Miners talking at Labor Day celebration, Silverton, Colorado.

Photo courtesy of Lee, Russell, 1903-

In honor of Labor Day, this Sunday I thought I’d share a classic poem by Walt Whitman “I Hear America Singing.” In his poem, Whitman celebrates work in America from the carpenter to the ploughboy to the mother and wife. Together, with all of their hard work, Whitman sees these workers giving of themselves and contributing to society. Admittedly, Whitman’s poem paints a picture of another time in our county; the workers that Whitman honors are manual laborers, whose work is divided along traditional gender lines. Today, workers come from many backgrounds, with varying levels of education, and men and women are crossing into fields where decades ago they could not go. At the same time, in July 2008, the unemployment rate in the U.S. rose to 5.7 percent; many Americans are looking for work.

In Whitman’s time and in our own, all the work accomplished across our country may not necessarily be done in merriment and song, but what I think Whitman is getting at, is that all these workers, doing their own thing, trying to survive and live in the U.S., are collectively creating a “song” of unity in their efforts.

I Hear America Singing

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The woodcutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day-at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

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If you have a minute, I have 2 new posts over at 5 Minutes for Going Green.  Check out “5 Minute Miracles” and  “Healthy Green Pets.”

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Every now and again a real jewel winds up in my inbox. A few weeks ago, the publishers for Melanie Walsh’s 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World contacted me to ask whether I’d like to review Ms. Walsh’s book on Green Mamma. Being the lover that I am of children’s literature, I asked them to forward me the book so that I (and Annabelle) could give it a read.

Written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh, 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World is made from 100% recycled materials and includes 10 practical tips for kids and their parents to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. According to the press release, 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World is intended for children between the ages of 3 and 6, or from pre-school to grade 1. When I read 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World to Annabelle (age 20 months), she enjoyed turning the pages (several function as cut-out flaps that hide “tips”) and listening to the simple, short sentences that flow from page to page. I noticed that if I tried to share some of the longer bits of information about energy conservation, recycling, etc., my toddler grew bored of me (and the book), but as I said, she is a bit young for all parts of the book.

Some of my favorite tips from 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World include: unplugging appliances that are not in use, feeding birds in winter, and upcycling packaging to create new toys. I couldn’t help but think that any child (or family) who receives this book as a gift will likely teach the adults in their lives a thing or two about caring for our earth.

With the holidays just around the corner, this book would make a wonderful gift and addition to any young environmentalist’s library. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Prompted by the challenge “Create Against the Clock” at Inspire Me Thursday, Annabelle and I spent this past Sunday afternoon playing with tempera paints. Since I’m hoping she’ll learn a bit about color blending and the color wheel in the coming year, I brought home red, blue, yellow, and white and black paints from the craft store so that we may create other color variations.  For paint containers, we used old plastic food containers (like hummus, butter, and yogurt containers), and for tools, I invested in high quality brushes since they’re likely to get a lot of use.

Here’s what we made:

In 10 minutes, Annabelle achieved this brilliant masterpiece. Not too shabby, if I do say so.

In a little under an hour, Annabelle and I applied purple tempera to a dried, unfinished wood paper organizer that I picked up from a freecycler.

And while Annabelle worked on her 2 paintings, I played with her stamps to make the “mystery box” sign for her box by the same name. It is essentially a homemade version of this mystery box, although far less expensive. To make your own mystery box, repurpose a cardboard box (I used the one that my Nikon arrived in), cover with paper, paint, and other decorative materials. Ask your child to help decorate too.

Playing with the mystery box is a way for toddlers and pre-schoolers to focus on their sensory awareness, by “guessing” or identifying objects in the box based on texture, shape, and feel. For now, Annabelle loves putting her stuffed animals inside the box and playing peek-a-boo with them.

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As promised, here is the recipe I used to bake a batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies. I followed Denise’s recipe on vegweb.com because of all the rave reviews and basic ingredients needed to whip ‘em up. Okay, so I’d like to tell you that these cookies turned out just like the traditional chip cookies we grew up with (if your mom followed the Nestle Tollhouse recipe like mine did). Sadly, my chips did not turn out just like old fashioned, non-vegan chips. No, they did not. But, here’s what I’m thinking. Next time I make these cookies (which taste great, they’re just super crumbly), I’ll add an egg replacer and use earthbalance butter replacement (for this batch I used canola oil). So, I really, truly do have hope for this recipe. I just need to tweak my baking skills, the ingredients, but I hope that there will be no tweaking of expectations. Delicious chocolate chip cookies are a must have, at least for choc-a-holics like me!

