EARTH DAY IS MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY

Earth Day is my favorite holiday! Each year on this day, show your love for our beautiful planet and honor her with a tree, plant it in your yard or in a pot and one day when this planet needs it most you will have something wonderful to offer. 

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22. Now in its 45th year, Earth Day is one of the largest observances in the world with 1 billion people participating in activities each year.
To reduce personal consumption is not always an easy task to tackle, but there are a few doable steps you can follow throughout the year to help protect our environment for future generations; you may also save money in the process.

Here are some easy steps to reduce consumption and make every day Earth Day: from the NAdvocate

1. With Spring in full swing, it is time for some Spring cleaning, sorting your cupboards will help you to focus on the things you really need. Donate items you no longer wear to the less privileged. Donations are a form of re-use which will cut your waste while helping people in need.

2. Window-shopping only tempts you to buy the things that you don’t need. Impulsive purchases are often left unused and eventually end up in the dustbin. Rather draw up a shopping list of the things you need beforehand. Try to purchase only what you need and use, this way you won't be adding unnecessary items to our already overburdened planet.

3. When cooking food, try to use the oldest ingredients first before their shelf lives expire. Prepare just enough food for the number of people that will be enjoying the meal. Cooking just enough food will cut your waste and even save electricity.

Make Earth Day a family affair, teach your children! Here are some fun recipes to get the kids in the spirit of the earth, fun and delicious for your celebration.

Talk about the importance of not littering and doing recycling while you make one of the following recipes with your kids this week. No-bake mud cookies can be cooked on the stove by a parent, and easily shaped by small hands. Dirt pudding cups, garnished with gummy worms and perhaps a fresh, edible flower from your yard, will be a great conversation starter.

No Bake Mud cookies

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoon cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2cup butter

1/2cup peanut butter

2 cups oatmeal

1 teaspoon. vanilla

Mix sugar and the cocoa together in saucepan. Stir in milk. Add butter and bring to a full boil, stirring frequently. Cook and stir constantly for two minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Scoop by tablespoon onto waxed paper and let cool.

Dirt Pudding Cups

2 cups of cold milk

1 small package chocolate instant pudding

8 oz. container whipped topping, thawed

1 pound package chocolate sandwich cookies

Gummy worms or other gummy creatures

Edible flowers, if desired

Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk in a mixing bowl. Let stand for five minutes. Stir in the whipped topping. Place cookies in a zippered plastic bag and crush with a mallet or hammer until crumbly. Add half the crushed cookies to the pudding and fold in gently. Put a tablespoon of crushed cookies in each of 6-8 clear pudding bowls or plastic cups. Fill cups three quarters full of pudding mix. Top each cup or bowl with remaining cookie crumbles. Garnish with gummy worms or other gummy “critters.” Chill an hour or more. If desired, a washed edible flower (such as a violet, dandelion, calendula, chive or nasturtium blossom) can be added as a garnish before serving.

Be someone important, become a Earth Day Warrior and protect and preserve the planet!

I am both honored and proud of the response on my Earth Day board on Pinterest ~ it gives me hope for the future of our planet Earth.

Check it out and be inspired! 

Earth Day on Pinterest

FOR THE LOVE OF TREES

Image by Layla Morgan Wilde

Enjoy your day!

SPRING IN PORTLAND OREGON

I know, I know! it has been a while since I last posted, let that rest on me. With this beautiful, warm Spring day upon us, I felt the need to spread the joy we feel in Portland for Spring and that hint of what the coming months will bring.

With the advent of Spring and with sunshine our my eyes, we embrace the Spring in Portland. Everywhere you walk there is trees in blossom and Spring flowers popping up with the beautiful colors of Spring. Portland is a wonderland of bulbs and flowers, sunshine and glistening walks by the rivers. The geese and ducks are busy nesting with their young in tow, we hear the honks and quacks in the air as they fly from wetland to wetland, sharing their space with Blue Heron, Beaver, Otter, and Nutria and many other wonderful creatures of nature. We live in abundance!

We will bask in the sunshine, and seek out the rays as they hit the ground and the glorious sun shines in the sky again after a long Fall and Winter of waiting. 

We will attend the festivals, Farmer's Markets, and bar-b-ques. 
Packing away the remnants of Winter and breaking out the warm weather wear. 

Earthing is now with the sun warming the earth so, take off your shoes and put your toes in the earth!

