plastic, and place in the fridge for as long as 12-14 hours. Stir in salt.

Fromage Blanc (aka Farmer’s Cheese!) 

• 1 quart of whole or 2% milk 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 2 tsp of vinegar (any type) or lemon juice 
• ¾ tsp salt 

Follow the same instructions for Ricotta.  

Yogurt

• 1 quart of whole, 2%, or soy milk 
• 2 tbsp of yogurt that’s already made, or some “yogurt starter” according to package instructions 

Pour the milk into a large pot, and heat it to 190-195 degrees F (just under boiling, or until steam and small bubbles form along edges of pot). Add the starter yogurt and stir. Pour into sanitized jars and place (without lids) in yogurt maker, OR cover with cheese cloth or thin kitchen towel or napkin and place in a warm spot with a towel around them for 6-12 hours (longer time makes thicker yogurt). Place lids on jars and refrigerate.  

Variations: Can use coconut milk, or nut milk (made by blending equal parts water and nuts). Can use the coconut milk in place of the water when making nut milk. Harder nuts require pre-soaking for several hours.

Labneh (Middle Eastern Yogurt Cheese)
 Follow instructions for yogurt above. After yogurt has developed for 6-12 hours, pour into a cheesecloth-lined colander over a catch bowl. Tie the corners of the cloth into a ball, wrap the ends around a wooden spoon, and rest the spoon over the catch bowl or the edges of your sink, allowing it to drain for 8-12 hours. When finished, use as a sweet or savory spread, adding salt and herbs or use with honey, cinnamon, and dried fruit.

Simpler living: Moving San Diego Rally on 24 Sept

The folks of the Simpler Living ministry are part of a coalition, San Diego 350, working for clean energy to address climate change. A number of events are planned for Sept 24th including a rally in the Park and interfaith panel.  Look for some familiar faces in the video below!

Green Living Workshop and Sharing in Community

Grace van Thillo shares a conversation from the recent Simpler Living workshop

Thank you, Cassie Lewis, for inspiring us toward healthier, non-toxic home cleaning and toiletry products that are safer for creation. Cassie encouraged us all to share cleaning items we use; and from one another we learned about the wonders of lemons, castile soap, white vinegar and baking soda, to name a few. Our comfortable conversation offered many useful suggestions. Here’s a website with many of the products we discussed: Recipes for Safer Cleaners . We invite you to keep the discussion going with questions or ideas for safer cleaning that you use in your home.

Also, the Simpler Living group actively bounces ideas via e-mail about many practical creation care topics. Please join in! Here’s a recent discussion about ways to avoid plastic bag use when shopping for produce.

Donna began by emphasizing the creation care covenant she made, and asked the following question, “I was serious about my commitment to not use plastic bags for shopping, and that has really made a difference in my habits. But I have a question: How do you keep your produce together till it gets weighed at the checkout? I have a friend who just puts everything loose in her cart and annoys the checkers. Any thoughts? Bring your own paper bags? Or are there re-usable bags made for that purpose? – Donna Turner

“My solution is to use plastic bags for fruit and veggies (which then go into my canvas bags) and then reuse as much as possible for wastebasket liners, etc. but I know that is far from perfect. Any other ideas out there?” – Phil Petrie

“My neighbor sewed small cloth bags for the loose fruits/veggies, similar to the ones on ‘small cloth produce bag’ sites; or to make  . . .alas that's not my forté! BUT together, we could have a bag making party, perhaps!! I also place fruits/veggies in the small baskets till check out, or lay them atop my cloth shopping bags, and sometimes use small plastic ones to re-use.” – Grace van Thillo

“I just put my produce loose in the basket many times, while smiling sweetly at the checkout ;) I also save and wash and reuse bags from previous trips. And there are nice crocheted bags for produce that you can get at People's. My CSA often packages things in brown paper bags (lunch-size bags). But boy, those organic veggies do not keep as well w/o the plastic! One thing that can help is the little plastic (still plastic!! :) egg-shaped thing that releases some gas (it's the same gas released by some fruits--totally natural!) that prevents fresh foods from aging so quickly. I bought one at Whole Foods (not sure yet how much of a difference it's made). You can replace the little packet inside the egg every few months.” – Cassie Lewis

“This is a good question and I gave up trying to be creative about it a long time ago, but am glad you've brought it up again. I don't bag anything that's bunched - bananas, celery, broccoli, etc. I reuse store plastic bags till they fall apart! I never wanted to use anything heavy to add weight, though that's really a small concern, I guess. I was thinking that some very lightweight net material could be used to make small bags, and it might be fun to have a party to make some. I have a net bag but it is so big and I only buy large amounts of things like apples, so would love something for the smaller items.” - Carolyn Lief

“Thank you, all. I like the idea of making cloth bags. I could do that! Maybe after we're in our new house we can have a bag making party there. Net would be good - you don't want it to weigh very much” ;) – Donna Turner

Eating Local

Cassie Lewis offered the first in a series of Green Living Workshops from Simpler Living. Expressing the sacramental gift of food and eating as our central gathering point, Cassie conveyed how we can “do justice”
with our food choices; participating in tasteful activism with small changes in a grand ethical movement.

Kris and I are sharing a CSA vegetable and fruit basket with family and friends, and buying many organic products. We’ll seek more local items and forego some treats that have travelled ‘round the world . . . . .

Please continue our workshop’s lively conversation about opportunities and challenges we encounter as Locavores – buying and eating foods grown within the region or state; and seeking organic and fair trade products. Thank you.

Grace van Thillo

The New Conscious Consumer

What is Fair Trade? How does Fair Trade affect your life?

You could become "The New Conscious Consumer". Sunday, April 10, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM, at Open Door Books in PB, Carolyn Lief, Cathedral member, will be presenting and facilitating a discussion on Fair Trade. Other presenters are Jim DeHarpport, Western Regional Director of Catholic Relief Services and Margie Carroll, Regional Director of Ignatian Volunteers. Margie recently saw Fair Trade in action in El Salvador. Carolyn visited Fair Trade coffee farmers in Nicaragua in 2005. The public is invited to learn more at Open Door Books, 4761 Cass St., San Diego (Pacific Beach). Refreshments will be served.

Carolyn Lief