environment

In Between the Lines – Trust

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Trust – Firm reliance; confident belief; faith; hope. (American Heritage Dictionary)

Here is one of several definitions that the dictionary gives for the word trust, and the one that I will use for the purpose of this post. Trust is another theme in my novels, and one that I find the cornerstone of everyday living – how we interact with our environment and people around us. We trust systems, people, routines … It goes from an external dimension to a personal and inner dimension to a spiritual one. When we lose trust (in whatever) our balance is shaken, and so is our reliance, confidence, beliefs, faith, and hope. Our feelings hurt. The issue is that once we lose trust in someone or something, it is very hard to recover. It takes change for us to consider trusting again, and as far as people go, many times the only thing that will make someone trust again is the presence of Love. In a way, Trust encompasses the above mentioned conditions; however, Love supersedes all.

In today’s society, it seems that trust has almost ceased to exist. We pay attention to conspiracy theories, and many people delight on these. Whether these theories are true or not is not the issue. It is how you process and internalize the information that you receive every day that will determine your level of trust – external, internal, and spiritual. Pay attention to your “trust process” and see how your balance is being affected. I will use myself as an example. When I start watching more television or increase watching the news, I immediately feel a direct effect on my balance. I like to be informed but I find that if I am going to listen to the news or watch television, I have to place a conscious filter before doing so, otherwise this simple activity may end up influencing the way I feel, and if I pay too much attention to negative news, so does my level of trust. This is just a simple exercise on a very mundane level, but a good example to illustrate.

We use Shakespeare’s line very often – To be or not to be, that is the question – but many times, the To Be depends on our level of trust, externally, internally, and spiritually. The question might be to trust or not to trust.

Photo by M.A.D.

Photo by M.A.D.

 

 

The Vintage Office

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If you have followed this blog, you are aware of my love for vintage items. I love the yesteryear charm of these things, the detail in workmanship, as well as the durability of many vintage objects compared to a similar object manufactured today. In addition, selecting vintage is my way of contributing to the planet by giving a second chance to things, and preventing some of these things from landing on our landfills.

As a writer and entrepreneur, I try to create a space that will inspire me during my working hours, but also that is environmentally friendly. Many times, before heading to the nearest staples, I try to plan purchases ahead of time, looking to see if I can find a vintage item instead of buying new. Sometimes, this action saves me money, sometimes it does not; however, it always helps the environment by preventing an item from going into the landfill.  Many times, I am buying new old stock (NOS) – new items from the past, never used or that have survived sometimes more than a 100 years and are still in great usable shape. Examples of these items are vintage pencils, hole punchers, metal pencil sharpeners, ledgers, paper, refillable pens, paperclips, card holders, heavy-duty Rolodex and refill cards, note cards … you get the idea. Of course, some things require new technology, which I buy new.

The trick here is to plan so you have time to look around; therefore, you don’t make a hurried purchase, which could end up being more expensive. However, Mother Earth is always grateful. As an example – if you know that you will need to buy a stapler in a few weeks, now is a good time to look. If you need to replace your stapler, the heavy metal vintage ones are excellent and perform well and you can still find original staples online, whether NOS or new replacements. I stress this point, planning a purchase, because let’s face it, if you need something right away, you will not have time to shop, compare, and most likely, you will rush to the nearest office supply store because you cannot wait for delivery.

Sometimes the detail in craftsmanship of these items is inspirational in itself – you see a well thought and designed item, proudly displayed, which may inspire you to reach for the same in your work output.  So there is an added benefit. If you are a techie who loves the latest gadgets, this post may not be for you, but you can help by organizing your work and schedule electronically, thus reducing much paper output, in a way, which is great too. And since we are in the topic of paper, if you alternate between writing your drafts on the computer and paper, you can use vintage journals or ledgers for that purpose. I have been lucky to find an entire box of NOS copy paper for three dollars. Other great writing materials are fax paper or the old printing paper with the removable sides. Just a few ideas.

