Lunches and stuffs

A tiny fragment of the pacific ocean garbage patch. I just set this as my computer desktop picture. To remind us why.

I freed this beautiful garden table from the trash a couple of months ago.

Garbage stresses me out. Plastic lunch baggies, when they make their way into my house, get me kinda wiggy. The idea of using something to hold our food for a few hours and then throw it out. Think about it. Think about how many school children and brown baggers are throwing out plastic bags and 'juice boxes' everyday. Think about school cafeteria garbage pails across the country, then across the world. Think about how much needless waste, created each day. In the name of convenience and feeding ourselves we are littering the planet.. Since my children began kindergarten we have used reusable containers, thermoses and cloth napkins. This was the policy at the Montessori school they attended and it really helped en grain the concept on us. We are not perfect and we don't live in a perfect world. We buy food that comes in packaging, but we are cutting back. We are trying. And if we can avoid putting the food that comes in disposable packaging into other disposable packaging, well.. That's a really good step. I haven't bought plastic baggies or plastic wrap in years, and i have never missed it. Again, saving money and creating less waste. Those two seem to go hand in hand. At our last covered dish party we had about 50 people. We used china dishes and glasses. Friends pitched in to help wash. It took a some more work but to host a party that size and put next to nothing in the garbage pail? That was such a peaceful feeling.

For food storage at home i like vintage glass containers that I have picked up at garage sales, flea markets or thrift stores. I even scored a sweet turquoise covered casserole dish from the trash. You can generally find these pretty cheap and I try to avoid storing food in plastic. My friends and I like our to go drinks in covered mason jars.

Think about the Pacific Garbage Patch. I hope and imagine most of you have heard of it by now. Twice the size of Texas and weighing about 3.5 million tons, an island of trash floating between Hawaii and San Francisco. Up to about 80% of this garbage patch is made of plastic. What if everyone began today, to find a way to create less trash? What would that look like? Imagine. Don't you want do your part and keep your families waste out of this by creating less trash? Don't you want to be able to sail the ocean with our grandchildren and show them all the beautiful marine life? Rather than all the waste we created with our own callous, hurried way of living. I say living and cringe at the irony. We can do better and we can start today. Google images of the Pacific garbage patch if you need further inspiration.

One of my current favorite meals consists of a bowl of olive oil mixed with herbs and salt and carried out to the garden. In the garden I fold lettuce with kale or cabbage and green onions to be dipped into the oil. It is so fresh and so good and when its warm and the sun is shining.. Heavenly food with no packaging. This is my dream of fast food.

One of the books I am currently perusing is the Tao Te Ching (alright, its the pocket edition. a gift from a friend, many years ago :0). I love this:

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, dont try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.


Wise words for all of us. Breathe it in.

xoxo