Enjoy the Spring, may the energy of  the earth surround you with joy ~

PEACE FROM ORIGINS OREGON

PEACE IN PORTLAND OREGON

From Portland Oregon, on this International Day Of Peace, I wish for peace on earth.

As a pacifist, I hold the hope for peace close to my heart every day. We, as a people have it within our own power to create peace, sending out the vibrations of love and peace, that will ripple across our globe, reaching countries in a state of war, for the children of war-torn countries, and the refugees these wars have created, we must keep the hope for peace alive in our hearts, and on our minds.

All people, from every walk of life deserve a life of peace and prosperity, as a people, we must realize peace and justice are possible across the globe, finding solutions, spreading the good word and becoming a part of a movement both beautiful and selfless, so we may realize peace in our own lifetimes.
It's a simple concept really, peace through justice, fair and equal treatment for all people, all through peaceable means. I will flow with this idea, putting it out into the universe, creating my ripple of love and peace.

Being from the beautiful state of Oregon, we are blessed by many people, organizations and businesses that create a way to benefit global peace initiatives around our planet, improving the lives of people around the globe.
It is to these people I am most grateful for, people like the young woman profiled below, a young Peace Corps volunteer...

A Peace Corps volunteer had a dream to use the nutritious leaves of the moringa tree to improve the lives of women in West Africa
Lisa Curtis witnessed the challenges that rural communities in West Africa face, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, she became one of those inspirational people that found a solution. 
What began as a solution to hunger, became something empowering to the women of West Africa, enriching the lives of all.

Read The Blog 

There is an interesting story behind this post, an inspiration, when two paths crossed.
When my husband Todd, out on a quick trip to the grocery store encountered Alex Bacher,  Brand Ambassador for the company  Kuli Kuli Foods, at the grocery store giving coupons to shoppers, his passion for social justice and environmental causes piqued my husband's interest, they had a conversation about the work we both do to promote peace and prosperity globally. Upon returning home and telling me the story about what the company does, the products they created to bring stability, nutrition and sustainability to an impoverished Niger.
How could I not be inspired ? 

So, on this of International Peace Day as the meditation for global peace begins, be inspired to shop only the companies that benefit our global communities and be part of the international movement that flows toward peace and justice.

Join us for a Global-Synchronized Meditation and Prayer for Peace in hundreds of cities around the world. In 2012, 248 cities participated. Last year, 564 cities joined and, this year, our goal is 1000 cities ... Join us at 12:00 Noon in your local time zone for the Peace Wave or at the Global Synchronized time of 12:00 Noon PST // 7:00 PM GMT. Listen to the Global Broadcast or find a live event in your city. 

Read the inspiring story about Kuli Kuli here:
http://kulikulifoods.com/about#our-story

PREPARE TO WEEP !  



 Time to Be The Peace !

BATS IN OREGON

BATS IN OREGON

It has been sometime since I posted here, to a place that will remain in my heart, as this place is for the earth, it's inhabitants, both great and small.

Bats have been on the forefront of my mind; the amazing creatures, so misunderstood, I feel it is necessary for me to defend their worth, as they work very hard to do their part, to both pollinate the earth, and rid it of pesky mosquitos ! I have a great love for the bat, peaceful and docile, not the people attacking, rabies spreading animal many have been led to believe.

Fall is the perfect time to get your bat houses up on a tree in your yard, to provide them and their sweet little offspring a place of safety and warmth. You will love the experience !

In appreciation of the bat !

FOR THE LOVE OF BATS !!!

A VIDEO DEMO FOR BUILDING A BAT HOUSE ~ 

THE FABULOUS NATIVE BEE

Encourage bees to come to your yard.... Sounds easy enough, and it is REALLY easy. Creating your own little bee space in your garden, patio or deck will prove to be one of the most fulfilling accomplishments in your life. Just doing your part in saving and protecting the bees in your own environment will be important for our planet. Losing our pollinators will have devastating results for our food sources. 

Continue to sign petitions for a GMO free country, say no to pesticides, support your local farmer. Become a *Lovavore*...
Plant your bee garden, provide the housing and watch them come, creating beauty where they flit from bloom to bloom.

The Native Mason Bee

The most peaceful bee in nature...I know it seems strange but, the Mason Bee doesn't sting. Since I was a small child, I held them in my hand. Wonderful little creatures of various colors. 


For the love of bees...

