TulipGirl

Own your home in Sarasota? Need to repaint it in true Florida colors like Spanish Moss, Dolphin Dance or Hacienda Clay? Get up to 10 gallons of recycled paint free.

Sobering.

(Via 2-10, I think.)

Ohio’s Peregrine Falcons - NestBox Cam

We’ve been watching this today–they are supposed to be hatching soon!

We have a couple of people on our gift list who have everything they’d ever want or need and are pretty hard to buy for. But, I bet none of them has their very own crocagator. I’m tempted. Buying a ‘gator is a very Floridian thing to do–even if they don’t get to unwrap it under the Christmas tree.

(For more ideas, check out the 2005 Gift Guide For the Hard to Buy For Bunch)

Ooooh! I love this hand made, fair trade nativity set! It’s finger puppets for children to act out the Christmas story, made by Peruvian women through a fair trade program.

Update: The one pictured is out of stock, but there is a smaller finger puppet nativity set here.

Q. 10. How did God create man?

A. God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

after his own image
Genesis 1:27

in knowledge
Colossians 3:10

righteousness, and holiness
Ephesians 4:24

with dominion over the creatures
Genesis 1:28, Psalm 8

(via OPC/CRTA)

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?

A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.

word of his power
Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 11:3

all very good
Genesis 1:31

(via OPC/CRTA)

Caution: Men, I’m giving you fair warning. Skip this post.

If you are a guy and still reading, scroll on past this on. I’m serious, guys. . . It’s about menstruation. See, I warned you.

I’ve been wanting to try out some body-friendly and eco-friendly products for my monthly cycle. Now that I haven’t been preggers or breastfeeding for awhile, it’s a more immediate need than it used to be.

I’ve been wanting to order a DivaCup for awhile. Other menstrual cups include the Keeper, Mooncup, and disposable Insteads.

Along with these, I’ve been insterested in trying out some mama cloths. We did cloth diapers–this seems easier and cleaner.

I found out today that GladRags, one of the best known companies for mama cloths, is having a special promotional–I no longer have to procrastinate or wait for a little extra $$ in paypal!

So, I’m blogging about GladRags today in exchange for a sample GladRags menstrual pad to try.

A dear “Titus Two” woman told me when I was a teen, that our monthly periods are wonderful reminders that God has created our bodies with the gift of fertility. I know some people may think that is hokey. But for me it was encouraging. These cloths look so soft, pretty and feminine, very much in line with viewing our fertility as a gift.

Update: Got my sample–just in time. Wow! After just one day using it, I’m a believer. Now I know why other women have been so encouraging to go this route. (And Bowden–they’d definitely be great for helping your daughters during the transition into adolescence. . .)

I feel sufficiently suburban today.

After church we took a Sunday afternoon nap, and then headed to Home Depot. We bought a goodly supply of home repair and lawn equipment, and came home to work in the yard.

Some of the google searches we’ve done today:
how to clean tile grout
cinch bugs and st. augustine grass
energy efficiency florida
celcius farenheit conversion

We joined the local organic food co-op. While I still get most of my produce from the non-organic roadside market and the grocery store, now each week I’ll be picking up a basketful of organic produce as well.

This week’s goodies include organic bananas, beets, onions, sweet potatoes and more. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten beets outside of Ukraine. It’s weird to have experiences I associate with Ukraine within an American context.

Right now I have a onion frittata in the oven, with a side salad ready for dinner.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For thyself, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

Lyrics: Folliot S. Pierpoint

This hymn is special to me because of my mother. I didn’t know it until she asked that I learn to play it. I took several years of piano lessons. Squirmed during practice, back always ached, had trouble concentrating. But I loved playing from my hymns in easy arrangements book. The church we attended at that time didn’t include hymns in Sunday service very often. But I would play them, all the verses, singing under my breath.

I’m posting it today for its praise of our Lord of Creation, who provides our sustenance, relationships, and sanctification.

I took this Earth Footprint quiz primarily to compare our lifestyle in the US with how we lived in Ukraine.

Our eco-footprint in Ukraine? 2.4
In Florida? 12

I think the Florida one might be a tad low, considering our water and electrical consumption. But the biggest factor in the difference, I believe, is due to transportation.

In Ukraine, we did not own a car. We primarily used public transportation. When the family went out all together, we’d take a taxi–seven people in a little sedan. I walked to the market or the grocery store, where I purchased mainly locally grown or processed foods. (Unlike most of our Ukrainian friends, I also indulged in imported items. Trust me, luxuries like boxed cereal and frozen veggies in winter were much appreciated there.)

Now, I don’t have any destinations within walking distance, aside from the park. We have two vehicles, and put quite a lot of miles on them each week. We do have electrical conservation appliances and try to limit our AC use to when its really hot–but this is Florida, and it is hot a lot. In Ukraine, energy conservation bulbs and appliances were unavailable. And the heating/hot water system was woefully inefficient (even though for our apartment, we did enjoy the endless supply of hot water! Except when it was turned off in the summer. . .)

Anyway, I haven’t looked through the whole site, and I’m prone to be skeptical of some of the things I’ve seen there. However, it’s a good reminder to be mindful of our consumption and lifestyle habits, and how they impact the world and people around us.

(Via Suburban TreeHugger)

I want these shoes. They’re from Green Toe line of Simple Shoes, minimizing the ecological footprint left by shoes.

I bet the Manolo, he would approve.