What's the deal with airline peanuts?
Hellllllllooooooo!
You may be wondering what happened to the April newsletter. Well, I
got really busy and yada yada yada I never sent it out. So May's issue
will be a double issue!
Unfortunately no fluorescent mineral newsletter this time. At the last
2 MMS meetings, the library was not open to check out books. I even
checked a local library, and although they had geology & mineral
books, nothing specifically on fluorescent minerals. And I find that
general geology / mineralogy books seem to give an overview of fluorescence...but
I want to go more in depth, which is why I'd like to read an entire
book just on that subject. So I was unable to read up on fluorescent
minerals. I'll plan to do the fluorescent newsletter for June.
Anyway, at the April MMS meeting the speaker, Tony Panepucci, was a
professional outhouse locator and excavator. I didn't even know there
was such a thing. He goes to historic old cities and digs areas where
old outhouses and dumps were located. These range from the 1920s all
the way to the early 1800s. And he has found thousands of antique bottles
- some worth 100s even 1000s of dollars - as well as all sorts of interesting
artifacts.
So that was a very interesting presentation. I also won a beautiful
Sodalite candle holder and a couple bath products for the last MMS newsletter
trivia question. That was a nice surprise.
Besides that I recently attended a beautiful Sacred Fire Ceremony conducted
by my friend Phoenix, who is a gifted Shaman. Thanks, Phoenix, for the
wonderful ritual, and gratitude to everyone who took part for the powerful
energy we all created that night. And I got to see a friend visiting
from Arizona - she moved there with her husband from Michigan - and
do some catching up. She gave me a gorgeous Elestial Smoky Quartz crystal.
Thanks Rox!
You may be wondering: “What is the title of this topic all about?”
Well, on April 17 I decided to treat myself to a fun night out. It had
been a very stressful work week and I hadn't done anything just for
myself in a while. I heard on the radio that Jerry Seinfeld was
going to be performing at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. He's my favorite
comedian and I knew this might be my only chance to see him do stand-up
live. His show was hysterical, by the way! I am very glad I went.
:-D
So I decided that this issue of my newsletter would take on a “Seinfeld-esque”
feel. I like doing these themed newsletters once in a while. (My Stones
from Space newsletter was based on Star Trek . The single
greatest sci-fi program of all time, by the way. And you want to know
something really weird: they make several references to Star Trek
in various in Seinfeld episodes! One of my favorite episodes
loosely revolves around Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan &
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.) If you’re a fan of
Seinfeld, you’ll probably enjoy this newsletter, if not, then
it probably won’t all make a lot of sense to you. Oh well...
And even though, Seinfeld is “the show about nothing”,
this newsletter really is about something, a couple different things
actually.
So put on your puffy shirt, your cotton Dockers, &
your Urban Sombrero, sit back in your massaging recliner
with a hot café latte, and enjoy the newsletter.
Blessings to all!
LL&P \\ //
~~~ Alicia
Not that there's anything wrong with
that...
I’m an environmentalist. I’m a greenie. I’m
a tree hugger. I’m an animal rights activist. And
I’m proud to say so.
I do whatever I can in my daily life to conserve energy, reduce my
carbon footprint, and preserve our natural wild places. I’m a
member of the Sierra Club, the National Parks Foundation, the ASPCA,
the Humane Society, and the National Arbor Day Foundation . I drive
a hybrid car: a Toyota Prius. I’m enrolled in the Green Currents
program with DTE Energy. And I even carry those goofy reusable
grocery tote bags to do my shopping.
Of course, there’s always more that can be done. And even doing
a little can make a significant difference. I’m not saying all
this to brag, but because I genuinely feel that what I do has an impact
on conserving the environment, keeping it beautiful and clean. And I
thought that since April's full moon (April 28) fell between Earth Day
(April 22) and Arbor Day (April 30) it would be a good time to talk
a little about preserving our green places and conserving energy.
Some simple things to do to keep the Earth green and clean:
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle – This is usually the first thing
people think of when they think “green”. And it is very important.
So many things can be recycled now: various plastics, glass, metal,
of course paper products, and fibers. Many communities have recycling
programs. If yours does not (This is my situation. So I drop off my
recycling at a relative’s house, in a city that has curb-side pick
up.) there are facilities that accept materials. There are certain days
when batteries, paint, and other chemicals are picked up and disposed
of properly by HAZMAT teams. So do not discard hazardous materials,
chemicals, or unused medications down drains or toilets, as they can
pollute our waterways. Recycling also encompasses purchasing recycled
products. Paper products are readily available created from recycled
paper & cardboard. Any time I have a choice between buying a product
made from recycled materials or one made from new material I alw ays
get the recycled one. This is an important step in the recycling “circle
of life”.
Reuse – This goes right along with recycling. It may sound
silly, but there are many things that can be reused instead of buying
new every time. The grocery totes seen in stores now are a great example.