Enjoy !
Be well and happy ~ Holly

NATIVE BEE HOUSE

LIFE AND LIVING IN LAKE OSWEGO OREGON

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Transitioning to new beginnings, again....
I have been reflecting on my life, my path has been rocky at times, but I have always been happy, even during the hard times. Many of us are finding a new way, a new beginning, whether it is a new career, a move to a new home, or a change in familial status, we remain happy, living simply in our lives.

Living simply is the key to happiness, unburdening our lives, getting rid of all the stuff that weighs us down, like a dark cloud above us, our earthly possessions, and want for more, not only add a burden to our lives, they add more stuff to our beautiful planet.

Be happy with the blessings you have, your space, your family and friends, nature with all of it's bounty and beauty. Be in love and at peace with the world. Shine your light on each person you see, walk in nature, lean against an ancient tree, love a pet and be loved. Giving love and peace will bring it all back around to you. What a wonderful life ~ A beautiful world ~ 

My gratitude for my beautiful Oregon, and the blessing of living in Lake Oswego. 

As I embark upon a new venture, I know that in the flow of happiness and love for nature, my Origins Oregon will be received with open arms and loving hearts. Encouraged by friends and family, I am hopeful that Origins Oregon finds success. I will follow my heart....with gratitude.

Peace ~ Holly

WHERE THE MASON BEES GO IN WINTER

The Mason Bee with beautiful jewel tones

Most gardeners don't realize the vast number of bee species there are.
I have provided housing for our Oregon Native*, the Mason Bee. I observe, with fascination the comings and goings of my little, stingless friends, as they flit among my flowers, creating a beautiful abundance of flowers and vegetables.

Mason bees are solitary bees that typically use tubes, reeds, and holes in wood for their nesting sites.  Each female is a queen and will lay her egg in gathered pollen.  She’ll separate these pollen/egg chambers with bits of mud, leaf, resin, etc. depending on her species. Each region in the U.S. has it's own native bee, so do a little research to find out which bees live in your area, it will be worth the small effort it takes to create a home for these hardworking pollinators. 

My mother always told me that,  "we should all have something to look forward to, this will keep us happy and alive". The Mason Bees, as they leave the warm comfort of the nest, each individual bee having it's own little space, is one of the things I have to look forward to each Spring, with glee.

In the Winter months, these little blue beauties, after a busy spring, the females will die in early June, their eggs hatch into larva which eat the pollen in June/July, and these larva then spin cocoons in July to metamorphosis into adult bees (still in cocoons) by October.

The vast number of bees in your yard are independent female bees showing up only at specific times of the year.  Each female is a queen, and they live their short life placing pollen and eggs into holes in twigs and reeds or under rocks hoping their progeny will remain undisturbed. So, please leave those stumps in your yard, as the Mason Bee will naturally create it's own home in those old stumps. 

The Bee Garden

Grow your organic bee garden, build a simple bee box, and they will come. Considering our planets decline in the bee population, it is our responsibility to protect our pollinators. Providing a home for bees is a feel good accomplishment, a great hobby, while doing your part in saving the bees. 
The loss of bees has serious consequences for plants, wildlife and yes, human survival.

The bee is my totem, my friend, my purpose.

Returning To My Peaceful Space ....Today and Tomorrow

Here's how to befriend the bees, butterflies and birds


It has been sometime since I last posted, so I apologize to all of you ~

Here is an update:

I have found myself in a beautiful space in time. My new space is both peaceful and beautiful. The birds grace my yard daily, dancing around the plants and trees with glee. My world is full of life. Just down the walkway, there is a bee and butterfly garden, so busy with life that it gives me hope for nature's friends, the bees and the butterflies, the birds and trees. 

Did you realize, that in some places in the world, the children have never seen a bee or a butterfly. I cannot imagine ! I have loved and admired our fabulous pollinators at work, providing the necessary element that grows our food, and adding beauty to our yards and gardens. 
Grow gardens...Not Lawns ~

I am teaching my grandson to love nature...we go earthing, catching the wind and staring in amazement at the heritage trees, in all their giant glory, the tall pines and colorful maples, we observe the bees, not wanting him to be frightened of the bees, with their inherent sweet nature, legs full of golden pollen, as they flit from flower to flower. I live through the wonder in his eyes ~

My new space, a place to grow and try new experiences. I feel the freedom and I am happy in my peaceful space ~

Gen shares some great tips on reducing the impact of pesticides on honeybees. She shares which types of pesticides you should never use, which ones are only safe if you spray them at dawn or dusk (when bees are less active), and which ones won’t impact honeybees. You’ll definitely want to bookmark her post for future reference.

