About Me & This Blog
P.S. (as in, a Pre-script post-script): Many thanks go to Elmir Lekovic for his fantastic help in setting up this blog for me. It is no exaggeration whatsoever to say that I couldn’t have done it without his (ongoing) help!! Calling it ‘Things That Matter’ was Elmir’s idea. I love it!!
P.S. # 2: Under the Recommended tab is a list of the quotations I’ve used so far as my “Quotation of the day.”
P.S. # 3 (on May 31/10): Guess what I only myself figured out recently?? That if there is a word or phrase you want to locate among these now-so-very-numerous blog posts, you can use the search box on the main page. Type in the word or phrase & if I’ve “tagged” it on the blog post, you’ll soon find yourself w. the the post you were after. Jeez! Only “got” this myself a wee while ago!?!?!? Never said I was clever w. all this kind of stuff, hmmm??
Greetings and welcome! [in March 2009]
I’ve been meaning to start a blog for ages.
Why? Well - it seems I have a lot to say. I write all these little personal essays, and they sit around in my knapsack - then I edit them, and they sit around some more…and I edit them some more, and so on, and so on…
Why not get them “out there?”
So - here are a few, to start. I have oodles more where these came from, and I’ll be adding to the blog often.
As you can see, I’ve put my NRT (North Renfrew Times) columns “up,” and some items on “living more with less.” I’ll be adding book reviews, recommended people, books, blogs, Web sites & YouTubes to check out - & more short personal essays, of course…
For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m a Mom, writer & environmental activist (Mom for 28 years, writer for ?? and environmental activist for 20 now). These are the things that define me; they’re who I am and what I do.
It’s no secret that our world - this Earth - is in a bit of a state, hmm? You’d have to have duct tape over your eyes and ears not to have noticed that.
My starting a blog is not going to “save the world” - I’m smart enough to know that. I also know I can help change it - so that’s what I’ll keep right on trying to do.
I read the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo (by Steven Galloway; Alfred A. Knopf, 2008) recently, and there was something (on page 126) that really resonated for me. The author had the character Dragan think, “But perhaps the only thing that will stop it from getting worse is people doing the things they know how to do.”
What I know how to do is be a Mom, writer and activist. So that’s what I’ll keep right on doing.
I hope you enjoy reading the items I’ve posted here. If they inspire you to DO something, I’ll be THRILLED!!
Janet
P.S. Gotta tell you too, a blog I really think you ought to be reading regularly is Sharon Astyk’s.
Highly practical, well-written words of wisdom and tips for coping with the realities of life in 2009, post-financial bust…
In my opinion, her book Depletion and Abundance – Life on the New Home Front or, One Woman’s Solutions to Finding Abundance for Your Family while Coming to Terms with Peak Oil, Climate Change and Hard Times (New Society Publishers, 2008) is the very one you should really consider buying/reading next. These are pretty strong words coming from me, Ms. Book & Reading-aholic of the century who can, at the drop of a hat, name at least 20 or 30 books you really MUST read…
Ms. Astyk is funny, smart, self-deprecating – and very, very down-to-earth. Her explanation (in the book) of how the “real” economy works is eye-opening and very important reading.
P.P.S. I’ve long been a believer that action is the best possible antidote to despair. These are challenging times we live in, people. Don’t get scared or stay mired in denial – get off your butt!! You will feel so much better for it…
P.P.P.S. Some of the things I’m putting up here were written some time ago now. Items will not necessarily be posted in the order in which they were written, but each will have a date on it so you’ll know how old (or recent) it is.