Here are pictures of some items in my writing/working space. By the way, the desk was a Craigslist buy for $10.00 (no zeros are missing here).

 

Roll Top Desk - photo by M.A.D.

Roll Top Desk – photo by M.A.D.

Heavy metal Rolodex, 7 position industrial hole puncher, industrial stapler (takes three sizes)

Heavy metal Rolodex, 7 position industrial hole puncher, industrial stapler (takes three sizes)

017 018   Photo by M.A.D.

Vintage Camera Case - fits perfectly my Canon Powershot. Photo by M.A.D.

Vintage Camera Case – fits perfectly my Canon Powershot. Photo by M.A.D.

Journal Ledger - Photo by M.A.D.

Journal Ledger – Photo by M.A.D.

002 004El Dorado pencils and metal sharpener

So there you have it; all these items are vintage, some more than 50 years old, some new old stock, but all ready to give many more years of service. I hope you enjoy this post, and that it inspires you to give a second chance to vintage items to help our environment.

 

 

Oh No! It is too late!

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Well, it happened. Just about when I was ready to get the .com domain for Inkspeare, which has been available for some time, someone in France just scooped it up; what a bummer! When I tried to search for the “Inkspeare” website with the .com domain, it does not let me in to view it. The Bing description appears as “We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us.” When clicked, it appears as the domain has been registered to a hosting site, and is now parked by the owner. Boohoo, it took so late for me to decide to get it, and now, it doesn’t make sense for me to get the .ME, because really, wordpress.com sounds so much better, than .ME.  Anyone knows why would someone park a domain?  It puzzles me and makes me wonder. Uh, but enough of lost domains; it is Watercolors Friday, and today, I want to celebrate the mundane. Yes, the mundane and how we can make it sparkle.

Recently, my husband gave me a Nook, which I have to say I totally love, but I did not have a case for it. Then, I realized that I loved the box that came with it – a sturdy box that would make the perfect case if it wasn’t so mundane. Well, I decided to try to change that, since I really liked the box, mostly because it had the perfect space for the charging cord. I took on the mission to make it look like something I would love to look at, and delight myself in opening when going to use the Nook. I thought about it, and this is what I did.

I covered part of the inside with decorative tape (leopard), and part of the outside as well.  Then I took ribbon and beads and fastened them using the same tape so I could open the box by pulling it for the two sections – the nook and the charge cord.  After that, I took a vintage copy of The Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and removed the covers. I attached them, front and back, and glued/glazed the thing with Mod Podge to make it strong and durable (It hardens and protects). This is the result, and I am happy with it. If you have visited this blog, you know that I try the green solution first.

009 nook1 011

In picture order – inside, front, and back.

I hope you like this project, and celebrate with me on making the mundane sparkle.  Besides, if any of you know the answer to the question, why would someone park a domain? please, share it with me on a comment. I am curious. In addition, I would like to add that I am going to unplug for a few days, so this will be my last post for about a week. Thank you for reading, and I will see you in a few days 🙂

HAPPY WATERCOLORS FRIDAY!

Update – I found this site that has great information about domains, and therefore, I am sharing it http://www.thesitewizard.com/

UPDATE 2 – I have to say, that after thinking about it these couple of days (even after unplugging myself), I made the decision to get the .ME domain, so Inkspeare will now be Inkspeare.me.  Although my first choice was the .com for obvious reasons – everyone looks for a .com first, when searching; it is almost a reflex – I think that a .ME would be easier to remember than a .net or .org, or any other variations. A comment by Roxana suggested that it is more personal, and I happen to agree. Besides, the original .wordpress.com will still work if someone searches for Inkspeare that way, or click in any of the live links I have all over, so there is no harm done.  I still like the .com better, but that domain is parked by someone so it is not available right now. However, I am happy with my decision of purchasing the .me domain.