Be well and Happy ~ Holly


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BEEutiful Peace

Create that peaceful spot

Beautiful Bee and Butterfly Garden

Beautiful garden peace and the buzz and flight of bees and butterflies

There is no better peace than in the garden. To be with nature, hands in the dirt, nurturing the garden, the wind and sun caressing your face. I find my true spirit here in my garden space. Small and wonderful, with my collection of beautiful greenery, potted trees and flower, and of course my most valued Carnivorous plants, their unique ability of doing their part in balancing of nature, colorful and enticing to insects, they aid in the control of ants and other pests that plague our small space gardens.

Today, the sun dapples into my garden, just after a torrential rainfall, I can almost see the garden flourish in the new day of sunshine, I smile and feel at peace.

I recently moved to a place where there is a butterfly garden, that the bees also love. It is quite a sight to see how this perfect combination of seeds, or bedding plants can bring so much activity to the garden. The sound of buzzing and the gentle flight of the butterfly is an inspiration to anyone who is blessed enough to see this beautiful little pollinators garden. Next seasons I will do more to do my part in creating a safe, healthy haven for our butterflies and bees. My small part in providing protection to these amazing little creatures of our earth.

My totem, the bee, my little hardworking friends needs our love and protection. 
Plant a butterfly garden and bee well ~ Create your peaceful space ~




http://thegardeningcook.com/garden-seating-areas/

A BUTTERFLY LEGEND

For the love of butterflies...

A simple native american poem about the legend of the butterfly. All my life, I have loved and protected butterflies and bees....my totem, I have been told, is the butterfly....my wings are delicate, as my heart is pure love, the dust from my wings may easily be rubbed and weakened, only then do I remember that my strenghth comes in flight and fancy. 

An Indian Butterfly Legend

If anyone desires a wish to come true they must
capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it.

Since they make no sound, they can’t tell the wish
to anyone but the Great Spirit.

So by making the wish and releasing the butterfly
It will be taken to the heavens and granted <3

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ORIGINS OREGON LOVES THE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE EARTH

Mason Jar Chandelier

Be kind to our beautiful planet and do your part by reusing and recycling. Often confused with reusing, recycling is the act of reprocessing things like paper, glass, and aluminum into new products. Take action to start now. When you are preparing to throw something in the trash...stop...ask yourself what you could do to upcycle or reuse, then recycle what you can't reuse. 

At Origins Oregon we continue to do our part to make our planet for all of us. By being sustainable, buying local, organic, vegan and natural products only in our beautiful Oregon. We are proud stewards of the earth...we are *Locavores*.

 Respect the appearance of Mother Earth, please don't throw trash on the ground. If there is not a trash can convenient, carry it in your pocket until you find one. Litter is a huge problem for wildlife. Birds, fish and other animals get caught in plastic bags and soda can rings, and can choke on small pieces of trash. Plus, trash makes parks and beaches less appealing. Do not let your carelessness destroy living creatures and habitats.

Be creative, it is so much fun, and you can take pride in your unique reuse ideas. Brag a little...show off those ideas to others, inspiring them to follow your good stewardship.

Be well and happy ~ Holly

Use those old shoe trees to create an herb garden

Door curtain made from film negatives

Great use for Mason Jars

Reuse an old door in your decor

Use eggshells to plant herbs

Transform that old trampoline into a cozy spot

Reuse bicycle parts to create art

Use Mason jars to make your own room fresheners

Mason Jar outdoor candle with gold doily trim

Mason jar wall art

SUMMER PARTY SPLASH

Freeze the bounty of Summer into your ice cube trays. From blueberries, to mint sprigs....these beautiful cubes will oh -ah the guests at your next Summer gathering. Easy to make a splash with these little beauties

Visit our marketplace at originsoregon.com

REUSE PALLETS FOR THE DECK

This reuse project using pallets to build simple, yet beautiful patio or deck furniture on a budget. Easy to customize to your own taste...

For the most part, these pallets are just attached to each other. They were then given legs and a coat of paint. As simple as that part may be, commenters raised a few concerns. A few people noted that many wooden pallets aren't safe because they're treated with chemicals. Before jumping into the project, you'll want to be sure you don't acquire any that were. This article on Green Upgrader explains how to tell.

Another concern was putting together cushions, but commenter deesel18 explained how it's done:

You can get big blocks of foam at craft and fabric stores and cut them to size. Then you can sew covers for them. I made an outdoor foam block to put under my dogs bed, I just used spray adhesive and pressed the fabric on since it was waterproof and I wouldn't need to put it in a washer.

