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How many times have you said, “There’s just not enough time in the day!?!” Today is your lucky day! Tonight, right before midnight, an extra second will be added to the atomic clocks around the world.

This phenomena is called a leap second, it is caused by the erratic rotation of the Earth. In order to keep Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in sync with Solar Time, in 1967 the atomic timescale became the world’s official source of time, this timescale controls the time signals for the internet and GPS’s worldwide!

So, tonight, right before midnight you get that extra second that you’ve been asking for all year!
Use it wisely….

Wind

Photo Credit: Diamond Organics

The New Year is upon us and celebrations are in abundance and I, for one, enjoy my champagne toast at midnight! For those of us that want to keep with the ‘green scene’ on this special occasion might find it difficult to locate organic champagne.

Organic brewing is a process that creates not only a high quality wine/champagne, but a healthier one as well! The vines are grown by using pesticide-free organic gardening techniques, which enhances root growth and creates an active soil life. This process brings out the natural flavor of the grapes and in turn produces a full flavored wine.

Diamond Organics is one such company that uses these techniques and … (wait for it..) they will overnight their product, yes it is true, so, make your toast, and know that you are celebrating the New Year and supporting organic farming in the process!

~Wind

Since the 1990’s, Greenpeace has been trying to find an alternative refrigerant for household appliances and A/C units that are safe for the environment and consumers alike, you know,something that won’t continue to deplete the Earth’s ozone layer!

After 15 years of trial and error, Richard Maruya, designed a homemade, hydrocarbon blend that he calls HCR-188c and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved it!

Hydrocarbon-based refrigerants were banned in the United States due to the concerns of flammability, but Maruya’s HCR-188c has proven to be a low risk of this danger. Not only does HCR-188c cause absolutely no harm to the depleting ozone layer, but testing has shown that appliances that use HCR-188c also use less energy!

Thank you, Richard

Photo Credit: Freephoto

The holiday season can be tough on our insides, rushing out to buy the right gifts for our loved ones, hustling through the baking of the cookies, trying to get everything wrapped on time, the cards have to get out, gifts have to be shipped, and bills have to be paid! AHHHH! It’s enough to make you want to up the prescription on your happy pills!

I know that this may seem impossible, with all that needs to be done, but take some time out for you! Take a walk outside and listen to nature, take some deep cleansing breaths of the outside world, watch the birds and look at the changing of the seasons! Take the time to see ~ not just look! The Winter Solstice is a time for rest, the earth and most of its critters know this, but we as humans, tend to forget.

Taking some time outside and remembering what the holiday season is about, what we can truly be thankful for and what really matters in life, alone can be revitalizing. Even if it’s just 20 minutes, I promise you it’ll be worth it, you might even thank me when you’re done!

Blessed Holidays to you all!

Wind ~

It’s inevitable that on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, you will run into someone that you didn’t purchase a gift for. It used to happen to me all the time, even when I thought I had everyone covered!

I have found a way to fix this problem! Ta Da! Every year I run out to the thrift stores and buy four or five nice, unique bottles with corks (usually costs around one to two dollars each). I then go home and make homemade Kahula or Bailey’s and pour them into the bottles and put a couple in my car for my visits or visitors over the holidays! This way if I run into the unexpected, I’m covered! Below are my recipes for these quick gifts.

Kahula

Take:
4 cups of water
3 cups of sugar
12 teaspoons of instant coffee
Bring to a boil and let cool
Add:
a 5th of Vodka
and 3 teaspoons of vanilla
and your done

Bailey’s

add:
1 can of condensed milk
4 eggs
4 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of whiskey
2 teaspoons of sugar
to a blender and your done

Simple, easy and your covered ~

Wind

Photo Credit: Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Once again the Bush Administration has made me proud! The Bureau of Land Management has officially auctioned off 148,598 acres of pristine land in Utah to use for drilling gas and oil! Fortunately, through the hard work (and a legal protests) of the Natural Resources Defense Council and many other environmental groups including Earthjustice, Grand Canyon Trust, National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, Wilderness Society, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and the National Trust of Historic Preservation, 80 acres of land has been prevented from being leased out until January 19, 2009.

This is the last great move before the Bush Administration tucks tail and scurries out of office; one last deplorable act to add dollars into the pockets of its minions. I’m talking about a hundred thousand acres of some of the most beautiful wild lands in the country, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park,Dinosaur National Monument and Nine Mile Canyon.

I took a road trip when I was nineteen years old and drove from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Seattle, Washington. Deliberately, I drove hundreds of miles out of my way just to get a glimpse of ‘the longest outdoor art gallery in the world’. Today, I feel so fortunate that I was able to see that sunset over the canyons; the reflection of the sun turned my whole world a myriad of colors!

