Reflections

Winterizing Your Car for Winter - Thinking Green

Green to go - Tips for preparing your car for winter.

• Check your tire pressure . Having the correct tire pressure improves traction on wet or snowy conditions. A properly inflated tire also will help protect against wheel damage when driving over potholes. The correct tire pressures can be found in your owner's manual.
• Prevent freeze-ups . Antifreeze is especially important when the temperature drops. Too little antifreeze in your car can cause your engine to freeze up or crack. Check coolant levels on a regular basis and top off as needed.
• Check your battery . Cold temperatures can cut a battery power in half. If your vehicle’s battery is more than three years old, have it tested to ensure it will carry a charge. Make sure that the posts and connections are free of corrosion.
• Replace worn brake pads and shoes . Have a professional check your brakes. Maximum stopping power is important on wet and icy roads. Keep your car in top shape for winter as it will improve fuel economy and vehicle performance while reducing polluting emissions.
  
• Car Tune Up - Check all your hoses, belts, spark plugs, and electrical wires to make sure they are working well.
• Check your tire tread . Tires are very important during winter. Worn tires perform poorly on slippery roads, making them a safety hazard. You might even consider snow tires.

image found on google images

Through My Lens - Snowy Day Friend

photo by Denise Dion-Sullivan

One World, One Heart Giveaway

THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED AS OF MIDNIGHT 2/14/2010

Read about the winner here: OWOH winner!

This is the first year I am joining in on an interesting blog event called "One World, One Heart" (OWOH). This is the 4th annual worldwide blog giveaway, that was started and is hosted by Lisa of "A Whimsical Bohemian". OWOH is meant to bring bloggers from around the world together, to learn a little about each other and share goodies in the process. Last year there were over 900 participants!! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my giveaway, then click on the above logo and look at some of the other great blogs and prizes.

The contest closes on February 14th 12:00 AM and I will pick a winner with the help of the Random Number Generator on the 15th. Anyone from around the world can participate and as I mentioned you must have a blog and leave a comment to qualify for the giveaway. Here are my giveaway items:

A book:

The Art of Doing Nothing:
Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself

The perfect prescription for those who do too much and live too little, this book is filled with tips for carving out that all-important downtime. By Veronique Vienne. 96 pages. Hardcover.

Simply French Designs Wine Charms- set of 4:
Now all you need to pick up is a bottle of wine! Good luck to all of you and have fun forging new friendships!

Boston in the Wind - Monday Musings

"In Boston serpents whistle at the cold." Poet Robert Lowell

My husband and I recently visited Boston for a few days. I will admittedly, think twice before visiting again in the middle of January. It was cold everywhere in the country last week but it felt especially cold on the waterfront where we stayed. The city could easily be dubbed the windy city (move over Chicago). Despite the cold we had a lovely time and were able to do some much needed shopping. I found new clothing for work at great sale prices and my husband found a great tailor and purchased several suits.
I brought my new Nikon digital SLR along and even though I haven't totally figured out all the bells and whistles (thankful for the auto setting), I snapped a few photographs of the Boston architecture that I love and thought I would share a few with you. I find Boston buildings to be a wonderful juxtaposition of old and new and have always admired the city's priority of Historic preservation. I would love to keep an apartment here for weekend jaunts but alas, it is a very expensive city to live. But one can always dream!

Reflections

Thinking Green - Make Your Own Fire Logs

Here's a great use for old newspapers. Recycle them into "logs" for your fireplace.

1. Roll newspaper sheets around a stick like a mop or broomstick, until the log the size you like and then soak the log in water.
2. Dry the log overnight, remove the broomstick, and use like ordinary wood.
3. Remember to use care when burning anything in your fireplace or fire pit.

