Recently, I read about a woman in Kansas who got tired of dealing with the ubiquitous tumbleweeds in her area. So, as a joke, she set up a website called prairie tumbleweed farm.
Who knew there was an actual need for the weeds??
She started getting orders from all over the country; someone was having a western-themed wedding; click. Other orders came from Hollywood where her tumbleweeds have graced countless TV shows, [click] print ads and department store displays.
Click, click!
But her proudest moment came from NASA whose researchers used her light-as-air plants as a model for the Mars Tumbleweed rover. Ca-ching, Ca-ching!
Talk about making lemonade outta lemons! Her annual income from tumbleweeds: $40K.
Now that's what I call resourceful!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Just Do It!
I know this may sound a tad callous...
(but then, haven't you come to expect this from me and aren't you just a little bit intrigued???)
With all due respect to people who live in the Gulf states & surrounding areas, including all the islands, 'Stop wondering why this (hurricanes) keeps "happening to us"...'
It reminds me of Sam Kinnison's famous joke:
"The reason why Ethiopians are dying of starvation is because "You live in a f%$#@in! desert!!!"
Duuuuh!
So, too, if one doesn't want to deal with hurricanes, move away from flood plains and historically hard-hit areas. Yes, there are other natural disasters to contend with all over the country, but with relative ease, one can state unequivocally, that hurricanes will happen again and again...and again.
Just as the crime, violence and racial tension of Detroit, MI--not to mention, extreme weather--caused me to relocate, so, too, people who are tired of their current living situation can simply change residence!
After all, this is America, where we are freeee to move about the country!
So, to those who need to heed: "Get your groove on...
and move on."
(but then, haven't you come to expect this from me and aren't you just a little bit intrigued???)
With all due respect to people who live in the Gulf states & surrounding areas, including all the islands, 'Stop wondering why this (hurricanes) keeps "happening to us"...'
It reminds me of Sam Kinnison's famous joke:
"The reason why Ethiopians are dying of starvation is because "You live in a f%$#@in! desert!!!"
Duuuuh!
So, too, if one doesn't want to deal with hurricanes, move away from flood plains and historically hard-hit areas. Yes, there are other natural disasters to contend with all over the country, but with relative ease, one can state unequivocally, that hurricanes will happen again and again...and again.
Just as the crime, violence and racial tension of Detroit, MI--not to mention, extreme weather--caused me to relocate, so, too, people who are tired of their current living situation can simply change residence!
After all, this is America, where we are freeee to move about the country!
So, to those who need to heed: "Get your groove on...
and move on."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Other "L" Word
I remember well the anticipation of relocating to Oregon was as exciting as the actual move. I loved that Oregon was like a well-kept secret, open only to insiders who "get it": that this is a very special place unlike other states.
How else to explain Oregon's trailblazing ways! Twas the first to require a bottle deposit; 300 miles of beaches, all open to the public; one of only two states with no sales tax; the only one with free health care for its poorest; medical marijuana; assisted-suicide and so on.
I had assumed the whole state of Oregon was progressive. After all, it had always been well-known for being liberal. This, I considered a good thing.
Then I moved here and learned differently; how wrong I was! Perhaps it was political naivete`. To believe that all of Oregon was as progressive as Portland couldn't have been further from the truth: that being, like most states, Oregon has many rural regions populated with staunchly-conservative, gun-toting rednecks.
I can't remember the exact moment I found out but I do remember being dumbfounded. Turns out, it's mostly metropolitan areas along the I-5 corridor that are, so-called, liberal.
The root word, 'liber'--and literal definition--means "free and broad-minded"~~two adjectives I proudly call myself. It's also why I love living where there's a cultural awareness of its true meaning.
Oregon may be just as conservative as other states but fortunately, when it comes to legislative acts, it is those who call themselves "open-minded" who usually prevail.
How else to explain Oregon's trailblazing ways! Twas the first to require a bottle deposit; 300 miles of beaches, all open to the public; one of only two states with no sales tax; the only one with free health care for its poorest; medical marijuana; assisted-suicide and so on.
I had assumed the whole state of Oregon was progressive. After all, it had always been well-known for being liberal. This, I considered a good thing.
Then I moved here and learned differently; how wrong I was! Perhaps it was political naivete`. To believe that all of Oregon was as progressive as Portland couldn't have been further from the truth: that being, like most states, Oregon has many rural regions populated with staunchly-conservative, gun-toting rednecks.
I can't remember the exact moment I found out but I do remember being dumbfounded. Turns out, it's mostly metropolitan areas along the I-5 corridor that are, so-called, liberal.
The root word, 'liber'--and literal definition--means "free and broad-minded"~~two adjectives I proudly call myself. It's also why I love living where there's a cultural awareness of its true meaning.
Oregon may be just as conservative as other states but fortunately, when it comes to legislative acts, it is those who call themselves "open-minded" who usually prevail.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Make Do
Try as I might to imagine being raised by "artists", the concept escapes me. Instead, my parents were very conservative pragmatists. Having lived through the Great Depression, they were the original recyclers.
"Waste not, want not."
My mom taught me to "make do". That is, if I wanted something new that wasn't a necessity, she encouraged me to find a substitute. I resented "making do".