Aside from those two concerns, it seems like this is a pretty simple furniture project you could manage yourself in a weekend or two and save a bunch of money.

THE DANCE OF THE HONEYBEE..REMEMBERING E.B. WHITE

Artist Mika Holtzinger 

As you may know, EB White was the author of the much-beloved books “Charlotte’s Web,” “Stuart Little” and “The Elements of Style.” But did you also know he was a dedicated beekeeper?   With a dash of humor, E.B. White addressed queen rearing in this poem, which was published in The New Yorker December 15, 1945:

“The breeding of the bee,” says a United States Department of Agriculture bulletin on artificial insemination, “has always been handicapped by the fact that the queen mates in the air with whatever drone she encounters.”

When the air is wine and the wind is free

and the morning sits on the lovely leaf,

and sunlight ripples on every tree

Then love-in-air is the thing for me

I’m a bee,

I’m a ravishing, rollicking, young queen bee,

That’s me.I wish to state that I think it’s great,

Oh, it’s simply rare in the upper air,

It’s the place to pair

With a bee.

Let old geneticists plot and plan,

They’re stuffy people, to a man;

Let gossips whisper behind their fan.

(Oh, she does?

Buzz, buzz, buzz!)

My nuptial flight is sheer delight;

I’m a giddy girl who likes to swirl,

To fly and soar

And fly some more,

I’m a bee.

And I wish to state that I’ll always mate

With whatever drone I encounter.

There’s a kind of a wild and glad elation

In the natural way of insemination;

Who thinks that love is a handicap

Is a fuddydud and a common sap,

For I am a queen and I am a bee,

I’m devil-may-care and I’m fancy-free,

The test tube doesn’t appeal to me,

Not me,

I’m a bee.

And I’m here to state that I’ll always mate

With whatever drone I encounter.

Mares and cows. by calculating,

Improve themselves with loveless mating,

Let groundlings breed in the modern fashion,

I’ll stick to the air and the grand old passion;

I may be small and I’m just a bee

But I won’t have science improving me,

Not me,

I’m a bee.

On a day that’s fair with a wind that’s free,

Any old drone is a lad for me.

I’ve no flair for love moderne,

It’s far too studied, far too stern,

I’m just a bee—I’m wild, I’m free,

That’s me.

I can’t afford to be too choosy;

In every queen there’s a touch of floozy,

And it’s simply rare

In the upper air

And I wish to state

That I’ll always mate

With whatever drone I encounter.

Man is a fool for the latest movement,

He broods and broods on race improvement;

What boots it to improve a bee

If it means the end of ecstasy?

(He ought to be there

On a day that’s fair,

Oh, it’s simply rare.

For a bee.)

Man’s so wise he is growing foolish,

Some of his schemes are downright ghoulish;

He owns a bomb that’ll end creation

And he wants to change the sex relation,

He thinks that love is a handicap,

He’s a fuddydud, he’s a simple sap;

Man is a meddler, man’s a boob,

He looks for love in the depths of a tube,

His restless mind is forever ranging,

He thinks he’s advancing as long as he’s changing,

He cracks the atom, he racks his skull,

Man is meddlesome, man is dull,

Man is busy instead of idle,

Man is alarmingly suicidal,

Me, I am a bee.

I am a bee and I simply love it,

I am a bee and I’m darn glad of it,

I am a bee, I know about love:

You go upstairs, you go above,

You do not pause to dine or sup,

The sky won’t wait —it’s a long trip up;

You rise, you soar, you take the blue,

It’s you and me, kid, me and you,

It’s everything, it’s the nearest drone,

It’s never a thing that you find alone.

I’m a bee,

I’m free.

If any old farmer can keep and hive me,

Then any old drone may catch and wife me;

I’m sorry for creatures who cannot pair

On a gorgeous day in the upper air,

I’m sorry for cows that have to boast

Of affairs they’ve had by parcel post,

I’m sorry for a man with his plots and guile,

His test-tube manner, his test-tube smile;

I’ll multiply and I’ll increase

As I always have—by mere caprice;

For I am a queen and I am a bee,

I’m devil-may-care and I’m fancy-free,

Love-in-air is the thing for me,

Oh, it’s simply rare,

In the beautiful air,

And I wish to state

That I’ll always mate

With whatever drone I encounter.