How to Stay Balanced When You are Upside Down

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A triangular prism, dispersing light; waves sh...

A triangular prism, dispersing light; waves shown to illustrate the differing wavelengths of light. (Click to view animation) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, I didn’t want to write about my novel or a writing topic, but instead, I wanted to write about what I was inspired at the moment.  So I asked my Muse, what do you want me to write about today? The title you just read came to mind, so that is what I am writing about this instant.

As someone who has known what this means, I can tell you that it is not easy to hang in there when everything has flipped upside down at one point in your life.  When your world hangs the opposite to your focus, it is easy to be discouraged, throw the towel, and just hang for eternity.  I think that hanging a bit is fine because you need to rest to fix your focus.  You need to rest emotionally, physically, and spiritually, as well as in the material state.  So give yourself time to just be, and let your broken spirit rest.

Once you have rested and pondered on your misery, the moment to make a decision knocks at the door of your heart, and you know that this is the time when you decide to pick yourself up and fix your focus, or maintain a state of hanging, sinking slowly into a deep hole.  Whether the contents of that hole is depression, sadness, anger, hopelessness, inertia, hate, laziness … and many other things, it is different to each individual.  However, when you are hanging upside down, after the rest, you will hear that knock, and you will have to answer.  Whether you start pulling at that rope, lifting yourself up slowly, and appreciating how the image comes back to focus bit by bit, or let the rope go, it is up to you.  One thing is for sure, you need to balance yourself to be able to pull that rope and getting yourself back up.  How is it possible to balance yourself when everything around you seems to be spinning out of control and you hang but by a leg?  It is not easy, but it is possible.  This happens when you rest and give yourself time to focus.

  • First, you need to recognize that you need help – whether from a professional or a best friend, and of course yourself.  Whether you can do this on your own, or need help is personal.
  • Second, you need to recognize that there are no blames in this process.  I truly believe that we are responsible for our own choices, and no one is to blame.
  • Third, you think about what you believe as truth in your life and make a commitment to yourself.
  • Fourth, you learn to view the world upside down for a while, and ponder about it.  What you discover about it may surprise you.
  • Fifth, you learn what your priorities are, and decide to make them your priority or not – knowing that there will be consequences to your decision (positive or negative).
  • Sixth, you accept to deal with those consequences understanding the process.
  • Seventh, you do this slowly, one step at a time.
  • Eight, you remain true to your beliefs and priorities when you start to fix your focus.
  • Ninth, you will discover that some things from your old upside down world, do not go into focus no matter how hard you try, so you will have to let those go, otherwise you will stay out of focus in some areas.  In this process, you will learn to say no.  You will learn that you will have to accept that you cannot please everyone. You will also learn to weigh which opinions matter more to you – others or yours.
  • Tenth, you must accept that no one can live your life but you, and that you cannot live your life according to other’s ideas of what your world should look like.  You have been given a responsibility to manage your life (a gift) and live it as well as you can; however your truths and priorities will guide you here.
  • Eleventh, this is when you start feeling that the image in front of you is just an image, and what matters is how you feel about it and how you live your life in this quasi upside down world.  You make it as straight as you want, and you do it one step at a time, balancing yourself in the process – checking from time to time your beliefs, truths, and priorities.
  • Twelfth, the realization that you are always in control hits you, and suddenly, even that you might be still pulling yourself up as you pull on the rope slowly, trying to straighten your world and fix your focus, you can see that the view upside down and in between is as ugly or beautiful as you make it to be, and that there is always a prism changing colors.

This is what I had to write today.

 

The Top 10 Endangered Places – SELC’s List

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Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge (Photo credit: Ethan.K)

Just a quick post on the recently released list from SELC – Southern Environmental Law Center, which of course targets the South; however, three out of 10 relate to Virginia,

  • the VA and Tennessee mountains (coal mining)
  • Charlottesville, VA (proposed Route 29 Bypass)
  • Southside, VA (mining)

Here is the article’s link where you can find pictures as well as detailed information on each one of the 10 issues (click each picture).