You can also purchase this Newspaper Log Roller pictured below. This makes it even easier to create your own logs and keep the fire burning, just tightly roll those old newspapers into freshly cut newspaper logs.

photos found on google images

Through My Lens - Wordless Wednesday

photo by Denise Dion-Sullivan

Help For Haiti From Etsy Shops

A group of Etsy Artists/shop owners have come together to support the relief efforts in Haiti. Fellow Blogger and Etsy Artist - Victoria Van Der Laan, came up with the idea of a charitable shop on Etsy for Haiti.You can read about it here: at ExLibris Handmade . The Artists have created a shop on Etsy called HeartsforHaiti.etsy.com. Various Etsy shop owners are donating items with the ongoing proceeds ( less Etsy and PayPal fees), going directly to the relief efforts of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This will be an ongoing shop as the Medical needs in Haiti will continue for the long term. If you are an Etsy shop owner and are interested in donating, send an email for further donation guidelines to: etsyforhaiti@gmail.com If you are interested in shopping to support this worthy cause - click on the banner below to be taken to the shop.
The Hearts for Haiti shop has many items perfect for Valentines Day. I have donated several key chains similar to ones I carry in my shop Simply French Designs. I made two simple designs for the Hearts for Haiti shop. One is unisex style which has a solid pewter (made in USA) heart pendant with French inscription "Mon Coeur S'ouvre a ta voix"..."My heart opens to your voice." I also have another using the same heart pendant with an additional crystal embellishment.

I chose this French Text Pendant as it seemed apropos for the French speaking country and a keychain seemed to be an inexpensive item that most could use or give as a gift. I am hopeful that all of our hearts have been touched by this event and we as a world are united to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need. Click on the photo below to purchase the key chains through the shop Hearts for Haiti.

"Mon Coeur S'ouvre a ta voix"..."My heart opens to your voice."

If you have a blog, facebook page, website or any Internet presence feel free to grab the button at the top of the page and spread the word. Every bit of effort helps. Click on the button for the hyperlink and don't forget to link it to the Hearts for Haiti shop on Etsy!

I also have a direct button on my blog to the right which is a direct link to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). If you click on it you will be taken directly to their website.

Happy Birthday Dr. King - Monday Musings

Happy Birthday

You know it doesn't make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration
Cause we all know in our minds
That there ought to be a time
That we can set aside
to show just how much we love you
And I'm sure you will agree
It couldn't fit more perfectly
Than to have a world party on the day you came to be...

I just never understood
How a man who died for good
Could not have a day that would
Be set aside for his recognition
Because it should never be
Just because some cannot see
The dream as clear as he
that they should make it become an illusion
And we all know everything
That he stood for time will bring
For in peace our hearts will sing
Thanks to Martin Luther King...

The time is overdue
For people like me and you
You know the way to truth
Is love and unity to all God's children
It should be a great event
And the whole day should be spent
In full remembrance
Of those who lived and died for the oneness of
all people.

by Stevie Wonder

Reflections

"I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness,and greed."

Dalai Lama

photo found on google images

Change to GreenBulbs - Thinking Green

LED lamps are starting to replace traditional bulbs because of their high efficiency and long-life span. Rather than using electrical filaments or halogen gas, LEDs shine using tiny clusters of light-emitting diodes. GreenBulbs by Amcor are a full line of household LEDs, which fit standard screw in sockets and outdoor floods. GreenBulbs recycle easily as they do not contain harmful mercury or halogen gases. But you won't have to worry about discarding them for a long time, since these energy-conserving bulbs can last several years. Look for them at your local hardware store or home improvement store.

(Information and photo obtained from Amcor website).

Through My Lens

Amid The Falling Snow - Monday Musings

I don't especially love winter and have been thinking of late, perhaps I simply need to change the way I view this sometimes relentless season. I came across this video and have always enjoyed Enya's music so I thought perhaps it is just what I need to change my point of view. I will admit it is a beautiful season, but one I simply wish were a bit shorter here in Maine!

Reflections

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."

Mother Teresa

image from Google images

The 10 Greenest Cities in America - Thinking Green

1. Austin, TX - As part of the recently announced Austin Climate Protection Plan,all facilities, fleets and operations will be carbon-neutral by 2020,and 100 percent of city facilities will be powered by renewable energy by 2012.