Why use numerous plastic bags that end up in landfills, and are not
biodegradable, when you can reuse a sturdy tote bag. You can even use
your own canvas bags to do your shopping. Keep a few in the trunk of
your car and just take them out when you need them. If you do use plastic
bags for shopping, remember to reuse them as often as possible. I used
to use them to clean my cat’s litter box. (But now I get this cat
litter made from corn that is environmentally safe, biodegradable, and
flushable.) Fortunately, some stores offer biodegradable plastic bags
to consumers now. Reuse paper bags to store newspapers and other paper
products to then be recycled. Instead of buying dozens of cases of bottled
water every year, purchase one travel mug to reuse daily to take with
you on your commute. Many of these travel mugs are made from recycled
plastic, rubber, and metal products. And if you do use bottled water,
recycle the bottles. This seems extreme, but I wash out and reuse my
plastic kitchen bags – like sandwich bags and Zip-Loc style
bags. I use them over and over until they tear and get holes. I wash
them right along with my dishes (which I hand-wash, by the way, even
though I have a dishwasher. Hand-washing uses less water, less electricity,
and less energy than running the dishwasher.). I bought one pack of
large kitchen freezer bags, one pack of small zippy bags, & one
pack of sandwich bags when I first moved into my apartment. I’ve
been here over 3 years; still working on the same packages. I’ve
never had to buy more because I wash & reuse. Less garbage and it
saves money.
Conservation – Simple things like turning the water off
when doing dishes or brushing your teeth help to not waste water. Turn
off the lights when you are not in a room. Turn off the television and
radio when not using them. Why waste energy, electricity, and money?
Turn your thermostat down when not at home in Winter months to save
energy and save money on heating bills. If you use an air conditioner,
use a fan with it – placed in a hallway to direct the air flow
in the direction you want – so you don’t have to run it as
often in the Summer. On cooler days, simply open the windows to let
in fresh air.
Environmentally Friendly Products – are becoming more and
more commonplace. In my opinion, if a product can be made so it is safe
for the environment than it should be made that way, each time every
time. Anyway… laundry detergent, various cleaning supplies, energy
efficient light bulbs, clothing, even energy saving windows, solar paneling,
and beauty products are readily available. And being an animal lover
and animal shelter volunteer, I always make sure my hair & beauty
products say “not tested on animals” on them. And consider
a hybrid car for a future vehicle purchase...
Here are some environmentally friendly products that I use:
Arm & Hammer Essentials – biodegradable dryer
sheets without petroleum based products
Crystal Stick - 100% natural mineral deodorant; no aluminum
chlorohydrate
CVS Earth Essentials - 100% recycled and recycle-able
paper products for kitchen and bath, plus recycled & biodegradable
garbage bags and picnic plates
Earth Enzymes - natural drain cleaner uses safe natural
bacteria, not harsh chemicals, to unclog drains
Green Works – makes a variety of kitchen and bathroom
cleaners
Marcal - makes a variety of recycled paper products for
home and office
Scotties – makes 100% recycled facial tissues
Sergeant's Nature's Guardian - all natural flea &
tick preventative spray for pets, uses essential oils; and makes your
cat smell pretty too!
Seventh Generation – makes a variety of household
cleaners & detergents, recycled paper products
Tom’s of Maine - natural toothpaste
The World’s Best Cat Litter – biodegradable,
flushable, cat litter made from corn
So, as you can see, there are many ways to be “green”. And
I’m sure there are many more things that one can do that I didn’t
have enough space to write about here. If anyone has any eco-friendly
household hints or green living tips, feel free to email me. I’d
love to be able to do more.
So yes: I’m an environmentalist. I’m a greenie.
I’m a tree hugger. I’m an animal rights activist.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that...
Serenity Now!
Serenity Now! – Stones for Tranquility and Peace.
Angelite / Blue Anhydrite – Brings serenity; in
meditation helps the practitioner to move into peaceful inner states
of consciousness, and helps to quiet excessive & invasive thoughts
while meditating.
Golden Danburite – Brings serenity & eternal
wisdom; in meditation it helps the practitioner to go into a pure state
of consciousness where it is easy to access profound wisdom; also eases
the Soul when passing though the transitional journey of death to rebirth
to Oneness with the Universal Light.
Lavender Jade – Also brings serenity; in meditation
it promotes “no thought” mentality of an open mind and a mind
free of clutter; initiates contact with Quan Yin / Kwan Yin, the bodhisattva
of compassion and charity; aids in the release of anger and cynicism,
and promotes an attitude of serene acceptance.
Lepidolite – This, too, brings serenity; immediately
calming to frayed nerves, releases stress and worry; helps a person
to respond to hostility without defensiveness and encourages harmonious
action in dealing with arguments and negative situations; enhances peace
and love.
Lepidolite, rough Lepidolite,
tumbled
Scolecite – Guess what...it brings serenity; promotes
inner peace & deep peace throughout one’s entire auric field;
enhances meditation; helps one to sleep more restfully and to have peaceful
dreams.
Variscite – Brings serenity (really, no kidding...);
soothing; promotes peace and tranquility to the mind; helps to eliminate
stress and brings one closer to the peace with All That Is.
Thank you. You've been great. Alright, that's it for me. Goodnight everybody!