Top 10 endangered places 2013

Update on Uranium Mining Proposal in Virginia

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Those of you who have followed this blog for some time have read some posts about the proposed uranium mining in Virginia, where I will be moving soon to start a farmette.  Well I have been very concerned about this for many reasons – health, Virginia unsuitable climate for mining, a possible scenario for great contamination, and other issues, including our proximity to the proposed site, at only a few miles.

Well, today I am sharing the good news and that is – THE PROPOSAL WAS DEFEATED!  At least for now, but this is great news.  Here is where you can read about it – Uranium Mining Proposal Suffers Major Defeat/Keep the Ban.  I am extremely happy about this, and I am thanking again all of you who voted to keep the ban in uranium mining in Virginia.  I will keep you informed on the latest developments.  If you want to read more on this important issue that affects other states such as North Carolina, since its supply of water comes from Virginia, in part, you can visit the Keep the Ban website.

Beam Me Up, Scotty

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English: Compact fluorescent light bulb

English: Compact fluorescent light bulb (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yesterday, I was reminiscing about my childhood and how simple life was in those days.  When you got a cut, all you needed was a band-aid, a bit of iodine and mercury, and you were back running and playing in the green pastures.  Then, I started thinking about mercury and all the controversy surrounding this element.  To give you a bit of an introduction to the element, I will cut and paste some information from Wikipedia:

  • Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and its scientific name is hydrargyrum ( < Greek “hydr-” water and “argyros” silver).

Mercury has been used by ancient cultures in medicinal and religious applications, as well as in alchemy.  Mercury is used in many instruments and devices and in scientific research applications.  It was used or still is used in dentistry as amalgam for dental restoration.  It is used in electrical, electronic, and manufacturing applications and according to Wikipedia,

“It is used in lighting: electricity passed through mercury vapor in a fluorescent lamp produces short-wave ultraviolet light which then causes the phosphor in the tube to fluoresce, making visible light” “Mercury is a heavy, silvery-white metal.  As compared to other metals,  it is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.“

Mercury does not react with most acids.  It is an extremely rare element in the earth’s crust and it does not blend geochemically with elements found there.  According to Wikipedia,

“is a part of popular secondary reference electrode (called the calomel electrode) in electrochemistry as an alternative to the standard hydrogen electrode. The calomel electrode is used to work out the electrode potential of half cells.[50] Last, but not least, the triple point of mercury, −38.8344 °C, is a fixed point used as a temperature standard for the International Temperature Scale.” 

In everyday applications it is used in cosmetics, fluorescent lamps, mercury vapor lamps, neon signs and of course, in human vaccines.  There is controversy about effects in children, autism, and although it has been a bit reduced, it is still found in significant amounts in the influenza vaccine, which pretty much everyone gets yearly.  And of course, we all know of high content of mercury found in fish, especially in tuna – the poor man’s food (most of the population).

“The European Union directive calling for compact fluorescent bulbs to be made mandatory by 2012 has encouraged China to re-open deadly cinnabar mines to obtain the mercury required for CFL bulb manufacture” (Wikipedia).

Mercury is also used for ion engines in electric propulsion, and “Owing to its acoustic properties, mercury was used as the propagation medium in delay line memory devices used in early digital computers of the mid-20th century.”  In addition, “liquid mercury was used as a coolant for some nuclear reactors.” (Wikipedia)

So, it looks like in its various applications and compounds, through history, Mercury is a wonderful and toxic element and by now (if you are still reading),  you may be asking where am I going with all this.  Well, I can tell you this – by now, with all the mercury in my body, from amalgam, bandaids, fish, vaccines … and the rest, I must be a walking vase of mercury (and so do many of you, especially children).  In a planet that is looking for alternative ways of energy, is concerned about the electromagnetic field, and temperature/climate warming, where part of the population believes in an “ascension”  in different religions (no disrespect meant here), we might as well be the solution to all those problems, that is, as walking breathing living vases full of mercury.   We will conduct electricity, cool the planet, help maintain the electromagnetic field in case there is a problem with the earth’s crust or core, and of course, facilitate the ascension as a propagation medium, owing to its acoustic properties.  Best of all, is that since mercury is a poor conductor of heat, we will not overheat.  All that is left to say is,

“BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY.”   