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How Daddy became her favorite toy . . .

Just another day at the park.

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Okay, so let’s see here.  Should the Department of Transportation have the authority to determine whether or not our native wildlife (like wolves, polar bears, and panthers) are threatened by highway projects?  Does the Dept. of Transportation have such authority, currently?  Well, if it is left up to the Bush Administration, our scientists and wildlife biologists will no longer have the jurisdiction over whether a project endangers our animals.  Um, maybe it’s me . . . but is there any logic to this idea?  Oh yes, um, compromising animal life and the environment for sake of, well, money.

Ahhh!!!!

Once upon a time I thought that, and correct me if I’m wrong, based on our current model of education, individuals interested in a particular discipline will set out to study said discipline with the goal of becoming an expert in their field.  Sure, not everyone’s first choice of study in school works out for them their entire lives, but for those who do go into the field they prepared for, don’t they deserve the chance to work and make decisions based on their knowledge in a subject area?

Don’t our scientists deserve the opportunity and power that accompanies the long and rigorous training that brought them to the point in their careers where they work as scientists?

But alas, it is not to be.  Instead, the plan is to dismiss what science and those lofty scientists are recommending so that we can listen to a bunch of politicians, er, “experts” from the Department of Transportation?  I wanted to find out for myself whether the Dept. of Transportation employs any environmental field experts.   Well, as it turns out, the opportunity areas at D O T don’t include environmental scientists or biologists, but there are plenty of positions for engineers and highway safety specialists.  To see for yourself, go here.

It is my opinion that the only decisions that the Dept. of Transporation ought to make, theoretically, regarding polar bears and wolves, is whether or not the current transportation routes for our wildlife are in good working condition.  Yes, if the D O T wants to become involved with wildlife, why not have them focus on what they’re good at?  Oh yeah, that’s right.  Wildlife don’t need cement, lights, and lots of pollution.  So, based on my logic, the D O T needs to butt out of it, and while they’re at it, take  . . . arghh.  I have nothing nice to say.

To take action against the Bush Administration’s plans to gut the Endangered Species Act, send a message to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne to let him know you will not stand for the weakening of endangered species protections. For a sample letter at the National Wildlife Federation, please visit Speak Up for Wildlife.

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Sometimes I wonder whether my ache to teach is presenting itself . . . Our neighbor’s girls visit our house at least one day each week to craft and cook with Annabelle and me, and with each get together, I’m having a blast. Thank goodness the girls seem to enjoy my company! This is what we made at our last crafting hangout:

a fake aquarium, as Ella calls it.

a paper plate flower garden.

organic cookies.

To create our fake aquarium, we shaved old crayons onto wax paper, covered the shavings with another piece of wax paper, placed the wax paper on top of newspaper, and then using an iron on a low setting, we ironed and melted the crayon shavings between the pieces of paper. Then we simply used a marker to draw fish and cut the fish out of the paper.

We added to the aquarium of wax paper fish by placing felt waves, coral and starfish around the scene. And then of course, my husband and I drew a few paper fish which we added to the fake aquarium.

To create a paper plate garden, the girls flipped the plates over and colored the outer edges one shade, and the inner edges another shade. We cut leafs from construction paper and used pipe cleaners as stems. What fun!

I’ll share our cookie recipe in another post . . .

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So the FDA is now allowing food producers to zap our food. Specifically, food producers will expose spinach and lettuce to irradiation, using enough radiation to kill E. coli and dangerous germs, which meat and poultry producers already do.

I have to be honest. I do not know the ins and outs of irradiation.  Fortunately, what I do know is how to google “irradiation,” to help me begin my education and understanding of the various arguments made for and against the radiation of food.  As is the case with other food debates (organic versus conventional foods versus GM foods), there are 2 prevalent points of view. On the one side seems to be food producers and their supporters who consider irradiation a way to help prevent food borne illnesses, spoiling and infestation of foods. Supporters of irradiation see it as a practical way to increase the shelf life of foods that have a tendency to spoil. Of course, opponents to irradiation consider it a method for concealing poor agricultural and sanitation practices. Other concerns had by opponents to irradiation include worker safety, the effect of radiation on food and seeds, and the safety of consuming foods treated with radiation. To read more about the position of organic consumers, go here.