If the Bush Administration has its way, this land will be turned into a place of destruction, all in the name of the almighty dollar! Looks as if the oil tycoons got an early Christmas present this year!

I admit it, I’m a pet lover! My family and I are the proud owners of 6 dogs, 2 cats, 2 goats, a parrot and an iguana. Can you imagine the pet hair?

There is a rumor traveling fast about using dryer sheets to keep all that fur at bay, and it’s true, it works! There has been talk of pet owners using the dryer sheets directly on their pets to cut back on the fur in the house. Dryer sheets do indeed cut back on the static, which is what causes the hair to cling to EVERYTHING in the house, however they are full of chemicals, which in turn can cause health risks to your furry family members.

Once again, the best way is the old fashion way! If you take a few extra minutes and brush your pets on a daily basis, the fur on the couches and floors will be at a minimum. For any fur that does get on the couches and chairs, use a lint brush or rolled up masking tape.

These practices will cut back on the chemicals in your home and aid in keeping your pets healthier.

On the first day of Christmas the Earth has given me a full moon as round as can be.

On the second day of Christmas the Earth has given me 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon round as can be.

On the third day of Christmas the Earth has given me 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the fourth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the fifth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the sixth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the seventh day of Christmas the Earth has given me 7 Salmon smoking, 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the eighth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 8 blooming blossoms, 7 Salmon smoking, 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the ninth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 9 coral reefs, 8 blooming blossoms, 7 Salmon smoking, 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the tenth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 10 logs a’burning, 9 coral reefs, 8 blooming blossoms, 7 Salmon smoking, 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the eleventh day of Christmas the Earth has given me 11 glistening rainbows, 10 logs a’burning, 9 coral reefs, 8 blooming blossoms, 7 Salmon smoking, 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and a full moon as round as can be.

On the twelfth day of Christmas the Earth has given me 12 dancing snowflakes, 11 glistening rainbows, 10 logs a’burning, 9 coral reefs, 8 blooming blossoms, 7 Salmon smoking, 6 aging Oak leaves, 5 herbal teas, 4 quartz crystals, 3 shining stars, 2 waving Palm trees and full moon as round as can be.

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!

Image showing the changing rate of ice mass in the glaciers on the Gulf of Alaska
Photo Credit: CNN

Hey, here’s a surprise! CNN reported this morning that the mountain glaciers on the Gulf of Alaska are melting away due to Global Warming! Holy cow, didn’t see that coming! In the last 5 years, between Greenland, Alaska and Antarctica nearly 2 trillion tons of ice has just disappeared! Let me repeat that, 2 trillion tons! Trillion!

Not only is this phenomena caused by Global Warming, but it contributes as well. When the glaciers melt away, they lose that reflection, causing the earth to absorb the heat, as opposed to reflecting it, which in turn causes many impacts on the earth itself. The agriculture, pests, diseases, and of course, rising sea levels are some examples of these impacts.

Due to the warmer temperatures, the Pine Beetles are surviving longer through the winters and are eating away at the forests, air pollution is increased, causing more human diseases and the sea levels are rising at such a rapid rate that it won’t be long before our groundwater will become “polluted” with salt water. There are few things that we as humans (you know, the more “intelligent” species) can do to slow this process down.

Next time you find that you are in need of a new car, consider purchasing a fuel-smart vehicle, one, that at the very least, gets more miles to the gallon the one that you are driving now.

Consider transportation alternatives, such as busses, carpooling or bicycling once in awhile. It’ll make you feel good to do something that is not only healthier for the planet, but for yourself as well.

Make your home a bit more energy efficient by changing your central heating/cooling filters once a month, lower the thermostat, and check the caulk on your windows and doors, these few little things will save big bucks at the end of the month too!

Plant trees often, this will absorb carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases and ultimately shade your home to aid in keeping it cool during the summer months.

These few things are simple for us, but huge for the planet!

Photo Credit: Artistic Postage

Did you know that over two billion Christmas cards are sent during the holiday season? Recycling your holiday cards is not normally something that can be done on your regular recycle days, due to all the glitter and other shiny stuff that has to be removed first. However, there are many charities and organizations like St. Jude’s Ranch, a home for neglected, abused or abandoned children, that will accept your holiday cards. The children will then take the cards and make them into “new” cards for the next holiday season. St. Jude’s will be accepting cards through the end of February 2009 this year.

If you would like to re-use your cards yourself, try cutting off the back and using them as postcards or as gift tags for next year. Allfreecrafts has a great directional on making your old holiday cards into Christmas Tree Ornaments!

There are many different uses for those old cards that would serve much better purposes than tossing them in the trash! Get creative and fun with it!

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