But all those years of going without produced the best outcome. Having $aved and $quirreled away as much as possible throughout their lives, my parents enjoyed a very comfortable retirement. Furthermore, their nest egg included a nice inheritance for each of their five children.
Fast forward to the Clinton years in office. Interest rates were so low and houses for sale so plentiful, that it seemed like the right time to gift us with the inheritance we'd eventually receive. My very pragmatic parents wanted to make sure their offspring had a place to call their own.
Mission accomplished!
Nowadays, when I look back at the silly things I wanted--but didn't get--as a kid (Can you say "Go-Go boots"?), I'm grateful for being raised by pragmatists instead of artists who may have indulged my every whim.
Years later while teaching, one of my [adult] students pointed out to me (after class) that having learned to "make do" throughout life probably contributed to my creativity and resourcefulness.
Hhhmmm, good point! And I thought I was teaching them!
"Waste not, want not."
My mom taught me to "make do". That is, if I wanted something new that wasn't a necessity, she encouraged me to find a substitute. I resented "making do".
But all those years of going without produced the best outcome. Having $aved and $quirreled away as much as possible throughout their lives, my parents enjoyed a very comfortable retirement. Furthermore, their nest egg included a nice inheritance for each of their five children.
Fast forward to the Clinton years in office. Interest rates were so low and houses for sale so plentiful, that it seemed like the right time to gift us with the inheritance we'd eventually receive. My very pragmatic parents wanted to make sure their offspring had a place to call their own.
Mission accomplished!
Nowadays, when I look back at the silly things I wanted--but didn't get--as a kid (Can you say "Go-Go boots"?), I'm grateful for being raised by pragmatists instead of artists who may have indulged my every whim.
Years later while teaching, one of my [adult] students pointed out to me (after class) that having learned to "make do" throughout life probably contributed to my creativity and resourcefulness.
Hhhmmm, good point! And I thought I was teaching them!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Real Men Don't Look Like Ken
I guess it started with my shrines about Real Women (Don't Look Like Barbie). While searching for mini-Barbie dolls to include in them, I also found lots of other cute, little dolls.
Thus, began my affinity for collecting miniature dolls.
Kewpie, troll, Barbie; Check!
As a young girl, I used to amuse myself for hours playing with paper doll cut-outs (from McCall's magazine) and later, with 3-D dolls that I'd dress up with clothes my mom made from old, kitchen curtains.
Eventually, my dolls went the way of all toys that have lost their appeal and novelty. I moved on to board games, bicycles and then, Ah, boys!
From there, 'twas all downhill.
Fast-forward, today. Glad to say, my love for dolls has returned. I also retain a great fondness for my bike and One Boy in particular, my real-life doll!
Thus, began my affinity for collecting miniature dolls.
Kewpie, troll, Barbie; Check!
As a young girl, I used to amuse myself for hours playing with paper doll cut-outs (from McCall's magazine) and later, with 3-D dolls that I'd dress up with clothes my mom made from old, kitchen curtains.
Eventually, my dolls went the way of all toys that have lost their appeal and novelty. I moved on to board games, bicycles and then, Ah, boys!
From there, 'twas all downhill.
Fast-forward, today. Glad to say, my love for dolls has returned. I also retain a great fondness for my bike and One Boy in particular, my real-life doll!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What are YOU selling?
"To market, to market to buy a fat pig;
Home again, Home again; Jiggetty-Jig!"
From the dawn of time, one main thread that connects us to the Earth's earliest inhabitants is the exchange of goods.
The Market. Whatsoever one's material needs or wants can be found there.
For sales reps, it's a showroom; for artists, a gallery; for fishermen, it's a dock. Farmer's markets; flea markets; book fairs; we are surrounded by vendors, vending.
From the humblest open-air bazaars to the New York Stock Exchange, The Market is, in fact, what makes the world go round...
despite rumors to the contrary.
Home again, Home again; Jiggetty-Jig!"
From the dawn of time, one main thread that connects us to the Earth's earliest inhabitants is the exchange of goods.
The Market. Whatsoever one's material needs or wants can be found there.
For sales reps, it's a showroom; for artists, a gallery; for fishermen, it's a dock. Farmer's markets; flea markets; book fairs; we are surrounded by vendors, vending.
From the humblest open-air bazaars to the New York Stock Exchange, The Market is, in fact, what makes the world go round...
despite rumors to the contrary.
Connect the "D"ots
A very interesting report was on World News recently about the importance of Vitamin D.
We've been told over the years how vital all our vitamins are to our physical well-being but this report emphasized the particular importance of Vitamin D for our immune systems.
This got me thinking about my Dad's leukemia and how his immune system was compromised which further led me to remember how much dad hated milk--one of our greatest sources of Vitamin D.
Connection? I think yes!
Pass the milk, please!
We've been told over the years how vital all our vitamins are to our physical well-being but this report emphasized the particular importance of Vitamin D for our immune systems.
This got me thinking about my Dad's leukemia and how his immune system was compromised which further led me to remember how much dad hated milk--one of our greatest sources of Vitamin D.
Connection? I think yes!
Pass the milk, please!
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