Not Anti- St. Valentine's

I realise that St. Valentine's Day- not unlike most holidays- is incredibly commercialized. There's a huge pressure to buy gifts and cards for anyone and anybody, a pressure I resist. Now, I realise that in reality we love many people, but I think St. Valentine's Day should be kept for lovers. Please keep in mind that this profession comes from a woman who will recieve her first "real" Valentine next week. I am not making this declaration as a woman who has always had a card, fluffy bear or flowers; I know how it feels to be without a Valentine.

Growing up, I grew excited when Valentine's came around, but not because I would receive cards or candy from classmates or family. I enjoyed seeing the cards that my parents exchanged displayed on the mantle as little testaments to the romantic love they shared. They served as reminders that even as the going got tough, love was a powerful force. Admittedly, they also allowed me to fantacize over my future Valentine's.

When my mother passed away, I found myself looking through her things; I found old letters and cards she and my father had held onto. Among them were hand-made Valentine's with heartfelt, personal messages, presumably from before Hallmark was affordable or had exploded upon England's newsagents.

It is perhaps the memories of those cards that make me want to celebrate Valentine's Day even more than before. I could boycott the day on the grounds that it is too commercialized, but seeing that I realise that love is a beautiful thing, I don't want to do that. Anyhow, the card companies have caught on to the boycott and now produce "anti-Valentine's" cards; do the "anti's" even look at the card aisle?

So instead of a boycott, I suggest that the romantic, responsible consumers among us avoid buying presents, or set a modest budget. Stick with the traditional if you can, or buy something that will last for decades to come. Make a card or buy a recycled card or two. Write from your heart in those cards, keep them safe, and look at them as a chronicle of love. The future you and yours will be glad you did.

And of course, if things end sour and you'd rather forget, the recycling bin ain't going nowhere.

A new semester, a new me

Ok, that title is misleading, but it feels right. I haven't really changed this semester, but I do feel rejuvenated. I failed rather miserably at my car-free experiment, partly due to weather, but also due to me. I am at peace with this and realise that I am not yet cut-out to be a rainy-weather cyclist. Notice that I said "yet."

Teaching is off to a good start. I finally feel organised in the classroom, a feeling I'd been sorely lacking since my mother's death. I certainly miss my mother, but I am so happy to feel more in control and at peace with my life.

This semester, I am taking two classes: Environmental Ethics and Animal Protection. I have almost finised 2 of the books and will write about them here shortly. I feel so at home in this program and am confident that pursuing this degree was the right choice for me.

I have sprouted spagetti squash and apple seeds and have some sturdy little plants going. I am giving container gardening a go; let's hope the squirrels don't get to the plants before I can.

No Car experiement failing :(

The experiment was going well until the weather changed. We have had rain almost every day for the past week. It is awful! Last week schools were closed in Houston due to the cold/ freeze. We're not used to this here, and I am not equiped to ride to work in the rain. :(

On Sunday it brightened up and I rode downtown on an errand, but I am so annoyed with this weather and the havoc it has caused my experiment.

*sob*

Healing touch

Each Wednesday evening, I volunteer at Central City Co-op. CCC is a twice-weekly organic fruit and vegetable co-op here in Houston.
When I volunteer, I usually help a few customers, but most of my shift is "after-hours" as the co-op is packed away into a tiny, chilled room in the back of its venue. It is when I am crating and stacking away all the produce that I reap the non-nutritional benefit of my volunteer shift. Playing with the veggies has become a weekly cleansing ritual for me. I find the calm it provides me very mysterious. No matter how tired I feel, those fruits and veggies rejuvinate me. I know that if I were tempted to take a nap rather than head over to see the veggies (and fellow volunteers), I would be making the biggest mistake of my week. The co-op needs me, but more importantly, I need the co-op.

I am interested in information linking mood and the handling of fruit and vegetables. Tell me what you know.

A new kind of student

I began working on an M.Ed. program in Humane Education(HE) in September. This distance education program is offered by the International Institute for Humane Education in Surry, Maine.

Over the course of the fall semester, I explored the HE field and alternative educational philosophies. This semester my coursework will explore environmental protection. Since Christmas morning, I have had a stack of books on my desk just waiting to be cracked(thanks Dad!). I hope to comment a little on my reading in this blog and might even jump back to some of the books I read last semester.

Keep your eyes peeled for earthy book reviews! :)

Car-free

The car free experiment is going very well; although, I must admit that I changed the rules a little bit.

I have not driven my car in over a week now and it has not been a problem. I am enjoying riding my bike around a lot. I have ridden in my boyfriend's car twice, but he was already going somewhere, so I went along for company. As much as I would like to avoid getting into a car period, I have to be sensible. So, new rule is: no cars unless the person is already going AND it is really inconvenient for me to ride bike or walk to meet them there. Still, 2 car rides in one week is not much.

I start teaching again next Tuesday, so I'll be on my bike about 7 each morning. This will be the real challenge since my sleeping schedule has been really out of wack for the past few weeks. Still, I love the feeling of arriving in class after a bike ride. I am always so pumped up for the day.

I was keeping track of milege on the bike, but accidently reset it. For the week, I estimate it was about 40 miles. I expect this will increase as the semester begins.