2. Berkeley, CA - In classic U.C. Berkeley style, the university was the first both to draft standards for nanotechnology research and to have a certified organic cafeteria. Earlier this year, U.C. Berkeley was one of the recipients of a mammoth grant, mostly backed by British
Petroleum, which has helped propel it to the forefront of the clean-technology race. The $500 million grant will help create the Energy Biosciences Institute to research and develop new energy
resources through biotechnology.

3. Boston, MA - The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative runs the RenewablenEnergy Trust, a reserve of funds to help bankroll green initiatives. One such project is an exceedingly green residential development in South Boston that will generate its own power from waste cooking oil
sucked from the city’s restaurants.

4. Chicago, IL - The city purchases renewable energy and has aggressive policies to promote green building and recycle construction waste. Chicagoans make healthy use of the public transit system, and more than 80 percent of them take part in curbside recycling.

5. Minneapolis, MN - In addition to greening city fleets with homegrown biodiesel and ethanol and pushing for car sharing, the city saw its new light rail line that opened in 2005 exceed expected ridership by almost 50 percent in the first year.LEED-certified green buildings are springing up, as
are simple but brilliant resource management solutions: Storm-water utility fees, for example, are charged based on the area of hard, impervious surfaces on a property, while credits are doled out for permeable surfaces that let rainwater safely soak back into the ground.

6. New York, NY - Last year, New York University bought 118,000,000 kilowatt-hours of wind power, the largest purchase of its kind for a university, to help offset the pollution it causes. Even the Big
Apple’s famous and imposing skyline is taking a new approach to skyscraping. The Hearst Tower and 7 World Trade Center, both completed in 2006, are Gold-level LEED green buildings,
integrating such features as rainwater collection, natural lighting, low-toxicity interiors, radiant heat and recycled steel. With its astute planning, geographic constraints and citizen participation, New
York City sets the standard for high-density urban living that works.

7. Philadelphia, PA - Philadelphia’s Energy Cooperative is an independent power supplier that likes to source electricity as locally as possible, buying it off the roofs of residents who own solar electric systems.Blended with electricity generated from wind and other renewable
sources, the Energy Cooperative sells clean power to some 1,500 residents thanks to the city’s deregulated electricity market. For those wanting to generate their own, city and federal tax incentives will pay for up to 60 percent of solar electric and hot water systems.

8. Portland, OR - Back in 1993, Portland became the first American city to adopt a Global Warming Action Plan, which has kept emissions down and helped Portland General Electric become one of the greenest power companies in the U.S.This March, at the suggestion of the city’s Peak Oil Task
Force, the City Council approved a measure to cut Portland’s fossil fuel use in half by 2032.

9. San Francisco, CA - San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan, called for by its Board of Supervisors, has put the city on track to surpass the benchmark set by the Kyoto Protocol, partly boosted by a $100 million solar bond measure passed by voters to build renewable energy systems throughout the city.

10. Seattle, WA - Seattle plans to cut the city’s greenhouse gases by 680,000 metric tons, which involves a $37 million investment in 2006 and 2007 alone. Seattle also has the advantage of owning its electric utility, Seattle City Light, a plus that has already helped it cut emissions by
60 percent in less than 20 years.

original information posted on CNNiReport
image found on google images

Through My Lens - Warm and Fuzzy Sunrise

Monday Musings ~ "Enlightened" humor

Okay, maybe it's not enlightening, but it's Monday Morning and I thought I would share a bit of humor to begin the week:

Q: How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Two - one to change the bulb, and one to not change the bulb.
Q: How many Taoists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: No takers. The idea that the bulb needs changing is merely a human mental formulation. It is not the Tao.
Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One, but the bulb must want to change.
Q: How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb?
Q A: How many can you afford?

Enjoy your week!

Reflections

"If there is love, there is hope to have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost, if you continue to see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education you have, no matter how much material progress is made, only suffering and confusion will ensue."

~Dalai Lama

image found on google images

Happy Birthday Love!

Today is my Husband's Birthday!

Just like a fine wine, you grow better with the years! Happy 50th Birthday!