At present, Whole Foods Market does not sell irradiated foods, which are labeled by food suppliers with “Treated with Radiation”, “Treated with Irradiation”, and possibly “electronic pasteurization.”

Like I said, I am no expert on irradiation, so I’ll leave you with a few articles to read so that you can decide for yourself whether or not irradiated foods are or will be a part of you and your family’s diet. In the meantime, while the verdict is out, I’ll be sticking to fresh foods and buying local.

More Reading on Irradiation

Charlotte P. Brennand, PhD, Extension Food Safety Specialist’s “Food Irradiation”

MSNBC’s “FDA: OK to zap spinach, lettuce with radiation”

OrganicConsumer.org’s “Preventing Pathogenic Food Poisoning: Sanitation not Irradiation”

Wikipedia’s “Food Irradiation”

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Yesterday afternoon while Annabelle napped and my husband biked, I sat down to work on my application to become a leader of a local parenting group. Completing this application will likely take me a month or two as there is much reading, reflection, and answering of questions. One of the more valuable questions on the application simply asks why an applicant wants to become a leader. In a roundabout way, I explained that participating in the group offered me great hope and support when I was a new parent and that it encouraged me to make decisions, as a parent, that resonated with what my heart was telling me to do.

But, as I thought about my answer, I remembered the earliest months at home with a newborn. Gosh, it wasn’t easy. My husband and I lived without sleep (though even in our most delirious states still managed to smile and be grateful for the helpless baby who needed us). I remember feeling so afraid the day he returned to work from his week at home; now, caring for a newborn was my responsibility for at least 8 hours out of the day. Within a few days, I adjusted and came to love spending time with my baby; however, once I got the hang of changing diapers, soothing a crying baby, and managing our home, I wished that I had someone to talk with, commiserate with, and gain some insight about my role as a mother and how my previous life roles were changing.

In a sense, I sent my hope out into the universe; I was searching for co-workers, friendship, and a community where I belonged. Shortly thereafter, another full time mom invited me to attend a breastfeeding support group and a babywearing meeting. There I met many new and veteran mothers who not only enjoyed discussing how to soothe a crying baby and talk about whether or not my baby was eating enough, but who genuinely cared to help out an amateur mom, like myself. The best part of meeting these women was that I came across advice and encouragement about child rearing and nurturing a family that “felt” right to me.

I imagine that many religious people consider prayer to be the way to communicate their hopes, intentions, and desires to the universe, or a higher power. Having experienced many trying times in my life (as we all do), I have found spirituality and the ability to turn within myself to be so comforting and worthwhile. Early in my pregnancy, my provider informed me that my HCG levels were low, which suggested that I had an ectopic pregnancy and would eventually miscarry. My heart broke. Becoming a mother had long been a dream of mine, and I was devastated that I might be losing my baby. I read and read to learn more about my possible medical condition, but I have to tell you that none of the knowledge I acquired was comforting; it was only at night or while taking walks by myself that I was able to quiet myself and feel any peace. My heart spoke to something greater than myself and I felt hope.

Whatever our beliefs are in this life, we can feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, and perhaps even better guided if we are able to send out our intentions. When my father was suffering from cancer, I attended a group who helped me visualize and send healing energy to my dad; my hope was that he would not feel any more pain. A few days later he passed away. Admittedly, his passing and the events surrounding it can be interpreted in so many ways. The way I choose to see things is that my hopes for my father were answered.

Because Green Mamma is a place where I come to talk about parenting and the environment, let me bring this post back to it; there are so many folks on the internet and all around the world who care about working towards a healthier planet. Being able to reach our goal, collectively, to care for this earth and make it a livable place for generations to come, is possible, I think; although it is my opinion that such a goal would be more attainable if each and every day those of us who are working on behalf of the earth simply quiet our minds and express our hopes, wishes, and intentions for it. At the very least, such an exercise helps with focus, and when are focused, we can achieve most anything.

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