Time to Help Tornado Survivors

I can't even begin to imagine.

Homeless, lucky to be alive, but incapable of knowing what steps to take in order to continue to live. You're not alone - your neighbors are in the same boat, if they are lucky and while there are promises of government aid you've got to wonder - What does that really mean for me and my family?

I saw one girl on the news tonight covered in mud, hair strewn all over who said, "I don't mean to sound materialistic or anything, but... I mean... we lost everything." She broke my heart - so apologetic in her feeling of loss, as if she should be somehow thankful for her current situation. Her loss is so far beyond that of a materialistic loss - it is loss of home, security and trust in nature. She will grow stronger from this loss, but right now that girl and all those who have survived to see the devastation and live with it, need our help. 

What Can We Do?

If you sat down to dinner with your family tonight on a chair, with a roof over your head and have a bed awaiting your resting head at the end of this day, then perhaps you may want to consider donating, or if you or close enough, lending a hand to one of the following organizations.

• The Alabama Food Bank to help bring food to the many families that will be searching for it. You can donate food or money to any number of areas in Alabama.
• Feeding America is the organization that runs food banks all over the United States. While Alabama was the hardest hit, a number of states were affected (see this Wikipedia article for the details of where the tornadoes hit and what kinds of damage have been reported in those areas).
• Salvation Army is working throughout the region to help. So far they have "mobilized 10 feeding units and a communications unit.  Another 22 mobile feeding units including catering trucks, mobile kitchens, and a 20,000 meal per day full service field kitchen have been placed on standby.  Units are providing food, beverage, and spiritual support to storm victims."
• For other options, including where you can donate bottled water or volunteer your services and time, check out this article by Wade Kwon at MagicCityPost.com
• [Update: GOOD magazine has released its own article with links directing you to find places to help!]

Finally, spread the word. Tomorrow will be a big global news day with the Royal nuptials on the minds and appointment calendars of so many. It is easy to see how those who are suffering may get second billing when they need our attention most.  Let's not forget Prince William's years of charity work and honor him and his new wife on their wedding day by spreading the good will so dear to their hearts.

March Moves Monday Run Down #1 (from The Hummingbird Project)

As I declared March as "Do Something Month" for myself and any others who have joined this challenge with me last Tuesday (March 1st) with an introduction to the Hummingbird story I had not anticipated that it would take off so quickly!


The Hummingbird Project Spreads Its Wings

Upon reading the post for themselves, two fellow bloggers decided this was a challenge their readers needed to read about. I was more than happy that this came to fruition and hope that it further inspires people in this country, and the world, to do something this March.  Please check in with Emily at the Family and Life in Las Vegas blog and Meg at the Do Good blog to support our fellow hummingbirds!


My First Moves

• Donated clothing and household items to the Vietnam Veterans of America. This just proved to me that the universe was waiting for me to Do Something this month. When I checked my mailbox the day after the hummingbird post their was a postcard with a bag in there from the VVA. They were requesting donations (especially clothing) for them to sell to raise money for their organization.  According to the postcard they would be in my area on March 4th - since that was Do Something Day I considered that a sure fire sign that I needed to take action. I called in, scheduled a pickup, and by the time they arrived on Friday morning, we had gathered together five bags of clothing and one bag mixed of household items and board games.
• Started my kitchen scraps bin for composting. I began researching things to compost right away. As soon as I found out that nearly everything I throw away when cooking could be composted, I got started. I have a large plastic container that I noticed the seal was getting more weak in... its days in food storage service in my kitchen were limited. I decided it was time for it to change roles. It is now my kitchen scrap container and I keep it in my freezer (I have read about this in a couple of different places).This is it so far. I am pretty sure I have to come up with an outdoor composting system by the end of this week!

I can't believe how quickly this is filling up!

Check out the Baglady blog!