The Kids and the Seagulls

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Seagulls in Grand Marais

Seagulls in Grand Marais (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have followed this blog, by now you know that I am an observer of life.  Sometimes, this is not so good as I tend to ponder if there is redemption for the human species.  Some behavior I don’t understand at times.  Over the weekend, my husband and I drove to a spot at the shore where we like to sit and watch the water, seagulls … and sometimes, we drink our coffee there too.  That day, they were just a few people walking along the shoreline – a woman collecting driftwood, a couple walking, and just a few people conversing sitting on a bench nearby.  The boats were sliding beautifully throughout the waters, and tons of seagulls were resting on the sand close to the water.  It was peaceful.  It was a beautiful sight.

Suddenly, I hear the cheerful noise of three kids heading towards the beach.  They were about 9-11 years old, at the most, possibly younger.  They appeared innocently cute, and I was enjoying the sight of their young energy and friendship.  They walked to the beach, and stood a couple of feet away from the seagulls, watching.  It would have made for the composition of a beautiful painting.  Out of the sudden, their behavior changed, and they started running towards the seagulls, startling them, and one of them even throwing rocks or shells at the birds.  And this is the part when I become puzzled, and my heart, that wants to believe that we deserve to be part of this planet, aches because once more, I see that we are a selfish and undeserving species, one that cannot appreciate beauty, and finds entertainment and contentment in destruction.

The kids ran at a distance and headed to climb some rocks, until they disappeared from my horizon.  There were no seagulls, they flew away, scattered, some into the ocean, others landed at a safe distance.  The beauty of the moment was ruined by the future of humanity, and I was left with an aching heart.

 

Sad Message in a Bottle

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This morning I became irate when I heard a comment from one of the PIX 11 news cast members about a message in a bottle that was found.  The reporter encouraged people to go to the beach and deposit their own messages.  Although she said it  in a casual tone and probably she did not think twice before saying that, I was angry because I expect more from a person who is well-educated and many times, has done a segment on eco-friendly products.  Imagine what would happen if 100 idiots, followed by another 100 morons, decide to do just that?  100 message bottles a day = 36,500 bottles dumped into the ocean yearly.  What would you think of 100 people dumping 100 message bottles in your front door or lawn?  Well, the ocean is home to many species and just because you belong to the human species does not give you the right to trash another species home.

The point of this post is not to ridicule anyone (hence the name of the reporter is not mentioned) but to make you think about how every little step that we take impacts this planet – for better or worse.  A more appropriate comment would have been – “Oh, let’s try not to throw more bottles into the water, send a virtual bottle instead, or next time you are at the beach, why not pick up one bottle and dump it in the trash can.”  Imagine the impact of 100 people doing just that.  However, what is in our hearts, comes out through our mouths, eventually.

We are not perfect, we are human, but we have been given a little gray matter to use it from time to time.  I know that the idea of a message in a bottle has been romanticized, and we humans fall for romance.  I am learning to live more eco conscientious and have much to learn; however it saddens me when I see people who should know better encourage dumb and irresponsible behavior.  Don’t complain when the planet’s resources start lacking or when Mother Nature’s fury unleashes near you – we have created this environment and as we give we get back.

Next time you think is cute to send a message to the other side of the world, think of the possibility that a marine animal may get injured with that same message – not so romantic.

I know that I sound as a preacher, but when I see educated people making these silly and irresponsible statements, which may encourage others to do stupid things , I have to wear my preaching gown.