After years of using the same old shoddy plastic and cardboard store bought Advent calender(yes, we re-used it every year by pouring melted chocolate into the little molds in each window!), I decided it was time for a change. For a couple years I envisioned making some sort of big spiral with pockets in it, kind of along the lines of the Advent Spiral but just haven't been able to get ti quite right. I would still like to make it a reality some day. For now, I've got this funky calender that I found about year ago from Martha Stewart, made with various boxes. Eco-friendly. Re-usable. The kids alternate opening that day's box each night-a good lesson for Lo in delayed gratification and patience! Inside the boxes they usually find a little chocolate, a gemstone, a special trinket, or a "coupon" for special events like going for a horse & carriage ride in Anchorage. Uncommon Grace has a large and wonderful list of ideas to include in an advent calender!
In keeping time with our renewed and revitalized commitment to Green Living, we headed down to a fitting event yesturday. With more than 35,000 miles of coastline and some of the world's most biologically diverse marine waters, Alaska plays an important role in the health of the world's oceans. Each year this is celebrated at the Alaska Oceans Festival.
and get her face painted. 
Neither of the kids was interested in mounting the Bucking Bronco Salmon 
but I know Dea would have liked to climb REI's climbing wall. It was pretty expensive to do it and I'm proud that she decided to donate the money, instead, to some great wildlife and enviro organizations. We all came home with a bunch of politically or environmentally vocal bumper stickers! I've dedicated one of my car's back side windows to be my personal public billboard.
When finished with our business, I chased her back up the trails but stopped in my tracks when I saw the wolves. Unaware, Dea ran giggling on but I walked quietly over to the fence where about 7 beautiful wolves stood considering me. What magnificent animals! It was the first time I had ever been so close. I could have reached over and touched them. Evening in the zoo after it is closed to the public is an amazing time. Quiet, but all the animals are up and alert. I spoke quietly to them about their handsomeness and dignity and how it was a shame they were captive. Many of the zoo's animals are rescued. Some are rehabilitated and released but some are there to stay due to extent of their injuries. But then there are the ones who have been captured and placed in a jail for us all to gawk at. And that is upsetting. I'm waiting and hoping the zoo will go "all rescue". I do see the imporatnce of the education in viewing wildlife but not at the expense of a healthy animal's freedom. A zoo can have a lot to offer... Our working philosophy has been to boycott ours in protest to show our kids that we don't approve of animals in captivity. But I'm thinking of recinding that. There is a lot to be learned by going there and discussing the benefits of rehabing hurt animals as well as discussing the ethics of capturing and jailing animals. I'd rather expose them to real life and have some great dialogue than to censor it.
I was struck by the playfulness and tenderness of those wolves- a couple of them wimpered and kind of semi-bowed at me in that submissive playful way that dogs do, reminding me of my own Malamute. They had such a wise yet puckish look in their eyes. I told them we(Alaskans) were aiming for finally getting our voices heard in August when it is time to vote down the arial wolf hunting that has been established. The last two wolves playfought as they watched me and then turned to trot off together. I left to go and talk to the ravens-they are such wisened and whimsical creatures. But that's for another time. Whoops! I missed the toast to the couple!
overpopulation, corporate greed, desensitized and plugged in children...... Overwhelming, depressing, almost all-encompassing. But I shant get out the noose yet! I've always aspired to live a peaceful green lifestyle but I've gone on and off the wagon in years past. The intention is always there but getting locked in an ADDers routine, stress, apathy, hectic times have sometimes gotten in the way. I'm so thankful for my sweathearted Huz who has always been very eco-minded. His passion and peaceful resovle has been an inspiration and helped keep me on track. But I will admit for the first time in my life, I'm striving for a greener lifestyle out of fear. Fear for my family and our finances, fear for the earth and the future of mankind. It's lighting the fire under my ass, so to speak. So I'm making a pledge to remain viligent on the road to living a more sustainable, peaceful, eco-revering, tree-huggin' lifestyle. And I'm taking my kids with me, ha! There are many things we can be incorporating into our lives that cost nothing or just chump change to implement and that's where we'll start. Then as our financial picture continues to improve, there are ideas that will require an initial output of $cashola$-purchasing or making our own wind turbine, designing our new addition to best utilize passive solar energy, and more.