P.P.P.P.S. I might as well point out right upfront that there is plenty of repetition in the things I write. Certain concepts come up over and over. For one thing, I think these concepts or ideas are super-important. For another, I don’t expect anyone to read all of what I write – I expect certain essay titles to catch your eye, and others not. So the repetition may only be noticeable to anyone who reads all the items that will be posted here…
About the photo: The photo was taken in March 2008, while I was at the quite amazing Hollyhock Institute on Cortes Island, British Columbia. (I went all the way from Deep River, Ontario to B.C. by bus; that’s another story!? For you non-Canadian readers, both locations/provinces are in Canada, but the distance between them is 3000 miles or so…). The picture was taken at nearby Smelt Bay Provincial Park, on a beach of such stunning beauty that every time I walked on it, I would think, “Yikes! In cities all over the world, people are busy with insane planet and people-destroying activities. And then too, all the endless wars… How can it be that we human beings are not – every one of us – heartily passionate about preserving the stupendous beauty of this incredible Earth we’ve been given??” Or thoughts to that effect…
Neat, Sarah! Hope to see you out there again….
Thanks Jan!
So I did go out and get myself a Green Cone! It’s all set up and hard at work (at least I hope) on our household compost now. I was very proud of myself; can’t remember the last time I dug a hole! And the neat thing was that it gave me a little archeological touch with Vancouver’s so-recent forested past. At the very bottom of the hole, about 2 feet down, was the beginnings of a big old buried hemlock tree trunk.
Hi Sarah:
Sorry to be so long responding. Not much computer time over the Victoria Day weekend! I’m not sure what to say about your suggestion, so will give it some thought, alright? As for the Green Cone, I’ve owned one for years & years. Also regular composters. The green cone is handy for things you can’t compost. In many cities, now, there is “green bin” service, so these non-compostables (e.g. bones & other things) go in your green bin & get picked up at curbside. I’d say any method of reducing garbage is to be celebrated!! For sure, old-fashioned regular composting is a fantastic method for reducing our garbage by one-third. I’d rather throw an apple core or banana in a bush or field than a garage can - what a waste to have it in a landfill site when it can help create new soil!
Hey Jan,
you know what I was thinking? It would be great to have a “contact” tab on your blog, with a space like this where people could write you easily. I don’t know if it would be possible, but it would also be great to have space for a little on-line forum: readers of your blog could ask you questions or offer statements and you and other readers could speak back to them… Just a thought.
But a thought, actually, motivated by my own desire to ask you a question: have you heard of the Green Cone (like a low-maintenance composter?) Any sense of whether it’s all it’s cracked up to be?
love Sarah
Thanks, Carol!!
Janet: Congratulations, great picture and great insight. I will look forward to returning to read your new entries. What a well organized blog. Carole Devine.
Janet:
Congrats, a great job and a great opportunity for you to share your knowledge and passion. May I suggest that the print be slightly bolder and less subdued. Your message should be presented with a more authoritative and confident image. What do I know about blogs? (NOTHING) but you did ask for my comments and by the way the size of print has nothing to do with age and eyesight. In addition you should include a spell check option for people like me in your comments area.
Wow, Janet, it looks great, the photo, design, and colours work so well. It must be wonderful to finally have a home for all that you’ve written over the years and satisfying to see it all come together. You should have a page for all the quotes. I regularly use many of the ones I’ve gotten from you. You could index them by author (I know a lot of work, but great for us!) I’ll be checking in regularly.
Hey Jan! This looks great! Way to go! I’ll try to remember to check it often for a little dose of Janet-wisdom.
lots of love, Sarah
At long last! A fantastic looking blog and you’ve always had lots of important and useful things to say and a unique way of saying it. And now everyone in the world has access….whooo!
!I’m putting a link on my site…keep it going..
hugs and love
— fellow scribbler Steve
Hi Janet, Guess where we are right now reading your Blog? Hollyhock!! I thought the photo looked familiar. This is where we met you last year.
Congratulations on your fulfilling one of your goals. This looks great. Next year come on back to the Seekers Retreat and maybe we will see you again and be able to walk that great beach at Smelt Bay.
All the best,
Susana and Chad
Excellent. Glad you’ve included
your quotes of the day.
I’ll look forward to your entries.