• I took the ASAP pledge and adopted a baglady. In my research about composting I came upon the story of a a wonderful woman named Shirley Lewis and her work as the "Baglady" in Northern Ireland. When you show up at the Baglady Productions website you are instantly greeted with a video of Ms. Lewis talking to young people and local politicians about what they all can do to make sustainability a priority for their country. Her idea is genius ~ sell the kids and the parents will follow. I remember, as a child, being the one to tell my mother and father to "buckle up!" every time we got in the car. We were taught about the unconditional nature of this action, and for their sanity's sake, our parents followed our beckoning requests. The Baglady wishes to instill this same type of relationship with children and their parents about the environment, from firsthand experience, I simply know this will work. While at the site, there are numerous reminders to take "The ASAP pledge" yourself. The ASAP pledge simply requests that you 

"Make your contribution to the new ASAP World [As Sustainably as Possible] by pledging to give up one thing, and take up one thing."

This was pretty simple for me, after watching the baglady video where numerous children pledged to shut down their XBox, or commit to shutting lights off when they leave a room. I decided my thing to give up would be leaving my computer(s) on standby ~ I do this all of the time! So, from now on, when I walk away from my computer I will SHUT IT DOWN.  The thing that I will take up, is one I have already pledged here on my blog: composting. The more and more I learn about it, the more I realize that this can dramatically affect the amount of waste in my home! 

• I am working to get a composting workshop here in Staten Island for a group of interested participants. It truly seemed as though the stars were aligned for my March moves. The day after posting the challenge I received an e-mail about a master composting course ($40 for a seven day course) starting on March 16th. I inquired and found out that it was not for a beginner like me, but the gentleman running the course would be happy to arrange a workshop for me if I could find a small group of people to join me. I was elated! I am awaiting to here what topics he would like to share, so I can then extend a more detailed invitation to the possibly interested parties! In the meantime, I am learning as much as I can on the Internet.

Reflections

I'm really happy I started this Hummingbird Project for myself because it is pushing me to do things that I always talk about or think about doing that stay, seemingly forever, on my list of things "To Do." While my condition(s) do limit my actions, I am pleasantly surprised to find out how much I actually can do. In addition to these moves I made this month so far, I was also asked to become a participating author on The IH Brain Pain Blogs, a blog about and for IH patients. I have been wanting to contribute to my IH community for a very long time, but had no idea what I could do this is just the perfect opportunity! March has been marvelous so far (even though I have been sicker than I have been in a really long time....) and I hope I can keep being the hummingbird I know I can be!

Resources

I found a lot of cool sites think month so far while trying to start up my own actions, so in case anyone is interested in making some of these moves, here's some good stuff!

• 163 Things You Can Compost The title says it all, but honestly, after reading this I think I can dramatically reduce the amount of waste coming out of this house!
• Composting at Home 2 Easy Methods YouTube video by Enviromom.
• How to Make a Compost YouTube video by KitchenGardeners.org.
• The Rubbish Diet A challenge to reduce the amount of rubbish your home produces. I have only skimmed this so far (this is where I found the Baglady and got swept away!), but this idea intrigues me.

I would love to know what my other hummingbirds are doing out there! Remember this is a MONTH LONG challenge, so join in ANY time!

What's something YOU DO that we can replicate in order to make great changes from small moves?

It's Our Turn to be The Wizard(s) FOR Oz

Dorthy used a pail of water in the Wizard of Oz to defeat her nemesis, the Wicked Witch, in the famous Wizard of Oz. One pail of water took her down and Dorthy was free to explore Oz, find the "magical" wizard, and wake up safely in her home.

The people of our own real-life Oz, Australia, are battling their own evil right now and the tables have somehow turned - it is not a Wicked Witch that plagues these good people, it is, in fact, Dorothy's saving grace - WATER and LOTS OF IT. I have been unable to turn away from the news of this region all week as this horror progresses day by day. I was mortified yesterday to hear the Prime Minister, when addressing the people of Queensland, say that it was only going to get worse. Unbelievable. If you have yet to see it, here is one video that was plastered all over the news yesterday:



And, then last night, after praying and wondering about all of the Australian people I didn't know, I was reminded of the global nature of the Internet. I read the blog post of one of my BlogFrog blogging friends, Crafty Mummy. I completely forgot that she lives in the middle of all that madness! I couldn't just simply watch and pray anymore, I had to do something. So this it. My meager attempt at finding help in you.

Taking my lead from Crafty Mummy, here are two ways you can help right now:

Queensland Government Flood Relief Appeal This website is taking financial donation only at the moment (which makes complete sense to me). They are accepting both local and international donations and list a number of ways of doing so on the site. If you have any money to spare, please consider this worthy cause.

Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions If you would like to have something to show for your donation, or are a fan of auctions, in general, than you may want to check these out. A number of bloggers are running auctions right now and sending their proceeds to the Flood Relief Appeal above. By clicking on the badge below, you will be taken to the Make It Perfect blog which is hosting its own auction and, by Monday, January 17th, will be posting a complete list of the bloggers participating in the auction.

I wish all our Aussies well - be safe, you will be in our prayers.

Making a Difference in the New Year

Download eBook here

A New Year's Read  
I have never been one for New Year's resolutions. However, throughout every year I am always seeking ways to better myself and do what I can to make a bit of difference on this big planet. As 2010 came to a close I was made aware of an ebook on the Internet called Small Ways to Make A Big Difference organized by Raam Dev. I thought this might be exactly the kind of read I was looking for not just for the New Year, but also for my life. I downloaded it (for FREE), read it New Year's Day while I waited for all my house guests (and husband) to wake up, and I loved it.

Why You Should Read It
We all know that this is the "Lose Weight, Feel Great, Get Back in the Gym Week" for most folks. I believe that one reason that all three of these valiant efforts may not out live the month is because, at each of our cores, we are selfless souls and, therefore, have difficulty allowing ourselves the well-deserved "me-time" that the gym, losing weight and, sometimes, even feeling great require.Taking the time to check out Raam Dev's eBook, may hold the key to the small things that can be done to make a difference, helping to alieviate any guilt and, therefore, allow you to satisfy your own needs as well.


What You'll Be Reading
The book is a collection of over 100 ideas on ways to make a small difference in the world that Raam Dev collected from over 40 bloggers. The ideas vary and are all doable, but the thinking is that reading them should inspire you to either adopt an idea to implement, or come up with your own. Dispersed within the ideas are also inspirational quotes from all types of people of power, peace and passion.

How You Might Want to Read It
I highly recommend that you take the time to download this eBook. It is such an easy read and can be approached in a number of ways:

• beginning to end to be overwhelmed by the amount of potential and hope there is in the human spirit,
• go through the table of contents seeking topics that interest you and reading those ideas for inspiration, or
• read one idea a day, so that the book and its spirit lasts throughout the year for you (I may re-read the book in this way!)

If you love the book and want even more, it should be noted that Raam Dev has also created a Facebook Group to keep the conversation going beyond his book.

What Happens After You Read
I was excited as I read the book that so many of the ideas I read had been things I had been thinking about or doing already this year - eating local, be sustainable, take action, use a home water filtration system, eat veggies, vote with your money, give to charity, etc. However, there were other ideas that were so simple, that I had become complacent with - hold the door, smile, turn off the TV, etc. As life rolls along, it is easy to forget how it is the littlest things that often make the biggest difference in a day.

I plan to be more mindful of these "little" things as my year moves forward. I believe that will help create a very joyful year to come. So, I guess, without intending it, I have made a New Year's Resolution after all - I resolve to be a better me this year!

Special thanks to Meg over at the Be The Change Bookclub for recommending Raam Dev's eBook for January's read.

Thank You Thursday: Getting Into the Holiday Spirit with Blog Shout Outs

This post is a little off my typical topics, but I did a lot of blog hopping last night and this morning and wanted to spread the love to the bloggers that made me smile today, taught me something new, or, as evidenced by this post alone, have gotten me into the holiday spirit of giving!

On Topic: Things That Will Affect This Blog

• Thanks Mail Carrier (Xenia) did a review today of a product that  definitely has a future in this blogger's life: Say Mmm. This is a meal planning program that I am signing up for today based on Xenia's review.
• Digital Photography School has a series of posts on food photography. I need lots of help when it comes to this and, while I don't anticipate becoming a professional overnight, I have already picked up a couple of tips that are simple enough to implement on my next couple of pics.
• Family Fitness Food did a great, simple post on 5 Must Haves for Weight Loss and Health. Why do I love this post? Not one of these "must-haves" are products you need to buy. So simple, so true and it will work!
• Damsel, of the Old School - Self Reliance 101 blog shared a quick tip for making old fashioned oatmeal, which, now that I finally have a gluten-free version (thank you Bob's Red Mill!!), I can try out for myself.
• Nutrition Blog Network is a site of great potential that I stumbled on last night. It is a collection of nutrition blogs (written by nutrition professionals) all in one place - what a fabulous resource!

Off Topic: Things That Will Affect This Blogger (so why not spread the joy?)

First, some holiday cheer...

•  Lynn, who blogs at My Life as an Ungraceful, Unhinged, and Unwilling Draftee into the Autism Army wrote a hilarious post brimming with holiday fan fare. If you're steeped in the "magical" world of Christmas, surrounded by believing children and thinking, "There must be more to this mystique," you should check out Lynn's post on her Polar Express experience.
• Next up, Esther's Laugh With Us blog has another great Christmas story to tell. This is one that you could imagine was ripped right out of a scene of Modern Family. I loved it.

Then comes TRUE holiday spirit...

• From the Do Good blog, which I am sure to be visiting quite frequently, Meg wrote a FANTASTIC post about some really great online holiday shopping options. The post is called "Give Twice As Much This Christmas" and its message sings to my soul. Each option for shopping is paired with some charitable cause so that every purchase you make does more than just provide material gain for you and those you love - it also helps someone in need. What a beautiful stocking stuffer!

It was a fruitful and serendipitous night/morning of web surfing. In addition to all this fun stuff, I also found out that Ellen DeGeneres is considering helping out to raise awareness about Intracranial Hypertension (the silly disease that currently has me home on unpaid medical leave) on her show. It is a rare disease that needs recognition more than anything and I couldn't think of a better venue than the show of my favorite comedienne of ALL time! So a shout out of, Thanks!" to everyone at The Ellen Show, too for hearing us.

As for everyone else out there. Thanks for coming. Thanks for reading my post today. I hope you are having a fantastic holiday season so far and that there are more fantastic days to come! I hope to see you around here again soon, but for now - happy reading, happy eating and have a fabulous tomorrow!

Sharing Sustenance - A Gift For Your Soul

There are just over two weeks left until Thanksgiving arrives. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving, for me, is about family, food, sharing, and reflection. Every year, as the day approaches, I can not help but become consumed by this idea of "thanksgiving". I can't help but focus, not on the stresses of holiday living, but, instead, on what I am thankful for. Perhaps this is because my father passed away on Thanksgiving morning when I was 12 years old. I had eleven fabulous Thanksgivings with my father. I will always have them, and I am forever grateful for every moment.

I am also extremely appreciative of the miracles my mother performed for all 29 Thanksgivings (and years!) I had with her. She was on disability, with two children, paying a mortgage, feeding us wholesome meals, and still somehow always made Thanksgiving feel as close to a Norman Rockwell painting as could have been possible with all our family to boot: aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and, very often, visiting guests!  When I was younger I never truly understood how difficult this must have been for my mother. As I grew older the finances started to become clearer, and I as I worked I contributed to the house income, but I have to say it was not until my mother passed away and we had to settle the estate that I understood, for the first time, how close we could have been, any number of times to simply not making it.

Food was the key, I realized. We didn't always have all the newest coolest stuff, but we always had food on the table and we always had enough to share.

I want to continue this tradition of sharing and I want to try to do it virtually. You may have noticed a FOOD BANK icon on the blog.

Sharing sustenance feeds our souls.

This is our virtual food drive for the Food Bank of NYC.  I have set up a Searching for Sustenance Team goal of $500. I found out that $500 will sponsor 2,500 meals!! I think that is a pretty awesome deal (...of course, if we bust through that goal, that would be awesome, too).



The Food Bank has been around for 27 years and is an amazing local organization. I know many of my readers are not local, but I am personally following one of my mantras here of "Think Global, Act Local" with the hopes that we can make little changes here in New York, and then maybe you will be inspired to do something similar in your local community!

This is a new type of call to action. It is one that asks you to open your wallet. I'll understand if you feel it is too much to ask, but before you decide THINK FOR A MOMENT - will $20 really leave you destitute? What about $10? What about $5??? I am not asking YOU to reach the $500 goal alone, I think we can do it TOGETHER!!
 

If you would like to make a donation or just check out our team page to see how we are doing so far, here is the link:

http://help.foodbanknyc.org/goto/searchingforsustenance

Thank you :)